It is our civic responsibility to be well educated.

Thomas led a very informative and interesting discussion on Thursday night that left me thinking about some challenges of education that I hadn't thought about in a while. As a high school teacher I was often faced with the challenge of making students want to learn and as I got more experienced I was adept at responding creatively to the question, "Why do I need to know this?" My answers were often witty, some that directly related to the student, while others were matter of fact. Most, however, dealt with the present and immediate gratification that students craved in order to motivate them to want to learn something. If I think about Keller's ARCS model, I was motivating them by providing them with immediate relevancy. I guess I chose this because most teens have difficulty thinking about their lives past this week, unless of course they are thinking about the prom or summer break. But, how should I have responded? Could I have made them understand in a broader sense that it is their civic responsibility to be educated.

You don't have to look far to notice the stereotype that is developing among other countries about the citizens of the United States. Recently, friends in another country shared a YouTube video with me that included a combination of video interviews that asked Americans simple questions about the world in which we live. They laughed hysterically as average citizens didn't know the answers to questions like, "Who is the Vice President of the United States" and "Can you name a country that starts with 'U'" We are even making fun of ourselves. Jay Leno has dedicated a segment in his late night show to exposing Americans who cannot answer common sense questions and know who Paris Hilton is, but have no idea that Paris is in France. And beyond just common sense, we are plagued with information telling us that the US is rapidly falling behind in education compared with other industrialized nations.

So, what can we do? Why is this gap widening? I would argue that in many places around the country, the culture that has developed has a lot to do with this. For some reason we are teaching students the importance of state standardized tests, but we are not teaching students the value and importance of education and the impact that it has on the success of our country. And, If we are not doing this as individuals, we cannot expect a cultural shift. This has to be a united effort between the community, parents, teachers, and students. Students must know that it is within their power to keep their country strong or let it fail. Sure, this isn't going to happen overnight, but by instilling this notion in the youth of today, we can ensure their support as the parents of tomorrow.

I am sure another entry could be devoted to the reasons of this current culture, the challenges with initiating a shift, and the potential outcomes. I would welcome any comments and I think we would benefit from a dialogue on this topic. I have also always been extremely interested in comparative education, so please feel free to share any current articles.

Seriously?

OK, since this is my blog...it seems only appropriate that I use it for the purpose for which it was intended...to RANT! Today, I read a very disturbing article that was printed in the Washington Post. The article, "Wide Web of Diversions gets Laptop Evicted from Lecture Halls," discusses Georgetown Law Professor David Cole's crusade against technology.
Here is my favorite quote from the article: "This is like putting on every student's desk, when you walk into class, five different magazines, several television shows, some shopping opportunities and a phone, and saying, 'Look, if your mind wanders, feel free to pick any of these up and go with it."
1. Mr. Cole, you are ridiculous!
2. Mr. Cole, if your class was interesting enough, maybe their minds wouldn't wander!
3. These are adult learners we are talking about here, I'm pretty sure they are responsible enough to learn the material that they need to...and if they don't they probably shouldn't be at Georgetown Law. Yes, I do understand that there are some issues with younger learners with respect to being responsible digital citizens in the classroom, but these are adults! Stop treating them like children!
4. Wake up and get with the 21st century! Your students are more comfortable using laptops to take notes, looking up information they don't understand, seeking supplemental materials during your lecture. THIS IS THE WAY THEY LEARN AND COMMUNICATE! If you force them to learn the way you prefer to learn you are doing them a huge injustice, not to mention making the material more difficult for them to learn. Why don't you take some time and read some learning theory--don't worry you can find this information in books!
5. Understand that your class is NOT about you, it is about your students. Yes, I am sure you worked hard to get to where you are, but at the end of the day, you are an EDUCATOR...so start doing your job! If your students aren't paying attention, get their attention! Don't just expect them to ride on your every word and drool while staring at your pretty face for 3 hours. If they aren't learning...TEACH THEM!!!
6. As for your love of pens and paper, I am sure you can find another use for them :)

Kirkpatrick in the Context of E-Learning...and other problems

As I read Chapter 10, I kept trying to understand how his Four-Level Model would translate into the world of E-Learning. What would have to be changed in order to evaluate those specific programs and E-Learning environments?

I found this article that may offer some insight, Evaluating E-Learning Programs, An Adaptation of Kirkpatrick's Model to Accommodate E-Learning Environments (Hamtini, 2008).

Check it Out!

Even without considering the changes in environment, I struggled to understand the effectiveness of the different evaluation levels. I thought back to the many surveys I have completed in my life and have watched other professionals complete after a training session. There are many factors that can affect responses. So, what are the challenges associated with gaining true and meaningful responses from participants? What are the biases associated with the evaluator and the supervisor? How do these things play a role in the evaluation process?

I know it seems as if this week's blog is filled with a lot of questions, but please respond and I will follow up with my own opinions as I seek out additional articles that deal with these problems.