The Development of Your Character

In so many ways, life is the greatest test of all. When you think of passing tests in a traditional sense, you might imagine yourself coming up with a right or wrong answer and hoping you have chosen wisely. But with life, the right or wrong answers often times seem out of focus and uncertain at best. Making your road map of life requires four basic ingredients: Compassion, Honesty, Integrity, and Accountability.

The Questions that Surround "Homework"

I have always been fascinated by the concept of homework and its importance in the educational classroom. I believe that homework is integral part of learning for a multitude of reasons. It provides practice away from the immediate learning activity and it also provides time for reflection. That is, homework gives the student an opportunity to bring application, one of the best learning tools, to the process of learning. In addition, it gives time for the student to reflect on what was learned in class on a given day and even expand the level of thinking that took place. While much can be and is learned through the daily classroom activity, a 50 minute time limit placed on the day’s learning activity is not sufficient to give every student the opportunity to apply the lesson to his or her daily life. Best practice suggests that the highest form of learning takes place when the student is able to apply what was learned to a real-world problem-solving situation. Homework can and should be an extension of the classroom experience. Another best practice known for learning is for students to be familiar with what they are about to learn. That is, when the student prepares at home to learn the lesson at hand the following day, much more is learned than if the student enters the lesson with no prior knowledge. Familiarity with the material to be learned greatly enhances the depth of learning.

I am guessing that by reading my blog one can tell where I stand on the importance of homework. Where I struggle is in the area of how to assess homework. How should homework be graded and just how much should it count in the overall grade for a class? This ultimately leads me to the study of grades. More thoughts to come.

The Inauguration of Barack Obama

Today was certainly one of the most exciting days in American History as Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. I find myself looking back at other major historical events that have occurred in my lifetime and wondering where today ranks. Can you remember where you were when... has always been one of my favorite phrases because it conjures up different memories in all of us. Today, watching the ceremony on TV like so many others, I could not help but wonder just how many people were actually there. I figure that number will continue to grow as stories are told and retold to future generations.
With so many different issues facing the United States, it was great to witness the sense of "hope" I saw in school age children who in high numbers tuned in to the inauguration in classrooms all across the country. Students were asking themselves and teachers what will the next four years hold for our country and President Obama? Our challenge collectively as a nation, is to take today's momentous occasion and build on its foundation. Thus, the title of my blog the educational journey. Educating ourselves to be the best and most knowledgeable citizens that we can is the key. I realize we all will have our ups and downs in this process. As my pastor said this past Sunday, "Life is the act of drawing without an eraser". Education lives in all of us.