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I assume that you favor a highly structured curriculum that emphasizes
the memorization of facts, which I consider to be a very low level
of learning? We need to teach concepts to our kids and help them
learn how to think — not just fill their heads with a bunch
of details.
I
agree that we should teach concepts to students, but that does not
occur in a vacuum. For example, we would like them to understand
the concept of the solar system and how the planets are positioned
in rotation around the sun. How is that done? One way is for them
to learn the distances between the heavenly bodies, i.e., the sun
is 93 million miles from Earth, but the moon is only 240,000. The
concept of relative positions is then understood from the factual
information.
What
I'm saying is that an understanding of the right factual information
can, and should, lead to conceptual learning.
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What
immediate changes would you make in junior and senior high schools
to improve the learning environment there?
We
must make schools safer for students and teachers. Guns, drugs and
adolescence make a deadly cocktail. It is unbelievable what we have
permitted to happen on our campuses. No wonder some kids canıt think
about their studies. Their lives are in danger! Yes, we can reduce
the violence if weıre committed to the task. Armed guards? Maybe.
Metal detectors? If necessary. More expulsions? Probably. No-nonsense
administrators? Definitely.
When
schools are blessed by strong leadership, like the legendary Joe
Clark at Eastside High School in Paterson, N.J., they make dramatic
progress academically. Above all, we must do what is required to
pacify the combat zones in schools.
We
will not solve our pervasive problems, however, with the present
generation of secondary school students. Our best hope for the future
is to start over with the youngsters just coming into elementary
school. We can rewrite the rules with these wide-eyed kids. Letıs
redesign the primary grades to include a greater measure of discipline.
Iım not talking merely about more difficult assignments and additional
homework. Iım recommending more structure and control in the classroom.
o
Dr.
James Dobson is founder and chairman of the board of the nonprofit
organization Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs; or www.family.org.
Questions and answers are excerpted from The Complete Marriage and
Family Home Reference Guide and Bringing Up Boys, both published
by Tyndale House.
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