It seems that no matter where you go, from San Miguel to Timbuktu, you’ll find people with their heads down, buried deeply into their smartphones. This is especially true of young people who can’t let a minute go by without checking their e-mail, or what’s new on Facebook, Snap Chat, or Twitter. One has to wonder how we ever survived without our personal devices.
The Midday Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende welcomes local author Frank Thoms to our June 4th meeting. Thoms will speak about the lost art of eyeball to eyeball communication as detailed in his book Listening is Learning: Conversations between 20th and 21st Century Teachers.
While Frank acknowledges the hold that smartphones have on the young (on all of us for that matter), a theme throughout the book advocates that face-to-face classrooms may be the last vestige of hope where children can discover the joy of being together without intermediary devices.
A deeper theme focuses on the essential role of forming personal relationships with every student and, in turn, inviting them to have one with their teacher.
Teaching, as most people realize, is an underappreciated profession. The notion of “those who can, do; those who can’t teach” resides deep in the culture. Listening in, however, on conversations with veteran and younger teachers will lift your spirits, bring you into the intricacies of engaged teaching, and inspire you to think there’s hope for our schools.
You will come away with a deeper appreciation for teachers who face students addicted to their digital devices. And, you may want to read the book or decide to give a copy to a teacher friend or family member
Join us on Tuesday, June 4th for this highly interesting and entertaining presentation with Frank Thoms. We’re located at Cafeteria San Miguel Essen, next to the yellow caboose on Sterling Dickenson.
Doors open at 9 AM with an optional breakfast for $100 pesos per person. The presentation will begin at 9:30 and is free.
What: Presentation
Title – Listening is Learning
Date, time: Tuesday, June 4th, 9:00AM
Where: San Miguel Essen
Address: Stirling Dickinson
Cost: Free/Breakfast 100 pesos
Rotary is where neighbors, friends and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders and take action to create lasting change. For more information, contact President Ivar Schacke at [email protected]
