Re: virus: education, Virus style

Peter =?iso-8859-1?Q?=D6kner?= (okner@arch.kth.se)
Thu, 23 May 1996 15:40:30 +0100


C. David Noziglia wrote:
>boneill@voyager.net wrote:

>> What qualities about our current education system strike you as archaic, =
and
>> what do you propose as potential improvement? Speaking in terms of
>> methodology, institutions, educators, tehnology, etc....
>>
>> I ask this -seemingly out of the blue- for two reasons:
>>
>> 1) I'm intensely interested in how we teach and learn
>> 2) I want something else to read besides the absolute truth=
thread =3D)

>Beyond that, we really should deal with kids by starting with the assumptio=
n
>that they WANT to learn!

Absolutely, things are happening overhere that seems to point that way.
Learning is such a joyful experience and yet so many (incl. myself) loose
that feeling when entering school. Perhaps it has something to do with the
School meme evolving out of the Church meme. At least here reading skills
(the first attempt at public teaching) where taught to the public by clergy
using religious text. And it evolved onwards from there with more top-down
instruction on how to be a good citizen ( not attempt revolution).
I think a teacher should explain to his pupils that he/she is staking his
reputation, and salary, on the fact that what he/she offers will eventually
(very soon) seem useful, but that they should be critical of every word
(thus reducing the risk of loosing that paycheck) and try to think up
better or funnier ways of reaching the goals they agree upon.
Also all kids should be handed that memebook by Richard so he could stop
plugging it.

> The
>worst system of all is one that treats everyone alike.

Aslong as you remember that the second worst system is the one that does
not treat everyone alike.

>"Blessed are those who have no expectations,
>for they will never be disappointed."
> Kautiliya Shakhamuni Sidhartha Gautama Buddha
A pessimist might never be disappointed, but then again he will never be
able to appriciate it when life deals him a good hand. Better to be an
optimist and take what pain that comes along as useful experiences.

Peter =D6kner
okner@arch.kth.se=20