[geeks] New Tech Schools: Digital Harbor in Baltimore

[velociraptor]

On 4/12/07, Lionel Peterson <lionel4287 at verizon.net> wrote:
> The funny thing in my case is that despite my long-term interest with
> technology, I never got a college degree in it (well, I'm working on one now
> ;^) - my associates and bachelors degrees are in Humanities.

Ditto, but English.  I put down my success in tech to being able to
research, solve problems, and communicate well (I know how to document
all the steps I've tried so as to give people from whom I'm asking
assistance the complete picture of the problem).  But I also know my
limitations as to my success in certain areas of tech have a lot to do
with why I went into Liberal Arts in the first place.

> NCLB had a purpose, and it was well intentioned, but it focused too much on
> those with profound needs, ignoring those that have profound abilities.

In the modern politically correct world, people seem to have forgotten
that life is not a fair competition.  While I think some level of
support needs to be provided for kids (and their parents) with
profound needs, we are doing society in general a disservice by
ignoring the special needs of the top 10%.  The assumption is that the
"smart" kids will "be ok" regardless of how they are treated by
school, when the statistics clearly show that a good portion of those
kids are at risk because they don't get the right teaching
methodologies to challenge them and keep them engaged.

I know a number of people that are extremely intelligent and gifted
but (like that "pain in the ass" guy you mentioned) don't have the
tools to channel that those abilities in the right direction.  Some
actually managed to get through college, but now seem without purpose.
 I know several of them also have brain chemistry imbalances which
affect their ability to be successful (those that have been diagnosed
and are doing better with treatment), and I might guess that several
of them need to be diagnosed and treated.

One fellow I know could easily be a patent factory if the right
think-tank were to give him a place to work, an intelligent and
thoughtful set of co-workers, and a decent living.

=Nadine=