Problems with Teacher Education and ETM3

In my personal blog, I wrote about some of the problems I see with teacher education. It is a little long but please read it if you have the time. My main argument was the primary problem with teacher education is that students take classes just to receive the credit they need to get their licenses and not because they have any interest in the class. This, I believe, can lead to students to view learning as "just doing what you are being told to do" rather than something you do to satisfy your own curiousity.
Recently, I realized that I might have been giving ETM3 members too many detailed blogging assignments causing you to lose interest in blogs as a means to share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with other people and to get their reactions. This week, I would like you to write about anything you want to (But if you do not want to write, then don't write). For example, Pinch Hitter has written about his experience teaching English in Kitakami. Happy Days has written about her once in a lifetime chance as a nursing home volunteer (a requirement to get your teacher's license) . Happy Days also has asked for some advice on how she should prepare to teach all subjects for her elementary school teaching practice. Maybe some students who have already done her elementary school teaching practice can give her some advice! Reading these two blogs have given me some hope for teacher education. Despite the problems, we have many dedicated aspiring teachers who will some day make wonderful contributions to education in Japan.