Reflection 2

Different shifts in one’s own paradigm will lead to a different way of thinking, learning and so forth. Humans seem to rely on different tools and inventions to accomplish certain tasks, and once those inventions have been perfected (or as close to perfected as it will be), they no longer feel the need to learn theses once tedious tasks any longer.

As humans evolved, so have them brains and thoughts processes. With that, humans have invented numerous tools to aid them in their everyday lives. Take, for instance, Homo Habilis. They crafted stone tools and weapons. Its certain that these tools and were not designed but more stumbled upon by accident. These Homo habilis hunted and used these mediocre weapons to hunt small animals as game for food. I was indeed more tedious than the work of modern day hunters who have access to modernized tools and weapons like rifles to assist them in their hunt for game. They no longer have to run from animals that may be too frightening or too large to approach. The diet of the H.Habilis was based on plants from the soil of th Earth. The diets could have had more of a protein intake and clothing could’ve been made form the animal hide after the kill if only the tools they were using were more sophisticated.

Thankfully, evolution didn’t stop there. The next evolved form of man, Homo Erectus, had life a little easier for they had received the knowledge o basic tools and weapons. These tools and weapons were those they sought to advance. They had only to sophisticate and re-invent the tools and make them much easier to be used. They’re paradigms differed from H.Habilis because they had already received some help from the tools already crafted by their ancestors. The change in tools used to hunt food allowed for a more protein based diet. Red meat was said to have helped in the both the size increase and capacity of humans. The more developed weapons caused them to have more rations of food and didn’t have to go for days without eating because they were also able to control fire and cook their foods.

The bigger the brain the more capacity it can hold which then enhanced the development of emotions and feelings not to mention communications skills. Mothers also had more time to nurture and bond with their children for longer periods of time. The males in the camp were apart of hunting parties and bonded in that way. These paradigm shifts still occur in the world toda. One phenomenon is that of the cell phone. Before avid cell phone use, people used to have to remember doing simple things like memorizing telephone numbers or even simple addition and subtraction, made easier by inputting the information into the phones and getting an answer. I have also been affected by the cell phone mania because it is too hard for me to even try to remember anyone’s number. The cell phone allows for easy access on the go. They went from being really large to those the size of a credit card.

All in all, paradigm shifts happen throughout the world, from using old herbs to cure the common cold to having medicine that can cure the cold before it hits. The question shouldn’t be why paradigm shifts occur anymore, but more so how will we adapt to them.

'Oooowwwwwwwwwww"

Reflection 1A

Could you imagine receiving your education from someone who is only teaching you because they are a servant with many debts? Is it easy for you to swallow being taught by a teacher who has received the bare minimum themselves? In colonial times children were being taught by teachers who never even attended a secondary school. Some people who taught watched, or became apprentices of other people who were thought to be “masters” in teaching. Even indentured servants were teachers simply paying their way to America. Not too many teachers had attended a secondary school and the limited amount of people that did were normally teaching as tutors (privately), working in academies or grammar schools. It was mostly the privileged people who were still located in Europe who had such exquisite education.
There was a time where if I had a teacher/professor who looked younger than early to mid forties, there was a problem. I had always thought of teachers as people who were wise and much older than someone who looked as if they had recently finished college. If I had that idea for a teacher and we are in modern times, I’m not sure what I would’ve done in colonial times. Many teachers who started teaching at elementary levels were merely teenagers. Teenagers! These teenagers had only received the bare minimum of education and were already teaching? That is something that couldn’t have lasted too long, and it normally didn’t. These teenage teachers only taught for a year or two.
Thankfully, Reverend Samuel Hall established a start in America as far as teaching preparation was concerned. He had established the “normal school” that was a program of two years, used to teach elementary graduates academic subjects. Then, the teachers were all women who were treated less than professionally, aside from their below mediocre wages, they were to have no personal lives including to never get married. I suppose these teachers were to become nuns. As the years piled up these normal schools began evolving into state teachers’ colleges and eventually moved on to become some of today’s leading universities. These schools provided the traditional approach to teacher education wherein students studied the coursework and then did clinical. In the 1980s began a quest to remodel education. At the time, teachers weren’t considered professionals and a group of education deans, Holmes Group, and the Carnegie Forum had decided to take a stand by producing reports which called for higher standards and to increase the professionalism.
Different approaches to preparing teachers came about, including Teach For America (or TFA). TFA had recruits who learned skills of teaching by basically working as an apprentice to teachers. People who support this approach have claimed that the volunteers become excellent teacher. Yet there are those who argue that the values and the standards of teaching have been placed on a back-burner in alternative programs like TFA. These volunteers-become- teachers were assigned to schools were finding teachers was a challenge. These school appreciated and welcomed the on the job training recruits.
More or less the teacher preparation system has changed for the good. It evolved from being elementary school graduates to those who are masters at teaching. I intend to pursue my teaching degree the traditional way but if the opportunity comes along where I too can have on the job training, I wouldn’t pass it up for the world.

'Oooowwwwwwwwwww"

A coming of age student aspiring to be an English teacher, maybe even a professor. (I never really did learn the difference between the two classifications of educators.) An individual who is in love with poetry, excited by reading, stimulated by music and still anxious to meet the rest of life. Living outside the box of conformity and loving all things ‘bad’(This of course depends on who’s perception) but most of all an individual ready to take on life by the horns and strive for the best. Early childhood memories consists of playing doctor with nieces and nephews and reading everything she could get her hands on form magazines to newspapers even to the back of the cereal boxes when she could hardy pronounce the ingredients in the bowl from which she was eating. Reminiscing on all of the times that she always dreamed of being a ‘grown-up’ yet not knowing what it truly entailed. Born to immigrants of this country who are of Jamaican-Haitian and Dominican descent Patricia Joseph arrived to this world somewhere in February (she is a Pisces) close to the end of the wonder years (the 1980’s of course!). Patricia found her love for poetry and English with the help of wonderful guidance from her teacher whom she had from grades six to eight, Kathleen Serio. A teacher who was tough but one she would come to love dearly. With her help, Patricia learned the basic fundamentals of writing and undoubtedly it became one of her favorite past times. Another past time of hers was dabbling in the underworld of spoken word poetry and someday wishes to complete a volume of poetry of her own. Somewhere between writing personal journals to completing two semesters as a biology major, Patricia realized that she wanted to teach English and show others the reasons that she has come to love it as well. Currently attending Miami Dade College, Patricia is working to earn her degree in English education. While she is still young, she is an individual who has finally planted her feet into life’s moist soil.

-over and out-
'Oooowwwwwwwwwww"