Teraknor

Chatting to a member of a schools senior leadership team at the moment. They were bemoaning the need to use Google Translate for their students, the time it took them as well as the need to book a limited supply of laptops as pennies are tight. In an ethnically diverse area with an immigrant population. They have to consider some interesting languages when producing resources. I am sure there will be some who would have an issue with the idea of using google translate to teach in an english speaking secondary school. Let us leave that notion to one side. Not missing a beat, I ask one question ... what about their mobile phone policy. With glee they explain their complete ban on phones. So thats your problem, I replied. You have 1000+ students, with access to over a £1,000,000 worth of IT equipment and you are stopping them from using it. On matters such as translation as well as all the other resources these devices offer. It is not difficult to encourage good behavior among...

Time is currently a bit of an illusion ... be nice when I get some.

“Meaningless! Meaningless!”      says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless!      Everything is meaningless.” What do people gain from all their labours      at which they toil under the sun? 4  Generations come and generations go,      but the earth remains forever. 5  The sun rises and the sun sets,      and hurries back to where it rises. ... wisdom from the old testament I continually return to ... as issues come, go, return, get worse or better. One develops experience, trouble is that experience gives you the ability to see things often as they are. Funny to watch things that play out and wonder if one should intervene, advise or to let those involved become more experienced. Sounds tough and unsympathetic, maybe, or the chances are that  All things are wearisome,      more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing...

This post has been ████████ due to some ███hole taking um██████ to my otherwise excellent opinions. So, in the spirit of the concept, you are a complete and utter ██████, short of a few █████████s and devoid of ████████ and ████s.

Something that makes for interesting social commentary is how distributed groups of workers get different messages from the same information. Involved in three different distinct communities of practice. I see similar issues of cognicience accross all ... You tell people the same set of facts, yet in their interpretation, you see some interesting translations. If everyone did not understand the facts, you would consider the facts flawed. If the majority struggled, the same is true. But somehow, there is always a significant minority for whom the facts present a challenge. Worse, they all seem to create a new and unique way of missing the point. Sigh, more to manage ...

Last night I was a little surprised to receive a call from a former student (who became a colleague). Whom I haven't seen since leaving my previous employer five years ago. Have you heard about Sam? Sam , was one of my penultimate full time students and a member of a tutor group I managed from 2006/2007. This was a group of Level 3, Networking students, covering topics such as the Cisco CCNA. A vibrant soul, a sole female in a group of 20 males, she certainly made her mark, in personality, intellect and ability to handle the rest of her group. She was one of a small set of motivated souls I used to set extra challenges, when I used to try out some of my network simulation ideas. The news , quite unexpected and something you never consider when it comes to teaching. The mortality of the youth you educate somehow doesn't fit into the equation. Words fail me ...

Something that continually challenges and gives me the occasional moments of personal angst is the professional question ... am I stuck in a rut? Whilst one cannot be all things to all people and be able to teach all technologies at all times. It is essential to remain current, open to change and open to the inclusion of a new technology in my teaching. Yet, out there I encounter so many, abusing their students with a knowledge set, not only outdated, but with an intractable obstinance.  They do not wish to change ... intent on teaching topics of little value, dated or inapplicable.  Mostly out of a inability to change, often through fear, some lazy and many who seem to have trapped themselves into a view that they are incapable of learning something new for a multitude of reasons. Are you in this rut?