[Vision2020] Superintendent says 'doomsday' not coming

[Dickow]

Vote NO on Props 1, 2, and 3.

I am also very favorable to computers in educational settings. I actually like the idea, in principle, of having the schools (the state) buy every student a laptop. It would be expensive though! I would predict that out of a class of 30 students, at least two computers will be down for repairs at any given moment. It could turn into a maintenance nightmare. (Have you ever taken a close look at how youngsters can trash a school musical instruments in just a single year? Not a pretty sight sometimes.) As for the computers, no doubt the vendors have given assurances... they'll replace the broken computer while they fix it, or something like that. But that won't stop some down time. But more suspicious might be the courseware used in learning. Online courses can be good, or they can be really crappy. I have spoken to students who like to take online courses, telling me that they are fast, really simple--less involved than classrooms and books, and just about give you all the ans!
 wers.
Some students refer to the online courses as bunnies or 'dumb' or things like that. I'm sure some are fine, but can we all be so confident that they are? I don't know about Kahn Academy. I don't think much of University of Phoenix, a top 'for-profit', who approached me once to work for them. They don't even let course instructors have a say in the content! Blah!

But the Props 1, and 2 and 3 are basically bad news, whatever good might be in them. I'm voting NO on them all in a few weeks.

Bob Dickow, troublemaker


-----Original message-----
From: Scott Dredge scooterd408 at hotmail.com
> 
> Yes you need teachers.  But a computer, an internet connection, and online instruction from not-for-profit Khan Academy can go a long way in empowering both students and teachers.  It's already happening in some public schools for some of the math curriculum.
>