Now, I also find acronyms moderately annoying--too many places use acronyms that are unwieldy and make sense only to those special people who are "in" and are privy to their meaning. Of course, there are places that thrive on acronyms, like the Military, but acronyms are so ingrained in their culture that acronyms are a way of life...and probably always will be. Then again, texting has brought a whole new life to acronyms...and so their use is no longer the exclusive domain of war rooms and board rooms.
Anyhow, back to buzzwords...while taking a class in instructional strategies, I discovered I was having tremendous difficulty staying awake and comprehending the textbook we were using. It took me several failed attempts to learn anything of consequence from the book when I realized that it was because I kept tripping over the many educational buzzwords that were generously sprinkled throughout every paragraph.
The other thing I discovered is in educational scholarship, it is very important to cite the many researchers and their theories of learning and teaching. Now, I totally understand how important it is to learn from other researchers and psychologists about how effective teachers teach and how students learn. I get that. However, as a teacher in the trenches, I (1) don't have time to learn about all the theories,
(2) am not really interested in who made the discoveries, and
(3) just want to know how I can apply what I learn to how I teach in the classroom.
There are some amazing researchers who have come up with some amazing theories. Some of them are even worthwhile. ;-) However, I'm more practical. How can I use this in my classroom? What specifically can I do to apply this?
That's why I have to recommend an awesome book full of practical, tangible suggestions that I can really apply...without being contaminated with educational buzzwords. It's by Dr. Harry Wong, called "The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher" This is the most awesome book on classroom management, (and was our textbook for our Classroom Management class) and is priced reasonably (less than $20 from Amazon.com) and even includes a DVD of a series of presentations by Harry Wong. Practical applications. That's exactly what I need. Otherwise I may have to go ideate on some best practices involving the psychomotor domain.
<gack>
OK, maybe not. I know I'm keeping Harry Wong's book, but I think I'm going to sell back my buzzword-filled volume back to Amazon.com.