http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org Wed, 07 May 2008 10:04:26 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en       I just received a message from an old student reminding me that it's not enough to have faith in, hope for, and love of a student. It's something I think about every day. Is it enough to have faith, belief and hope for each student? My answer to that ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/05/07/are-faith-love-and-hope-enough/       Last week Susan and I went off to a restaurant on a romantic date to forget that we'll be apart for the month I will be teaching in China. She ordered a glass of red Zin we had never before tasted. I watched as she held up the goblet ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/05/02/wine-teaching-and-students/       I wanted to walk in the depressing doldrums of darkness this morning after my beloved Tarheels got unexpectedly whupped by Kansas last night in the Final Four. But, I really couldn't. Pushing the image of that loss out of the forefront of my mind was a powerful message I ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/04/06/can-and-do/      After a week of suffering a cold my grand-daughters gave me with their hugs and kisses, I was ready to hit the pre-dawn streets. It was about 4:30 am. I had brewed some coffee, had read about UNC's victory over Arkansas, and had done a crossword puzzle on line. ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/03/24/choice/       Whom do we remember most from the days we were students? Who made the most difference in our lives? Who left the most indelible imprint on our soul? Really! Who? The brilliant lecturer? I doubt it. The great tester and grader? That I really doubt! The scholarship of renown ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/03/19/educations-greatest-need/       I fear I am about to get myself into trouble with a compendium to my latest reflection on what students need. It's about what so many faculty need. Perhaps, desperately need. Why trouble? It's because while so many of us academics are so quick to talk about students, we ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/03/06/facultys-greatest-need/       I have been reading about 150 daily student journal entries for the past two months, through the anxiety, fatigue, elation, distraction, forgetfulness, fear, sadness, anticipation, sickness, and a host of other expressed up and down issues, one thing struck hard. It wasn't a new revelation, but it really hit ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/03/03/students-greatest-need/             A while back, my friend, Alan Bender at IU, asked me to make a priority list of the most important roles of education.  Before I could reply, I got hit with that cerebral hemorrhage, went on medical leave, and I admittedly forgot to answer him.  Then, a few days ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/02/22/what-is-an-education-2/      A chilly good morning. I just got a message from Kenny "demanding" another word from "My Dictionary of Good Teaching." That's curious since I had been thinking about him on my walk this pre-dawn morning and had realized I hadn't sent him a word in quite a while. This ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/02/16/power-a-word-for-my-dictionary-of-good-teaching/        So, there I was, in the waiting area of the Atlanta airport, waiting--and waiting--and waiting.  I was futilely struggling to concentrate on my Chinese language lessons.  I felt like a Jekyll and Hyde, exhilarated and, though I kept my promise to Susan not to over do it, emotionally drained ... http://therandomthoughts.edublogs.org/2008/02/13/play-doh/