I want to teach my kids music, it’s just so hard to do when most of my afternoons are tied up :-). We will find a way!!

I don’t disagree with you, but you have to be able to think outside the box as well, be able to dream. It is hard to dream when you are only fact-driven. It gets easier when you cultivate your artistic side.

You’re welcome

Thanks Jyotsana. You know, I always keep in the back of my mind the story you told of how you changed the teaching pattern for high school students and how much they became interested in the subject. That’s subconsciously what I was doing with my kids, exposing them to different pieces of the puzzle hoping to peak their interest. As of now, I do it consciously and purposefully and we shall see how it goes

Thanks Cassie. You know, I always encourage the professors and PhD students I know to change the way they approach research: professors shouldn’t task their students and students shouldn’t just rely on the teacher. An exchange of idea and support is needed for the benefit of both parties.

Thanks. You know? I had the exact same thoughts. It is easier when you have a small group of people. BUT, one way to overcome the obstacle of a large class is to divide the class into groups and task each group with a question to solve rather than you lecturing them using power point. Obviously, no method is perfect but we will get the hang of it after SEVERAL tries

My point is, when we instill this questioning aspect in our at a young age, they will demand it in schools. They will seek it and eventually make it the rule rather than the exception. I think it’s a circle, send thinkers instead of robots and expect a different teaching methodology.

Yes absolutely. Some people can compare the education system to customer service. When your customer is happy, he/she pays their bills on time and keeps buying your product. Same for a class. When students are happy, they are engaged and they are more likely to be active participants and be happy about it.

Exactly. In the end, when the teacher makes an effort, it is highly probable that he/she gets some effort in return from the students. This ultimately makes the learning process more effective with better cooperation.

Exactly. Some learning institutions are actually changing their entrance requirements to reflect their attitude towards grades.