Posted on 09/02/2009 10:42:10 AM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion
This is a heads up for those interested in education/homeschooling.My take is that this book, which is slanted toward teachers and contains allusions to political figures which mark the author as a "liberal," is one which conservatives can generally endorse, and argue from.
What follows is mostly the author's own words in his concluding chapter with, in some instances, my own paraphrase of the author.
People are naturally curious, but they are not naturally good thinkers. Think of material to be learned as answers, and take the time necessary to explain the questions.
Factual knowledge precedes skill. It is not possible to think well on a topic in the absence of factual knowledge
Memory is the residue of thought. What thought is provoked by a lesson is the central issue.
We understand new things in context of things we already know. Deep knowledge is the objective, but shallow knowledge inevitably comes first.
Proficiency requires practice. Students must practice what is important.
Cognition is fundamentally different early and late in training. Students can't create new knowledge unless they already have deep knowledge.
Intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work. Always talk about successes and failures in terms of effort, not ability.
Teaching must be practiced to be improved.
They generally don’t like it because it is work.
Kids who like to work like it a little better.
The main Homeschool Ping List handles the homeschool-specific articles. I hold both the Homeschool Ping List and the Another Reason to Homeschool Ping list. Please freepmail me to let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from either list, or both.
“THE” reason to home school !! MUST SEE !!
(maj barf alert)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMxOPvIohcM
No, I think they don’t like it because it is busywork, at least for the smart kids. There is nothing a first or second grader is learning that should have them at a desk for six or eight hours a day. Nothing. An hour or two of lessons, perhaps an hour of reading (alone or read to) and the rest of the day to play away from a tv set is what they need.
Kids learn early that school is boring and a waste of time. So they stop loving learning. They become good little robots, or get medicated, or just become delinquents.
Answer:
Because schools resemble prisons. Children ( who have committed no crime) are treated like prisoners. All of their First Amendment Rights are trashed( Speech, press, assembly, and free expression of religion). And....Children know if they try to escape, real police with real bullets in their guns will haul them before real judges in real courts. Children know that behind every government school teacher and principal stands the threat of real hard-time prison.
“Because schools resemble prisons.”
Indeed. Another reason they don’t like school is because the lessons are intensely dull, the homework is frustrating, and the tests are stressful. I don’t know of a more effective way to teach people to hate knowlege.
BTTT
I agree there are many secondary negatives. Wasted time among them. Nasty teachers. Nasty students. Low standards.
2. Students with more interest in "sports" than actual learning, with their parents having a similar attitude.
3. In poorer districts and even lower middle class districts, you have thugs who will harass you for fun, and worse.
4. In the wealthier districts, it is basically a competitive fashion show (uniforms NOW!).
5. You spend way too much time on subjects with little relevance to your actual interests/future career. This makes sense at the primary level, but there needs to be more flexibility at the high school level.
6. Too much of the work is done at home, rather than during the school day.
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