Thursday, April 18, 2013

"TODAY'S PC IS EQUAL TO THE PAPER AND PENCIL WHEN I entered grammar school, in 1964."

So, here is a call to Bill Gates, Michael Dell, HP, and IBM. As the marketeers are determining that the PC is about to vanish from our little reach, I implore you to take the vast amount of PC's sitting on the shelf, continue to make them all for one very logical sound reason. People need them! Far too many are still unfamiliar with and lack proficiency in computer manipulation. You see there is a direct connection between hand to eye coordination and brain stimulation. 15 years ago as computer/telecommunication by way of the PC and internet became the rage, schools stopped teaching handwriting as a mandated subject. They wondered why it was important when we were all going to be typing on PC's. The PC replaced the paper and pencil for a great many of us. Now we have touch pads, and a simple swipe of the finger does it all, so pads replace the PC. But, please understand the vast majority of children in rural, and urban communities still have never mastered the PC. What does this mean? It means we have created a society of consumers and not producers. Of simpletons as opposed to developers. I encourage the vast wealth earned by the front runners of the telecommunication/computer age to now reinvest in a meaningful way. Until every school age child has a PC, access to internet and access to meaningful implementation into their daily lives the achievement gap will continue to widen. In other words, "TODAY'S PC IS EQUAL TO THE PAPER AND PENCIL WHEN I entered grammar school, in 1964."

Friday, April 12, 2013

My First Blog - STEM Education

As an experienced classroom educator I am often perplexed by the inordinate amount of influence and power that we turn over to individuals who have never spent a day in the classroom as an educator, aside from a few presentations, or glorified in classroom field trips. You know the salesperson who is there to sell their newest way to reform education? As I embark on an experiential based approach to education, that will not reform, but transform the classroom experience, I am gearing up for the aspect of my work, which will in fact become on of critical analysis. Today I watched a pretty slide show created by yet another individual out to sell their work regarding STEM education. While this individual is quite intelligent and has spent the biggest majority of her professional career promoting STEM and her resume espouses glorious experiences in the world of promotion and publishing, I do not see anywhere that she has a degree in education, curriculum development, school leadership, and definitely NO CLASSROOM experience. I am continually perplexed by schools systems and educators who continually invest in and fund the endeavors of those who are not on the front line, who are not educators, who do not understand the multifarious aspects of education. Everyone of our schools are filled with specialists, yes, EDUCATION SPECIALISTS! We have invested long hours, years of education, and an expense that many of us will never fully repay in our professional lifetimes, yet, we continue to let non-educators form our understanding of education, when the reverse should actually be taking place. I look forward to teaching you what education is, what it is not. What STEM is and what it is not. What is PBL3? You might be surprised.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

What is PBL3EDU?

PBL3 is an approach to education, that I believe will transform education, and the educators who deliver it. Please stay tuned as the professional educators connected with PBL3 will deliver their educational modules, insight, and passion for children, educators, and EDUCATION!

How to Increase Student Engagement: Ask LAURA

If you are wondering why your students do not complete assignments, fail to turn them in on time when they do, or simply seem to not care, t...