Ethics in Education

While looking for articles on Religion Literacy in public schools, I came across a study of excellence in independent schools. The author listed ten traits of these excellent schools that they discovered in extensive interviews with students and administration at highly acclaimed private schools. The traits are so foreign to what I remember from my public high school, but they really make sense. These traits are deep human values like trust, integrity, ethics, and a leader that imbues the whole school with a character of integrity. To me, these are the real goals that we need to aim at before we start discussing the 4 R's (with Religious Literacy as the 4th).

Education for Free

At its most basic level, learning is free. Why does school cost so much? Learning comes from hearing, observing, listening, etc. - all free activities. Mom and Dad provide more free instruction than most kids can stomach. Homeschoolers can do a fine job on a shoestring budget. Even if we accept the societal need for a public school system, why does it cost $10-15,000 per student? That's about $300,000 per classroom! Why is bureaucracy and bussing and buildings so expensive? It seems that we can't afford this anymore, at least not in Detroit...

Beyond Capitalism?

Viewing In the White Man's Image left me thinking deeply about what norms we accept in our materialistic world of American progress. Public schools seem to escape much of the market model competition, but don't seem to strive for excellence as a result. The world of business competes so aggressively that it often exploits humanity for the sake of profit, destroying instead of creating in the long run. Socialism has failed miserably already. Coercion never builds lasting value. Back to In the White Man's Image - forcing Native Americans to take on white European American cultural values could never work. Coercion fails. I am pondering what might really work in the long run. Looking or a new model...

My Ideal Physics Classroom

My ideal classroom of the future for a physics class would include the old fashioned lab gear to run momentum, electrical, etc. experiments as well as internet access for students to conduct their own research into science areas that they find most interesting. I really think many more students could love the sciences if they were inspired to pursue their personal interests.

My First Post

First ever blog page - here I go...