Topic Tuesday #85 2014/03/04 - "Text Books"

Topic Tuesday #85 2014/03/04 - "Text Books"

I stumbled on an article in Salon written by Katie Halper (whom I about to cite extensively) about some of the skewed things that are making it into text books around the United States. You may be aware of the kerfuffles in Texas over their routine revisioning of their text books (a 7 year refresh). Many things were threatened to be taken out of History books, Science was in great danger of being skewed by anti-science fundamentalists. Thankfully, that has been largely taken care of by the addition of a committee that consists of educators and experts, whose opinions are more valid than the lay person when it comes to proper education.
There is another issue that our nation faces. Many disagree with how the public education system is structured, or are in areas where the local school board has made a right mess of things. Because of this there are alternatives to public education; Private schools, Charter schools, Religious Parochial Schools, Montessori, and homeschooling to name the usual suspects. Here we have a divergence in the materials utilized by these alternatives to what I will otherwise refer to as "mainstream" public education standards. Montessori has specific methods and practices. Homeschooling can be done with mainstream tools sanctioned by the areas school board, but can be supplemented and subverted as long as regular testing scores come back positive. Some of these supplemental or alternatives to the mainstream materials are what is preferred by some of the private, charter and religiously affiliated institutions. Here is where we get into the danger zone.
As this article( http://www.salon.com/2014/03/04/7_absurd_things_americas_kids_are_learning_thanks_to_conservatives_partner/) on Salon points out, there are 3 big players in the religiously focused educational material business. A Beka Book, Bob Jones University Publishing, and ACE (Accelerated Christian Education). A Beka Book has the largest distribution (9,000+ schools) so is an obvious target for more fact finding. 
Let's run down what the author of the article found to be the 7 sins of this publisher, so far.

Mathematics:
The publishing company boasts that, “Unlike the ‘modern math’ theorists, who believe that mathematics is a creation of man and thus arbitrary and relative, A Beka Book texts teach that the laws of mathematics are a creation of God and thus absolute.” “...traditional mathematics texts that are not burdened with modern theories such as set theory.“

Critical Thinking:
Like so many of Beka’s critical thinking tools, this one comes in the form of a mnemonic device: “Use the DISCERN method,” Beka instructs, “to determine whether abortion is biblical.” The method allows students to make an informed godly choice around any issue, not just abortion. Once they’ve figured out whether something is biblical or not, they can engage in it and praise it, or refrain from doing it and condemn it. Here’s how DISCERN works:
Determine your choices
Inquire of God through prayer
Search the scriptures
Consider godly counsel.
Eliminate worldly thinking.
Recognize God’s leading.
Never compromise the truth.

To see what REAL critical thinking is... I recommend a dictionary.  Or check this wiki out..http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking

Science:
"A non-Christian world view is any one that is based on the belief that there is something more reliable than the bible. The belief may come from church traditions scientific conclusions, or various theories. The most important teachings to be found in a Christian World View are… God made the world and everything in it; The world has fallen into a tragic state because of sin; and God is working to redeem this world to Himself.”
Science that contradicts these notions, the people at A Beka Book explain, is just plain wrong. “These three teachings should influence your interpretation of any facts you study,” they note. “And if you are serious about being a Christian, they must color your view of scientific thinking.”
Also crucial is the instruction not to stray from God’s path by using science to help people. “Others may be curious about the world of nature simply because they want to improve the lives of other humans. Although Christians should also be interested in that, they should mainly be interested in loving God through the study of nature.”

Guns:
“The founding fathers… understood that unarmed citizens would not be able to stand against a tyrannical government.” Gun control, according to this text, is simply a “gateway to tyranny.” The book’s exhaustive analysis of world history backs up this brilliant assertion: “A study of Hitler’s, Stalin’s and Mao’s ideas on disarming their citizens shows… they were well aware of the concept that control thrives when people are unarmed.”
As an added bonus, guns are also a way for America to fight against creeping… globalism: “Armed citizens could also play a major role in thwarting Globalism, the idea to bring the world together under ‘one global government.’ making the constitution null and void.”

The Death Penalty
'America: Land I Love In Christian Perspective' laments that the death penalty, and thus the sanctity of life, have become less hip. Back in the good old days, “because people believed in the sanctity of human life, most states practiced capital punishment.” Yeah... That makes sense...

 Sexually Transmitted Disease
Beka’s 'Health In Christian Perspective' text also teaches that sexually transmitted diseases are caused by sacrilegious behavior: “Disobedience to God’s Word in the area of sexual purity can also lead to disease.” “Some infections, known as… STDs,  are almost always spread by direct bodily contact during illicit sexual relations (sexual relations outside God’s institution of marriage). People who live according to God’s standards of waiting until marriage to have sexual relations are very unlikely to acquire venereal diseases.”
Worth noting that Sex Ed is not on the list of curriculum, but there is some wacky checklist...
encouraging students to check boxes for things like, “I wash my hands thoroughly on a regular basis” and “I obey biblical principles regarding morality, self-control, attitude, and anxiety.” “Unchecked boxes” the book warns, “identify conditions of risk.”

Homosexuality
Homosexuality is listed under 'United States History—Heritage of Freedom In Christian Perspective’s' “Cultural Decay” section: “Traditional American family values have dramatically declined….When [the family] comes under attack, all of society suffers.” “The media has increasingly belittled fathers and husbands, portrayed blatant violence, and laughed at immorality. One result has been the increased acceptance of homosexuality.”

 
As you should be able to reason out, this is completely out of touch, and should in no way be taught to future generations. It is obviously divisive, and many of my Christian readers will likely chime in and concur with how despicable it is to taint children with a distorted version of reality, even a Christian reality, as I know most Christians do not subscribe to this way of thinking. 

Beware what your children are learning. Ask questions. Take action. You, as a parent, are their only way to find a decent path to walk. The children are the future.

Topic Tuesday #84 2014/02/25 - "How Do You Know?"

Topic Tuesday #84 2014/02/25 - "How Do You Know?"

   Simple interrogative statement, and one that I ask my children and myself fairly often: "How do you know?". The field of philosophy that this question introduces is called Epistemology, defined as "theory of knowledge" or "how/why we know, what we know".
  The concept as I use it in practice, with my kids, is to promote critical thinking skills. A constant background check of perceived reality.
Daughter 1) " 'Jane' is my best friend!"
Father/ME) "That's wonderful, what makes her your best friend?"
Daughter 1) Thinks for a moment, "She's funny and makes me laugh."
Father/ME) "I thought 'Alice' was your best friend. Not anymore?"
Daughter 1) "Not so much." (She's 6 BTW.)
Father/ME) "Why not?"
Daughter 1) "She's not as much fun anymore."
Father/ME) "Sometimes people change. Maybe you both changed. Grew up some."
Daughter 1) "Yeah. It's okay."
Father/ME) "What about 'Jane' makes you laugh?"
  The conversation went on like this for a while. I wanted to get her to understand what she liked about her friend, while I found out too. Sometimes we don't understand why we think or feel a certain way, and though that is fine most of the time, we should be able to ask ourselves 'why' anytime and be able to get to the answer.

What do you know? Why do you know that? Can you change your mind about it? Should you? Would you be better off overcoming the root cause? Can you?

   The mind is a ponderous organ. It interprets every little thing and stores our experiences. Built upon each other, the experiences of our life make up the way we think and feel. I am surely not alone in being transported to the memory of a place, time, and feeling by a sensory input. As we begin to sort through why we think any given "truth", sometimes what we uncover is unpleasant, while other times you can use this knowledge to surpass the unpleasantness and gain an awareness of how you interact with the world. Examples:
  Why you don't like a particular scent. Perhaps there was a traumatizing experience that happened when that odor was particularly prominent. This may manifest as "I don't like it" and after reflection and rational examination, was revealed and can be faced. It might take a long time but it will be one less skeleton in the closet to haunt your days.
Others:
  The smell of a roasting turkey bringing back memories of holidays and family.
  The feel of a fabric at a store whisking you back to a time when you were with your grandmother and she let you play with her scarf.
  The smell of fresh paint reminding you of a time when you tipped a gallon of paint over and were punished for ruining a carpet.
  The sight of a post card in a gift shop of a painting you saw when you visited a gallery with your parents and thinking the hall was so big and you get a sensation of vertigo because now you are tall.
  The smell of night blooming flowers reminding you of a lost love.
  I know I hate liver and onions. Why do I know that? Why do I not like that food? (Bad memory or bad taste?)
  Jane is my best friend. Why are they a friend, and what makes them your best friend? Why do I like this person? (Do you even know?)

  Thinking critically of our own lives is a fair habit to get into. Rationally coming to conclusions and being secure that you are not in a delusional state can be very reassuring. Like climbing an uncertain cliff for the first time, and not being sure that the next ledge will hold your weight, after testing it and becoming secure in that footing, it makes you safer for the next.

  This method of examination is like a conscience whispering to you to keep you safe. Your very own
Jiminy Cricket. "Are you sure that will hold you?" "How do you know?" "Did someone tell you?" "Do you trust your source? Why do you?" "Have you found out yourself?" "Did you watch someone use it before and have seen proof?" "Is it just a hunch with no supporting data?"

Epistemology: how we know things.
Do you think you could use more critical thinking in your life?
What does your gut say? Now... why did it say that?

Topic Tuesday #12 2012/10/09 "Book Hangovers"

Topic Tuesday #12 2012/10/09 "Book Hangovers"

Have you ever been touched by a book so strongly, that you couldn't immediately move on? I was reading a series by Peter F. Hamilton, referred to as the Commonwealth Universe Saga, and after I finished reading them (OK I listened to them on Audible - IT'S STILL READING) I immediately started them over. I had to read the first two books again, immediately... HAD TO. I was stuck in the universe that had been presented to me. A similar thing happened after I read the sequel, the Void Trilogy. Then I read the entire series, all 5 books, again. This was not isolated to Mr. Hamilton's work. I had the same Experience with David Webber and his Honor Harrington series (13 books), and Daniel Suarez's Daemon and Freedom TM.
These books, which I consider excellent, were able to get in my head and make me a part of the universe they presented. I was engaged and they made me think.


Today's Question - What books have given you a book hangover? What books have traumatized you and made you different? Tell me about your library and how you absorb content.

Topic Tuesday #7 2012/09/04 "Debate Club"

Topic Tuesday #7 2012/09/04 "Debate Club"

"What we have here, is a failure to communicate."  It would seem that this more true in today's world than it was in Cool Hand Luke. We don't talk to each other. We yell, or we do nothing but seethe and complain. Most of us have no relationship to our next door neighbors. If you don't live with someone, and sometimes not even then, you don't have a relationship worth opening your mouth about. We have become a consumer culture. We make very little and talk about even less. Sure we talk about sports... But that doesn't do anything. It has no purpose except for enjoyment (and sometimes profit). Why don't we talk? Even more, why do we let other people (the "talking heads") talk for us? They inflict their opinions on us, then do not listen, and we have no voice and thereby - no choice.
Why don't we talk? I remember growing up with my older parents and remember hearing about how they grew up. My mother grew up in a fairly puritan household. that meant keeping things to yourselves was the norm. Of course this seemed to be the norm for an entire generation. You only talk about religion in church, you never talk about sex, and you should refrain from talking politics whenever possible, because it's inappropriate to discuss such things in pleasant company. I think the time has come for us to stop this silly practice and discuss things. The problem with that idea is that these things have been private for so long, we have personalized them. People tend to get very heated about these topics.

So what do you think? Can we calm ourselves down and actually talk to each other about these things that we have bottled up? Am I delusional for even suggesting it?

Topic Tuesday #4 2012/08/14 "Skills"

Topic Tuesday #4 2012/08/14

SKILLS. 

Do you know how to change a flat tire? Have you ever been camping? Hiking? Ever had to build your own fire?

Duct tape around a disposable lighter

For boys, there is the Boy Scouts to teach many of these skills, and they serve us well throughout life. You never know when a knot you learned for that merit badge will help out, strapping a mattress to a minivan.
For girl, there's been the girl scouts. From what I gather, the girl scouts has really slacked off over the decades in what they tea

ch our young women. My mother told me about having to jump into a lake and take her pants off, tie the legs together and inflate them to make a flotation device. That is certainly no where in sight today. PLEASE correct me if I am mistaken.
This brings me to the heart of the topic. What skills should we just know by the time we are 18 and "adults"? Are there any skills that should be taught that aren't or vice versa? Have at it!

Responses from Facebook (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

 

Jon Jimenez You should be taught about credit

Tuesday at 12:36pm via mobile · Unlike · 3

Selah Kat Cox not so much skills in my eyes as values... integrity and honesty would be the top two... in regards to skills i would say communication. just my humble opinion take or leave it as you will.

Tuesday at 12:46pm · Unlike · 1

Eva Gibson Girl Scouts was horrible. At least my troop was--the leaders ordered pizza on the camping trips, and nothing was said about knots or fire or anything else. All I learned was that I hated door to door cookie sales.

Tuesday at 12:51pm via mobile · Like · 1

Don Hopkinson The Boy Scouts are also great for teaching the bigotry skills so necessary in life.

Tuesday at 12:58pm · Like · 2

Andy Cowen I know Don... Churches are almost the sole sponsors of the scouts (Girl and Boy) and many of the tenants of the faith supporting them literally HAVE to be there for their continued support. For the most part, I have found them to be more beneficial for the roll they take in teaching teamwork and other important core values. Everything must be tempered, however, and temperance is something that is not taught very often.

Tuesday at 1:02pm · Like

Jon Jimenez Temperance is my answer!

Tuesday at 1:03pm via mobile · Like

Dawn Fox I never did scouts, but my dad made sure I knew basic car maintance before I could drive. I can change my own oil, do a tune up, Check and replace most of the fluids and change my own flat tire. Thanks dad. :)

Tuesday at 3:54pm via mobile · Unlike · 1

Ryan Wilhelm I think the two very basics are food/water and navigation, shelter and all that are a little easier to improvise. First suggestion from me is the book: "Hunt, Gather, Cook" by Hank Shaw. It's America-centric, but it would certainly get the thought process going so a person travelling would know to do their homework before ending up somewhere that it doesn't apply.

The second is a discourse in astronomy: knowing where the sun rises and sets, how to tell time by it, knowing how the phases of the moon relate to time, and of course knowing your basic constellations so you can find which way is north easily. "Turn Left at Orion" by Dan Davis is a good primer of the stars, the rest I'm not sure the best way to learn other than having someone walk you through it a few times.

I could give a pretty good list of what a person should and should not take with them if they are heading out in to the woods, some things might surprise (knife not really important, paracord on the other hand...)

for boy-scout type things anyway. I wasn't a scout for the record. We just liked that sort of thing. In real life I think knowing how to learn things is #1, and not being afraid to break something (and the lessons about fixing that go with) is pretty high up there too.

Tuesday at 7:03pm · Edited · Unlike · 1

Andy Cowen I was not a scout either. I just lived my days looking at how to live if I found myself stranded on a deserted isle. I was an asst scout master for a time. And I have slid down a few crags on my butt. Great advice, Ryan! I will be checking those books out soon.

Tuesday at 8:06pm via mobile · Like

Responses from Google+ (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

I forgot to post to Google Plus... Whoops!

Topic Tuesday #3 2012/08/07 "Sustainability: The future is at stake."

Topic Tuesday #3 2012/08/07

Sustainability: The future is at stake. 
Open your mind to the sustainability of our actions as a species.

• When we run out of oil, what will we do? 
• When we run out of coal, what will we do? 
• When we have contaminated the water, and can't drink it or eat the fish, what will we do? 
• When the air we breath is toxic and the plants (not factories) all die from the acid rain that falls though the soup, what will we do?

We are literally consuming the planet. I'm not making it up. Fossil fuels (you know from the dinosaurs that died millions of years ago) are not renewable. We can recycle some of it, but not the gasoline that is converted into toxic hydrocarbons that we pump into the atmosphere.
Now the question, given the above as a primer: 

If you were granted virtually unlimited financial resources and the best and brightest minds, what do you propose we do to ensure our species lives for the next 10,000 years and beyond?

Richard Feynman ♥

The Pleasure of Finding Things Out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgaw9qe7DEE

Fun To Imagine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pYRn5j7oI&feature=bf_

prev&list=PL04B3F5636096478C

Thanks to April for creating this and sending it our way.



Responses from Facebook (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

 Share · August 7 at 10:13am ·

• • 
    

    Tom Houston The people in charge making these decisions will be dead long before it becomes an issue so they don't care as it will be someone else's problem. :P

    August 7 at 10:16am · Like
  • 
    

    EditDelete

    Andy Cowen But there is always someone to replace them. So what would you do? What would you hope that your children and grandchildren do to keep us going? The stock market punishes anything other than growth. We cannot grow infinitely (on this world). So how to we make sure humanity (such as it is at times) isn't a galactic flash in the pan?

    August 7 at 10:23am · Like · 1
  • 
    

    Jim Mathews Our civilization has been built on technology and abundant, convenient and cheap fuel. The infrastructure up till now has been very robust because we are still operating on much of that infrastructure. We are facing many challenges before we even try and tackle expensive, inefficient and so far not sustainable without major government involvement which is why industry has only taken only a research interest.....

    August 7 at 1:04pm · Like
  • 
    

    Andy Cowen 
    

    Again... What would you do if the limitations you specified were removed? Brainstorm with me. Science tells us some simple truths. As long as there is a difference, power can be generated. Take a fan that was still and put it into the flow ...See More

    August 7 at 2:08pm · Like
  • 
    

    Andy Cowen 
    

    Sustainability is not just power... It's also agricultural. Currently our farmland and crops have been engineered to over produce. It strips all the nutrients out of the land leaving nothing for the next crop. All the nutrients have to be ...See More

    August 7 at 2:15pm · Like
  • 
    

    Jim Mathews 
    

    Well, of course with unlimited resources and all those resources going to solve the problem instead of lining peoples pockets..... sorry, off subject, we could make anything we wanted. The technology is there. one of the problems is the pop...See More

    August 7 at 5:26pm · Like
  • 
    

    Andy Cowen I think it may be a matter of population distribution.

    August 7 at 5:39pm · Like
  • 
    

    Jim Mathews yes, that is definately a problem. the other problem is transporting food and resources to the population

    August 7 at 6:07pm · Like
  • 
    

    Tom Houston Hydroponic Skyscraper Farms, about 1 square acre by about 100 stories tall. :)

    August 7 at 6:09pm · Unlike · 1

Responses from Google+ (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

AWE... Nothing today from G+

Topic Tuesday #2 2012/07/31 "What do you do when the power goes out, for a LONG time?"

Topic Tuesday #2 2012/07/31


What do you do when the power goes out, for a LONG time?:


Here's a hypothetical situation to get your neurons firing. Wherever you are, the power just simply goes out. No one on the radio or TV says anything for a few hours. Your cell phone is glitchy, and calls fail almost immediately, and you don't have reliable data. Even SMS isn't always making it to your contacts. You are cut off. The power is down, inexplicably, and you have no idea when it will be restored (if it will be restored) Assume at this moment, you don't have power for the foreseeable future unless you are the source. Now (easy for hurricane veterans) consider all the items you rely on that require power. The clock starts ticking on perishables, your AC or heating doesn't work. The power backups at the utility providers (like gas stations, natural gas, water, sewer, internet, telephone) likely have 4-48 hours of reserve power. So... What do you do? What are you going to do if and when the rioting starts?

(This is an exercise to get you to plan ahead and to help others that may not have the same insight. This is NOT for fear-mongering. Those that have lived through storm events know what this is like. Share the love and lets see your plans, and maybe make a better one.) http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/poweroutage/needtoknow.asp

Responses from Facebook (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

 

Becca Diehl Charvet move north! this state ain't fit for not having a/c ;)

July 31 at 9:26am · Like

Andy Cowen but, given the example, how would you move north? This is an immediate survival situation.

July 31 at 9:28am · Like

Becca Diehl Charvet these boots were made for walkin'... (come on! just let me be snarky!)
ok, really? I'd get my peeps circled up in one location with as much fuel as we can get, gas, propane, charcoal, wood, car batteries. Then figure out food & water sources. We happen to have some free-range chickens, so making sure those are secure is tops. Oh, & make sure the bikes are working. That's off the top of my head.

July 31 at 9:42am · Unlike · 1

Jim Mathews LOL, first thing I would do is take my trusty 5kw generator over to my friends gas station and trade him a .22 pistol and a couple hundred rounds ammo for as much gas as I can pump into my 5 20 gallon army surplus gas tanks. I won't go into further details, just know that I have thought this out and prepared......

July 31 at 9:53am · Like

Linda Mahoney Sauls bank, gasoline for vehicles and spares, LOTS of ice. fast thawing food to cooler, add ice, compact everything else from our 3 freezers into one freezer, pack with bags of ice and newspaper and foil, shut and don't open till food gone in cooler. All set for food and water, matches sterno, gallons of water prepared for hurricane each year. Do seal and fill bathtubs with water, washing machine as well. Gather neighbors and help put together plan so we all know what the others have to share if things get tough. (Andrew was a lesson well learned) Traded gas washer and dryer use for ice and food, traded our steaks for gasoline, game plan for finding water and ice, would split up as neighbors and each head for a different site and share what we got.

July 31 at 10:09am · Like

Andy Cowen In case you wonder where I get ideas like this... http://www.cnn.com/2012/

07/31/world/asia/

india-blackout/index.html

Most power restored after India hit by second, even larger outage - CNN.com

www.cnn.com

India suffered its second huge, crippling power failure in two days Tuesday, dep...See More

July 31 at 3:14pm · Like · 

Michelle Rasberry Here in Arkansas we are use to our power going out for weeks at a time, especially in the winter months. You just light the fireplace and pull out the board games for the kids and do the best you can until power is restored. If you are smart you have a gas stove and you can heat some water to take a spongebath and at least eat. But if all else fails you just put the pot in the fireplace and do the best you can.

July 31 at 4:42pm · Like

Donald Davis Lack of running water is much more scary than lack of power. There is wood to burn to cook if you have tools, etc whatever food is available, but fresh water is the real commodity.If there is no power for long periods of time, perishables can soon be forgotten about because ice only lasts for so long, same with gas once supply lines are cut and it runs out. The only real way to move forward is to learn to live without those comforts. people did it before, and survival instincts will kick back in, hopefully there will be some civility left among people if it ever does come to pass.

July 31 at 9:22pm · Like

David OConnor I figure out my survival plan based on a few things - Water: Know where and how to get fresh water every single day. Food, be aware of how much you have and where/how to get more. Multivitamins help here. Shelter - don't let your environment kill you, and is also a handy place to prepare food. Showers and defecations - have a plan to facilitate this.

How prepared should you be? Some people go to extremes in their bid to survive the worst holocaust, but that's incredibly expensive to do. If I have a knife, some rope, a tarp and a water filter I would feel pretty well prepared because the worst case scenario is the world goes to hell when you're out on vacation. Plan for that and think about what it would take to acquire the things you need to keep going. One week of food and water is pretty reasonable to have on hand - One month of food and water on hand will get you past the worst of most emergencies. For the most extreme (Look up katrina) you will have to rely on your neighbors working together to keep everyone going, which is read: alive.

July 31 at 9:38pm · Like

Becca Diehl Charvet reread Alas, Babylon :)

August 1 at 8:47am · Like · 1

Responses from Google+ (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

Tony SandovalJul 31, 2012

+2

part of the problem is that people panic before they think.

We are not that far removed from being the people who never had power to begin with.

My grandparents lived in one room shacks with wood stoves and outdoor toilets.  No indoor plumbing.

I spent summers on a farm that was the same until I was a teen.

 I used to "hobo" when I was a teen.  slept where I found space, camped in a tent.  ate out of cans and cooked on an open fire.  Walked or got rides however I could.

The first thing is not to panic.  The next thing is to realize we do not "need" electricity to live.

Collapse this comment

David OConnorJul 31, 2012

I figure out my survival plan based on a few things - Water: Know where and how to get fresh water every single day. Food, be aware of how much you have and where/how to get more. Multivitamins help here. Shelter - don't let your environment kill you, and is also a handy place to prepare food. Showers and defecations - have a plan to facilitate this.

How prepared should you be? Some people go to extremes in their bid to survive the worst holocaust, but that's incredibly expensive to do. If I have a knife, some rope, a tarp and a water filter I would feel pretty well prepared because the worst case scenario is the world goes to hell when you're out on vacation. Plan for that and think about what it would take to acquire the things you need to keep going. One week of food and water is pretty reasonable to have on hand - One month of food and water on hand will get you past the worst of most emergencies. For the most extreme (Look up katrina) you will have to rely on your neighbors working together to keep everyone going, which is read: alive.

Collapse this comment

Matthew O'ConnorAug 1, 2012

Well, the first thing to keep in mind is that zombies are interested in brains, brains, brains...

Tony SandovalAug 1, 2012

That's just B grade movie zombies.

"Real" zombies just eat living flesh.  doesn't matter arms, ears, legs.  they don't care.

but, this is about a regular power outage not  a zombie apocalypse.  That would change a lot of things.

Andy CowenAug 1, 2012Edit

Zombie Apocalypse will be another Topic Tuesday down the road. :-)

Matthew O'ConnorAug 1, 2012

Very good.  In that case... I'll take a stab at what memory serves me, and hopefully I won't get too much wrong...otherwise I'll be DEAD if this ever happens!

in situations where supplies of finite quantity and there is no foreseeable resumption of basic social infrastructure, rationing is a good thing.  Food intake should be kept to a minimum where possible - humans can survive on around or less than 1000 calories per day, as I recall, though that number may be high.  If hunting for food is not a plausible activity, attempt to seek out and organize food acquisition and distribution; again, rationing here will become a necessity.  Canned goods are always a good thing.  If you're a baker, sourdoughs do not require much more than the starter, flour, and water.  Makeshift solar ovens, clay ovens, or underground fire pits can be useful for baking.

Water is a necessity, especially in hot climates.  If gas or wood fuel is available, water boiled for 15 minutes (after a full boil is reached) should kill most microorganisms.  Do not catch water out of your gutter, especially if you have an asphalt roof - set up an independent catch-water system if you intend on trying to use water from the sky.  Coffee filters may remove a good number of large impurities, but distillation is the best for removing the most.  Wells have to be used with caution, especially around urban environments - lots of pesticides, heavy metals, and other nasty things will wind up in them.  A water heater can be an invaluable source of water - the catch to having it be one is that you have to regularly flush the tank.  The tanks have ports near the bottom for this purpose.  Flushing once a month would generally be sufficient to keep sludge to a minimum and a full 40+ gallons of fresh potable water available.

Staying cool can be hard - wearing as little as possible and avoiding movement during the hottest daytime hours can help, as well as residing in the shade.  This also conserves energy and water.  Bathing may be reduced to sponge baths every couple of days, or longer if the situation becomes dire.  Wear hats to keep the sun off you, and loose breathable clothing if you must be in the sun.

The propane tanks used for gas grills can be handy to have, but you have to have at least one or two on hand because once the power goes out, those things go out of stock fast.  The downside to the gas grill is it's terribly inefficient for heating things like water - we had to use ours for a while while our kitchen was obliterated.  Making spaghetti took a looong time.  Maybe it was just our piece-o-junk grill...

Digging back to basics, if you are running out of fuel and happen to have trees available for the chopping, you can acquire two useful things: pitch and charcoal.  I don't remember the particulars about pitch and its usage (other than for making boats waterproof), but as I recall the charcoal is made by setting the chopped bits of wood on fire, then burying them to smolder and cool.  The process takes many hours.  The resultant charcoal should make excellent fuel.

If riots are really a concern, having a shotgun or two on hand should at least deter people from rioting on your property.  The goal - get them to realize that your neighbor doesn't have a shotgun and doesn't mind a riot in HIS front yard. ;-)  No need to fire unless they are intent on causing you harm, the sound of a shotgun cocking should make most people rethink their intentions.

And remember this above all else, and especially when the scoops come: Soylent Green is People.

Collapse this comment

Andy CowenAug 1, 2012Edit

Excellent advice Matt. For calories, basic rule as I understand it, to maintain your current weight an average metabolism must consume 100 calories per pound of person. So if you are 200lbs, 2000 calories on a normal day will sustain your mass. Do more work, you need more calories and start to shrink or waste away. Do less, need less.
CDC and FDA recommend 1 gallon of fresh water per person per day. Plan accordingly.
Rain water from roofs is still invaluable. You can use it for bathing and irrigation and for washing clothes and such items that will not be ingested. Washing dishes for instance, as long as the final rinse is with clean water. 

Collapse this comment

Matthew O'ConnorAug 1, 2012

Great info!  Enjoyed the CDC article after I got done blathering on, too.  Now about those zombies.... ;-)

Topic Tuesday #1 2012/07/24 "The Education System Is Broken"

Topic Tuesday #1 2012/07/24:
The Education System Is Broken. 
I want anyone that reads this to think back to their days in school. Catholic school, Montessori, k-6, Junior high, senior high, middle school, home school, raised by a pack of wolves, college, university, What Ever! and I want you to complain about what irked you without limit or criticism for your personal experiences. For those with children that have gone through any formalized education, I want what you didn't agree with with your own, and what you really can't stand or understand about what your children have to go through now. We all have a story, and I want to hear it. If it was tragic and you don't want it public but are still willing to tell me, please email me, private message me, whatever you feel comfortable with.

Responses from Facebook (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

• Jim Mathews My own experience??? New math. Came into existence when I was in second grade. Proclaimed a failure, when I was in the twelfth grade. My kids, the social indoctrination. My opinion? Teach the kids to read, write, how to put together a proper sentence and be able legibly put that thought on paper. Basic science (lol, in my opinion, it starts getting sticky here because this is where opinion and dogma start making things cloudy... The rest... Well, why try to teach shakespear or anything else to kids that haven't mastered the above..

  July 24 at 9:42am · Like
• 
  

  Andy Cowen Thanks Jim. I'm working on a little sociology project... Just need feedback outside of my own head to grasp the various issues our culture face. How do I make the world a better place for my girls to live in? Only thing I can practically do, is teach them how to live, the best way I can, and avoid the pitfalls built into the systems in place now. Can we fix it? We won't know unless we try. We can't try until we know what we are up against.

  July 24 at 9:55am · Like · 2
• 
  

  Daniel Fox Schools tend to instill a "what to think" mentality. I'd rather see kids learn HOW to think.

  July 24 at 9:56am via mobile · Like · 3
• 
  

  Jim Mathews The best thing to do is to teach them "How to think", to be able to look at all points of view and to devine the truth. Success in life is directly based on the decisions that you make in how it relates to your life. As you know, too many bad decisions is pretty hard to recover from.............

  July 24 at 10:28am · Like
• 
  

  David OConnor I see a lot of people pointing toward the indoctrination thing that they see. Bottom line - It's easier to say "This is what/how/why/when things are/happened" than it is to lead a debate and instill critical thinking skills. I don't see a big conspiracy, I just see the results of underfunding, unrealistic expectations, emphasis on sports over educational achievement and the lack of an instant gratification reward system for doing well in school.
  
  Here's a true story for you: My Junior year in high school several area school created the 4 day rule - If you had a B or better in the class and had missed 4 or less days of school, you were not required to take the final exam at the end of each half of the school year. Attendance and grades shot through the roof. The school board stepped in after the first year and killed the program, various reasons for that but they missed the lesson of that experiment: If you put a tasty enough carrot at the end of the stick, even the 'bad kids' will bust ass to try to catch it.

  July 24 at 11:44am · Like · 1
• 
  

  Andy Cowen I did not like high school. I attended, and tried to find my way. I found most of the education pedantic and ineffective. VERY few of the teachers appeared any more interested in what they were doing than I was. The ones that were excited to be there were the ones that made a difference. I can rattle off names but won't right now. In high school, I found theater. I was all in. Theater was the reason I went to school, and the rest was just killing time to get back to the black box and create something. During that time, the wood-shop closed. Ceramics was shut down. The arts were being dismantled. Vocations were being snuffed out. The years that followed my graduation saw the demise of the theater program as well, and I think photography. It is hard to teach people how to learn, when you are taking away the way were are built to learn, through play and with action.

  July 24 at 12:15pm · Like · 2
• 
  

  Andy Cowen Another rant: The worst thing I remember was a 7th grade transfer from a middle school in South Florida to a junior high in Brevard County. I was tutoring other children in algebra and was really progressing well. When the school tried to place me based on my classes, they saw that I was in algebra, but they didn't offer algebra for the 7th grade. They had Honors Pre-Algebra. Sounds great right? "Honors" I went from A's to a D. Obviously I was no longer allowed in the honors program and it wasn't until the next year, that I realized, I was in the wrong class. 8th Grade was learning what I already knew from my old school. What happened? They were teaching me fundamentals, that I did not need. I skipped over them and learned a different way and didn't know I needed to unlearn what I knew. I don't know how that could have gone better given the systems in place and the obstacles that they have to surmount. As it went, I lost my momentum and interest in math and never got it back.

  July 24 at 12:15pm · Like · 1
• 
  

  Jason Watson Andy, you remember how long our school day was? Started around 7 and ended around 3:30. My daughter's school goes from 8:20am to 2:20pm. Keep cutting the amount of hours she's there and will only teach for a test.

  July 24 at 1:34pm · Edited · Like · 1
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  Andy Cowen Jason, she's in kindergarten?

  July 24 at 1:32pm · Like
• 
  

  Jason Watson She will be, but the whole school (up to 6th grade) is on the same time schedule.

  July 24 at 1:35pm · Like
• 
  

  Karen Cazessus Watson Andy, did we have the same Honors Pre-Algebra class! LOL! Leaving 6th grade I was doing so well in math that they placed me in the same class you mentioned @ Jefferson. My grades plummeted down to D's and F's as well. After that, I never regained my confidence in algebra or most of math for that matter. It was only when I was in geometry (something visual for my visual brain) that my grades went back up to A's.

  July 24 at 4:33pm · Unlike · 1
• 
  

  Andy Cowen Must have been. That class ruined my groove! But really that's all it takes to sour someone. It's my belief that it didn't have to happen that way, that a placement test at te end of each school year to determine where someone needs work and where they excel and place them in the right environment. Does no one remember Doogie Houser M.D.?

  July 24 at 4:39pm via mobile · Like · 1
• 
  

  Andy Cowen This conversation was hopping on Google+ as well. https://plus.google.com/u/0/103368922684125429882/posts/BV1VqP32Zq3

July 24 at 5:05pm · Like · 

Karen Cazessus Watson yes, that class not only wrecked my "groove", but it opened my eyes to the truth of what I was going to deal with thru the rest of jr school & high school. That teacher of said Honors class liked to spend his time "socializing" with a certain group of students. I won't describe them any further but you can guess which ones I mean. When I needed help understanding something and asked questions, I might as well have been talking to the wall. It seemed like this unfair system continued and not only sucked up the attention of the teachers, but the grading scale towards them always seemed to be a bit jilted. It wasn't all teachers- as you know we had a couple good ones-but if one of my parents had been a surgeon or an attorney, my final GPA and maybe my confidence in myself might have been higher. Maybe this is all schools everywhere and not just our little island...and maybe I should shut up and be happy that I did graduate with honors...but I hope for better for my daughter.

July 24 at 5:33pm · Like · 2

Johanna Wilson I'm a teacher and a mom. I taught full-time plus overtime to do the best I could with each individual group AND when I came home in the late afternoon I worked with my own children to make sure they were doing their homework well AND I cooked fabulous meals for family dinners. Parents + Teachers = education. We are ALL responsible for quality education.

July 24 at 6:10pm · Like

Andy Cowen I agree with you, but what did you think of the system with which you had to work in? Any improvements? Any changes? Biggest gripe?

July 24 at 6:11pm · Like

Johanna Wilson PS - no grammar in school? Then insist upon excellent grammar at home. My father permitted no grammatical errors at home and took the time to explain each error I made throughout my childhood. I used to wonder if he actually heard what I was saying, but realized he was both listening and monitoring. Because I knew English grammar, I was able to fully understand the grammar of German and French. Parents + Teachers = we must work together.

July 24 at 6:15pm · Like

Johanna Wilson What did I think of the system? It worked. We took little money and great effort and did the best we could. Improvements? Encourage the teachers to teach and cut down on Department of Education paperwork requirements. Changes? Find ways to incorporate/expand quality vocational education. Biggest gripe? Complainers. I prefer problem solvers who recognize problems and actively solve them. No solutions? Wrong! Make improvements one step at a time, affect your own world and watch the ripple effect on the rest of the world.

July 24 at 6:25pm · Unlike · 1

John Morris i think one of the biggest things to be a let down in brevard was the vocational tracks. they have initiated tracks for kids to follow for vocational skills...great!! however, once you're on a track, you can't change it. discover you don't like mechanics half way through your first year?? tough, you're in it til you're a senior. but also, not enough courses offered, and it's very school specific. if you want to go to another school with different vocations, you can, but you have to find your own transportation.
even if it's not something a person chooses to continue down, i think the idea of these vocational paths are an essential part of a person's education. you get confidence by performing, achieving, and then believing in yourself. it can act as an instigator for other improvements. plus, for kids that don't do the educational thing well, it's a big plus coming out of the school system to say they have some appreciable skill.
plus, and i'm a little biased here, i think they should teach more philosophy in schools. critical thinking, debate, and logic are invaluable skills for anyone at any point in their life.

July 24 at 6:38pm · Like

Johanna Wilson Dear John,
Florida offers the Bright Futures scholarship for either 75% or 100% of tuition. It's an excellent scholarship. Back in 1996 the 75% scholarship was called the Goal Seal Scholarship. One qualification was to complete three consecutive years in a vocational subject. It wasn't that students couldn't change, rather that it benefited them immensely to complete three years in the same field. My daughter Amanda took Drafting I, which at the time was all completed with paper and pencil. She excelled. During her second year the program switched to computers with level 1,2 and 3 in the same class. She immediately wanted to quit, because she didn't like computers; she was a hands-on artist. I convinced her to try for a year. During the third year she absolutely wanted to quit. She rejected school and the scholarship. With paper, pencil and a calculator I showed her how the Gold Seal scholarship would benefit her - it would be money in her pocket. She didn't care about money. We talked about "real world" finances. Senior year was difficult, but she finished her third year of drafting (and excelled at it!), completed one hundred hours of community service, attained the necessary grade point average and indeed received the Gold Seal Scholarship. Not many students did. Later when Pre-Paid tuition paid for her tuition and she received a check once per semester, she was glad she had not changed vocational tracks or given up. She has since earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in Fine Arts, lived for years as a "starving artist" and will be teaching art at Florida State University in the fall. The Gold Seal scholarship doesn't exist any longer.

Another story that related to transportation - it's true that if a student wants to attend a school of choice, he has to find transportation. Perhaps that has changed, because I hear stories about one student riding a bus, but allow me to continue. Amanda tool French 1 in eighth grade, but it was not offered at the middle school in ninth grade. However I was teaching French 2 at the high school and at that time ninth grade was not a part of the high school. In order for her to take the class, I paid a friend to pick Amanda up at Jefferson Junior High (before it was a middle school, drive her to the high school, wait for her while Amanda took class and then drive her back to Jefferson to finish the day. Amanda received high school credit for French 2, but junior high elective credit for French 1 and I paid my friend $100 per month from August until the end of May. Consequently when Amanda entered tenth grade at the high school, she took French 3. We were not rich, but we paid for transportation and it was worth it.

Here's the situation now - students begin Spanish 1 in seventh grade at their middle school and receive HIGH SCHOOL credit. When they take Spanish 2 in eighth grade, they receive high school credit. Therefore a student can earn his/her required high school world language credit before beginning high school. What a deal! There are also middle school classes for which they receive high school credit.

Those are examples of what we parents have to do if we want to ensure our students' education. Money is tight in the school. Each school offers a concentration of courses to attract students to attend that school, but not every school can offer every course.

We parents really do have to pitch in and help direct our students and make things happen. Child care was expensive when both us of parents worked, the school extras were expensive and in spite of Bright Futures scholarships and Pre-paid tuition, college fees and housing expenses are expensive. We had to live frugally. One way we saved money was never to eat out in restaurants. That got us through the year when both daughters were at the university and most of my paycheck was going to expenses. I learned to cook very well that year and have never turned back to restaurant food.

I continue to hope that high school vocational education will at least point students into the right direction to attain further vocational education, here either at BCC or through employers willing to train students. Study the schools' programs and make it happen.

Philosophy, critical thinking, debate and logic as credit courses in high school are expensive electives in these times, but in upper level classes with excellent teachers and at home with devoted parents and in community clubs, students will still learn these enough about these subjects to tide them over to the time when they can elect them at a high level.

The government can no longer afford to offer the perfect curriculum to every person in every school district, but we parents can still make it happen. Parents + teachers = education.
Hang in there and if you have children, teach them well. Never ever lose faith in a good education. You can make it happen.
Yours,
Peggy B (Johanna Wilson)

Responses from Google+ (my wall is PUBLIC, so always remember that the world will see it.):

30 comments

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012

my only two problems with education system is 1) they work toward the average.  if you are a kid who is a bit quicker than the rest or a bit slower than the rest, you get ignored, you get bored and you fall through the cracks.

2) Way too much rhetoric and political agendas/propaganda are involved in what students are taught.

Andy CowenJul 24, 2012Edit

Thanks for the input +Tony Sandoval!

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012 (edited)

np.  my kids go to a small catholic school (I'm not christian, but it beats our public school system right now)  and I am the product of nothing but public schools.

one other thing I am about tired of is teachers doing more than being a teacher.  My daughter expressed an interest in being a baker and owning her own bakery when she gets old enough.   I love it.  she picked something for a future she really loves to do and has plans to follow up on it.  one of the teachers at her school literally tried to talk her out of it saying she was "too smart" to be "just" a baker. and she should look at being a scientist of some type.

that ticked me off.  Big time.  how dare she demean bakers and entrepreneurialism just because she has a hangup on girls in science.

just teach the subject matter and let her parents guide her on life choices thank you very fricking much.

Mike LehikoinenJul 24, 2012

When i look back on my days in school, it was the lack of grammar education that i resent.

Ask me again in a few years about current day once my daughter has started :-P

David OConnorJul 24, 2012

+1

 I see a lot of people pointing toward the indoctrination thing that they see. Bottom line - It's easier to say "This is what/how/why/when things are/happened" than it is to lead a debate and instill critical thinking skills. I don't see a big conspiracy, I just see the results of underfunding, unrealistic expectations, emphasis on sports over educational achievement and the lack of an instant gratification reward system for doing well in school.

Here's a true story for you: My Junior year in high school several area school created the 4 day rule - If you had a B or better in the class and had missed 4 or less days of school, you were not required to take the final exam at the end of each half of the school year. Attendance and grades shot through the roof. The school board stepped in after the first year and killed the program, various reasons for that but they missed the lesson of that experiment: If you put a tasty enough carrot at the end of the stick, even the 'bad kids' will bust ass to try to catch it.

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012

yes, but when the direct information they are teaching the kids are outright lies in the name of indoctrination then it's a bad thing.  it happened then and still happens now.

Andy CowenJul 24, 2012Edit

 I did not like high school. I attended, and tried to find my way. I found most of the education pedantic and ineffective. VERY few of the teachers appeared any more interested in what they were doing than I was. The ones that were excited to be there were the ones that made a difference. I can rattle off names but won't right now. In high school, I found theater. I was all in. Theater was the reason I went to school, and the rest was just killing time to get back to the black box and create something. During that time, the wood-shop closed. Ceramics was shut down. The arts were being dismantled. Vocations were being snuffed out. The years that followed my graduation saw the demise of the theater program as well, and I think photography. It is hard to teach people how to learn, when you are taking away the way were are built to learn, through play and with action.

Andy CowenJul 24, 2012Edit

Another rant: The worst thing I remember was a 7th grade transfer from a middle school in South Florida to a junior high in Brevard County. I was tutoring other children in algebra and was really progressing well. When the school tried to place me based on my classes, they saw that I was in algebra, but they didn't offer algebra for the 7th grade. They had Honors Pre-Algebra. Sounds great right? "Honors" I went from A's to a D. Obviously I was no longer allowed in the honors program and it wasn't until the next year, that I realized, I was in the wrong class. 8th Grade was learning what I already knew from my old school. What happened? They were teaching me fundamentals, that I did not need. I skipped over them and learned a different way and didn't know I needed to unlearn what I knew. I don't know how that could have gone better given the systems in place and the obstacles that they have to surmount. As it went, I lost my momentum and interest in math and never got it back.

David OConnorJul 24, 2012

Andy I shall address your comment shortly but first I must reset a viewpoint!

Indoctrination happens to every person in the world every single day of the week. Right now you sir are trying to indoctrinate the rest of us into the thought process that schools are doing evil things, whilst I am trying to indoctrinate people into the thought process that they are not. From different points of view, we are both right. I can point out examples where people go above and beyond to promote accurate information, you can point out examples where someone has distorted the truth to suit their own ends.

There was an article the floated around about how FOX was banned in Canada because it's illegal to lie on national TV. I encourage you to really dig into that and read the details of what happened, who the players were and then think about why it happened and why FOX news made the decisions it made. It has everything to do with a private company wanting to promote an agenda and using a media outlet to indoctrinate the masses into believing something that wasn't necessarily true.

On the other side of the coin is CNN - which promotes a different viewpoint that has a different target audience. CNN and FOX are two sides of the same indoctrination coin - They say the things that the target audience wants to hear in order to then provide ads which people are now interested in based on the reports they were just listening to.

Back to the schools - Lies to indoctrinate are incredibly subjective, especially when it comes to history and discussing the politics of it. I challenge you to provide some examples of what lies are being spread in the name of indoctrination, and I'll find you proof which proves the lies true AND false at the same time. Should be a fun game.

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012

I believe you have indoctrination and influence mixed up.  per the dictionary..

Influence: the capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others

Indoctrination: the act of indoctrinating,  or teaching or inculcating a doctrine, principle, or ideology, especially one with a specific point of view:

each word has it's own meaning, we can't just make it up as we go along.

Andy CowenJul 24, 2012Edit

David, Not Evil... Misguided. Formalized schools in America, the way they are today, didn't emerge until around 1910 along with the industrial revolution in the United States. They were essentially geared towards giving a baseline set of skills for industry jobs. It took off from there and we have been assembly line educating for over 100 years. We don't have the same end game to our education system now. There isn't an assembly line job waiting for us to walk into. Even college now is expected where once it was a very honored and respected thing in families.
I am working off the premise, that the way schools operate, is not the best way for children or humans in general to learn. That is what, in my opinion, is broken.

David OConnorJul 24, 2012

Andy post 1 - I think this points toward what I was referring to. Kid's get lost in the existential question of "What the hell am I doing this for?" For many of us (Myself included) I lacked the wisdom that extra years on my age and life experience has granted me to understand fully why trying so hard was important. Getting a letter at the end of each semester didn't matter to me one way or the other, as long as I progressed forward (didn't matter whether I leaped or crawled) I felt like I was doing well enough. The honor roll seemed neat to me but nothing more. It wasn't until the 4 day rule showed up that I took a sudden interest in going above and beyond the bare minimum needed to succeed.

Andy post 2 - That points toward a lack of standardization, which is impossible unless you elevate setting what kids will learning to high levels of state and federal governments. Which flies in the face of states rights to decide what's best, which usually gets delegated down to the county level. In addition, they did a very poor job assessing what level of math you needed to be placed in, and so the screw job, while likely unintentional, happened.

Andy CowenJul 24, 2012Edit

I think what it may point to more to a lack of proper analysis of the individual. The system that we have in place seems to be wary and reluctant to use placement tests to determine the proper level of the student. They are very hung up on keeping an age group together from start to finish. Grade skipping and being held back are all under the blanket of "no child left behind" and yet more standardized tests, for a non standard populace.

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012 (edited)

this was my point in saying they focus on the group average and those a little quicker or a little slower get ignored, get bored and fall through the cracks.

David OConnorJul 24, 2012

TONY! How oh how do I indoctrinate someone without first having the ability to influence them? Indoctrination is the end result of having influenced someone to the point where the 'actions, behaviors, opinions, etc' more closely mirror your own because they now share the same 'doctrine, principles or ideology' that were spewed forth from your point of view.

Sure it happens in schools, it absolutely does not stop there.

It's built right in our nature as human beings to inluence those around us to the point where they follow blindly. For lack of a better term, it's how we build our personal empires and legacies.

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012

personal empires and legacies?  wow.   I wish I had a personal empire.

"You" individually don't indoctrinate.  it takes a formalized and usually required closed system to indoctrinate others, like public schools, military training, even labor unions with "training" requirements engage in it.

individually, we exert influence.

David OConnorJul 24, 2012

I realize now that the whole argument of indoctrination is a tangent.

As a kid, I almost always hung out with older kids. I found that I had very little in common with the rest of my classmates other than the material we were all learning.

Perhaps they need to be testing regular for emotional level vs intelligence level. Group kids by both emotional and intellectual scores.

But still my sticking point is providing a carrot on the stick that kids would really strive for.

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012

on that  I agree completely.  Incentive is very important.  but it, in my opinion, is not up to the school to provide incentive, but the family.

They took away all the classes that prepared kids to get a job out of high school in meaningful tasks.  shop classes, etc...

Now they tell kids that high school diplomas aren't enough to get a decent job and push everyone to college.

What is left besides personal motivation for the kids if they can't count on the education they are required to participate in doesn't even help them get decent job skills?

That's a huge chunk of motivation right there taken away from them tot be replaced by what?  "sorry kid, you invest this time of your life in education but it won't get you anything at the end that's worthwhile"

Andy CowenJul 24, 2012Edit

So +Tony Sandoval where do we go from your last statement? By "we" I mean society. Your statement is pretty darn bleak, and also frighteningly accurate. We have a legacy of a nanny state to contend with. Government controlled programs such as Public Education, serve some interesting needs and have existed long enough, that if we were to pull the rug out from them, we would be doing a dis-service to those that are in the program. School lunches (another topic for another Tuesday) may be the only good meal some children get. The tax money being returned to the tax payers for education services would not be enough to offset the cost of private education and given the state of our economy an overwhelming majority of families are dual income, leaving no one to tend to the care and education of our youth during the work day. Of course then we have the basic question of qualifications to teach basic skills. So many adults fell through the cracks in the last few generations that without professional teachers where would they learn?
Now we need to brainstorm. How do we repair the education system? 

Tony SandovalJul 24, 2012

in my opinion, we need to stop being a consumer society.  move away from that idea and get back to being a product society.

"Made in America" is a joke because only about 1/3 of the product is actually required to be assembled here to qualify.  and assembly is not quite the same as being "made" here.

When we have the production jobs, we have something for our schools to prepare students for.

In today's America, being an Entrepreneur means to sell something made somewhere else.  Where are the opportunities to build, create and repair the products here?

you can't just open an auto shop anymore because of the technology built into the cars.  it's being part mechanic and part computer tech now.

woodworking, cabinetry, metal working.  those are all things farmed out of the country anymore by and large.  imported and assembled instead.

What are we preparing students for is what it really boils down to I think.

If the politicians say "jobs" then what jobs? because according to the "experts" a high school diploma don't cut it anymore.

if we say k 1 12 is to prepare for college, but not all kids get to go to college because while k -12 is mandatory and funded, college is not.  so that's just a huge lie right there.

We need to answer the question what are we educating our students for.  to what end?  Just for educations sake?  That isn't happening effectively enough to justify mandatory school attendance if so.  Too many high school kids are still graduating at horribly low reading and writing levels to justify that.

David OConnorJul 25, 2012

Perhaps an idea would be to break the mold of you are in this age group you are expected to move forward at this pace. But that requires a different kind of classroom I would think.

Andy CowenJul 25, 2012Edit

I like history. Back in the old days when my grandparents went to school, it was a 1 room school house, the kind with the big bell tower, and you were there from 1st grade through 12th, along with all your brothers and sisters no matter the age and everyone learned side by side. It was a holistic education, one where everyone learned everything if they could grasp the concepts. I am now inspired to dig deeper into the practices used by those pioneer educators, just for comparison sake. Now of course, that was when a graduating class was 12 kids or less. Small towns, few families, maybe only 1 formal teacher and the parents to help where they could, though most of them were not very well educated themselves. The truly fortunate had tutors. Today, there are many great resources, such as www.Kahnacademy.org and countless other free online education services. Our society has changed since the school house was enough, and there are obviously logistical problems when you have to handle class sizes over 30. I may be delusional, but there is a sense of change about us that I can't shake, and I can't help but look to the past to understand where the future could take us. 

Matthew O'ConnorJul 26, 2012

+Andy Cowen I find your question amusing, disturbing, and curious, all at once.  Amusing, because we all have interesting stories, and it's been fun to read some.  Disturbing, because it takes only one point of view on the education system, and does not give any service to what actually DOES work in it - and yes, I believe there are some things about it that do work.  That isn't to say it isn't still in a dismal state.  Curious, because it brings to mind some of the reasons my wife and I intend to educate our children in what would be nowadays considered non-traditional.  But to answer your question, and to provide counterpoising perspective:

What went right and wrong for me:  Teaching relies on an unwritten contract between a teacher and a student, and it's as much the student's responsibility to learn as it is the teacher's responsibility to teach.  Yet, too often the burden of an entire class leaves many students without sufficient "teaching" in a manner that works for them.  Example - 8th grade I took Algebra-1, and did poorly, even though I had excelled in math in my prior school (a private school).  Against my teacher's wishes, I proceeded into Geometry in the 9th grade, and did quite a bit better.  Algebra-2 in the 10th grade was a blast for me.  I attribute all of this to the teachers teaching in a manner I found effective for learning, or not (in the case of 8th grade).  11th and 12th grade I began to slack off, for reasons beyond this conversation.  In other classes, my interest was simply not held, or I questioned why such topics were important, like many other students.  Having been out in the world now I can appreciate those topics much, much more, and believe I could impart some of that appreciation to my children at least.

I had very good teachers, all in all, until college - and even they were not all bad.  Of all my friends, I am one of the very few to have achieved a bachelor's degree from a major institution (UCF).  I mention that only because I want to speak to the notion of what college prepares us for, and what it doesn't.  I certainly learned a great deal there, and have used my knowledge in my career.  Not every college degree will grant that, but I believe there is great value in upper-education.  What we must dispose of is the mythical promise of wealth and riches as the reason for upper education.  From a purely workmanship point-of-view, I can offer this:  I have seen the output of both a university and a technical school - UCF versus Full Sail - for software engineers.  Full Sail teaches the how.  UCF teaches the why.  That, I believe, underscores the awesome difference between technical/vocational schools and those that offer full accredited 4-year degrees.  If I could change anything about upper-education, I would combine the two schools into one.

That being said, I also learned in my post-graduate days that much of graduate school is designed to produce people who stay in the university system.  A Masters will get you a little farther than a bachelor's in the private sector, but a Ph.D. will get you tenure at some big-U, if you can pull it off...of course, in the US, you then spend your days peddling for research money for the university.  That's part of the reason I decided that a Ph.D wasn't for me.  (Sometimes Ph.D.s make it into the private sector, but really the degree tends to become a liability there.)  Yet its frequently Ph.D.s that make inventions that change the world.  Point is: people in this country need college a lot more than anyone is willing to admit, because frankly they're not getting that quality or quantity of education in the primary schools, and it's the sort of advanced knowledge that other countries (Germany, for instance) believe should be provided FOR FREE.

There are many things I find disturbing about our current culture, and our public primary education systems.  First, the notion that we send children to schools for the "social experience."  This has got to be one of the most laughable excuses people pipe up with when they want to rail against homeschooling.  Social experience?  I was bullied, taunted, and generally depressed - how does that help my learning experience?  Not everyone experiences that, but the point is that school is supposed to be a learning environment, not a social conditioning mill.  While it's important that children be taught the ways of the world and how to interact with others, I think it's perfectly achievable without having to resort to public, or even private,  education complexes.  It starts by removing them from under the rock and letting them see the real world.

Second, no one takes public education seriously enough to invest serious money in it.  We took my son to the county school office and I was surprised at how dismal the building looked.  I quipped to my wife: "Yep, this must be a government building."  Money doesn't cure every evil, but a lack of money certainly doesn't help either.  We don't pay good teachers worth their feed, we don't keep our schools in good order, we don't have enough teachers to go around...  So that's certainly broken.  But supposing all of that was fixed...would public school still be broken?

My son currently attends a day-care that has a learning curriculum.  I spent a day there recently to observe and interact.  I was interested to see how two teachers in a classroom of 9-to-15 2-to-3-year-olds managed.  I can say this much: they needed a lot more help.  I also saw a lot of missed opportunities for interaction, involvement, and interest stimulation.  That's a private institution, and of course they are three-year-olds.   I wonder how it will be in public school?

Not just anyone can be a teacher, but a teacher could be any one of us.  What is it to teach?  How many who have responded to this post have taught?  I can only say that, as the parent of a child with a communication delay, I and my wife have worked hard to teach my son how to talk, to interact, and in some cases to learn.  But until we learned how to teach him, we had no idea what we were doing.  It turns out that teaching is more about understanding children than it is about understanding the topics we're trying to teach them.  I think that's where many people get it wrong.  You can teach a topic 100 different ways and never be understood - understand how your child learns, and now you can teach them exactly how they need to be taught.  But what are we trying to teach them?

I pine for my math skills, slowly deteriorating from lack of use and a poor practice when I had time to practice and a teacher to question; my joy of reading has taken off so many years beyond when it mattered for a grade; I would love to really learn some foreign languages, yet it's ever more difficult with age; politics, economics, chemistry, physics...so many interesting topics, so little time now.  I want my children to be forces of good in the world, to be part of positive change.  For them to be that, they have only this one chance to learn as much as possible about how the world, the universe, science, nature, math, language works.  One chance.  This is their only time.  It's not that our education system is broken, it's that it is overburdened and crushed under its own weight and the various beliefs that people hold against it.  Society is broken - we believe we just need to pawn our kids off on other people who are "qualified" to teach, when in fact we have an innate responsibility to teach our children ourselves - to be part of the teaching equation, to build up their self-esteem and the belief that they can learn and achieve great things.  We need to teach them the joy of learning, rather than sitting by while random events stomp out all desire.

We waste our children's opportunity to learn if we ourselves, as parents, are not active participants.  Asking if their homework is done and going to PTA meetings does not quality.  Of all the things I could do with my spare time, all the things I could do for myself, I gladly sacrifice it all for my children and their continued learning and development.

Andy CowenJul 27, 2012Edit

+1

Thanks +Matthew O'Connor. I agree with everything you said. Do begin a good debate, I choose to look at it from that side. It gets things moving well and left it up to others to bring the counterpoint. I posted this conversation on Facebook as well (I'd link to it but it's not as easy as it is on G+. Check my timeline for Tuesday. https://www.facebook.com/ghephetto) One of my teachers from High School chimed in from the other side of the "fence". No matter what this is a valuable discussion to have and get everyone's story. At the end of the day, we are responsible for ourselves. We are not taught self reliance or how to learn in school. Society has the crutch of a system and have largely forgotten how to teach or how to learn. We now relegate those tasks to the noble teachers that have taken up the torch of knowledge, and the system that is supposed to serve the task. It is taken for granted, that there will always be people to perform this task. It's true that there will be, but they will be in the institutions less and less if things do not change, as the incentive to remain there diminishes. Society certainly needs to be turned on it's ear. I get the thought that to move forward, we must look back and learn the lesson of history, from as many angles as we can find.

Bobby ShaftoeAug 4, 2012

Without jobs , or job prospects , those not involved in technology will never find work no matter what we throw at them in education.
The educational "system " just did not keep up with reality.

Andy CowenAug 6, 2012Edit

+1

"the world needs ditch diggers too." Having worked in construction, it is one of the more gratifying jobs I have ever had. It was hard. I was sore. I was hot. I was sometime hungry and thirsty and bathroom breaks could be restrictive. It did not make me rich. On the other hand, I was in great shape. I was using my hands and that felt good. I could see progress being made in minutes opposed to maybe never at all. I got to work outside, and most of the time had fresh clean air to breath. To be a laborer is to be honest. I will always contend that there are jobs out there, but there are cavetes to that statement. One may not make what you are worth, and more likely not as much as you need, and the job may fall below your "station". For my part, an income is better than no income and I would dig a ditch, frame a house, lay cement, install fences, and nearly any job that Mike Rowe have ever done. It feels good to be dirty, and everyone should have a dirty job once in their lives so they can feel a little respect for those that can't or don't want to work in an office and attend meetings about nothing day after day.

Matthew O'ConnorAug 6, 2012

+Bobby Shaftoe, opinion time: Which came first, the worker or the job?

This is a little off-topic, but while recently considering the various notions as to why the middle-class is displeased with the upper-class (in a blog post), the notion of "job creators" struck a key with me and I realized there was something very wrong with the notion of wealthy being touted as "job creators:"  it doesn't account for everyone else who is also a "job creator."  The fact is, we all create work for other people to do - everything we choose not to, or are unable to do ourselves, is something someone else can and usually does do.  Think about how many services you use in any given day.  Think of all the work that has to be done to make those services available.  If you didn't buy those services - if few or no one did - there'd be no work and no employment in them.  Yet many somehow cling to the belief that there are two kinds of people in our country: those who create jobs, and those who work them.  Whatever we do to earn money, the minute we spend it we are "creating" jobs.

But how do we compete in a "global market?"  There are so many problems - standard and cost of living differences, education differences, environmental concern differences...  Back before the world got really small, I imagine it was a little easier to compete in your "local" market for work.  For a living, I can't compete in a market like eLance, because regardless of my skills or education people in India can afford to charge 20-50% less.  This is no exaggeration.  As we watched thousands of jobs disappear overseas with the promise of "lower prices" or higher profit margins, those in our own country who were displaced felt the sting of the global economy.  Our education woes underscore the current war of attrition unconsciously waged on us, and as we have waged on others, by the very nature of open and unregulated competition between very different populations of workers.  How will we ever compete with a people who are better educated, better skilled, and whose base income requirements are significantly less than our own?  It occurs to me that of all the ways our education system fails, the teaching of money and economics matters is the way in which it fails the absolute worst.

Matthew O'ConnorAug 6, 2012

+Andy Cowen "I've often thought of becoming a golf-club..."

Bobby ShaftoeAug 6, 2012

Nasty bit of trickery there Mr. Cowen , chicken and egg. Hmph.
Dead dino laying at the cave door . "Well I'm not moving that sucker ! , Dave , you move it."
Dave, " Gimme some stuff and I'll move it."
Dexter, " I'll move it for less stuff."
Sue, " It's moved , I own you."

Andy CowenAug 6, 2012Edit

Unless that's a boy named Sue, she was going to win the whole time anyway. :-)

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