Aug 6 2012: I'm 14 and I love this site! There are so many great people with so many great ideas. When I'm bored, I come here and watch talks about real, meaningful topics. I wouldn't know about FB as I've never been on it, but it seems like a total time-waster. I'm a homeschooler, so I don't really have to deal with all that teenage drama. Most of my friends are really down to earth, intelligent people. It's still nice to know that there are so many like-minded teens out there.
Aug 6 2012: I think that's a great idea! Kids learn so much about video game worlds, what if we incorporated real life learning in a fun way. I think this would be a great way to supplement other learning methods, not replace them entirely. That way they would still acquire basic learning and interpersonal skills.
Aug 6 2012: It's not necessary, but the rover will do a lot more than collect rocks. Look at this: http://www.sophia.org/mars-science-laboratory-pathway
We may know it's possible for life to exist in our solar system, but we haven't yet found it. If we could find and study life on Mars, it would be a huge step, both scientifically, and symbolically. (I'm not actually sure if this is what they're trying to do, but it's a step in that direction anyway.) No space exploration, or science in general for that matter is necessary. We do it simply because we want to learn more about the world in which we live. Will Curiosity accomplish that goal if all goes as planned? Absolutely.
Aug 6 2012: It's too bad they shut it down, and I wish they would tell us why. This seemed to be a great project, but maybe they did have a good reason. I think teachers in other districts should fight back by starting programs like this at their schools. If he did it then they can too. Just think of how many lives he changed, and how many more could be changed if programs like this were started across the country and the world.
Aug 6 2012: Well, I sort of do. I homeschool and do much of my learning on sites like Coursera, Khan Academy, and Udacity. (I didn't know Coursera has a minimum age, I'm only 14) I don't recieve credit from the state, but this counts toward my homeschooling degree. It would be awesome if there was a program where we could recieve credit for these things. You could have sort of an advisor who reviewed your work, and provided suggestions, and students could gather at a school where they could be free to learn what they want when they want (with certain standards) . Sort of like a sudbury school.http://www.sudval.org/ The state could asess you to see if you really learned it. I think a more customized, personal mastery based system would really benefit education.
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A comment on Conversation: Are there any teens on this site?
A comment on Conversation: Could gaming platforms be used in the school system to improve the education experience and effectiveness in schools?
A comment on Conversation: Is the Mars Curiosity Rover really necessary?
We may know it's possible for life to exist in our solar system, but we haven't yet found it. If we could find and study life on Mars, it would be a huge step, both scientifically, and symbolically. (I'm not actually sure if this is what they're trying to do, but it's a step in that direction anyway.) No space exploration, or science in general for that matter is necessary. We do it simply because we want to learn more about the world in which we live. Will Curiosity accomplish that goal if all goes as planned? Absolutely.
A comment on Conversation: Why did it have to end? "Classroom farm at Bronx public high school, Green Bronx Machine, shut down despite fresh successes" -NY DailyNews
A comment on Conversation: Possibilities for K-12?