Last One

Teaching Strategies
Book Review

What did you guys think of this book?
It may be the first textbook that I have read through. Still need to finish up the last chapter in this one and the last 2 in my book review, but hey that's close. I had high hopes with reading this Teaching Strategies book. I thought it was going to teach me everything that I needed to know about teaching!! However, after reading it I found that there is a lot to cover!

I think it tried to cover a lot of ground. Since this is one of my first official teaching classes, it did not include enough information in a lot of areas. I was left with not knowing exactly what they are talking about. I did highlight in this book as I read as well as the UbD book so I will be able to go back and skim the important parts.

The book offered a good framework for introducing the field of teaching. I would say if offered a good base of knowledge. I left with a lot more questions and feeling like, "man, I have a lot to learn!" But that is what they say happens the more you know.

I was a little frustrated with the way that the book taught through a lens. It definitely had it's perspective on the methods that the author thought was best and the modern methods of today. It was biased in a lot of areas rather than plead the case of all methods. I would have rather had the facts and the methods just stated without any biased.

What do you think?

Philip Russell

Don't Put This on Your Resume

While searching for a topic this week, I ran into an article about African Americans having a hard time getting jobs. They were going to delete the African-American associations they were involved with and eliminate the middle name of Jabbar to J. in order to prevent stereotypes. I was going to use that as my topic of debate until I ran into this one!

The school is called Med Grow Cannabis College. For those of you that do not know, much like I did until 15 minutes ago, Cannabis is part of the scientific name for marijuana. Cannabis sativa. The school is a 6 week course for $485 is like an "agricultural extension class covering the growing cycle, nutrients and light requirements." The article states that the school teaches the students how to grow and cure marijuana. Ensuring quality and potency is also a priority.

Medical Marijuana is supposed to be used for medical purposes only. The person with the perscription and their caregiver are allowed to have up to 12 plants. Each patient can have up to 5 caregivers. The idea behind the school is to prepare for the market demand of marijuana for people that get prescribed and do not want to wait the months for marijuana to grow.

This sounds like a scary situation! Marijuana is usually classified as a "gateway" drug that people usually blame for introducing them into the harder drugs. The law seems to be easy to get around and sounds like a good excuse for someone who is caught with the stuff.

Marijuana is going to prove dangerous than some would like to believe. Look at the impact that cigarettes have had on people. Story has it that people would smoke before athletic events in order to open up the the lungs. By leaving the door open a crack, no pun intended, we are opening up ourselves for trouble.

In summary, don't put this college on your resume and don't mess with a "gateway" drug.

What do you think?

Philip