Tag Archives: learning

I’m an educator, which means I’m naturally drawn to things that encourage and improve student learning. I’m also a child of the late 70’s and 80’s, which means I grew up surrounded by the original Star Wars trilogy – Episodes IV, V, and VI, respectively. I collected hundreds of action figures, I’ve watched all 3 films literally dozens of times, my room was lit by a Darth Vader lamp, I’ve owned at least half a dozen light sabers, and I even had a “Return of the Jedi” bedspread for a few years. (Come to think of it, those films probably had an impact on my subsequent interest in science and astronomy.)

Yoda, the Jedi Master, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic teachers in film history. He challenged his naïve, young apprentice Luke not just to master new skills, but to entirely change the way he thinks and perceives the world.

Today I stumbled across the following images in my Twitter feed, and I plan to print them and hang them on the door to my classroom. They summarize for me the mindset changes that are necessary for any kind of success – not just classroom academics, but in any endeavor – in the 21st century. Despite some Google searches, I still don’t know who published them originally, so I will start with this disclaimer: No copyright violation is intended. I am happy to give credit where credit is due.

Anyway, here they are: Yoda and Vader, representing the Good and Evil of learning.