Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Classes Held in a Museum?



Around the world there is one common thread.. Education. Who would have thought you can receive an education in the arts at a museum? You become the creator instead of admiring others work. Check your local museum to see if they offer these amazing courses.


Thank you Bill Martin for providing this interesting article.



https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/programs/classes-workshops/

Sunday, February 18, 2018

DON’T SEND YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL!

In the last 52 years at least 1,077 American lives were lost in school murders in the U.S.A. (beginning August 1, 1966 at the University of Texas).  By now, today’s American schools are battlegrounds in an ongoing  theater of war.

There are many factors that contribute to this, and many solutions proposed, primarily by breast-beating politicians, but also by educators, concerned parents, and many others.  Books are filled with only a fraction of those approaches.  Yet, I’d like to add one more suggestion to find a solution, which, in my humble opinion, is far more radical AND practical than any I’ve heard from the above so far. 

Fact:

The brick-and-mortar schools in modern America are the killing fields.  At the same time, the  schools are being made into reversed jails, with the students and teachers locked inside, and the attackers outside, free to  attack again.

Never mind, that sitting still on a school chair for hours at a time is not a very learning-conducive environment anyway, nor very healthy.  

In spite of all that being an unfriendly environment, not to mention reluctant toleration by adults, teachers, etc., nowadays kids start learning through the use of their iPhones and tablets far earlier than by “going to school.” They do so by playing video games, searching for information, communicating with peers, parents, and far more. 

INSTEAD:

All conventional “school learning” in brick-and-mortar fortified jail-like enclosures can be switched to ONLINE learning in any location.  Yes, by ONLINE it means, on an iPhone, tablet,  or laptop. The student can be located in their  homes, alone or with parents, or with friends in whatever convenient settings, at ANY time, anywhere.

If so, there’d be no more targets for mass-murderers to take place.  Students would be safer and far more motivated to study and learn whatever there is to learn. The student would also be able to focus on their studies and not on being killed.

This means that the entire educational system would have to be redesigned and restructured.  
  • Every student will  be supplied with the device that will provide the educational materials.
  • There's got to be WiFi provided for the areas in which students will be conducting their school work.
  • Teachers need to begin teaching electronically, in as many possible ways as they can (too numerous to list here) but many of which are already doing so from well known universities and other institutions.

If this change was made, the most remarkable result would be a VERY dramatic cost reduction in the education system. At this point costs of education have been going up and up and away for years, and will continue to do so if the present brick+mortar jail/school practice is to continue.

Again, there’d be a lot more to say about this suggested change in how, when, and where, even what, of education.  PLEASE, everyone concerned is invited to roll out their ideas.  The basic point here is  to make sure the students are  physically safe, and at the same time far more learning-enabled. This can only be accomplished by  giving up the brick+mortar schools.  Instead, ONLINE is the future.




Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Who Benefits from Online Education?



The question needs to be asked, who benefits from the online education system? The answer is simple the  underprivileged children and children with learning disabilities. Children should have the right to be able to become educated and expand their knowledge. However, some children do not have the means to go to school. These children may have to work for the family or may have a learning disability which makes it difficult even impossible for a child to learn. With the online education programs, the child now has the ability to learn on its own terms. The child who works a full time job to assist his/her family can now learn at night. For the child with the learning disability a slower pace is now offered.

All a child needs to take advantage of, this free education is a way to access the internet. Most countries have online cafes or libraries that can be used. The child then has the advantage of opening up a whole new world with a click of the button. Imagine being a child living in India and having to work to support the family. This child thinks about all of the "child like" experiences it is missing. Once that online education is available at its finger tips it becomes a whole new child. Now this child can explore all of its interests and begin learning new subjects. Not only is this beneficial to the child but it shows the child it is not alone. With these courses being offered free of charge the child will have access to communicate with others in his/her same position. This child now has a general knowledge of new subjects that not only brighten him/ her but the family as well. The child can take its newly found knowledge and educate the rest of the family. It becomes a ripple effect in the community.

The child with learning disabilities now has an education on his/her terms. A child with a learning disability has a difficult time keeping up with a regular or standard classroom. The pace of the classroom may go too quickly for the child. Thus the child becomes frustrated and upset and falls behind. This is not the child's fault nor the teacher's fault. The online education now eliminates this issue. The child can now access the subject matter online and work at his/her pace. This does not only help the child receive a better understanding of the subject matter but also gives the child more confidence. Thus children can also choose subjects that interest them and will keep their attention.
Some institutions use both methods of education. The school will hold regular classes and have the child work with the online classes at home. I have seen this take place more and more. As I have two nephews in the school system. They both received a Chrome book at the beginning of the school year to work on and are no longer using textbooks. After school the children log onto a website to complete their homework and receive more online education assignments.

I believe this system of online education is an exceptional idea for underprivileged students. Every child worldwide should have the tools to become educated. Each child should have the choice to decide which subjects it wants to explore to become a well educated professional. You never know, that child in India could become a doctor just by logging on to the computer.


By: Elizabeth Klein