Entitlement 101

Entitlement 101: In the United States, you are entitled to a free public education. We expect you to make the most of this opportunity by doing your best work in school and use your education to be a productive citizen. 

Right, Wrong, and Tolerance

Everyone is a person of value. 

As we go through life we develop a sense of right and wrong as well as some level of tolerance. In society we attempt to influence this process through the family, organizations (e.g. churches), and laws. In schools we facilitate this process through the use of rules and regulations.

Unfortunately, the human condition takes over and the lines of right and wrong become blurred. An attitude of "something is wrong only if I get caught" developes. Tolerance extends to limit the liability and responsibility of the individual. Hence, the logical next step becomes "you caught me, I apologize, and here is who hurt me". Liabilty and responsibility are deflected and placed elsewhere.

Everyone is a person of value and responsible for their own actions. Everyone should be extended respect. This does not imply, though, all of their actions are acceptable, nor does it imply the extension of tolerance is infinite.

Cultivating And Following Your Passion

Cultivating and following your passion* is easier said than done. In education, we have an incredible opportunity to nurture and support this pursuit. We also have the responsibility to create a culture within schools which models the sustained work ethic required to do so. Once the passion is present, though, intrinsic motivation should trump any societal norm or mandated requirement. Check out these examples below of passion and work ethic combined...

GRINLING GIBBONS: The Michelangelo of Craving

 ATTRACTION: Shadow Theatre Group

 SUSAN BOYLE: I Dreamed A Dream

JERRY FISH AND THE MUDBUG CLUB

ALERT: Strong Language

*"Passion comes after you put in the hard work to become excellent at something valuable, not before. In other words, 

what you do for a living is much less important than how you 

do it." (Cal Newport, 2012) See So Good They Can't Ignore You.

(Online) Instructional Design 1

Start with David Merrill On Instructional Design. Listen carefully as he discusses the principles of instructional design: "demonstration", "application" and "relevance".

Let's begin with organizing the learning guides for each unit or module of the course.

The Learning Guide

The learning guide is a “one page” interactive document stating the learning goals and activities used to guide the learner through a unit or module. A learning guide should also include assessment information as well as provide an opportunity for the learner to self-assess.

  

In the learning guide provided you will see examples of reusable learning objects (RLO), to include teacher-created, online-accessed, and textbook-generated. An RLO is any resource you (re)use with your students to support their learning. The fundamental idea is to organize the learning guide for efficient "one-stop shopping" by your students and their parents.

Many of the RLO's you will need to get started are already made. Technology provides the opportunity to make those and other RLO’s more dynamic and interactive. This is where additional work and a large amount of time will be invested.