Blog Post Assignment #10

I Want to Educate

Here I am, 42 years old a junior in college and I am a Secondary Ed/Language Arts major. Recently, someone asked me if I had always wanted to be a teacher. My answer was honest (as I tend to be) and I responded "NO! I have never wanted to be a "teacher"! I want to share what I know with teenagers and help them to gain knowledge about literature, grammar and writing. I DO NOT want to "teach" them - I want to guide them towards attaining knowledge through

learning and using what they have learned to better themselves and improve their knowledge!" I think the person I was talking to was stunned.

I have never, ever wanted to be a teacher... I have always, always wanted to share my passion for gaining knowledge with our younger generation. I do not want to stand in front of a class and lecture about what I know. I want to help the students gain knowledge through reading, practicing and doing... I know - this sounds like teaching... and to be honest, it is not really teaching... it is educating! This video tells the difference. I want to be an educator. I want to be the teacher that the students dread because of the work, but love because they get to participate in their own education. I know this works, I have seen this work - I want to be that teacher!

Maybe it is my age or maybe it is because I have finally found a place that I feel that I belong... I never realized the real difference between teaching and educating. I know now that I have always wanted to be an educator - not a teacher!

Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home

I think I can understand what Mr. Johnson is trying to say in his blog post. I believe this problem is similar to a problem that my daughter's school is having. Some parents/teachers want the students to have laptops to further the education of the student. Administration argues that laptops would create "problems" and not solutions for the teachers. They (the administration) argue about costs and parents not making the kids responsible for the computers and all the "normal" arguments against computers in the classroom. I love the argument that the students shouldn't have to be entertained in order to learn! I think the

laptops would engage not entertain the student!

I also think that the pencils might be a metaphor for any item that is technology related. Parents (at my daughter's school) have been pushing for e-books instead of paper textbooks. It is argued that parents have to purchase textbooks (it is a private school) and purchasing an iPad or the like would pay for itself in a matter of a year. It wasn't until this summer that the students were

allowed to do their summer reading with an e-reader instead of an actual book.

I guess you can tell I get worked up about people not being willing to use technology in the classroom. If educators would allow themselves to think about ways to incorporate technology the students are already familiar with and incorporate it into a lesson plan, they may find

students to be more engaged. In return, I believe, test scores (heavens, the almighty TEST SCORE!) would increase. Thus attaining what the educator, parent, student and administrators wish. Of course.... I could be wrong, but I am going to try!