When we come to an intersection in a road, it is usually a fairly easy choice as to which way we need to turn based on where we need to go.  But on some occasions, we may just be out for a friendly drive and take a chance on the turns we make.  In these instances, some of our turns may lead us down a road where wonderful treasures can be found or great scenery can be viewed.  Other times, we may end up in a part of town that may not be what we are used to.  But regardless, we are never lost, only temporarly misplaced! :)   In Dr. Lowell’s blog, he makes reference to a blog in which he reads called Time Goes By in which the author discusses how a teacher had the ability to stagnate her desire to become a writer at the early age of 15.   Dr. Lowell talks about how this is a prime example of how culture and education meets at an intersection. (phaedrus » Blog Archive » Time Goes By: Here’s an intersection of Culture and Education.)

I found this blog to be very enlightening because it provides a perfect example of how adults view concepts differenly then children and on more occasions than not, are not open minded enough to help water the garden that lives within children’s minds.  As educators, hopefully we are older than the children we teach (especially at the elementary and secondary levels) and our culture will be much different then the culture our students are experiencing.  But we still are responible for providing them with an educational experience that will help them to flourish in any and all areas that interest them, much like the 15 year old girl in Time Goes By who felt she had written a wonder creative story in which “Houses had Personalities” but her teacher, which was from a different culture, had another opinion about her story.

Dr. Lowell presents the questions: Does it happen today? Could it happen today? What effect has technology had on Education or Culture that would have any bearing on a teacher’s ability to gut punch a kid like this?  In my opinion, it does still happen today in more classrooms than not!  Technology does play a role in culture and education but I am not sure that it has helped to eliminate the gut punching of children in classrooms throughout the world!