Kaleen C. Polakoff
24 July 2009
ESSAY ON TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
A friend of mine told me that they had enrolled their child into a new district ran charter school and mainly because the school offered every child a laptop. I was surprised, not by the fact that they would get laptops, but by the fact that it was the determining factor in enrolling children in a new school. It was not about the teachers or the curriculum; it was because their children would receive a laptop.
I have a few cautions for those parents that gleefully put their children into that school. Computers have expanded our capabilities in the classroom as a wonderful tool. It is not the computer that causes the problem, but the way the computer is used. Computer games are a fun way to learn multiplication facts, learn to read, and play everyone’s favorite, Oregon Trail. However, what our school discovered is while these games are fun, they did not aid in the retention of knowledge. Computer games are great as a supplement to teaching, but not as the only source for education. My daughter did Pre-algebra in the fifth grade, not because she knew the concepts, but learned how to answer multiple-choice questions.
Computers are a great aid to research. However, having Internet access at school creates a great liability. While the majority of students do not abuse the privilege by visiting inappropriate websites, the few that do make it very difficult to keep up with software to protect the innocent. Students will install programs on computers to erase the history of where they go making it difficult to track the inappropriate use.
The other problem with computer research is the use of search engines. Most students do not know how to use the search engines to find important information. Students have a tendency to just cut and paste articles into their papers without citing their sources and then present it as their own material. I am not just talking about high school students; I am talking the younger grades as well. English teachers not only have to check papers for grammar, but for sources. Students do not know how to analyze materials found on the Internet and often use unreliable sources such as Wikipedia. Students are losing the ability to analyze printed material as well.
Teachers and students use computer software to put together power point presentations using a variety of media sources. While this can be very exciting, students need guidance in what they produce. With the variety of music and video that can be added to a power point presentation, students need help judiciously choosing material to be included in their presentations.
I have found cell phones used in a variety of inappropriate ways at school, from taking pictures of friends in inappropriate ways to text messaging to phones ringing in the middle of class. The problem once found only in high school appears in the younger grades. With cell phones, students allow instant messaging lingo to appear in their papers. I-pods present another problem in class. They can be a big distraction if students are listening to music.
Lest you believe that I am anti-technology in the classroom, I am not. I think technology can play a powerful role. Computers can increase the speed and quantity of papers produced. They can also help with style and, definitely, printed pages are easier to read than handwritten pages.
Internet research can enhance research from printed material. When used correctly, it can point out other sources of information. It can be quick and easy and supplement material used in class.
When used to enhance learning, computer software becomes a powerful tool. There are wide varieties of software programs for any subject, including music composition. Power point presentations can spark imaginations and create excitement in the classroom.
I have yet to find an appropriate use for cell phones in the classroom. Nevertheless, with the advances in speed and the rate cell phones can connect to the Internet, it will not be long before laptops will be outdated and cell phones will be in.
We could very well go to books stored on I-pods instead of printed material just because their expense continues to skyrocket. Instead of checking out a book from the school library, students will check out a computer chip that has a dozen books stored on it.
To the parents whose children were given a laptop for school, I would advise them to ask a few questions about Internet research and the use of the Internet at school. They need to know how the school will protect their children. A very important question they need to ask is how the computers are going to be used in conjunction with the curriculum.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Essay on Inspiration
Kaleen C. Polakoff
14 July 2009
ESSAY ON INSPIRATION
The power of inspiration can change our lives and most of us do not call upon it enough. There are a few that discount the source of their inspiration as being from God. They look at it as a random thought or something of their own invention. Even if the person is not religious, I believe that all inspiration that we receive is from God. I have found inspiration at various times in my life and the key was to be quiet long enough to hear.
I have read a lot of books on the power of meditation. I have seen this power work in my mother’s life. My mother sits and ponders her life every day. My mother hasn’t invented anything or made any great scientific discoveries, but I believe that she has directed the lives of her children better because of it. She has searched and found solutions to her greatest challenges.
Inspiration usually comes as a thought or impression. It can also be a feeling of something that needs to be done. One of the times when I have witnessed inspiration came when my youngest daughter was stung by a scorpion. Her foot began to swell immediately. My son, Calvin, who was only eight at the time of the incident, was inspired to put a raw onion on her foot. The swelling went down immediately. I have never been sure how he knew how to do that, except to say by inspiration.
Many times, I have been out in Nature and just pondering my life and what I should do. I have the pleasure to take a walk every morning around the neighborhood. I remember a particular time when I was pondering what to do about my financial situation and my future. A thought came to me very clear that I should go back to teaching. Even, the steps that I needed to take and how to go about it came into my mind and heart.
Another time that I spent time in Nature was when I needed to make a decision about employment. I had applied at one school and I knew that I was the second person that they were considering, but I got a call from a school district in Houston. They needed a decision within 24 hours. I went to a nearby temple and spent several hours walking around the temple grounds. I felt the beauty and it was comforting to be in such a special setting. I was inspired to take the job in Houston. I was packing to leave for Houston when the first job called and said that I didn’t get the job. They had gone with their first choice and that person had accepted the job. It turned out to be the right thing to do because I met my husband in Houston.
Now, I haven’t really done anything that the world would take note of, but then I haven’t been put in a situation where I needed to do any of those things. My greatest work has been raising my family. I have needed answers to medical questions and have received where to go and what doctor could best help my family. One time when reading scriptures, I was impressed to switch doctors for my son, Calvin. It proved to be the answer that he needed.
Sometimes it takes a long time to get an answer and other times it can be instantaneous. Sometimes you didn’t know you were looking for an answer when you received it. One day, I was talking to a friend whose little girl had Failure-to-Thrive Syndrome. My youngest daughter had also been diagnosed with it. We were talking about the trials that my friend’s little girl had gone through as they tried to figure out what was wrong. Suddenly, I knew that the illness that my little girl was suffering with wasn’t the stomach flu, but food allergies. After our conversation ended, I went home and called the pediatrician. It was determined that I was right and we changed her diet. She still has food allergies, but that one moment changed her life.
I have seen inspiration work many times from solving math problems to solving everyday problems. I have felt it when I have needed to recall important and crucial information. The biggest impact is when it affects the lives of my family. Most of the time, the formula is the same—find a quiet spot, usually in nature or someplace where I can commune with God, ponder, think, and, most of all, listen.
14 July 2009
ESSAY ON INSPIRATION
The power of inspiration can change our lives and most of us do not call upon it enough. There are a few that discount the source of their inspiration as being from God. They look at it as a random thought or something of their own invention. Even if the person is not religious, I believe that all inspiration that we receive is from God. I have found inspiration at various times in my life and the key was to be quiet long enough to hear.
I have read a lot of books on the power of meditation. I have seen this power work in my mother’s life. My mother sits and ponders her life every day. My mother hasn’t invented anything or made any great scientific discoveries, but I believe that she has directed the lives of her children better because of it. She has searched and found solutions to her greatest challenges.
Inspiration usually comes as a thought or impression. It can also be a feeling of something that needs to be done. One of the times when I have witnessed inspiration came when my youngest daughter was stung by a scorpion. Her foot began to swell immediately. My son, Calvin, who was only eight at the time of the incident, was inspired to put a raw onion on her foot. The swelling went down immediately. I have never been sure how he knew how to do that, except to say by inspiration.
Many times, I have been out in Nature and just pondering my life and what I should do. I have the pleasure to take a walk every morning around the neighborhood. I remember a particular time when I was pondering what to do about my financial situation and my future. A thought came to me very clear that I should go back to teaching. Even, the steps that I needed to take and how to go about it came into my mind and heart.
Another time that I spent time in Nature was when I needed to make a decision about employment. I had applied at one school and I knew that I was the second person that they were considering, but I got a call from a school district in Houston. They needed a decision within 24 hours. I went to a nearby temple and spent several hours walking around the temple grounds. I felt the beauty and it was comforting to be in such a special setting. I was inspired to take the job in Houston. I was packing to leave for Houston when the first job called and said that I didn’t get the job. They had gone with their first choice and that person had accepted the job. It turned out to be the right thing to do because I met my husband in Houston.
Now, I haven’t really done anything that the world would take note of, but then I haven’t been put in a situation where I needed to do any of those things. My greatest work has been raising my family. I have needed answers to medical questions and have received where to go and what doctor could best help my family. One time when reading scriptures, I was impressed to switch doctors for my son, Calvin. It proved to be the answer that he needed.
Sometimes it takes a long time to get an answer and other times it can be instantaneous. Sometimes you didn’t know you were looking for an answer when you received it. One day, I was talking to a friend whose little girl had Failure-to-Thrive Syndrome. My youngest daughter had also been diagnosed with it. We were talking about the trials that my friend’s little girl had gone through as they tried to figure out what was wrong. Suddenly, I knew that the illness that my little girl was suffering with wasn’t the stomach flu, but food allergies. After our conversation ended, I went home and called the pediatrician. It was determined that I was right and we changed her diet. She still has food allergies, but that one moment changed her life.
I have seen inspiration work many times from solving math problems to solving everyday problems. I have felt it when I have needed to recall important and crucial information. The biggest impact is when it affects the lives of my family. Most of the time, the formula is the same—find a quiet spot, usually in nature or someplace where I can commune with God, ponder, think, and, most of all, listen.
On Virtue
Kaleen C. Polakoff
1 July 2009
MY ESSAY ON VIRTUE
Repeating over and over in the past few months has been a resounding call to return to virtue. I think that I am a virtuous person; but as I have studied Plato’s Apology and Crito, I have been greatly moved to examine myself. I want to do better and be better than in the past. I look at where I have been and the direction that I am heading. I want to leave a legacy that my children will want to emulate.
At one time, I was a stay-at-home mom. I was into popular fiction and not always the best of books. I watched soap operas in the afternoon. In the evening, I watched the latest crime drama with my husband. I was babysitting and doing a newspaper route to try to make ends meet. I was sinking further and further in debt due to medical bills. My faltering marriage was the worst part of my life.
A classic book changed my life. I picked up Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. I gained a desire to change my life, not by changing others, but by changing me. The first step was to become honest with myself about what I was doing and where I was going. I made a commitment to follow what I feel is my mission—to change the world for the better—through teaching. It took me awhile to get up the courage to go back to school, renew my teaching certificate, and find a full time teaching job.
The next momentous change came when I was hired to teach in a charter school that was trying to adhere to a different set of principles. I was handed A Thomas Jefferson Education written by Oliver Van DeMille. From reading the book, I found a way to become the kind of teacher that I wanted to become. I no longer want to be a teacher, but a mentor.
As I began to pursue a “great education”, my life began to change. Long gone are the days of watching soap operas and reading insignificant books. Every spare moment is filled with Plato, Homer, and Aristotle, filled with thoughts that are new to me, but reach back to antiquity. Again, I ponder “how can these words change my life for the better?”
I am still not out of debt, but I now see living a life of integrity is the only way to get out of debt. I must have the courage to ask hard questions of myself. I must be honest with what I really want and what I really desire. Now, I must do the hard work of living the life that I say I want to live.
I know that it can be done. My father lived such a life. At my father’s funeral, words such as honest, hard-working, self-sacrificing, loving, and a “good man” were used to describe him. Even the way my father approached death—not complaining, not bemoaning his fate, but showing concern for others and giving them pleasant memories—is standard and a legacy that will live on in children and grandchildren. His life was, as Emerson would say, a “benediction.”
My plan for the future is continue reading all of those classic books that I have not gotten to, yet. As part of my plan, I want to instill a love and a desire in my children to pursue a “great education.” I want to instill in them a desire to learn from the “best of books” and find the application to their lives. I hope that they will want a life of virtue. And last of all, I hope they find that I lived a life that was true to my beliefs—one of virtue.
1 July 2009
MY ESSAY ON VIRTUE
Repeating over and over in the past few months has been a resounding call to return to virtue. I think that I am a virtuous person; but as I have studied Plato’s Apology and Crito, I have been greatly moved to examine myself. I want to do better and be better than in the past. I look at where I have been and the direction that I am heading. I want to leave a legacy that my children will want to emulate.
At one time, I was a stay-at-home mom. I was into popular fiction and not always the best of books. I watched soap operas in the afternoon. In the evening, I watched the latest crime drama with my husband. I was babysitting and doing a newspaper route to try to make ends meet. I was sinking further and further in debt due to medical bills. My faltering marriage was the worst part of my life.
A classic book changed my life. I picked up Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families. I gained a desire to change my life, not by changing others, but by changing me. The first step was to become honest with myself about what I was doing and where I was going. I made a commitment to follow what I feel is my mission—to change the world for the better—through teaching. It took me awhile to get up the courage to go back to school, renew my teaching certificate, and find a full time teaching job.
The next momentous change came when I was hired to teach in a charter school that was trying to adhere to a different set of principles. I was handed A Thomas Jefferson Education written by Oliver Van DeMille. From reading the book, I found a way to become the kind of teacher that I wanted to become. I no longer want to be a teacher, but a mentor.
As I began to pursue a “great education”, my life began to change. Long gone are the days of watching soap operas and reading insignificant books. Every spare moment is filled with Plato, Homer, and Aristotle, filled with thoughts that are new to me, but reach back to antiquity. Again, I ponder “how can these words change my life for the better?”
I am still not out of debt, but I now see living a life of integrity is the only way to get out of debt. I must have the courage to ask hard questions of myself. I must be honest with what I really want and what I really desire. Now, I must do the hard work of living the life that I say I want to live.
I know that it can be done. My father lived such a life. At my father’s funeral, words such as honest, hard-working, self-sacrificing, loving, and a “good man” were used to describe him. Even the way my father approached death—not complaining, not bemoaning his fate, but showing concern for others and giving them pleasant memories—is standard and a legacy that will live on in children and grandchildren. His life was, as Emerson would say, a “benediction.”
My plan for the future is continue reading all of those classic books that I have not gotten to, yet. As part of my plan, I want to instill a love and a desire in my children to pursue a “great education.” I want to instill in them a desire to learn from the “best of books” and find the application to their lives. I hope that they will want a life of virtue. And last of all, I hope they find that I lived a life that was true to my beliefs—one of virtue.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
More On Novum Organum
One of the debates about knowledge is whether it is revealed or man makes it up. Bacon claims knowledge is discovered. Whether it is revealed or discovered, knowledge would then always exist.
Bacon says what we study the most is the lens through which we see things. I totally agree with this. I would say that I study religion and I see everything from a religious viewpoint. Bacon claims that this religious viewpoint would bias me against true science. I believe that since God created everything and everything reflects God, then science is also a reflection of God. That is the deductive reasoning that some of the great philosophers used.
I am impressed with how much knowledge is gained by taking time to observe the world around us. One of the things that I agree with Bacon on is the idea that there are so many things that e have not thought of and inventions still be to be discovered that we can't even dream of, yet.
Bacon says what we study the most is the lens through which we see things. I totally agree with this. I would say that I study religion and I see everything from a religious viewpoint. Bacon claims that this religious viewpoint would bias me against true science. I believe that since God created everything and everything reflects God, then science is also a reflection of God. That is the deductive reasoning that some of the great philosophers used.
I am impressed with how much knowledge is gained by taking time to observe the world around us. One of the things that I agree with Bacon on is the idea that there are so many things that e have not thought of and inventions still be to be discovered that we can't even dream of, yet.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
More thoughts on Novum Organum
We can not keep doing the same old things and expect different results. (I think that this is a the definition of insanity.) Whenever, we keep getting the same thing over and over again, we fail to look at what we are doing to cause it.
There is a an argument in education as to what it means to improve education. If we could find the way to improve education, then we could find ways to improve the human mind. While education is individual and personal, the field of education is doing very little to personalize education. Bacon observed that we are doing very little to improve the human mind. We are also doing very little to find the truth. "We tend to believe what we want to believe." It seems to be that way with subjects such as global warming.
Bacon holds a discussion on the inadequacy of our words. The problems with language is that words bring to mind different images according to our own experiences. While the word "cold" might mean images of snow flakes to some, in Arizona, it might mean images of ice cubes in a glass of water.
There is also a distortion of history due to words, but also do to our own experience. The other problems with history are due to the meaning of words changing, but also limited point of view. It is very difficult to get every one's vision of an event. As we compare points of view, we will see discrepancies due to the varying perspectives.
There is a an argument in education as to what it means to improve education. If we could find the way to improve education, then we could find ways to improve the human mind. While education is individual and personal, the field of education is doing very little to personalize education. Bacon observed that we are doing very little to improve the human mind. We are also doing very little to find the truth. "We tend to believe what we want to believe." It seems to be that way with subjects such as global warming.
Bacon holds a discussion on the inadequacy of our words. The problems with language is that words bring to mind different images according to our own experiences. While the word "cold" might mean images of snow flakes to some, in Arizona, it might mean images of ice cubes in a glass of water.
There is also a distortion of history due to words, but also do to our own experience. The other problems with history are due to the meaning of words changing, but also limited point of view. It is very difficult to get every one's vision of an event. As we compare points of view, we will see discrepancies due to the varying perspectives.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thoughts on Novum Organum
I don't know what happened to my last posts. I hope this works. On Thursday, during my online class, we began to discuss Novum Organum. We just got through the first aphorisms. This has been a very slow process to get through this book.
The summary for today's reading:
There needed to be restoration of science in his day. Science being knowledge. The problem with science in our day is that what is being imparted to us through the media is not science. Take the recent Swine Flu scare. While there may have been concern, it need not have bordered on hysteria. The information being disseminated to the public was not based on true scientific findings.
Bacon pointed out that there needed to be debate and supposition in some science in order to bring us to the right conclusions. While we are just beginning to know and understand viruses, there is certainly a call for debate on what the Swine Flu was going to do. However, I am not sure that the place for such debate is in the media. The debate over the Swine Flu in the media did not lead us to further understanding of the Flu.
Bacon also asserted that we base our current knowledge on knowledge gained from past experience and thought. In the case of the Swine Flu, I remembered getting the Flue shot in 1978 during the last outbreak and received the flu from the shot. So, my experience did not support the current thinking on the outbreak.
However, this has a broader application than just in science. We base our judgments and decisions on past experience. Which is a challenge for long term relationships, we tend to base our responses on past experience and not what is before us in the present.
The last aphorism for today was Aphorism 39. Bacon discusses the four kinds of idols besetting mankind. He named the idols of the Tribe, Cave, Market-place, and Theatre. Idols being were we spend our focus and the concentration of our thought. The Idol of the Tribe has to do with exaggeration, distortion, and disproportion to our thinking. The Idol of the Cave has to do with a reference to the Allegory of the Cave by Plato. The cave represents our minds and thinking. If we concentrate on only one branch of learning, we tend to define everything by that branch of learning. The Idol of the Mareket-place has to do with out talking our opponents and therefore, we be believe we have one the argument. The Idol of the Theatre is accepting other peoples beliefs as our own without thinking about what we are accepting. These idols are certainly prevalent in our thinking today and they are what slow us down as individuals and as a society.
Not that I believe that we should challenge every single thing we hear, but I believe that we do not spend enough time in thinking about our lives. I find it very difficult in my life to find time for the "refreshing pause" of thinking. I will assume that others have that challenge.
The summary for today's reading:
There needed to be restoration of science in his day. Science being knowledge. The problem with science in our day is that what is being imparted to us through the media is not science. Take the recent Swine Flu scare. While there may have been concern, it need not have bordered on hysteria. The information being disseminated to the public was not based on true scientific findings.
Bacon pointed out that there needed to be debate and supposition in some science in order to bring us to the right conclusions. While we are just beginning to know and understand viruses, there is certainly a call for debate on what the Swine Flu was going to do. However, I am not sure that the place for such debate is in the media. The debate over the Swine Flu in the media did not lead us to further understanding of the Flu.
Bacon also asserted that we base our current knowledge on knowledge gained from past experience and thought. In the case of the Swine Flu, I remembered getting the Flue shot in 1978 during the last outbreak and received the flu from the shot. So, my experience did not support the current thinking on the outbreak.
However, this has a broader application than just in science. We base our judgments and decisions on past experience. Which is a challenge for long term relationships, we tend to base our responses on past experience and not what is before us in the present.
The last aphorism for today was Aphorism 39. Bacon discusses the four kinds of idols besetting mankind. He named the idols of the Tribe, Cave, Market-place, and Theatre. Idols being were we spend our focus and the concentration of our thought. The Idol of the Tribe has to do with exaggeration, distortion, and disproportion to our thinking. The Idol of the Cave has to do with a reference to the Allegory of the Cave by Plato. The cave represents our minds and thinking. If we concentrate on only one branch of learning, we tend to define everything by that branch of learning. The Idol of the Mareket-place has to do with out talking our opponents and therefore, we be believe we have one the argument. The Idol of the Theatre is accepting other peoples beliefs as our own without thinking about what we are accepting. These idols are certainly prevalent in our thinking today and they are what slow us down as individuals and as a society.
Not that I believe that we should challenge every single thing we hear, but I believe that we do not spend enough time in thinking about our lives. I find it very difficult in my life to find time for the "refreshing pause" of thinking. I will assume that others have that challenge.
Monday, February 23, 2009
CHRISTMAS 2008
Christmas was great because Ben was home this year. I felt satisfied because the Christmas that he went into the mission field, I did not receive a phone call at Christmas nor when he got to Colorado. I got a call from his mission president, but I didn't get to talk to him. It was great to have Ashton and Lydia visit as well.
After Christmas, Julia and I went to Utah to visit with my parents. Here are a few remembrances of that time.
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