Google Wants Google Doodles Taught In Public School, Warns Kids They Best Behave

theodp writes: Well, this year's Hour of Code is almost upon us, and if Google has its way, K-12 schoolchildren across the nation will be learning computer science by creating Google Doodles with Scratch (lesson plan). Curiously, the introductory video for the Create Your Own Google Logo Hour of Code activity from the Google Computer Science Education Department sternly warns kids, "While it is okay to use the Google logo for your personal Doodle, it is not okay [emphasis Google's] to use it anyplace else or outside this activity." In addition to respecting its intellectual property, Google instructs kids that they are to follow the Scratch Community Guidelines when they create Google logos: "Please stay positive, friendly, and supportive towards others in the Scratch Community. Help us keep Scratch a place where people of different backgrounds and interests feel welcome to hang out and create together."

Comments

Like "free speech" today

[Moof123]

You are welcome to speak your mind in America*.

*Must comply with HR rules of your company, must not offend anyone, infringe on any business interests, or otherwise cause incitement of the public.

Re:Like "free speech" today

[Moof123]

The only way to actually speak your mind today is to be independently wealthy. Participating in the democratic process can easily make you lose your job, even if you violate no laws. Corporations have more free speech than the average citizen (and more ability to get away with breaking the law without consequence). We are way down the slippery slope on this one.

Re:Like "free speech" today

[Moof123]

Try flipping off the president, it could easily cost you your job.

Needs to Stop

[sycodon]

This whole trend of Big Business dreaming up some curriculum and then trying to push it on public schools has got to stop.

Not only because it's an obvious shill for their particular technology, but it is often poorly thought out and in some instances politically charged.

Re:Needs to Stop

[apoc.famine]

What you and the GGP are missing is what the actual lesson is: You assume it's to learn how to do long division, because that's what it looks like to you. That's what you learned, and how you learned it. Newsflash: This is a different standard, in a different time. It's not the same lesson you learned.

This lesson is to learn that method of long division. Not the underlying math, but the method.

That's why his kiddo got an F. Not because he can't do long division, because he can't demonstrate that he understands that method. That's the standard he was being assessed on. Dad's mistake was assuming that long division was the end goal, when it's actually an indirect goal. While the GP here was a bit harsh, he was spot on.

The reason that the focus is on this method is that it's a building block for higher order math skills. Column division with remainders isn't. The idea is that if students learn enough of these methods, they can apply them to algebra and calculus in the future. That wasn't a lesson on long division. It was foundational work to support mathematics growth far in the future.

Good on dad up there for caring and teaching his kiddo a new skill, but bad on him for misunderstanding the lesson and subverting his kid's learning. If you really care and want to help, you're going to need to learn what's being taught and why, and not just inject your vastly out-of-date knowledge into kids' brains. That's going to make things worse rather than better.