"Back to Basics" nowadays becomes "Common Sense." Read below to see it
yourself.
My dad told me that when he was in school (back in old in the USSR) in 1930s
and 1940s they were taught how to do cube root using pencil and paper. I
was taught my school teacher how to do square root using pencil and paper.
My son uses a calculator for school math but complains that it is too old
fashion and computers do it better and "nobody uses calculators on their
works anymore." "Salespersons at counters can't do their work when power is
down." I bet that the legislation below is driven by fears of the Y2K
catastrophe and the Robinson Crausoe syndrome of how can you do calculations
if let's say a plane with you crashes on a peopleless island?! Do you know
how to do explosive powder out of seagulls' shit?
What is phonics for Common Sense? I asked this question (well, not exactly
this, of course) to a Delaware high business officer responsible for
educational grant applications in one of major companies here (guess which
one by examining headquarters' address on your credit cards :-). He replied
that it is well known that kids learn to read by combining letters together.
Paraphrasing one of my students' most favorite arguments used by them for
defense of mainstream schooling, it is possible to summarize, "We had to
learn all this bull-shit and we've turned out OK, why they shouldn't?!"
(pardon my language).
What do you think?
Eugene
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Whitson [mailto:twhitson@UDel.Edu]
Sent: Friday, May 28, 1999 1:47 PM
To: Ed School faculty
Subject: "Common Sense" in the Legislature
Delaware education reform bills proposed
http://www.newszap.com/528E.html
D.L. Bonar, Staff writer:
"The bills, which are sponsored by Rep. Wayne A. Smith, R-Brandywine
Hundred, and several lawmakers of both parties, are called "Common Sense"
education reform."
This legislation would (inter alia) require that "All students in grades
K-4 shall receive reading instruction primarily through the use of
phonics", "Requir[e] that a student in grades K-12 may not use a
calculator or other similar electronic devices in a mathematics classroom
for exercises, test taking, or homework; except that a student in grade 9
or above may use the devices in nonbasic mathematics courses in which the
devises are necessary to learn higher mathematics principles more
efficiently", and "Requir[e] that students receive intensive instruction
in Delaware and United States history before receiving intensive
instruction in the culture and history of other countries or societies".
For links to the actual legislation see
http://www.udel.edu/educ/whitson/640/del-leg.htm
The News Journal article is at
http://www.delawareonline.com/news/story4.shtml
Tony Whitson twhitson who-is-at udel.edu