The recent shooting death of a 9-month old baby has been devastating to many of us. How has this happened? It's a reminder, not the only one, of a culture that has been created. I'm not sure how we got there, but there we are.
I'm sure there are some simplistic answers out there, such as the violence on television and in video games. There are others as well. But we'd better get to the reasons if we want to have any chance of getting rid of these all-to-common occurrences.
I know, I know.... But I think we've created another rotten culture, one that holds nobody responsible or accountable for their actions. Oh, let me amend that. We are quick to give awards, acclamation, prizes, ribbons, etc. for the slightest of good (note the last time you passed a school that wasn't a "Blue Ribbon School" or "State Exemplary School" or a league that didn't give every kid some sort of trophy or award). But bad things? No, No, No...we never acknowledge the people who may have done things (with good intentions, no doubt) that weren't so hot. It's "Let's move on," "Let's not cast blame," "Let's not point fingers," "Let's get beyond this," etc.
How have we made it acceptable--and it's far too acceptable to far too many people!--to unleash a barrage of bullets on a house because of some disagreement over seating at a baby shower? And how many other silly, stupid things have led to other recent shootings? A 9-month old baby??????
As disheartened as I am (Look at the likely choices we'll have for President in Nov. Out of a population of 307 million, these are the best we can find? If so, heaven help us!), I take solace in the words of W.E.B. DuBois, written 90 years ago. He wrote, "Abraham Lincoln was perhaps the greatest figure of the nineteenth century. Certainly of the five masters, Napoleon, Bismarck, Victoria, Browning and Lincoln, Lincoln is to me the most human and lovable. And I love him not because he was perfect, but because he was not and yet triumphed. The world is full of illegitimate children. The world is full of folk whose taste was educated in the gutter. The world is full of people born hating and despising their fellows. To these I love to say: See this man. He was one of you and yet he became Abraham Lincoln."
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Full Circle
Way back when, about 50+ years ago, I loved reading books about each of the states written by Walter Havighurst. Of course then there were only 48 states. But I couldn't wait to finish one and start the next. At Amherst, one of my favorite professors was Prof Alfred Havighurst. He was inspiring and a great teacher, British History. It never dawned on me then that the two were brothers. Only later, when Walter died, did I see that Prof Havighurst was his brother! Oh, I wish I had known that when I was a student--how cool! I could have told how much I enjoyed reading the states' books.
So, reading those came 50+ years ago. I'm doing a lot of research now. The two most recent books I read were by--Walter Havighurst. OK, one was edited by him, with contributions from other authors/historians and journal-keepers. But the other was his, engaging and full of knowledge. I read it all, more than I needed to read, and enjoyed it a great deal.
To think, from the 1950s until 2012!
So, reading those came 50+ years ago. I'm doing a lot of research now. The two most recent books I read were by--Walter Havighurst. OK, one was edited by him, with contributions from other authors/historians and journal-keepers. But the other was his, engaging and full of knowledge. I read it all, more than I needed to read, and enjoyed it a great deal.
To think, from the 1950s until 2012!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Believe It or Not
Remember Ripley's old comic strip, "Believe It or Not?" Well, it seems truth can't be believed any longer.
Is what I heard true, that the governor of NJ ordered flags flown at half-mast for the Whitney Houston death? That can't be true, can it? I'm trying to figure out a reason and I can't, at least not a legitimate one. Will, then, cardiac surgeons who've saved hundreds of lives also have flags lowered on their deaths? What about the best teachers? What about former fire fighters and policemen who die, not on duty? And there was talk of this guy running for President? I doubt he would have received my vote before and now certainly he won't if this is reflective of his thinking.
Was a 9-month old baby really shot and killed in Detroit? Some guy, gang-related it's believed, opened up by firing about 40 rounds into a West Side house (Hey, I grew up on the West Side!). Perhaps it's time to start thinking about the death penalty again. I know, I know.... But I can't help but thinking about that 9-month old who won't have a life. And why do I believe that this guy feels no remorse, none at all. By the way, there have already been 48 murders in Detroit this year. And, it seems, Pontiac isn't far behind.
Gas is now $3.53 a gallon in Detroit. It's expected to hit $4.25 or so by April. Is that so, too? I can't believe this stuff. Hey, don't we have a President who has done all he could to stop drilling, to prevent a pipeline, etc.? Isn't he pushing electric cars, you know, the ones I can't afford to buy or, according to an e-mail from a physics friend of mine, operate?
Do educated people really talk this way, even in casual conversations? "I haven't heard nothin' yet." "I haven't went that far yet." These were from two different, allegedly educated people.
Can I believe we've had so many 40-degree days this winter? Today was oh, so beautiful! Is it safe to start thinking we won't get any huge storms this year? I will admit I miss the pretty white stuff and, crazy me, the shoveling. We haven't made a snowman yet this year!
Is it possible the Jeffs' men's basketball team is ranked #2 in the US and the women's team is #1? And, rumor has it, the players still have to go to class and do the work! Yep, that's what I heard.
Is what I heard true, that the governor of NJ ordered flags flown at half-mast for the Whitney Houston death? That can't be true, can it? I'm trying to figure out a reason and I can't, at least not a legitimate one. Will, then, cardiac surgeons who've saved hundreds of lives also have flags lowered on their deaths? What about the best teachers? What about former fire fighters and policemen who die, not on duty? And there was talk of this guy running for President? I doubt he would have received my vote before and now certainly he won't if this is reflective of his thinking.
Was a 9-month old baby really shot and killed in Detroit? Some guy, gang-related it's believed, opened up by firing about 40 rounds into a West Side house (Hey, I grew up on the West Side!). Perhaps it's time to start thinking about the death penalty again. I know, I know.... But I can't help but thinking about that 9-month old who won't have a life. And why do I believe that this guy feels no remorse, none at all. By the way, there have already been 48 murders in Detroit this year. And, it seems, Pontiac isn't far behind.
Gas is now $3.53 a gallon in Detroit. It's expected to hit $4.25 or so by April. Is that so, too? I can't believe this stuff. Hey, don't we have a President who has done all he could to stop drilling, to prevent a pipeline, etc.? Isn't he pushing electric cars, you know, the ones I can't afford to buy or, according to an e-mail from a physics friend of mine, operate?
Do educated people really talk this way, even in casual conversations? "I haven't heard nothin' yet." "I haven't went that far yet." These were from two different, allegedly educated people.
Can I believe we've had so many 40-degree days this winter? Today was oh, so beautiful! Is it safe to start thinking we won't get any huge storms this year? I will admit I miss the pretty white stuff and, crazy me, the shoveling. We haven't made a snowman yet this year!
Is it possible the Jeffs' men's basketball team is ranked #2 in the US and the women's team is #1? And, rumor has it, the players still have to go to class and do the work! Yep, that's what I heard.
Education
I read a couple of interesting articles last week about education in the US, specifically reform in education.
One was by Diane Ravitch, who used to be an expert in education until she stopped agreeing with the politicians. Yep, she was often cited and quoted about reforms, that is, the reforms the politicians desired in education. She seems to have done a bit of a turn-around, though. That has caused her to become a pariah of sorts. For instance, once a supporter of charter schools, she has examined the data--all of it--and has come away much less impressed than she once was.
She uses data to back up her ideas. And she looks to successful education systems, those which seem to be teaching their students/children the most effectively. Finland seems to fit that bill. Oddly, many of those who oppose her new views also point to Finland's success, but they don't look any farther than the results. For them, the only thing is results, not how they were achieved. I really don't know if the US and Finland can be compared; that is, do we match up with the Finns sociologically, family patterns, TV and video time, etc.? I don't know. But Ravitch points out some very interesting things. First, something overlooked by many, is that the Finns are not at all "test-crazy." One standardized test is given to students annually, but it is not used to measure individual standing, teacher or school performance, etc. It's results are seen nationally. No money, no teacher or administrator jobs, none of that is dependent on the test results. And there's no "teaching to the test," cheating, and the like. Hmmm. Second, the very best students are attracted to education. Unlike the US, where for decades the easiest major, the one least rigorous, has been the one found in schools of education, Finnish teachers must pass tough standards, esp in their fields. Third, the Finns demand the same education of all students for the first nine years. Then choices can be made, for vocational school or college prep (?), for the last years. And it works. For those obsessed with test scores, Finland ranks at or near the top of the only international test its students take.
Teachers in Finland are given the responsibility to make decisions, in their schools and in their individual classrooms. They are accountable, but are also given the time to make responsible efforts and choices. And, because they are chosen from the best of the best, they are respected by the community, much like doctors and other real professionals.
I have just one question. Ravitch, like the Finns, calls for schools to be run by "experts in education." Who, in the US, exactly are the "experts?" She correctly criticizes our schools of education. She recognizes that our teachers are not, unlike the Finns, the best of the best. So, then, where do we find our experts?
The other article focused on a movement at Harvard. It "seeks to jolt university teaching." But there seem to be several contradictory paths taken here. I was nodding when I read criticism of more recent students. Their level of curiosity and all that goes with that have declined over the last 20 years.
And I was reminded of my own college education at Amherst, one I may not have recognized at the time as being outstanding. Over the years, though, I have come to appreciate it and my professors more and more. Lectures, it is claimed by a number of the Harvard folks, don't do the trick. They cite the usual criticisms, "passive learning," failure to attach meaning to what is learned, applying that learning, among them. But I remember my AC lectures (Yep, we had some, in addition to the seminars of 10-12 students.) and they were engaging, esp since we knew we had to write papers on them (and our readings). Those papers were going to be thoroughly read and evaluated, with tons of comments. Some were on the papers (in red ink no less!); some were delivered in seminars; some in professors' offices ("If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another school," I was once told.). "No sloppy thinking" or some derivative of that was a common comment. In that context, lectures are not at all as bad as suggested here.
But some "myths" about learning/education are also confronted. One involves "different learning styles." Whoa! Is that so? "There's no evidence, zero, that teaching methods should be matched up with different learning styles. It's intuitively appealing, but not scientifically supported." Boy, some folks have become pretty rich preaching about "different learning styles."
Writing--and lots of it--is a most effective teaching/learning tool. I don't think the Harvard folks were talking about term papers, but shorter ones. At AC, we had papers, 3 to 5 pages, due each Monday for most classes. (OK, coming out of high school, I thought "3 to 5 pages" was a term paper!) The topics were often very difficult, gleaned from readings and lectures. I recently had a talk with a colleague, who was decrying the falling enrollment in his classes. He asked what sort of assignments I had, probing, I think, if my classes were "easy" and attracting more students. I told him I assigned a short essay every week and a half or so. He grimaced and said, likely without thinking, "Oh, so it's pretty easy." He proceeded to tell me of his assignments, every two or three weeks, of ten or more pages. Hmmm. I should bring this article in to him.
Yep, there's a lot to learn--and unlearn--about education.
One was by Diane Ravitch, who used to be an expert in education until she stopped agreeing with the politicians. Yep, she was often cited and quoted about reforms, that is, the reforms the politicians desired in education. She seems to have done a bit of a turn-around, though. That has caused her to become a pariah of sorts. For instance, once a supporter of charter schools, she has examined the data--all of it--and has come away much less impressed than she once was.
She uses data to back up her ideas. And she looks to successful education systems, those which seem to be teaching their students/children the most effectively. Finland seems to fit that bill. Oddly, many of those who oppose her new views also point to Finland's success, but they don't look any farther than the results. For them, the only thing is results, not how they were achieved. I really don't know if the US and Finland can be compared; that is, do we match up with the Finns sociologically, family patterns, TV and video time, etc.? I don't know. But Ravitch points out some very interesting things. First, something overlooked by many, is that the Finns are not at all "test-crazy." One standardized test is given to students annually, but it is not used to measure individual standing, teacher or school performance, etc. It's results are seen nationally. No money, no teacher or administrator jobs, none of that is dependent on the test results. And there's no "teaching to the test," cheating, and the like. Hmmm. Second, the very best students are attracted to education. Unlike the US, where for decades the easiest major, the one least rigorous, has been the one found in schools of education, Finnish teachers must pass tough standards, esp in their fields. Third, the Finns demand the same education of all students for the first nine years. Then choices can be made, for vocational school or college prep (?), for the last years. And it works. For those obsessed with test scores, Finland ranks at or near the top of the only international test its students take.
Teachers in Finland are given the responsibility to make decisions, in their schools and in their individual classrooms. They are accountable, but are also given the time to make responsible efforts and choices. And, because they are chosen from the best of the best, they are respected by the community, much like doctors and other real professionals.
I have just one question. Ravitch, like the Finns, calls for schools to be run by "experts in education." Who, in the US, exactly are the "experts?" She correctly criticizes our schools of education. She recognizes that our teachers are not, unlike the Finns, the best of the best. So, then, where do we find our experts?
The other article focused on a movement at Harvard. It "seeks to jolt university teaching." But there seem to be several contradictory paths taken here. I was nodding when I read criticism of more recent students. Their level of curiosity and all that goes with that have declined over the last 20 years.
And I was reminded of my own college education at Amherst, one I may not have recognized at the time as being outstanding. Over the years, though, I have come to appreciate it and my professors more and more. Lectures, it is claimed by a number of the Harvard folks, don't do the trick. They cite the usual criticisms, "passive learning," failure to attach meaning to what is learned, applying that learning, among them. But I remember my AC lectures (Yep, we had some, in addition to the seminars of 10-12 students.) and they were engaging, esp since we knew we had to write papers on them (and our readings). Those papers were going to be thoroughly read and evaluated, with tons of comments. Some were on the papers (in red ink no less!); some were delivered in seminars; some in professors' offices ("If that's the best work you can do, I suggest you transfer to another school," I was once told.). "No sloppy thinking" or some derivative of that was a common comment. In that context, lectures are not at all as bad as suggested here.
But some "myths" about learning/education are also confronted. One involves "different learning styles." Whoa! Is that so? "There's no evidence, zero, that teaching methods should be matched up with different learning styles. It's intuitively appealing, but not scientifically supported." Boy, some folks have become pretty rich preaching about "different learning styles."
Writing--and lots of it--is a most effective teaching/learning tool. I don't think the Harvard folks were talking about term papers, but shorter ones. At AC, we had papers, 3 to 5 pages, due each Monday for most classes. (OK, coming out of high school, I thought "3 to 5 pages" was a term paper!) The topics were often very difficult, gleaned from readings and lectures. I recently had a talk with a colleague, who was decrying the falling enrollment in his classes. He asked what sort of assignments I had, probing, I think, if my classes were "easy" and attracting more students. I told him I assigned a short essay every week and a half or so. He grimaced and said, likely without thinking, "Oh, so it's pretty easy." He proceeded to tell me of his assignments, every two or three weeks, of ten or more pages. Hmmm. I should bring this article in to him.
Yep, there's a lot to learn--and unlearn--about education.
Presidents' Day
On this Presidents' Day, let's remember the words of W.E.B. DuBois from a 1922 essay in which he explained what many people thought was a previous criticism of A. Lincoln.
"Abraham Lincoln was perhaps the greatest figure of the nineteenth century. Certainly of the five masters,--Napoleon, Bismarck, Victoria, Browning and Lincoln, Lincoln is to me the most human and lovable. And I love him not because he was perfect but because he was not and yet triumphed. The world is full of illegitimate children. The world is full of folk whose taste was educated in the gutter. The world is full of people born hating and despising their fellows. To these I love to say: See this man. He was one of you and yet he became Abraham Lincoln."
Inspiring, both the author and the subject.
"Abraham Lincoln was perhaps the greatest figure of the nineteenth century. Certainly of the five masters,--Napoleon, Bismarck, Victoria, Browning and Lincoln, Lincoln is to me the most human and lovable. And I love him not because he was perfect but because he was not and yet triumphed. The world is full of illegitimate children. The world is full of folk whose taste was educated in the gutter. The world is full of people born hating and despising their fellows. To these I love to say: See this man. He was one of you and yet he became Abraham Lincoln."
Inspiring, both the author and the subject.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Paranoid?
Sometimes I think I'm being paranoid when I worry about big government intrusions in my life. After all, "C'mon Ron...it's our government." When I was teaching and the commies controlled the USSR, I used to joke with students, "What do you think this is, Russia?" Hmmmmmm......
Here comes a little gem about the federal "food police." At a day care, a 3-year old girl had her lunch taken from her because it didn't meet the "food police" (HHS) guidelines. No, it wasn't the potato chips that caused the problem. The packed lunch was a turkey/cheese sandwich, the said potato chips, a banana, and apple juice. Apparently that wasn't good/healthy enough for the HHS and the little girl lost her lunch, replaced by HHS-approved "chicken nuggets." (Can you imagine what healthy chicken nuggets must taste like?) So, it's no longer up to Mom (or, in this case, Grandma who often packs the kids' lunches) to determine what to feed her kids. It's not as if the lunch was a soda and Twinkies! But, once again, it's the arrogant elitists running the gov't. They know what's good for us better than we do. And, of course, that really isn't the point, is it?
So, now we've been told what kind of televisions we must have. Let's not forget light bulbs. Oh, and there are gov't regulated toilets (flushes, you know). How far away are mandated-electric dars? After all, a gov't that can tell us we have to buy health insurance or tell insurance companies they have to provide free birth-control....
Maybe I'm not so paranoid at that. And, it's not that these arrogant elitists don't know more than I do. No, that's not the point. The point is that decisions like these should be my choices, not theirs. Isn't it enough that they can steal our money (look up the word "steal" in the dictionary and see if I'm being all that ridiculous) and, if we balk at the thievery, we, not they, go to to jail or face fines. Go ahead, try to defy the IRS--heh, heh.
Here comes a little gem about the federal "food police." At a day care, a 3-year old girl had her lunch taken from her because it didn't meet the "food police" (HHS) guidelines. No, it wasn't the potato chips that caused the problem. The packed lunch was a turkey/cheese sandwich, the said potato chips, a banana, and apple juice. Apparently that wasn't good/healthy enough for the HHS and the little girl lost her lunch, replaced by HHS-approved "chicken nuggets." (Can you imagine what healthy chicken nuggets must taste like?) So, it's no longer up to Mom (or, in this case, Grandma who often packs the kids' lunches) to determine what to feed her kids. It's not as if the lunch was a soda and Twinkies! But, once again, it's the arrogant elitists running the gov't. They know what's good for us better than we do. And, of course, that really isn't the point, is it?
So, now we've been told what kind of televisions we must have. Let's not forget light bulbs. Oh, and there are gov't regulated toilets (flushes, you know). How far away are mandated-electric dars? After all, a gov't that can tell us we have to buy health insurance or tell insurance companies they have to provide free birth-control....
Maybe I'm not so paranoid at that. And, it's not that these arrogant elitists don't know more than I do. No, that's not the point. The point is that decisions like these should be my choices, not theirs. Isn't it enough that they can steal our money (look up the word "steal" in the dictionary and see if I'm being all that ridiculous) and, if we balk at the thievery, we, not they, go to to jail or face fines. Go ahead, try to defy the IRS--heh, heh.
China?
A former state school superintendent has become a consultant and sycophant for the Chinese, both the people and the government. Perhaps the geopolitical situation trumps all and we really have to do business with the Chinese, but there are things I think about.
First, although this guy claims he has many friends in China and has even eaten dinner at their houses (yeow!), don't we have to realize that China right now isn't its people, but its government--the Commies? Shouldn't we think about trading with a government that allows just one child per family and aborts any others, a government that still imprisons those who voice dissent, a government that runs over its people with tanks? Why would we trade high-tech equipment and information with a government whose intent is to destroy us, at least destroy how we live? I guess I'd ask that question of US companies, too. I know the answer, of course. "We make money in China!" And making money trumps all.
Still this former superintendent's shilling (this is far from the first time) for the Chinese is troublesome. Has he thought about these questions? If he has, has he dismissed them? Is there no concern for what this says about dealing with such a gov't? Maybe there's no relationship, but I think this guy's current stance on China trade explains a lot about the state schools under his tenure. Maybe not and, once again, I am out of touch.
First, although this guy claims he has many friends in China and has even eaten dinner at their houses (yeow!), don't we have to realize that China right now isn't its people, but its government--the Commies? Shouldn't we think about trading with a government that allows just one child per family and aborts any others, a government that still imprisons those who voice dissent, a government that runs over its people with tanks? Why would we trade high-tech equipment and information with a government whose intent is to destroy us, at least destroy how we live? I guess I'd ask that question of US companies, too. I know the answer, of course. "We make money in China!" And making money trumps all.
Still this former superintendent's shilling (this is far from the first time) for the Chinese is troublesome. Has he thought about these questions? If he has, has he dismissed them? Is there no concern for what this says about dealing with such a gov't? Maybe there's no relationship, but I think this guy's current stance on China trade explains a lot about the state schools under his tenure. Maybe not and, once again, I am out of touch.
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