As all of our monies are handed to a few wealthy men, and sent to the sands, what money will we have to pay teachers? As jobs are outsourced to give yet more money to those few wealthy men, what parent will have a good enough job to pay for private schools? Perhaps as we do not even have money to pay for clothes, school at the computer will be a blessing for the naked ones.
Of course it is the wave of the future. I have gotten some great classes in niche subjects online. Traditional school shave become much too expensive for what they turn out. But as we see more self serve check outs and other job grabbing ideas, who will pay for our gov-ment and other expenses. What good will the education do if we have no decent jobs to be educated for? We would have to move to other countries to be productive.
I guess we’ll just have to sit around and watch the republicans live off social security and medicare monies while dissing the dems who created the programs, while not being able to tell us why they rely on such dem programs while they still claim those who can’t make it without gov-ment handouts ask for gov-ment handouts. Their hypocrisy will shift from their sexual lifestyles to economic hypocrisy. That’s the wave of the future baby should the chads kick in again. Social skills of children rely on a lot more than schools, but regular ineteraction outside church cults sure help kids deal with the real world, no matter if their parents didn’t learn those skills. Oh…I want to know how you all are going to explain to your kids the draft that will kick in if mumbling boy wins. There will be a draft if the republicans kick in. Perhaps you would want an online screen to tell your kids that you voted for them to be a bloody blob in the sands.

Yes. We will be ready for the Matrix when the Computers take over.

Pia, obviously you live in your own world. It is the dems that keep coming up with talk about the draft. Perhaps you need to stop reading your left-wing sky is falling websites and get out and get a real job. Why is it that you libs think that government is the answer? The old USSR found it it wasnt. Ask a Cuban that has escaped Cuba how wonderful the government solutions were?

Obviously you are a great product from a government run school. Need I say more?

Superdave, I have to respect what you say. I would have to be insane to suggest that you child is lacking in social skills. That’s the greatest lesson we learn as individuals. We all open each other eyes to new ideas that alter our own abilities to re-think. That is exactly why children need to get out in the real world. It is no different to them than it is to us on this blog. We have to deal with different people with different opinions. We have to learn to get along. I can only ask that you stop bashing teachers and the educational system. It has flaws as you and I do. It is up to you to teach your children the correct behavior to exhibit in public. Sex and violence is a unfortunate part of our society. It is not going away anytime soon. Experience is priceless when it comes to dealing with other people. There is no way that your child will learn to understand a mentally challenged child’s behavior just because you explained it to them. They need the experience of meeting that child themselves. There are many examples of social skill that children need to learn about early in life. Do the best you can with you children. When it comes to raising kids, everyone is an amateur. Good luck. By the way, how much have you ever learned from a good friend. How did you get those friends??

Ryan, Robert Frost in the “Death of a hired man” also said , words to the effect , Two paths diverged by a yellow wood, and and I took the one less travelled by”. That is what we are talking about in here.

This is a new path. It can be good or bad. It will be good or as bad as those who implement it.

Now for my definition of education: Education is a process of learning more and more about less and less until you know everything about nothing.

If any0me lets their kid sit a computer all day they are only a bit above those tho let their kids watch TV hours. Both are committing child abuse!!!!!!!!!!!!

The point some made about a kid not socializing because he/she was is front of a computer is specious. If you think you know how to stop hormones from being the most viable factor in relationships, you have discoveresd a new path in a yellow wood.

Actually, John, that Frost poem was “The Road Not Taken,” says this product of the public schools, albeit many years ago.

I belive the best education is life experience, my children ages 16,15&10 are a product of the public school system and where the schools fall short I pick-up the tab. Exspecting any school to be responsible for my child future is nonsence. Let them make mistakes,….probably one of lifes toughest lessons learned and they can’t do that if mom & dad are always holding their hand taking credit for their education.

Dale, you are right. I was relying on my memory. It is obvously not very good. Same poem just a different name. LOL.

I considerd his musing but didn’t think it was as worthy as my my definition of education? It is a process if learning more and
more until one knows every thing about nothing.

Dale, do you dispute that? LOL

With online classes, the bulk of the curriculum information comes via that content. That content is not a choice or decision of the teacher. The teacher must learn to be a facilitator, as opposed to just teacher. That said, I believe the basic foundation of a great online instructor/facilitator would be those core education courses that traditional brick & mortar teachers take.
The facilitator/teacher still needs to know about child/adoloscent development, learning strategies (especially learning strategies!), learning styles, cognitive development, indivualized differentiation, assement objectives, etc. This is the FOUNDATION for a good online facilitator. To disregard such, makes this online high school a losing proposition.

Superdave: You’re right. I haven’t attended school too recently. I finished by last “formal” class 5 years ago. And I agree with your assertion that the “family” serves as a very important social network. But let’s be reminded that such a social network is entirely based on “adult” standards, expectations and measurements, AND INTERACTION! Kids need to have the opportunity JUST to be “kids”–outside the realm of strict parental controls. And while traditional schools sometimes (not always) offer negative socialization exposure, I have found that, in a fair number of cases, certain kids who are home-schooled lack the confidence of self that comes from day-to-day interaction with their own kind, their own age group. And while home-schooled kids may have acquired a unique ability to score well on standardized tests, SOMETIMES (and frequently) I find that they lack a blending ability–skills learned through experience (both successes and failures) to problem-solve and compromise.

The home-schooled approach is NOT for every kid, expecially for those with learning disabilities, including lack of motivation and drive. And quite frankly, based on my experience, I view the traditional classroom, with all its obvious negatives, more beneficial than an environment of exclusivity and isolation. Let’s not create a generation of socially compromised children who are able to read, but unable to distinguish what is worth reading, as GM Trevelyan once observed.