I'm such a geek

I'm totally geeking out on this course I'm in right now. First of all, it's a pass fail - so it's an easy one to go to and work on what I need to, and know that it is enough. Secondly - it's about technology and the school culture. How are people changing with all the new technology that's available to them. How are students changing and how does that mean that the schools will HAVE to change. What an interesting concept - what a challenge to me as a teacher. I has made me want to re-think the whole way that I teach, and totally change things. Kids don't want to be told anymore what to learn - and why make them remember ANYTHING that they can find on their own later - but to learn to THINK about it - to learn how to have a thirst for knowledge, and where to go to teach themselves what they're geeking out on, to learn to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT rather than just listen - THAT is a challenge. I'm really excited - and a little anxious.

But yeah, I'm totally geeking out on thinking about how our culture is changing, how our thinking is changing, and the potential for what that can mean for the future. Brad told me about a guy - Seth Godin - who is offering an entire MBA without the MBA. You can pay thousands and thousands of dollars to go to "school" with this guy who isn't associated with any school, and take "courses" to NOT receive a diploma at the end - and people are signing up in droves - why? Easy - he's a guy that the prof's are quoting in their classrooms (I should know, my prof just did it yesterday). Who CARES that he's not scholastic - he KNOW STUFF, and in this changing culture, that's going to stand for a whole lot more than taking courses and writing some obscure PhD on one random topic, which now makes you able to pass on your VAST knowledge on lots of stuff you didn't actually research... hmmmm.... who would YOU rather learn from?

I'm very interested to know what the expectation for schools is going to become in the future. And how that's going to change. I think students need to be spending a lot more time thinking about the WHY questions, and the who am I questions, and that what am I going to do with all this information I have access to questions rather than just filling them up with useless facts they could look up in 3 seconds, given a computer, or a laptop, or an iPad, or just a phone.

Hmmmm.....

On a totally unrelated note: Dad & MaryAnna have been watching Aria as I'm taking this course, and it's been AMAZING (although I do feel like I'm totally taking advantage of them), but it's great to just work at school without having to also be watching Aria.

And speaking of Aria...She's awesome. Here's some shots of her in Korea from the first day - chasing birds and exploring one of the temple grounds over there. It was stinking hot - which gave her hair perfect ringlets - seriously - it was ridiculous!





This look is her newest one. It's her super excited, I just saw birds fly away (or whatever), look, and this trip was the first time it came out - which is funny because it's pretty common for Korean women to hide their teeth when they're showing emotion as well! I LOVE it!