education

In reflecting on my activity as a learner I would like to begin with media that I found on what has been a very credible resource, The Wall Street Journal.  It is this notion of trusted and credible resource that I would like to begin my reflection since when I was in high school my experience were much different then those of todays adolescent students in our media centers. I appreciate our course starting off with giving us a moment to reflect back on the environments we have experienced in those years or with experiences of youth. After viewing the clip [...]

“First time in history children have more knowledge than the adults with regards to the internet and are seen as natural experts since they are referred to as the digital or internet generation or generation Z”. However are we really looking at the whole child? Are we providing the same opportunities to all our children?

When I look back to my childhood I remember a wonderful time  where the media was as rich as it is now. The only difference was that it was the early 7o's.  I was fascinated by books like Harold and The Purple Crayon and I can recall dreams that I felt just like Harold going to imaginary places. Perhaps that is also because I loved books such as " Where the Wild Things Are". One of the greatest media impacts on me was the record "Free To Be You and Me". This was a combination of stories and songs that [...]

Many times I have seen young parents glued to their smart devices and ignoring their children. If there is one thing I take away from what Lisa has brought to our attention is that we can't ignore the impact that parents have on the development of their children. As educators and care givers we can't just stick a child in front of a screen with a movie or iPad. We must follow it up with questions about the content.

If I am to succeed in helping those individuals who seeks to gain from my experience and knowledge then I must do my best to understand approaches that may work best with different individuals or to understand reasons why a certain person may react in some other ways than I may have expected.

Governance of the internet has been looked at by various groups. Livingstone points to a 2004 UK ruling that is supposed to reinforce the rights of children to a healthy, safety, enjoyment and achievement through positive contributions and economic well-being. I particularly enjoyed her mentioning the UNICEF quote that says "the true measure of a nation's standing is how well it attends to its children".

How do we measure the progress a child makes? Do we look at their social growth with regards to their peers? Do we value or evaluate the way they have expanded their level of interest in new paths or looking at what books they have read? In this digital era we can assemble a portfolio of a child that can follow them throughout their academic journey.

Each day we have an opportunity to seize that moment to open our mind and take in what others willingly give away. Many times the lessons that truly will impact us are not found within the the text of a book or the classroom interactions. It is mostly through the underlying values that true teaching is conducted. It is about those educators who are not focused on the individual lesson, or moment, but rather about how they would like you to look at the way you conduct yourself.

“People are like one human tissue that was created from the same healthy source. When one limb in the body hurts all the remaining parts cannot stay quiet. And if, when you ignore the pain of another, it is unworthy that you shall be called human.” -Persian poem recited by children

Many people think that educators wave goodbye to their students at the end of the previous school year and spend the next few months at some exotic beach. The truth is that preparing the right materials, lesson plans, and learning environment do not happen over night. While August may be an exciting time for incoming students, for most teachers it is the month dedicated to find that mark.