tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355052.post5384612990571877458..comments2024-03-28T03:25:49.943-04:00Comments on Common Denominator: Public School Education IdeaKen Schenckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09745548537303356655noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355052.post-39746049756974623782014-08-17T21:53:06.072-04:002014-08-17T21:53:06.072-04:00Back on topic, I thought I would pass along anothe...Back on topic, I thought I would pass along another Atlantic piece from the same issue: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/09/building-better-teachers/375066/<br /><br />According to the author, it seems that student achievement does not seem to correlate with a lot of thing we might think important (e.g. teachers' credentials or personality traits, maybe even classroom size), but is greatly affected by teacher workload.::athada::https://www.blogger.com/profile/09046982982270546995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355052.post-22953642070750502752014-08-17T20:50:32.006-04:002014-08-17T20:50:32.006-04:00Ken, listening, and concerned (daughter now 3!).
...Ken, listening, and concerned (daughter now 3!). <br /><br />You undoubtedly have heard of Khan academy. Some classrooms are using his math curriculum to set a whole room going at their own place, with 1-2 monitors observing their work electronically (and in flesh) and intervening with individuals at key times. <br /><br />I agree with your final assertion, but if a home is non-dysfunctional (at least beyond our normal quirks!) perhaps then adding dysfunction is not ideal. We are dealing here however with what is good for individual students/families and what is good for society/districts... not always in concert.<br /><br />This is for higher ed, but an interesting start-up at the college level: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/08/the-future-of-college/375071/::athada::https://www.blogger.com/profile/09046982982270546995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355052.post-55581825118620628472014-08-15T07:32:34.881-04:002014-08-15T07:32:34.881-04:00I grew up in a local school system within a close ...I grew up in a local school system within a close knit community, and it was an awesome learning experience. If I could transport every inner-city kid into that school, I would still do so.<br />A month ago I moved so that I could attend school, but while living in the city I had an opportunity to meet a lot of inner-city kids. In general, I say this about them: they are starving.<br /><br />They are starving, yes, for enough nutritious food (so that their brains have fuel and can grow), for safety (so that their minds can relax and they can concentrate), and restful sleep (so that their spirits can heal, and their minds can grow). <br /><br />Therefore, the most important ingredient to their health that they are missing is their perceiving the love of Christ (Luke 3:11, 9:13). Learning in the absence of Christ is no learning at all (ask Oppenheimer), and can only lead to destruction. He promises that His way is the narrow way (Luke 7:13-14, 13:24), and yet that way remains the greatest foundation to learning that IWU can (and must) offer the academic world.Susan Moorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355052.post-1178768168395543302014-08-14T16:00:46.159-04:002014-08-14T16:00:46.159-04:00Hello, Ken! Mike Morrell asked me to contact you b...Hello, Ken! Mike Morrell asked me to contact you because he really appreciates your blog and thinks you'd be an excellent candidate for his Speakeasy Blogger Network. Do you like to review off-the-beaten path faith, spirituality, and culture books? Speakeasy puts interesting books in your hands at no charge to you. You only get books when you request them, and it's free to join. Sign up here, if you'd like: http://thespeakeasy.infoAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16108826959433644724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355052.post-79415955400326336972014-08-14T10:10:35.429-04:002014-08-14T10:10:35.429-04:00Public school did not work for me, I don't ful...Public school did not work for me, I don't fully know why. I do think I have some sort of ADD, I came to believe this while doing paper work at a university where my son was being evaluated by some clinicians; every question or response just seemed to be me all over the place. I have wondered many times how I might have thrived in public school or done better in college, and my first response to your idea is that it has definite merit. I would have--I think--benefited from one on one attention with lots of repetition and encouragement. I am a musician and a singer (in my younger years I sang very well;I'm in my 60's now....) and when I was exposed to the Suzuki method I had a longing for something I fear I missed, a chance to have become accomplished as a musician. I had talent, everyone said so. And I don't deny I could have been lazy; I certainly was under motivated at times, but I have thought for several decades that different approaches to instruction would have helped me a great deal. I'm hoping in the next reality to see and experience things intellectually, artistically and musically that I have never been able to realize here. Just another reason to 'long for His appearing.' Anyway, I think you're on to something here. John Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00060404930391236792noreply@blogger.com