"What is Education For?" - David W. Orr

California State Standards for Science

"Grades Nine Through Twelve

Standards that all students are expected to achieve in the course of their studies are unmarked.
Standards that all students should have the opportunity to learn are marked with an asterisk (*).

Physics
Chemistry
Biology/Life Sciences
Earth Sciences
Investigation and Experimentation "

I'm sure you can find the link back to the standards for math, history, language arts, etc if you want to read them.

You'll notice ethics isn't among them. It is the responsibility of a parent to teach ethics and responsibility. A parent has a lot more influence than a teacher does. The real world is not "King of the Hill". Bobby is more likely to mirror his Dad's wasteful behavior than his teacher's eco-friendly behavior.

 

If the "liberal" schools start teaching ethics we will be accused by the NeoCons of usurping the role of parents.

Personally, I don't think it's the job of a kindergarten teacher to teach children to brush their teeth, but when parents don't do their job, what are you gonna do?

Everything should be interdisciplinary. That would require some major reorganization and reform of the education system. Thayer High school isn't going to happen in the average school district. The standards are a result of standardized tests. Standardized tests promote, encourage and reward compartimentalized instruction, rote learning and regurgitation. More 19th century mindset. You can't expect a Nordstrom education system with Walmart funding.

Schools do the best they can under all of the requirements and restrictions they operate under. Unfortuantely, when you have 1950s graduates calling the shots, you get kids prepared for the world of 1958. Education has never been in the hands of the experts trained in education. The local dry cleaner, realtor, housewife or political wannabe get elected to the School Board. The state and federal politicians' experience is that they went to school once. Everyone's an expert because they once attended a school. Way back when. Everyone thinks that schools are exactly the same as when they went to school; that nothing has changed. It's changed. But not enough.

Governor Schwarzenegger is going to reward teachers by taking away their tax breaks. President Bush is going to reward them by taxing their health care.

Yep, I can see all those college math and science majors beating the doors down to join the teaching profession. Who wouldn't want to make 35% of what they could make in the business world?

 

Well, of course it's appealing. I think we're seeing it's also necessary given the state we're in.

But....it's not on the standardized test. So there isn't a lot of room for it in the curriculum.

I have been suggesting Global Warming as a subject for research when our students need to do their persuasive essay. So far, no takers. I did have one science teacher ask us to take the global footprint test and report the results to one of her students doing some sort of project. I told her I would be happy to talk about my Prius with her student, but she never showed up.

If I wanted to counter Orr and be really cynical I'd suggest that school is for two things only. To have a piece of paper to put on a resumé and to get a better salary.

My first masters degree was essentially useless except for moving me up on the salary schedule. I'm enjoying my second and can actually use some of what I've learned. My first masters was in curriculum. I was young and naive. How silly to think that teachers had any power to make any decisions regarding curriculum. I'm working in Library and Information Science. Now I have power. I can show students and teachers how and where to find information and how to evaluate it. Teachers are starting to seek me out.

The educational value of standardized tests is....nothing. They're strictly political. And a lot of instructional time is wasted on them.

If anyone knows of any job with a six figure salary (or better) that entails bubbling in scantron sheets please let me know. I'm very good. I don't go outside the lines and my circles are complete and very dark. I erase completely and do not make any extraneous marks. Must include generous pension and healthcare package. Vacation time is negotiable.

 

Like so much else, it's going to happen. And teachers will be involved. Districts can adjust and embrace the change or be left behind. It will be adapt or die.

It's online. It's open source courseware.

More and more students in community colleges are taking classes online. Most of my masters classes have been online because I can't commute to San Jose State University and they were the only university in the State of California to offer a Library Media credential and MLIS.

It's creeping down to the high schools. Students that had no access to seminar or AP classes can enroll in them online. It's the hybrid of home schooling and public schools. Teachers are creating the curriculum, monitoring the classes, etc. Students can get credit for online classes.

MIT is offering its classes for free. You don't get any credit, but you can access all lectures and materials online. You can learn for the sheer pleasure of learning.

Our district is hosting Moodle, on open source courseware system, for free, open to all teaches and students. I've got a Moodle class for the general school population with the district and one for my library service monitors hosted at UCSD, where I first took a class on how to use it.

What the politicians and amateurs elected to the school boards don't realize is they're not dealing with the same students anymore. These are digital natives. They are wired. They've never known a world without computers, cellphones, iPods, gameboys, etc. And they think differently.

I'm the webmaster of the library webportal and I have my own blog there. I'll be doing podcasting soon. I'm trying to stay on the cutting edge of where education is going. We'll see the results of peak oil and global warming before the critical point for schools hits the fan. But you'll see it in your lifetime. It's growing slowly, but it will reach a point if critical mass where it just takes off. It's not for everyone. But it will allow a choice. Students that can handle self-discipline and learning at their own pace will go in that direction. Those needing more formal structure along with the peer interaction and socializing will still go to schools. But schools won't be like they are now because they'll have to compete with their online counterparts. It's gonna happen.

Unfortunately, I'll probably be retired by then.

But make a note. So when it does happen and it happens similar to what I've outlined you can say "Hot d@mn! She was right!"