I’m a PC. At least, that’s what I’ve been all my life. I learned how to use a computer on a PC running Windows 3.1 and another running DOS. Oh what fun those days were! I’ve been through Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, and (ugh) Vista. And now, just when Microsoft might have it closest to right with Windows 7 (doesn’t that number seem like a giant step backwards from all the others?), I am about to embark on a new life path. I’m about to be a Mac.
i’ve been spending some time looking at laptops and considering options. I’ve checked in with my PLN to get some ideas about what I should buy (probably the 15″ Macbook Pro if I can afford it). I’ve tried to see where I can get the best deal (not an easy task with Apple). I think I’ve done my homework pretty well. I feel prepared to go out and make this purchase. I know that whatever I do in the next few days will impact me for the next several years. It has to be “right.”
Education operates a lot like that. Kids in are given opportunities to explore who they are. I’m not talking about whether they are smart or dumb, cute or ugly, fat or skinny (take the worst of all those and you have how I felt in junior high and high school). I’m talking about whether they are an artist, an engineer, an accountant, a doctor, a lawyer, and more. The curricula should not only instruct them on reading, writing, math, science, and social studies. It should be experimental.
My youngest went through high school determined to be a lawyer. After taking classes, talking to teachers, exploring options, and discovering herself, she changed her mind and wants to be a nurse. I thought she would be successful at either endeavor. But she took the time to discover who she is, and that led to what she wants.
Benchmark tests didn’t tell her that. The TCAP Writing Assessment didn’t tell her. Essays didn’t. Algebra, geometry, and trig didn’t. Biology helped, but it didn’t do it either. So what made her decide to change the course of her life in mid-stream?
Relationships.
She had a fantastic guidance counselor. A wonderful band director and his wife. A caring principal. Awesome teachers who watched out for her. (Yes, that’s a shout out to all the faculty and staff at Walker Valley High School). They didn’t “tell” her what she should do. Rather, they listened. They chatted. They discussed. They let her explore. Eventually she knew.
I have a great Personal Learning Network. All this time I thought I was a PC. I hate PCs. I hate the blue screen of death. I hate viruses and trojans. I hate browser crashes. I think my PLN knew all along I was never meant to be a PC. I think they knew there was a Mac inside just waiting for the right time to surface. I love Macs. I love how easy they are to use. I love the creativity that went into designing them.
I have a great PLN that helped me come to a conclusion about who I am and what I need to do.
My daughter had great teachers and administrators to help her do the same.
Who do the students at your school have?