[Edu-sig] Speaking of summer hols...and the curriculum conundrum

[Kirby Urner]

>I'd like to add that you won't get general acceptance until 
>you have plans as well as a critical mass of teachers who 
>can do Python.  At the elementary level, many teachers still 
>don't have much math training.  The computer programs I've 
>seen are often run by the "Technology Resource Specialist"  
>who may be waiting still for HTML training, much less OO-anything. 

Not useful to wait.  Should be learning.  Sets a poor example
for resource specialists to sit around waiting for training
while meanwhile expecting kids to be self-starters, learners
capable of independent study.

>Meanwhile, there are pockets of kids chomping at the bit to 
>learn programming, with no one to teach them.  So they teach 
>themselves, as much as possible.  Or they bug their parents.  
>My child learns this stuff so quickly, I can't begin to keep 
>up.  

Or they find lots of good teaching materials in cyberspace.  
Really, if you're a kid, there's no sense sitting around 
waiting for your teachers to get a clue.  Chances are, 
they're not going to learn what you need to know any time
soon.  So the strategy is to pump useful materials out to
the kids via the web, in ways that bypass teachers altogether
(not all teachers -- many support these efforts to rescue
kids from getting stuck with burn-out nonprofessionals, 
have dynamite websites of their own to share).

If teachers want to be bottlenecks, to be more part of the 
problem than part of the solution, that's their choice.  
But no way kids should have to pay the price.  They'll find 
other teachers who have the "right stuff" if they can.  Put
useful knowledge on the web, and the students will come 
(if, that is, they realize it's their own responsibility 
to get an education, that this is not really about dodging 
authority trippers while getting away with doing as little 
work as possible -- that only hurts your self).

>Also, a gentle reminder.  Try running some of the Alice 
>demos on an old box that crashes every few selections!  

Why bother?  Sounds horrible.  I'd never do it.

>I know that advanced modeling is cool stuff, but make sure 
>there are beginner's options for kids with old gear.  

But Alice isn't one of them.  Just straight Python is all
they need, a few other goodies.  Or they should get better 
gear (not top of the line necessarily, just better).  It's 
really cheap in many parts of the world.  Maybe fire some 
of those deadweight teachers who haven't kept up to free 
up some budget (I know, I know -- the unions'd never permit
it).

>That goes for the HTML versions of everything, as well.  
>
>And what about some Linux-style installathons?  What 
>about testing the various curriculum proposals/materials 
>in public library facilities?  Free programming classes 
>in public schools at night?  
>
>Joan

I think the free programming classes is a good idea.  
Adults are in dire need of this stuff as well, not just
kids.  Education is life-long, after all.  But of course
we live in a culture that brands any schemes to provide
free services as socialist (or some other bad word).  
More likely, we'll just keep charging what the market
will bear, and most adults will fall further and
further behind (which is what makes it easy for those
with the training to earn top dollar doing what any 
14 year old could do, given some schooling).

Kirby