ONE MORE THING!!
Technology is the new standard. When you walk up to someone and say, "Hey can I borrow your laptop or cell phone," it will be highly unlikely for a person to look at you and go "What's that?" Almost everybody has a facebook. Even children are able to use technology as second nature already! I have a friend who has a niece that is about 3 years old, who sends her text messages from her father's phone. This is a little girl that can barely read, who knows how to send text messages! How ridiculous is that? Children are evolving with technology. They are learning faster, understanding more, and are becoming more capable every day. This is mind boggling, but true. It's going to keep on happening, and these kids will probably be way better off than our parents were. Well, unless the world comes across an electronic world wide meltdown. Then they might be in trouble because of their dependence on technology. I will agree that technology is important in our day and age, but is it really that reliable? Is it so reliable that we can confidently invest all of our time and energy into making it better, stronger and more convenient? Putting all of the eggs in one basket seems pretty risky to me.
Life: The Moments That Take Your Breath Away
Stress is the number one killer of the overall population. Stress is a mental issue, but not everyone knows how to cope with stress. The most common way to cope is to find an escape. Some people go to the gym, some play golf, some play video games. It's all about finding something that makes them happy. Every minute of everyday, everyone is looking for something to be happy about. Even emo kids are looking for happiness, they just seem to avoid the fact that anything makes them happy.
One thing that makes me smile is laughing. Laughing and other people laughing. This video gets me in a great mood every time.
Now, if that didn't make you laugh, then you are lacking a soul. However, the point is that if you are bogged down and stressed, find something that makes you smile and laugh. Look for the moments that take your breath away. Because even though you may not be breathing, those are the moments that you are truly alive. Fight stress, and live.
One thing that makes me smile is laughing. Laughing and other people laughing. This video gets me in a great mood every time.
Now, if that didn't make you laugh, then you are lacking a soul. However, the point is that if you are bogged down and stressed, find something that makes you smile and laugh. Look for the moments that take your breath away. Because even though you may not be breathing, those are the moments that you are truly alive. Fight stress, and live.
Smothered Potential
One thing that I believe pretty much every student feels, not just college students, is the wonder of why we must learn certain things. The biology major that must take history, the English major that must take math, the PE major that must take Fine Arts. We all wonder why. We go to school wondering what we want to learn and possibly make a career out of. When we finally make this future altering decision, we are still forced to learn learn lessons that we care nothing about. Over this semester, I have read the blogs of young students who have their whole lives ahead of them, full of mystery, wonder, and life changing decisions. I feel sorry for them because I know what they are in store for. They will be force fed the white man's education, and not just on what they feel is worth learning, but everything "The Man" believes we should learn. Whether it proves of any importance to the student or not. This gorging of personally irrelevant education can cause some very unnerving stress to the student, all for what? To learn about something that has nothing to do with the path they have chosen or have yet to choose. Why can the education not just stop where it is needed? I, myself, wanted to become a high school math teacher, specializing in Algebra and Trigonometry. I have taken and tutored both courses with relative ease and passed them both with flying colors. However, the education system requires me to go beyond my understanding to require me to know 3 levels of calculus, 2 levels of statistics, linear algebra, as well as 4 more mathematics courses, all having prerequisites before I can continue. All of this to teach algebra and trig. I know first hand that this stress is unnecessary and ridiculous and yet, I do not believe that this is something that will ever change. The children of America will have to deal with this undue stress for as long as education exists. I am not saying that people shouldn't have to work hard to get where they want to be, but I do not feel that it is necessary to force feed information that they will probably never use in their career.
And you can't say that this is for the good of the student. How is it good for the student? Teach them what they need to know based on where they want to be, not because society and "The Man" believe that it will be beneficial. It is only taking time out of their lives, money out of their pockets, and adding stress to their burden. It's unfair to the student, because they are forced to pay for and study for a course they will never use in their life. Teach what needs to be learned and save the future from insanity and stress!
And you can't say that this is for the good of the student. How is it good for the student? Teach them what they need to know based on where they want to be, not because society and "The Man" believe that it will be beneficial. It is only taking time out of their lives, money out of their pockets, and adding stress to their burden. It's unfair to the student, because they are forced to pay for and study for a course they will never use in their life. Teach what needs to be learned and save the future from insanity and stress!
You Know What Are Interesting?
Words.
Growing up we all hear the "Sticks and Stones" rhyme at least once in our lives. However, have you ever noticed that there are certain words that, if heard from the right source, stick with us more than others. For instance, in my personal experiences, there have been times, when I was younger, that I would hear a word that I would just absolutely not understand on the television or in music. Later on, I would hear the word again in another program or in an actual conversation, thus bringing curiosity or explanation of the word. I recall once a long time ago, in an Eminem song speaking about his mother was a victim of Munchhausen Syndrome. At the age I was, I didn't care much for it's meaning, but when I got older, I heard it again on an episode of ABC's "Scrubs" where he explains what Munchhausen Syndrome actually was. It was terrible to hear what it's actual meaning was, but the point is that after several years, I still recognized the word. Perhaps if we presented more impressive vocabulary in childrens media, then perhaps they might also find an attachment of some sort to particular words, thus increasing their own vocabulary subconsciously. I think it is definitely something worth looking into.
Oh and btw, "Scrubs" can even make Munchhausen's Syndrome comedic.
Still awful. But a little funny.
Growing up we all hear the "Sticks and Stones" rhyme at least once in our lives. However, have you ever noticed that there are certain words that, if heard from the right source, stick with us more than others. For instance, in my personal experiences, there have been times, when I was younger, that I would hear a word that I would just absolutely not understand on the television or in music. Later on, I would hear the word again in another program or in an actual conversation, thus bringing curiosity or explanation of the word. I recall once a long time ago, in an Eminem song speaking about his mother was a victim of Munchhausen Syndrome. At the age I was, I didn't care much for it's meaning, but when I got older, I heard it again on an episode of ABC's "Scrubs" where he explains what Munchhausen Syndrome actually was. It was terrible to hear what it's actual meaning was, but the point is that after several years, I still recognized the word. Perhaps if we presented more impressive vocabulary in childrens media, then perhaps they might also find an attachment of some sort to particular words, thus increasing their own vocabulary subconsciously. I think it is definitely something worth looking into.
Oh and btw, "Scrubs" can even make Munchhausen's Syndrome comedic.
Still awful. But a little funny.
How to Maintain the Students
Everybody knows that the mind of the average student is easily distracted. I agree... For the most part. However, I believe that the best way to keep the mind focused is by giving them something worth focusing on. Perhaps I can use my new PLN to find someone or a group of some sort that can teach me how to program software. Create a pc game. A decent one. Not one of those sad excuses for video games like "Math Wars." There are programmers everywhere, so I can't imagine it would be too difficult to find someone who can help me, or I can pay to help me develop such a program and possibly sell it on the market. If it gets good feedback, then maybe it can be the beginning of a whole new educational software series. Making money off of video games, a dream to come true.
Technology in the Classroom
EDM 310 has presented some extremely helpful information that I can use in the field. I wonder how I can get my students to check my blog for study guides and answer keys. I know they will use it for the easy answers, but how can I be sure they will use it as a study tool? Hmm... Having the technology to do it is one thing, but how can I be sure that my students will actually use it? I can only use everything I have learned in this class to the best of my abilities to help my students, but everything else is really up to them, isn't it?
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