“Say It Isn’t So!”

1. On August 15th, 2006 at 11:52 pm Der grosseonkle Says:

   Saints preserve us! History (and not the cyber-taught kind) repeats: More than 4 centuries ago Peter Stuyvesant bought Manhattan Island for twenty-six dollars worth of glitzy beads, and now the Brits, from whom we wrested the east coast, is buying the minds of our west-coast students for 70 million dollars worth of glitzy beads, disguised as social studies animated computer programs for ages 5-11. “History and Social Science ‘comes’ alive,” says a California district assistant superintendent (who apparently was absent the day they taught subject-verb agreement) with exciting text, vibrant media clips and activities…” Why, the texts can even be read to the students (in Spanish and English, of course—heaven forbid that one should learn American social studies in English only). Bravo! While all of that ‘come’ alive, the students’ imaginations begin to deteriorate. Put them before a screen, open their brains and pour it in. Then ask them to write about it. Ask them to write supplemental work from other sources. Hear them say they didn’t do homework because: “We had a power outage and my laptop battery was weak.” Or better still, “I couldn’t do my homework, ’cause we ain’t got no computer,” or, “My hard drive crashed.” No power? No computer? Then all one needs to continue learning is a candle and a book. The sale is apparently a big “modern” ruse to make the British company a preponderance of pounds, and it seems to have worked. If you happen to have a warehouse full of Algebraic-Calculatic Duraglyhphic Instant Mathclaphic Learning Programs, on DVDs, contact the California Superintendent of Education; he’ll buy ‘em. The day movable type came to printing was the day knowledge began to spread to the masses. The importance of the printed word and the ability to read it proficently will forever prove invaluable.