Cribbing My Own Work

I have this post up on alt.history.future, but there's not a lot of traffic there any more with the impending heat death of usenet, so I'll CnP here:

I have been trying to ponder some ways to improve the educational process here in the States. At one point - from 1992 through 1997 - I was actively involved as a volunteer at the local high school teaching computer programming, science, and some technical writing. It struck me then - and it still doesn't seem to be a lot better now! - that the educational system needed a very serious overhaul. Now, i came out of a school system that was considered a much better than average one: Los Alamos (New Mexico) Public Schools. Yes, /that/ Los Alamos and not every school system can be as good, but I think that there was even serious room for improvement there: a lot of the quality of the education had to do with the almost unique culture of the place[1].

Often times when we Americans start discussing education we start talking about either raising salaries of teachers[2] or accountability. Another talking point that gets raised is that of student teacher ratios. Also the suggestion that we provide vouchers so that kids can be moved from bad schools to good ones is another that keeps coming up: introduce a market structure basically. The first is desirable, but must be done carefully. The second has produced a case where they don't teach generally, but rather they teach The Test here in California even in the good schools. The last often gets tripped up in budgets and the perception that its a jobs program for teachers without really improving the quality of the education. The last is...very politically charged and will end up leaving a lot of students behind, IMO, simply because schools can only accept so many students.

I get the impression though from being exposed to other cultures and their methods of teaching - and performance from it - that there must be others ways that we can attack this problem than just the above few ways. Some real reform seems like its necessary. I guess what I am seeking here is from you all are a some ideas as to what the possible changes might be. I have a few and I'll share them and I am hoping that you all will critique them and add some of your own.

The first idea is that we need to push students more, sooner. One experience I had when I was attending school that I originally was falling behind at the California public schools. My folks as a desperation measure enrolled me in a private school for a year to try to help me: I was headed to special education unless they did something and they did. Even though they really couldn't afford it. It helped. Not only did it help, but I accelerated up to and past my cohorts in public school. If my folks could have kept me there, I'd have been much further along. Possibly even doing algebra by the time I was 10 based on the progress I was making in math and reading. The keys here were low student teacher ratios: 10 kids to one teacher with assistant /and/ the fact that we were pushed big time and not in a boot camp sort of way. This requires more one on one time and lower teacher ratios as well as the willingness to make
individualized study plans.

Second way is a deeper linking between universities and the high schools through project related teaching. I was involved in the New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge (now Adventures in Supercomputing Challenge, iirc) where students would learn to code and make science projects through access to Crays and whatnot. Often times this REALLY helped kids when they found mentors that were really interested in teaching. They would pick the project - it'd be rescoped by the mentor if it was too ambitious - and then the mentor would teach the necessary math, programming, and science to get them able to do the project. This worked wonderfully even after the kids stopped participating because they GOT why they needed to know x, y, or z subjects and made the process of learning interesting. If this was the rule much earlier like say in the 6th grade rather than the voluntary or semivoluntary exception this might make a big impact. However it requires very knowledgeable and broad-based individuals to teach to this style.

Finally, not because its my last idea, but because I have to run, perhaps we need to consider that since the volume of knowledge we are expected to absorb between the ages of 6 and 18 has greatly increased - or should have - perhaps school hours ought to be from 8 until 5 rather than at least around here 8:30 to 3ish. This always daily teaching in all courses as well as nontrivial block based classes for ones that need that time (like Chem Labs).

An honorable mention is to Carlos' everyone with a 3 year premed degree as I cram this in as I run off to an appointment.

Any other thoughts?

Will

1. When something like 40% of adults have PhDs...

2. Something that does need to be done there, but I have met so many frakkin useless teachers: "I don't understand war, so I am not going to teach about [the First World War]. Read your book. Test on Friday."

Education is one of those areas where I have strong opinions and think we need to seriously overhaul. The world has changed since the 1960s. Let's update our educational system for crying out loud!