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Should Teachers Get $100 For Steering Kids To Google's 'Hour of Code' Lesson?
Tomorrow's "Hour of Code" kick-off event features Melinda Gates, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, and "multiple state governors," reports theodp -- who has some concerns.
With Microsoft boasting that nearly 70 million of its Minecraft Hour of Code sessions have been launched, and tech companies pushing coding and their products into classrooms, it's probably no surprise that the 2017 Hour of Code -- organized by tech-bankrolled Code.org -- seems to have presented a too-hard-to-resist branding opportunity for Google, Microsoft, Apple and Amazon.
And, in what might evoke memories of Dollars for Doctors, some teachers will even be rewarded for steering their kids to Google's Hour of Code lesson. "Thanks to our friends at Google," explains crowdfunding website DonorsChoose.org, "4th-8th grade public school teachers who engage their students in a 'Create your own Google logo' Hour of Code activity can earn a $100 DonorsChoose.org gift code -- and have the opportunity to receive one of five other grand prizes (including $5,000 in DonorsChoose.org credits for your school!)."
And, in what might evoke memories of Dollars for Doctors, some teachers will even be rewarded for steering their kids to Google's Hour of Code lesson. "Thanks to our friends at Google," explains crowdfunding website DonorsChoose.org, "4th-8th grade public school teachers who engage their students in a 'Create your own Google logo' Hour of Code activity can earn a $100 DonorsChoose.org gift code -- and have the opportunity to receive one of five other grand prizes (including $5,000 in DonorsChoose.org credits for your school!)."
How much funding has been spent all over the USA over the past decades trying to educate generations of very average students?
The computers, new math, new textbooks, robot kits, laptops, internet, e books, improved gui ready robot kits and experts?.
Government demanding more from tax payers, public private partnership support, private sector support to try and get passing grades.
Whats the result? Profits for people selling new products to help teachers try and educate.
What would be a better way to use all that new educational support? Test the students in math and science. Find out who can study and get good grades.
Take all that extra funding out of the school system and give it to the best students who can study.
Show some ability to pass a test well? Get a full scholarship to a really good university as that person has the ability to actually study.
All that new education funding can then be offered to a university to ensure the best students have what is needed for science and engineering.
The below average students can be kept busy been supported learning business math, vocational education, art, sport, languages, history music.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"