[Peace-discuss] Chomsky on Democracy Now 101130

[E. Wayne Johnson]

> ...literacy as the core of all
> education. Teach a person to read and give them access to written
> material and then the person can educate themselves.
Of course I agree with this most strongly.  But we did not expect that
the school system would teach our children to read.  Actually we did not
"teach" them to read but we did read to them and they did and do read to 
each
other.  At 4, Alice could read "better" than the mayor of Urbana --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWsB4-Cn4vo

Now, Ellie is 4 and can read English and Chinese, and Alice likes to
translate for me when we go outside.  (I can read and speak enough to
get by, but she likes to help me)

I was imagining what skills are needed for difficult times in the US.

I thought of gardening and carpentry, canning and preservation of foods,
how to slaughter and butcher carcasses...

...but I also thought about the use and care of firearms, how to tie knots,
radio communications esp. transmission with spark gap oscillators and 
other methods,
how to pick locks, decentralized network organization structures, 
infiltration methods, bartering,
etc.




On 12/11/2010 6:23 AM, Karen Medina wrote:
> Dear Peace-discuss,
>
> [side comment: Interesting that this has become a conversation about
> the problems with education. There is so much in the interview worthy
> of long conversations. ]
>
> I will jump in on the education conversation.
>
> As a librarian, I am predisposed to see literacy as the core of all
> education. Teach a person to read and give them access to written
> material and then the person can educate themselves.
>
> Other core skills: critical and creative thinking, communication.
>
> If we keep these in mind, it is easier to decide what to do about
> things like "no child left behind".
>
> Personally, I believe that these particular skills are not easily
> taught in classrooms of 30 children.
>
> We can pile on other specific skills like technology or waiting
> tables, but personally, I would like my hypothetical children to have
> a variety of skills. Some high level skills for the "good economic
> times" and some low level skills that can help them make it through
> any economic time.
>
> -karen medina
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