9 years

Happy Birthday to Google, who is celebrating its 9th birthday today, Sept. 27, 2007!

It would have to be on the 27th, wouldn't it...

Harmless Online [dot] net

The technology class that I am teaching is going to be run like a corporation. The computer lab will be my office and the students will be my employees.

Here is a copy of the welcome letter that I sent home for their parents to sign.

I went all out and got my own domain name in order to use Google Apps. It cost me a whopping $10 for a year to get the domain name, but the Google interface is free. I have given each of my students their own personal e-mail, and once we get through the first semester, which will only be keyboarding, we might tackle some projects. Besides word and excel, I would like to get them to make a class webpage, and possibly a weekly newsletter.

Although right now I think I am having more fun than they are.

Clever

I keep these quotes posted all over the walls of my room. Every once in a while I will walk past one and remember why I put it up there to begin with. I will see the meaning behind the quote afresh.

This quote had that affect on me the other day:

"Education without values,

as useful as it is,

seems rather to make man

a more clever devil."

C.S. Lewis

It isn't enough that I teach computers, math or science. Teaching them how to solve equations or how to create a presentable document on a computer will leave them lacking. They must not only learn how to do their homework, they must learn that they should do their homework.

I am not talking about showing them the benefits of doing their homework, or what they can get out of being successful at their homework. I am talking about teaching them that doing their homework is the right thing to do. The teaching should even go to that next step. They should learn that working hard is good, whether or not they get something good out of it. It pleases their creator when they choose to do their best.

Without these values, education is is pointless.

I found this two days ago on my white board.

I'll confess, I didn't erase it for a day. I didn't know why at first, and I hate to admit it, but I really like it when this happens.

I know, I know. Whichever student who wrote this probably went around to every teacher's board and wrote I ♥ (teacher's name). I know that is probably what happened.

In fact, I know that is what happened because I saw that on a couple of the other boards. But it still makes you feel good.

This is why we are commanded to let all of our words be useful for edification(Eph. 4:29). Our words should build others up, and as much as our culture is one that glorifies sarcasm and insult, the words of the Christians should be reflecting something different.

Whichever student you were that wrote this, and to all of the students that have written this on my board, or on the edge of the homework, or on the top of a sticky-note stack on my desk... Thank You.

Glorious

The Christian life is a glorious life. Those who try to live the Christian life before they have reached it do not find it glorious, but those who have 'got it' find it a life full of unspeakable joy and glory.
Percy Parker

There are plenty of people out there that try to live the Christian life, but they are miserable, because they are attempting to do it in their own strength. Sometimes they try to live this way because its "just the right way!" or because "that's the way I was raised!" There are many teenagers who are struggling to live this Christian life, because their parents have laid that out for them.

But to those who seek to walk this walk without its accompanying grace, they walk a miserable walk.

The flip side to this idea that I wanted to mention are those who are in Christ Jesus, but never enjoy this to its fullness. Now, I don't believe that a person who never chooses to follow after Christ is a disciple or ever was a disciple. A disciple is one who follows, so I am not saying that. I am referring to the people who are in Christ, they are seeking to follow Christ, but they stop short of the fullness.

This is a temporary time in a Christian's life, (Phil. 1:6 says that we can be confident that He who began the good work will continue to perform it) but for some it can go on for years. It reminds me of the kid who would go down the big hill on his dirt bike, but would always slide his feet all the way down. He has committed to the hill, he is going down the hill, but he misses out on the breeze in his face and the thrill of the ride because he is afraid. What the boy doesn't realize is that he is actually increasing his chances of a wreck by trying to defy the laws of gravity.

This isn't a perfect illustration, because the Christian walk is a walk that involves work. But the emphasis of this post is to point out what so many Christians are missing out on.

By the way, so many times as a child I was the one who wouldn't commit to the big dirt hill. I would drag my feet all the way down, but I can remember when I finally worked up the courage to just go full throttle down that hill. I never went back to my former method.

New School

Sorry I haven't been posting on this blog lately. I have been really busy with the beginning of school. I have several different classes to prepare for this year, and that has kept me extra busy.

Here is my current school schedule:
(Brought to you through Google Docs & Spreadsheets)


I have also been working on a school blog. It isn't official yet, but I am getting it up and running anyway. Click here to see it. I just put up a slide show of the first chapel's power point presentation. There are also links on that blog for the school's main site if you care to see it.

I have tons more that I would love to share, but I just don't have the time to do it. Bye for now.