Education Opinion
The Implications of Google + on Classroom Hybridization
Jul 26th
You may not have heard of Google +, which is commonly heralded as “Facebook but not Facebook,” a social networking site that works in myriad different ways than Facebook. It’s run (obviously) by Google and has, I believe, many different features that can be viewed as beneficial to a classroom environment. But before I get into specific features, I want to talk a bit about what I look for in web tools for teaching/being a student.
- Accessibility: This is why Blackboard can be a difficult tool to implement–you can only access it from going from annoying link to link and generally More >
What Makes a Bad Teacher?
Jul 2nd
So frequently we have discussions about the qualities we should (and would like) to see in a “good” teacher. With Cameron Diaz’s Bad Teacher looming in the box office, however, I couldn’t help but wonder why we don’t discuss the traits that create a “bad” teacher. In the movie (which I have not seen, but have read summaries about), it seems the things she brings into the classroom are disdain for children, drug usage, heavy drinking, cheating, stealing state test exams, and blackmailing people.
Ok, that IS pretty bad.
But it’s not particularly realistic either. Teachers who are that abysmal get kicked More >
New Pedagogical Techniques with Classical Topics
Jun 2nd
I’m constantly conflicted in my pedagogical beliefs and methodologies, primarily because I believe so strongly in technological implementation into the classroom but also believe in a more classical form of education. These practices frequently class with each other: there’s nothing classical about implementing blogging and gaming into a classroom. Yet, on the other hand, as a means to rectify these issues, I find that the two can interact quite well to achieve great ends. Perhaps this is where English education needs to head.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I suppose I should begin with some of my proposed methods and More >
What it Means to be a Scholar
May 28th
Being a scholar would seemingly be a dream job. Sit and think. Read. Come up with something new. Sit on your laptop and peruse Facebook amidst stacks of dusty library books, expensive anthologies and texts that you bought, printed out essays and articles, and crumpled up pieces of crappy material you’ve written. Sit on a broken couch with plywood under the cushions to prevent it from caving in. Sit with oatmeal. Sit with Ramen. Sit with oatmeal again.
Sit.
And think.
But being a scholar isn’t always that easy. Especially if you’re considering pursuing a Ph.D.; you have the lovely “pre-Ph.D.” work, “in-Ph.D.” More >
Recent Comments