Education! Your thoughts?
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Got a MS Food science ...I do 3D for a living.
say no more.
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He he, cooking - now I wish someone had taught me that! (only offered to girls at my old school from what I remember - only boys in tech' drawing and woodwork too!).
For 3D - just buy your kids some Legos - better than all the engineering textbooks I ever read!.
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Funny you bring this up now Mike - I've been learning lately about how our school system is broken, and how the Internet can help fill this need.
Here's some great reading on the topic - stuff that I've been using to form an educated opinion on the subject...
Hacking Higher Education Series@unknownuser said:
All education – even college education – is fundamentally self-education.
A series of posts teaching people how to graduate faster with an accredited degree.
Back to (the wrong) school
From the always-insightful Seth Godin:@unknownuser said:
Large-scale education was never about teaching kids or creating scholars. It was invented to churn out adults who worked well within the system.
...and a much more detailed manifesto by Mr. Godin on the same topic: Stop Stealing Dreams (references Sir Ken Robinson's ideas)
@unknownuser said:
The economy has changed, probably forever.
School hasn't.
School was invented to create a constant stream of compliant factory workers to the growing businesses of the 1900s. It continues to do an excellent job at achieving this goal, but it's not a goal we need to achieve any longer.
In this 30,000 word manifesto, I imagine a different set of goals and start (I hope) a discussion about how we can reach them. One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we've been doing, we're going to keep getting what we've been getting.
Our kids are too important to sacrifice to the status quo.
Personally, I think that online classes like Khan Acaedemy and Skillshare are going to have a big influence on education for the next generation.
I've been asked by my local makerspace to teach Sketchup there - this is a form of education that I think will be more common in the future. People(employers and entrepreneurs alike) want results rather than a expensive college degree, and this whole idea of democratizing resources(whether its tools, education, or something else entirely) lets regular people perform like never before.
We're going to see a whole lot more of self-education thing if the mega-corporations and politicians don't eff up the Internet before then.
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Interesting links there Marcus. I will check them out as I am interested in learning more about the various trends that are now taking place, particularity in how the Net is being used for 'online' education.
Also its interesting to look at how various Countries are going about educating its populace.
Finland is an example of how a Country can and should think outside the box! No formal exams until the student reaches 17 - 18 years! This can only be a good system as it allows the student to develop their possibly hidden talents
How Finnish schools shine -
I have had two passions when I have had to decide what I would like to study. The First was shaping 3d space and the second was programming. I have chosen architecture, because I knew I couldn't design buildings without "official" qualifications. I knew I could be self-taught programmer.
I am a fully qualified architect now and learn how to program in C++. An important fruit will be an integration of Thea with SketchUp. I dream of an architectural modeller in which I could merge my two passions. Who knows, time will tell...
It is not an easy thing, because I have to think as Ken described in an "organic" fashion. I had to leave the "linear" thinking and let my other branch grow. It is growing for some time now, some of you know, I have written few Ruby plugins. Living in an "organic" manner is not easy. Some people say : "What about your CAREER?" and similar things. I have to listen to my heart and follow it. I want to develop all talents I discover in me.
I fully agree with Ken. I guess the revolution in education has also to be organic!
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Hi Tomaz, Glad you liked what Ken Robinson says, it was definitely thought provoking. The main thing that I took with me from his talk was that educating / training/ learning can and should be continuing throughout one's life.
From my experience people both young and old are in a far more happier state of mind when they are learning something new provided its something they are interested in and its at their own pace. Consumption does not deliver anything like the same satisfaction! But alas, there are far more rubbish time wasting things marketed and sold than mind informing / exercising things.
Here are some amusing and interesting facts about the brain!
Brain Health – Fascinating Facts About the Human Brainhttp://www.spiritofhealthkc.com/portfolio/fascinating-facts-about-the-human-brain/
One that caught my attention was,
Psychology of Your Brain
You can’t tickle yourself because your brain distinguishes between unexpected external touch and your own touch.
Never thought about it much, but its strange when you do.
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Along these lines...
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I am so sick & tired of jerks telling us what's wrong with the USA.
Clean your own houses! -
John, it's one of your own (Marcus from Minnesota) that posted the grahpic. It does make a point though. If a State doesn't have the foresight to invest in its youths education they will sufer in the long run. The Nordic countries are a good example of how it can be done also China, the 'one to watch', is investing heavily in education.
I am a strong admired of the USA for many reasons but as it holds itself up to be imitated, it has to take the constructive critism also in my opinion.
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John, it's one of your own (Marcus from Minnesota) that posted the grahpic. It does make a point though. If a State doesn't have the foresight to invest in its youths education they will sufer in the long run. The Nordic countries are a good example of how it can be done also China, the 'one to watch', is investing heavily in education.
I am a strong admired of the USA for many reasons but as it holds itself up to be imitated, it has to take the constructive critism also in my opinion.
Mike
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Yes that OWS poster is American, just told from a foreign point of view to make a comparison.
Student debt in-total in the US has surpassed credit card debt (which we all know has long been out of hand). So what are we going to be doing with all these young people without work, already having crippling debt? They sure aren't going to be buying those cars and houses, which we so like to base our economy on.
And meanwhile I have a couple friends in Canada, now retired, who are obtaining advanced degrees at university FOR FREE! So yeah, wtf?
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