Thursday, November 15, 2012

David McCullough on 60 Minutes

We need to seriously revamp the teaching of the teachers. I don't feel that any professional teacher should major in education. The should major in a subject, they should know something. The best teachers are those who have the gift and the energy and the enthusiasm to convey their love for the science, or history, or Shakespeare or whatever they teach. Show them what you love is the old adage and we have all had them, where they can change your life, they can electrify the morning when you can come in to the classroom. 

-David McCullough on 60 Minutes


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Our Growing Cars - An Infographic


Free Technology for Teachers
Despite constantly increasing gasoline prices the average size of our vehicles continues to grow (I'm not helping decrease that average by driving a full-size pickup truck). Cool Infographics recently shared an infographic that depicts how much vehicles have grown over the last forty plus years. Click here to view it on the source page or check it out below.

Applications for Education
When I saw this infographic my first thoughts went to students in the automotive programs in the technical school in my district. The infographic will be of interest to them because of the some of the vehicles in the pictures (who doesn't like a Porsche?). But beyond that I can see this infographic being the jumping off point for a short lesson in the evolution of the technology in cars.

Outside of the technical school setting I can see this infographic being the catalyst for a conversation about the socio-economics of the United States. For example, I might ask my students to investigate the question, "why do our vehicles continue to grow in size while fuel costs continue to rise?" 


This post originally appeared on Free Technology for Teachers .