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Title of Post: We are all Learners...

URL: http://durffsblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/we-are-all-learners.html.

Lisa Durff, author of Durff's Blog, says "In my classrooms I have been referring to myself as a learner, on equal footing with all learners in my classrooms."

My Response:

No matter how long a person has been teaching, there are still things for them to learn.  I know when I was in grade school I thought my teacher knew everything and was right about everything.  My teachers were never wrong and always had the answers.  Well, now I realize that that simply is not true.  Even though teachers are authority figures and do know a lot, there are still things that they do not know and do not understand.  Teachers learn every day of their lives by watching their students and interacting with students.  Also, young students do not realize that many teachers are attending school at night after they are done teaching.  Could you imagine what they would think if they knew their teachers still went to school as well?

Title of Post: Don't give up! Keep trying! The encouragement video for you!

URL: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/10/dont-give-up-keep-trying-encouragement.html#links

Vicki Davis, author of Cool Cat Teacher Blog, says "Don't give up. Don't quit. It may seem insurmountable but you must continue to press forward to innovate and improve things. I needed this video today!"

My Response:

Wow!  What a powerful video.   The coach says, "Don't quit till you've got nothing left.  Give me your very best."  These quotes are very powerful and can make one strive to achieve what they are looking to achieve.  Not only would these be good to show students in a classroom, but also athletes on a team.  Once I become a teacher I also want to coach cheerleading.  If my team was having a rough season I would definitely show them this video to raise spirits and to make them keep pushing themselves to be the best.  This video is applicable even if a student is not an athlete.  Everyone can appreciate the message this video gives, a message of not giving up.

Title of Post: Incredible Experiences....

URL: http://durffsblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/incredible-experiences.html

Lisa Durff, author of Durff's Blog, says "Now I find myself down under listening to a presentation at a conference there. How many miles have I traveled? Well, really, zero. I am sitting the whole time in my desk chair at my desk in my apartment in Northeast USA. We live in incredible times. Earlier today, learners in my classes exchanged comments with others in Wales, Australia, & another state."

My Response:

I will be a business education teacher and the prevalence of intercontinental and interstate communication in business is huge.  It is becoming more and more mainstream and most companies work with other countries.  It is important for students to be up to date on different forms of communication and how to utilize them to best communicate with other countries.  Students need to become efficient with internet communications and how to best come off on those.  If students are not good communicators people from other countries might not necessarily understand what they are trying to say.  As a business teacher, it will be my job not only to teach them the ways of communication but to get across just how important intercontinental communication is, especially if they are looking to go into the business world themselves in the future.

Title of Post: Trip To CNN: Cool Cat Teacher Style

Subtitle: Lies, Mistakes, and Bad Days can ruin our life now

URL: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2007/09/field-trip-to-cnn-cool-cat-teacher.html

Vicki Davis, author of Cool Cat Teacher Blog, says "I will be fascinated to see how a professional, ethical news organization grapples with such issues as they bring citizen journalism into main stream media."

My Response:

I will be a high school business teacher and ethics is such an important aspect to emphasize in the world of business.  Since things such as Enron happened, it is important to go painfully into detail to students about what is good ethics and what is simply unethical.  I am taking a business writing class right now and the book we are required to read for class goes into such deep detail about the rules and regulations for writing.  If students were required to take such a class they would learn proper ways to write and how to know if what they are saying is ethical and alright to publish/turn in/present.  With a class such as this required for high school students everywhere, I believe we would have citizens and professional journalists writing a lot more ethically.

Title of Post: Walls

URL: http://durffsblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/walls.html

Lisa Durff, author of Durff's Blog, says "I'm starting by assigning projects that have no one right answer and take time to complete. I remind learners that there is no one right answer for much of what we do."

My Response:

When I was going through grade and middle school my teachers taught where there was a right answer for everything.  I can recall being punished for not getting the exact right answer and feeling embarrassed of being put down in front of my peers.  It is nice to know that I will not be teaching in a world like that.  I want my future students to feel as though they can come up with their own unique answers and solutions to things and not feel embarrassed with the answer that they came up with.  I am excited to know that in the near future I will be able to see all the wonderful, creative things my students will come up with on their own.