we should medicate them as well and teach them to like sports!

Phil,

Hand older students a copy of the USA Patiot Act (number One or self-styled Two), a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. Then go pick “something’ from this page by Rick Garlikov and see what you get: http://www.garlikov.com/writings.htm.

As Garlikov says, “It is my view that they already know how to think logically, and have always done so.

OK, Philip, this is reasonably provocative. But aren’t the schools already doing what you are proposing? It’s just that we teach the kids to THINK they’re engaged in critical thinking while really what we give them are nothing more than tools that will serve them as middle class and lower middle class functionaries in an information society. They need enough independent though to add value to an internal memorandum or a discussion of how to efficiently organize a retail operation, but not so much that they’d want to do something other than efficiently organize a retail operation.

And, I’d suggest, we do this for the elite, too. There are the obvious examples (if you ever want some experience in functional thinking, I’d suggest law school, where we really don’t try to hide the fact that our vaunted critical thinking is but a tool we are being trained to use), but I’d suggest even those fancy undergraduate schools really have more in common with a Madrasa than we’d ever admit. And you yourself can think in a very efficient way about how to set up a website to process on-line transactions, so the school system can claim you as a success story, right?

I’m looking forward to this blog and will check in regularly.

I’m really happy to hear that you’ll be posting every day. I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read by you so far, and the things you’ve done to make the ‘net a better place.

Regarding public education, I can’t understand what everyone is complaining about the American system for. I spent the last three years teaching in the Japanese public education system, and the American/western system was the example I frequently held up as something we should be aiming for. Lecture-style teaching is standard from Junior High level, students do not ask questions and often can’t even respond to them, and for the subject I was teaching (English) I never saw a curriculum (we taught the text book, mistakes and all).

There I was thinking the American system was better and worth emulating. Sigh.

I thought we were already teaching kids to obey authority mindlessly. Sitting in a classroom in rows, doing mindless long division followed by even more tedious social studies classes. Memorize this, memorize that. Spit out what I told you to memorize, and we’ll move on. And for christ sake, be on time!

As my grades dropped in grade school as what now would be called A.D.D. kicked in, no one paid much attention to my poor performance but I was certainly taken to the whooping shed for running late to class in the mornings.

I think my sociology teacher calls this the factory model of education.

Jonathan Swift would be so proud.

What Chinese Stratagem was this again:
Maybe “Point the deer and talk about a horse” or “hit the grass, to awake the vipers”?
Best
R

Sure! Is this why the parochial schools are often considered superior to public schools?

“! I’m sure as you do this more and get more relaxed and sure of yourself you’ll write better”

For christ sake, he’s been doing this since 1993. He’s published the largest book on the web. There isn’t all that much difference between writing short stuff daily and writing long stuff once in a while. He’s had plenty of time to get his writing style down.

So… I’m curious to know if “Ask E.T.” is a weblog?

I think it qualifies