http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog Education News & Commentary Fri, 23 Jun 2006 03:37:37 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/35/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/flattening-instruction/ http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/35/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/flattening-instruction/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2005 20:07:36 +0000 Jerry http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/?p=35 The Doyle Report) makes arguments against modernizing education that are so unbelievably bad that one is forced to consider whether that wasn't his true intent. For example, he says, "An educator’s work is unique." But, it is precisely because an educator's work should be unique that computer-delivered and/or outsourced instruction is imperative. Why should every student in the classroom be getting the same instruction at the same pace with the same homework from a teacher who may not have the information, skills or interest in what matters most to each student?]]> http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/35/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/flattening-instruction/feed/ 4 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/34/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/child-centric-schools/ http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/34/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/child-centric-schools/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2005 03:35:37 +0000 Jerry http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/?p=34 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/34/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/child-centric-schools/feed/ 6 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/30/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/it%e2%80%99s-about-attitude-not/ http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/30/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/it%e2%80%99s-about-attitude-not/#comments Sun, 06 Nov 2005 22:12:55 +0000 Jerry http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/?p=30 endoscopes. In the following article, we read how "attitude" is the main culprit of mediocre education outcomes, as if doctors with better attitudes could perform surgeries just as well without endoscopes. Just like surgeries, better academic outcomes require a new approach. Attitude is not the problem. The system of classroom-delivered instruction is the problem.]]> http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/30/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/it%e2%80%99s-about-attitude-not/feed/ 2 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/26/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/grouping-kids-by-age-should-have-vanished-with-the-little-red-schoolhouse/ http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/26/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/grouping-kids-by-age-should-have-vanished-with-the-little-red-schoolhouse/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2005 04:23:27 +0000 Jerry http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/?p=26 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/11/26/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/grouping-kids-by-age-should-have-vanished-with-the-little-red-schoolhouse/feed/ 0 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/10/23/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/the-21st-century-student/ http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/10/23/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/the-21st-century-student/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2005 04:52:17 +0000 Jerry http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/?p=23 produce mediocrity. The biggest problem is that it's designed to educate "classrooms," not an individual student. That's needs to change right now. We have the technology to create captivating and effective lessons like those done by Sesame Street and Blue's Clues and to provide them to each student at the times, places and pace that makes the most sense for the individual student without regard to what's best for other students. In this article, I outline some of the characteristics of schools designed for The 21st Century Student.]]> http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/10/23/modernizing-the-curriculum-and-schools/jerry/the-21st-century-student/feed/ 0 http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/10/13/character-education/jerry/the-root-cause-of-education-mediocrity/ http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/10/13/character-education/jerry/the-root-cause-of-education-mediocrity/#comments Tue, 11 Oct 2005 01:17:52 +0000 Jerry http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/?p=13 mere tinkering. None of them can substantially improve academic outcomes because the system is designed to produce mediocrity. In this article, I explore the root cause of education mediocrity. Do you know what it is? Think about it first, then read the article and see if we agree.]]> http://www.myshortpencil.com/blog/2005/10/13/character-education/jerry/the-root-cause-of-education-mediocrity/feed/ 0