May 12, 2010

Lead Them to Create

by jarrodmartin1

I think that we should apply this kind of thinking to teaching. What if we taught students how to manage their creativity rather than just showing them what they should know? What if education was more descriptive of how to create and question and look, and less prescriptive in terms of what students must know, memorize, or read? Would we see curiosity return? Would students develop their own structure for learning the details they must know to go to the next level?

more about “Elizabeth Gilbert“, posted with vodpod

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May 11, 2010

One Reason Kids Can’t Write Anymore

by jarrodmartin1

“This baseless precision fetish has infected all of the soft arts, of course. Now, we reward students far more for following specific instructions for an essay and not nearly enough for saying something original, powerful or useful.” — Seth Godin

Check out the entire post from 2008.  It’s worth the read.  That’s why I “starred it” in Google Reader nearly two years ago.

Posted in Education, Life | 2 Comments »

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May 10, 2010

School Kills

by jarrodmartin1

Let me be clear: I am a teacher, and I am very proud of the job our school does in educating our children. We work hard to help kids be the best they can be. But, we are also often frustrated by the constraints we feel from above and from the students themselves.  What is personally frustrating is our seeming dependence on what our “standards” say is most important.  While there are some general concepts that all students need, the most important focus should be on helping students cultivate their passions and abilities.

We need a revolution. Listen to what this guy says, and then go get his excellent book, The Element.

more about “Schools Kill“, posted with vodpod

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May 7, 2010

The Wheel is Perfect?

by jarrodmartin1

I don’t know of anything more perfect than the wheel.  What else can move heavy objects across land better than the wheel? The design of the wheel was perhaps man’s greatest bit of technology because it did two major things.

1.  It made a job significantly easier.

2.  It was fairly easy to reproduce, so everyone could have one (two, three, or four…).

However, the wheel has done more than just make our life easier.  It has also made it more complex.

We can now drive places or fly places far from our homes (yes, planes have wheels to take off and land).  Our jobs often take us far from home, and we miss days with our families.  We put great pressure on the transport of things we buy or send to others (next-day delivery).  We have produced a more complex road system, developed new technology to ride upon these wheels, and have decorated the wheels themselves with “spinners.”

The wheel is a simple technology, but it has far-reaching implications.  And it all began with a very practical purpose.

Imagine.

The internet came to life, as we know it, just over 20 years ago.

1.  It has made many jobs significantly easier.

2.  It is available nearly to everyone.

And it has already made our lives more complex.  So, what next?

Posted in Laptop, Life | 2 Comments »

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May 6, 2010

Choosing the Right Tool

by jarrodmartin1

Imagine a guy building his house one day.  He is moving quickly across his roof nailing down the roof decking.  However, just as he brings his hammer down, he notices that he’s not lined up with the 2 x 4.  The nail is hanging out of the bottom of the decking, but not attached to anything.  He’s off by an inch.

He puts the hammer in his tool belt, and pulls out his crowbar to extract the nail.  Then, he puts the crowbar back down and grabs the hammer to continue his work.

And then it hits him.  Why not put a fork like a crowbar on the back of my hammer?  He runs down (as fast as you can “run” down a ladder) to his workshop, and begins to cut, weld, and create the first claw hammer.

Now, his hammer is not only good at ONE thing.  It can do TWO things very well.  The first is not hampered or hurt by the second.

This is why the Swiss Army Knife is amazing.  All those tools in one perfect synergistic relationship.

When you choose tools, do you choose a tool that does just ONE thing well?  Or, do you go for a tool that can do lots of things well?

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May 5, 2010

David Blaine: How I Held My Breath for 17 Minutes

by jarrodmartin1

Some people say he is crazy.  Embodied by a demon.  A lunatic.  A fake.

I think he’s a scientist.

more about “David Blaine: How I Help My Breath fo…“, posted with vodpod

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May 4, 2010

What Should You Teach?

by jarrodmartin1

What should you teach if the state didn’t define it for you? State standards are given to teachers as a guide now. By law, these standards are required. They are usually pretty specific. And, most teachers act as if they hate them.

So, teachers, what should you teach?

Should you use a textbook? (Textbooks today are published to be aligned with your state standards…)

Should you teach broadly or deeply? (And, no, you really can’t do both.)

Should you incorporate blogging and mobile devices?

Should you use mostly lecture, even though every minute you spent in lecture in college took the life out of you?

How should you decide what was most important?

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May 4, 2010

What Would You Teach?

by jarrodmartin1

What would you teach if the state didn’t define it for you? State standards are given to teachers as a guide now. By law, these standards are required. They are usually pretty specific. And, most teachers act as if they hate them.

So, teachers, what would you teach?

Would you use a textbook? (Textbooks today are published to be aligned with your state standards…)

Would you teach broadly or deeply? (And, no, you really can’t do both.)

Would you incorporate blogging and mobile devices?

Would you use mostly lecture, even though every minute you spent in lecture in college took the life out of you?

How would you decide what was most important?

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May 3, 2010

More, Faster, Better, Easier, Sucks

by jarrodmartin1

What if our idea of efficiency was upside-down?

We often think that the more we can do, the faster we can do it, the better and easier our life will be.  The more and faster rule works well if you’re a factory, and you’re hoping to scale your product.  But, for most of us, the more and faster rule actually produces the opposite effect we intend.

Real efficiency and productivity = less and slower.

Don’t believe me?

Why does Apple take so long to produce a new version of the EXACT same technology they put out last time?

Why doesn’t Stephen King write four or five novels at a time, rather than making us wait for the next sequel?

Why do the people who are most productive at work always seem to go home before anyone else?

Why do you spend so much time answering email?  (Seth Godin’s tip for solving that one…)

It’s simple.  You do too much to be productive.

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April 30, 2010

Lunch Connection

by jarrodmartin1

The most effective family relationship builder I’ve tapped into this year:  lunch at home.  Granted, my schedule and the location of my home allows me this freedom.  However, it makes me wonder why our culture hasn’t done more to allow workers to go home during lunch time.  It makes me more productive in the afternoon, and I get to enjoy so much more interaction with my kids and wife.

I only come home for about 20 minutes, but that 20 minutes makes for great connection time.  There are no other distractions.  We’re all getting lunch ready and eating and talking.  We hug and kiss good-bye for the second time that day, and it’s only a few more hours till I get home.

If you can’t actually go home, try calling home while you eat.  Say hi to your spouse and make small talk.  Nothing deep required.  All the really good stuff will happen later because you’ve already gotten the small stuff out of the way for the day.

The thing I’ve noticed as the best result is coming in the door in the evening and building conversations off those previous interactions.

Simple thing.  Amazing results.

Posted in Life, Love | 1 Comment »

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