Me and My Ego

[jubeh]

If he wasn't a great writer he couldn't make all those great threads

[Delphinus]

And without at least seeking or considering possible alternatives, sure you can criticize, but it isn't worth much.

Because Brave New World, 1984, and Lolita, all of which raise objections without solutions (Brave New World to utopianism in general, 1984 to Stalinism in particular, Lolita to the treatment of paedophiles as evil rather than ill) aren't "worth much", right?

EDIT: Not that I don't have ideas, but I think criticising the modern education system is more productive than preaching a particular replacement for it; it breeds discussion rather than being about "is Delphinus's better or worse than the current one?"

[Fenn]

Because Brave New World, 1984, and Lolita, all of which raise objections without solutions (Brave New World to utopianism in general, 1984 to Stalinism in particular, Lolita to the treatment of paedophiles as evil rather than ill) aren't "worth much", right?

EDIT: Not that I don't have ideas, but I think criticising the modern education system is more productive than preaching a particular replacement for it; it breeds discussion rather than being about "is Delphinus's better or worse than the current one?"

Yeah, I think my reply actually should have been: What's so bad about the modern education system? Of everything, I think the grading system's pretty good. When it comes to objective stuff (factual history, math, science) then if you know it, you should be able to do it on the test. For the subjective stuff like English, that's harder, but grammar and vocab are there.

It's the teaching philosophy that's bogus. What is being taught and how it's being taught are just completely out of wack. Too much stuff being studied that most students will never use in higher ed or their daily life.

[Delphinus]

Because what the education system should be instilling is not just scraps of information prepared in a certain way. Those are easy enough to acquire for oneself from books etc. What it should be teaching is how to learn, which is another thing altogether and something most schools leave the kids to try and figure out for themselves. Critical thinking is far more helpful to people than knowing that xyz happened in 1023AD - methods to handle that information rather than just information. Taken to its worst extreme, education that relies on the individual accepting everything at face value leads to a huge quantity of people who are easily manipulated by the media.

This is the same reason why I think it's a real pity that applications to philosophy courses are declining by the year.

[Hayashida]

Maggie are you in here? Everyone's getting worried...

[Fenn]

Because what the education system should be instilling is not just scraps of information prepared in a certain way. Those are easy enough to acquire for oneself from books etc. What it should be teaching is how to learn, which is another thing altogether and something most schools leave the kids to try and figure out for themselves. Critical thinking is far more helpful to people than knowing that xyz happened in 1023AD - methods to handle that information rather than just information. Taken to its worst extreme, education that relies on the individual accepting everything at face value leads to a huge quantity of people who are easily manipulated by the media.

This is the same reason why I think it's a real pity that applications to philosophy courses are declining by the year.

Can I give you a hug?

Also jubeh's above post is true.

[Sylux]

Without the learning of learning on one's own, large egos like yours or mine shall be produced nevermore, as the individual has not been left to their own devices of true ingenuity - it again becomes static learning. That is, unless, the system works the same as our own and most children are left uninterested in schooling.