I began this past Advent and Christmas time with a Lenten approach. I would stop being snarky (man I'm glad that's over) and I would stop listening to angry talk radio, (I don't think I will go back to that).

Sooo, from 'what could it hurt' department: A new way of educating: "The school stresses student independence over teacher-led lessons, scientific inquiry over rote memorization and freedom and self-expression over strict structure and discipline."

The question is; how any one can do scientific inquiry if one does not learn what scientific inquiry is? This can only be learned through rote memoization of scientific principles, whether its first grade or a Masters program. Would you want to travel across a bridge designed by someone who had his engineering facts down cold or by someone who feels really good about his ability to self-express?

"A teacher who is not dogmatic is simply a teacher who is not teaching." GKC

Open class rooms were tried in the early 70s (I was there) and were an unmitigated failure. The kids did not learn and if the personality's of the teaches were not a perfect mix they pulled the wagon in different directions or fought over who rules the fiefdom. And I never saw a perfect mix because the incentive to get along is not there. Teaching is a job, not a marriage.

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” GKC

“Men invent new ideals because they dare not attempt old ideals. They look forward with enthusiasm, because they are afraid to look back.” GKC