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 ...
You know that, and I know that...but do you think most of them know that?
Recently we had a $40 MILLION bond election in our town of less than 8000 pop. We have less than 400 kids in the local high school.
The school supt. who was pushing the bond was campaigning in the "projects". They wanted to spend $9 MILLION on a covered football practice field and a new stadium. They took the ballot box to football games so people could vote there.
It failed. Several people I know who own rental property went to their renters and told them if it passed, their rent would be going up immediately to pay for it.
My school taxes are already 3X what my other property taxes are.
There are exceptions to every rule...sigh...you are right. However; I run into people all the time who think they don't pay property taxes because they are 'renters'...
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.
This is especially so for Christian education. I think the church as a covenant community should come together and develop such schools whenever possible. This would be a great help to single moms, parents who can’t afford to homeschool, etc.
Teaching is a noble craft, profession, calling, etc. But I do think the current model is neither desirable nor indefinitely sustainable. Have you read much of Instapundit’s stuff on the higher education bubble, for instance?
It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Get more dues,get more members, grow more gubmint.
I do my best to inform them...
The digital age has changed the very nature of information. Prior to the electronic web knowledge as possession. I had the book, went to the class, or developed it myself. In any case it was mine. In today's world knowledge is one of location - I know where to go get the information that I need or want.
Fifty years ago when I went to college the schools used to advertise the size of their libraries and inter-library lending agreements. Now they advertise the IT systems.
What is the future of the American System? How about a replay of the 18th Century? We formed the central school system to make good a shortfall - lack of personal libraries. So why not reorganize the central school systems to make good the lack of home science laboratories, bands, choruses, and other socialization activities?
Good for them...
Do you really think the average Joe/Jane cares about that? It’s free babysitting in their minds, regardless of the hidden costs, even if they aren’t really all that hidden.
>>Look at the spread of that simple, but very effective teaching tool, Khan Academy, and the new paradigm they espouse for it.
Learn at home at your own pace, with the ability to go back to steps & concepts you do not fully grasp. Come to class to work your “homework” problems, even collaborating with classmates, while the teacher circulates, observes, corrects...TEACHES!<<
The Khan Academy is a very interesting development, and I believe several schools (or at least teachers within those schools) will soon take up his model. The term that’s being used to describe it is “Flip the Classroom” because the traditional model of lecturing in school and then reviewing by doing homework is “flipped.” Instead, kids first study the Khan lectures at home, and then, in the classroom, do the problems they used to do as homework, but with the teacher available to guide individual students as they encounter difficulty. (I suspect though that, in time, the lectures will be viewed during the school day, at school.)
Anyway, what they are finding is that, in math for instance, kids run into difficulty at different places, with different concepts, and that the old model would leave kids “in the dust” because they couldn’t progress, but the old model would continue on, losing kids along the way. In the new model, kids who are stuck are identified, and don’t progress to the next lesson (at home) until they get “unstuck.” They also find that nearly all kids successfully complete the curriculum under the new model. In other words, nearly all turn out to be capable of learning math, a scary subject to many under the present model.
As for homeschooling, the Khan Academy would be perfect for it, as long as the parent or older child acting as tutor was able to stay ahead of the child by understanding the curriculum themselves. (It’s hard to tutor when you’re lost yourself.) Since most of this could be done online from home, I could even see self-styled online “tutors” helping kids at home and getting a solid reputation for success.
The time will come when parents in a community realize that there’s someone they can hire online who is succeeding at getting 8th graders through an entire high school math curriculum in a year using the Khan Academy and the tools available there for student evaluation. When that day comes, public education had better be changing fast or it will be losing “customers” at a rapid pace, especially if there’s a successful voucher movement underway by then. We might well return to the one-room country school model in that environment, where 20-40 kids of all ages gathered near their homes in a couple of rooms with wireless internet, each owning an Ipad, the older tutoring the younger, all under the guidance of one or two adult tutors, with something like the Khan Academy providing the initial instruction.
And the political philosophy of those tutors would be well known to the parents of the children, I might add.
No, but I'm not going to shut up about it...might reach someone.
The liberals changed that by claiming it was discrimination against renters whose rent paid property taxes.
As a man blessed with private Christian education, in college and graduate school at least...and a teacher in a private Christian school, I have to take umbrage with the homeschoolers’ mentality—which seems to assume parental education is the best education. While I agree with you that public education is a disaster and worse—turning the next generation into ignorant non-thinkers, easily manipulated by and for the State, that doesn’t mean its opposite—no schools at all—is best.
For Millennia God’s people have gone to school (Jesus and the Apostles likely did—through the Synagogues) almost always sponsored by the local Church. All of the Ivy league colleges in the USA, and the great medieval & renaissance universities of Europe were founded, funded, and facultied originally by and for...the Church.
Reading books, (or a Kindle) or video-lectures, or just being taught by your parents, in homeschooling....just is NOT the same as a good school. Of course many cannot afford a good Christian school...or none are available in your area, so I completely understand the need for homeschooling—as often it is the best education available. That still does not eliminate the truth that gifted and dedicated teachers can and do share their gifts and knowledge—and the BEST way to do that is in person—in a school.
Still I’ve seen homeschooled kids—brilliant in some areas, but ignorant in others...and who were unable to really relate with people not their close family and friends. Solid Christian schools—with knowledgeable and gifted teachers—and LOTS of parental involvement are—when possible—the best of both worlds, allowing safety and shared values—with conscientious teachers—but, also helping kids have a broader range of learning, and interaction with people not always just like themselves.
I really do not believe ANY device or method—will do away wit the need for a good, personal, education—in Christian schools.
If you get a sec, go back and read my comment about co-op Christian schooling. We may agree more than you think. :)
Mimi sijui Kiswahili...kidogo sana!
Just the essential stuff:
“wapi choo”,
“wapi ni barabara kwa Kitale”,
“Coca-Cola moja, barafu mingi, tafadali!”
We lived in Nairobbery 1979-81, then moved to Kitale. Spend most of my time in the bush, so I worked on learning a little Pokot, Turkana/Karamajong & Icetot. I flew a Bell Jet Ranger for a Swiss missionary organization, taking missionaries, medical teams & famine relief supplies back into the mountains and other remote places.
I just bought your book for my Android Kindle. Now if I can just get Amazon to deliver it.
The law was passed early this year IIRC. We have large GOP majorities in the House and Senate, and our Governor, Rick Scott is serving in his first political office.
Anyway, the statist teachers union screeched and banged their heads over the change, for they know it is the camel's nose under their comfy tent flap. The old model of education is inceasingly anachronistic.
Thanks for buying the book - that’s really kind of you!
It’s great you were in Kenya. We’re enjoying it. We’re working here for two years, and then back to Kiev(previously we were missionaries for four years in Ukraine, though now I work for Uncle Sam.)
Pokot and Turkana? Wow. You were in some interesting terrain! I’m learning a bit of Kikuyu along with Kiswahili, though it’s almost time to start polishing my Ukrainian and Russian again.
I remember the JetRanger from my Army days. Do you still fly for missions orgs?
We've been doing likewise. After going the conventional bookstore route once, we wised up. As soon as we knew his classes for the next semester, he and I went online and searched for used copies of his books. We found most of them at significant savings, and they're in very good shape. We'll re-sell the ones he doesn't need to keep for reference and recover a bit more. Unfortunately, some of the required books are specialized products which aren't readily available outside the campus network, but we do what we can. College textbooks have been terribly over-priced for a long time.
I really do not believe ANY device or method—will do away wit the need for a good, personal, education—in Christian schools.
I’m always amazed at how the “Free” part of Freedom is frequently co-opted to support one’s concept is the only way.
MIT & other colleges now have many of their lectures available free online. When I make the time to do so, I enjoy sitting through those lectures.
I support any kind of private school...other than those of political systems which want to destroy our own.
If you want a secular private school—go for it. The education will be a lot better than a public school—and likely than homeschooling too.
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