Browsed by
Tag: Education

Ben Franklin, Education and the 21st Century, Part 1

Ben Franklin, Education and the 21st Century, Part 1

I must admit that I do not like the term “21st Century” anything; learning, skills, literacy.  Learning and thinking have not really changed, the tools may have, but not the process. I have been reading Benjamin Franklin’s Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania, Philadelphia, 1749.  This document laid the ground work for the Academy of Philadelphia later to become the University of Pennsylvania.  As I was reading I was looking at Franklin’s proposal for study and thinking…

Read More Read More

The Purpose of Education

The Purpose of Education

I was driving from the Cape to NJ today and had an interesting conversation while at a McDonald’s along 95. Not sure how it got started, we were exchanging pleasantries and such and it turned to what we did (he is a retired accountant, I am an educator) and it then turned to education. And did he have an opinion of education! “The purpose of education is to produce workers.” I suggested that it is an outcome of education but…

Read More Read More

This I Believe

This I Believe

Jen Wagner has tagged me in the This I believe meme started by Barry Bachenheimer I have been mulling this over a few days. Hoping to come up with something witty and inspiring. What do I believe about education? My answer has changed over the years. As I have matured as an educator, became a parent, varied my experiences and shared with other educators I find I am not the same teacher I was 20 plus years ago (thank God)….

Read More Read More

Response to Aren’t Good Enough

Response to Aren’t Good Enough

Ryan Bretag’s recent post …Aren’t Good Enough has hit a cord with me. I commented on the post, but felt the need for a longer response. Ryan speaks to two issues that have been haunting him for some time; Pockets of Greatness aren’t Good Enough Learning spaces that live and die with the teacher aren’t Good Enough Now I cling to these pockets of greatness or excellence as a sign of hope. There are days I am so overwhelmed by…

Read More Read More

Holiday Conversations on Education

Holiday Conversations on Education

Note: I originally wrote this over the Christmas vacation and lost it. So I am trying to recreate it from my notes. Not quite as good as the original. The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are a wonderful time for multiple generations to sit around the table and share stories about the good old days. Around our table the conversations usually lean towards education and science. My parents were in high school during the mid 1940’s and we were talking about…

Read More Read More