On Wed, 13 May 1998, Uncle Roger wrote:
> At 09:44 AM 5/13/98 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> > Personally, I believe the "computer literacy in schools is everything"
> > movement is a result of inept teachers and a haywire NEA. Here in the
>
>
> > Washington, D.C. area I have read reports of teachers pushing
> > 'invented' spelling as a method to avoid hurting the challenged
> > student's self esteem. Educators seem to think the student will
It is not a new problem, though. I had an English Lit. instructor at the
University of Michigan in 1947 - Air Force veteran - who admitted that
he couldn't spell and didn't think it was important!
- don
> Ummm... I don't doubt someone came up with this, but I doubt that it is
> widespread; If one teacher does it, the media pick it up and report it as
> if everyone was doing it, and of course the public loves to think that all
> teachers are idiots just goofing off until they can retire.
>
> I think it's jealousy over this (imaginary) summer vacation.
>
> Most teachers are extremely hard working, committed educators who put a lot
> of their own time and money into their classes. My girlfriend (admittedly,
> one of the most insane) arrives at school before 7am (everyday) and rarely
> leaves before 5pm. She spends her evenings and weekends doing schoolwork.
> She spends her summers planning the next year and building various
> curriculum. And she works with the other teachers all the time, so she's
> not alone.
>
> The problem is partially a lack of funding for schools and very a lack of
> adequate parenting. Rachel sent home some work for the kids to do with
> their parents one time; she got one back where the father had written (on
> both sides, in big, red letters) that his kid can't do such advanced work
> (they'd been doing it in class all week) and that "I AM NOT A TEACHER".
> With a father like that, it's a wonder that the kid knows how to go to the
> bathroom.
>
> There are other kids: one whose parents come to school at lunch time to
> take him to the bathroom and feed him his lunch (first grade, no kidding),
> and a kid who is almost completely blind, yet even after the social worker
> took him to the eye doctor (with her own money) still doesn't have glasses.
> Kids whose parents beat them, who are being raised by grandparents because
> their parents don't want them, kids who see people shot in real life, as
> well as on TV. And there are kids who are taught to hate because of skin
> color or religion, or whatever. Kids that are taught that the proper
> response to a disagreement is hit. Kids that are ignored at home, left on
> their own with a babysitter or nanny, or worse, to wander the neighborhood.
> Kids that are allowed, even encouraged, if it will shut them up, to watch
> stuff on telly that even *I* won't watch.
>
> Sure, there are bad teachers out there, just as there are bad mechanics,
> programmers, doctors, etc. But most of them work harder than probably
> anybody on this list, and probably for a lot less money.
>
> But parents don't even take responsibility for checking out the teachers.
> There are also different styles of teaching; you wouldn't drop your volvo
> off at a Land Rover mechanic, would you? But most parents don't bother to
> see (or ask) if a teacher's style is the best for their kids.
>
> Most parents pay more attention to whether or not their kids have brushed
> their teeth than whether or not they've done their homework.
>
> Don't put the blame on the teachers without putting it on the parents as well.
>
>
> > in software will correct them. What a cop out. I don't believe
> > students should be introduced to computers (read: word
> > processors/calculators) until the first year of high school after
> > mastering basic reading, comprehension, writing and math skills.
>
> Computers are a very valuable tool for teaching those very skills. To deny
> kids access to them is to slow them down.
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------- O-
>
> Uncle Roger "There is pleasure pure in being mad
> roger_at_sinasohn.com that none but madmen know."
> Roger Louis Sinasohn & Associates
> San Francisco, California http://www.sinasohn.com/
>
>
donm_at_cts.com
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Don Maslin - Keeper of the Dina-SIG CP/M System Disk Archives
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Received on Wed May 13 1998 - 23:52:23 BST