JAN: A new book by physicist Alan Cromer....Connected Knowledge
says....."Optimism begins by recognizing the enormous
inefficiency of the U.S. educational system. Indeed, the word
system is an unfortunate euphemism that disguises the disarray
and incoherence of instruction from middle school through
college. By comparison to education in other Western countries,
education in America is simply shameful. He goes on to say.....
education in the U.S. is in a state of gridlock. It's fragmented
into hundreds of specialties and interest groups that compete
with one another for limited resources. Like the battles between
tribal peoples, this competition is very ritualized, with strict
constraints on the tone and content of the struggles. Although
these groups talk constantly of the need for radical reform and
change, they are too enmeshed in the system to change anything.
Real change must be imposed from the outside." Cromer argues
that teaching and learning should be organized from the simple to
the complex with science as the connective tissue - he argues
that the constructivists have got it all wrong. While his work
is interesting, it seems to neglect a wealth of knowledge and
experience about learning. So many people seem to know they have
it "right" from a limited perspective. I believe that greater
collaboration between the natural and physical sciences are
imperative.
