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Matthew Stephenson

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school and what it means and how it should be run

Should school be the way it is now baised on some out side force that is trying to teach children what they think you need in this day and age.

Should school be run differently by how the society is set up and how we communicate between each other.

Should it be run like ted is set up and what Ted goals are witch is to spread new ideas and form the persons opinion no just baised off of what they think but to form new ideas with others.

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  • Dan Geurin 10+

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    Aug 15 2012: Public schools do a poor job in directing students to learn at their own pace. It's like a class running a race while tying all of the students' ankles together. The fast ones will have to wait up for the slow ones. The model should be to have every child "run" or learn at their own pace. The end results would be "faster times" or better learning for all students.
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    Robert Winner 50+

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    Aug 11 2012: Matt, One of my favorite subjects ... Your bio says you are a student. Here is a quick lesson. The outside force is more than one. Text book salesmen line up each year in Texas the Largest US textbook market and peddle their wares. As in the no child left behind law (NCLB) many states follow the Texas lead. The textbooks selected will determine what you are taught for the next year. Here is how that happens. The textbook is the basis of the class, the test writers will align tests to reflect what is in the texts; teachers will align the syllabus to the recommendations made by the textbook companies; states will follow the NCLB and devise a Standardized Test to evaluate the states educational ratings to remain eligable for federal grants. The major factor in education is money. The text companies, testing agencies, state and federal grants, etc ... take presidence over the student and the educational process. Not once did I mention a educator in the development of either books or tests.

    The new player in the game is the federal government. It is now dictating Common Core Standards to be implemented. It is the choice of the state but if you do not you lose funding ... no pressure there (LOL). Just for grins, go to your states Revised Statutes and look at the section governing education. You will discover that the state runs your education and much of that comes from federal mandates. The old school board and superintendent are in charge no longer applies.

    The only "cutting edge" in schools belongs to the Universities that are doing research and the "cutting edge" items belong to the companies funding the research.

    Look at the PISA scores. Singapore broke the code. There is no way the US could follow that lead. By the way we scored in the lower third OF the lower third. We have serious problems. Bring the power back to the states. Kick the feds out of our business and start the healing process. Thats very compressed.

    All the best. Bo
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      James Zhang 30+

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      Aug 13 2012: I think they can save a lot of money, if schools just required all students to have tablets or something. You can get a tablet nowadays for like $200, and each e-book on the tablet is like < $15.

      I still don't get the reasoning behind our current textbooks, because it's not only ineffective at teaching, it doesn't even make sense economically.
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    Edwin Nazarian 10+

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    Aug 11 2012: Go to my Talk, : What is NLP?

    and watch dr Woodsmall talk in TEDxSinCity
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    Feyisayo Anjorin 50+

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    Aug 11 2012: A school can not be a free-for-all; there has to be learning goals, an organisation structure that works, and a criteria for assessment.

    We have to be decisive of all the three aforementioned needs; else we'll spend forever talking about what schools should be and may never decide.

    What is wrong with the current school system? It is not perfect? What is perfect in this world?

    You just gotta make the best of what you have, instead of looking for El-dorado or waiting for Utopia.
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      James Zhang 30+

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      Aug 13 2012: That said, we also can't just keep the same system forever, especially now that there's online education and digital/internet resources.
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