In a way we're saying the same thing with one difference:
- You're keeping the notion of causation and "time" restricted to the big bang onwards
- I'm thinking of those notions outside of and prior to the big bang (or our hubble volume, whatever), which is necessary if you want to have any discussions on the beginning of our universe, which is what the article tries to do
To discuss such topics you must be willing to think outside our spacetime sandbox.
I'm also from a family of educators. However, I can`t up and say the problem is solely with the parents.
I count myself lucky to have had mostly amazing teachers (and I mean, but I've had my share of shitty teachers as well... and by shitty I mean various combinations of incompetent, lazy, discriminating, inciteful and unqualified. What's more, complaints (made by wellrounded, focused and "good" students, not troublesome students) about such teachers always fell on deaf ears (thank you Teacher's Union!).
Yes, parents need to do their part to keep their kids in line and that especially includes restricting unsupervised use of technologies - i.e. kids do not need their own cellphones and laptops. I'm also in favour of giving a little more teachers more disciplinary power, albeit with proper trainning, controls, checks, balances and tracking/logging.
However, I've seen some kids with great parents, who gave them all their time and held a sense of very measured discipline at home, and by all means did very "good" parenting, yet some of the kids just went bad... and the two biggest factors in these kids who went bad were bad friends and bad teachers. Bad friends are a terrible influence, but it's even harder for parents to do something when their efforts are stunted by bad teachers and teaching.
On the other hand, I've also seen wonderful teachers who've partnered with parents to help troubled students become exceptional.
So parents, suck it up and do your part; and School Board members fix up your curriculum and policies, and weed ut and fire teachers who cannot teach. There, no one should have a problem with that, unless of course one's defending someone incompetent:)
I've seen schools that now have smartboards and smartprojectors. They're being used to teach everything from basic language and math to Kindergarteners to group presentations over the web. I saw them in action and was impressed at how innovatively they're being used to supplement, not replace, elementary education.
By no means do I believe kids should be given their own cellphones or laptops, that's just stupid (and yes, most parents are stupid nowadays), but there is a huge difference between that and using technology to enhance learning in creative ways.
Teachers at these schools have been given IPads as well. Apparently they've been trained to use them, but I have yet to see how they're been used to enhance teaching. This is something where I believe being a "good" or a "bad" teacher would really show.
Ah, they outraged cry of contemporary wussdom...
With regards to discipline neither the carrot nor the stick are the problem. The problem is the lack of discipline, measure and wisdom in their application. People are wary of corporal punishment today because of some idiots' overzealous application of the stick.
Slashdot Mirror
In a way we're saying the same thing with one difference: - You're keeping the notion of causation and "time" restricted to the big bang onwards - I'm thinking of those notions outside of and prior to the big bang (or our hubble volume, whatever), which is necessary if you want to have any discussions on the beginning of our universe, which is what the article tries to do To discuss such topics you must be willing to think outside our spacetime sandbox.
And what does this "abstract structure" exist in? What is the context that contains it?
as throwing your hands up in the air and saying "it came from nothing because I don't want to think about what could've been before"
Well that was rather defensive...
:)
I'm also from a family of educators. However, I can`t up and say the problem is solely with the parents.
I count myself lucky to have had mostly amazing teachers (and I mean, but I've had my share of shitty teachers as well... and by shitty I mean various combinations of incompetent, lazy, discriminating, inciteful and unqualified. What's more, complaints (made by wellrounded, focused and "good" students, not troublesome students) about such teachers always fell on deaf ears (thank you Teacher's Union!).
Yes, parents need to do their part to keep their kids in line and that especially includes restricting unsupervised use of technologies - i.e. kids do not need their own cellphones and laptops. I'm also in favour of giving a little more teachers more disciplinary power, albeit with proper trainning, controls, checks, balances and tracking/logging.
However, I've seen some kids with great parents, who gave them all their time and held a sense of very measured discipline at home, and by all means did very "good" parenting, yet some of the kids just went bad... and the two biggest factors in these kids who went bad were bad friends and bad teachers. Bad friends are a terrible influence, but it's even harder for parents to do something when their efforts are stunted by bad teachers and teaching.
On the other hand, I've also seen wonderful teachers who've partnered with parents to help troubled students become exceptional.
So parents, suck it up and do your part; and School Board members fix up your curriculum and policies, and weed ut and fire teachers who cannot teach. There, no one should have a problem with that, unless of course one's defending someone incompetent
I've seen schools that now have smartboards and smartprojectors. They're being used to teach everything from basic language and math to Kindergarteners to group presentations over the web. I saw them in action and was impressed at how innovatively they're being used to supplement, not replace, elementary education.
By no means do I believe kids should be given their own cellphones or laptops, that's just stupid (and yes, most parents are stupid nowadays), but there is a huge difference between that and using technology to enhance learning in creative ways.
Teachers at these schools have been given IPads as well. Apparently they've been trained to use them, but I have yet to see how they're been used to enhance teaching. This is something where I believe being a "good" or a "bad" teacher would really show.
Ah, they outraged cry of contemporary wussdom... With regards to discipline neither the carrot nor the stick are the problem. The problem is the lack of discipline, measure and wisdom in their application. People are wary of corporal punishment today because of some idiots' overzealous application of the stick.