Bill Generaux makes a fabulous metaphor in his post Who Is Ed Parker.  Education is 100% running, leaping, maneuvering through obstacles. It is the teachers who roll with the punches, adjust and mold as they go and learn that are truly great teachers in this modern technology filled age. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do this when I begin my teaching profession, but I know it is a skill I will forever be working on. I think the best teachers learn that the best lessons can come from a story, a joke, or just about anything that happens inside or outside of the classroom. If I understand Generaux correctly he is making it clear that teaching needs to be authentic. It can and will not be as simple as a set in stone curriculum or calender. A good classroom should follow the flow of the learning, and the teacher can help direct the journey. I think if both the students and the teacher are brave enough to embrace that learning is all about exploration, they can navigate through all the mess out there and learn some very real and important lessons as they come naturally. This is even more true as technology becomes ever more present in our lives. Since much of the technology out there is new to us, we need to accept the new tools we have access to and try our best to work with them to best prepare our students. In the midst we have to embrace that there will be problems, and work through them. (I learned this well in ENG 307) The important part is that you just keep maneuvering through and working with whatever is thrown your way. If we can do this successfully, we can be wonderful teachers. (I made that sound far too easy didn’t I? oh well it’s worth a shot at least.)