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#Post#: 20--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Carrie
Date: June 7, 2011, 10:05 pm
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After cooking for close to 300 people this weekend, I really
wish we would have focused more on simplicity. Collins comment
"the key to success is not innovation, it is simplicity and
diligence...applied with fierce devotion to our highest
priorities." was a proven fact for sure! Sometimes in life I
seem to spend too much time on too many things...when in reality
and in the end a simple idea would have been just fine. Kinda
like the fancy toys on Christmas morning that were set aside and
the little ones headed back to the cupboards and were playing
with pots and pans...
#Post#: 21--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Jeana
Date: June 8, 2011, 12:29 am
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I also liked this quote "Priority is a function of simplicity,
and it dictates that we only focus on a few things at a time -
namely, on those elements that are most likely to help us
achieve our goals." It is easy to become distracted when there
is so much going on around us. If I can set priorities that
need to be done everyday and stick with it, life goes much
easier.
#Post#: 22--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Hans
Date: June 9, 2011, 5:45 pm
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As a new teacher, I loved going to inservice days and
activities. After a few years, however, I realized I was
becoming distracted. It's easy to feel like we could better use
our time in our classrooms, or being productive in our own ways.
Education is such a time consuming occupation, that it is
imperative we learn to balance the many demands placed on us.
As to the cure for inservice boredom, I've rededicated myself to
being a life-long-learner. It's amazing how much you realize
you can learn and grow with every new opportunity.
#Post#: 23--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Hans
Date: June 9, 2011, 5:48 pm
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Thanks. I felt silly for missing it after I realized that it
was in the original email. I was in such a hurry (ironic for
our reading topic) to get started, I failed to follow
generations of standard-teacher advice and read the
instructions.
#Post#: 24--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Pam
Date: June 10, 2011, 10:41 am
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I have been off on an 8 day trip to Missouri, Illinios
and Iowa. I feel like you all are way ahead of me although I
certainly enjoyed your comments. I had better get to work on
catching up.
It would probably do me good to read chapters 1 and 2 once
a week. As I studied them a couple times, they were excellent in
reminding me what is important in education. In everything we
do, simplicity and priorities are vital. Still, if our
priorities dictate a complex solution to a problem, then I think
we should be willing to do whatever is necessary to acheive what
is most important to us. The tricky part is trying to decide
what should be done here and now.
In life as well in education, you can not do everything
that you want to accomplish. I have a talented niece that says
that you should buy Halloween candy that you like. I could
argue with that statement. Still I think I understand what she
is saying. Your priorities should reflect what is most important
to you and or what makes you happy. She also knows that you
have to have the wisdom to realize the results of your actions
further on in your life. We know that what we do now has a big
impact on our happiness later. I just wish that first grade
students would realize that fact in respect to their later life.
I need to do better in helping them understand that.
#Post#: 27--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Rebecca
Date: June 13, 2011, 9:04 am
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Life doesn't always allow us to simply focus on a few
priorities. In fact, unless we decide to become a hermit, it is
nearly impossible. As long as we live within society, we have
not only responsibilities to our homes and families but to our
church, to community organizations such as Brownies or Boy
Scouts, etc. etc. Our lives are complicated and not always by
choice. Still I do believe we can make choices that may cause us
to neglect one good activity because we have another priority
that we choose to focus on. For example, we might decide to
focus on family instead of yard and garden and spend more time
interacting in a fun way with our children rather than weeding
the garden. A statement that I applauded is on page 28 and says,
"We need to reclaim the hundreds of hours each year that are now
spent on nonacademic tasks."
#Post#: 28--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Adrian
Date: June 14, 2011, 5:00 pm
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Ok, this is the third time today to try and post here.
I really like the idea of simplification, not just in education
but in all aspects of our lives. It does allow us to focus on
the most important things and have the time to teach/learn them
well.
My last attempt to post included about 45 minutes of narrative,
so I am just going to push the post button and see if this short
version disappears like my last one.
#Post#: 29--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Adrian
Date: June 14, 2011, 5:18 pm
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Ok that worked, so now for the real post.
The whole idea of cutting standards by half is amazing to me. I
am not familiar with all the standards, but if you could really
cut them in half, you would have a bunch more time to teach the
remaining subjects.
I know when I went back to school, it seemed like core content
areas seemed to move way too fast. Math is one example of a
subject that, I feel, most teachers move too fast. I would feel
like I was just beginning to get it, when we moved on to another
area. Some things built on previous knowledge, but some did
not. I would have been much more comfortable feeling like I had
mastered the subject before moving on, or at least had a good
understanding. I think many students feel the same way.
I also think math is one of those areas that need more
comprehensive reading and writing to be included to help with
the mastery of "story problems." Math gets really difficult if
you don't understand the problem. Those with mastery of math,
that I have observed, are those who can read, understand, and
write math problems.
Is there a plan to impement the ideas we have been reading about
at any level in the future?
#Post#: 31--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Karen
Date: June 14, 2011, 9:20 pm
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My favorite quote from this chapter is; "Good lessons respect
the limits of memory and the average attention span;
importantly, learners need the chance to process new information
every few minutes." I know when I am reading or studying
something, if I don't pause and make sure I am understanding the
material, or re-read from time to time, I can't recall much of
what I have read.
I was discussing my reading with Alysha today, and she said it
sounds similar to the model they have at BYUI. Every class on
campus follows this model.
*Preparation - the students comes with previous assignment or
reading done and ready for class.
*Teach One Another - the teacher lectures and gives
opportunities for groups or partners to discuss and share
*Ponder and Prove -
She commented that the classes are more interesting and she is
learning and understanding more when they effectively follow
this model.
#Post#: 54--------------------------------------------------
Re: Welcome to our Forum
DIR By: Anne
Date: June 22, 2011, 10:22 am
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Simplicity is a good goal for me this summer. I liked the
cleaning closets analogy and the weedy garden analogies for
priorities. Both of these are hard in a way because I feel that
I am pulled in so many different directions in my life right
now.
I had come to this late. I had some misunderstanding about the
course. Thanks to Carol, I am going to begin to catch up with
the res of you. Thanks for your patience.
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