I am in Kansas City this week, partly for business and partly for pleasure. This morning was set aside for the pleasure aspect of the trip, to do some exploring of sites near my hotel that seemed interesting when I looked them up on line. Early this morning I decided to walk over to the National World War I Museum and Memorial. My rationale was to walk in nature a bit because I spent most of the previous day on the train. I was totally unprepared for the raw emotion that hit me as a climbed the steep, curving stairs that lead from the street to this soaring monument. The sheer scale of the memorial inspires awe, but the inscription brought me to tears. I was surprised and humbled by my strong feelings for these men who sacrificed their lives in the belief that they would bring an end to war. We know today that this was not the case, but I felt I was standing on Holy Ground in the presence of such sacrifice.
What does this have to do with teaching, you ask. Well, my impression is this, are we raising men and women of character, who are willing to sacrifice everything of themselves for a greater cause? With the many tools the disposal of our students, are we still teaching them the moral values that would allow them to make choices that make the world a better place, not just a comfortable place for themselves. This is really the key to true digital citizenship, as well as citizenship in our country and our community. Allowing our students to matter, giving them freedom to pursue things that will make the world a better place, is the key to raising the next generation of good leaders and heaven knows, we need them desperately.
makingthinkinglearning 