Today’s Schools and Education

In my current job as President/COO at Interactive Digital MultiMedia, Inc. I have deeply involved with learning more and more about today’s schooling system and the education provided. In that capacity I have been talking to Teachers, School Administrators, Researchers, and Students. I am VERY not happy with what I am seeing and hearing!

When I went to school, the standing joke was we were in prison. Today it is almost so! They even have “lockdowns” like they do in prison, you are required to wear an ID badge like many prisons require, and in many, if not most, schools, there are metal detectors at the entry points. Is this an environment that is conducive to learning? I think not! Students and Teachers are more worried about safety than they are about learning and teaching!

The next problem with today’s schools and education is the teachers don’t have the ability to write their own teaching plans, they have to follow a set plan, only altering it just a bit. And the emphasis is no longer on learning subjects but on mastering a test, FCATs, at least here in Florida. Now, in general, I think that FCATs are a good idea, but not the way they are currently using them. Add to that it is impossible to flunk someone now, and everyone must win/etc. Competition is all but forbidden in school now.

To do that though, there would need to be some loosening up on the curriculum and not making it “politically correct”. Teach history like it happened, and not like we would like it to have happened. Teach subjects that get the kids involved, and that open debate and excitement! Allow for competition. I’ve read were many of the “Educators” here in Florida think competition is BAD for people. I disagree. That is what has caused new growth, new products, and growth in life! Competition is great, and these students need to know that they will not always win in life. Having everyone “win” in a ball game or education or life isn’t real, and there will be times when loss happens.

Now, in business, the goal is to make it a win win situation. But even there, there will often be “losers” to an extent!

Parents, get back into your children’s lives and help them learn! Rejuvenate the desire to learn and the desire to do well and excel!

Another book won!

Yesterday my fourth book ( ) from InBubbleWrap.com arrived in the mail!

I’m telling ya folks, if you are into reading business and self help books, this is a web site you should be checking daily! He holds a daily “contest” to see who will win a new book each day! All you have to do is read over the “ad” for the book, click on a link, answer two silly, and yes, I mean silly, questions, and you have a good chance of winning a great book! All of the books I have read are “main line” books, often just recently out, that have been (with one exception) well worth the read!

So, if you read business/self help books, go to InBubbleWrap.com and get to checking it out! No, I make no money on this, no I don’t win more for advertising it for InBubbleWrapGuy, and yes, I stand the chance of not winning as much, but this is too good not to share!

Fun day at the airport!

When I got into the office today this was sitting outside of my front door:

As I was taking that picture and a couple of others, this aircraft (looks like it is sitting on building in front of the pickup truck) was coming in for a landing:

I love my office space!

(Clicking on the pictures will bring up a bigger picture you can see better. Also, the DC9 has a couple of other views available on the Gallery site.)

Titles

When someone goes to school and gets their Bachelor’s degree, followed by a Masters, and concludes it with a Ph.D. I think they earned the right to be called Dr. when you address them with a title. It irkes me no end when I receive mail from people, especially companies, that know I have a Ph.D. but they address me as Mr. Donald M. Bell. Now, if they don’t use a title (don’t put the Mr. there) I don’t care, I’m OK with that. But if they use a title, it needs to be Dr., not Mr. I spent a lot of time doing the school work, writing the dissertation and presenting it, getting the peer reviews over the years, etc. Give me that respect to give me the title I earned!

All of my business mail I sign with Dr. Donald M. Bell, and in all the contracts I sign (business wise) I put in Dr. Donald M. Bell. When I call these companies, I introduce myself as Dr. Bell for so and so. They should know I have the Ph.D. Give me that respect.

In one case, I informed the company that if they use a title please use the Dr. I still get mail from them, business mail, addressed to Mr. Donald Bell. For some reason I feel that is just wrong….

Ok, sorry for venting, but I just feel that if a person earns that title, give it to them!