SCARY WOMAN

Ya I know I asked you to post on a scary movie. It seems there is a real life scary movie unfolding in USA. The demonic character is a beautiful lady who is ( sadly ) having the same faith as I.... but the more I read about her I am convinced that for sure she is NOT having the same faith as I.

The reason why I say this is because she seems to have sold her soul to the evil one by telling lies, dangerouse lies that can lead to murder of a Peace maker ( I think you know who I mean )

Lets pray that this evil lady does not have power in USA because if she does I have a strong feeling there will be more wars....

And unjust cruel wars ( not that ANY war is good )

Lets pray for protection from voters getting misguided by beauty and what appears to be religion but really is not not not anything that comes from Heaven...

Sarah Palin... a beauty?

A beast...?

Focus your good spirits and we shall overcome...

Teaching Models

Only 4 to remember... : )

1. Information Processing Model : Schumans Inquiri training, Ausubels advance organisers, Schwab's Scientific Inquiry.

2. Behavioural Model : Glasers direct teaching, Blooms mastery learning, Thoresnsen and Mahoneys personla self management, Albert and Emmons assertivemness training.

3. Social Model : Deweys group investigation, Sharon et al role play, Fannie and Shaftel simulation, Benne, Gibb and Bradford Laboratory Training

4. Personal Model : Rogers non directional teaching, Browns awareness training, Gordons synectics.

Try and investigate these models.

MAKE IT SIMPLE!

There are so many technical terms in pedagogy, the art and science of teaching, it makes your mind spin... so I decided to make this post to make it simple.

First, the umbrella term "approach" refers to 5 approaches: inductive, deductive, thematic, intergrative and eclectic. You know what these mean so let me move on...

The next term is "strategy" which refres to 4 strategies: teacher centered, student centered, task centered and resource centered.

Then we come to : "methodology and techniques" which refers to : story telling, demonstrations, problem solving ( you can use the Theory Of Contraints ), discussion and brainstorming.

Well that is not that confusing ya?

I suggest you make a little diagram or picture to help you to remember...Does anyone want to put this into a picture of a bird ( my favourite memory aid and symbol...) and post it in your blog???

THE COLOUR OF FREEDOM

What is the colour of Freedom?
Black , Brown, White, Cream?
A shade of red , a shade of red
The blood within our veins

A sensitive issue you say
But our children do dream
Of a world where they will have
No race to their names

I never had a race
Though on paper I had two
So I was a Eurasion
Only one thing was true

I am a child of God
Moulded for his plan
I listen to his voice
I hear not the voices of man

Real Agents Of Change

There are agents of change among us.. and are you one of them?

Two questions come to mind. Is the change what you want?

We often assume that changes are movements towards a better situation. But I have observed that the reverse can be true.

So let us look at how people try to accomplish change so that we are nor dragged along as unwilling participants.

The first way to change is to use force and control towards the target group. Rewards are given for submission and negative reinforcement for resistence. Yes, yes...it is the carrot and the stick strategy to control horses and donkeys...Er.. but I dont know if it works for humans.

As for me, I would never use this as an educator.

The second way to promote change is through wisdom and logic. That is use your persuasive powers to explain why change is needed. Aha... you know we often nag teens into obedience. I dont agree with that. I believe teens are wise ....yes I do, more wise than many who have left their teen years long ago.... Being older does not mean that mean being wiser...

The third way to promote change is reeducation. I am all for this. Give new information Provide opportunities to learn new skills. Open the windows to new territories of knowledge and truth that were not available before.

Finally we serve to create change. Help the target group to overcome obstacles. If more time is needed... try and make the time. If we have to rethink and reapply the curriculum... let's do it.

We are the agents of change .

Real change... not indoctrination.

What Is Missing In Motivation?

As I digest the theories on motivation I could not help senseing the vacummn....psychosocial needs...physilogocal needs.. ok ok...we know that ... but what's missing?

I finally found a glimmer of light in Brunner. He says that INTRINSIC MOTIVATION is a natural desire to know.. and drive to achieve. Well, I can relate to that. Extrinsic motivation is not for me. But if it works for you, what the heck.. just use it.

The desire to know can be applied in project based learning. Let your groups choose their own outcome. They will investigate, create and invent because they are driven by their own curiousity.

Of course physiological drives are something else...It is related to an unfulfilled need. Of course I must admit that I would really be attracted to do something if the reward was my favourite chocolate...

What is missing in motivation?

Whatever happened to meaningful learning? If you do not feel that what you are learning is meaningful, would you bother about it?

And what makes it meaningful?

Back to what's missing in motivation?

Can you buy a person's heart with a promise of a good job, a powerful career and a good name?

You know what motivates you... I bet it has a lot more to do with your spirit than with the superficial rewards danggling before you.

The question is... how do you touch the spirit of todays learner to motivate him to meaningful learning?

Conducive Learning Environment For Today's Teen

I assume we all agree on the basics of a conducive learning environment. Physically attractive, emotionally safe, psychologically stimulating...Of course there are all the details of managing people in a fixed space...common sense will give you good answers.

But my concern is how do we really make teens want to learn? Well I have observed that even before kids get to officially become teens, they already feel like teens...so it is a mistake to treat them like kids... : )

Two things pop up in my mind: A multi way communication situation is better facilitated with chairs arranged in groups or in circles...Theatre style chairs reflects one way or two way communication. Thats not for me.

The other thing is that in this day of virtual adventures we have to really give teens freedom to utilise this tools to connect to others beyond the classroom. come on...let go... As long as we do not let go, the learning environment will be artificial and stunt growth instead of enhancing growth.