"Suddenly a white rabbit with pink eyes ran close by her. There was nothing so very remarkable in that; nor did Alice think it so very much out of the way to hear the Rabbit say to itself, "Oh dear! I shall be too late!"
Seconds later - in hot pursuit of the Rabbit - Alice tumbles down a hole and ends up in Wonderland, where nothing is quite as it seems. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, a timeless masterpiece by Lewis Carroll, combines exquisite logic and lunacy, and a host of characters that are silly, serious and droll. Of course there is Alice, the curious young lady, who asks many questions and keeps changing sizes. You may remember the White Rabbit, who often appears when Alice is lost and needs direction. The caterpillar is the only character that listens carefully to Alice and asks profound questions. Then there are the queen and king, the mock turtle and gryphon. And, of course, there is the illusive Cheshire cat. Do you identify with a character on a particular day?
You
may be saying to yourself, "What does Alice's Adventures
in Wonderland have to do with teaching?" A story is
often a wonderful method to make a point. As new teachers in the
Florida Alternative Certification Program, you are currently embarking
on an adventure for which you will need intellect, curiosity, humor,
and a host of other talents. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
captures many of those traits and more. For example, a classic quote
from the book relates to planning. "If you don't know where
you're going, any place will do." The duchess summed things
up rather well when speaking to Alice, "Everything's got a
moral, if only you can find it."
You will not be expected to read the book; quotes and characters will be woven into the on-line materials. However, on-line resources are available if you become curious to learn more about the book, characters or author. Did you know that Alice was a real girl named Alice Liddell? The author used the pen name of Lewis Carroll. His real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a man of diverse interests in the sciences, philosophy and mathematics. He was happiest in the company of children creating games, riddles and puzzles for their enjoyment, a teacher in the truest sense.
Click to see an example introduction found within the Ed-Ventures!
(The above video requires |
The training components have been named "Ed-ventures" to reflect our belief that becoming an accomplished teacher is not just an adventure, but an ed-venture! The entire curriculum has been influenced by input from peer mentors and first-year teachers who participated in a pilot program. A variety of learning activities and readings have been identified so that you and your support team can design your curriculum to meet your needs, now. The assessment tasks will expand your knowledge of the Educator Accomplished Practices and document your success in the Florida Alternative Certification Program. Our hope is that you have fun as you learn and master the many skills involved in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices. And, at the end of a long day, you can smile while remembering the queen whose ineffective solution to everything is, "Off with their heads!" |
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