I didn't mean to touch any nerves with my post last week, as I respect what you have to say. My problem is I have a wife and two kids who are caught up in the consumerism that most people are these days. I clash with my wife sometimes when I want to save more than we are, and am the bad guy for not buying the kids whatever they want whenever they want it (they already have two playstations, two x boxes, 3 skateboards each, 3 scooters each, bikes, new lax equipment all the time, etc.). If the rest of my family were like me, I would be more optimistic because we'd save more, be more prepared for adverse circumstances and most of all, be happy with having less! My comment was more about my situation and the implications for my family in the future than a comment about your demeanor/outlook based on your thoughts about the future. I like your point about robots sitting idle unless there is demand/money for goods that would have to be earned through jobs that are available or the system wouldn't work. I am hoping I get more credibility with the family as things in the economy go south and they see what I've been talking about, and get onboard with me on a sustainable plan based on circumstances and prospects. If not, going DB Cooper on they ass isn't out of the question either.
…I never knew we had a tiff. F-me anyways, I am no different than you or anyone else here. We have good and bad days. NO, no, you and me are square. So sorry I effected you in any way.I understand you are preparing your family for what is right but your Lady, she is special so let her come at her own pace. Remember, you will get the Walleye look from most you know, especially when you talk this shit but you should keep it close the the vest, share research information with your Lady and let her make up her own mind. I didn't hook my Lady for a long time, and what happened was I would talk, read her something important, leave her something to read on her chair in our office, and eventually she would see everything, everywhere. Now she is an active partner. She gets it.
All kids want these things so show them a different way. Love them, hold them as their life I believe will be a trip as we keep this crap up. Time to form serious bonds of mutual respect. They watch everything you do and say, and will only emulate you especially when the SHTF, so be kind, especially to your Lady. I'm sure you are.
Be Good Brother
BOB
[quote=gillbilly]It's unfortunate our public schools have been taken hostage by the corporate mentality. The new popular policy is to have every student bring-your-own-device (BROD). It's really sad, just more electronically mediated connection to reality. Most policies I see now only reinforce that students are being looked upon as an aggregate of test scores and data, which inevitably boils down to money. Another new trend I've heard of recently is administrators coercing high school teachers into giving students worse grades so that the overall average grades will be more in line with the average SAT scores. So teachers now need to adjust their assessments to a very narrow criteria of cognitive assessments. I guess class participation, creativity, and team-based assessment should be a footnote at the bottom of the report card. I have to say the nonsense in education is sometimes frightening, but I also have to say it is coming from the top down. I also wouldn't exclude private schools since my experience has been teaching at both. It's really a trade-off. Public schools have more bureaucracy and you have to deal with more socioeconomic backgrounds, but private schools are way more disfunctional in regard to power structure/dynamics. At least that's been my experience.
Thank You
[/quote]
Actually, what they are being taken hostage by goes beyond the corporate mentality.
http://eagnews.org/texas-6th-graders-design-flags-for-a-new-socialist-nation/
Ao,Our educational system is pretty complex, so my earlier post is subject to the same problems of over-simplification. As you could write a book on the medical field, I could do the same for education, but I should also state that I run my own business outside of my teaching that provides a good portion of my income. So, I don't consider myselft an institutionalist and I think have a healthy amount of trust/distrust. The link you posted is really way off to the right of the issue. I'm not saying there are not some kernels of truth, but the framing and context of it is pretty extreme and looks more like propaganda with a clear message.
I will say that I would love to see classes like ethics, philosophy, religion, etc. come back to the secondary level, since it only seems to be offered in a substantial way at the higher ed level. Religion, for example, is such a polarized subject right now that it's a non-starter. It's not because of some socialist conspiracy that comes from the top down, but rather a bottom up problem that stems from the community, in particular, parents. These courses can be offered at the college level because the students have adult status so the parents don't have a say. But as minors, the parents of these minors are incredibly suspicious of any religion course being offered, and in light of the polarization, who can blame them. Our public schools are filled with christians, jews, muslims, etc., so as soon as the idea of a religion course is entertained (even a survey course of religions), the parents are in an uproar about who would teach the course, what would be taught, etc etc. These offerings do have more success in the private schools but primarily because there is usually a more centralized socioeconomic class of students with a pervasive view that comes from that experience. That constellated view can change depending on the mission of the school (i.e. catholic school = catholic view, jewish school, etc)
It's too bad that these courses have gone away at the secondary level, as well as many of the courses that promote real hands - on work. I could see them coming back to schools if the community really wanted them, but again there is too much polarization and suspicion. IMHO, too much of our education is based on cognitive retention at the expense of creative and experiential learning. It's not that this type of learning doesn't go on at all, but more often we move in the other direction because teachers are being asked/told from their administration to meet these assessment/testing benchmarks, or else!
There are so many ways to measure the value of a person's potential. Cognitive intellegence and performance (sports, arts performance, etc) are two ways, but too often in academia they are the only ways, albeit with a anecdotal "personal statement" you find on a college application.
Again, I would love to see a class in spirituality, since our teens seem to be starved for it. It could be a class that embraces all religions and finds the common truths that run through them. It could encourage students from different faiths to have meaningful dialogue and find common ground. It would help bridge much of the gaps of misunderstandings that exist today. But if we don't see that happening in our communities and parents, then we really can't expect it to happen at our schools.
I would like also like to say that in contrary to some MSM headlines many of our schools in this country are not broken and are in fact doing rather well, and therefore the entire system is not broken. Every day students are learning, getting into college, and doing incredible things, but I am concerned with the overemphasis on narrow assessment criteria.
Peace!
Gillbilly,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the subject. I agree with much of what you say, especially teaching classes in ethics, philosophy, religion, spirituality, etc. and although not mentioned, classes in learning how to learning (which is an area that seems to be almost wholly neglected), logic, problem solving, etc. However, if you examine funding for education (from the Rockefellers, for example, but also from other sources), there is an agenda that is being promoted. The Rockefeller funding of the University of Chicago and the economics promoted by that university are a classic example. Those ideas that are being promoted are supplied with funding, those ideas that go against the agenda largely have found their funding sources diminished or drying up. Like you, for many years, I got a significant level of my income from education but this was at the postgraduate level so I appreciate your insights.
I agree Ao, higher ed is very different from secondary and elementary ed. Your example of U. Chicago is a good one. It's funny I hadn't really thought of my teaching experience as being very unique, but I guess in some ways it is. Most of my teaching also has been at the university level (undergrad and grad), but I have many years of high/middle school teaching as well as a year at the elementary level (God bless those teachers, I found it exhausting but maybe I wasn't in it long enough to become comfortable). It is interesting how each level brings different social and economic forces that act on them.
Thank You
…has always displayed very reasonable threads with high intelligence, and does have a sense of humor. He doesn't take himself so seriously as to be offensive. What I find very soothing about this Man is the balance he displays with everything he writes. So glad he teaches, and is, like my son and his wife, a credit himself, to his kids he teaches too, and the community at large.For my Friend then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa3HXdqNWIM
Respectfully Given
BOB
and it still makes me laugh uncontrollably. Geez Bob, I feel like I've received the PP Grand Poobah blessing! But seriously, thank you for the kind words. The feeling is mutual and I am grateful for all the people on this site who bring their life experiences to the forum. All help me with my struggle to make sense of the world as I'm forever learning.Thank You
I'm trying. I fully realize there is a balance and I'm working on it. I'm showing a positive attitude sprinkled with truths about our situation.
…you will do fine. Look at it like this: Whatever you do now is to the benefit of your family, and will give you so much more time to gather other things quickly before the herd even knows what hit them. That is a huge advantage so have your lists ready, and when this hits your wife will have seen it before because she has listened to you, I am sure of that. So the realization for her will come quick, and she will look to you. Then you move. In the mean time just take care of all the necessities of life well out into the future as you can where it isn't disruptive now.Hey, I'm singing to the choir so I'll stop.
I wish you well. Do you have a first name? It's more personal to talk to you using your name/nickname.
Bob/Yogi/Hauss/Chrome/Crappa/Boo/S (I'll answer to any of these).