Comments on: Make teacher programs harder to enter, intense and free http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/ Your source to discuss and learn about education in Atlanta, Georgia and the nation Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:38:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: ¤ Senior Class Look At Disney Grad Nite For A Fun Class Trip ¤ http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-21779 ¤ Senior Class Look At Disney Grad Nite For A Fun Class Trip ¤ Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:52:17 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-21779 [...] Make teacher programs harder to enter, intense and free | Get Schooled [...] [...] Make teacher programs harder to enter, intense and free | Get Schooled [...]

]]> By: Sarge http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-17243 Sarge Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:22:16 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-17243 Thanks, Free Mkt...sounds like the kinda stuff I'd talk about over a few pitchers at the bar. Might even throw in a story (true or not) about the harrowing chase over cobblestone streets as street thugs, intent on evil deeds, fired a few rounds before slaming into a lamp post outside a barracks full of drunken sailors. My question remains...as entertaining as this trip may have been, could it, in all honesty, pass as education? If so, I guess my various trips to Baghdad's "hot spots" could also qualify as education...(I wonder if I could convince some University Registrar to grant credit for that experience) Thanks, Free Mkt…sounds like the kinda stuff I’d talk about over a few pitchers at the bar. Might even throw in a story (true or not) about the harrowing chase over cobblestone streets as street thugs, intent on evil deeds, fired a few rounds before slaming into a lamp post outside a barracks full of drunken sailors. My question remains…as entertaining as this trip may have been, could it, in all honesty, pass as education? If so, I guess my various trips to Baghdad’s “hot spots” could also qualify as education…(I wonder if I could convince some University Registrar to grant credit for that experience)

]]> By: free market educator http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-17186 free market educator Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:42:25 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-17186 To sum it up, my kids know first-hand that there is a much bigger world out there, filled with people of many cultures, languages and diets (Americans and children were in the minority on our ship). Some cities are crowded and dirty with blind and handicapped people begging on street corners. The center line on a road is sometimes there just for decoration. The horn is used as often as a gas pedal or brakes. There is a McDonald's near the Pyramid of Giza with signage written in Arabic. Don't ever give your camera to a camel driver to take your picture in front of a pyramid- it might cost $60 to get it back. Don't buy an Egyptian "papyrus" print from a street vendor - it is probably pressed banana leaves. Most of the Egyptian vendors prefer dollars and Euros to their own currency. Egyptian school children learn English, French, and Arabic. The female Christian Egyptians do not wear a veil; most Moslem women wear a head scarf, and some wear a burka. Most Egyptians were friendly to tourists and are ardent free market capitalists. On a sad note, we learned about death amidst the tombs. While waiting in line to enter the site of the Sphinx, emergency medics carried out a man on a stretcher. His eyes were closed and he didn't move. His legs and arms were stiffly bent and his complexion was ghastly pail. His wife walked next to him, eyes wide and rimmed with tears, staring in shocked silence. My immediate impression was that he was dead. Our tour guide later confirmed this and said that he had had a heart attack and had fallen and hit his head. It turned out that they were passengers on our ship. I couldn't imagine losing a loved one under those circumstances; I felt a little sick to my stomach. The cruise ship chartered a plane to fly the widow and her husband's remains home. Life goes on. We learned that a cruise ship can go 25 knots if one of its work crew has appendicitis while at sea and needs to get to a hospital in Crete rapidly. It would cost $25,000 for an emergency helicopter to do a dangerous deck landing. Lucky for the captain, the cheaper option worked. A cruise ship can also withstand near-hurricane force winds while crossing the Mediterranean and still serve meals in the dining room. Some passengers are crazy enough to sit in the hot tub on the outdoor pool deck during such a storm- with an hour of lightning to boot! Watching such a storm from the safety of our cabin window brought to mind the Biblical account of Jesus walking on the water during a storm. "Would you jump out of the boat right now?", I asked my youngest. "I know I wouldn't. What great faith Peter must have had!" Did you know that cruise ships can parallel park and rotate 360 degrees? There is no Popeye-style giant pronged steering wheel. The ship is steered with only a teeny Nintendo-style joystick. The caldera is so deep at Santorini that no anchor is long enough. Our ship had state-of- the-art stabilizers to keep it in place-a good thing since a volcanic island was starboard and three other cruise ships were port side. From Santorini's harbor there are three choices of transportation to reach the town of Thera, perched high atop the black volcanic cliffs. The most popular are the cable cars; they are much faster and less smelly than going by donkey or foot up the steep winding path. The picturesque town consists mainly of souvenir shops, restaurants, cliff-hanging hotels, and beautiful blue or white domed Greek Orthodox churches. The largest is filled with stunning Byzantine-style icons of the life of Christ, hand painted by a local artist. The churches welcome tourists and many light a candle and pray for loved ones. Cats are everywhere in Greece and Santorini is no different. My oldest photographed enough of them to make a book or calendar on the "Cats of Greece". Did I mention that each child brought his digital camera and documented the trip from a kid's perspective? My youngest made a "short" video of our visit to the Palace of Knossos. Because he was much shorter than the adult tourists, the video was filled with kid's-eye views of tourist derriere with an occasional view of the palace. And of course, it included a shot of a Cretan feline. LOL! If you take the back side path down from the Acropolis, you will encounter a neatly spray painted graffiti sign, written in English, that says, "What do you call someone who keeps talking when no one is interested? A TEACHER." Amazing. I took a picture of the sage words with my "students" standing next to it. All this, and I've only told a fraction of our "education" abroad. The jet-lag is still kicking in. I'll leave you with a few words the Greeks love to hear from tourists: Kalimera- good morning giassou- hello or good bye ne- yes (as in "Do you want to buy this souvenir?") efcharisto- Thank you parakalo- You're welcome or please poso kani? - how much is it? kalispera- good evening. Travel tip: Well-heeled tourists wear Crocs or tennis shoes to the ancient sites. It's kinda slippery out there. To sum it up, my kids know first-hand that there is a much bigger world out there, filled with people of many cultures, languages and diets (Americans and children were in the minority on our ship). Some cities are crowded and dirty with blind and handicapped people begging on street corners. The center line on a road is sometimes there just for decoration. The horn is used as often as a gas pedal or brakes. There is a McDonald’s near the Pyramid of Giza with signage written in Arabic. Don’t ever give your camera to a camel driver to take your picture in front of a pyramid- it might cost $60 to get it back. Don’t buy an Egyptian “papyrus” print from a street vendor – it is probably pressed banana leaves. Most of the Egyptian vendors prefer dollars and Euros to their own currency. Egyptian school children learn English, French, and Arabic. The female Christian Egyptians do not wear a veil; most Moslem women wear a head scarf, and some wear a burka. Most Egyptians were friendly to tourists and are ardent free market capitalists. On a sad note, we learned about death amidst the tombs. While waiting in line to enter the site of the Sphinx, emergency medics carried out a man on a stretcher. His eyes were closed and he didn’t move. His legs and arms were stiffly bent and his complexion was ghastly pail. His wife walked next to him, eyes wide and rimmed with tears, staring in shocked silence. My immediate impression was that he was dead. Our tour guide later confirmed this and said that he had had a heart attack and had fallen and hit his head. It turned out that they were passengers on our ship. I couldn’t imagine losing a loved one under those circumstances; I felt a little sick to my stomach. The cruise ship chartered a plane to fly the widow and her husband’s remains home. Life goes on. We learned that a cruise ship can go 25 knots if one of its work crew has appendicitis while at sea and needs to get to a hospital in Crete rapidly. It would cost $25,000 for an emergency helicopter to do a dangerous deck landing. Lucky for the captain, the cheaper option worked. A cruise ship can also withstand near-hurricane force winds while crossing the Mediterranean and still serve meals in the dining room. Some passengers are crazy enough to sit in the hot tub on the outdoor pool deck during such a storm- with an hour of lightning to boot! Watching such a storm from the safety of our cabin window brought to mind the Biblical account of Jesus walking on the water during a storm. “Would you jump out of the boat right now?”, I asked my youngest. “I know I wouldn’t. What great faith Peter must have had!” Did you know that cruise ships can parallel park and rotate 360 degrees? There is no Popeye-style giant pronged steering wheel. The ship is steered with only a teeny Nintendo-style joystick. The caldera is so deep at Santorini that no anchor is long enough. Our ship had state-of- the-art stabilizers to keep it in place-a good thing since a volcanic island was starboard and three other cruise ships were port side. From Santorini’s harbor there are three choices of transportation to reach the town of Thera, perched high atop the black volcanic cliffs. The most popular are the cable cars; they are much faster and less smelly than going by donkey or foot up the steep winding path. The picturesque town consists mainly of souvenir shops, restaurants, cliff-hanging hotels, and beautiful blue or white domed Greek Orthodox churches. The largest is filled with stunning Byzantine-style icons of the life of Christ, hand painted by a local artist. The churches welcome tourists and many light a candle and pray for loved ones. Cats are everywhere in Greece and Santorini is no different. My oldest photographed enough of them to make a book or calendar on the “Cats of Greece”. Did I mention that each child brought his digital camera and documented the trip from a kid’s perspective? My youngest made a “short” video of our visit to the Palace of Knossos. Because he was much shorter than the adult tourists, the video was filled with kid’s-eye views of tourist derriere with an occasional view of the palace. And of course, it included a shot of a Cretan feline. LOL! If you take the back side path down from the Acropolis, you will encounter a neatly spray painted graffiti sign, written in English, that says, “What do you call someone who keeps talking when no one is interested? A TEACHER.” Amazing. I took a picture of the sage words with my “students” standing next to it. All this, and I’ve only told a fraction of our “education” abroad. The jet-lag is still kicking in. I’ll leave you with a few words the Greeks love to hear from tourists:
Kalimera- good morning
giassou- hello or good bye
ne- yes (as in “Do you want to buy this souvenir?”)
efcharisto- Thank you
parakalo- You’re welcome or please
poso kani? – how much is it?
kalispera- good evening.
Travel tip: Well-heeled tourists wear Crocs or tennis shoes to the ancient sites. It’s kinda slippery out there.

]]> By: Sarge http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-17126 Sarge Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:40:13 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-17126 Free Market Educator, this "field trip" sounds like an excellent way to entertain the class. In the days/weeks following this excursion, I'm sure you, as an "educator", had some means of feedback from your class as to exactly what, outside of the entertainment aspects, was learned; what values were somehow sprinkled upon your students which would, in the end, enable them to become, well...educated. You write of this experience with the same tenor as one would write, on the first day of class...WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION. Please elaborate, for the interested public, just how this magnificent "field trip" enabled students, of well-healed parents, to become educated, not entertained, but educated. Free Market Educator, this “field trip” sounds like an excellent way to entertain the class. In the days/weeks following this excursion, I’m sure you, as an “educator”, had some means of feedback from your class as to exactly what, outside of the entertainment aspects, was learned; what values were somehow sprinkled upon your students which would, in the end, enable them to become, well…educated. You write of this experience with the same tenor as one would write, on the first day of class…WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION. Please elaborate, for the interested public, just how this magnificent “field trip” enabled students, of well-healed parents, to become educated, not entertained, but educated.

]]> By: free market educator http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-17125 free market educator Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:58:23 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-17125 Good Idea, No need for jealousy. We live rather frugally and it is because we do not attempt to own a fancy house or car that we had the cash to take advantage of a huge sale on cruises (60% discount). We combined it with several years of frequent flier miles which got us to Athens, Greece for free. My spouse does business in the area so our stay there was free also. A cruise is actually a more economical way to see all the sites as it includes all meals. Our trip didn't cost much more than a Disney vacation! Everything fell into place and we were truly blessed. If you want to travel, make it a priority and save for it. Then, when a good deal comes along, go for it. We are already plotting how we can cruise the western Med and take in a study of Roman history. Good Idea,
No need for jealousy. We live rather frugally and it is because we do not attempt to own a fancy house or car that we had the cash to take advantage of a huge sale on cruises (60% discount). We combined it with several years of frequent flier miles which got us to Athens, Greece for free. My spouse does business in the area so our stay there was free also. A cruise is actually a more economical way to see all the sites as it includes all meals. Our trip didn’t cost much more than a Disney vacation! Everything fell into place and we were truly blessed. If you want to travel, make it a priority and save for it. Then, when a good deal comes along, go for it. We are already plotting how we can cruise the western Med and take in a study of Roman history.

]]> By: good idea free market http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-17045 good idea free market Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:39:37 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-17045 Hey free market educator, why don't you tell us about your Armani wardrobe, ski home in Aspen, your S-class Mercedes and your $5 million home while you're at it? I'm glad you were able to make such a fun and educational trip, but you do realize that such a trip is an impossibility for the overwhelming majority of people, right? Like, probably over 90% of people? Just keep that in mind. And you're right if you suspect I'm kinda jealous. I wish my parents had/could have done that for us!!! Hey free market educator, why don’t you tell us about your Armani wardrobe, ski home in Aspen, your S-class Mercedes and your $5 million home while you’re at it? I’m glad you were able to make such a fun and educational trip, but you do realize that such a trip is an impossibility for the overwhelming majority of people, right? Like, probably over 90% of people? Just keep that in mind. And you’re right if you suspect I’m kinda jealous. I wish my parents had/could have done that for us!!!

]]> By: free market educator http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-17010 free market educator Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:20:38 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-17010 I don't have an education degree, but my home school class just returned from an awesome 17 day ancient history/social studies field trip to the eastern Mediterranean. We were able to see four of the seven sites of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world: Great Pyramid of Giza, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the lighthouse of Alexandria. Of course, only the pyramids are still standing. Our cruise began in Athens, Greece, so we were able to climb the Acropolis and tour the Parthenon and Erechteion as well. We also sailed to Crete and visited the Palace at Knossos. We anchored in Alexandria, Egypt and drove to Cairo to see the fabulous King Tut treasures in their historic archeology museum. After leaving Crete we sailed to Santorini Island, perhaps the site of the mythical Atlantis. The island is the rim of the world's largest caldera which is currently filled with sea water and has become a harbor. Some believe that it was the explosion of this ancient Thera volcano that created a sunami which reached Crete and destroyed the ancient Minoan civilization. Our last stop was the ancient city of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul. It is a beautiful city poised at the entrance to the Black Sea. We had time to visit the magnificent Hagia Sofia, the cathedral built by Emperor Justinian, which is still intact and is now a museum. Some of the original Roman walls built under the reign of Emporer Constantine are still standing! We had studied books about these sites, but nothing compares to seeing them firsthand. This is a trip our family will always remember. Academics plus hands-on learning is always a winning combination. I don’t have an education degree, but my home school class just returned from an awesome 17 day ancient history/social studies field trip to the eastern Mediterranean. We were able to see four of the seven sites of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world: Great Pyramid of Giza, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, and the lighthouse of Alexandria. Of course, only the pyramids are still standing. Our cruise began in Athens, Greece, so we were able to climb the Acropolis and tour the Parthenon and Erechteion as well. We also sailed to Crete and visited the Palace at Knossos. We anchored in Alexandria, Egypt and drove to Cairo to see the fabulous King Tut treasures in their historic archeology museum. After leaving Crete we sailed to Santorini Island, perhaps the site of the mythical Atlantis. The island is the rim of the world’s largest caldera which is currently filled with sea water and has become a harbor. Some believe that it was the explosion of this ancient Thera volcano that created a sunami which reached Crete and destroyed the ancient Minoan civilization. Our last stop was the ancient city of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul. It is a beautiful city poised at the entrance to the Black Sea. We had time to visit the magnificent Hagia Sofia, the cathedral built by Emperor Justinian, which is still intact and is now a museum. Some of the original Roman walls built under the reign of Emporer Constantine are still standing! We had studied books about these sites, but nothing compares to seeing them firsthand. This is a trip our family will always remember. Academics plus hands-on learning is always a winning combination.

]]> By: ScienceTeacher671 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-16997 ScienceTeacher671 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:34:00 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-16997 Most of the education professors I know haven't been "behind the desk" in a K-12 classroom in years, if at all. Most of the education professors I know haven’t been “behind the desk” in a K-12 classroom in years, if at all.

]]> By: teacher/parent http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-16890 teacher/parent Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:43:41 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-16890 @high school teacher-You are very lucky to have had such a wonderful and USEFUL certification experience. I rarely talk to a teacher who has good things to say his or her education professors. I know the only professor who helped prepare me in any way was still (at the time) teaching high school as well. Sure we need better teachers, and better training will help, but unfortunatley, there are no 'grunt work' positions. There are student teachers and then there are teachers. Perhaps more of the college education should be in the K-12 CLASSROOM in stead of the COLLEGE CLASSROOM. BTW-nothing is FREE. @high school teacher-You are very lucky to have had such a wonderful and USEFUL certification experience. I rarely talk to a teacher who has good things to say his or her education professors. I know the only professor who helped prepare me in any way was still (at the time) teaching high school as well. Sure we need better teachers, and better training will help, but unfortunatley, there are no ‘grunt work’ positions. There are student teachers and then there are teachers. Perhaps more of the college education should be in the K-12 CLASSROOM in stead of the COLLEGE CLASSROOM.

BTW-nothing is FREE.

]]> By: Reality 2 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2009/11/04/make-teacher-programs-harder-to-enter-intense-and-free/comment-page-1/#comment-16851 Reality 2 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:17:50 +0000 http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/?p=2786#comment-16851 I actually know that many of college professors in teacher education programs can actually teach real kids well. There are others who can't. Just like real teachers - some are good and some are horrible. I actually know that many of college professors in teacher education programs can actually teach real kids well. There are others who can’t. Just like real teachers – some are good and some are horrible.

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