Everybody went somewhere for the weekend: part of the classes went to Bitola and another part - to Struga. I stayed in Ohrid. Well nothing much happened on saturday except that I was sleepy all day long because of the music now we have every evening at the restaurant below starting friday evening. So being sleepy I fell asleep on the beach and got sun-burned on saturday. That was because I didn't want to use any oil or cream. I have been sunbathing for a week and have got no tan because of the cream I use, it appeared to be too protective... Sunday morning one of the women who helps us in cleaning the rooms came into ours went to the balcony to check if there was any litter there, washed the bathroom and then by habit she locked the door outside with her key although she saw 3 of 4 of us still sleeping in the room. I was actually awake and tried to say good morning but she didn't even look aside - just like a robot. She didn't even think if there was a point of locking the door and where the 4th of us was - all habits.
And all those three things (the music, the sunburns and the cleaning lady) remind me of the education system in a funny way. Well habits are something very dangerous in teaching. There is a proverb we use in Bulgaria that says "Why should I bother if I can not bother" but I am going to return to it later on.
First it was the band in the back yard of the dormitory's restaurant (so called terrace). They were Macedonian but all the three nights since they played only Serbian and Croatian songs (mainly turbo folk). This is what they are used to. And no matter there are many wonderful Macedonian songs, not only folklore but modern ones, they just kept playing Serbian ones: a rutine, a habit...? Or perhaps it is safer to stick to what you already know...?
So was the cleaning lady. I am sure she's not too rigid to see and realize that someone is in the room and someone is missing but perhaps she is so bored of her work that she just does not care about the world around her and she is just "robotized". So why try something new when it's easier to do things the way you've always done them...Well but trying new aproaches is not always quite safe anyway. So was the point with my sunburn. No matter I've gotten used to take care of my skin I've tryed a whole new way of sunbathing without any protection so now it hurts...
The moral of all these 3 stories is that you ought to be adequate to the novelties but you also have to be careful and not to be too eager to adopt them... There are many old-fashioned teachers in our education systems that might get really harsh sunburns if they just go on using internet without being prepared (well trained) for that.And let's just not talk about those who are too rigid and "robotized" at their working places not willing to see if there is something out of theis underground tunnels ;)
As for today we were given an assignment in order to please the EU* ;)
The other think was that we've made some revision of wikis. They are often used to create collaborative websites and to power community websites. Wikipedia, for example, is one of the best-known wikis. But wikis' purpose in schools is to create an online text that teacher and students can both contribute to or students can even try to create their own class Wikipedia with whe fuul range of features - from pictures to videos. Besides the information wikis help to be shared they give an example of a collaborative environment that could even teach students how to work along with others and to respect other person's opinion.
So now I feel sorry I'havent been to Bill and Vasko's classes last year because I had my own group of university students this year and we did it the old-fashioned way, but just wait to see me next year!
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*That's Bill and Vasko actually but they think we do not know that... well we are not that... ergh... young not to understand it, but it's kinda sweet to ignite us this way - there is always big enthusiasm and a little bit of fear when you go into such an assignment so it has to be ok with the projects I think ;)
4 comments:
Hello Nikolay,
Great reflection!
Let me explain a bit about “EU minister of Education” ;)
I had heard about it before more than 3 years from my best professors and dear friends from George mason University in Virginia US.
They are calling that Authentic problem… So…
An authentic problem is one that involves students in sustained explorations of a situation and, as part of their explorations, enables them to understand the kinds of problems and opportunities that experts in various areas encounter and the tools experts use to solve these problems. In selecting authentic problems, educators should pick problems that are contemporary, nontrivial, and real (not realistic) – complex enough to engage students and amenable to concrete outcomes. Authentic problems should derive from the ongoing curriculum of the classroom.
Once an authentic problem has been selected, teachers need to assess the kinds of information that will be needed to solve the problem or to make appropriate decisions.
Let me now what you think about that.
Nokolay, heloooo, your post its too long but i like it because its original, great reflection! see you on class, bye have a nice time here in Ohrid!
Hello Nikolay!
I guess that Vasko has explained the 'authentic problem' to you very well. He is very knowledgable about it - I think because he had wonderful teachers! :)
It is a tool that we advocate using in the USA with students because it gives them a real context to work in. If we just tell them to write about what they have learned, the students do not react the same as they would with a project for the EU. It works very well.
It also gives the students a context to work in just as professionals do in the real world and our goal is to have them use the tools just as professionals do.
I hope that you won't give away our little secret, but I guess it's ok that everyone knows.
Thank you for your comments. They are always so interesting to read!
Bill
Well, of course it is much more meaningful when children can tie them to their real life experiences. But I think some times it could be very frustrating to know that there's no EU minister of whatever - education, ecology, agriculture or fishing - after you've put lots of efforts to do something... Either way you'd have to put lots of efforts to keep this little lie go on... And - the most important - till when?
Well, the think that impressess me much is that teachers often speak of "a class" or "the class". I know many people who do this. But we have not to forget that the class is made of individuals and they possess their own individual mentality. And sometimes it could be very dangerous for a young and subtile mind...
Anyway, 10 pc's for 30 persons is fun - there's always someone breathing behind your back waiting to write his VIT (very important things or thoughts), so I have to go but it is, I think, a good topic for a bigger discussion...
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