My grandma tells the true story of an east Texas pastor who is stopped at a check point on the highway while on his way to church. The pastor tells the trooper that he is running late to church. The trooper apologizes and says they will make the stop quick, but he would like to look in the trunk. When the pastor opens the trunk, the trooper notices that it is fully of empty glass beer bottles. The trooper closes the trunk and before sending the pastor on his way says “yall must have a lot of communion.”
Things do not always appear to be what they really are. What looks like an alcoholic pastor was really a pastor who picked up glass bottles for a disabled man who made art out of them. What appeared to be a crazy man in the desert turned out to be the one prophesized about, preparing the way of the Lord. What appeared to be a carpenter turned out to be the Son of God, the messiah.
I would say that I am not normal. Not that everyone else is the same, but that I am different than most people. I view certain things differently, live my life differently, and desire different things. However, because the difference is often not physical or tangible, things do not appear to be what they are. Words are misinterpreted, actions are not understood, intentions presumed incorrectly.
How does one accurately reflect what things really are? How does one explain to a trooper in a convincing way that all of the bottles are not yours? How do you convince someone of what your true intentions are? How do you tell the world what you mean when you do certain things?
I do not have the answer.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Things are not as they appear
Grass is Growing
One of my favorite Tom Petty songs is Time to Move On. The chorus of the song goes:
For me, it is time to move on. I have spent the past two years teaching in Midland and am ready for something new. I am still waiting on the new thing to happen, but I am at least picking up my feet from where they have been.
Its time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
Its time to move on, its time to get going
For me, it is time to move on. I have spent the past two years teaching in Midland and am ready for something new. I am still waiting on the new thing to happen, but I am at least picking up my feet from where they have been.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Diversity through design, Unity through God
Last night I attended church at Grace Bible Church in College Station. The head pastor, Brian Fisher, gave the message at the Saturday night service. I really enjoy the Saturday service because it is a smaller group in a smaller venue. It is easy to get lost in the hundreds of people there on a Sunday morning, so it is nice to meet with a small group to worship with.
Ross King led worship. Ross was very popular with the youth group I attended in high school, so I was very familiar with him, though I hadn't heard him in several years. He was leading praise music so I didn't hear the songs of his I knew, but still enjoyed his leadership and music.
The message of the sermon was about the Church being one body. This semester, Grace has focused a lot on this topic as they built a new campus this year and are focusing being on one church with two locations. The text was taken from 1st Corinthians chapter 12, and Ephesians chapter 4 along with a few other various verses. This post will be taken from Brian Fisher's sermon.
First, unity in the church is to reflect unity in God. God is made up of three unique individual parts, that are all equally God and all one. The church is to reflect that.
Unity isn't uniformaty. Just becuase we call ourselves Christians doesn't mean that we all dress alike and act alike. We are all different. In 1st Corinthians, Paull writes about the Spirit of God giving each believer receiving gifts from God as the spirit chooses. In the psalms, which Paul quotes from in a different letter on the same subject, God gives gifts to all people, even nonbelievers, as he sees fit. God gives all of us gifts. We are to use those gifts for His kingdom, though we often do not.
Though unity isn't uniformaty, we must have certain similarities. In Christianity, our similarities are what are commonly referred to as essentials. These are the most basic beliefs in Christianity. These are often found in various creeds and belief statements. They define who God is and how we come to a relationship with him. These must be the same for all Christians. God is One, he is not Many. If we have different core beliefs about God, we are making him Many, not the One he is. All of us are following One Way, though we are Different people. One God, One Spirit, One Jesus, One Way.
If we do not have the same shared truth, we will not be united. I think a good example is the USA. In the United States, we are united with the goal of Democracy. By having the same goal, we have been able to overcome huge obstacles, such as the British in the 1770's, slavery in the 1860's, Nazism in the 1940's, discrimination in the 1960's. However, today, our goal is often 'unity and diversity.' This is often met with staunch resistance. I believe that if we as a country maintain our goal of democracy, unity will occur dispite our diversity. When we make divisions our goal though, we will reap what we desire.
Though it is imperative that we have unity and uniformity in essentials, our relationship with God will look different for each person. Some may find certain types of music styles help them worship more than others. Some may prefer wearing specific clothing to church in order to convey a sense of humbleness before God. Some may find it better to stand or sit or kneel throughout worship. This is OK! In non-essentials, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist faith, says that we have freedom. However, with our freedom comes tolerance. Tolerance means to put up with others. Though we may not like certain things about various Christians, we must still get along with them. We cannot let minor things (non essentials) cause division. This has happened and continues to happen, resulting in the hundreds, if not thousands, and denominations in the Christian church. Oh for the day when unity results in all worship the One together!
Why we must tolerate each other is because of the creativity and soverignty of God. God has made each of us unique, in His image, and the way we are to be. He has distributed gifts upon us as he wills. We must use our gifts to His glory. But none of us have all of the gifts necessary in the Body of Christ. Just as a body cannot survive with just a head or just a foot or just a heart, neither can the Body of Christ function with just certain gifts. It takes all of us combined to form the Body. We must respect each other because God made each of us.
This is something that I need to work on. It is easy for me to say, "that person is so annoying, I cannot stand them." This is certainly not respecting the person. Do I need to become best friends with them? Certainly not, there are some people I get along with some people I do not. However, I can at least respect the person for who God made them. I can still see the value that they bring to the Body.
This unity is the result of Love. John Wesley said that we must have unity in essentials, freedom in non-essentials, charity in all things. Paul mentions, after discussing the gifts that the spririt gives, that he will show us yet a greater way, Love. Paul also writes of fath, hope, and love, love will always remain. Our faith will become sight, our hope will become reality, but love will remain for eternity.
So with this knowledge, how is a Christian to respond? First, be content with how God made you. At the beginning of this blog, I wrote about contentment. Be OK with who God made you. However, do not become complacent. Continue to push farther! God made us how he wanted us, but rarely do we use his gifts and abilities to their fullest. Continue to strive for perfection in Christ and the person God made you to be. And most important, learn to live with one another by love.
Worship One, Love All, Together!
Ross King led worship. Ross was very popular with the youth group I attended in high school, so I was very familiar with him, though I hadn't heard him in several years. He was leading praise music so I didn't hear the songs of his I knew, but still enjoyed his leadership and music.
The message of the sermon was about the Church being one body. This semester, Grace has focused a lot on this topic as they built a new campus this year and are focusing being on one church with two locations. The text was taken from 1st Corinthians chapter 12, and Ephesians chapter 4 along with a few other various verses. This post will be taken from Brian Fisher's sermon.
First, unity in the church is to reflect unity in God. God is made up of three unique individual parts, that are all equally God and all one. The church is to reflect that.
Unity isn't uniformaty. Just becuase we call ourselves Christians doesn't mean that we all dress alike and act alike. We are all different. In 1st Corinthians, Paull writes about the Spirit of God giving each believer receiving gifts from God as the spirit chooses. In the psalms, which Paul quotes from in a different letter on the same subject, God gives gifts to all people, even nonbelievers, as he sees fit. God gives all of us gifts. We are to use those gifts for His kingdom, though we often do not.
Though unity isn't uniformaty, we must have certain similarities. In Christianity, our similarities are what are commonly referred to as essentials. These are the most basic beliefs in Christianity. These are often found in various creeds and belief statements. They define who God is and how we come to a relationship with him. These must be the same for all Christians. God is One, he is not Many. If we have different core beliefs about God, we are making him Many, not the One he is. All of us are following One Way, though we are Different people. One God, One Spirit, One Jesus, One Way.
If we do not have the same shared truth, we will not be united. I think a good example is the USA. In the United States, we are united with the goal of Democracy. By having the same goal, we have been able to overcome huge obstacles, such as the British in the 1770's, slavery in the 1860's, Nazism in the 1940's, discrimination in the 1960's. However, today, our goal is often 'unity and diversity.' This is often met with staunch resistance. I believe that if we as a country maintain our goal of democracy, unity will occur dispite our diversity. When we make divisions our goal though, we will reap what we desire.
Though it is imperative that we have unity and uniformity in essentials, our relationship with God will look different for each person. Some may find certain types of music styles help them worship more than others. Some may prefer wearing specific clothing to church in order to convey a sense of humbleness before God. Some may find it better to stand or sit or kneel throughout worship. This is OK! In non-essentials, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist faith, says that we have freedom. However, with our freedom comes tolerance. Tolerance means to put up with others. Though we may not like certain things about various Christians, we must still get along with them. We cannot let minor things (non essentials) cause division. This has happened and continues to happen, resulting in the hundreds, if not thousands, and denominations in the Christian church. Oh for the day when unity results in all worship the One together!
Why we must tolerate each other is because of the creativity and soverignty of God. God has made each of us unique, in His image, and the way we are to be. He has distributed gifts upon us as he wills. We must use our gifts to His glory. But none of us have all of the gifts necessary in the Body of Christ. Just as a body cannot survive with just a head or just a foot or just a heart, neither can the Body of Christ function with just certain gifts. It takes all of us combined to form the Body. We must respect each other because God made each of us.
This is something that I need to work on. It is easy for me to say, "that person is so annoying, I cannot stand them." This is certainly not respecting the person. Do I need to become best friends with them? Certainly not, there are some people I get along with some people I do not. However, I can at least respect the person for who God made them. I can still see the value that they bring to the Body.
This unity is the result of Love. John Wesley said that we must have unity in essentials, freedom in non-essentials, charity in all things. Paul mentions, after discussing the gifts that the spririt gives, that he will show us yet a greater way, Love. Paul also writes of fath, hope, and love, love will always remain. Our faith will become sight, our hope will become reality, but love will remain for eternity.
So with this knowledge, how is a Christian to respond? First, be content with how God made you. At the beginning of this blog, I wrote about contentment. Be OK with who God made you. However, do not become complacent. Continue to push farther! God made us how he wanted us, but rarely do we use his gifts and abilities to their fullest. Continue to strive for perfection in Christ and the person God made you to be. And most important, learn to live with one another by love.
Worship One, Love All, Together!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Listening to Ziggy Marley
Earlier today, I wrote about Psalm 90, a psalm written by Moses. This evening, we will look at a Ziggy Marley song.
I am quite a fan of reggae. I love music particularly by Bob Marley and his son Ziggy. It is great music to listen to. I like the sound of the music, the feeling of the music, and the relaxing of the music. However, the philosophy is certainly not always in agreement with me!
Reggae music is associated with the Rastafari movement. Therefore, a lot of the music is quite religious. The music was born out of Trenchtown in Jamaica, and deals with topics like spirituality, relationships, love, poverty, injustice, and other social issues. The Rastafari movement has some basic familiarities to Christianity, but is quite different, which explains the difference in philosophy. I am no expert on the Rastafari movement and would recommend that you look for other sources if you are interested in more information.
The song we will look at is Ziggy Marley's True to Myself.
The lyrics:
The message in the song is that you have to be who you really are before you can be a part of the greater society. If you are not who you really are, you will not be happy, and as he says "I can't make you happy unless I am"
I think this is certainly an interesting, important, and partially true statement. If our life isn't in order, how can we be with others or impact others? The difference though, is who are we true to?
We live in a fallen state. We live with wrong doings. We do not do the things we want to do or are suppose to do. I think Paul says it best when he writes in Romans "For I don't do the good I want to do, but instead do the evil that I don't want to do." It is easy to live true to ourselves in our fallen life, it is what our body and mind want to do.
But that is not who we are called to be! Jesus says in John 10:10 "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." This abundant life comes when we trust God and receive His Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us the strength to live the life He desires for us. To do the good we desire to do, instead of the evil.
God gives us plenty of reason to be happy, to want to be with him. Just one example is found in Psalm 92.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Friends are important in our life. If we do not care about our friends and do what we want without regard for them, who would want to be our friend?
Diversity is certainly important! What a boring world this would be if everyone was like me. I hardly think I do things right and would certainly not want a world full of people like me. The Bible is full of diverse people. God values all people, from the greatest of the kings to the lowest of the sheppards. He loves all of us and wants all of us involved in his kingdom here on earth.
Be true to yourself, but only with the spirits guiding. God has a great plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Now this is a quote from a letter written by Jeremiah to those in exile. He is reminding them why they are in exile (for following false prophets instead of God) and that after their time in exile, they will return to God. But are we not also following false prophets and false leaders when we are true to ourselves instead of God? By living our life following God and living the life God wants us to live, we are being true to ourselves, the self God desires us to be.
I am quite a fan of reggae. I love music particularly by Bob Marley and his son Ziggy. It is great music to listen to. I like the sound of the music, the feeling of the music, and the relaxing of the music. However, the philosophy is certainly not always in agreement with me!
Reggae music is associated with the Rastafari movement. Therefore, a lot of the music is quite religious. The music was born out of Trenchtown in Jamaica, and deals with topics like spirituality, relationships, love, poverty, injustice, and other social issues. The Rastafari movement has some basic familiarities to Christianity, but is quite different, which explains the difference in philosophy. I am no expert on the Rastafari movement and would recommend that you look for other sources if you are interested in more information.
The song we will look at is Ziggy Marley's True to Myself.
The lyrics:
life has come a long way since yesterday I say
and its not the same old thing over again I say
just do what you feel and don't you fool yourself I say
cause I can't make you happy unless I am I say I say I
got to be true to myself got to be true to myself
day in day out I've asked many questions I say
only to find the truth it never changes I say
if you don't deal with it it keeps killing you a little by little I say
call me selfish if you will my life I alone can live I say I say I
got to be true to myself got to be true to myself
I don't care if it hurts I'm tired of lies and all these games
I've reached a point in life no longer can I be this way
don't come crying to me I too have shed my share of tears
I'm moving on yes I'm grooving on well I'm finally free I've
got to be true to myself got to be true to myself
got to be true to myself got to be true to myself
The message in the song is that you have to be who you really are before you can be a part of the greater society. If you are not who you really are, you will not be happy, and as he says "I can't make you happy unless I am"
I think this is certainly an interesting, important, and partially true statement. If our life isn't in order, how can we be with others or impact others? The difference though, is who are we true to?
We live in a fallen state. We live with wrong doings. We do not do the things we want to do or are suppose to do. I think Paul says it best when he writes in Romans "For I don't do the good I want to do, but instead do the evil that I don't want to do." It is easy to live true to ourselves in our fallen life, it is what our body and mind want to do.
But that is not who we are called to be! Jesus says in John 10:10 "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." This abundant life comes when we trust God and receive His Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us the strength to live the life He desires for us. To do the good we desire to do, instead of the evil.
God gives us plenty of reason to be happy, to want to be with him. Just one example is found in Psalm 92.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD;
I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
5 How great are your works, O LORD,
how profound your thoughts!
6 The senseless man does not know,
fools do not understand,
7 that though the wicked spring up like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they will be forever destroyed.
8 But you, O LORD, are exalted forever.
God's works are great! The ones that I see some of my greatest joy is in His creation. I love hiking and enjoying the beauty of his world. I am being myself by enjoying something that he gave me. But I am being true to God.
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Friends are important in our life. If we do not care about our friends and do what we want without regard for them, who would want to be our friend?
Diversity is certainly important! What a boring world this would be if everyone was like me. I hardly think I do things right and would certainly not want a world full of people like me. The Bible is full of diverse people. God values all people, from the greatest of the kings to the lowest of the sheppards. He loves all of us and wants all of us involved in his kingdom here on earth.
Be true to yourself, but only with the spirits guiding. God has a great plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Now this is a quote from a letter written by Jeremiah to those in exile. He is reminding them why they are in exile (for following false prophets instead of God) and that after their time in exile, they will return to God. But are we not also following false prophets and false leaders when we are true to ourselves instead of God? By living our life following God and living the life God wants us to live, we are being true to ourselves, the self God desires us to be.
Listening to the words of Moses
In the book of Psalms, there is one psalm that is attributed to Moses, Psalm 90. God spoke to me through this psalm this morning as I contemplated people who come into your life for just a fleeting moment.
You can read Psalm 90 in its entirety at this website, or by googling Psalm 90. We will take a look at a few passages from the psalm.
First, my contemplation on people who are briefly in your life. There have been many people who I have met once or spent a short amount of time with, only to never see or talk to them again. People who you meet and have a short conversation with or do something with. People who you wouldn't mind spending more time with, but never do. For whatever reason, we often come across people like this. We look back at the short time with them and remember it fondly or at least not being a bad time and wish it could have been longer.
3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
You can read Psalm 90 in its entirety at this website, or by googling Psalm 90. We will take a look at a few passages from the psalm.
First, my contemplation on people who are briefly in your life. There have been many people who I have met once or spent a short amount of time with, only to never see or talk to them again. People who you meet and have a short conversation with or do something with. People who you wouldn't mind spending more time with, but never do. For whatever reason, we often come across people like this. We look back at the short time with them and remember it fondly or at least not being a bad time and wish it could have been longer.
3 You turn men back to dust,
saying, "Return to dust, O sons of men."
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep men away in the sleep of death;
they are like the new grass of the morning-
6 though in the morning it springs up new,
by evening it is dry and withered.
Moses tells us that our lives are fleeting. From dust we came and to dust we shall return.
9 All our days pass away under your wrath;
we finish our years with a moan.
10 The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Moses continues to talk about the shortness of life. 70 years, maybe 80 if we are strong. I find it interesting that this is written thousands of years ago, yet our lives really aren't that much longer. We consider people in their 70s to have lived a long life, if in the 80s or 90s, they have lived a very long life. The few that make it to 100 and considered great people. Thousands of years and all of our knowledge doesn't give us a life too much longer than in Moses' time. Granted he lived 120 years!
How quickly we pass away! One day here on earth, the next dead. Those who know us pass on and all the earth is left with of us is the dirt from our body. Last night at church, the pastor used an illustration of John Lennon. He mentioned that when talking with some of the college students about him, many didn't know who he was or only knew a few songs he wrote. A man as well known as John Lennon, even his memory passes away in only 20-30 years.
12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
13 Relent, O LORD! How long will it be?
Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
your splendor to their children.
17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;
establish the work of our hands for us—
yes, establish the work of our hands.
Moses is constantly reminding us of the wrath of God, rightly being brought on us because of our sins. But at the end of the psalm, he tells us to count our days. Make the best of these days. Be welcoming of the work of the Lord and that he will establish the work of our hands.
We have few years on this earth. Some are given only a few years, some many, but more than 100, very few. Even then , 110 or 115 is the maximum for anyone to live today. We do not have many days. Make the most of them. Make the most of the time you do get to spend with people. That doesn't mean to cram as much into the time as possible, but to make the most of it. When you have to opportunity to spend time with someone who you may never see again, make the most of it. Sprinkle your conversation with grace and mercy. Allow God to work through your time, conversation, and action. Our days may be fleeting, but the work of the Lord echoes through eternity. Don't waste your time!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Make no Mistake About it!
Thomas Edison once said, “I haven't failed, I've found 10000 ways that don't work.” I feel that way about my life. Looking back at my past, I can't say I've done too many things that given a second chance, I would do the same way. But looking toward my future, I know lots of things that I will not do in the future!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Who is Jesus?
Earlier this week, Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee said "I submit to you, Mr. Speaker, that the parties have differences. But if you want change, you want the Democratic Party. Barack Obama was a community organizer like Jesus, who our minister prayed about. Pontius Pilate was a governor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker." We have heard in the news various people said "Jesus was a community organize, Pontius Pilate was a governor." Now I do not exactly know what a community organizer is. I have heard lots of people say the words, but haven't heard anyone define the term. But I do know who Jesus was.
Jesus Christ is God. John 1 tells us that in the beginning was The Word and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus says that he and The Father are one.
Jesus Christ was a man. He was born like all humans are. He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit.He had flesh and bone like all of us. He died like all of us. He hungered, suffered, was temperted, and lived like us.
Jesus Christ died for our sins. When he died, he was crucified on the cross. Hardly a place for a sacrifice to be made. But a sacrifice was made. Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice, freely gave his life for us. By the spilling of His blood, a sacrifice was made to forgive all sins. Sins that have, are, or will occur.
Jesus Christ is a priest for us. In the Old Testament, the priest was someone who was an go-between for the people and God. Jesus does the same thing for us. He is of the priesthood of Melchizedek, meaning that he isn't a priest because he was born of a certain lineage, but because he was anointed by God to be a priest. He sits in Heaven today, acting as a go-between for us and The Father. We cannot approach God because of our sins, but because of the sacrifice made by Christ, we can.
I do not know what a community organizer is, but I do know who Jesus Christ is, he is God.
Jesus Christ is God. John 1 tells us that in the beginning was The Word and The Word was with God, and The Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus says that he and The Father are one.
Jesus Christ was a man. He was born like all humans are. He was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit.He had flesh and bone like all of us. He died like all of us. He hungered, suffered, was temperted, and lived like us.
Jesus Christ died for our sins. When he died, he was crucified on the cross. Hardly a place for a sacrifice to be made. But a sacrifice was made. Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice, freely gave his life for us. By the spilling of His blood, a sacrifice was made to forgive all sins. Sins that have, are, or will occur.
Jesus Christ is a priest for us. In the Old Testament, the priest was someone who was an go-between for the people and God. Jesus does the same thing for us. He is of the priesthood of Melchizedek, meaning that he isn't a priest because he was born of a certain lineage, but because he was anointed by God to be a priest. He sits in Heaven today, acting as a go-between for us and The Father. We cannot approach God because of our sins, but because of the sacrifice made by Christ, we can.
I do not know what a community organizer is, but I do know who Jesus Christ is, he is God.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Are we teaching what they need to learn?
American schools are failing. That is a fact that cannot be debated. We can debate the causes for it, but our schools are failing. We are turning kids out who cannot read, who cannot use arithmetic, use cannot think abstractly or rationally, who cannot seek out information, who cannot communicate information, who are not prepared for the future. One of the biggest questions we must ask ourselves, are we teaching what we should be teaching?
I believe schools should be teaching three main things. First, how to collect information. Second, how to use information. Third, how to express information. Let's look at these in depth.
How to collect information. The normal way a student collects information is either directly from the teacher or from a book. The book is either a textbook or a book in the library. These are useful ways of finding information, however, in the modern world, what is the main source of finding information? Google.
216 million people in the United States used the internet in 2007. That is 71% of the population. In China, over 220 million people used the internet. An estimated 1.5 billion people use the internet worldwide. Of the searches performed on the internet, over 60% were performed using Google. Are we teaching students how to search on Google? Do students know the difference between .com and .net? Are you teaching them how to use the internet?
In July of 2008,over 69 million people found health information online. This information is extremely important to everyone, not only people in the medical field. Are students in our schools learning how to find this information online? Are they learning how to know if the source they found is trustworthy?
In everyday life, a person does not have access to an expert (which is who a student is asking when they ask a teacher) or a library. How often do you carry a textbook to work or keep one handy when walking through a city? However, we do have access to the internet. Access to the internet is no longer restricted to the home or office. We have immediate access to the internet in restaurants, hotels, and our cell phones. We do not even have to be inside to access the internet. It is imperative that all students know how to use the internet, how to find information, and how to judge the reliability of the information.
Second, how to use information. When students find this information, they need to know how to process it. One of the most important tools we have to process information is math. According to a recent AIR Study, the average US 8th grade student performs at a basic level for math and science. This is unacceptable. Students need to be proficient in algebra. They need to be able to look abstractly at objects. They need to be able to work with numbers and understand what they mean.
It is hard to pick up a newspaper, watch the news, or read the news online without seeing some sort of poll. Most Americans take this at face value without knowing where the numbers come from or how statistics can be manipulated. Students should be taught how to create statistics, how to analyze statistical data, and how statistics can be manipulated.
One of the biggest tools used in the workplace is Microsoft Excel. Most students come in contact with Microsoft Excel in their technology class. However, this is also when they learn about the entire Microsoft Office package. A mere cursory glance is offered at Excel. Students need to be proficient at Excel or other spreadsheet programs. They need to be able to make graphs from it. They need to be able to identify trends and relationships.
In schools, we rarely teach at the higher thinking levels. The reason is "teaching to the test." High stakes testing is heavily tied to how much money a school will get. The better the students do, the better the school looks, and in some cases, the better the paycheck of the teacher. In this scenario, it is better for a teacher to teach what will be on the test. Make sure the student knows certain facts. There is no room for teaching how to analyze or critical thinking skills because money is involved! This is wrong.
Finally, students need to know how to effectively communicate information.
In April of 2008, 11 billion videos were watched online by Americans. Youtube.com alone counts for over 100 million videos per day. There is a lot of information being presented by videos!
As of July 2008, there are over 175 million websites on the internet. There is a lot of information on the web!
In 2005, there was an estimated 4.5 million podcast users. By 2010, it is estimated to be 60 million. There is a lot of information being shared on podcasts!
There is an uncountable number of blogs on the internet. They lost count after 100 million. There is a lot of information being shared on blogs!
Yet what do we continue to teach in schools? How to write a paper. Not just any paper though, the perfect five paragraph hamburger paper. Intro, three body paragraphs (weakest argument in the middle), conclusion. Perfect! Except, how many times do you write five paragraph papers in your job? How often do you read five paragraph papers to find information? How often, outside of school, do you write a five page paragraph to convey an idea?
We must move beyond just writing. Students need to know how to present ideas using multimedia. Not only is the majority of Americans using multimedia to gather information, it also stimulates critical thinking skills. The world is changing. Information must be presented to a changing world. It is not presented by five paragraph papers, but by videos, websites, blogs, Power Point presentations, podcasts, etc...
We must teach students how to find information on their own using the internet, how to analyze information, and how to present it using a variety of medias. If we don't teach them, who will?
I will leave you with this video from youtube. It has already been watched over 2 million times. How many times has your five paragraph paper been read?
I believe schools should be teaching three main things. First, how to collect information. Second, how to use information. Third, how to express information. Let's look at these in depth.
How to collect information. The normal way a student collects information is either directly from the teacher or from a book. The book is either a textbook or a book in the library. These are useful ways of finding information, however, in the modern world, what is the main source of finding information? Google.
216 million people in the United States used the internet in 2007. That is 71% of the population. In China, over 220 million people used the internet. An estimated 1.5 billion people use the internet worldwide. Of the searches performed on the internet, over 60% were performed using Google. Are we teaching students how to search on Google? Do students know the difference between .com and .net? Are you teaching them how to use the internet?
In July of 2008,over 69 million people found health information online. This information is extremely important to everyone, not only people in the medical field. Are students in our schools learning how to find this information online? Are they learning how to know if the source they found is trustworthy?
In everyday life, a person does not have access to an expert (which is who a student is asking when they ask a teacher) or a library. How often do you carry a textbook to work or keep one handy when walking through a city? However, we do have access to the internet. Access to the internet is no longer restricted to the home or office. We have immediate access to the internet in restaurants, hotels, and our cell phones. We do not even have to be inside to access the internet. It is imperative that all students know how to use the internet, how to find information, and how to judge the reliability of the information.
Second, how to use information. When students find this information, they need to know how to process it. One of the most important tools we have to process information is math. According to a recent AIR Study, the average US 8th grade student performs at a basic level for math and science. This is unacceptable. Students need to be proficient in algebra. They need to be able to look abstractly at objects. They need to be able to work with numbers and understand what they mean.
It is hard to pick up a newspaper, watch the news, or read the news online without seeing some sort of poll. Most Americans take this at face value without knowing where the numbers come from or how statistics can be manipulated. Students should be taught how to create statistics, how to analyze statistical data, and how statistics can be manipulated.
One of the biggest tools used in the workplace is Microsoft Excel. Most students come in contact with Microsoft Excel in their technology class. However, this is also when they learn about the entire Microsoft Office package. A mere cursory glance is offered at Excel. Students need to be proficient at Excel or other spreadsheet programs. They need to be able to make graphs from it. They need to be able to identify trends and relationships.
In schools, we rarely teach at the higher thinking levels. The reason is "teaching to the test." High stakes testing is heavily tied to how much money a school will get. The better the students do, the better the school looks, and in some cases, the better the paycheck of the teacher. In this scenario, it is better for a teacher to teach what will be on the test. Make sure the student knows certain facts. There is no room for teaching how to analyze or critical thinking skills because money is involved! This is wrong.
Finally, students need to know how to effectively communicate information.
In April of 2008, 11 billion videos were watched online by Americans. Youtube.com alone counts for over 100 million videos per day. There is a lot of information being presented by videos!
As of July 2008, there are over 175 million websites on the internet. There is a lot of information on the web!
In 2005, there was an estimated 4.5 million podcast users. By 2010, it is estimated to be 60 million. There is a lot of information being shared on podcasts!
There is an uncountable number of blogs on the internet. They lost count after 100 million. There is a lot of information being shared on blogs!
Yet what do we continue to teach in schools? How to write a paper. Not just any paper though, the perfect five paragraph hamburger paper. Intro, three body paragraphs (weakest argument in the middle), conclusion. Perfect! Except, how many times do you write five paragraph papers in your job? How often do you read five paragraph papers to find information? How often, outside of school, do you write a five page paragraph to convey an idea?
We must move beyond just writing. Students need to know how to present ideas using multimedia. Not only is the majority of Americans using multimedia to gather information, it also stimulates critical thinking skills. The world is changing. Information must be presented to a changing world. It is not presented by five paragraph papers, but by videos, websites, blogs, Power Point presentations, podcasts, etc...
We must teach students how to find information on their own using the internet, how to analyze information, and how to present it using a variety of medias. If we don't teach them, who will?
I will leave you with this video from youtube. It has already been watched over 2 million times. How many times has your five paragraph paper been read?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
