Klarinet Archive - Posting 000369.txt from 2001/02

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] chaos being sold for freedom...
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 23:27:20 -0500

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Hobby [mailto:jhobby@-----.net]
>
> Which, of course, explains why 90% of English-speaking students in the =
> US don't/can't/won't speak standard English, and aren't required to =
> during classes. I'm glad they're learning more advanced math and =
> science. It's a shame, however, that their employer won't be able to =
> understand what they're saying. Just think what advantages this =
> "jettisoning" will have. Before long, we won't have any history before =
> 1955. That will certainly help those who like revisionist history, =
> anyway.
>
I agree with you to a point. I've already made it clear that I don't believe
the solutions currently being suggested and tried solve the problem. But
just complaining about what the kids aren't getting isn't going to solve it
either. We can't go back to the 1950's, because there isn't a good way to
teach what was taught then and still account for the fantastic expansion of
knowledge that has happened since. And the problem is further intensified by
the realization that what we consider knowledge today may be considered
incomplete or entirely wrong ten years from now. There's little doubt that
today's students, when they are young adults, will need to deal with areas
of knowledge we now may not even know exist.

But, as Jay pointed out in his post, creativity and independent thought
aren't generated in a vacuum. Effective creativity doesn't strive constantly
to re-invent the wheel. If it isn't based on knowledge of what has gone
before, it frequently amounts to wheel _spinning_ and gets nobody anywhere.

Karl

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