Comments on: We are not alone; this is encouraging! http://allnewpubliceducation.com/2008/09/22/we-are-not-alone-this-is-encouraging/ If you could start from zero, what would public education look like? Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:31:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Brad Brummel http://allnewpubliceducation.com/2008/09/22/we-are-not-alone-this-is-encouraging/#comment-483 Brad Brummel Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:31:46 +0000 http://srdill.wordpress.com/?p=10#comment-483 I love your insite on public education. I really enjoyed reading the fact that we are not the only nation struggling with public education. Most schools that encounter a problem, implement a new program, or make an important decision look at comparible school districts who had success. Learning from other schools is a powerful tool. As a country, needing some help with our public education, I feel we could do the same. Look at other nations education and try to learn from thier successes and failures. I love your insite on public education. I really enjoyed reading the fact that we are not the only nation struggling with public education. Most schools that encounter a problem, implement a new program, or make an important decision look at comparible school districts who had success. Learning from other schools is a powerful tool. As a country, needing some help with our public education, I feel we could do the same. Look at other nations education and try to learn from thier successes and failures.

]]> By: Musing Mom http://allnewpubliceducation.com/2008/09/22/we-are-not-alone-this-is-encouraging/#comment-156 Musing Mom Wed, 20 May 2009 19:53:44 +0000 http://srdill.wordpress.com/?p=10#comment-156 Thanks Stephen. Yes, one of the major advantages of homeschooling is the extreme flexibility for grabbing "teachable moments" and situations, and in utilizing the best environments including resources, experts, and relevent context that help make learning a strongly woven fabric. It is funny to me that "the socializatoin question" is the first protest given by those who know nothing about homeschooling, and yet proper socialization is one of the best advantages of homeschooling. Socalization includes academic and life education, and does not stand apart from it. best, Gretchen Thanks Stephen.

Yes, one of the major advantages of homeschooling is the extreme flexibility for grabbing “teachable moments” and situations, and in utilizing the best environments including resources, experts, and relevent context that help make learning a strongly woven fabric. It is funny to me that “the socializatoin question” is the first protest given by those who know nothing about homeschooling, and yet proper socialization is one of the best advantages of homeschooling. Socalization includes academic and life education, and does not stand apart from it.

best,
Gretchen

]]> By: srdill http://allnewpubliceducation.com/2008/09/22/we-are-not-alone-this-is-encouraging/#comment-155 srdill Wed, 20 May 2009 09:56:26 +0000 http://srdill.wordpress.com/?p=10#comment-155 Gretchen, Your observation about the shortcomings of a public school's "artificial environment" is so right! Think of the best lessons learned, where did you learn them and what part did the context and environment play? Could home schools credit nearly as much success if their only consistent were the kitchen table? Note the post on Richard Louv and the "Nature-Deficit Syndrome" – we need to spend more time learning outdoors or in situ, gathering the multiple conditions of the subject being studied (weather, topography, climate, noise, traffic, co-workers, distractions, deadlines, etc.) if we truly want to create the independent thinker we all need to be. I highly recommend readers spend some time on <a href="http://tingthinks.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow">Musing Mom's blog</a> for the very well thought out education ideas, questions and observations. Many thanks for your input here, Gretchen! Stephen Dill Gretchen,

Your observation about the shortcomings of a public school’s “artificial environment” is so right! Think of the best lessons learned, where did you learn them and what part did the context and environment play? Could home schools credit nearly as much success if their only consistent were the kitchen table? Note the post on Richard Louv and the “Nature-Deficit Syndrome” – we need to spend more time learning outdoors or in situ, gathering the multiple conditions of the subject being studied (weather, topography, climate, noise, traffic, co-workers, distractions, deadlines, etc.) if we truly want to create the independent thinker we all need to be.

I highly recommend readers spend some time on Musing Mom’s blog for the very well thought out education ideas, questions and observations. Many thanks for your input here, Gretchen!

Stephen Dill

]]> By: Musing Mom http://allnewpubliceducation.com/2008/09/22/we-are-not-alone-this-is-encouraging/#comment-154 Musing Mom Wed, 20 May 2009 05:55:29 +0000 http://srdill.wordpress.com/?p=10#comment-154 I like that Sir Ken makes us think about the purpose of education, and he does it with humor. What is our purpose in educating our children? What are our goals and is what we are doing getting our children there? It is my opinion that we need to have an educational system that has enough flexibility and open-mindedness to support and nurture all strengths, gifts, and talents. The end product of education should be a person who can critically think and learn, not someone who has spent hours memorizing unrelated unintegrated facts that are quickly forgotten. We should stop penalizing children who are not "average" and compliant with the school mindset. Education should absolutely be intergenerational. "Socialization" is poorly accomplished by schools because they create an artifical environment in so many ways, and rely on peer group with inadequate supervision as a means of gaining social skill. The best learning experiences are also unlikely to happen in this rather artificial environment. Education does continue throughout life is you recognize that "education" is not something that happens between 8 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday on a school campus. http://tingthinks.wordpress.com/ I like that Sir Ken makes us think about the purpose of education, and he does it with humor. What is our purpose in educating our children? What are our goals and is what we are doing getting our children there? It is my opinion that we need to have an educational system that has enough flexibility and open-mindedness to support and nurture all strengths, gifts, and talents. The end product of education should be a person who can critically think and learn, not someone who has spent hours memorizing unrelated unintegrated facts that are quickly forgotten. We should stop penalizing children who are not “average” and compliant with the school mindset.

Education should absolutely be intergenerational. “Socialization” is poorly accomplished by schools because they create an artifical environment in so many ways, and rely on peer group with inadequate supervision as a means of gaining social skill. The best learning experiences are also unlikely to happen in this rather artificial environment.

Education does continue throughout life is you recognize that “education” is not something that happens between 8 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday on a school campus.

http://tingthinks.wordpress.com/

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