Posted on 12/26/2011 8:23:52 AM PST by Discoshaman
The Kindle and Nook may make for not only the most important advance in reading since Gutenberg, but also, quite likely, a major lesson in unintended consequences. Especially for the educational establishment, because for the first time in history, Americans should be able to envision a future without public-school teachers -- indeed, a future without public-school administrators or state departments of education with their rigidly enforced, politically correct social-transformation curriculum. A future without onerous school taxes, "education president(s)," self-preening school boards, or million-dollar classrooms. But most happily, a future without a single supercilious finger wagging in our face as we're forever lectured about how much a securely tenured, part-time, self-important, overpaid class of public employees "cares" about our sons and daughters. Really, really, really cares. And, of course, knows much better than we do how to bring them up.
And it's all possible because these cheap, handheld, downloadable reading devices such as Kindle and Nook now give parents a choice between tutoring and classroom education.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/12/a_world_without_schoolteachers.html#ixzz1heq4w6Z2
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I tried a couple of those and they were *way* over my head lol! Ya gotta know when to hold and when to fold. The “For Dummies” publications are more my speed. :(
“I could even see self-styled online “tutors” helping kids at home and getting a solid reputation for success.”
We traveled a lot when our kids were growing up. We would play “cow poker” for awhile to entertain the kids. When that got tiresome, I started giving our 6 year old daughter math problems to do in her head. By the time she was in high school, her math teacher was asking her to tutor the teacher’s college student daughter. This was all prior to “online”, of course.
BTW, excellent analysis!
The interior of Sainte-Chapelle is my favorite in Europe. Just amazing! Not enough to make me a Catholic, but I do envy their architecture... :)
No, I stopped flying in 1982 to work with an unreached tribe in northern Karamoja, Uganda. An ambush in Karamoja in late 1986 necessitated a return to the States in early ‘87. The family remained in the USA & I commuted to Karamoja until 1997.
I now teach villagers to drill homestead water wells using hand tools, then to make & install an inexpensive PVC deep well force pump (hand pump). We go all over to do this, Africa, India, Haiti, Central America. Lots of fun!
I've seen children who have been institutionalized for their schooling ( private and government) who were unable to relate with people....some even failed to relate to their parents and family.
In my opinion, the Prussian-model school ( private or government), should be a choice of last resort. It teaches children prison gang socialization. Thankfully, most humans are resilient, and most do overcome these dysfunctional coping strategies. Most do move on to learning the productive social skills that will bring them success with their spouses, bosses, co-workers, neighbors, friends, and relatives.
As one “old dog” to another, we can learn new tricks!
Try this Freshman Physics lecture from MIT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmJV8CHIqFc
Lec 1 | 8.01 Physics I: Classical Mechanics, Fall 1999
His accent is a bit thick, but it goes away after listening awhile.. ;-)
Here’s a link to the whole course.
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-1999/
HA....CT is WAY behind....here in OR....it’s birth to 18+
very good article.
My thoughts are...many parents will certainly take this route, and their children will be very well-served.
However, the quality of today’s “parenting” that exists today? This does not give me confidence that this type of tutoring will be widely used in a vast number of broken homes.
So I guess my next question is...what to do about the kids we know will not receive this benefit at home?
How long will it be before the NEA or other teachers’ union will make Kindle et al to pay “union dues” or royalties?
My library here in NM offers free WiFi, computer classes, two large children and young adult book sections, a separate room for ancestry tracing, free database access, large DVD/video tape sections.
The library is always busy with patrons of all ages.
Many many thanks to the city and the library board.
in our state - every pupil counted in the school’s population results in “x” amount of dollars in federal and state aid to that school.
I would apply “undertaker” to all of the government school teachers. Really, I mean it.
Personally...I recently have eliminated all government teachers as friends. The institutions they work for are evil. They are either too evil, too stupid, or too much of an Useful Idiot to be a friend. ( Yes, I mean it!)
Government owned and run, socialist-entitlement, and compulsory schools are such a serious threat to our nation's continuing freedom I fear that one more generation of this godless and socialist entitlement and we will have tyranny. Our nation's socialist K-12 schools are **that** bad.
All government run and owned socialist schools are godless in their worldview in curriculum, classroom instruction,textbooks, and policies. Just to cooperate in the classroom the child must think and reason godlessly. Are there any exceptions to this? Can anyone send me a link to a government owned and run school that is not?
All government schools are tuition-free socialist entitlement. Are there any exceptions to this? Simply by attending children risk learning that a powerful government that can give them tution-free entitlement schools can give them **lot** of socialist goodies. Franklin D. Roosevelt wasn't an accident. He was the result of one to three generations of American voters attending government socialist-entitlement schools.
And...All compulsory government owned and run socialist-entitlement K-12 schools trash every First Amendment Right. ( Free speech, press, assembly, and expression and practice of religion.) All government run and owned socialist schools establish the religious worldview of godlessness. How can that be religiously neutral? Simply by attending children risk learning to be comfortable with government functionaries trashing their God-given rights. Again, if anyone knows of an exception please send a link.
“I agree, at least as I understand what you’re saying. My ultimate ideal isn’t individual homeschooling. I’d like to see technologically savvy private schools in which parents are heavily involved - a coop model, if you will.”
I’ve had this same conversation with some like minded parents.
The problem, in our state is, once you get that “private school” label - you are subject to a gazillion regulations.
If they don’t already require an ed. certificate - they soon will.
So I guess my next question is...what to do about the kids we know will not receive this benefit at home?
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Am I correct that your husband is a teacher for a government owned and run school?
remember when teachers resisted computers in the classroom?
the real reason was fearing replacement.
we can’t replace union teachers fast enough.
I took a class in Personal Finance as one of my electives once. I could tell I’d gotten one of those rare outstanding teachers when, the first day, he said “anyone who’s bought the textbook already, don’t unwrap it, and as soon as you can go return it to the campus bookstore downstairs for a full refund. I’m going to show you a website where you can get that book for under $5.”
He then showed everyone how to search websites like Bigwords.com or half.com to find the textbooks we needed. I think I even got one of mine for $1.25!
no - he is not a teacher....how was your Christmas Wintertime?
1)The biggest problem in schools today is children who are out of control. A smart, curious, focused, well-behaved kid will flourish even with a mediocre teacher. But if they are in a room full of chaotic little savages who act out relentlessly and make sure no learning takes place, the good kids trapped in there with them are screwed. Not to mention the little thugs waiting for your child in the bathrooms and stairwells.
The public schools are FULL of these children. After all, butts in seats = money and that is all that matters. So you'd think that a charter school would be different: they can kick out these little flies-in-the-ointment, right? Well apparently, so far, many of them are not. Know why? Same problem. They are new schools trying to establish themselves, and butts in seats = money.
2) Guess who the charter schools usually hire to teach the kids? Public school teachers.
I mean, we'll see how it shakes out as time goes on, but I predict that in 10 years, the charter fad will pass because the same problems that plague public schools also affect charters.
The Birth to 3 part is the catch up part. We have the 4 to 18 part already in place.
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