Comments on: Is this a democracy? http://burdenofgreatness.com/2009/05/22/is-this-a-democracy/ Understanding the restless spirit of driven women Wed, 16 May 2012 23:50:49 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Daniela http://burdenofgreatness.com/2009/05/22/is-this-a-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-779 Daniela Sun, 31 May 2009 18:53:56 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/?p=91#comment-779 Marcia, I couldn't agree more with what you are saying. I have spent half of my life in Germany and half of my life in the US. And yet, I have spent my entire life bridging between the two cultures. I am always amazed how people think they know about the other, but how much they really don't understand each other all that well. The same applies to all countries and cultures. I am a firm believer that we need to learn how to learn from each other across borders and any other cultural divides there might be. I support your plea for more education funding. I'd like to go a step further though. I believe all of us can do our part in bridging the understanding. For example there is a webportal, called epals http://www.epals.com/, where 16 million teachers and students from around the world are connected and learning together. I am not connected to this organization at all, I just think it is really cool and a step in a very positive direction. Why is this not even happening among US classrooms? It's not always about more money. It's also about one of us talking to a teacher we know and saying:"How would you like to be connected to 16 million kids?" or "How about connecting to a classroom in China to see what issues they are dealing with? " To me education is not about acquiring knowledge, but about learning from each other. Marcia,
I couldn’t agree more with what you are saying. I have spent half of my life in Germany and half of my life in the US. And yet, I have spent my entire life bridging between the two cultures. I am always amazed how people think they know about the other, but how much they really don’t understand each other all that well. The same applies to all countries and cultures. I am a firm believer that we need to learn how to learn from each other across borders and any other cultural divides there might be. I support your plea for more education funding. I’d like to go a step further though. I believe all of us can do our part in bridging the understanding. For example there is a webportal, called epals http://www.epals.com/, where 16 million teachers and students from around the world are connected and learning together. I am not connected to this organization at all, I just think it is really cool and a step in a very positive direction. Why is this not even happening among US classrooms? It’s not always about more money. It’s also about one of us talking to a teacher we know and saying:”How would you like to be connected to 16 million kids?” or “How about connecting to a classroom in China to see what issues they are dealing with? ”
To me education is not about acquiring knowledge, but about learning from each other.

]]> By: admin http://burdenofgreatness.com/2009/05/22/is-this-a-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-771 admin Sun, 24 May 2009 13:24:48 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/?p=91#comment-771 This is a place for soapboxes. Since I travel around the world, I too have realized how little I know and how much I have to and want to learn. Everyone should have that experience. And I totally agree with you that we have to fix the health care situation. Keep sharing! That is totally how democracy works. This is a place for soapboxes. Since I travel around the world, I too have realized how little I know and how much I have to and want to learn. Everyone should have that experience. And I totally agree with you that we have to fix the health care situation. Keep sharing! That is totally how democracy works.

]]> By: Lee http://burdenofgreatness.com/2009/05/22/is-this-a-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-770 Lee Sun, 24 May 2009 10:08:58 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/?p=91#comment-770 In a way it's hard to blame a world power for being culturally and politically imperialistic. When the world revolves around most every move you make, you start believing it's the only one that counts. I don't think the taxi driver necessarily represents a current hole in education - I can imagine if that same conversation had taken place 20, or even 40 years ago, his comment might have been the same. When I moved from the US to Switzerland 25 years ago, people asked me if I already knew Swedish. Heck, a few years before that I wasn't even sure where the country was located in Europe! Personally I deeply regret the cuts made in physical education (both in American and European schools). If children don't learn at an early age to tend to their personal health, all the knowledge of the world won't help in a society crippled by exhorbitant health care costs. And now I'll get off my soapbox. :) In a way it’s hard to blame a world power for being culturally and politically imperialistic. When the world revolves around most every move you make, you start believing it’s the only one that counts.
I don’t think the taxi driver necessarily represents a current hole in education – I can imagine if that same conversation had taken place 20, or even 40 years ago, his comment might have been the same.
When I moved from the US to Switzerland 25 years ago, people asked me if I already knew Swedish. Heck, a few years before that I wasn’t even sure where the country was located in Europe!
Personally I deeply regret the cuts made in physical education (both in American and European schools). If children don’t learn at an early age to tend to their personal health, all the knowledge of the world won’t help in a society crippled by exhorbitant health care costs.
And now I’ll get off my soapbox. :)

]]> By: Mimi Meredith http://burdenofgreatness.com/2009/05/22/is-this-a-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-766 Mimi Meredith Sat, 23 May 2009 04:34:38 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/?p=91#comment-766 Here, here, Marcia! If we don't teach Amercians how to learn, how to listen...how to know the world...how can we expect to be a contributing part of it? This is especially difficult in Arizona, where education is already funded at pathetic levels and still is always among the first items to be cut. Of course, I have to hold myself to a higher standard as well and think, "what do I really know or understand of the world?" Thank you for helping us think beyond ourselves and set us back to walking up that steep slope of better processes to understand and educate all. Here, here, Marcia! If we don’t teach Amercians how to learn, how to listen…how to know the world…how can we expect to be a contributing part of it? This is especially difficult in Arizona, where education is already funded at pathetic levels and still is always among the first items to be cut.

Of course, I have to hold myself to a higher standard as well and think, “what do I really know or understand of the world?”

Thank you for helping us think beyond ourselves and set us back to walking up that steep slope of better processes to understand and educate all.

]]> By: Barbara Nagpal http://burdenofgreatness.com/2009/05/22/is-this-a-democracy/comment-page-1/#comment-765 Barbara Nagpal Sat, 23 May 2009 04:32:30 +0000 http://burdenofgreatness.com/?p=91#comment-765 Dear Marcia, As a retired educator (Queens, New York City) in an elementary school for 35 years, I am not surprised. My former school is located at the foot of the Triborough (now called Robert F. Kennedy) Bridge. It is near La Guardia Airport and 30 minutes from JFK Airport. Some of the parents of my students had never left Queens even though the train and bridge to Manhattan and The Bronx was right at their doorstep. Our district is still the most culturally diverse one in all of NYC and it was my pleasure to introduce all of my classes to the world outside their neighborhood through class trips. Yes, Marcia, I applaud you for speaking about supporting educational funding and reform. So many programs are going by the wayside and it is entirely possible to utilize the technology that we have today to introduce experiences to broaden the horizons of our students in a very positive way. One type of schooling that is hard to find is vocational education. There was an article in the NY Times today about how vocational education bit the dust almost entirely in our schools in the 90's. Where are the future plumbers, carpenters and mechanics going to come from if we are not providing the education to train them? Dear Marcia,
As a retired educator (Queens, New York City) in an elementary school for 35 years, I am not surprised. My former school is located at the foot of the Triborough (now called Robert F. Kennedy) Bridge. It is near La Guardia Airport and 30 minutes from JFK Airport. Some of the parents of my students had never left Queens even though the train and bridge to Manhattan and The Bronx was right at their doorstep. Our district is still the most culturally diverse one in all of NYC and it was my pleasure to introduce all of my classes to the world outside their neighborhood through class trips. Yes, Marcia, I applaud you for speaking about supporting educational funding and reform. So many programs are going by the wayside and it is entirely possible to utilize the technology that we have today to introduce experiences to broaden the horizons of our students in a very positive way.

One type of schooling that is hard to find is vocational education. There was an article in the NY Times today about how vocational education bit the dust almost entirely in our schools in the 90’s. Where are the future plumbers, carpenters and mechanics going to come from if we are not providing the education to train them?

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