Old school

If you watch TV, you can't have missed one of the newer AT&T commercials. The world is completely different for Hansel and Gretel, and the bread trail just won't cut it anymore. But Hansel and Gretel are resilient; they are able to adapt and find their way.

The commercial has me thinking about education and our new flat world. Too many of us educators are old school, and we're not giving our students the tools they need to be successful when they enter the work world. In fact, I feel a little like Gretel. I am not a "digital native" and at times feel a little lost. But I'm aware of the way our world is changing. At the end of the commercial, Gretel looks into the empty basket. She then looks over her shoulder, only to find that the bread crumbs are gone. Her eyes widen, but then she confidently looks ahead. That's what I want to do.

Lessons from the School of Rock

I know this isn't a new movie, but it still makes us laugh every time we see it. Darrell's favorite part is the "face-melting" guitar solo in "Teacher's Pet." I do think there are lessons to be learned from the movie about how students best learn. They began with a question,(in this case, "What is good rock?") and studied all aspects of the topic. Those kids were studying music history, economics, fashion, music performance, and computer programming. Even though the classroom looked a little chaotic, those kids were engaged and learned more in those three weeks than if Mr. Shneeee, let's just call him Mr. S., had simply given them worksheets. Maybe this movie should be required in the university-level teaching curriculum. This would be a good way to "stick it to da man."