Comments on: Shift Happens http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/ The Art of Living Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:42:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Scott Fillmer » Let Me Text You with My Master Plan http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5410 Scott Fillmer » Let Me Text You with My Master Plan Sat, 13 Dec 2008 04:14:28 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5410 [...] video has been passed around to various blogs and I first saw it over on Brad Rugles’ blog (Shift Happens) but still wanted show it here in case you had not seen it [...] [...] video has been passed around to various blogs and I first saw it over on Brad Rugles’ blog (Shift Happens) but still wanted show it here in case you had not seen it [...]

]]> By: Joseph http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5291 Joseph Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:33:31 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5291 Brad, Sounds like you are in an incredible school. I have a few that are that good that I work with but will tell you it is not the norm. Your teachers are excited you appreciate what they are doing. It is unfortunate that you are in the minority. More and more parents are blaming the teachers for their kids not learning when in essence it is the parents not being parents where most of the problems arise. Sounds like your family is totally on the right track. My wife is a teacher and she just leaned over my shoulder and said you are welcome to send your kids to her school :) <abbr><em>Joseph’s last blog post..<a href="http://movingthroughlife.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/my-letter-to-pastors-priests-ministers-and-reverends/" rel="nofollow">My Letter To Pastors, Priests, Ministers and Reverends</a></abbr></em> Brad,

Sounds like you are in an incredible school. I have a few that are that good that I work with but will tell you it is not the norm.
Your teachers are excited you appreciate what they are doing.
It is unfortunate that you are in the minority. More and more parents are blaming the teachers for their kids not learning when in essence it is the parents not being parents where most of the problems arise.
Sounds like your family is totally on the right track. My wife is a teacher and she just leaned over my shoulder and said you are welcome to send your kids to her school :)

Joseph’s last blog post..My Letter To Pastors, Priests, Ministers and Reverends

]]> By: Brad Ruggles http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5260 Brad Ruggles Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:49:44 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5260 I think we need to find new ways to engage our students in the learning process. At my kids' school they have the smart-board but from what I've seen the teacher uses it to supplement and reinforce the educational curriculum that the students are already learning. Technology is a <i>tool for learning</i> not the end in itself. The other thing our school did at the beginning of the school year was to test each of the student's learning style (art-smart, nature-smart, word-smart, etc.) and then craft lesson plans that helps to communicate the material in ways that connect with each student's individual learning style. I really respect those in education today because their job is becoming increasingly more challenging in our technology and information-saturated culture. I think we need to find new ways to engage our students in the learning process. At my kids’ school they have the smart-board but from what I’ve seen the teacher uses it to supplement and reinforce the educational curriculum that the students are already learning. Technology is a tool for learning not the end in itself.

The other thing our school did at the beginning of the school year was to test each of the student’s learning style (art-smart, nature-smart, word-smart, etc.) and then craft lesson plans that helps to communicate the material in ways that connect with each student’s individual learning style.

I really respect those in education today because their job is becoming increasingly more challenging in our technology and information-saturated culture.

]]> By: Joseph http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5259 Joseph Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:07:56 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5259 Wow Brad. Totally in my world. I sell and consult to schools and school districts so I see what you are talking about on a daily basis. The really big challenge schools are facing is that with so much information they have lost focus. Reading and Math are the primary subjects taught and Science and Social Studies which used to be the core of learning have taken a back seat. This is creating a group of kids without common sense skills to get by in the world. The recent election is a perfect example...only 11% of high school and college students knew that when you vote, you are not actually casting a vote for president, you are casting a vote for recomendation of your elector who will then cast a vote for president on December 15th. Technology poses a whole different set of problems. It is huge in society but when brought into the classroom creates a "teacher centered" environment instead of "student centered". Most of the technology in schools at this point involve some manor of broadcasting information on the boards. LCD, SMART etc...very cool but....only 30% of students actually learn by reading. Not that only 30% can read, but learn by reading. The other 70% learn by writing on things, coducting experiments, solving equations, or visually deciphering clues. Yet, school systems are spending millions of dollars a year for instruments that aid about 30% of the students since most of the information cast through school technology is geared towards those students that learn by reading. This is not allowing students to go through a learning cycle and over time develop the skill set to use technology to the fullest. Without the basic skills in place and an emphasis in Reading and Math, students creative outlets are minimized and they truly do not evolve over time. Technology when used as one component in a large set of tools within the school, can be amazing and students can really emerge as creative leaders. When used only and with limited subjects it really handicaps them. This might have been long and convoluted and made no sense what so ever so I apologize if so. Great great great piece Brad...you are correct in that students need "basic" skills so they can learn to discern, process and apply. <abbr><em>Joseph’s last blog post..<a href="http://movingthroughlife.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/my-letter-to-pastors-priests-ministers-and-reverends/" rel="nofollow">My Letter To Pastors, Priests, Ministers and Reverends</a></abbr></em> Wow Brad. Totally in my world. I sell and consult to schools and school districts so I see what you are talking about on a daily basis.
The really big challenge schools are facing is that with so much information they have lost focus. Reading and Math are the primary subjects taught and Science and Social Studies which used to be the core of learning have taken a back seat. This is creating a group of kids without common sense skills to get by in the world. The recent election is a perfect example…only 11% of high school and college students knew that when you vote, you are not actually casting a vote for president, you are casting a vote for recomendation of your elector who will then cast a vote for president on December 15th.
Technology poses a whole different set of problems. It is huge in society but when brought into the classroom creates a “teacher centered” environment instead of “student centered”. Most of the technology in schools at this point involve some manor of broadcasting information on the boards. LCD, SMART etc…very cool but….only 30% of students actually learn by reading. Not that only 30% can read, but learn by reading. The other 70% learn by writing on things, coducting experiments, solving equations, or visually deciphering clues. Yet, school systems are spending millions of dollars a year for instruments that aid about 30% of the students since most of the information cast through school technology is geared towards those students that learn by reading.
This is not allowing students to go through a learning cycle and over time develop the skill set to use technology to the fullest.
Without the basic skills in place and an emphasis in Reading and Math, students creative outlets are minimized and they truly do not evolve over time.
Technology when used as one component in a large set of tools within the school, can be amazing and students can really emerge as creative leaders. When used only and with limited subjects it really handicaps them.
This might have been long and convoluted and made no sense what so ever so I apologize if so.

Great great great piece Brad…you are correct in that students need “basic” skills so they can learn to discern, process and apply.

Joseph’s last blog post..My Letter To Pastors, Priests, Ministers and Reverends

]]> By: eliane http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5258 eliane Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:54:50 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5258 I once read somewhere that sometime in the 1500's was the last time a person could feasibly learn all that we knew at the time. Our schools will never effectively prepare people for the world. Yeah, some will be prepared but that will be inspite of the education system not because of it. People still think "education" is stuffing kids' heads full of information. Parents like the comfort of believeing their kids will be ok if they keep dropping them off at school and letting the educators do their thing. I do think there is basic information that all should know but unfortunately, kids aren't very successful at learning that. I think the recent election highlighted the complete lack of the ability to think. Schools aren't designed to prepare kids for the world. They are designed to prepare them for work. Kids who can think can take on the world. The rest hope there's someone to tell them what to do. I challenge you to read The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto. Every generation confronts new experiences. Our founding fathers established a new country on a new and innovative model of behavior. How many people do you know would be able to do the same today? I'm afraid very few would have the ability to learn, discern or think their way to the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution or Bill of Rights. I once read somewhere that sometime in the 1500’s was the last time a person could feasibly learn all that we knew at the time.

Our schools will never effectively prepare people for the world. Yeah, some will be prepared but that will be inspite of the education system not because of it.

People still think “education” is stuffing kids’ heads full of information. Parents like the comfort of believeing their kids will be ok if they keep dropping them off at school and letting the educators do their thing. I do think there is basic information that all should know but unfortunately, kids aren’t very successful at learning that.

I think the recent election highlighted the complete lack of the ability to think. Schools aren’t designed to prepare kids for the world. They are designed to prepare them for work.

Kids who can think can take on the world. The rest hope there’s someone to tell them what to do.

I challenge you to read The Underground History
of American Education by John Taylor Gatto.

Every generation confronts new experiences. Our founding fathers established a new country on a new and innovative model of behavior. How many people do you know would be able to do the same today? I’m afraid very few would have the ability to learn, discern or think their way to the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution or Bill of Rights.

]]> By: Scott Fillmer http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5257 Scott Fillmer Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:30:29 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5257 that was Awesome.... makes you thrilled to be involved in a technological time and scared at the same time, love it. <abbr><em>Scott Fillmer’s last blog post..<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MyLifeInLa/~3/471373377/" rel="nofollow">Doing Simple Christmas with Living Water International</a></abbr></em> that was Awesome…. makes you thrilled to be involved in a technological time and scared at the same time, love it.

Scott Fillmer’s last blog post..Doing Simple Christmas with Living Water International

]]> By: Nick http://www.bradruggles.com/2008/12/04/shift-happens/comment-page-1/#comment-5255 Nick Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:58:17 +0000 http://www.bradruggles.com/?p=1329#comment-5255 Great post. I totally agree that we need to teach them the ability to discern, process, and apply the information they come across. That is especially important when dealing with information outlets such as blogs. I know a girl who takes anything at face value if someone shares the "information" with her. She leaves out the first two important issues of discerning and processing the information, she simply applies it as truth or as factual, and a lot of times she has been wrong. Her husband has fun debating her at times though. I definitely give it up to our educators because their task of education is getting tougher and tougher as you pointed out. <abbr><em>Nick’s last blog post..<a href="http://nickcarnes.com/2008/12/04/am-i-a-bad-parent/" rel="nofollow">Am I a Bad Parent?</a></abbr></em> Great post.
I totally agree that we need to teach them the ability to discern, process, and apply the information they come across.

That is especially important when dealing with information outlets such as blogs. I know a girl who takes anything at face value if someone shares the “information” with her. She leaves out the first two important issues of discerning and processing the information, she simply applies it as truth or as factual, and a lot of times she has been wrong. Her husband has fun debating her at times though.

I definitely give it up to our educators because their task of education is getting tougher and tougher as you pointed out.

Nick’s last blog post..Am I a Bad Parent?

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