(Thing 4) From 1956 to Present-A Short Learning/Teaching Perspective

There is little doubt that education has changed since I began school some 53 years ago. I can remember my kindergarten teacher. However, this is only because she recognized me when I attended Trinity Episcopal Church. I attended grade school at Trinity Lutheran School. I remember most of the teachers I had in grade school and high school. We were taught to memorize at TLS. We even had a class in Memory. You would have to memorize a bible passage, a creed, a prayer and then recite it and say, "What does this mean?" I can remember learning my multiplication facts. When you learned a new set you had to say those and then all the others that you had learned. We sat in rows, the teacher taught and we shot it back at them. High school and college was pretty much the same for me. Go to class, sit in rows, listen to the teacher and then give back the knowledge via tests or homework. My high school freshman English teacher and Algebra teacher had a huge impact on me as a student. They taught me to learn for understanding and not be afraid to make a mistake or even fail. Truth be told much of my teaching career was to give students information. I think I was pretty progressive when it came to using calculators in the classroom. I embraced their effectiveness and the opportunity they allowed for more in depth learning. This is especially true with respect to graphing calculators. Students today are allotted opportunities that I once never thought possible. A calculator that graphs a function...C'mon (You mean you really don't have to graph with paper and pencil). A vehicle in which you can look up information at the click of a button. No more Dewey Decimal System, encyclopedias, slide rules, etc. All can be done on a computer or the Internet. Many of the slide shows I watched for THING 4 were progressive approaches to 21st century learning. I want kids to be lifelong learners. Many times they want to learn life lessons that I don't agree with. Or even what politicians think is best for them. The biggest drawback to all of this is M-O-N-E-Y. Where do we get it? As an administrator I have to look at budget cuts each year. Cut programs, cut teachers. We are asked to do more with less. And that is a difficult thing to accept.