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Pandemic-related school discourse illuminates the fact that public schooling is conceived for the adults' benefit, not the kids'.
Thread, tagging fellow parents of young kids and folks with an interest in the topic.
@MattWelch @karol @DeAngelisCorey @glukianoff @politicalmath
Thread, tagging fellow parents of young kids and folks with an interest in the topic.
@MattWelch @karol @DeAngelisCorey @glukianoff @politicalmath
I object to state-run education on both small government and economic efficiency grounds. However, the most worrisome aspect to me is the false and pernicious understanding of what learning looks like that it imposes.
Book below has great examples https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3429724-weapons-of-mass-instruction
Book below has great examples https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3429724-weapons-of-mass-instruction
The first half of the 20th century was a golden age for advancing the world's understanding of how human beings grow, change and learn across the lifespan. Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, Maslow, even seen-but-not-heard matron Monstessori brought an info-gathering focus
to the human sciences. They said, before we do all that we can with our modern means and abilities, let's see what is actually needed.
They learned a lot, and their observations form the foundation of most people's parenting practices, at least in the WEIRD world.
They learned a lot, and their observations form the foundation of most people's parenting practices, at least in the WEIRD world.
Dr. Spock, the Happiest Baby on the Block, Attachment Parenting, Parenting with Love and Logic, 1-2-3 Magic, they're all approaches that choose a few child development aspects that feel salient, and build a system around those, aimed at making parents feel somewhat in control.
In the 1990s though, things started to change. Why the 90s? Was it the euphoria of having defeated communism? The wealth and technology that lulled us into unquestioning arrogance?
@FreeRangeKids @JonHaidt
But child-rearing started focusing on control.
@FreeRangeKids @JonHaidt
But child-rearing started focusing on control.
Adults started approaching kids with a goal in mind, and working backwards from there. We *can* supervise kids all the time, so let's do it! We *can* put them in extracurriculars 5 days a week, so why not? We *can* plan out their path to college, so what's the harm?
The harm stems from two important facts that adults seem to have forgotten:
Kids' brains are fundamentally different than adult brains;
Kids and adults have different goals.
The best book on this topic is Gopnik's "The Gardener and the Carpenter" https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2016/09/abandon-parenting-and-just-be-a-parent/501236/
Kids' brains are fundamentally different than adult brains;
Kids and adults have different goals.
The best book on this topic is Gopnik's "The Gardener and the Carpenter" https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2016/09/abandon-parenting-and-just-be-a-parent/501236/
Which brings me to schooling during Covid.
Given what we know about child development, learning (as in, the acquisition and integration of new information that can be effectively applied) can certainly happen online for highschoolers.
Given what we know about child development, learning (as in, the acquisition and integration of new information that can be effectively applied) can certainly happen online for highschoolers.
Learning can probably happen online for middle schoolers, though it will be heavily skewed towards the social-emotional (forming affinity groups, learning online behavior norms, learning some intellectual topics depending on interest.)
@MrDanielBuck can weigh in better'n me
@MrDanielBuck can weigh in better'n me
Learning cannot happen online for elementary age kids.
Human brains "think" in 3-D until early adolescence. Little kids cannot abstract, not because they haven't been taught to, but because their brains do not support it.
Little kids need to see, and feel, and smell
Human brains "think" in 3-D until early adolescence. Little kids cannot abstract, not because they haven't been taught to, but because their brains do not support it.
Little kids need to see, and feel, and smell
the Whole Thing they are learning in order to make sense of it. They cannot learn the Whole Thing through a screen, because a screen is already an abstraction.
They can memorize what a screen tells them. But they cannot make it make sense.
They can memorize what a screen tells them. But they cannot make it make sense.
Early in the pandemic I thought it wasn't unreasonable to offer zoom class to little kids as a way of staying connected to their classmates and teachers. I still think maintaining connection this way is fine, though not ideal.
BUT
To claim that 7 year-old is "learning"
BUT
To claim that 7 year-old is "learning"
via teleconference school for months (years!) on end is INSANE.
Online learning as your primary "schooling" in the elementary years is not a thing. It's just not. The time spent in zoom class is time wasted by the kid.
@angrybklynmom
Online learning as your primary "schooling" in the elementary years is not a thing. It's just not. The time spent in zoom class is time wasted by the kid.
@angrybklynmom
One more thing, re the #CDC guidance on reopening. The 6ft distancing requirement is an absolute non-starter, not just due to space and staffing constraints, but primarily for child welfare reasons.
Try to imagine enforcing 6 ft of separation between young children at all times.
Try to imagine enforcing 6 ft of separation between young children at all times.
Kids are drawn to each other the way puppies are drawn to each other at the dog park. Kids need to do the same sniffling, wrestling, barking and yelping that puppies do. We only learn how to become human by practicing at length with peers.
The extent to which kids need to be physical with each other often weirds adults out. But remember kids and adults have different goals.
Restraint and decorum are reasonable goals for adults. Entropy and sensory interaction are reasonable goals for kids.
Restraint and decorum are reasonable goals for adults. Entropy and sensory interaction are reasonable goals for kids.
Bringing kids together only to make them stay 6 ft apart at all times is complete and utter madness.
Not only will teachers do crowd control all day, not only will this create endless opportunities for kids to get in trouble, but it is inhumane -- to the kids.
Not only will teachers do crowd control all day, not only will this create endless opportunities for kids to get in trouble, but it is inhumane -- to the kids.
It's telling kids "see this thing you want most of all: another kid? Well, you can look, but you can't touch!!"
It's willfully ignoring everything we know about child development.
It's also subsuming the provision of education to a dubious epidemiological goal.
@ProfEmilyOster
It's willfully ignoring everything we know about child development.
It's also subsuming the provision of education to a dubious epidemiological goal.
@ProfEmilyOster
Thanks for making it to the end.
TL;DR
Stop pretending that online learning is a viable educational alternative for most elementary-aged kids.
Also don't try to pretend that keeping kids 6 ft apart serves any discernible purpose.
@lesleynka_LA @Timberati @ZacBissonnette
TL;DR
Stop pretending that online learning is a viable educational alternative for most elementary-aged kids.
Also don't try to pretend that keeping kids 6 ft apart serves any discernible purpose.
@lesleynka_LA @Timberati @ZacBissonnette
