If you haven't guessed, I am a young teacher seeking to better the education system, and therefore better the world. Although I normally strive to avoid saying blatantly idealistic statements such as the prior one, all young teachers carry this goal. We just have varying degrees of scale on which we hope to achieve this goal.
One of my chief principles in my educational theory is placing high value on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. (http://www.businessballs.com/images/maslow's_hierarchy_businessballs.jpg original model if you are unfamiliar) Most cognitive problem solving that we ask students to achieve occurs at the highest level, yet very little is in the formal curriculum to aid students to get there. One curriculum I am currently designing (available for free years from now) is a course on the varying definitions of happiness. In this course badly needed comparative religion will be taught, and students will be encouraged to examine happiness through a sociological, anthropological, and self-introspective way.
Today's first link goes to Sam Harris. After i spent about three hours trying to create an all encompassing definition of happiness, i discovered he already gave a definition almost exactly like mine.
The second link goes to my friend Alan Watts. Teachers beware, he takes a shot at the fundamental premise of our educational system. However being as its a common critique, lets keep and open mind.
How.do.you.define.happiness?
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The world is wonderful, enjoy it.
a younger heavier goodtimes with Benjamin Ferenz, (Chief prosecutor at Nuremburg Trials)
students love mr. good times class
International Relations
sister good times with a tired Mr. Good Times in NYC
Phenomenal Man.
This is the new emporium to re-examine ideas and theories regarding issues that we take for granted everyday. By stumbling on to this blog you now have access to fun lectures that challenge leading beliefs. Most will relate to education in some way or another.
Absence of neurosis
The world is wonderful, enjoy it.
Why am I making this site?
This is a prototype blog in which I hope to create an emporium for educators to discuss variants in their personal theories of education. This litany of my free associated thoughts of education is meant for you to discuss with yourselves and your peers. The long term goal is to inspire more bottom up change amongst teachers, or provide new ideas that may inspire pressure for top down change in the educational policy.
Two years ago I was blessed with the gift of insomnia, which has allowed me to scour the web for entertaining/enlightening lectures. I don't always stridently believe in what our online guest speakers and writers discuss, but its still full to question it.
Education is fun. If it isn't fun for you, we have to figure out how we can make it fun.
Two years ago I was blessed with the gift of insomnia, which has allowed me to scour the web for entertaining/enlightening lectures. I don't always stridently believe in what our online guest speakers and writers discuss, but its still full to question it.
Education is fun. If it isn't fun for you, we have to figure out how we can make it fun.
. Books that embiggen the brain.
- Hitler's Jewish Soldiers by Brian Mark Rigg
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
- Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
- Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins
- In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbot
- unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson
- Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
Good Times with primary source history
a younger heavier goodtimes with Benjamin Ferenz, (Chief prosecutor at Nuremburg Trials)
Mr. Good Times lives in the classroom
students love mr. good times class
Fun educational links
Blog Archive
the new colbert
International Relations
About Me
- Mr. Good Times
- Mr. Good Times is a self-proclaimed up and coming alternative American Icon in search of enabling free thought among the adolescents and adults of America. Although many see his obnoxious rebellious nature as a clue revealing his lack of education, they are extremely far from the truth. In actuality Mr. Good times is an inaugural Warren Fellowship Scholar, Has attained a duel Bachelors of Arts degree from Syracuse University, and is currently about to receive a degree from Columbia University. Although he does obtain a slight pleasure from offending the masses, he seeks to teach students to free their mind. As the great Henry Rollins once said "If you look at the paperwork that founded this country, its supposed to be a rock and roll nation... Everyone gets a shot." While using Mark Twain-esque principles, Mr. Good Times hopes to educate you and everyone else who asks.
Good Times Supports family values
sister good times with a tired Mr. Good Times in NYC
Mr. Good Times 1.0
Phenomenal Man.
Movies That Make You Think.
- Matrix
- Harold and Maud
- Into the Wild
- Jesus Camp
- Michael Moore Hates America
- American Psycho
- Memento
- Tao of Steve
2 comments:
So here's my English major contribution to your happiness curriculum: have you read Rasselas, by Samuel Johnson? it's a short book in which the characters basically travel all over the world talking to people to find out whether happiness is possible, and in the end I think they conclude that it's not really. I didn't like it very much actually, but it was interesting and as someone interested in studying happiness you might want to check it out. I didn't like it because the definition of happiness Johnson seemed to be using was not what I thought happiness was, and the approach was entirely too rational (oh, the Enlightenment) when I don't think happiness is really rational. It also has a famous passage about the purpose of art that I completely disagree with.
Congrats on being the first to contribute to the pedagogical study. Thanks for the recommendations, it may have a place in my curriculum!
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