Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspiration. Show all posts
15 April, 2012
Telling A Good Story
To all of us who, as children, built thousands of forts, went on countless adventures down the Amazon, explored the wilds of the Yukon... Caines Arcade rules.
To all of us who want to tell stories about the power of a child's imagination, or how strong is our inner drive to create something concrete from the ideas swimming around our heads... Nirvan Mullick shows us how to do so with mastery.
The best part though, or maybe it is just the cherry on top, is the song at the end. Can you imagine having a song written about you?
08 March, 2012
The Opposite of Poverty is Justice
It has been awhile since I sat at the edge of my seat and shivered with anticipation listening to someone speak. Bryan Stevenson tells a good solid story about the saddening injustices of the US justice system.
To get a short insight into what Mr. Stevenson is speaking of, you can listen to Quantel Lotts' interview. Mr. Loots was jailed for life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his step-brother at age 14.
Please spread the word.
18 February, 2012
Pearls of Wisdom
I love the internet. It has probably been one of the major change factors in my life in the last twenty years.
(That is, of course, second place, farfar behind, the immense joy and challenge of raising our delightful children.)
Since I was there right from the beginning (of the internet), and consider myself an "early adopter" in most things, there are only the rare moments when I discover something old, but fabulous.
This is what happened this week, when I stumbled over the blog, Letters of Note. What a fantastic site to while the days away on. What a learning opportunity for students and teachers alike.
Today's letter is from Groucho Marx. Wouldn't you love to it if he could have written a letter to some bank CEO today...
Other pearls of wisdom I discovered were,
Do try and take a look. The film leaves you with a warm feeling of having seen something well done.
(That is, of course, second place, farfar behind, the immense joy and challenge of raising our delightful children.)
Since I was there right from the beginning (of the internet), and consider myself an "early adopter" in most things, there are only the rare moments when I discover something old, but fabulous.
This is what happened this week, when I stumbled over the blog, Letters of Note. What a fantastic site to while the days away on. What a learning opportunity for students and teachers alike.
Today's letter is from Groucho Marx. Wouldn't you love to it if he could have written a letter to some bank CEO today...
Other pearls of wisdom I discovered were,
- This I Believe
- This American Life
- The Poetry Archive
- Alys Fowler
- ... an many more
Do try and take a look. The film leaves you with a warm feeling of having seen something well done.
13 June, 2011
Some things are meant to be shared
There are things happening on the internet that have to be shared. Whether it is a traditional newspaper giving voice to young musicians (above)...
Or, listening to a director talk about the creative process of making a film with humble beginnings, yet it reached large...
Or, global internet fans following a fellow's poetic wanderings around the world...
There is so much out there in the tubes that is inspiring. Barely a day goes by without my tripping over something perfectly marvelous.
06 June, 2011
Different Perspective
Flying in a motorized paraglider over one of the most diverse continents in the world, George Steinmetz captures in his photographs the stunning beauty, potential and hope of Africa's landscapes and people. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/african-air
This last winter, I saw a photo exhibit of George Steinmetz in Berlin. It was a series of macro-organisms (animals, birds, insects) motifs. Stunning.
One thing that was puzzling about some of the photos the place they were taken from. The perspective of up above, but close gave a remarkable viewpoint. In this video, I discovered why. Make sure you look at the video full screen.
27 May, 2011
Wonderful Day
DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.
Stupendous! In support of Mickey Smith's mastery, please watch, enjoy, and spread his work onwards into the world. For as he explains,
"It's an art form in itself. (We are) Silent work horses of the surfing world... Most folk don't even know who we are, what we do, or how we even do it, let alone want to pay us for it."
24 May, 2011
Who says statistics can't be fun?
23 May, 2011
David Lynch: A People's People
Did any of you watch the series, Interview Project, by David Lynch? He went from the east coast to the west coast, interviewing people in apparently a very happenstance way. The interviews are short portraits of these people's lives. Collectively, they create a portrait of a country.
He's now doing a series, Interview Project Germany. The interviewees speak their dialect or local accent, but there are subtitles. Even if you do not like reading subtitles, please spend some time and reading them, for often what the people say is touchingly vulnerable and honest. What I like about these three interviews is the fact that the people live(d) modest lives, but seem genuinely happy with them.
Can you hear the difference between the way that Karl speaks and Luci? Luci comes out of ex-DDR. When the Berlin Wall went down over twenty years ago, the life she knew up to that date vanished. I was talking to a friend of mine recently about why it is that foreigners living in Germany don't say they are German, even after they have received citizenship. She responded with the fact that she feels she is a East Berliner and not a German. The area that she grew up in, the education she received, the social values she was raised in, they have changed or disappeared. This is not to say she is unhappy. Contrarily, like Luci, there is an acceptance mixed in with loss of that what they once held dear.
Then there is Betty, who talks about dressing up fashionably in the 60s and 70s. It's hard to imagine bellbottoms and hot pants. Friday night disco in the local bar. Yet, it is reassuring to know that she did live those moments.
Do enjoy.
He's now doing a series, Interview Project Germany. The interviewees speak their dialect or local accent, but there are subtitles. Even if you do not like reading subtitles, please spend some time and reading them, for often what the people say is touchingly vulnerable and honest. What I like about these three interviews is the fact that the people live(d) modest lives, but seem genuinely happy with them.
Can you hear the difference between the way that Karl speaks and Luci? Luci comes out of ex-DDR. When the Berlin Wall went down over twenty years ago, the life she knew up to that date vanished. I was talking to a friend of mine recently about why it is that foreigners living in Germany don't say they are German, even after they have received citizenship. She responded with the fact that she feels she is a East Berliner and not a German. The area that she grew up in, the education she received, the social values she was raised in, they have changed or disappeared. This is not to say she is unhappy. Contrarily, like Luci, there is an acceptance mixed in with loss of that what they once held dear.
Then there is Betty, who talks about dressing up fashionably in the 60s and 70s. It's hard to imagine bellbottoms and hot pants. Friday night disco in the local bar. Yet, it is reassuring to know that she did live those moments.
Do enjoy.
20 March, 2011
Social media as it's best
Once again the Guardian has made a master stroke in setting standards of how social media can mix with news media and the publishing industry to come up with something brilliant. A few weeks ago, they launched a Children's Book platform.
If you are a child (16 and under), a parent, teacher, favourite aunt, dotting grandparent, or just someone who wants to help children to learn the joys of reading... do go to the site and spend some time there.
Can you imagine anything more rewarding than helping a child discover the wonders of books?
13 March, 2011
Science mapping a Personal Journey
Dan Ariely is a behaviour economist. Aren’t you intrigues to hear that there is a profession called behaviour economics?
Two years ago, I watched Ariely speak about the results of scientific studies explaining why human beings are predictably irrational. It was a fascinating speech, not only because of the findings, but because he is so convincingly and passionately invested in discovering the ways “emotional states, moral codes and peer pressure affect our ability to make rational and often extremely important decisions in our daily lives”.
This morning I had the acute pleasure in watching Ariely’s PopTech 2011 talk, Adaptive Responses.
It is a rare person who can convincing map science as a personal journey of discovery. Ariely tell a touching story connecting scientific findings with personal existential angst and the yearning for love. He does this with such courage, humour, intrepidness, I could only watch in awe.
What is particularly fascinating is to see what a fine line he walks between telling very intimate details of his life without exposing the identity or opinions of any of his family or friends. Secondly, the details he mentions of himself are presented in such a way that lend his intellectual arguments weight without becoming a burden to the audience.
Two years ago, I watched Ariely speak about the results of scientific studies explaining why human beings are predictably irrational. It was a fascinating speech, not only because of the findings, but because he is so convincingly and passionately invested in discovering the ways “emotional states, moral codes and peer pressure affect our ability to make rational and often extremely important decisions in our daily lives”.
This morning I had the acute pleasure in watching Ariely’s PopTech 2011 talk, Adaptive Responses.
It is a rare person who can convincing map science as a personal journey of discovery. Ariely tell a touching story connecting scientific findings with personal existential angst and the yearning for love. He does this with such courage, humour, intrepidness, I could only watch in awe.
What is particularly fascinating is to see what a fine line he walks between telling very intimate details of his life without exposing the identity or opinions of any of his family or friends. Secondly, the details he mentions of himself are presented in such a way that lend his intellectual arguments weight without becoming a burden to the audience.
03 March, 2011
Stumbling upon Inspiration
It's not something that I do very often, but occasionally, I just stumbleupon various new videos.
Send it sistah ! from sébastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.
This morning, these two videos, set my day right on track.
shinya kimura @ chabott engineering from Henrik Hansen on Vimeo.
Do make sure to watch the videos full screen.
Send it sistah ! from sébastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.
This morning, these two videos, set my day right on track.
shinya kimura @ chabott engineering from Henrik Hansen on Vimeo.
Do make sure to watch the videos full screen.
25 December, 2010
I am enough.
"Brene Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love."
Brene Brown also does a marvelous job of arguing why we should all strive to be vulnerable instead of predictable, courageous more than brave, and kind to ourselves as well as to others. What I most enjoy about her TED Talk is the passion of her convictions is not highlighted through stories of grand deeds, but more subtly through her self-deprecating antidotes of her struggles and stumbling along the way to realising the most important thought, "I am enough."
At this time of reflection upon the challenges we have met this last year and perhaps recognition of opportunities we can stumble after in the next, watching this video places a milestone along the road of our journey forward.
08 November, 2010
Turning Garbage back into Oil
Don't you wish someone would come up with a machine that is able to convert plastic garbage back into oil and reduce carbon emissions at the same time?
Well,
Mr. Akinori Ito believes he has done just that (English subtitles).
Well,
Mr. Akinori Ito believes he has done just that (English subtitles).
21 August, 2010
Converting to Short Stories
One of the weekly podcasts that I listen to with great pleasure is Writers & Company from the CBC Radio. It is a pleasure to listen to Eleanor Wachtel speak with writers about their work. She does it in such a methodical and informative manner that the authors are tantalized into speaking forthrightly within the safe net of her questioning.
Overall, writers seem a tricky bunch. They can be prickly (interview with Doris Lessing), or reclusive (interview with J. M. Coetzee), but they can also charm the pants off of you. Which is what happened in the Writers & Company: Irish Panel (May 16, 2010) program. In this program Roddy Doyle, Claire Keegan and Kevin Barry speak with wit and magnificence about the art of writing short stories.
Yesterday, I listened to the program for the third time: discovering new forms of nuance, humour and insight in the art of short stories. The interview is a veritable Babette’s Feast (1 & 2) to convert us all to this genre of literature.
10 February, 2010
Going Rouge
Bill Nighy stars in Robin Hood tax campaign
More than 50 charities are supporting the campaign to levy a Tobin tax on transactions between financial institutions, which can be used to help fight poverty, protect public services and tackle climate change.
This you've got to see! This idea is the type of "going rouge" that makes sense. Call me naive, but I think the idea is brilliant.
17 June, 2009
The Wonders Of The Internet (3/3)
The last of this series concerns a skype conversation I have with Millicent in Nairobi. During our talk, Millicent tells me about reading a newspaper article about how Carbon Manna Unlimited is compensating Kenyans for reforesting their land by planting trees.
After some investigation, I still am not able to find any information about receiving monetary compensation for replanting trees, though this is probably true, but just hasn’t come up in my search. There is though a series of articles pointing out their program that allows people in Kenya,
“to claim by mobile phone on a bi-weekly basis the carbon offsets they produce by converting to more efficient cooking methods such as a modern charcoal stove or solar cooker, instead of an inefficient 3-stone fire burning biomass. As a result, each family becomes a micro-profit center and is able to monetize directly its own contribution to mitigating global climate change, while also slowing regional deforestation and desertification”
I am not so sure how successful the mass introduction of solar cookers and the modern charcoal stoves will be, since they are still quite expensive items to purchase. Which brings me back to smoke-free briquettes created out of bio-waste…. Don’t you think that Carbon Manna Unlimited might have an interest supporting (funding) the manufacturing of corn cob crushers and the use of smoke-free briquettes?
So, my goals for this year:
* Create two instruction manuals for building a corn cob crusher and how-to-make briquettes
* Create two small scale briquette making businesses in Kimilili
* Get in contact with Carbon Manna Unlimited and start communications about the possibility of them helping to set up a corn cob crusher manufacturing carpentry shop
* Get in contact with the Kimilili community elders and start talks about setting up the above-mentioned shop
Of course, my goals are not going to be achieved all by myself. It means involving all sorts of people from all sorts of different countries. To date that would be, Kenya, Zambia, Canada, USA, Switzerland, and who knows how many more before this project is up and running in Kimilili.
The wonders of the Internet, don’t you love it?
After some investigation, I still am not able to find any information about receiving monetary compensation for replanting trees, though this is probably true, but just hasn’t come up in my search. There is though a series of articles pointing out their program that allows people in Kenya,
“to claim by mobile phone on a bi-weekly basis the carbon offsets they produce by converting to more efficient cooking methods such as a modern charcoal stove or solar cooker, instead of an inefficient 3-stone fire burning biomass. As a result, each family becomes a micro-profit center and is able to monetize directly its own contribution to mitigating global climate change, while also slowing regional deforestation and desertification”
I am not so sure how successful the mass introduction of solar cookers and the modern charcoal stoves will be, since they are still quite expensive items to purchase. Which brings me back to smoke-free briquettes created out of bio-waste…. Don’t you think that Carbon Manna Unlimited might have an interest supporting (funding) the manufacturing of corn cob crushers and the use of smoke-free briquettes?
So, my goals for this year:
* Create two instruction manuals for building a corn cob crusher and how-to-make briquettes
* Create two small scale briquette making businesses in Kimilili
* Get in contact with Carbon Manna Unlimited and start communications about the possibility of them helping to set up a corn cob crusher manufacturing carpentry shop
* Get in contact with the Kimilili community elders and start talks about setting up the above-mentioned shop
Of course, my goals are not going to be achieved all by myself. It means involving all sorts of people from all sorts of different countries. To date that would be, Kenya, Zambia, Canada, USA, Switzerland, and who knows how many more before this project is up and running in Kimilili.
The wonders of the Internet, don’t you love it?
13 June, 2009
The Wonders Of The Internet
A few days ago, I mention I am on an oxygen-high. After months of research and communication with various people, I’ve figured out a wonderful green business idea for the rural communities I work with in various countries in Africa. It is not only the idea that is so fantastic, but how the idea evolved that is so remarkable. The serendipity and beauty of being able to form new business ideas with people all over the world through the Internet, makes me want to jump up and down with delight.
I’d like to write a few posts and take you on a journey about how the new green business idea formed. I won’t say at this point what the idea is because that would spoil the fun, so, if you only want to know that, you can skip the next two blog posts.
The journey starts off in California listening to Amy Smith’s talk on “Life Saving Design”. In this talk, she informs the illustrious TED audience: how fumes from indoor cooking fires kill more than 2 million children a year, how millions of women and children spend upwards of 2-4 hours daily searching for wood fuel, and how many countries are rapidly being deforested because of this practice.
Ms. Smith goes on to explain how she and a group of designers constructed a prototype Corn Cob Crusher that produces smokeless cooking briquettes from bio waste materials (principally sugar cane or corn cob waste).
So, I contact Sumit (India) of the above-mentioned design group and ask where I could get more information about the crusher. We have some people interested in opening up such clean fuel briquette-making businesses in Kimilili, Kenya. We are hoping to find someone in Kenya that can teach these business entrepreneurs how to build crushers.
Sumit introduces me to Joshua (Zambia), who is also in the crusher group. Since
Zambia isn’t Kenya, and Joshua obviously can’t just hop over to Kimiilili, I talk to a Nabuur friend (Toronto) and she suggests approaching another Nabuur friend, Misheck, in Zambia to see if he can help.
Simultaneously, I meet up with a graphic designer and book publisher friend of mine for a cup of tea (Germany) and she asks me all sorts of questions about the Corn Cob Crusher project. It becomes obvious during our talk that we what we need are instruction manuals explaining “How to make a Corn Cob Crusher” and “How to make cooking Briquettes with a Corn Cob Crusher”. She offers her assistance in the project.
Upon inquiry, Joshua and Misheck both prove willing to work with us in making these manuals. It will probably take a few months for us to get the script written and the monies together so they can buy the materials needed, but it is all looking rosy in that department.
These manuals will be published and made available in various formats (e.g. pdf, html, ppt, and mp4), so that any one wishing to build a crusher can do so.
The next post talks about how my original idea evolved from one of creating clean fuel briquette-making business start-ups to an idea including youth vocational business training and crusher manufacturing start-ups as well.
To be continued...
I’d like to write a few posts and take you on a journey about how the new green business idea formed. I won’t say at this point what the idea is because that would spoil the fun, so, if you only want to know that, you can skip the next two blog posts.
The journey starts off in California listening to Amy Smith’s talk on “Life Saving Design”. In this talk, she informs the illustrious TED audience: how fumes from indoor cooking fires kill more than 2 million children a year, how millions of women and children spend upwards of 2-4 hours daily searching for wood fuel, and how many countries are rapidly being deforested because of this practice.
Ms. Smith goes on to explain how she and a group of designers constructed a prototype Corn Cob Crusher that produces smokeless cooking briquettes from bio waste materials (principally sugar cane or corn cob waste).
So, I contact Sumit (India) of the above-mentioned design group and ask where I could get more information about the crusher. We have some people interested in opening up such clean fuel briquette-making businesses in Kimilili, Kenya. We are hoping to find someone in Kenya that can teach these business entrepreneurs how to build crushers.
Sumit introduces me to Joshua (Zambia), who is also in the crusher group. Since
Zambia isn’t Kenya, and Joshua obviously can’t just hop over to Kimiilili, I talk to a Nabuur friend (Toronto) and she suggests approaching another Nabuur friend, Misheck, in Zambia to see if he can help.
Simultaneously, I meet up with a graphic designer and book publisher friend of mine for a cup of tea (Germany) and she asks me all sorts of questions about the Corn Cob Crusher project. It becomes obvious during our talk that we what we need are instruction manuals explaining “How to make a Corn Cob Crusher” and “How to make cooking Briquettes with a Corn Cob Crusher”. She offers her assistance in the project.
Upon inquiry, Joshua and Misheck both prove willing to work with us in making these manuals. It will probably take a few months for us to get the script written and the monies together so they can buy the materials needed, but it is all looking rosy in that department.
These manuals will be published and made available in various formats (e.g. pdf, html, ppt, and mp4), so that any one wishing to build a crusher can do so.
The next post talks about how my original idea evolved from one of creating clean fuel briquette-making business start-ups to an idea including youth vocational business training and crusher manufacturing start-ups as well.
To be continued...
16 April, 2009
Easter Midnight Concert
We enter the dark cathedral. A glow of subtle moonlight offers us a suggestion of light to guide us through the darkness to the slowly filling pews. Faint mummers catch the corners and wander fluidly along the floor. Hundreds of people sit quietly. In prayer. In expectation.
One candle lights the darkness accompanied by rarefied voices of Gregorian chant. Darkness. Twilight. Midnight. Dawn. Winter Deprivation. Hope. Heresy. Faith. Science. Senses. Sensations. All aspects of the momentous transformation from darkness to light studied though words, voice, song, sounds: and graciously carried by ten thousand glorious candles into the Easter morn.
30 August, 2008
Quiet Revolution
Like many of the bloggers I’ve read yesterday and today, I was very impressed with the speech Mr. Obama held Thursday. My daughter and I watched Mr. Obama giving his speech yesterday morning on the Internet. Much of the responses of the bloggers were along the lines, “yes, maybe we dare to believe” variety. What I wonder at this point, is not whether Mr. Obama will be elected president, though I decidedly hope this will happen, but whether Thursday night’s speech managed to finally ignite a flame announcing the arrival of a revolution of social change long in coming?
This avalanche of change has perhaps been a quiet revolution to date, but there is no denying a shift has occurred over the last decade empowering all individuals to break barriers and find voice. And, it is the Americans who have led this revolution. The notion of social participation to entice change began, I believe, nearly a decade ago, in part, through developments in Internet technology.
The IT crash of 2000 signaled a shift in conscious thinking concerning the use of Internet. This shift resulted in innovative ideas such as the Read/Write web (Web 2.0) and open source (e.g., SourceForge) coming to being. Many new innovations followed: micro-financing (e.g., Kiva), global community work (e.g., Nabuur), and grassroots political activism (e.g., Change Congress). All of these programs are powerful in their simplicity and completely, convincingly empowering for anyone willing to participate.
It has been fascinating for me to see how this quiet revolution has evolved. At a time when I found no hope in finding leadership in America as a nation, and Bush/Cheney as a government, when it came to environmental and military practices, I found hope of change through the common folk* already creating it.
And maybe, just maybe, it was necessary for America and the world to experience these last eight years of the Bush/Cheney administration to waken us up to our individual potential for creating change. As Mr. Obama said, “…it is that American spirit, that American promise, that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.”
These last years has already created so much change in my life, I don’t think there has been any time in my adult life where I have learned so much and participated in so many new creative endeavours. Some of these experiences have been questionably disappointing, but overall and most irrevocably they have changed my life and my actions.
(*I’m not sure what is the pc word for common folk is anymore, but let me assure you these common folk are in no ways common, but rather they are heroes of mine.)
This avalanche of change has perhaps been a quiet revolution to date, but there is no denying a shift has occurred over the last decade empowering all individuals to break barriers and find voice. And, it is the Americans who have led this revolution. The notion of social participation to entice change began, I believe, nearly a decade ago, in part, through developments in Internet technology.
The IT crash of 2000 signaled a shift in conscious thinking concerning the use of Internet. This shift resulted in innovative ideas such as the Read/Write web (Web 2.0) and open source (e.g., SourceForge) coming to being. Many new innovations followed: micro-financing (e.g., Kiva), global community work (e.g., Nabuur), and grassroots political activism (e.g., Change Congress). All of these programs are powerful in their simplicity and completely, convincingly empowering for anyone willing to participate.
It has been fascinating for me to see how this quiet revolution has evolved. At a time when I found no hope in finding leadership in America as a nation, and Bush/Cheney as a government, when it came to environmental and military practices, I found hope of change through the common folk* already creating it.
And maybe, just maybe, it was necessary for America and the world to experience these last eight years of the Bush/Cheney administration to waken us up to our individual potential for creating change. As Mr. Obama said, “…it is that American spirit, that American promise, that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.”
These last years has already created so much change in my life, I don’t think there has been any time in my adult life where I have learned so much and participated in so many new creative endeavours. Some of these experiences have been questionably disappointing, but overall and most irrevocably they have changed my life and my actions.
(*I’m not sure what is the pc word for common folk is anymore, but let me assure you these common folk are in no ways common, but rather they are heroes of mine.)
24 August, 2007
Closing Up Shop
Next week is my last week at the university. My contract has been extended three times, which is as far as the rope will stretch. I’ve worked at the research institute for over six years, in two different projects. One was creating e-learning modules for medical computer science students. The last project, my Black Forest cherry chocolate cake, was working with teachers and primary and secondary students; introducing digital media into their curriculum.
We’ve just finished a video (here, sorry video quality not so good as yet) explaining how practically we did the work we did in the schools. There were other aspects to the job: e.g. developing educational software and hardware, carrying out evaluations, giving seminars and workshops, PR, and writing scientific papers. Some of these later tasks were more fun to do than the others, but working in schools was always an interesting learning experience.
Interesting enough, that I am going to pursue teaching (ESL) now that I’m closing up shop in this last career direction. I am a bit apprehensive about taking this new step, for I am more a problem-solving person than a social person. Yet, if the focus for this generation of teachers is to help students learn how to learn, to explore their world with the aid of technology, to discover context and create content, then maybe teaching can be an exciting profession.
This slideshow video on TeacherTube summarises very well what my thoughts about adopting relevant methods for teaching our children to prepare for their futures. It explains very succinctly how we, as parents and educators, can step up and give our children a helping hand. Help them learn to be creative and curious learners.
And, this slideshow video, "Did You Know 2.0?", explains why we all, every single person in so-called western societies, have to wake up when it comes to our children’s education.
Last but not least, please watch this inspiring talk given by Sir Ken Robinson during the TED conference in 2006. I don’t know how often I have mentioned this talk, for I watch it again and again every few months. Each time my spirit rises and my inner resolve to play some small part in educating children increases.
We’ve just finished a video (here, sorry video quality not so good as yet) explaining how practically we did the work we did in the schools. There were other aspects to the job: e.g. developing educational software and hardware, carrying out evaluations, giving seminars and workshops, PR, and writing scientific papers. Some of these later tasks were more fun to do than the others, but working in schools was always an interesting learning experience.
Interesting enough, that I am going to pursue teaching (ESL) now that I’m closing up shop in this last career direction. I am a bit apprehensive about taking this new step, for I am more a problem-solving person than a social person. Yet, if the focus for this generation of teachers is to help students learn how to learn, to explore their world with the aid of technology, to discover context and create content, then maybe teaching can be an exciting profession.
This slideshow video on TeacherTube summarises very well what my thoughts about adopting relevant methods for teaching our children to prepare for their futures. It explains very succinctly how we, as parents and educators, can step up and give our children a helping hand. Help them learn to be creative and curious learners.
And, this slideshow video, "Did You Know 2.0?", explains why we all, every single person in so-called western societies, have to wake up when it comes to our children’s education.
Last but not least, please watch this inspiring talk given by Sir Ken Robinson during the TED conference in 2006. I don’t know how often I have mentioned this talk, for I watch it again and again every few months. Each time my spirit rises and my inner resolve to play some small part in educating children increases.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)