Intellectual Takeout Veronika Winkels Whether something is education or indoctrination seems to be a matter of where you stand on its content. I have heard C.S. Lewis’ beloved classic The Chronicles of Narnia accused of indoctrinating children with Christianity. My understanding is that indoctrination teaches a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Now, I believe my preschool children, aged 3 and 5, are being indoctrinated at their childcare center by a text espousing a set of values vastly different from those Lewis held. It’s title is, We Are All Equal. I was mildly disconcerted when I noticed it in the reading corner. I sniffed a political message. So when I saw … [Read more...]
Why Are Kids Impatient, Bored, Friendless, and Entitled?
When our children head to school their mental state is critical. If we don't create the right home environment there is no way the schools can teach. The following article comes to us from Deep Roots at Home. Give it a read... “Kids today are in a devastating emotional state! Most come to school emotionally unavailable for learning. There are many factors in our modern lifestyle that contribute to this.” ~V.P. In her practice, my friend Victoria Prooday, OT is seeing something so widespread and alarming that I asked if I could share her thoughts. Due to the overwhelming interest and conversation on this topic, I am re-sharing her post. I encourage every parent who cares about … [Read more...]
The three stages of learning: the Grammar stage, the Logic stage, and the Rhetoric stage
In today's busy world of education we have gotten to involved in computers, social emotional learning, positive behavioral intervention support, common core, ESSA...the list goes on and on and on... Those in charge of education have decided that the old ways are no longer valid or useful or appropriate as we wend our way into the 21st Century. But...is that really true? Can we still learn from the past and are there basics that can and should be part of our education foundation that have been pushed aside? We say yes. We reached out to Mr. Peabody and his Way-back-Machine and bring you this treatise on the best of the past that is still valid today. If you agree ask your local school … [Read more...]
First Graders and Transgender?
Have you read the story about the school district in North Carolina that had introduced a book titled "Jacob's New Dress" as part of the curriculum for first graders? Reading stories written by multiple news outlets we thought the easiest way was to provide a summary. But the real question is: What do you think? The book with pricing and description can be found at Amazon (among other locations). Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IU8CT94/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 The book publisher is Albert Whitman: https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/jacobs-new-dress/ Basically the school board in question determined that first graders should be taught … [Read more...]
Kids really are smart…
Happy 2017! As much as we talk about the challenges in education we need to consider that children hear "exactly" what you say and ask. In this example (on the left) their honesty is evident. Share this with anyone you think will enjoy. Smile....it's a new year! … [Read more...]
Robot Teachers – The Future of Education?
New York’s two top educators came to Buffalo on Tuesday to warn of a looming teacher shortage and figure out how to recruit the next generation to the embattled profession. The official nationwide Teacher Shortage Area list for 2015-16 year (you can see the list here ) is not a list of job postings but a reference to where states and schools are potentially looking to hire administrators and teachers. And the comparisons within many states tells a disturbing story: growing teacher shortages in key subjects. Newspaper headlines dramatically declare that U.S. public schools are facing a teacher shortage of epic proportions. The future of teaching is....Robot Teachers My … [Read more...]
Schools push disturbing ‘gender unicorn’ on your kids – Molding the Minds to Control the Future
This story has been reported at several sites. This one is from WND - authors are Jason & David Benham The radical, anti-values sexual revolution is accelerating at break-neck speed. Just last week, the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Board acted on Obama’s high-pressured, open bathroom initiative by taking it to a whole “nutha” level. CMS introduced “The Gender Unicorn.” This little guy is the Charlotte school system’s new teacher’s assistant. He’s going to help our children explore and discover who they “go to bed as,” and who they like to “go to bed with.” Are you kidding?! He (or she, not really sure) looks cute and harmless – kind of like Barney with a horn. Yet … [Read more...]
10 Things Parents Can Do To Make Their Kids Highly Successful
From a story at Lifehack - writer is MATT DUCZEMINSKI Wanting the best for your children is a universal goal for all good parents. The best home, the best upbringing, the best school, the best life… Great parents simply want their children to have the optimum chance of success. Regardless of outside influences, all parents can instill values in their children to ensure they grow up to be healthy, responsible, successful adults. 1. Teach respect Parents should instil a sense of respect in their children. Not just respect for all human beings and living things (although this is obviously important), but respect for everything in the world. Parents should show their children the value … [Read more...]
Professor Patrick Deneen explains how kids have become a generation of know-nothings
From a story we found at Society's Child - originally by: Patrick Deneen at mindingthecampus.org My students are know-nothings. They are exceedingly nice, pleasant, trustworthy, mostly honest, well-intentioned, and utterly decent. But their brains are largely empty, devoid of any substantial knowledge that might be the fruits of an education in an inheritance and a gift of a previous generation. They are the culmination of western civilization, a civilization that has forgotten nearly everything about itself, and as a result, has achieved near-perfect indifference to its own culture. It's difficult to gain admissions to the schools where I've taught - Princeton, Georgetown, and now … [Read more...]
Number 12 looks like you – Twilight Zone and Common Core
One of the things that we find troubling about Common Core is the intent to make sure that everyone is taught the same thing, following the same schedule to make sure that children are all alike, make everyone equal and conform. Those who support Common Core want everyone to be the same. In 1964 Rod Serling produced an episode of the Twilight Zone called "Number 12 looks like you". In this episode an 18 year old girl/woman is pressured to follow the norm and undergo a change to her looks - "The Transformation". In her society everyone chooses an image from a catalog and have themselves transformed into that image. Everyone is beautiful. Everyone looks alike. Everyone is equal...and … [Read more...]