Viata in lumea desenelor animate

                        Viata in Romania este aidoma unui serial ce ar putea purta titlul: ” Nici un moment de plictiseala”. In acest serial , noua, electoratului ni s-a repartizat rolul masei amorfe, a fundalului monocrom, a zgomotului de fond in timp ce pe ecran zburda in voie personaje mai mult sau mai putin conturate dar pline de vioiciune.

  Cu cativa ani in urma o telespectatoare  il caracteriza , cu o urma de disperare/lehamite in glas pe actualul presedinte al Senatului:  ” El este ….un desen animat!”  Imaginea plastica era menita sa puna in evidenta lipsa de continut al personajului, aparenta de volum care disparea imediat cum…intorceai foaia si te trezeai in fata lumii 2D.  Daca ar fi  fost singurul politician  schematic pe esichierul  politic romanesc , ar fi  fost chiar amuzant si i s-ar fi  trecut cu vederea inconsistenta caracterului.

    Din pacate insa, peisajul nostru politic este puternic cantonat in aceasta lume a figurinelor din …betigase. Din panoplia acestora face parte  in egala masura Popeye-Marinarul  de la Cotroceni, alaturi de cea mai recenta achizitie,  Mickey-Mouse din fruntea Guvernului. Impreuna cu subalternii lor din divers coloratele partide politice, ei  s-au instalat in viata noastra 3D si incearca din rasputeri s-o reduca la a lor.

     Se spune despre poporul roman ca are spirit gregar si face haz de necaz cu usurinta.  Si in acest caz am putea bineinteles sa radem cu lacrimi cand ii vedem sau ii auzim vorbind pe alesii nostri. Ar fi amuzant daca ei  ar fi personaje  dintr-o fictiune; din pacate ei… ni se intampla noua si nu e deloc amuzant.  Desenele noastre animate nu sunt simpatice; sunt mediocre, tupeiste, ne dau cu tifla si ne trag de urechi. In 24 de ani de ” activitate fructuoasa” au reusit sa arunce o serioasa pata pe ideea de politic si pe cea de democratie.  Institutiile  fundamentale ale statului au ajuns sa fie privite/pe buna dreptate/ cu totala neincredere. Am ajuns intr-o oarecare masura de unde am plecat: trebuie sa ne descurcam  singuri si nu e nimeni care sa ne ajute.

      Poate singurul efect pozitiv al vietii “Cartoon Network” este solidaritatea pe care pare-se ca am inceput s-o regasim in acesta toamna. Stim bine ca acesti Lolek si Bolek  vor da din maini si din picioare ca sa ramana pe marele ecran al vietii noastre. Vor inventa noi si noi stratageme si vor face front comun impotriva noastra. Ei au cel mai mult de pierdut.

      Dar noi avem o sansa noua si poate, vom gasi si radiera care sa curete ecranul de figurinele jalnice care l-au invadat. Uniti, avem o sansa!  Poate vom rescrie povestea noastra, dar de asta-data, pentru noi si pentru cei ce vor urma.

     Stimati concetateni! Va doresc (si imi doresc)…putere si inspiratie!

Fantasy: The Encounter

THE   ENCOUNTER

 

 

 

That morning she woke up in the middle of a dream. She almost fell off the bed trying to get back to reality. In her dream she was carried away by an invisible stream, flowing along the pathways of the Milky Way. It has been wonderful out there and the cold, grey autumn morning painfully shocked her senses.

She tottered towards the bathroom and the bubbling, icy water washed away the dizziness. She had a short breakfast and while the cat was purring at her feet, she almost spilled the milk on the floor. She banged the door behind her and ran downstairs, taking two steps at the time.

A sudden blow of wind shook the row of lime and chestnut trees, whirling up and down, blending copper leaves and dust, rolling shining balls of chestnut along the streets. The old Jaguar coughed and started slowly, rolling out of the garage. Sally drove carefully, peeking up from time to time to the troubled skies. The ragged sheets of rain clouds hung lazily from above like smoke laces…

The day at the office passed without any significant event. The place was crowded and noisy, filled with people crawling around. Eight hours of continuous buzzing left Sally with a light headache. She soon realized that all she needed was a long walk on the beach. She loved the restlessness of the sea and the salty breeze filling the air.

She left her car near the passage and walked down the stairs. Chilling blows of wind were hitting the sand and rippled the surface of the sea. Hungry fingers of foam were pointing towards the swirling clouds and then falling back, melting in the troubled heart of the sea. Yellow grains of sand were rolling in frenzy with a harsh sound, like the tail of an invisible, giant dragon running across the beach…

Sitting on the top of a cliff right above the stormy waters, Sally watched dreamingly the ceaseless movement of Nature. A strangely shaped dark mass, moving slowly trough the steel-blue waters caught suddenly her eyes. A long, dark brown neck, covered by an oily skin emerged from the sea. The head was small, triangular, with thin nostrils and a large mouth. It was a lizard’s face, but the eyes were entirely different. They were large, dark blue, spotted by golden sparks. Sally and the creature stared at each other for a moment, and then he gracefully immerged in the waves and disappeared.

The girl stood there holding her breath, trying to keep in her memory as much as she could about that soft, gleaming look in the eyes of that wonderful creature.

“Nobody would ever believe this…-she thought. Maybe it’s better like this.”

Like getting out of a world of dreams, she looked around.  It was getting late. She resumed her pace and turned home.

 

A piece of fantasy : The clash

The    clash

When I first arrived to this place I was enthralled by its particular beauty. My house nested in the ocean of gracious weeds under the cast canopy of open skies. The air was soft and the wind tasted like cinnamon. There was so much light and so much space that I felt myself melting in this peaceful vastness. Under the shower of light it was easy to overlook the only dark spot of the landscape. Somewhere down the slopes there was a tiny forest, its deep green  looking  almost black to me from that distance.

As soon as I moved in the house, I plunged into my work. I had a novel to finish and my editor kept on pushing me. So during the day I kept working hard in my room and left the evenings for myself. The night skies always excited me with their show of stars, while the wind was whispering around about the marvels of the world. The smell of the overheated land, of the grass and the perfume of the flowers were blending together in great harmony. It was a place beyond Time and it looked like it would last forever.

Since my work has improved I decided to take a break and spend my next days wandering around. Shortly after the first ray of light knocked on my window I stepped out and looked over the large meadow. Eerie misty creatures were leaving the grass, curling towards the skies while small drops of dew were sparkling like hidden jewels. In the middle of daydreaming I had a shock. The forest has moved closer. The dark patch of landscape was growing bigger and I could almost see the shape of the trees. I stared at this new discovery in deep disbelief, unable to find a reasonable answer to the question ringing in my head. So I decided to put an end to the mystery and I took a pathway towards the forest.

In less than half an hour I was nearby it. While I was approaching the first line of trees I felt a sudden change in the air. Everything was different here. The air was clod and still, the wind died out and the silence was at home here. It was like stepping from the light into a deep, dense shadow.

It was the most unusual forest. The trees were high and almost black, with thick foliage that made the canopy so dense that the light hardly crossed it. Since there was no wind, nothing was moving around, not even a leaf. Still, the forest seemed to move slowly, like a dark, giant snail. With all my senses alert, I could feel a slight trembling under my feet, like hungry roots fingering the soil in search for a better way to move on. I touched the ground and it felt warm, slightly pulsating. I touched a tree and it trembled under my touch. I was puzzled…Suddenly, everything went wild! I was trapped inside a maelstrom of emotions and above all there was PAIN. Deep, heartbreaking, hopeless, excruciating pain…The forest was crying out its misery, weeping over a nameless loss. Shaken by this powerful burst of emotion pouring over me from all sides I’ve lost track and found myself lost in the depth of this strange entity. Soon I realized that a strong wind was shaking the trees around me and the air filled with dust.

The storm came roaring, rolling over the plain, rippling the surface of the ocean of weeds. Reaching the forest it unleashed all its destructive power, smashing branches and leaves. Huge whirlwinds tried to grab the trees and pluck them out from the roots. In the dim light the trees looked like distorted creatures with hungry fingers trying to grab me. While I stumbled across decaying logs and branches, the storm reached its climax. The whole forest was shaking and in an instant I realized that she needed me. She reached out and touched my soul, filling it with its own despair. In that very moment I understood that this wasn’t just an ordinary storm. In fact it was a battle fought for many times and the forest has lost most of them. She had moved away, hiding from her enemy, carefully preserving what has remained from her greatness. Now it was the last battle and the forest was fighting for its life.

I didn’t know what she expected from me but I relaxed and let her inside me. For a moment frozen in time I WAS THE FOREST. I burst out with all my energy and smashed the whirling winds. The skies cracked and the bolt of lightning hit me hard. Blurred and dizzy I fell back, loosing my conscience.

I woke up in bed shivering and all soaked up. Did I have a nightmare? I ran to the window and opened it. A rain-washed air blew in my face, bringing a bitter taste of ozone. The forest was still there. She looked a little ragged but hopeful. Some of her proud trees were smashed to the ground but she hasn’t lost her dignity. There was a significant change in colors and for the first time the light felt at home in there. The ground was shifting and the long kept, hidden seeds were about to start a new life.

The forest touched my soul again. Her pain has vanished and she was at ease with itself. I felt warmth and happiness and I knew she was thankful…

Exhausted but fulfilled I turned to my desk and started to type another chapter for my book.

A piece of fantasy: The dream

THE DREAM

 

 

 

The sudden scream tore the silence of the night. Josh stood up abruptly and a cold sweat ran down his spine. He was shivering while he tried to get o glimpse of the dim light of the yellow moon, fingering the Venetian blinds. He has just had a nightmare and everything seemed so wrong around him.

Then, the window opened violently and the cold north wind rushed into the room and lifted him up. Before he could even realize what was really happening, he was flowing helplessly out of the window, carried away by the strong air wave.

He was high above in the tormented skies, sickened by the dizziness he felt swirling in his head. The north wind unexpectedly stopped above a sharp crevasse and dropped Josh into the abyss below. With a growing nausea he stared in horror while the surface of the Earth was getting closer and closer. The crevasse lay silently like a monstrous eye, fixing him with a hungry look. Numbed by fear and weakened, Josh kept falling, screaming wildly…

The sudden scream tore the silence of the night. Josh stood upabruptly and a cold sweat ran down his spine…

He laughed a short, insane laugh…

The nightmare wasn’t over yet…

Scrisoare deschisa catre societate: POSDRU si/sau formele fara fond in educatie-autor: profesor Poenaru Dan

Starea invatamantului romanesc este unul din subiectele preferate ale media . Este un subiect “generos”  care a starnit multe pasiuni si “dezbateri” in spatiul respectiv. Este, de asemenea, subiectul la care pare ca se pricepe toata lumea…Sau poate nu?

Rar s-a intamplat  ca in ultimii 24 de ani sa aud o opinie competenta, bine conturata despre situatia reala si perspectivele acestui domeniu social fundamental. In  schimb s-au perindat pe la televiziuni un numar  ingrijorator de  chibitari, indivizi fara o opera academica consistenta, persoane care nu au si nu au avut vreun contact real si fundamentat cu nobila profesie de dascal, jurnalisti superficiali in goana dupa senzational, incapabili sa puna intrebarile potrivite interlocutorilor si la fel de incapabili in a decela raspunsurile cu sens de palavragelile goale.

Invatamantul, in speta cel preuniversitar este si  locul in care ” a prins” cel mai bine inventia numita ” Curs de perfectionare” girata pe bani (europeni) deloc neglijabili prin POSDRU. A prins atat de bine incat a devenit o adevarata industrie iar “efectele” ei sunt greu de contracarat; sunt tot mai  multi cei care profita de diplomele acordate si  de sumele  investite aici. De ani buni  societate romaneasca  se afla sub zodia nefasta a “formelor fara fond” generata de  mediocritatea politicului. Dar dintre toate domeniile societatii ,  invatamantul este cel care s-a dovedit cel mai vulnerabil la rasturnarea valorilor. Acest lucru s-a petrecut in momentul in care  niste  hartii  au ajuns sa prevaleze in fata muncii la clasa, in fata  vocatiei profesorului, a aprecierii de catre elevi si nu in ultimul rand in fata demnitatii dascalului.

Nu doresc sa acreditez  ideea ca perfectionarea continua a cadrelor didactice nu este in principiu, un demers util. Insa utilitatea sa  trebuie cuantificata pozitiv numai in cazul in care efectul cursurilor se oglindeste in rezultate corespunzatoare in munca la clasa. In mediul preuniversitar exista la ora actuala o inflatie de astfel de “diplome” fara acoperire, cursurile ele insele fiind, de cele mai multe ori, lamentabil de slabe stiintific si metodic. Propagatorii  acestor  “cursuri” incearca sa se ascunda dupa o pretinsa cunoastere a metodelor occidentale in ceea ce priveste procesul de educatie.

Daca aceste activitati colaterale ar ramane nivelul unei informari …de masa al cadrelor didactice, daunele produse procesului educativ nu ar fi prea mari. Problema apare insa in momentul in care  numarul diplomelor obtinute la aceste cursuri devine criteriu in mentinerea postului didactic. Se creeaza astfel conditii pentru umilirea unor profesori cu o activitate prodigioasa si prestigioasa la clasa , care nu au nevoie de aceste cursuri si care sunt pusi in inferioritate de  niste “colectionari” de puncte si hartii.  S-a ajuns pana acolo unde unui profesor cu vocatie, apreciat de elevi si parinti, precum si de Consiliul de conducere al scolii sa i se spuna de catre un factor de decizie : ” Stiu ca esti cel mai bun profesor dar degeaba,ca n-ai suficiente puncte.” (vezi…cursuri de perfectionare)

Din pacate ministerul continua cu entuziasm aceeasi politica dezastruoasa de evaluare a cadrelor didactice facand din vechea zicala: “Din greseala in greseala spre victoria finala” cea mai buna caracterizare a strategiei din sistemul de invatamant romanesc. Motivatia oficiala si publica  a acestor cursuri este aceea de a te instrui in solutii educative noi, revolutionare, nemaivazute care sa te scoata pe tine, dascal mult prea clasicizat,  din obisnuintele tale pedagogice care, chipurile, nu mai corespund cerintelor epocii.

Ca sa fiu mai explicit, voi da cateva exemple din cursurile pe care eu insumi le-am urmat. Ati auzit cumva de…Metoda cubului? Dar de cel al celor 6 palarii? Metoda…tzop?  Nu?  Sa va descriu Metoda cubului. Se confectioneaza un cub de marime medie din carton si se numeroteaza toate fetele. Pe fiecare fata in parte se inscriptioneaza  un subiect/o intrebare din obiectul de predare respectiv. Cubul este aruncat in fata clasei pe podea, urmand ca subiectul de discutie intre profesor si elevi sa fie determinat de ceea ce este inscris pe fata superioara a cubului.  In felul acesta elevii au putut intra in contact cu o noua metoda mult mai…relaxanta  etc,etc.

O alta metoda “moderna”: ati auzit de Metoda…tzop?! Inaintea unei ore mai solicitante ni s-a indicat sa procedam astfel : copiii sa formeze un cerc in fata clasei si sa numere din 4 in 4, urmand ca in locul numarului 4 ,8 etc. elevul respectiv sa spuna…tzop! Cei care vor spune 4, 8 etc si nu Tzop! cum cere jocul vor fi eliminati. Se continua acest demers pana la epuizarea cercului…si poate si a orei de curs, evident.

Desigur, pe mine cel putin, utilitatea acestor metode nu m-a convins; prezentarea de ex. a ultimului joc in primul sfert de ora al unei lectii de matematica in care predau, sa zicem,  notiunea de derivata la clasa a XI-a ar submina serios nu numai lectia in sine dar si increderea elevilor in demersul pedagogic si in… sanatatea mea mentala. Povestindu-le elevilor mei de o astfel de metoda am primit un raspuns relevant: “Domnule profesor, dar noi asa ceva faceam la cresa!”

Scriu toate aceste ca sa intelegeti de ce unii profesori ca mine nu vor abdica niciodata de la valorile care li s-au transmis de fostii lor profesori si de ce vom continua sa trecem prin filtrul gandirii noastre orice metode sau conceptii noi, indiferent de unde ar veni acestea. Bine ar fi ca tot ceea ce tine de perfectionarea dascalilor sa nu fie decis si implementat decat de profesori cu cel putin 20 de ani de munca la clasa, cu rezultate deosebite, apreciate de toti protagonistii din invatamant (elevi, parinti, profesori, directori) sau de profesori universitari cu activitate stiintifica prestigioasa si cu o aplecare recunoscuta in probleme de pedagogie si metodica.

Se pune deci intrebarea: putem oare sa plasam in topul profesorilor unei scoli sau dintr-un oras pe detinatorii celor mai multe diplome  fara ca acestea sa se reflecte cat de cat in rezultate meritorii la clasa? Raspunsul meu este un hotarat NU! In acest sens as propune eliminarea totala sau cel putin reducerea drastica a ponderii cursurilor de perfectionare  in evaluarea profesorilor. Cu fiecare zi ce trece, daunele produse sistemului educational romanesc de punctajul pe baza de…hartii sunt tot mai mari. Problema nu e noua dar ” avantajele” colectarii de puncte prin astfel de cursuri devine o obisnuinta…iar apoi, o “trebuinta”. Iar cei care au acumulat avantaje din acest mod de evaluare sunt tot mai multi si deloc interesati de schimbare.  Ei nu sunt interesati nici de calitatea prestatiei pedagogice, odata ce aproape ca nu conteaza in aprecierea…omului si dosarului.

Se mai poate face ceva? Da. Inca se poate, dar trebuie curaj pentru a schimba evaluarea aparentei in favoarea esentei. Trebuie doar ca cei ce traseaza parcursul  invatamantului romanesc sa hotarasca:  alegem redresarea sau continuam greseala?