May 12 2013: Thank you Ken Robinson for reminding us what real education is all about. Working under systems that are controlled by people who haven't step into a classroom, sometimes for decades, has teachers like me frustrated and in some cases helpless. Conformity seems to be the 'mantra' and even though they often refer to 'creativity', what is ultimately acceptable is 'do what we decide'. We need a change, a drastic change in how we see education, how we treat our teachers and our students. The time is now or we we will have a whole generation of kids who have lost faith in true education. Give teachers more credit for being innovative and not based on their students' exam performances. Allow kids time to think through processes and experiment with them instead of having curriculums that are jam packed and are focused towards exam preparation or creating statistical charts that are meaningless and a waste of time.
Jul 11 2012: Oh yes I am guilty of / proud of being a list-maker. I make lists of what I plan to do for the next day, this month, this year ( don't get me wrong, my lists are flexible), where I want to go for a holiday, what do I need to do for that holiday (visa, bookings, places to see etc), shopping lists, list of what I want to tell my doctor (aches and pains - no kidding ) , list of people I need to send birthday, anniversary cards, Christmas cards, list of things I have to give Salvation Army, list of books I plan to borrow from the local library and the list goes on and on!
Jul 11 2012: Education today is dominated by examinations. Teachers are rushing through the curriculum and students and parents focus only on 'exam preparation' . A smattering of excursions, debates, displays are done only to tick off boxes rather than teach students critical thinking. We need to start teaching our children to critically think for themselves rather than give them ready made solutions.
Jul 11 2012: Recent reads
1. Wonder by RJPalacio
2. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
3. The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
4. Last Seen in Lhasa by Claire Scobie
5. The Art of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
Jul 11 2012: Mine would be me surrounded by my wonderful family and friends who have always believed in me and helped me achieve what I would have thought impossible.
Jun 24 2012: It all depends on how 'hungry' you are for further studies. If I were you and distance learning was the only way I could achieve my post graduate qualification - I would go for it. Keep your goal in front of you and everything else will fall in place.
Jun 24 2012: When things really go your way and you didn't expect it to - that is 'luck'. The question is, are you then going to depend on 'luck' each time? For me the answer is a simple no - I have been given an opportunity by the universe and now it is my turn to do my share. It's good to feel optimistic about 'luck' but it is only half the story.
Jun 19 2012: I want to use Ted Talks as part of my lessons. I am hoping that these talks will encourage my students to participate in constructive discussions, inspire them to fulfill their dreams, broaden their horizons and expose them to a whole lot of exciting developments not included in their regular textbooks. May the enthusiasm of the speakers rub onto the students and may they initiate new ideas that will help humanity develop 'radical openness '.
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A comment on Talk: Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley
A comment on Conversation: Fill in the Blank - What the World needs now is __________ ?
A comment on Conversation: do you write lists? i'm researching material for a book and would love to hear from any list-makers out there.
A comment on Conversation: implementing critical thinking into school
A comment on Conversation: List 5 books that you consider must-reads
1. Wonder by RJPalacio
2. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
3. The New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
4. Last Seen in Lhasa by Claire Scobie
5. The Art of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
A comment on Conversation: If they made a movie about your life, what moment/story would it tell?
A comment on Conversation: Fill in the Blank - What the World needs now is __________ ?
A comment on Conversation: What do you think about distance learning/online education ?
A comment on Conversation: Everyone needs a luck or not....
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