[geeks] Education

[wa2egp at att.net]

> In America we still have a hard time glorifying engineers, and worship
> people of little worth at the same time.
> 
> Europe is much the same way, they just won't admit it.

Hard time glorifying?  We don't!  Look at all the movies and TV shows.
Anyone with half a brain is shown to be "nerdy", can't get a girl, lives
in some hole in the wall or cave like apartment and is just not "normal".
Very few lead roles are for "smart" people.  

I've been following this thread and I've got my own two cents.  I've
been teaching in a "magnet" school in an urban district ("the 'hood")
for 25 years.   There are many factors which are contibuting to the 
decline of education:
1. "Feel good" education.  Can't have the student tramatized.  Can't 
give too much homework, can't grade with a red pen, can't direct
the class...it's student centered education (they decide what they 
should learn), giving failing grades is discouraged or forbidden!
2. Administrators that have no boys.  Most adminstratrs are like flags,
they go which ever way the wind blows.  They may support a teacher
until a parent shows up.  My principal breaks into a sweat when anybody 
from the central office shows up.  His head shines like a mirror.
3. Clueless consultants.  I can't tell you how many Phd's who failed
in their own career/field came waltzing into our district with the
most ridiculous and untested (sometimes tested and failed) ideas
and the staff HAS to make them work because, as we all know, Phd's are
never wrong.  
4. Student attitude.  Some of this stems from #1.  In my district, we
are finding students do not have the basic skills they need from the lower
grades and they don't care to have them, nor want to learn anything else.

I start my physics class each year by going over the scientific method.
I used global warming as a "scientific contoversy" in my example.  One of my
student declared there was "no such thing".  When I asked why, he give
me "Studies have shown..." and proceeded to give me some very flawed
information (I've seen this dismissed arguement before).  When I questioned
the flawed information (without instulting the student) I also pointed out
this occurs in the scientific community.  The student said "I don't 
care what you say!  There is no such thing!"  OK.  So I continued the
lesson.  Next day, my principal called in (see #2) and told me, "We've
had complaints about you.  You're not teachng Physics, you're talking 
about everything else."  When I explained what went on and showed him
the course of study which the first two pages was scientific method and
basic math, his response was, "Just cover yourself."