I don't have your extensive knowledge of education so knowing the best ways to actually foster learning and critical thinking skills for our citizens, and whatever else is important, is something I would go to you to describe, as in, what is the purpose of education? I only wanted to note that if our government was to meet its purpose, w…
I don't have your extensive knowledge of education so knowing the best ways to actually foster learning and critical thinking skills for our citizens, and whatever else is important, is something I would go to you to describe, as in, what is the purpose of education? I only wanted to note that if our government was to meet its purpose, we need to have the educational solutions that are a role model for other countries. How to do it is another subject I would defer to you to define, and if you could explain it to a 5th Grader, then you might have something.
Rather than me explaining my thinking to a fifth grader, a better way to approach this might be to ask a fifth grader for her thoughts or his perceptions. I am not being facetious, and I am not someone who overly romanticizes childhood. But it seems a bit absurd to imagine that adults can design, organize, and impose an educational regime without an intimate knowledge of and awareness about the feelings and opinions of the students. You know, democracy and all that.
Once again, there is no shortage of amazing ideas, methods, and scientifically valid approaches. The sad truth is that the best laid plans of mice and men are blocked. Researchers and theorists make their recommendations; grand experiments or models are launched with great fanfare and excitement; the studies are carried out and documented and everyone agrees that the ideas should be applied elsewhere, and that success has been achieved, and then everything sort of fades from view while more study and more funding is called for. The Black Hole has swallowed another fabulous program.
This happens ad infinitum because there is a demand for more specific data points and irrefutable evidence of the benefits (which take time and are too subjective to be measured) and the programs always involve exceptions to the regimentation, rigidity, authoritarian control over individuals, and less of the wasteful nonsensical evaluation and testing. Meaningful innovation and amelioration demand that power be relinquished and control be given up to allow a greater degree of liberty and independence, which simply cannot happen within the strictures of compulsory attendance law. The brick wall does not give. Change is put off for another time and place.
If one could ask a fifth grader who has not been too thoroughly indoctrinated and who is made comfortable with honest opinions and feelings about school, one might get an earful. I would venture to say that most would not have difficulty understanding that children who are forced to participate are likely to resist or rebel. I suspect that one might hear about arbitrariness, boredom, frustration, hypocrisy, massive amounts of time wasted, drudgery and unstimulating assignments, excessive work in and out of school, and endless testing.
Education has been totally conflated with school, which is a huge problem. People who know nothing about education are defining what education is for others and setting up parameters. If education is the good that we value and if we recognize that education is essential for democracy, then we must finally realize that laws and government are too clumsy and demanding to be the means by which we get to where we want to go. If coercion is any part of the process and if formulae are being followed by the providers, we will always find ourselves with more indoctrination and less education.
I don't have your extensive knowledge of education so knowing the best ways to actually foster learning and critical thinking skills for our citizens, and whatever else is important, is something I would go to you to describe, as in, what is the purpose of education? I only wanted to note that if our government was to meet its purpose, we need to have the educational solutions that are a role model for other countries. How to do it is another subject I would defer to you to define, and if you could explain it to a 5th Grader, then you might have something.
Dave,
Rather than me explaining my thinking to a fifth grader, a better way to approach this might be to ask a fifth grader for her thoughts or his perceptions. I am not being facetious, and I am not someone who overly romanticizes childhood. But it seems a bit absurd to imagine that adults can design, organize, and impose an educational regime without an intimate knowledge of and awareness about the feelings and opinions of the students. You know, democracy and all that.
Once again, there is no shortage of amazing ideas, methods, and scientifically valid approaches. The sad truth is that the best laid plans of mice and men are blocked. Researchers and theorists make their recommendations; grand experiments or models are launched with great fanfare and excitement; the studies are carried out and documented and everyone agrees that the ideas should be applied elsewhere, and that success has been achieved, and then everything sort of fades from view while more study and more funding is called for. The Black Hole has swallowed another fabulous program.
This happens ad infinitum because there is a demand for more specific data points and irrefutable evidence of the benefits (which take time and are too subjective to be measured) and the programs always involve exceptions to the regimentation, rigidity, authoritarian control over individuals, and less of the wasteful nonsensical evaluation and testing. Meaningful innovation and amelioration demand that power be relinquished and control be given up to allow a greater degree of liberty and independence, which simply cannot happen within the strictures of compulsory attendance law. The brick wall does not give. Change is put off for another time and place.
If one could ask a fifth grader who has not been too thoroughly indoctrinated and who is made comfortable with honest opinions and feelings about school, one might get an earful. I would venture to say that most would not have difficulty understanding that children who are forced to participate are likely to resist or rebel. I suspect that one might hear about arbitrariness, boredom, frustration, hypocrisy, massive amounts of time wasted, drudgery and unstimulating assignments, excessive work in and out of school, and endless testing.
Education has been totally conflated with school, which is a huge problem. People who know nothing about education are defining what education is for others and setting up parameters. If education is the good that we value and if we recognize that education is essential for democracy, then we must finally realize that laws and government are too clumsy and demanding to be the means by which we get to where we want to go. If coercion is any part of the process and if formulae are being followed by the providers, we will always find ourselves with more indoctrination and less education.