[K12OSN] Linux cut off
Robert Arkiletian
robark at telus.net
Sat Nov 20 04:06:48 UTC 2004
Terrell this is a SOLID and CONCISE argument you have put forward. I was
so impressed I walked into my VP's office and asked him to read it. He
read it online and I explained the community support concept of the list
to him. Well done Terrell!!
Robert Arkiletian
Terrell Prudé, Jr. wrote:
> Hello KJ,
>
> You're right to duck like that. The reason is that we are educators
> of *concepts* in K12 schools. Having come from corporate myself, I
> don't see any justification for turning fourth-graders into "Good
> Little Employees" ready to be trained monkeys on specific
> applications. Children don't learn how to write on just Avery-brand
> paper. They learn how to write. Period. Same with math--we don't
> teach them how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide only on HP
> calculators. Rather, we teach them how to add, subtract, multiply,
> and divide, period. Same with cars. The auto shop in every high
> school I've ever seen that has one teaches the kids how to work on
> cars, not just Fords, not just Chevys, not just Toyotas, etc. They
> teach *automobiles*.
>
> What we should be focusing on is the *concept* of word processing.
> Same with using a spreadsheet--any spreadsheet, or any presentation
> software. I don't want kids only being able to use Microsoft
> products; they're no good to me in my shop, and I won't--and
> can't--hire them. Several educators have found that, when children
> are exposed to multiple implementations of the same concept, they get
> that concept a whole lot better. I have found that to be true of
> myself even to this day.
>
> Schools do not have the same goals as corporations. Corporations care
> strictly and only about the bottom line for shareholders. The mission
> of schools, by contrast, is to get a young mind to develop and open up
> to new ideas. K12 schools are not Voc-Tech institutes like ITT.
> They're centers of general mental development, teaching children of
> all ages how to learn. Am I opposed to children learning about
> Microsoft Windows and Office? Not really. Am I opposed to children
> learning about *ONLY* Microsoft Windows and Office? Yes!
>
> If you think I'm wrong here, then, one corporate person to another,
> I'd like to know your thoughts.
>
> --TP
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