Customer Reviews

Education Goals and American Values

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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If what the author says is true, the future is bleak indeed! Unfortunately, he presents his case logically, and the results of the NCLB program in Texas are disturbing. The outcomes I have witnessed and read about elsewhere also confirm his views. It reminds me of the global-warming issue. The evidence of a problem is overwhelming, but the inertia of our habits holds us to the same old course, with occasional tiny (too tiny, in my opinion) readjustments in our course. The author's suggestions seem a bit extreme at first glance, but on skimming over them a second time, I had to ask myself: Are they really? They actually seem quite logical, though getting them enacted would require a sea change in attitudes. Very thought provoking.

As a science teacher, I've been bothered by student's lack of interest in science, and even in education. I mean, they do work hard to get good grades, but only for the grade, and not for an interest in the science itself. Some kind of reform is needed, but what kind? I shake my head at the few wild ideas I've heard, but I was enticed by the idea that cultural values might be involved. I got much more from this book! Although it discusses the cultural aspect, I was much more impressed by what turned out to be an exciting discussion of why our kids are so disinterested in the course content. I must admit, that includes my class too. This book explains why many students feel an irrelevance exists between their class subjects and their lives. I find myself energized to present my subject in a different context, and I now have an idea how to structure that context.
Hats off to Alcuin York!

I have read a number of books on education - what is wrong or right with it, what needs to be done to improve it, and what the future holds for our school systems. Some of these books have asserted nothing more than ideological doctrines (i.e., propaganda). Others have been so wrapped up in theory that the authors apparently forgot to come back down to earth and advocate specific proposals. What I liked so very much about this book was its commonsensical approach to pedagogical issues. Further, it was quite unlike the current propaganda wars. In the end, I cannot decide whether the author's leanings are conservative or liberal, despite so many specific proposals and criticisms in his book. I do have one criticism: His proposals lack the detail they would require for actual implementation. These would probably involve more writing than could be contained in a single volume.