If you click on this thread you must post on it...

[Louanne Learning]

I really believe the stuff I taught is stuff that everyone should have a basic knowledge of. Everyone should have at least a rudimentary understanding of basic biology. Some biochemistry, some evolution, some genetics, and so on...

 

[CatrionaGrace]

Makes you think doesn't it?

It makes me think of how easy it is to make sweeping statements and over-simplify anything. Education is what one makes of it. Choosing to whip through school by doing the bare minimum only cheats one person.

Went to the Salina zoo this morning and had a perfect couple of hours. Good weather, well-kept grounds, and in a two hour period, I only saw two other visitors, and those very briefly. I like small zoos. This one had three giraffes. I like giraffes. Tonight I am in Ogallala, NB where I have the whole upper floor of a small house to myself. Home tomorrow, I hope. I am ready to be home.

 

[Louanne Learning]

It's difficult to choose my favourite units I taught, but Genetics and Evolution seemed to have the most meaning for me.

 

[Set2Stun]

Yeah, mostly what Homer said re: education. It's not all about what you're learning; it's about learning how to learn. This never really sank in for me until year 3 of university. I think I mentioned it on the old site; the class that blew my mind wide open was Historiography - the study of the study of history.

Is there ever a time when TV does not show us nonsense?

Not cynical, just curious.

I remember from the old site that you seem to still subscribe to the "idiot box" concept of TV. If you still do, I feel bad that you've missed out on the "Golden Age of TV" that we've been blessed with since the mid-2000s. Probably started with The Sopranos, then we've got Deadwood, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and on and on. And it's not just the present. Was TNG or DS9 not worth watching when they were on tube TVs with rabbit ears?

And we get to enjoy these shows now on our HD/4K widescreen TVs, just like we do with our movies/film. Why should serialized drama/comedy/any genre really, be of less value because it's presented on this medium? Just curious.

Oh, and when I refer to "nonsense TV," I'm just talking about junk food TV meant only to entertain for a short period of time that has little value beyond that pleasurable consumption. Reruns of sitcoms I've seen before, low-stakes sports, that kinda thing.

 

[Set2Stun]

THE BLUE JAYS WIN

WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME

 

[Louanne Learning]

I don't really follow sports much, but that would be a sweet victory.

 

[Set2Stun]

Best believe it will be clogging up your Canadian news feeds for the next two weeks hehe. I love the idea of the only Canadian team winning the World Series in this political climate. Elbows up !

 

[Kerrin]

We should have NFL and CFL teams play exhibition games except the coin flip decides which country's rule set is used.

 

[DLC]

Blue Jays won't beat that Japanese guy

 

[Maycontainthunder]

No, but earning the piece of paper is a test to see whether a person can follow a set of instructions, stick with a program for a few years, jump through the hoops, and play the game, despite the often absurd nature of the process. As an employer of hundreds people, I can say from experience that that is a vital skill for a prospective employee.

I'm one of those people who can't pass an exam. At primary school extra funding was allocated to help me. The headmaster proudly said that he spent it on the whole class. That's where the starvation of vital support started stunting my entire education. A whole lot of other autistics like me near certainly suffered similar useless teachers and extremely ineffective teaching methods.

I've spent my whole life falling through cracks. Each time I needed support the system completely failed me.

 

[Homer Potvin]

THE BLUE JAYS WIN

WORLD SERIES HERE WE COME

I am rooting against the Dodgers, so, go Jays!

 

[Madman Starryteller]

Woah, just now do I realize that the forum Showcase made its return. How did I miss that for twenty plus days?

I shall not bless it with my piss-poor work, yet.

 

[Louanne Learning]

My niece posted the most adorable video this morning of her five-year-old son watching the game highlights at 6:30 this morning. He's a really sports-minded kid. He gave a nice, loud, "Go Jays!"

 

[Link the Writer]

So my hearing aid mold might need replacing.

L

 

[Homer Potvin]

Woah, just now do I realize that the forum Showcase made its return. How did I miss that for twenty plus days?

I shall not bless it with my piss-poor work, yet.

Crack is whack?

 

[CatrionaGrace]

I'm one of those people who can't pass an exam. At primary school extra funding was allocated to help me. The headmaster proudly said that he spent it on the whole class. That's where the starvation of vital support started stunting my entire education. A whole lot of other autistics like me near certainly suffered similar useless teachers and extremely ineffective teaching methods.

I've spent my whole life falling through cracks. Each time I needed support the system completely failed me.

I'm sorry to hear this. My daughter had severe text anxiety. Yeah. That's a real thing. I gradually went all the way up the ladder to the administration to find out what techniques might help her overcome it. Basically no one knew, so they said stupid things like, "Well, she's going to have to get over it." Yeah, but HOW? Highly educated experts are not always imaginative or capable of dealing with situations or students who are out of the ordinary.

Unfortuately, when faced with teaching an entire roomful of students with varying ability levels, it's hard for teachers to give each one what he or she needs most. A coworker's son was autistic, non-verbal, and pretty much detached from the world outside his computer. The child was mainstreamed into a high school classroom where he couldn't connect with anyone. The co-worker was always angry that the teacher didn't spend enough time with him, but she had 25 other students and Jon was a full time job all by himself. Maintstreaming to make sure students didn't feel isolated from the rest of the student body was the big thing back then, but it too often did more harm than good. Special education should not be a derogatory concept.

 

[Louanne Learning]

On test days, I've done a 2-minute exercise. I'd have all the students rest their hands on their desks with their palms up, a known relaxation technique. Tension drains away when you do that. Then I would encourage them to keep that feeling with them as they wrote the test.

And in general, the demeanor and attitude of the teacher, day in and day out, can determine whether the students feel they are in a safe space, or not.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

Okay. I'm more or less properly caffeinated. It is time to quit lallygagging here on this nice couch and hit the road. See y'all later.

 

[Link the Writer]

Y’all ever just randomly think about quitting your job, even though you know you won’t and you are doing precisely zero in looking for a new job?

 

[Homer Potvin]

Y’all ever just randomly think about quitting your job, even though you know you won’t and you are doing precisely zero in looking for a new job?

Heh. I just did officially, but with a multi month transition plan, so I couldn't even look for a new one if I wanted to. Then I'm taking at least 2-3 months off. Then I think I'm done with the whole COO thing. Time for someone else to have the responsibility and for me to relax a little bit.