Creative Commons – Public Domain (Front page of original music 1907)
A new year is upon us and I have been away from work for two weeks. I have taken the opportunity to have fun one more time with a posting. I promise I will be good and bring you some great resources as soon as I get the left side of my brain cranked up again. The right side of my brain dedicates this posting to the golden memories of school days. Many people suggest that school really hasn’t changed through the years. I invite you to take a trip back in time and listen to the song “School Days” written by Will Cobb and Gus Edwards. Be sure to read about the song’s history. Also listen to the original 1907 version sung by Byron G. Harlon on both cylinders and 78 rpm recordings. The Cylinder Restoration Project is an interesting visit and could stimulate some interesting lessons. My point; times really have changed, but has instructional transformation kept up with the pace of this change? I’ll let you decide. Below, I have added on to those original verses in order to help us reflect on changes made, not made, or still to be considered. Feel free to sing along with the newly created lyrics and enjoy a moment of reflection. Maybe someone in 2110 will discover this posting and reminisce! As always, please visit me at my 21centuryedtech Wiki and I wish you all the best as you make new strides in the new year! After all, these are the good old days!
– Mike (mgorman@sacs.k12.in.us) Twitter At – mjgormans
School Days– Edison Records – Writers Gus Edwards/Will Cobb – Artist Byron G. Harlon – 1907
First part of the 20th Century – days that our parents and grand parents were so familiar with
School Days, School Days
Dear old golden rule days
Reading, and writing and ‘rithmetic
Taught to the tune of a hickory stick
You were my queen in Calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
You wrote on my slate I loved you so
When we were a couple of kids
Second part of the 20th Century – days I grew up in along with many of you. Remember the excitement of watching a movie backwards?
School Days, Schools Days
Let’s go challenge the rules days
Lectures and filmstrips in monotone
Taught with the threat of a note sent home
You were the girl in a mini skirt
I wore bells with a bright red shirt
I sent you a note and tried to flirt
When we were a couple of kids
First part of the 21st Century – I think anyone in education can relate with the changes we are seeing
School Days, School days
Oh, what are the rules these days
Powerpoints and Smartboards and Ebook Time
Daily updates of grades on line
You were the girl whose jeans would drag
I was the boy whose trousers sagged
I’d text on my cell, replies would lag
When we were a couple of kids
Second Part of the 21st Century – these lryics really will depend on educators’ responses to necessary transformation
Possiblity One
School days, School days
Didn’t need no rule days
Distant, and online, and all alone
No need to leave the four walls of home
I was the pink haired avatar
You were the girl from oh, so far
In Second Life we drove a car
When we were a couple of kids
Possibility Two
School days , School days
Mutual respect of rules days
Learning and solving with goals in mind
Amazed at all the solutions we’d find
You were the high tech collaborator
I was the designer and fabricator
We dreamed of what we’d all be later
When we were a couple of kids
Wishing you the very best as you keep trying to integrate the technology and transform instruction. I really do believe that the very best of School Days are still ahead of us! I appreciate the emails and comments each and every one of you sends. It really is a true inspiration! I also appreciate any twittering or passing along of this blog. I will get back to finding some great resources to share for the next post! – Mike (Twitter at mjgormans) (email at mailto:mgorman@sacs.k12.in.us (Wiki at 21centuryedtech Wiki)
21 st Century Educational Technology and Learning 