Posted on 02/16/2012 4:54:12 PM PST by appeal2
John C. Dvorak has been using, living, and writing about tech for decades. He’s seen many educational tech innovations come and go, and he doesn’t believe there’s anything that can resurrect the American Public Educational System. Dvorak believes technology can’t replace a good teacher. He also belives the teachers’ unions are too powerful and stand in the way of needed reforms. John was fortunate to home school two of his children, and while doing this involved a number of challenges, the results were as he expected, outstanding.
However, homeschooling is not for everyone. There’s a large infrastructure in place to facilitate home-schooled kids, such as museum visits, sports outings and much more. According to Dvorak, one of the best advanages with home-schooling is it’s nearly impossible for a child to fail a test. The reason is simple, the child’s progress is closely monitored, and if they fall behind in a subject, it is recognized and remedial action is immediately taken. Home-schooling can be a perfect feedback loop. But, the child must be completely willing and receptive, and the parent must play their didactic role.
I believe we need to get rid of crumby teachers. It’s easier to fire just about anybody other than a teacher. The union protects their right to incompetency with great vigor and resources. Tenure and mandatory unionization have to go.
Wireless networks are the worst thing to happen to education since the NEA.
He’s right - at least for basic education. If you are training young adults in drafting, design or engineering, then of course “technology” is useful.
Otherwise I see it as a crutch, used by teachers and schools as a substitute for teaching independent and critical thinking - “we’ve just spent $1 million on new computers!”
Just because you invented a keyboard layout, that doesn’t mean you’re an expert in education.
Public school can’t be saved.
Dvorak is a retard. His predictions have been wrong over and over for decade. How he is considered a legitimate voice in the tech world (whatever that is) is a mystery.
Of course not in public education—not now. Public education is anti-technical, as are business, politics and academia in general. Have fun. Enjoy the slide.
If ‘technology’ could educate kids, then where are all of the Einsteins? All that I see course catalogs for colleges literally OVERFLOWING with remedial classes (particularly for junior colleges). Come get me when that marvelous ‘technology’ educates kids to the point that they are college-level, when they start college.
Steve Jobs agreed with him. Said the only thing that can save education is competition.
Meanwhile Obama again eliminated vouchers for poor kids in DC in his latest budget.
Need to de-unionize teachers and TSA workers - for starters.
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