gong book

I really like this book. The part I was most impressed with is the part where they break down the Declaration of Independence and uses this fourfold path the learn what it was really about. I can really see that this method of learning really can help you learn faster and more that you can now.

The Gong book

Well this book is really interesting. I liked the chinese story at the very beginning of the book. Just by understanding that story, it really sets to tone for the rest of the book. I think that this idea of exponential learning is very interesting. From what I have read in the book about it and also drawing on some of my own knowledge I would say that this idea of exponential learning will not happen while in this life. I think that it is a God-like quality that we should strive for but I dont think we can fully grasp it while in this life. I equate it to trying to become perfect like God is. We should try our absolute hardest to do so, and there may be times when we seem to be there, but in the long run we still fall short and make a lot of mistakes. I think that learning exponentially is going to be a life long thing to strive for and while some may seem to be close to attaining that ability I think in the end we will all have to wait for the resurrection before we truly can attain it.

"First Days of School" Section 4

The last section I read in this book was pretty inspirational. The point that I liked the most was when Wong defined a job and a career. I have heard this more than once in my life and I like it. A job is just something you do to make some money, it is a means to some sort of end. This is not always a bad thing. I think there are a lot of college students who have a job. 

But a career is something that you do not just to make money, but it is something you do as  a way to have a fulfilling life. It is some sort of cause that makes you feel like you are making a difference in the world. 

"First Days of School" section 3

The book to me is starting to get a little bit repetitive. There is one thing that I really cant ever agree with. He says in the book that if you want your students to maximize their learning time you need to add more hours to their learning time. 

I do not really agree with that because I think students will have a breaking point. They will reach a point where they will just shut their brains off and not work. I also do not agree with this because I think you need to maximize your teaching efficiency to help students learn the most. If you are able to reach all your students and teach them a difficult principle in a quick manner than it didn't take them spending more hours to learn it.

2nd reflection

The second section of the book that I read was pretty redundant but also full of plenty of good insights and hints. The thing that I really agreed with was the part that talked about always posting your assignments in the same spot every single day. This made me remember an english teacher I had my sophomore and junior year in high school. I can say that I didn't really like english class that much. The reason I decided to stay in her class after my sophomore year was the fact that I knew the exact schedule of all our assignments and when they were due. They were all on a chalkboard on the left of the class. The chalkboard was made to look like a big month long calender. I always knew what was going to happen every single time I walked into her classroom. 

This also made the class run a lot more smoothly. There was no question what we were going to learn or do that day because everyone could see it in big letters on one side of the classroom. This made our so called "wasted time" go way down. Everything seemed to work out a lot more efficiently. 

Reflection 1

The first section of the book I read was sections A and B. The most interesting thing that I read about was on pages 38-39. It was the small section where Robert Rosenthal in the 1960's did a test on the teachers of a San Francisco elementary school. I found it extremely interesting that just because the teachers were made to believe that some of there students were extremely gifted that they suddenly became better teachers and there students did better in class as well.
This makes me think of Doctrine and Covenants 18:10, "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." I think this is true not only because we are His children but because we have within us great potential to succeed in the challenges of life. Although that is probably not the conclusion that Dr. Rosenthal came up with, that is a conclusion that we can draw from it.
I think as teachers it is important to not let the actions of the students who choose not to try affect the way we teach those who are willing to give effort. I think it is also important to note that we as teachers should put forth the most effort everyday. Quitting one day could mean a lot in the long run.

wow I created a blog...and I have to say it feels phenomenal!