TSL Educator Blog

Students, Alumni, and Parents,

When you or your child graduate from TSL, what should they know about the United States, Wisconsin, World Geography, Economics, and the like? Please be broad in your scope–not, “Name the seven continents”, but, “Be able to explain the difference between Democracies, Republics, and Socialist governments.”

I look forward to any and all comments!

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In my last post the word educate was examined. The next step today is what will we use to educate? Let’s examine the possibilities.

1. Textbooks–are commonly the thing thought of first when you talk about, “What are you teaching?” Why? Because it is easy. It is easy to have someone else write content, write a worksheet, make a scope and sequence of what to teach, and tell you exactly what information is important.

2. Classic Literature–Dr. Suess, Irene Hunt, E. B. White, Hans Christian Anderson, Johanna Spyri, Kenneth Grahame. These are just a fraction of the authors. Picking classic literature will give you lessons, or morals, that the students will learn from. Seems like a ton of work.

3. On-line Sources–web sites, pod casts, streaming media, digital story telling, blogging. Again, just a fraction of things that are available. Again, sounds like a lot of work. Nothing is to well organized and there is just a ton of information that is available.

4. Simulations–mostly that word today means digital games/videos. However, a simulation is a shortened or brief form of a real world experience. Remember in 1st grade you had a “store” in your classroom where you could “shop”. The store wasn’t to teach you to clip coupons, though, it was to get you comfortable with money, making change, and place values in real life.

Now look at these four possibilities. Why is number one used more frequently? What would preclude a teacher from using number two, or three, or four? Which ones would you prefer to be taught by? Which would you like for your children?

Next week–What should be used to educate?

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“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent Van Gogh

I originally had my thoughts organized and ready to go a few weeks ago on this topic. Then I read, “A Thomas Jefferson Education” by Oliver DeMille (2009). This could be required reading for any one who is concerned with education…teachers, administrators, parents, students!! Really, go get it. It’s what to read.

Any way, depending on the current level of your reading now, what to read can be different.

If you do not read anything now, read something, anything!!! Make 15 minutes to read every day into your schedule. It takes about 21 days of repetitious activity to make a new habit, so don’t be frustrated. Find something on a topic you enjoy and read it. DeMille makes the point in his book, and you probably know this already, too, that you want to learn those things that are interesting for you. Take a magazine, take a newspaper, take a comic book; just start reading. Once you have a habit of reading every day for 15 minutes, you will have the desire to delve into deeper material and you will move up into informative information like news magazines, book, or even novels for entertainment.

If you currently read only occasionally, or what I like to call, a social reader, make time every day for 15 minutes to read. What works best for you? 15 minutes before bed is what many people do. I fall asleep if I do that so I read for 15 minutes first thing in the morning (more on that later). Again, make it a habit and you won’t regret it. Be absorbed in a story, be involved in learning and it will change your entire outlook on your day, those around you, and your life.

If you have read before, but nothing interests you right now to continue reading, try self-help, type books. I don’t know what to call them, but if you like airplanes, read magazines and books that will TEACH you more about airplanes. If you have children read books about raising children and their personalities. If you are married, read a relationship book (yes men, you too!). You will find that when you learn something and can APPLY it to your immediate life, there is more enjoyment to what you read because it has immediate benefit to you. That will become your motivation to read: what can reading do for me?

Back to “A Thomas Jefferson Education”. DeMille’s purpose in writing the book is to say that we have no great leaders among us today because we are not educating them to be leaders. Now, whether you care about leadership education or not, he gives you some interesting things to read–the classics!! What are the classics? I’m glad you asked!! Classics were created by great teachers to be experienced. They will be inspiring to you and you will be motivated to learn; to learn anything. The classics have us looking into great minds. They have us comparing their situation to ours. The classics enlighten our minds to new ideas. The classics make us think for ourselves while we read.

Great! Classics? Too hard; too long; too boring!!! Well, try these on for size, my fellow educators. Then watch your Golden Age of Education come alive!!
The Bible; The Declaration of Independence; The Constitution of the United States of America; Aesop’s Fables; “Casey at the Bat”; A Christmas Carol; Dr. Seuss Series; The Emporer’s new Clothes; The Gift of the Magi; “Lincoln, the Man of the People”; The Little Engine that Could; “Paul Revere’s Ride”; The Song of Hiawatha; The Ugly Duckling. Of course, these are some easier books. Graduate into a harder level by reading these.
Animal Farm; the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin; The Deerslayer; “In Flanders Fields”; Gulliver’s Travels; Hamlet; Island of the Blue Dolphins; Little Men; Little Women; “O Captain, My Captain”; The Phantom Tollbooth; The Real Thomas Jefferson; Stuart Little; “Ulysses”.

ENJOY!!!!

As an educator, I will tell you that the key to life is reading…but I never really believed it. When I was a child I didn’t like to read (you don’t know what you don’t know!).

I grew up in the 70’s where this new medium, television, was just going main stream. I loved the visual aspect of a television. I like to hear sounds and see color pictures move. I remember that type of information easily so it was more fun to me. The problem was this: there was a new media in the main stream but no one used it educationally. Then the early 80’s hit and movies became more visually awesome!! Yes, the original Star Wars episode had, by today’s standards, bad special effects. But boy, compared to other movies of the day, it was AWESOME!! In fact, it was so awesome, that is the only movie I remember going to see when I was young with my entire family!!! I believe we had five of my six brothers and sisters born at the time, we were on food-stamps I’m sure, too, but it was a big enough idea that my entire family went!!! Very memorable to me. Yet again a new media in the main stream but no one used it educationally. Next were video games. “Pong” was simply captivating to me. So much so, that I made friends who had video arcade systems so I could go and play the games. My family had none for a few years and then it was the old ones that were already cheaper to buy because they were out of date!! I loved color, motion, and sound. It was easy to be drawn in and captivated by the media. However, again a new media in the main stream but no one used it educationally. Today the graphics in video games, movies and television are outstanding!! Music, video…all digitized. It is hard to see what is real and what is computer generated. These are not new media, but again, is anyone using it educationally? Today we have Twitter accounts, Facebook accounts, and the like where social networking is dominating the media of today. Still again (do you sense a pattern here?) a new media in the main stream but no one is using it educationally.

The one constant through all of this? Books.

Later, my story with books and why I wanted to read. Then what can reading do for you. Finally, how can we use the new media in the main stream today in an educational setting.

I read a quote the last few days: “What is the difference between a man who can’t read and a man who won’t read? NOTHING!!”

The next series of blogs will be a discussion on reading: what to read, how can reading be beneficial, why should you read.

Students, welcome to my blog! As you can see, no one visits me. So I can blog individually, secretly, and delete my bad writing without anyone knowing

Question for you to reply to: How would you like to use technology in your classes?

Write a little, write a lot (don’t tell Mr. Maurice I used the word he loves so much).