the future of education?

[kenberg]

It appears that his focus is on K-8 students who are having trouble in mathematics. My knowledge of this population is close to zip, although my younger daughter found algebra challenging. Actually so did I at first, but I then had an epiphany and found it trivial. Somewhat the same with my daughter although I don't think she would ever say she found it really easy. Just a lot easier than at first.

 

He, Mighton, regards anxiety as a major problem and, especially with children, I don't doubt that this is true. For me it was art class. This might sound crazy, but remember I was a kid. My parent's educational level was very limited, my father finished 8th grade and my mother had a year or so of high school. They were not at all involved in my education. The school had art and music, on alternate days, throughout K-8 and I could not draw a decent tree to save my life. No one told me that they don't really hold anyone back from moving on to high school because he can't draw a tree. I was reading Scientific American with interest and at least some understanding, but I couldn't draw a tree. I was, I am not making this up, seriously worried that I might be held back.

 

Kids struggle to understand just how the world works. Adults say this and they say that, some of it is true and some of it isn't. Taking a child's anxieties seriously and helping him/her deal realistically with them is a great service.

 

I know too little to endorse Mighton's approach, but I hope for the best. It is hardly a brilliant insight to recommend taking a child's fears seriously, but I think it is often not done.

[ggwhiz]

I know too little to endorse Mighton's approach, but I hope for the best.

 

Same here. Someone once called Robbie Robertson the most mathematically sound guitarist of his generation and I'm intrigued by an approach that comes from a mathematician with classroom experience mixed with a large dose of artistic talent.

 

I wouldn't be surprised of that combination simply catches a bunch of kids that would otherwise fall through the cracks.

[FM75]

http://www.ted.com/t..._education.html

Thanks for posting this. I have not taken the time to read the other comments in the thread. I have not seen anything about Khan Academy before this. It all makes tremendous sense. One thing that especially makes sense is kids teaching peers. That forces the kid teaching to learn it even better, because he has to explain it to match the learner's perspective. (from my own experience.)

[FM75]

My parents were both teachers (and very successful ones. (My father was a university professor. My mother taught at both the high school and university level)

 

Neither of them considered this a "vocation". They both made informed decisions about where they wanted to work based on a tradeoff between $ and quality of life.

 

I had originally intended on being a university professor as well. One of the main reason why I switched over to the private sector was the destruction of the University of California system and the forseeable glut of academics fighting over tenure track positions. These days, the tech sector offers a much more enjoyable way of life.

 

I have any number of friends who graduated near the top of their class from good universities.

None of them have gone into teaching (despite the fact that many would consider aspects of the profession enjoyable)

 

I don't doubt that there are some people who go into teaching because they consider it a vocation.

I suspect that a hell of a lot more tell themselves that same thing...

Hmm. Random comments after revisiting the thread to see what the comments were.

 

 

Two posters in an education topic, each of which apparently do not understand the difference between vocation and avocation. Sorry. Maybe just picking on vocabulary here.

 

At least politics did not have anything to do with opinions on education. ROFL.

 

Posted after reading page two. My previous comment still applies. Thanks to Onoway. Great post.

 

Food for thought

Does education suffer from the competing goals of distinguishing performance and "certifying" competence? By that I am suggesting that teachers on the one hand are charged with grading their students, but on the other hand, a realistic goal would be for a student to achieve competence in a subject - objectively measured.

 

In the real world, competence is measured - licenses to drive, practice professions, etc. In education, IMO, competence is secondary to grading. Khan hit this on the head with his comment about bicycles and unicycles.

 

How much do teachers matter?

Not mentioned, as of page two - the limits to the ability of students to perform well is probably determined, in large measure, before they enter the formal educational system - pre-K and higher. There have been decades of research on this. The "educational complex" really does not want to accept this. To do so would clearly require accepting the statement that their role is secondary. They would prefer that we believe that somehow they can make up for socio-economic deficiencies in their "customers" (public).

[mike777]

I really like the usage of the word vocation in this thread.

 

My mom was a special ed teacher in the west side ghettos of Chicago.

She was an older teacher and getting to these schools was easy on the L, she did not own a car.

 

She spent most of her time fighting parents and the higher ups/union over basics such as food, winter boots and coats.

 

I never understood why she had to spend hours upon hours on teaching plans.

[hrothgar]

I never understood why she had to spend hours upon hours on teaching plans.

 

Because "winging it" is considered bad form...

 

On a more serious note, the primary purpose of lesson plans is to detail what should be taught in the event that a substitute needs to fill in for you.

[mike777]

ya but that should not take years over years

 

it should be short

 

you missed the main point.."time"

 

My mom spent silly time on

 

1) lesson plans

2) getting students warm coats and boots..etc

-----------

 

On cnn feature on FEnger Hs...my local Chicago hs which I never went to the entire focus is on safety, security

 

zero on teaching.

 

the school is set up for roughly 2000 students..but only has rougly 1000.

 

Watching the program what pissed me off was the principal who kept want more and more money...rather than focusing on what she had to improve scholarship.

 

All I heard was more and more money and principle who could not wait to go home to the north side(white)

[dustinst22]

Here is an NPR story on Tools of the Mind. Apparently the children plan what to do, and the thought is that this will give needed skills. Perhaps so. Here is an excerpt which I found depressing, especially depressing since I think that it is correct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We just bought bikes for the twins (grandsons, age 7) and I intend to see to it that they get out on them. But they will never use the bikes the way I used mine when I was a kid. Briefly put, I explored the world. Childhood is just different now. There's no point in moaning over it, and the grandkids seem to grow up, but I liked it my way. I hope the Tools plan works.

 

Interesting read. Reminded me of this: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/04/my-students-dont-know-how-to-have-a-conversation/360993/

 

*****'s getting real in the streets -- new generation of kids will be haves and have nots -- not based on material stuff, but those in charge to lead and those who are sheep. They will be too stimulated and 'trained' dumb to do anything but comply. It's really scary and imo will represent massive inequality far beyond anything we see now.

[FM75]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autodidacticism

 

Perhaps our system of education should promote educating ourselves. Being taught for 12-16 years is probably insufficient for a full career. This has probably been the case for decades already.

 

People need to be able to learn by themselves. That means tracking down sources of knowledge new to them and learning from it.

 

The sooner one learns to learn at one's own pace, mastering the subject being studied, the better that person will be able to do so as necessary or desired.

[Fluffy]

I think this is truly amazing. Just how smart might I have been :huh: Now a video to help me get lebensohl down would be nice.

 

Not a video, but it has interactive examples, so might be worth a try:

 

http://www.bridgegod.com/playart.php?artid=42

[Cyberyeti]

Not a video, but it has interactive examples, so might be worth a try:

 

http://www.bridgegod.com/playart.php?artid=42

 

The second one is just poor and won't let me play any of the cards I want to play. It insists I strip the long hand of all its high clubs rather than preserving them as entries to lead diamonds, and won't let me lead a diamond before the second trump.

 

Bizarre, twice it blocked me from playing the clubs how I wanted and leading a diamond first, third time it allowed me.

[Fluffy]

it was one of the first hands I made, declarer bot was rusty at that time so I did step by step decision trees, couldn't handle all options. I Should revisit those deals, but I always have better things to do :/.

 

Now I look at it it wasn't that bad, still the main point is tha tlebensohl would help you bid 3♣+4♠ later. Maybe a better example would be to give partner 4♠, so the spade game is the winning spot, but cannot be reached without lebensohl.

[kenberg]

http://en.wikipedia....Autodidacticism

 

Perhaps our system of education should promote educating ourselves. Being taught for 12-16 years is probably insufficient for a full career. This has probably been the case for decades already.

 

People need to be able to learn by themselves. That means tracking down sources of knowledge new to them and learning from it.

 

The sooner one learns to learn at one's own pace, mastering the subject being studied, the better that person will be able to do so as necessary or desired.

 

If I can rephrase a little: Some young people, rich or poor, take responsibility for themselves. Some, rich or poor, do not. This is not the whole story, not by a long shot, but surely it is part of it.

[mycroft]

To rephrase even more: some people are taught now to learn, or how to teach themselves. some people are taught how to pass the next test. Of those people, some take the responsibility to do it, or to learn to do it despite their training.

 

However, one of the things that skews rich at the moment is intelligence and a willingness to learn. Their children may have more opportunity to become autodidacts than those whose family doesn't value it as highly.

[mike777]

To rephrase even more: some people are taught now to learn, or how to teach themselves. some people are taught how to pass the next test. Of those people, some take the responsibility to do it, or to learn to do it despite their training.

 

However, one of the things that skews rich at the moment is intelligence and a willingness to learn. Their children may have more opportunity to become autodidacts than those whose family doesn't value it as highly.

 

autodidacts

 

how many know what that means without google.

 

How many know that is so important. I did not. Does anyone?

D

[kenberg]

I can guess the meaning of autodact without looking it up. But this is of course dangerous. When I was young and first heard the word heterosexual I thought it meant that you would do it with anyone, or at least with a heterogeneous collection of partners.

[WellSpyder]

When I was young and first heard the word heterosexual I thought it meant that you would do it with anyone, or at least with a heterogeneous collection of partners.

And presumably a bisexual is just one step away from being monogamous...

[kenberg]

And presumably a bisexual is just one step away from being monogamous...

 

Exactly!