A teacher (the exchange is from an e-mail list) posed the following comments (in relation to an article on HS student preperation). My reply follows.
You have to able to rattle this stuff off to your friends at the BBQ or cocktail party. If you can't, you will ALWAYS be at a disadvantage when teacher starts talking "ed speak."
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CT wrote:
I found this very interesting, as I am a teacher who genuinely believes that students are not prepared or challenged enough for the "real-world." The article, however, fails in thoroughly describing the research cited. What the article does say at the end is that high schools need to improve, "providing opportunities for real-world learning"; "making coursework more relevant". I would fully agree with this, but wonder if you people would.
Bruno writes:
I can't speak for "us people" but from my point of view HSchools are failing because middle schools have failed because grade schools have failed. Some one could start by teaching children how to read. The average child could learn to read well by 3rd Grade and be into Algebra by 7th or 8th. Teaching isn't rocket science, nor is it a priesthood. (though in its current incarnation, it does mimic theology)
Your industry always demands more money. I don't buy it. Money will solve some problems, but the simple process of creating neural connections in America's youth does NOT require ever greater staffing, pension bonuses, Assistant Principals and Staff Supervisors, all attached to a contractually mandated upward ratchet, devoid of accountability.
Here are some things that would fix education right quick.
1. Bring back ability grouping. Let the horses run and the others catch up. Get the droning boredom out of the classroom.
2. Abolish Special Education Mainstreaming. It is a foul experiment devoid of reason and rationality. (The extent to which it assists the "special ed. kid" is the extent to which it destroys the learning for the other 25 kids in the room - not that this matters to Marxist "equalizers.")
3. Recognize the limits of class size reductions. 15 might be better than 20, but not to the degree that we have to bankrupt states & localities. Do 15 /class early and 20+ above 5th grade and civilization will survive (it was doing better when curricula was challenging and there were 30 kids/class.
4. Abandon your industry's slavish devotion to constructivism. IT HAS FAILED!
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I could go on, but you get the idea. In an open market, a traditional system would outperform an "progressive" one any day of the week. For those who disagreed, they would have the choice of choosing curricula based upon ideology instead of results.
Debate me. Anytime, anyplace, any issue.
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The posts below give you ample intellectual ammunition to go after any "ed speaker."
1. Stephen Pinker on How the Mind Actually Works.
2. The New York Times on THE ONLY PROVEN CURRICULA
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