For many years it has been my opinion, after my school experience and that of my children, that from the very earliest age, children should be allowed to learn what they are interested in, at their own pace and have everything imaginable available to them...
The evolution of virtual education is very inspiring to me; it is the beginning of a solution to a totally dysfunctional system.
This would bring to an end, the brain washing of, and forcing of other people's opinions onto our school children.
Kids who are bullied, dyslexic, shy, discriminated against, extremely creative, disabled, etc. could take classes online from home and be liberated from the torture of attending class.
School buildings in existence could continue be used for children who want/need structure for learning. The existing buildings could also be used as community centers, to provide social outlet to all children who do not attend school, for learning social skills; that, too, to the extent which each child personally desires... whatever type social activities kids are interested in could be provided, i.e. roller skating, bowling, football, basketball, card playing, chess, etc... whatever they are interested in.
And now I will rant.....
When kids start to school their personality starts to change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.. I chalked it up to "growing up"...
Not all kids are cut out for academics required in schools today... however all normal children have creative interests that are, more often than not, squelched during their school years.
...I hated school... from beginning to end... always got good grades, socially accepted, etc., but hated every minute of it... it felt like a prison to me.
My daughter loved school, got good grades, never brought a book home, was a social butterfly, cheerleader, star volleyball player, etc.etc... when she graduated, she attended two different colleges but never envisaged a career she wanted to pursue... even though she has excelled in every job she has ever had... a profession that would be her choice still eludes her.
When my son was little he was so creative and intent on learning that he taught himself to read watching Sesame Street, and was drawing with totally perfect perspective when he first picked up a crayon...
THEN he started school... did well; the schools at that time were in the bilingual mode and he was speaking Spanish like a little Hispanic kid... the school disbanded the Spanish lessons after about a year...
He continued to get excellent grades and was always very social and popular...
I went to visit my son's class as Room Mother (early 70's, second or third grade) and the teacher told me that they had him putting model airplanes together, because he was so far ahead of the other kids... and I was so dumb and blind in those days (whole other segment) that I just smiled and agreed like all good "Stepford Wives" and went along like everything was coming up daisies...
Well, in middle school he did a shut down, his grades plummeted... started getting in trouble, not going to school, etc., etc...
In spite of it all, he graduated from college, turned out fine (another segment) and went on to be very successful... however his story of success is one out of a million others that end negatively...
I find the following articles very interesting:
http://www.babygooroo.com/index.php/2009/05/03/oh-yeah-school-about-that%E2%80%A6/
http://www.khanacademy.org/
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