AEDU 431, Assignment 3.1

Assignment 2.2

AEDU 401
Assignment 2.2

Educational Blogging

Blogging is a great way to see how your students are grasping the content of the course in their own words.  As always there are positives and negatives to blogging. 

Positives-

1.       Gives instructors and teachers an insight to what a student’s personnel feeling are about the course or assignment. 

2.       Lets the student be creative in their own way that gives them a safe and secure place to work.  Students have the option to use videos, ppt., reference videos, or just express themselves with art.

Negatives-

1.       Instructor has to chase blogs all over the World Wide Web.

2.       Easy for students to go off subject and the instructor then has to reel them back in.  Then again is this a bad thing?

I personally had trouble finding a second negative against blogging.  Most of the other techniques we can use take a little bit of technology and time.  For example, I am currently on a temporary duty assignment that has limited access to the internet.  Blogging can be done in a half hour or so, which is sometimes what we are allowed in certain parts of the world.  So this is another reason why I think blogging is a great tool for the online learning environment.

White Water Rafting...

As I walked down the narrow trail I could hear the dry pine needles crackling under my feet and in the background a light bubbling sound coming from the soft flow of the river.  The reflection of the mountain landscape shined off the calm river giving the illusion of a parallel dimension.  Off in the distance I could see a grey in color figure approaching from up stream.  As the figure got closer, I realized that it was my time to enter one of the dimensions that I had observed.  My raft had arrived and I was well on my way to adventure the waters no matter how rough or calm they may be.  Like the “choose your own adventure book” I read as a child, my path had been decided and I was well on my way down the calm flowing river.  There were four of us young souls straddling the sides of the raft along with an ice chest, four nylon black bags and gallons of water that had already been strapped in place in the center of the raft.  As we swiftly made our way down the river, we could hear our roaring destiny in the distance.  At first there was a low vibration below the raft that resonated through our feet causing a slight feeling of dizziness or confusion.  Next came the deafening sound of roaring water gushing and crashing around our little vinyl security blanket that originally was in the form of a raft.  There is no time to think, only time for our natural reflexes to take us in the direction that we naturally choose.  One mistake and our security blanket can turn into an imploded underwater casket.  In front of us is a boulder protruding from the once calm mirror but now white capped form of chaos.  To our left an easy turn that would take us to safety and to our right a rigid cliff with low lying branches waiting to swat us into the depth of the river.  As the most inexperienced person in the raft I started frantically turning the boat to the left so I could have some type of security in my chaotic presence.  Quickly the captain of the small raft gave short swift orders to stop rowing and let the flow of the river take us straight into the protruding boulder.  What was he thinking!  My heart started to beat harder and harder, I could feel butterflies in my stomach and the vein in my neck throbbing.  I tightened my legs around the side of the cold vinyl raft and braced for the impact of the boulder.  Like watching a rocket take off I counted in my head the seconds it was going to be before we hit the boulder.  Three, two, one the boulder was going to impact, then in a split second, swoosh, there was  swirling of water and the raft rapidly turned left, violently throwing one of the black nylon bags onto my leg.  As I looked behind us trying to gain my bearings I noticed a whirlpool swallowing small branches as it was some kind of river monster hiding behind the deviously safe left turn.  If I had not listened to the experience of the raft captain I might have entered that alternate under water dimension.

This might be a story of my first rafting trip but it is just like a classroom environment.  When we walk into a classroom it is up to us to decide which dimension we are going to take.  Do we take the easy calm reality or the heavy rushing waters that create a challenge?  I was blinded by the choices I had in front of me; safety, a boulder, and a cliff.  Thinking the safe route was the best route would have possibly got us killed, but listening to experience put me on the right track.  The students or a mentor could be the ones that put us on the right track.  In the classroom I have learned that experience is what keeps us afloat.  Observe what is going on in our classrooms and learn from the ones that have been there. 

 I also believe that when you lose that feeling of butterflies inside, you become complacent.  Like any adventure, in the beginning I get butterflies and sweaty palms.  Whether it be teaching or facing a terrorist face to face.  This is our mind telling us to be aware of what we are doing and to be the best at it.  So be best at what you do and don’t just take the easy route in your class, because that starts to get boring.  I have figured out that when I start to lose that nervous feeling to start looking at what I am doing.  Have a fellow instructor perform an evaluation on you.  Do you still have that edge that keeps you sharp? 

Looking back on your adventures is a way to learn.  The images that we see could be deceiving if we are not looking close enough.  The soft bubbling river turned into a white capped turbulent hell.  How do we look at ourselves?  Is it the calm reflection in the water or is it reality?  These are some of the challenges that all of face in the teaching environment.  Before we first walk into a classroom be sure to reflect back on the images and see if you need to make change.   This is probably the most difficult thing that we have to do in our professional and personal lives.  Develop the minds of our students but don’t forget that there is learning that takes place on both sides of the podium. 

Bottom line- Don't let you or your students Drown!   

Danny Brightman

Assignment 3.1 Video Response

"Tough Decision"

“Tough Decision”                                                                                      Assignment 1.1

Define the decision clearly

-          A decision that I am trying to make is “should I buy an investment property”?  There is a well kept home coming available and I know that I can get it at a really cheap affordable price.  It would be through a short sale, so the process would be long and drawn out but good things come to those who wait.  My wife and I have talked about it and keep coming up with the same conclusion…”WE ARE SCARED”!      

Consider all the possible choices

-          This assignment couldn’t have come a better time.  I’m going to use it as a perfect opportunity to help us make the decision.  The two choices I have:

o    Not buy the investment property

o    Buy the investment property   

-          Are there any other choices I have?  I could buy the property with a silent partner, but we don’t want to go into business with anyone else.  We could sale the house we live in and move into the property, but having an investment property is the objective, not a primary residence.  Besides, selling our current house is not an option.  I’ll save that for a different “tough decision” scenario.  So I believe I have come to the conclusion that to buy or not to buy are the only two choices.       

Gather all relevant information and evaluate the pros and cons of each possible choice

-          Some of the information we need to gather is loan information on investment property, tax information, ammonization charts on loan amount, insurance costs and the final deal with the devil…do we need a realtor? 

-          I will use a table for our pros and cons since it puts everything into an easy to view format.  The two choices that I have are actually the bizarro world from each other, so I will use them as a pro and con.  After I get my thoughts into a table, I will print it up and draw a line through each one until I come up with my decision. 

Buy the Investment Property	Not Buy the Investment Property
Long term investment	Housing market not stable
Yearly profits could contribute to primary residence mortgage	Only one mortgage if relocated
Can rent for 30% over mortgage payment and still be below rental market	Savings not depleted
90% Guarantee occupancy based off market research	No worry of having to find tenant
Purchase price below market value	Safe if economy gets worse
Could make mortgage payment if not occupied by tenant	Quality of life stays the same, no additional stressors
Could self manage the property
Serve as a backup to primary residence should economy get worse
15 year payoff oppose to 30 year payoff
Home in excellent condition, no repairs needed
Move in ready

Select the choice that seems to best meet the needs of the situation

-          The choice that was made is not to buy the investment property.  Being in the military I don’t know if I’m going to be relocated.  There is no guarantee that I will be in Las Vegas for the next four years.  If we were to buy the property and end up relocating, that would stick us with three house payments.  Two in Las Vegas and one in whatever city we ended up relocating too.  This would be too great of a stress on the whole family because our quality of life would end up suffering.

Implement a plan of action and then monitor the results, making necessary adjustments

-          Even though we are not going to buy the investment property, we are going to implement a plan of action and make necessary adjustments to our current situation.  Based off of the market research on rental properties, there are opportunities to rent our primary residence at our current mortgage payment and move into a smaller residence.  The smaller residence would be 40% less than what we pay for our current mortgage.  This allows us to put the extra money towards the principle of our mortgage, enabling us to pay off the loan approximately 12 years sooner.  Making this decision also gives us the flexibility to relocate without the worry of rushing to find a tenant within the time constraints before our relocation.  Being able to choose our new tenant over being forced to get a tenant is a huge difference. 

The direction that this critical exercise started actually went in a total different direction.  What I thought was going to be a “buy or not buy” decision has turned into a possible life changing decision.  The fact that I’m in the zone to be relocated was not on my radar.  Critical thinking has brought up a viable options for my wife and I. 

A Touching Teacher Story

Some thing that I thought I should pass on.

Author Unknown

Her name was Mrs. Thompson. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."

His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.

Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to". After the children left she cried for at least an hour.

On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to tea ch children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.

By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was little longer - the letter was signed, Theodore F.Stoddard, MD.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

Please remember that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have the opportunity to touch and / or change a person's outlook. Please try to do it in a positive way.

Movie to watch

For one of our assignments we had to watch a movie and write what learning styles/teaching styles were used.  A movie I found was "School of Life" with Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder).  It was available in the netflix instant play menu. 

Enjoy!
Danny