"... As naturally as a seed becomes a tree of armwide girth–
There can rise a nine-tiered tower from a man's handful of earth
Or here at your feet a thousand-mile journey have birth..."
Lao Tzu
The passage from the Tao te Ching appears in the context of poetic counsel to begin wisely because the ending is the outgrowth of the beginning. The idea of a small seed growing into a huge tree mirrors working in the education field; one returns to ideas that were originally moving in an iterative process and branches out into new areas of endeavor. In this spirit of learning, and relearning through reflection, many teachers define their own paths in the field of education.
This presentation is a series of webpages created for a new faculty orientation, and touches on some of the areas that have influenced me as a self-ascribed Lifelong Learner. The Lesson Plan form is long but is a list of perspectives that research and many teachers' experiences have proven are relevant for effective planning. I usually use it to remind myself periodically of areas I may need to integrate more or less of to create the optimal balanced plan for a given audience. The strategies seem a bit stark in themselves, but need to be seen in the context of the motivation and inspiration that comes from your content and presence. It breaks down aspects of learning that can be understood best within the setting of individual disciplines.
Please send your feedback, comments, questions, requests, and/ or suggestions from your experience to Gerry Lewin.