Posted on 09/14/2006 8:00:51 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
The secret of American schooling is that it doesnt teach the way children learn, and it isnt supposed to; school was engineered to serve a concealed command economy and a deliberately re-stratified social order. It wasnt made for the benefit of kids and families as those individuals and institutions would define their own needs. School is the first impression children get of organized society; like most first impressions, it is the lasting one. Life according to school is dull and stupid, only consumption promises relief: Coke, Big Macs, fashion jeans, thats where real meaning is found, that is the classrooms lesson, however indirectly delivered.
The decisive dynamics which make forced schooling poisonous to healthy human development arent hard to spot. Work in classrooms isnt significant work; it fails to satisfy real needs pressing on the individual; it doesnt answer real questions experience raises in the young mind; it doesnt contribute to solving any problem encountered in actual life. The net effect of making all schoolwork external to individual longings, experiences, questions, and problems is to render the victim listless. This phenomenon has been well-understood at least since the time of the British enclosure movement which forced small farmers off their land into factory work. Growth and mastery come only to those who vigorously self-direct. Initiating, creating, doing, reflecting, freely associating, enjoying privacythese are precisely what the structures of schooling are set up to prevent, on one pretext or another.
(Excerpt) Read more at johntaylorgatto.com ...
Good catch! You are absolutely correct. As someone who once majored in Journalism, worked as a proofreader, and wrote and edited copy for advertisements and brochures for several years, I ought to know better.
However, I should point out that the number 35 in written form should be hyphenated as "thirty-five". Also, there is no antecedent for the pronoun "it" in your sentence, "She was never off duty when it came to correcting my grammar!"
I'm just having fun with your post, too. :-)
Once at a homeschool meeting, a newspaper reporter came to talk to us about teaching our children to write well. However, his words were "write good." A few mothers snickered, and the guy looked slightly embarrassed. But, as someone who worked proofreading and editing copy written not only FOR schoolteachers but BY schoolteachers and other educated people, I understood that everyone makes an error now and then. I know I certainly do. :-)
Correction: Your sentence passes. The antecedent for "it" in that sentence is the word "duty". The words "off duty" were not hyphenated, so I guess "it" could refer to "duty". My mistake.
For the record, I really don't care about the use of pronouns or hyphenation in the posts on this forum. Just having fun because I know you're the grammar cop here.
I don't have to attempt to devine anything...you clealy lay out the framework of superior attitude with your own words. The phrasing a feeling as fact is indeed the weak argument.
Your inability to allow that public and private schools are indeed to many a good place to have children grow and prosper only indicates your desire to have everyone march to the same beat, one you favor without a second thought to the fact the many parents don't have the skills to teach. I would question someone who is so closed minded about the choices others make being a good teacher to young developing minds.
An argument that falls on deaf ears when some believe the only choice is what they decide is best for the masses.
How they cannot see the large numbers of well rounded, educated and socially responsible young adults coming from the flawed, yes, but well intentioned schools and the parents that raise them is beyond me.
I don't think I'm a "cop", but it is always interesting to see how people express themselves on a thread about education. ;)
We have a number of students whose parents removed them from the private Christian schools and put them in our public school because we provide a better education. Go figure. :-)
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