tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post114745972791231491..comments2024-03-22T08:16:45.553-06:00Comments on The Fischbowl: Re-Connect to the WorldKarl Fischhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11121548023409279686noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-1148149331996224852006-05-20T12:22:00.000-06:002006-05-20T12:22:00.000-06:00Watching political forces at work - parents of you...Watching political forces at work - parents of young children whose primary concern seems to be day care, district money people, elementary focus-driven "managers", building admins and teachers who see change as hassle rather than potential - I also fear with Karl that the two ingredients for doing this well (TIME and MONEY) are going to be difficult to find. The calendar is becoming a battle ground where, it seems, as if the potential will lose out to the practical. PERA demands and declining enrollment combined with little ability to ask the voters for more (for about 4 more years) will make $ tighter.<BR/><BR/>So how do we provide people incentives? Is it credit? On the downside, people who take on opportunites for credit as their major motivation will only go so far. On the positive side, work has been done the last two years to make credit easier to get ... no more need for Adams State tuition, doubling the tuition reimbursement potential from 300 to 600 (Side note to all of those complaining that they aren't getting the full amount of 600...it is still much more than was available in prior years and is very competitive with other imprtant districts), accepting more opportunities for credit, etc.<BR/><BR/>But credit only goes so far. So the key is understanding why those of us that are MA60 and have no financial benefit from credit continue to take part in order to get better. Some just aren't satisfied with where we are. We want not to get bored. We want not to get stale. We have pride in what we do and are never satisfied. People like that will look at summer oppotunities or taking a year to learn because of a motivation that comes from within (the same motivation we hope our students develop). Maybe the key is to find a way to recognize and reward those who undertake the efforts...beyond a 3 credit thank you that you pay for.Meyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916259314014374466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-1147887576430866142006-05-17T11:39:00.000-06:002006-05-17T11:39:00.000-06:00Ok, I will make a confession. I am addicted to do...Ok, I will make a confession. I am addicted to documentaries, especially travel documentaries. At lunch, when many teachers in our department talk about their favorite soap opera or reality TV show, I end up quietly listening because I like to watch Globe Treker or Railway Journey. So what does this have to do with the post? I believe teachers (and students) learn so much from travel. I agree it is different than WORKING in the real world, but travel opens one's eyes to the world around us. Not all my friends are teachers, and when I visit (physically and electronically) with my non-educator friends I also learn a lot. <BR/><BR/>Uh-oh...it is lunch duty time. To be continued....Barbara S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07637919785682865478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16660456.post-1147807215852143372006-05-16T13:20:00.000-06:002006-05-16T13:20:00.000-06:00I wonder if there is a way to offered paid summer ...I wonder if there is a way to offered paid summer interships with companies. There are many companies that hire summer interns and I don't know that teachers need an entire year to reconnect. It seems that short term connections would be a good first step and still give exposure to the "real world."James Hhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13160288306090442328noreply@blogger.com