Education is Labor

As September 2014 comes to a close, we take a look back at what has been the theme for the month "The Labor of Education".  Labor is hard work.  That which requires laboring needs hard workers who are willing to put effort into achieving an objective.  Some labor can be done by individuals who have been given knowledge and have trained in skills that are essential for success.  Some labor requires that individuals work together as a team while grouping those who share similar skills and knowledge so as to develop special units which facilitate the work of the team.  Education is a labor which requires us to learn, study, and teach.  Together, these three stages make up the educational process.

The education process is composed of three stages: Learning, Studying, Teaching.  Each one of these stages facilitates the education process, and can be done with efficiency by following the steps that we discussed in 5 Steps to Efficient Learning, 4 Steps to Efficient Studying, and 3 Steps to Efficient Teaching.  Here is a brief look at the steps which should be taken in each stage of the education process:

Learning
 - Place & Time
 - Appropriate Skills & Knowledge
 - Engage with Others
 - Persevere through Patience
 - Plan for More

Studying
 - Evaluate
 - Correct
 - Apply
 - Repeat

Teaching
 - Be Prepared
 - Be Engaging
 - Be Fair


Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

3 Steps to Efficient Teaching

The educational process is not complete if we do not share with others what we have learned and studied. Teaching is how we can best share what we have both learned and studied.  In prior posts it has been written how to be efficient at learning ( 5 Steps to Efficient Learning ) and efficient at studying ( 4 Steps to Efficient Studying ), now here are three steps which can be taken to be efficient at teaching:

1) Be prepared.
It is difficult, if not nearly impossible, to just "wing-it" when teaching.  As skilled and quick thinking as some may be, it is highly recommended that prior to teaching we take the time to prepare on the subject area, skill, standard, knowledge, etc. that is to be covered.  Part of preparation should also include how those who are being taught may react to the material being presented.

2) Be Engaging.
Connect with those you will be teaching. As we teach, we engage in studying, learning, thinking, and communicating.  A good teacher knows how to engage what is being taught by building connections which can lead to searching for further information.  It is by building these connections that teachers make the most valuable contribution to education which is the search for further knowledge and clearer understanding.

3) Be Fair.
It is understandable that developing connections with those whom we are teaching will develop uniquely to each individual, but we must be firm in being fair and balance as we are teaching.  If we are unfair, and treat some with a more favorable approach, we will become responsible for creating an unbalanced education environment where some will succeed and some will fail.

As educators we are constantly taking part in the different stages of the educational process: Learning, Studying, Teaching.  To become efficient educators, it is key that we also become efficient in each of the stages within the educational process.  The better we are at each stage, the better we will be at the overall process and in turn, we will be able to help others go from being uneducated to becoming life-long educated.


Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

4 Steps to Efficient Studying

Education is a process by which individuals go from uneducated to educated.  This process can be broken down into three steps: Learning, Studying, and Teaching.  There is great labor involved in becoming educated.  It is not an easy task.  There is so much knowledge and we are limited by the time we have available in which one can become educated.  In a prior post, 5 Steps to Efficient Learning, we covered some steps which can be taken toward efficient learning.  Now it is time to move from learning to studying.  It is not enough that we learn various skills and a vast amount of knowledge, we must study what we have learned.  Studying helps to further understanding of what we have learned.  Studying is the second step that should be taken when becoming educated.

1) Evaluate what has been learned.
 Make a through evaluation of what you have learned.  Although grades, GPA's, and other forms of evaluation are available, come up with your own method of measuring the value of what you have learned.

2) Correct what has been learned.
Fix any mistakes which may have been learned.  It is possible to misunderstand or not be clear when we learn, which is why we study and correct any errors in our learning.

3) Apply what has been learned.
Put  what you have learned to work.  Don't let your learning become stalled and inactive, find our what happens when you apply what you know to real life problems and situations.

4) Repeat what has been learned.
Try and try again until becoming comfortable with what you have learned.  One of the best ways to both study and learn is to practice until reaching perfection.


Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

1st Day of Autumn

Today is the first day of autumn.
The foliage is changing colors,
soon the leaves will fall.

But which leaf will fall first?
Who will be the first leaf to leave 
the tree branch where it once was held?

The chlorophyll is slowly waning.
Soon the clouds will begin raining.
Green yields to orange, red, and brown.

They will no longer be photosynthesizing,
but they will still be metamorphosizing.
Decomposing its nutrients into the top soil.

Today is the first day of autumn.
The foliage is changing colors,
Soon the leaves will fall.


Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

5 Steps to Efficient Learning

Learning is quite laborious.  It is a challenge to learn, and for some of us, it can be a difficult challenge to overcome.  To help those who struggle with learning, and to make the labor of learning more efficient, we present he following 5 Steps to Efficient Learning.

1. FIND A PLACE & MAKE TIME.  It is important for those who are learning to have an adequate place where learning can take place.  This can be the library or media center in school or city.  One can also choose a place in the house, for example a study place, the living room, bedroom desk, etc.  The place chosen should provide a positive learning environment and be free of possible distractions which may interfere with the educational process.  Time is also an important factor to take into account. Too much time will lead to overwhelming and burnout.  Too little time will not allow for proper learning development. Choose an amount of time which is adequate for the task. Recommended time ranges from 30 minutes up to 3 hours.
2. CHOOSE APPROPRIATE SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE.  As students progress through their education they must choose which skills or knowledge are appropriate for them to learn.  Learning builds on learning, and it is recommended that students begin with a basic introduction before moving on to more advanced subject areas.
3. ENGAGE WITH OTHERS.  Share what you learn.  Argumentation is a great way for learners to share what they have reviewed, practice, and studied.  By engaging with others we can expand our knowledge and skills, while providing the possibility for innovation and imagination.
4. PERSEVERE THROUGH PATIENCE.  Patience is needed to learn.  Much of becoming educated comes from attempting that which may be either unknown or unfamiliar to us.  It comes from taking risks and being wrong at times even in front of our classmates.  But we keep trying and trying and ask for help until success is reached.
5. PLAN FOR MORE.  Learning is never ending. It can take a lifetime and one can dedicate their life toward the pursuit and development of an area of interest.  There is more learning to be achieved through the many established educational levels: Grade school, High school, College, Grad school, Work and Employment, and some learning which is entirely up to us to master and unlock.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Learning is Education's Labor

It takes a great deal of learning to become educated.
Learning is a great deal of labor.
It follows then,
that in order to become educated,
One must labor a great deal through learning.

Although labor is hard work,
it is worth doing, worth pursuing,
for its output is often a great reward.

When learning is the labor,
education is the output,
and education is a great reward.
It is worth pursuing, it is worth doing.

A student should work, and work hard, at learning.
Students should learn how to learn.
Students who learn how to learn
can become educated sooner
and with less difficulties
in a supportive learning environment.

How can a student work hard at learning?
1) Find a place and make time to learn.
2) Choose appropriate skills/knowledge to be learned.
3) Engage with others and share what's been learned.
4) Persevere through patience.
5) Plan to learn furthermore.


Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

September 2014

Education is the fruit we harvest at the end of a long season of learning.  As educators we hope that the seeds of knowledge which we plant in our students take root and grow to produce a bountiful harvest.  As students we hope that the knowledge presented to us feeds us into the future.  Support is also needed from parents and the community to nurture and care for students and educators all throughout the learning season.

Learning is a long and arduous journey whose season is just beginning.  We are in the early stages of this journey and care must be taken to prevent fatigue from overcoming us as we undertake this journey.  Patience must also be an important component through this process, as it takes time for seeds to germinate, and young blooming saplings to become fruit producing trees.

Learning is the labor which must be done to achieve education.  If students want to succeed, it is recommended that they labor throughout the school year.  This they can achieve through self-dicipline and self-sacrifice as well as vision and organization. Students must also know that although they bear the responsibility of learning and studying, they are not alone in their educational labors.  As educators, part of our responsibility to help our students succeed lies in our availability to the students.  As we commence this journey let's do our best to become available resources of support  for our students, so we may both take pride in the fruit to be harvested come our journey's end.


Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.