Rating: NSS
Today would have been the day--too bad Congress did something about it. The DTV countdown would have expired, had it not been prolonged. Perish the thought someone might miss an episode of their favorite reality show. Ah yes, the government is requiring the switch and does not want anyone to not have access to important information. All well, fine, and good, yet we all know that the news is not top television viewing priority for many.
In other news, GM and Chrysler are cutting around 50,000 jobs. What can one say? I suppose I could make a glib comment about the triumph of capitalism, or I could make sarcastic remarks about bailouts. I could, but when it comes to 50,000 jobs, something gets lost under a sardonic tone.
A school district in the metro St. Louis area has "seclusion rooms," according to the local evening news. Part of me says, "Gasp!" Part of me says, "What were they thinking?" The teacher part of me says, "I'll believe 50% of what comes to school if you, the parent, believes 50% of what comes home." Don't get me wrong: Putting children in a padded room is not an acceptable form of discipline. Still it leaves me to wonder: what recourse does a teacher have these days to discipline a disruptive child? Teachers are caught between "you can't make me" and parents who defend their children to a fault. Love and Logic calls them helicopter parents--ones who swoop in and save their children whenever times get tough. Forget your homework? I'll fax it to you. Tardy again? I'll make your excuses for you and tell your school how they should understand how it is difficult to get to school on time. Get in trouble? It must be because your teacher is mean. Sorry if I sound exceedingly cynical, but the 50/50 rule (see above) is exceedingly applicable.
I suppose it could be worse: A train station in England has posted "No Kissing Signs"to avoid traffic congestion. No smooching your sweetie goodbye. . .
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Those Were The Days
Rating: NSS
I’m not close to retirement age yet, but I still find myself bugging my students with “back-in-the-day” reminisces. Of course, they remind me of my age sometime. Just try singing “California Girls” to a bunch of 5th and 6th graders. A plethora of blank looks (and not because of my singing, mind you).
The other day Radio Heartland’s blog “Trial Balloon” had a post on TV and its humble beginnings. I don’t remember when television was new, but I vaguely remember getting a color set. I remember having 5 channels from which to choose—ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and one independent. Most of the time the independent station and ABC came in clearest. The other three, not so much.
This got me reminiscing some more about the time I was in elementary school. Lutheran Schools have and have not changed a whole lot over the past 20(!) years. The school I went to is now down to about 5% of the student population it was in my day. Still, the education was good, and my teachers taught me much more about the Lutheran faith than I realized they were.
Technology has changed, but the struggle for Lutheran schools to keep up hasn’t changed. Our school had purchased two computers—Apple 2Es—and put them on carts so that they could be rolled around to classrooms. We could use them during free time. Our favorite game was “Oregon Trail.” The point of the game was to get from Independence, MO, to Oregon without dying or starving. There were no graphics; a player actually had to read the screen to figure out their progress. To hunt, one had to type the word given. It’s amazing how quickly I learned to type “blam.” Ah, the good old days.I’m not close to retirement age yet, but I still find myself bugging my students with “back-in-the-day” reminisces. Of course, they remind me of my age sometime. Just try singing “California Girls” to a bunch of 5th and 6th graders. A plethora of blank looks (and not because of my singing, mind you).
The other day Radio Heartland’s blog “Trial Balloon” had a post on TV and its humble beginnings. I don’t remember when television was new, but I vaguely remember getting a color set. I remember having 5 channels from which to choose—ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and one independent. Most of the time the independent station and ABC came in clearest. The other three, not so much.
This got me reminiscing some more about the time I was in elementary school. Lutheran Schools have and have not changed a whole lot over the past 20(!) years. The school I went to is now down to about 5% of the student population it was in my day. Still, the education was good, and my teachers taught me much more about the Lutheran faith than I realized they were.
Technology has changed, but the struggle for Lutheran schools to keep up hasn’t changed. Our school had purchased two computers—Apple 2Es—and put them on carts so that they could be rolled around to classrooms. We could use them during free time. Our favorite game was “Oregon Trail.” The point of the game was to get from Independence, MO, to Oregon without dying or starving. There were no graphics; a player actually had to read the screen to figure out their progress. To hunt, one had to type the word given. It’s amazing how quickly I learned to type “blam.” Ah, the good old days.
I’m not close to retirement age yet, but I still find myself bugging my students with “back-in-the-day” reminisces. Of course, they remind me of my age sometime. Just try singing “California Girls” to a bunch of 5th and 6th graders. A plethora of blank looks (and not because of my singing, mind you).
The other day Radio Heartland’s blog “Trial Balloon” had a post on TV and its humble beginnings. I don’t remember when television was new, but I vaguely remember getting a color set. I remember having 5 channels from which to choose—ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and one independent. Most of the time the independent station and ABC came in clearest. The other three, not so much.
This got me reminiscing some more about the time I was in elementary school. Lutheran Schools have and have not changed a whole lot over the past 20(!) years. The school I went to is now down to about 5% of the student population it was in my day. Still, the education was good, and my teachers taught me much more about the Lutheran faith than I realized they were.
Technology has changed, but the struggle for Lutheran schools to keep up hasn’t changed. Our school had purchased two computers—Apple 2Es—and put them on carts so that they could be rolled around to classrooms. We could use them during free time. Our favorite game was “Oregon Trail.” The point of the game was to get from Independence, MO, to Oregon without dying or starving. There were no graphics; a player actually had to read the screen to figure out their progress. To hunt, one had to type the word given. It’s amazing how quickly I learned to type “blam.” Ah, the good old days.I’m not close to retirement age yet, but I still find myself bugging my students with “back-in-the-day” reminisces. Of course, they remind me of my age sometime. Just try singing “California Girls” to a bunch of 5th and 6th graders. A plethora of blank looks (and not because of my singing, mind you).
The other day Radio Heartland’s blog “Trial Balloon” had a post on TV and its humble beginnings. I don’t remember when television was new, but I vaguely remember getting a color set. I remember having 5 channels from which to choose—ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, and one independent. Most of the time the independent station and ABC came in clearest. The other three, not so much.
This got me reminiscing some more about the time I was in elementary school. Lutheran Schools have and have not changed a whole lot over the past 20(!) years. The school I went to is now down to about 5% of the student population it was in my day. Still, the education was good, and my teachers taught me much more about the Lutheran faith than I realized they were.
Technology has changed, but the struggle for Lutheran schools to keep up hasn’t changed. Our school had purchased two computers—Apple 2Es—and put them on carts so that they could be rolled around to classrooms. We could use them during free time. Our favorite game was “Oregon Trail.” The point of the game was to get from Independence, MO, to Oregon without dying or starving. There were no graphics; a player actually had to read the screen to figure out their progress. To hunt, one had to type the word given. It’s amazing how quickly I learned to type “blam.” Ah, the good old days.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Check and Recheck. . .
Rating: MS I found this ad in the phonebook (the phone book was expired; don't worry), and I found it funny. Then I read it more closely. Um, here's a hint, folks, if you're going to talk about people reacting to "hey stupid," you might want to make sure your grammar is correct. By the way, slower is an adjective. It's modifying respond, which is a verb. Verbs are modifed by adverbs, therefore it should be more slowly.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Ain't got no learning?
Rating: MS
Why is it that everybody wants (expects) an education, but nobody wants to be educated? Schooling is required in America until one is 16, parents push their children when they are babies to get a head start on learning, finanical advisers help families save for college, and high schools report how many in their graduating class go on to higher education.
With all this education, people are still reluctant to look educated. Don't use big words, don't continue learning, don't make serious talk--small talk, please, etc.
I'm slightly provoked, realizing that there is so much out there that I will never learn.
Why is it that everybody wants (expects) an education, but nobody wants to be educated? Schooling is required in America until one is 16, parents push their children when they are babies to get a head start on learning, finanical advisers help families save for college, and high schools report how many in their graduating class go on to higher education.
With all this education, people are still reluctant to look educated. Don't use big words, don't continue learning, don't make serious talk--small talk, please, etc.
I'm slightly provoked, realizing that there is so much out there that I will never learn.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Teachers Teaching Teachers
Rating: MS
I was pondering in the shower this morning. (Why is it always in the shower and me without a paper and pencil?) I was thinking how one of my former students is in graduate school and might have a teacher of one of his teachers. Then I thought how I could think of at least one other student of mine who has the possibility of having one of my former teachers as his teacher.
How strange is that? The student I had now having a teacher I once had. . .hm. . .
It is interesting to think that the same people who taught me may now be teaching the students I taught. Usually one doesn't think of it running that way; rather, they think of the students teaching others who teach others and so on.
I wonder what those teachers think of my students. I hope to be a credit to my teachers, and I hope they don't think, "Who taught you this stuff?"; or worse, having them think, "Didn't anybody teach you this?"
Conversely, I hope I can do my teachers the honor of having our mutual student say, "Oh yeah, that sounds like what Mrs. Laun taught me."
I was pondering in the shower this morning. (Why is it always in the shower and me without a paper and pencil?) I was thinking how one of my former students is in graduate school and might have a teacher of one of his teachers. Then I thought how I could think of at least one other student of mine who has the possibility of having one of my former teachers as his teacher.
How strange is that? The student I had now having a teacher I once had. . .hm. . .
It is interesting to think that the same people who taught me may now be teaching the students I taught. Usually one doesn't think of it running that way; rather, they think of the students teaching others who teach others and so on.
I wonder what those teachers think of my students. I hope to be a credit to my teachers, and I hope they don't think, "Who taught you this stuff?"; or worse, having them think, "Didn't anybody teach you this?"
Conversely, I hope I can do my teachers the honor of having our mutual student say, "Oh yeah, that sounds like what Mrs. Laun taught me."
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