In Closing . . .

Yeah, the semester is ending. This is that time of year when instructors, in a last-ditch effort to make students think for themselves, ask that their pupils get all self-reflective and stuff and express how far they've come in the class/subject they paid tuition for (aka an arm and a leg plus whatever the government didn't take).

Well, we definitely will have none of that here. Reflections are for philosophers and hippies. While I may have come off as philosophical and hippy-like at times, i don't like to talk about how far I've come. I prefer to think about it instead. (nnnnnnn--there, that was fun).


Besides, any instructor whose focus is solely rested upon students' self-reflections is (A) a sad person trying to derive meaning for their own lives from the lives of others or (2) Just really lazy.

They could be both, but I don't think of either types as being over-achievers. My point is, if the teacher was really doing their job, then both the instructor and the students would know the success they've achieved because the student would already be applying their new knowledge and skills.

Here's a quick example. I was 5 years old when I mastered shoelaces. I was quite proud of that (until I learned about Velcro and discovered a short cut). After several tries of getting the bunny ears just right, my Mom let me try doing it on my own. Much to my delight I remembered what to do and tied the shoelaces correctly. Now my Mom is an intelligent person and therefore knew it would have been degrading to ask "Now what have you learned, Jakob?" I probably would have played Captain Obvious and took advantage of the situation. I would have said something like "Why, did you forget already?" or "Are your eyes feeling okay? You were here all this time, right? At least mentally?"

Lucky for me my Mom simply congratulated me and let me tie my shoes from then on, an act I've continued to this day (except when I wear sandals and boots, which everyone should own a pair of). I like what I heard in a meeting with an educator. He said the first lesson he learned as an instructor was "Put the burden of the learning on the student." Well, if the shoelaces weren't supposed to be part of the picture, my Mom would have thrown the shoes in the trash and said walking barefoot would be fine. . . which would be ok if I were a hippy. But I was the student, shoelaces were going to be an important part of my life, so the burden was mine. I have advanced to double tying the shoelaces. 'Nuf said.

Now then, I'm going to ask you nicely this time to watch this video. Will you please click on the link below and watch the video? (MAN that was hard). Thank you.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y72cjn7l9H0



These students are trying to define the burdens of the learning world. I say let them. That means they are taking an active part in the learning process. They want to define the parameters. If you're technologically challenged, that's ok. We still have books.

For me, as a future teacher of this technologically-enhanced generation will probably have to keep up to speed with the newest products, which should be great fun since I'm the guy who put the DVD in the CD player and wondered why I wasn't getting any music or video. Regardless, as an instructor the technologies of the world are simply a means to an end. Basically I simply point in the direction the students should go and make the pathway as navigable as possible. Whether or not the embark on the journey is their own choice.






It doesn't matter anyways--eventually they will all become my minions that do my every bidding. BWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!!!!