Blog Post #10

Do You Teach or Do You Educate?

This video tries to help viewers understand the difference between educating and teaching. Teach is defined as showing or explaining how to do something, encouraging someone to accept as a fact or principle, giving information about or instruction in, causing someone to learn or understand something, or inducing by example or punishment to do or not to do something. Educate is defined as illuminate, enlighten, inspire, empower. The video then goes on to define educator as one who gives intellectual moral and social instruction and mentor as an experienced and trusted adviser.

It is hard to not sit through this video and know that you want to be an educator not a teacher. However, most people in today's society are teachers. I chose education as my major because I wanted to make a difference in childrens' lives. I also wanted to share my knowledge and experiences. I was a good student but there are a few things that I could have done different. Therefore I hope to be an educator to my students and inspire, enlighten, and empower them. I will make sure my lessons engage the students and require them to show me they understand the material rather than just memorizing it.

Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home

Mr. Johnson presents his argument in a calm manner. He politely tells Gertrude that he does not see how a standardized test is a authentic measurement of learning. He then goes on to explain why he believes the article thinks children who bring home pencils have low test scores. Mr. Johnson teaches in a low-income school. Sadly many of the students see a pencil as a form of entertainment because they do not see their parents using them and only have them at school. His solution to children seeing pencils as entertainment is to involve the parents. This is probably one of the hardest things to do as a teacher. In my experience a lot of low income families tend to push education to the side. They seem to believe that their children will end up in the same jobs as they are in now. I think that his idea is great. We, as educators, have some influence on students, but the parents and home life is where it starts. He proposes to teach the parents some of the skills that their children are learning so the children will see their parents using pencils at home. Gertrude then states they will use the supplies to play hangman. I think my favorite part of this post is when Mr. Johnson responds to Gertrude "... if they choose to play Hang Man or go on the pen pal networks, I'm okay with it. There's probably some learning that's taking place that we don't realize." Some people still do not realize that when a child is using a writing tool they are learning. I mean Hangman teaches several different things such as spelling and how to write letters. I hope that I will be as creative as Mr. Johnson when I become an educator.