Another story that calls for a little self examination. In high school I intentionally opted for a broader education in softer, non-geeky subjects, while still screwing around on an Apple ][ at home. In college I did philosophy, in grad school American Studies. I held onto enough of my geeky skills that I am doing okay now as a self-employed developer. I like this path.
I can think about a lot of things that I couldn't have if I had if I had been hardcore into CS. I can deal with my customers a lot better because I have taught undergraduates. I am never going to make fundamental contributions to the field, but what would the odds of that been anyway? More likely I would have been a C drone, too lazy figure out the sources of my discontent.
Reading Katz's last two pieces has made me realize how lucky I was in HS and how bad our current system is. I went to a public alternative high school (no football or basketball) and was at most a bi-geek. I could certainly pass as mainstream. I even remember thinking that I was more likely to meet girls in a lit class than in calc. So I took the lit class and after 15 years of getting educated and meandering in the lit vein, I ended up coding for a living. Why did I feel compelled to take that detour? Why isn't our society cherishing the skills & the outlook on life that are responsible for the computer/knowledge revolution going on now?
I have two children now and all I want for them is to be able to grow up true to their natures. The first is starting kindergarden next year and she will be going to a co-op school that will cost a lot more in our time and money than the public alternatives. What my children will get back is a more personal education that values both cooperation and difference.
The Littleton news and the Katz pieces have convinced me that this is the right choice. I hope solutions like this are blazing the way for systematic change rather than just a private escape from the wider problem.
The irony of it all, is that I am only able to afford something better for my kids because I hung on to enough of my geekiness that getting back into software was a snap. I hope that there is at least a little comfort in that.
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Another story that calls for a little self examination. In high school I intentionally opted for a broader education in softer, non-geeky subjects, while still screwing around on an Apple ][ at home. In college I did philosophy, in grad school American Studies. I held onto enough of my geeky skills that I am doing okay now as a self-employed developer. I like this path.
I can think about a lot of things that I couldn't have if I had if I had been hardcore into CS. I can deal with my customers a lot better because I have taught undergraduates. I am never going to make fundamental contributions to the field, but what would the odds of that been anyway? More likely I would have been a C drone, too lazy figure out the sources of my discontent.
Reading Katz's last two pieces has made me realize how lucky I was in HS and how bad our current system is. I went to a public alternative high school (no football or basketball) and was at most a bi-geek. I could certainly pass as mainstream. I even remember thinking that I was more likely to meet girls in a lit class than in calc. So I took the lit class and after 15 years of getting educated and meandering in the lit vein, I ended up coding for a living. Why did I feel compelled to take that detour? Why isn't our society cherishing the skills & the outlook on life that are responsible for the computer/knowledge revolution going on now?
I have two children now and all I want for them is to be able to grow up true to their natures. The first is starting kindergarden next year and she will be going to a co-op school that will cost a lot more in our time and money than the public alternatives. What my children will get back is a more personal education that values both cooperation and difference.
The Littleton news and the Katz pieces have convinced me that this is the right choice. I hope solutions like this are blazing the way for systematic change rather than just a private escape from the wider problem.
The irony of it all, is that I am only able to afford something better for my kids because I hung on to enough of my geekiness that getting back into software was a snap. I hope that there is at least a little comfort in that.