Xref: utzoo comp.edu:3861 sci.edu:1110 misc.education:1253 Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!psuvax1!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!usc!cs.utexas.edu!turpin From: turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) Newsgroups: comp.edu,sci.edu,misc.education Subject: Re: Against educational fads Summary: Same song, second verse. Message-ID: <15447@cs.utexas.edu> Date: 5 Dec 90 06:04:57 GMT References: <15404@cs.utexas.edu> <15425@cs.utexas.edu> <1990Dec5.005509.11049@massey.ac.nz> Followup-To: comp.edu Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas Lines: 43 ----- In article <1990Dec5.005509.11049@massey.ac.nz> A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) writes: > I found being taught to type in High School was one the most valuable > skills I was taught, and (because it is faster than writing) saved me > time later. Undoubtedly true. I found that learning how to drive a car in high school was of great convenience, since this is a skill that has saved me much time ever since. > I dont think writing should be taught FIRST and typing/Word Processing > after, but they should be taught together (like Physical Ed and History). When I said of writing, "teach this first", I was urging a priority of importance, not chronology. I have nothing against high schools teaching students how to drive before, during, or after they teach the students world history, for example. But world history comes first. If a high school must choose between teaching world history well and not teaching students how to drive, or teaching world history poorly and also teaching them how to drive, then the former is the better course. > One reason I have for saying this is that Writing will not be taught. > The reason for this is that it involves Thinking, and teaching these > things are time-consuming, difficult, and involve skills that many > (most?) teachers do not have. If twenty years from now, high schools no longer teach plane geometry, because "it involves thinking, and teaching these things is time-consuming, difficult, and involves skills that many teachers do not have", should we then accept that geometry will never again be taught in high schools, and that the best we can do is add further convenient but inessential coursework to the high school curriculum? To the extent that your analysis is true, it points out a major problem. The solution involves teaching the necessary skills to teachers, firing those who cannot or will not learn these, hiring those who will, and making the teaching of writing a top priority in high schools. Typing, word processing, how to drive a car, how to cook, etc, are all nice things that schools can teach. But they come second. Russell Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com