Love In 3 Photos

 Our friendship was a conversation based on trust, honesty, sharing, and forgiveness ...

 ... that allowed us to see past our yesterdays to beyond forever ...

... so that we could walk in the commitment, humility, faith, hope, and joy of love.


Copyright © 2012 Derrick  Brown. All Rights Reserved.

Big Ideas About Teaching & Learning: Introducing Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT)

By Derrick Brown (Email) (follow on Twitter @dbrowndbrown)

TeachersPayTeachers® (TpT) is an online marketplace where teachers buy and sell original, downloadable educational materials, hard goods and used educational resources.

It was founded in 2006 by Paul Edelman, a former New York City public school teacher.

TpT's mission is to make teachers lives easier by bringing together those who create curricula with those who are seeking fresh new approaches in the classroom. 

Content is categorized by grade level and subject area, and an active user forum and teacher blog network create an array of collaborative, innovative avenues for teachers.

The resulting exchange educates, empowers, and inspires all, and leads to the better sharing of best practices. All of this benefits students, and helps them to achieve!

To learn more, visit the links below ...

1. Example TpT store
2. Warner Robins, GA Kindergarten Teacher Earns $700,000 by Selling Lesson Plans Online (Mashable.com, May 17, 2012) 
3. Sign up to sell your lesson plans!

Please share your thoughts on these "Big Ideas" and best practices by leaving comments below. Email us or follow us on Twitter @dbrowndbrown to submit your own "Big Ideas" and best practices!
 

Copyright © 2012 Derrick  Brown. All Rights Reserved.

Big Ideas About Teaching & Learning: "Johnny"

By Derrick Brown (Email) (follow on Twitter @dbrowndbrown)

Why oh why can't Johnny READ?

Probably because the brother's name is Khalid

Yet the majority of so-called experts agreed

On the cultural ideas they would force-feed

Why oh why can't Johnny WRITE?

'Cause instead of him creating he just has to recite

We offer him a perspective that he finds quite trite

Then have the gall to try to label him as "not too bright"

Why oh why can't Johnny do MATH?

Might it be that he fails to see the relevance of its path

He'll tell you that he's tried to get it, but that not yet he hath

Its oddities sometimes confuse and ultimately draw his wrath

Why oh why can't Johnny LEAD?

'Cause we've instilled in him a false way to succeed

Servitude and loving take back seats to greed

Destiny and purpose are supplanted by need

Why oh why can't Johnny CREATE?

Perhaps it's because the boy just can't relate

To the stark & cold reality that continues to await

Solutions to the problems of our existing state

Why oh why can't Johnny THINK?

Maybe we've not yet shown him the missing link

Between ideas and paper and that pen of ink

That leads the horse to water, and also helps him drink

Click Here to Download a PDF Copy (Select "Download Free Preview")

Please share your thoughts on these "Big Ideas" and best practices by leaving comments below. Email us or follow us on Twitter @dbrowndbrown to submit your own "Big Ideas" and best practices!
 

Copyright © 2012 Derrick  Brown. All Rights Reserved.

Big Ideas About Teaching & Learning

By Derrick Brown (Email) (follow on Twitter @dbrowndbrown)

This is called a Wordle! Learn More ...

1. Reach - THEN teach. Three dimensions of knowledge are necessary in order to effectively teach students, and not just subjects: knowledge of self, knowledge of others, and content knowledge - in that order.

2. Build healthy relationships. Solid, healthy teacher-student relationships (and relationships between colleagues) should progress through four stages - acceptance, affirmation, accountability, and authority - in that order.

3. To teach is to learn twice. The best teachers are lifelong learners, which makes them students even in their own classes. They are the foremost student in their class.

4. Use skills of pedagogy and andragogy. We teach young people with childlike levels of maturity who have adult levels of exposure, expectations, and attitude. Be mindful of that, and discern when to teach, train, correct, guide, confront, etc.

5. Speak the language of your subject. Mastering language is the key to mastering any and all content, so developing literacy is a key component of any sound teaching approach. In Rethinking The Future, Alvin Toffler states that "… The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."

6. Ignorance can be educated if it can be tolerated. Arrogance can neither be tolerated nor propagated. Both traits are clearly separated by self-awareness - an ignorant man knows that he does not know; an arrogant man does not.

7. Awareness may be more important to learning than knowledge. Why, oh why can't Johnny read? Probably because the brother's name is Khalid …

Please share your thoughts on these "Big Ideas" and best practices by leaving comments below. Email us or follow us on Twitter @dbrowndbrown to submit your own "Big Ideas" and best practices!
 

Copyright © 2012 Derrick  Brown. All Rights Reserved.

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Wordles ("Word Clouds")

A new artistic effect: Wordles!

Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.

http://www.wordle.net/create

Here's my first Wordle ...



And here's my first Wordle-inspired piece!

Dear Tessa (My Baby Sister)

Dear Tessa,

I am the president of your fan club. Being your big brother, protector, and covering is a job I have always taken quite seriously.

We were separated by 10 years in age, and by many miles after our parents' divorce, but we are forever connected by our old souls and kindred spirits.

I was so proud to watch you marry Kevin, and was so happy to see your bridal rose in full bloom! You were beautiful and peaceful!

You are one of those people I met on the way to heaven with whom always I felt comfortable asking for (and giving) directions.

You are also one of those special people who possess the rare ability to do what you said you would do.

My brother-in-law Kevin is a blessed and fortunate man, and I know he will cover and protect you now.

Know, though, that your big bro is always here, and is ready to love on some nieces and nephews!

Love,

Derrick

Big Ideas About Math Education

(Presented at the 52nd Georgia Mathematics Conference (October 2011))
By Derrick Brown (Email) (@dbrowndbrown) (Download as PDF)


These "Big Ideas" provide a concrete, conceptual, strategic framework for improving math skills by building language skills ...

1. Math is the study of patterns ...

· Arithmetic studies patterns of numbers.
· Algebra studies patterns of variable numbers.
· Geometry studies patterns of shapes.
· Logic studies patterns of thought.
· Calculus studies patterns of motion, change, and space.
· Statistics studies patterns of data.
· Probability studies patterns of chance.
· Linguistics studies patterns of language.
· Topology studies patterns of position.

2. Students must learn to do math, and must then learn what math does.

3. Language (how we use words and sounds to communicate) and discourse (verbal expression in speech and writing) are more important than vocabulary (knowledge of words).

4. Language mastery is the key to content mastery.

5. Language mastery is the key to self-expression - which develops self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

6. Content mastery is predicated upon using self-expression to build self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

7. Divergent thinking (seeing multiple solutions to a problem) inspires creativity (the process of having original ideas), which adds value to society.

Download as PDF

Please share your thoughts on these "Big Ideas" by leaving comments below. Email us to submit your own "Big Ideas" and best practices!
 

Copyright © 2012 Derrick Brown. All Rights Reserved.