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September 07, 2006

Good Teachers

This is a post of interest from Truthdig with great comments (like the following one) discussing and debating the future of education.
"The fact that you did not find them compelling would indicate that you still subscribe to the philosophy that the education is all in the information; and, quite frankly, that depresses me."
I would like to add just one thing to this comment by Stephen Smoliar regarding the four items Paul Cummins suggests as a starter, and that is the need for attracting high quality teachers and high standards that each teacher is regularly measured against so the teachers are constantly challenged and excited to teach. I hope the future for my grandchildren will include human contact with a knowledgeable, encouraging teacher who challenges them to want to learn and want to read and want to participate in this oh-so-diverse life. If the students of the future are only exposed to technology and taught via computers with little human contact, how would the students develop social skills and learn to deal with their own feelings and disappointments and triumphs? Education is such an important issue with the impact to change or destroy the future.
That is HUGE. MONUMENTAL, but seems to be of little interest to so many people who are interested in the present only, in the mundane, titillating things they choose to spice up their lives.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well done post. I would also add that the other parts of the article to which you linked are important, too. With teachers in my family, I totally support smaller class sizes and paying teachers more, as well as having more responsible parents at home.