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JS's avatar

Last spring, I was looking at homes for sale on the prairie, and one of the sellers conversing with my agent was discussing her niece who was a high school student who decided she wanted to submit all of her work on paper rather than electronically, which I understand is the norm these days. It was apparently a great stress to the "teachers" because they had to actually read, score and grade schoolwork rather than just having the computer do it.

I don't know that there is any historical precedent for the mainstream media being educators, at least since prior to WW1. And when I was in primary and secondary school, in the seventies and eighties, I would estimate one in ten of the teachers were educators, and those ones were almost all old women.

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Stegiel's avatar

My deceased wife was an educator in private and public school. Out of date textbooks, no library but IPads, curriculum varied by class and District. My suburban public education was superior if only due to library and love of reading.

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Paul Black's avatar

Great dumbing down over many decades. When I did maths in the 80s I was often baffled by old papers from the 60s. When I saw my kids practise papers I was shocked at how rudimentary they were. The subversion has been glacial.

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jacquelyn sauriol's avatar

Agreed Paul. A gradual dwindling of the ability to question at all, and more, to question properly.

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jacquelyn sauriol's avatar

I try to focus on where I could potentially contribute. Play trombone, flugelhorn, euphonium. Guitar, harmonica. Even with my middling talent, folks seem to take great pleasure in it. Making a new noise with ones mouth and arms. Things I have taught before, could teach again. Should teach again.

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