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Thanks Shoshana…learning is a collaboration between students and their teachers.

Thanks Susan, learning is collaboration, also, between the students themselves.  Often, they learn quicker and better from their peers; it’s easier if you will.

Students are needful agents in shaping the future…theirs’ and everyone else’s’.

Students often see writing as a chore and their responsibility to copy what we have written; an assignment.  Allow them to write, freestyle, at least once a week.  However, drawing their thoughts is great, but it does not build solid writing skills, spelling, and grammar; all of which is essential for success in society and is the most acceptable form of communication.  Often when to verbally express thoughts to someone, their response is, ‘put it in writing’, ‘send me a message’, ‘write it up and get it to me’, ‘write it up and I’ll take a look at it’, etc.  No one asks them to draw them a picture.  As a former Special Education Teacher, I believe in ‘Literacy Through Art’, as an alternative and means to the expected and accepted end.  As well, spelling is an essential and effective communication tool.  Writing in text form is not professionally acceptable either.  When students write assignments in text form, or professionals complete work in text form, it too is unacceptable in the real world.  Standard assessments are not requested in text form and students who respond in this manner pull the scores down of themselves, their class, grade, school, district, city, county, state, nation…and our world.  Now we have a false indication of their smarts, because text responses are not graded and even though the student may know the work, they have failed to communicate their knowledge in a recognized and acceptable manner.  So, it’s not that the students are not smart, it’s just that how they respond is not accepted…globally.  Intelligence is associated with our ability to spell.  So this process of brainstorming, without corrections to follow, leaves our students and society sorely disadvantaged.  The same is true for writing skills…penmanship.

Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it {Proverbs 22:6}.  Family provides initial communication skills, or the lack there of.  Meal time, especially dinner, was also conversation time and a time for everyone to catch up on what everyone is feeling and doing.  Now the family routinely does not eat together and tend to communicate non-verbally, but via electronic devices.  As wonderful and wonder filled as they are, they have sabotaged our family unit, among other essential aspects of our life…including, but not limited to, aided in job lost for humans.

Regarding Paul’s thought about people may not see themselves as being of benefit to themselves and others to talk, goes back (in part) to not being given an opportunity at home or in other settings to speak safely / allowed to express themselves.

Using expletives is not an acceptable social speaking skill.  However, when this is much of the language one is exposed to, this is normal responses for them…unfortunately.

People will move out of their comfort zone when they feel valued…this is true Paul.

Is good to contribute what you know.  It is great to contribute what you want to know.