Why did I pull my hamstring?

What is wrong with pulling my hamstring? Nothing really, I am heading into my forties and still playing soccer. The irony in my injury is how it happened and how the events causing the injury remind me of what education faces today. I know it is a stretch – no pun intended.

It occurred not because I am out of shape or I didn’t stretch, but rather because I adjusted too late for a ball in the air. While I tried to move my leg to address this, I pulled my hamstring. Seriously, I pulled my hamstring trying to kick a ball. So how does this relate to education?

I have taught for over a decade now. I love to teach, and especially love to teach technology. Moving along with my metaphor, I am in good shape and stretch often. I have evolved my courses to adapt to modern technology while focusing my teaching style on being the facilitator of learning rather than sage on the stage. I understand that teachers are no longer just the holders of knowledge, but rather the guide that helps students learn how to learn. I think that my previous two sentences stated the same view, but we must move on. So where is the pulled hamstring?

Well, it really in not my injury but rather the state of education. Right now education is injured. It is trying to figure out what to do with all of these “Digital Natives” that are in the school system and how to meet their needs so that they are better prepared to deal with the rapidly changing workplace. Unlike my personal situation, education is not warming up or stretching properly to deal with this. We are still stuck in an industrial model delivery system with 20th century leaders.

We are in desperate need of institutional change that will restructure the way we organize ourselves and deliver courses. We know what we know and many of us don’t want to change that comfortable perspective. Why do we have to have students locked up in a room for 6 hours a week (one course) when they could be doing their work anywhere. Why are we limited to school schedules that are based on time and room space? We are able to deliver courses online. Why have we separated our traditional bricks and mortar schools from distributed learning schools? I am not smart enough to have all the answers, but I am willing to at least talk about a better way. Let’s ask the questions – Why did I pull my hamstring, How can we do a better job changing our educational system to increase achievement, prepare our students to be better citizens, and prepare them to be successful in a rapid changing global economy.

We are at an urgent crossroads in education. Technology is changing the way we are doing everything – shopping (I hate to shop), communicating, dating (never tried it online), etc … . Why is it that education is always the last to adapt? I am going to rehab my injury. Once it is healed, I will have to stretch differently and warm up longer or else I will pull it again. It maybe time to rehab education or else we will be injuring not only the system but rather the most important stakeholders – our students.

Oil Companies off the hook?

As I drive and see gas prices drop, I can’t help but think what the hell? This summer a barrel of oil was a buck and a half, it is half of that now. What the hell? I am not an economist, nor an expert in any areas of the economy. But, why are we letting the oil companies off the hook for this economic down turn.

Many people lost their homes in part because banks gave them loans that they could not afford and the nail in the coffin was the cost of gas.  Think about the people whose gas bill doubled and the spin off effect of this price increase.  The “Joe the Plummers”  of the world began to get squeezed causing many to not have a hope in hell of keeping their homes. The cost of food went up, actually the cost of everything that included transportation costs went up. For too long the world has been held hostage by oil companies greed. Even now in times of trouble, oil companies are taking in enormous profits.

Don’t let the oil companies off the hook. Watch how over the next 2 months, the gas prices will dramatically drop. Oil companies know that they will need to make gas more affordable so that the US and other countries will delay the movement towards green automobiles. It is time to make them pay. The greed of oil companies will come back to bite them in the ass.  By gauging consumers and crippling industries (airline), the oil companies has provided the political capital to a move away from oil based energies. It could have happened to a better group of peronas.

Obama and McCain should do the following ad …

Leadership is needed in times of crisis. McCain and Obama should get together and do a TV ad together that goes something like this:

McCain: ” Don’t vote for me because of the colour of my skin”

Obama: ” Don’t vote for me because of the colour of my skin”

Together: ” I want your vote. I want your vote because you believe in me. I want your vote because I can make a difference. I don’t want your vote if you are looking at my differences”

Leadership is bigger than a political position. Racism is happening on both sides. White people should not vote for McCain because Obama is black and black people should not vote for Obama because McCain is white. It is time to move the world forward not backwards.

Is America ready for this century?

The election in the states if fast approaching and I can’t help to wonder if America is ready for this century. Many pundits and observers understand that Obama is the candidate for the future and McCain is the candidate of the 20th century. This is not to pass judgment on either. The truth is that McCain is not a real Republican and I believe that if he wins he will abandon the right-wing of the party and govern more to the center.  It is a bit troubling to see McCain sell his soul (pander to right wing of party, select Palin, use Bush campaigners) for a higher office.  Obama is trying to fight back but must not lose his ethics in the process. What is becoming clear is the voters in the US will have to ask themselves two fundamental questions: Are you okay with an African America president? Which century do you want your country to reside in?

The African American thing first. Take a look at how the Republicans have destroyed the US economy and mismanaged the war on terror. The democrats should be up in polls by double digits. One of the major reasons the democratic nominee is not is that he is black. The race issue in the US is deep and hundreds of years old. There are many Americans who will not vote for him because of his skin colour.  Sad but true. It is fear that keeps McCain in this. The Republicans has carried great majorities based on this sense of fear – be afraid of a soft leader in a scary world, the democrats will socialize everything, taxes will be higher, and most important they are not like us.

They are not like us is the political weapon of the Republicans. The party that governs for the rich convince the poor and middle class that they  are like them. It is the biggest scam in political science history. Ask John McCain how many houses he owns? George Bush and his oil buddies making billions. Ask Donald Trump who he is supporting? The people in the US start believing that the Republicans are the Clampett family from the “The Beverly Hillbillies” when in fact the are nothing more than the land owners in the south during slavery. That is harsh you say. Really? Who benefits from Republican rule? How much upward mobility do you see in the States these days? Ask rich people who they want to vote for? The party that protects the rich is the Republican party end of story. If you are voter in this states and believe that the Republicans are just like you an me than take a look at the Republican convention and tell me how that is representative of the melting pot that is America.

Beyond the race issue, Americans need to decide which century they want to participate in. If you want to rule with 20th century thought, negotiation techniques, and economic policies than vote McCain. It is appalling that the next president may have very little experience in the area of technology. The move from industrial to digital economic system is upon us not behind. But more importantly is how the next president is going to negotiate with other countries. The confrontational cold war talk is a thing of the past. The rest of the world is beyond this. Europe has torn down traditional divides of the 20th century to create a common union that negotiates in a diplomatic and respectful manner. China, India, Russia and other countries are moving beyond the need for US good will. In fact, there will come a time when the US will need the good will of China. Obama is not the perfect candidate, he has flaws. However, he does represent the future. His style is more reflective of a generation that is tired of old politics. His use of technology clearly indicates that he understands technology. And make no mistake about this, if it wasn’t for digital technology than the US would be irrelevant in a global economy. They would be the big fat kid who takes money from other kids not because he is smarter but because he is physically stronger (we call them bullies). The choice is quite clear. Obama is the future, but is America interested in moving there.

Tiger Woods … Really

Tiger Woods is the best golf player of all-time. It is difficult to dispute this fact. Television ratings go through the roof when he is playing a tournament. He is on pace to slaughter golf records. Is he one of the best athletes of all-time? Not a chance.

Golf is what I call a tier 3 sport. Tier 1 sports involve athletic movement with a chance that someone could take away your space – Basketball, Soccer, Hockey, Football, Rugby …  Tier 2 sports involve althletic movement with a net that separates you – Tennis, Volleyball … (In other words, someone can’t body check you into next year). Tier 3 sports involve athletic ability that out of shape, non-contact, please no cameras athletes participate in.  By the way, Tier 4 sports are sports that are played by non-human participants – Horse Racing, Car racing …

The second point is that Golf is an elitist sport. Less than 1% of the people on this Earth are able to play this sport. Tiger is the best of less than 1%.  It is a sport that is for the privileged, similar to the America’s cup and tennis. Tiger is great golfer, but great athlete is really stretching it. Golf is an athletic joke that allows aging people the ability to tap into their youth. I get really tired of ESPN and other media centers praising him in the same breath as Ali or Jordan or Gretzky or Pele.  All of those sports are Tier 1 sports.