The Dream Palace of Educational Theorists

New English Review ^ | December, 2006 | John Derbyshire

[bill1952]

Seattle:

Until June, the school district's Web site declared that "cultural racism" includes "emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology," "having a future time orientation" (planning ahead) and "defining one form of English as standard."

The site also asserted that only whites can be racists, and disparaged assimilation as the "giving up" of one's culture. After this propaganda provoked outrage, the district, saying it needed to "provide more context to readers" about "institutional racism," put up a page saying that the district's intention is to avoid "unsuccessful concepts such as a melting pot or colorblind mentality."

Wake up America - the end is near when this becomes more widespread, and there really isn't that much time to go.

[XBob]

wow - pingaty pingty ping ping!!

[JoeFromSidney]

Over ten years ago I was visited by a candidate for a Doctorate in Education. He was using an unusual statistical technique, one in which I had published a lot, and he came to me for some (free) advice. I was glad to help him. His work was technically correct, although not very spectacular. It wouldn't have qualified for a doctorate in any scientific field.

However, I was appalled at what his university was making him go through. His PROPOSAL for his dissertation was longer than my whole dissertation. He was being made to jump through all kinds of ridiculous hoops. I came to the conclusion that they wanted him to think his doctorate must be worth something, look how hard he had to work to get it.

I already had a poor opinion of most education majors. That really confirmed it.

[cornelis]

I came to the conclusion that they wanted him to think his doctorate must be worth something, look how hard he had to work to get it.

It's called worshiping Baal.

[Leisler]

Last people into a Ponzi scheme usually do have to pay the most.

[wintertime]

ping for later.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Towering over all these lesser scams is the college racket, a vast money-swollen credentialing machine for lower-middle-class worker bees...a horribly overpriced operation dispensing shocklingly shoddy merchandise (leftist propaganda pretending to be information) - were today's institutions of higher education in fact corporations operating in the free market, they'd be out of business quickly - but they do serve to produce lots of "expert" academicians and phony research in support of leftwing causes, and the 'rat party is about to reward them royally by making college tuition tax deductable once they gain power next year......

[Leisler]

On tax free land, with tax free buildings, built by taxes, maintained by taxes.....what a competitive advantage over such humdrum activities as manufacturing or farming.

[wintertime]

and the 'rat party is about to reward them royally by making college tuition tax deductable once they gain power next year......
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The irony is that the Democrats push for tax deductible college tuition, but fight tax credits for K-12 private education.

[OBone]

The irony is that the Democrats push for tax deductible college tuition, but fight tax credits for K-12 private education.

They fight private K-12 private education because they want them to be indoctrinated by the public school system.

OB

[megatherium]

girls are encouraged to act like boys by taking up advanced science, math

I'm sorry, but Derbyshire is a sexist jerk. As a teacher of math at the college level, I run across plenty of "girls" who take math, and do well at it, because they like it. And the encouraging must be pretty effective nowadays because 30% of all PhDs in math go to women.

Elsewhere in the article, Derbyshire suggests doing away with colleges, reasoning that students could just take DVD courses and pass licensing tests to obtain their work credentials. An interesting idea, I myself have wondered why I'm needed (as a college math professor). But I realize that there is a big flaw in that theory -- students learn well when an actual human being teaches them, one they can ask questions. Students like having real teachers, and they're willing to pay real money for that. (Most of my students are working people, it's their own money.)

[wintertime]

because 30% of all PhDs in math go to women.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My 2 daughters. at the age of 18, graduated with B.S. degrees in math.

The older recently finished a master degree in math ( statistics) at the age of 20. She is married now and has a 2 month old baby. My husband and I visited her and her husband for Thanksgiving. They had invited her friends from her graduate program to the dinner. All were women. One was from China, one from Romania, and 2 from India.

I asked my daughter how it felt to be only 18 and, as a teaching assistant, to be teaching college student older than she. Her response was very cute. She said, " Oh!...all the other students are Asians and just as skinny and little as I am."

She is staying home to take care of her baby and does not want to pursue a doctorate at this time. Her husband is from Hong Kong, and will finish his degree as a chemical engineer soon. ( By the way, their very cute baby is completely Chinese. There isn't a single Caucasian gene in him. )

[Republicanprofessor]

Education ping.

Let McVey, JamesP81, or me know if you want on or off this education ping list.

I would love to participate more in this discussion, but my stack of things to grade is unbelievable....

[GSlob]

"but my stack of things to grade is unbelievable...."
Well, here is the technique me [and other TAs at Princeton] developed in grading the student papers, 30 seconds per [the papers subject was rather technical, true]: 1. Identify the key words that must be present if a student understands what he/she is writing about. 2. Scan the paper for these words. If these words are not there - zero. If only some are - low. If all are- then, and only then, read what has been written, and grade on merit [ such papers were mercifully few]. Sounds arbitrary, but is foolproof - nobody ever disputed the grades.

[GSlob]

me= I. need better editing.

[grey_whiskers]

Well, here is the technique me [and other TAs at Princeton] developed in grading the student papers, 30 seconds per [the papers subject was rather technical, true]: 1. Identify the key words that must be present if a student understands what he/she is writing about. 2. Scan the paper for these words. If these words are not there - zero. If only some are - low. If all are- then, and only then, read what has been written, and grade on merit [ such papers were mercifully few]. Sounds arbitrary, but is foolproof - nobody ever disputed the grades.

What subject(s) ?? I had to grade graduate papers where the prof assigned problems even *he* had not idea how to solve, just to see what the students would come up with...

And this was in my 1st year of grad school.

Cheers!

[grey_whiskers]

Just clicked on your home page.

I agree with a lot of your favorite pictures--or at least I like them too--except for Jackson Pollock.

The last time I saw something like that was when the cat threw up all over the carpet :-)

Cheers!

[GSlob]

"What subject(s) ??" - Chemistry. The underlying assumption is stunningly effective and profound in its simplicity: most of these students do not have a clue, and these should be identified [and graded] as rapidly, easily [for the graders] and effortlessly as possible. "Cluemeter" from a Dilbert cartoon. OTOH, those who do have a clue are a minority - but that minority, by the virtue of having a clue, deserves being graded on merit, for it HAS merit. Very simple, as you can see.

[somniferum]

I guess that beats the stairway method that we were fond of accusing our TAs of using in undergrad ;)