Business as Usual?

I've not been able to get this out of my mind. Recently I had the opportunity to talk with a Business Education student teacher. I was told that in the classroom to which he's been assigned, the current teacher teaches Office all day - from a textbook. And, under the pretense of "Differentiated Instruction" allows the students to work their way through the book at their own pace. Meanwhile, the teacher sits at her desk and .. who knows what she does.

The student teacher asked her if he could use the Office Live site and was told no, because she can't make the students create a site that requires an email address. Fine. The student teacher asked for two other options and was told no. So, this poor person must continue to preserve the outrageous "instruction" that is currently going on there.

When I think of the amount of money that teacher makes, and how little teaching is actually being done, I get sick to my stomach. When I think of all that COULD be done and ISN'T, I get sick to my stomach.

THROW AWAY THOSE !@#$%^& TEXTBOOKS!!! Get your curiosity back and start investigating the many changes that have taken place online, and start teaching the students with and about those tools. SOMETHING other than teaching Powerpoint from a textbook, for crying out loud.

Can you hear me screaming?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/james_lumb/ / CC BY 2.0