Because government schools are creating generations of illiterate slaves:
Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 07/05/2010 6:10:32 PM PDT by BruceDeitrickPrice
"Retreat from Learning--Why Teachers Can't Teach / A Case History" was published in 1955. Following review tells volumes about how schools got so dumb today.===========
[start review] Another of those excellent, poignant books written during the 1950s to explain why our public schools went to hell. Joan Dunn was smart, tough, loved teaching, loved her kids; but after about three years in the Brooklyn school system, gave up and wrote this first-person account, published in 1955, to explain her exit.
Dunn mentions reading in a daily paper about the Korean War. That time, roughly 1953, was the high watermark of progressive education proclaimed as such. Counterattack by people like Dunn made the name disreputable. In the coming decades, the same gimmicks would be repackaged under different names, again and again, alas.
Dunn taught a great range of high-school kids, from the slowest to the smartest. A lot of her story is anecdotal, with many quotes from the students.
As for her indictment of progressive education, I'll let her speak:
"The city high-school teacher...is overwhelmed first and foremost by the theory of progressive education, the classroom application of the philosophy of John Dewey. This man who changed the face of education died in 1952 at the age of 93."
"This doctrine can be applied in schools today in the following manner: a child is not censored for cheating on the exam because if he did not cheat he would surely fail; the failure would separate him from his companions, and it is more important that he remain with his age group than master his studies -- or be honest."
"I loved the children. I loved them in this way: I wanted to teach them to speak and read and write properly, and I wanted to give them values as well, have them think about honor, justice, truth, freedom....I felt the necessity, the urgency, of teaching them, and so I went to school again myself to learn how to do it in the best possible way. But graduate school did not consider my problem a problem at all. I listened with amazement and finally with dismay, as professors and students told the wonders of public-school teaching today..."
"The whole school system is geared to the problem child. He is petted, excused, and studied out of all proportion. He is the man of the hour, he knows it; he is conscious of his nuisance value and uses it to the fullest. He is the center of the school, the basic unit with whom all must work. I think that many children made themselves problem children simply because they saw how important they could become..."
A fellow teacher told Dunn: "I don't understand why you bother to give tests at all. Just get yourself a good project and mark that. It takes nearly all term to do and the kids think they're working hard...Be smart."
"Further, the children suffer academically because learning is neglected, and the time that should have been devoted to school work in reading, writing, thinking, and speaking is given over to chatter. Nobody knows this better than the children. They want to be taught step by step, so that they can see their progress. The duller they are, the more important and immediate is this need."
"What goes on in the mind of a child when it comes to school to learn and is greeted by a teacher who rhapsodizes, you teach me. Tell me of your wonderful and vital experiences. Tell me how you have absorbed higher mathematics by toting up your mother's butcher bill, how you saw chemistry in the coffee pot and physics in the light switch....Tell me your experiences, for I know you have had them, and I'll try to find a textbook to substantiate them. If I can't find a book to do that, we will do without a book. But talk, talk, talk. Do not think of this as a class. This is a wishing well. I am not a teacher. I am a buddy. We are all pals together, so tell me all."
"Everything is done in a group. The child loses his identity and his responsibility for himself. Praise is group praise; blame is group blame."
"Educators are still undecided about the best way to teach the alphabet. They go through agonies because two and two equal four and a way must be found to teach that disturbing fact without mentioning numbers."
"Current pedagogical philosophy affirms that teachers can do no more than hint at the wealth of youth's cultural inheritance, and if shy references provoke no interest, it is the teachers who must adjust their interests, revise their questions. All that a teacher might know about science, language, or literature must be squeezed into the narrow confines of an adolescent life. If it does not fit, the life is not to be expanded, but the culture is to be contracted."
"The best teachers in the world could never make progressivism anything more than it basically is--a snare and a delusion."
If our Education Establishment consisted of a hundred like Joan Dunn, and not the barbarian horde we are stuck with, our public schools would be doing just fine.
Historical note: also in 1953, Stalin died. Russia had itself experimented with progressive education, roughly 1920-1932. Finding it useless and destructive, the Russians excised it from their country, but naturally encouraged it in the USA! Communist Russia was probably Dewey's biggest beneficiary. We remain his biggest dupes. [end review]
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-------------------- For similar reviews of more books about education, click link and then click "See all my reviews." (There are 51 reviews, all concerning education.)
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That sums up the progressive approach, doesn't it.
This quoted below is known as collaborative learning:
“Everything is done in a group. The child loses his identity and his responsibility for himself. Praise is group praise; blame is group blame.”
It sounds like a very important book. Thanks.
John Dewey recognized the value of the classroom in terms of initiating social changes."The first great step," said Dewey, "as far as subject-matter and method are concerned, is to make sure of an educational system that informs students about the present state of society in a way that enables them to understand the conditions and forces at work. If only this result can be accomplished, students will be ready to take their own active part in aggressive participation in bringing about a new social order."
John Dewey, a former leader of the League for Industrial Democracy, believed socialism was the best economic system.He claims that "social control of economic forces is ...necessary if anything approaching economic equality and liberty is to be realized."
He also signed the Humanist Manifesto I of 1933, and was a pragmatist and behaviorist.
Because government schools are creating generations of illiterate slaves:
ping
"The whole school system is geared to the problem child. He is petted, excused, and studied out of all proportion. He is the man of the hour, he knows it; he is conscious of his nuisance value and uses it to the fullest. He is the center of the school, the basic unit with whom all must work. I think that many children made themselves problem children simply because they saw how important they could become..." and there it is, the lowest common denominator...
There’s a lot in Dunn’s quotes that anticipates the gimmicks in use today:
Collaborative Learning is also now called Cooperative Learning....We also see an early version of Prior Knowledge (tell me your experiences)....We also see in that little bit about 2 and 2 are 4, the whole galloping monstrosity to be called New Math...And the advice to assign a project, that’s an early version of what is now shaping up as Authentic Assessment and Portfolios, i.e., no tests, the kids spend all year filling up a scrapbook and then talking about it.
But the line that really shouts at me every time is this: “They want to be taught step by step, so that they can see their progress. The duller they are, the more important and immediate is this need.” This insight is huge. It devastates everything done in liberal education that is supposedly compassionate and caring. If Dunn is right, there’s no caring in sight. These kids want to have a few ducks in a row. It’s satisfying. Not achieving that is torture. (Think about Reform Math, which almost forbids mastery.)
btt
Again, why in the world are the children of conservatives and Christians still in public schools?
If we pulled several millions kids out of the public school gulag next year, it would be a resounding blow to the federal leviathan, at a most opportune and effective time.
Yes, you are right. Collaborative Learning is now called Cooperative Learning. It's LESS work for the teachers. Teachers have the brighter kids bring up the stupid/dumb ones. There are “group” project so there is less grading. Attitude is also part of the grade as well as “art work” in Reading. It's totally ridiculous! Younger kids have little patience so it coerces them to fake it - it's totally unnatural.
Ah, the “new math”. It's even more dumbed down than ever. They drag things out till kids are bored! Then they have “games” to “learn” math. Kids live for the games which really doesn't have them learning math.
Everyday Math is one of the “new math” programs. It's not intuitive which really frustrates kids and makes them HATE Math. Here's a video on it y a woman who went back to school to pick up a few more math courses. She was horrified at the lack of confidence and inability to work as individuals. She also critiques some of the “new math” programs such as lattice division.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI
NOTICE the curriculums she does NOT RECOMMEND.
Watch! It's short.
“But the line that really shouts at me every time is this: “They want to be taught step by step, so that they can see their progress. The duller they are, the more important and immediate is this need.” This insight is huge. It devastates everything done in liberal education that is supposedly compassionate and caring. If Dunn is right, there’s no caring in sight. These kids want to have a few ducks in a row. It’s satisfying. Not achieving that is torture. (Think about Reform Math, which almost forbids mastery.)”
Don't fret that is changing however you are right that they do NOT care. Today they let the STUDENT figure out the CONCEPT being taught in math. When a student has a question and the group can't figure it out, then some brave soul approaches the teacher happily sitting at his/her desk, “observing” the students. When asked a question, you'd’ think the teacher would answer it, right? NO! The teacher will respond with another QUESTION and return to the group to “think” it out. And it goes on and on till they “think” out the answer.
Sometimes they don't get it so they move on since it is the “spiral method” being used. Maybe next time they'll get it. Besides in NJ, where we live, they TEACH TO THE TEST in the second half of the year so we can keep school choice out of the equation.
“But the line that really shouts at me every time is this: “They want to be taught step by step, so that they can see their progress. The duller they are, the more important and immediate is this need.” This insight is huge. It devastates everything done in liberal education that is supposedly compassionate and caring. If Dunn is right, there’s no caring in sight. These kids want to have a few ducks in a row. It’s satisfying. Not achieving that is torture. (Think about Reform Math, which almost forbids mastery.)
Yes, they just have different ways of PREVENTING mastery. For the totally dull student, group work gets them by. Yes, the general curriculum is gauged DOWN to accomodates the most academically inept student. Kids are dumbed down and leveled down all with LESS WORK FOR THE TEACHERS!
We struggle to keep our kids in a private school. In the summer, we have them take Johns Hopkins courses. I really resent that we have to dig up that kind of money to give them a decent education. Of course I supplement ALLOT. History, English, Latin Science. During the summer is where I shore up the weak areas as I see them - regardless of S.A.T. scores. I have my own standards and don't give a hoot about educrat standards.
One more comment - GAMES are huge in school. They truly want to promote the ENTERTAINMENT MENTALITY. Everything must be "fun" or it' snot worth "learning". Yes, they will have BIG EGO and HIGH SELF ESTEEM but NO KNOWLEDGE/WISDOM.
Yes, you are right. Collaborative Learning is now called Cooperative Learning. It's LESS work for the teachers. Teachers have the brighter kids bring up the stupid/dumb ones. There are “group” project so there is less grading. Attitude is also part of the grade as well as “art work” in Reading. It's totally ridiculous! Younger kids have little patience so it coerces them to fake it - it's totally unnatural.
Ah, the “new math”. It's even more dumbed down than ever. They drag things out till kids are bored! Then they have “games” to “learn” math. Kids live for the games which really doesn't have them learning math.
Everyday Math is one of the “new math” programs. It's not intuitive which really frustrates kids and makes them HATE Math. Here's a video on it y a woman who went back to school to pick up a few more math courses. She was horrified at the lack of confidence and inability to work as individuals. She also critiques some of the “new math” programs such as lattice division.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr1qee-bTZI
NOTICE the curriculums she does NOT RECOMMEND.
Watch! It's short.
“But the line that really shouts at me every time is this: “They want to be taught step by step, so that they can see their progress. The duller they are, the more important and immediate is this need.” This insight is huge. It devastates everything done in liberal education that is supposedly compassionate and caring. If Dunn is right, there’s no caring in sight. These kids want to have a few ducks in a row. It’s satisfying. Not achieving that is torture. (Think about Reform Math, which almost forbids mastery.)”
Don't fret that is changing however you are right that they do NOT care. Today they let the STUDENT figure out the CONCEPT being taught in math. When a student has a question and the group can't figure it out, then some brave soul approaches the teacher happily sitting at his/her desk, “observing” the students. When asked a question, you'd’ think the teacher would answer it, right? NO! The teacher will respond with another QUESTION and return to the group to “think” it out. And it goes on and on till they “think” out the answer.
Sometimes they don't get it so they move on since it is the “spiral method” being used. Maybe next time they'll get it. Besides in NJ, where we live, they TEACH TO THE TEST in the second half of the year so we can keep school choice out of the equation.
“But the line that really shouts at me every time is this: “They want to be taught step by step, so that they can see their progress. The duller they are, the more important and immediate is this need.” This insight is huge. It devastates everything done in liberal education that is supposedly compassionate and caring. If Dunn is right, there’s no caring in sight. These kids want to have a few ducks in a row. It’s satisfying. Not achieving that is torture. (Think about Reform Math, which almost forbids mastery.)
Yes, they just have different ways of PREVENTING mastery. For the totally dull student, group work gets them by. Yes, the general curriculum is gauged DOWN to accomodates the most academically inept student. Kids are dumbed down and leveled down all with LESS WORK FOR THE TEACHERS!
We struggle to keep our kids in a private school. In the summer, we have them take Johns Hopkins courses. I really resent that we have to dig up that kind of money to give them a decent education. Of course I supplement ALLOT. History, English, Latin Science. During the summer is where I shore up the weak areas as I see them - regardless of S.A.T. scores. I have my own standards and don't give a hoot about educrat standards.
One more comment - GAMES are huge in school. They truly want to promote the ENTERTAINMENT MENTALITY. Everything must be "fun" or it' snot worth "learning". Yes, they will have BIG EGO and HIGH SELF ESTEEM but NO KNOWLEDGE/WISDOM.
Because they can't afford private school.
I know of many fine Christian families that simply can't afford to send them to Christian schools - if you can find one in your area! We've struggled to keep ours OUT of the public school system. Some home school but there comes a time when kids DO want to be around other kids near or around their age - it's human nature - so homeschooling loses it's appeal in middle school. In high school, they may not want to invest in what you need to teach decent science so again, they wind up pin public school.
One more thing, when it comes to home schooling not all are cut out for it. Many love it and adopt well to it. Other let feelings of inadequacy over whelm them - because of their own academic baggage - still others learn along with their kids. Some can't afford to stay home and home school. There are endless reasons why good Christian kids still wind up in public schools. Now if we ALL had SCHOOL CHOICE - that would be the proper question to ask.
I’m sorry. If Christians have any clue about the depravity to which they are subjecting their children, they would find a way to get their kids out of school.
Some truly don't have a choice!
They may not have the money to send them to a Christian school. Perhaps there is NO Christian school where they live - they are dying because of people loosing their jobs - it's impossible to pay tuition when you have no income!
Home schooling may not be feasible if you HAVE to work and most of us do have to work. I've mentioned other reasons in another reply.
Worst of all, many don't KNOW what is going on in public schools. It's typically HUMANISTIC teachings, situational ethics and a WEAK curriculum. Many parents have been through this and are not discerning how much worse it has gotten. They're working and kids often don't tell parents ALL when the parents are ready to listen.
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