Welcome
to the Creative Classroom Experience
“The
current curriculum”…is a theme I have heard for years in all levels of schools:
elementary right up to international university. So as I understand,
“curriculum” consists of the ideas and concepts that a group of individuals
thinks is relevant for learning. I agree. However, I have a different word that
I like to use—which is the reason for this book. That word is “education,”
which doesn’t mean a prescribed set of ideas that someone (or many people)
think is the correct mandated set of lessons. Education has several meanings: “The wealth of
knowledge acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matters
or experiencing life lessons that provide an understanding of something.”
I
agree again. So after 20 years of working in the field of teaching, I have met
many teachers—and only a handful of educators. In MY view (and I’m biased on
this), an educator EXPANDS the level of learning of students. It’s not just
“absorb this and prepare for the next standardized test.” I like to extrapolate
and juxtapose ideas as I teach. (Hint: to extrapolate means to think beyond
boundaries. “Thinking out of the box” is one way to say it. I think on parallel
tangents—and also dimensionally. Not just physically dimensional, but beyond
that realm. I also like to juxtapose: to place ideas side-by-side and compare,
contrast, analyze, and look for similarities and differences—and how they are
one-and-the-same. I also like them because they have the letter ‘x’ in them,
and that’s not too often found in vocabulary.)
So
I’ve been an educator who extrapolates—and juxtaposes. I’ve taken my students’
minds to higher levels on cross-curriculum and multiple subject matter. That’s
what an educator should do—as I see it. I’ve had that satisfaction on both the
East Coast and West Coast of the U.S. as well as a state in the Deep South—and
also at a major university of finance and economics in China. Welcome to a
creative educational way of “thinking outside of the box” for a different way
of learning. And please leave standardized testing for the companies who milk the education system for data at the expense of students and teachers.
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Star
Light, in Sight (for Alix Bogart)
In
a time quite long ago, You
were one who
yearned to know
The
secrets of the Universe. A
person who was sometimes terse.
With
someone else who
loved to ponder
Things
that happened here and yonder.
Both
of us would wonder why, Things
occurred up in the sky.
And
further out; we tried to see, Splendid
things that seem to be
Hidden
from the average soul, To
learn them all became
our goal.
I
was one who had intentions, Make
good use: my
mind’s inventions.
You
would read and contemplate; Between
us two, we did debate.
Other’s
thoughts in ancient Greek, We
scientists did learn to speak.
Powdered
wigs upon our heads, We
challenged what
each other said.
You
have returned; I’m
glad to see
Your
name, I think is
known to me.
But
who I was, I’ll let you guess, But
worry not, nor feel duress.
I
told you then of what I know, And
now I see ingrained to show.
You
did not know the thoughts I shared
But
I am glad to see you cared.
Enough
to wish to learn them now
I’m
back again; I’ll show you how.
But
be of cheer; you
made your claim
And
what you found has
kept your name.
It
does appear: it seems to burn
Samuel
Clemens: he did learn
That
when it came to see his birth,
He
knew his time allowed on
Earth.
So
solve this riddle, and you’ll see
Identities:
both you and me.
The
Guiding Stars will tell the clue
The
hint of what I said to you:
“I
studied it (our tempers hot);
I
know it, Sir, but you do not.”
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