tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post9187656556253258990..comments2024-03-13T21:26:03.011-07:00Comments on Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher: 21st Century SkillsDarrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15730642770935985796noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-37522945552680148722011-03-06T20:42:13.130-08:002011-03-06T20:42:13.130-08:00Thanks for the link, DarrenThanks for the link, DarrenDavid Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10348701.post-12950306744453555022011-03-06T12:31:08.568-08:002011-03-06T12:31:08.568-08:00In a similar vein, part of the dissolution of our ...In a similar vein, part of the dissolution of our society has to do with ethnocentricity. It used to be that we shared a common culture. So people of all backgrounds understood the significance of the Gettysburg Address or the Constitution. Now we have a culture that is so narcissistic in nature that we are losing the ability to communicate at all. Part of this is driven by small groups that seek adversity and confrontation and make excuses to blame others for innocent statements. Other parts of this have to do with enclave that actively seek to avoid English language acquistion and are supported in this by stores, newspapers, magazines, television, radio and yes, educational surroundings that do not insist they learn English. As such they continue to create their own culture which only tangentally overlaps the culture at large. As such, we get huge gaps in understanding on both sides. But right now, the people at the top who are all about data, don't get this. Despite their aversion to rote learning they are still implementing it through technological outlets. Instead of basic knowledge supporting deeper knowledge, we have marginal repetition being substituted for real learning. This is why technology is no substitute for a real teacher and why we need to pay attention to what our socalled leadership is doing to our schools.Ellen Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02845981491726296767noreply@blogger.com