By chance I came across a few articles this morning regarding virtual learning (See virtual teacher and scared of tech) I have strong thoughts on this having experience in virtual/distance/independent learning myself as both a student and a teacher. Like anything else, change brings fear....fear that something new isn't rigorous enough, fear that human teachers will be obsolete, fear that the petty social structures of brick-n-mortar institutions will disappear. The thing is all of these fears could happen....and some of them, quite frankly, should. Of course, I've never been one to support tradition simply for the sake of tradition. If teachers are really good and intentional with supporting content by whatever delivery methods available, the delivery methods are irrelevant - we don't have to talk to their live face between 8am and 3:300pm Monday through Friday during nonagricultural growing seasons. When you say it like that, doesn't sound completely moronic??
Leia Mais…Monday, July 2, 2012
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Who Spiked the Kool-Aid?
This Yahoo article is one of the best non-partisan reviews of the last decade of economic failure. The take-away point is that investors are sheep that will follow whatever cookie crumbs are left hoping to find a pot of gold at the end; the ones leaving the crumbs are corporate gangsters who know the crumbs are the small leftovers of a meal already finished. Intuitively we all know this, but apparently someone spiked the kool-aid because how quickly we forget what we "learned".
Leia Mais…
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sale....Sorta?
So the shopping season has begun (but really when did it "stop"?) and sales are popping up galore - or are they? "Why Orange Juice is More Expensive on Saturday" discusses that stores are moving to prices changes hourly! And lo and behold, if you shop online, those pesky cookies are going to make you pay more if you have looked several times at an item!
Just one more reason to delete you browsing history, your cookies, and possibly start shopping flea markets or the classifieds for true bargins.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
It May Hurt But It's The Truth
Roland Martin is defending President Obama because he used the word "lazy" in context of discussing American work and employees. I have no problem because it is the truth even if it is politically incorrect.
For the past 35 years or so, we have been accepting the 800 lb pink elephant in the room because no one wanted to move his fat butt. So if we now find ourselves disgusted with his foul smell, unfortunate waste, and rude stares from others, it's clearly our fault.
Stop promoting unlearned students, stop hiring/keeping people that aren't good at their jobs, stop giving bonuses to executives simply because their employees are good, and stop with the political correctness - use our English language to be perfectly clear!
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Absenteeism
"High Absenteeism plagues IPS' New Intercession Program" - I have to comment on this when I have more time to put coherent thought into it and not just preach from a soapbox. Needless to say, I'm fired up!
Leia Mais…
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Finally
Finally someone offers concrete solutions to failing education. It's time for real solutions not political fighting.
Leia Mais…
Saturday, August 6, 2011
American Politics As Usual
The media has spent the last few weeks cringing over the U.S. debt debate and now it seems to be a case of overreacting; it is not a worst-case scenario and (surprise!) other countries have their own issues to worry about, like say Norway and Sudan, with those pesky home terrorists and civil war and all. But Americans are playing politics as usual, thinking everyone....well, cares.
CNN is reporting that world reaction is mixed, because American debt has not been totally downgraded to "junk" status like Greece but simply down to AA. The dollar is still the world currency reserve (although China is complaining about this). But the overarching theme is that EVERYBODY blames American political fighting as usual for the escalation of the debt problem.
For all the enlightenment and democracy, we Americans only have two sides: "right" and "wrong" and we are increasingly unable to see anything in between as this is somehow caving in and selling out our ideals. Maybe it's time to take an objective look at our behavior; perhaps we'll see this childish anti-compromising Congressional process as the rest of the world does.
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