[ExI] common core educations standards, was: RE: far future

[Kelly Anderson]

On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 2:39 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

> *From:* extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org [mailto:
> extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] *On Behalf Of *Kelly Anderson
>
>
> *>…*I am sad that I didn't do auto mechanics and welding in high school.
> That would have served me much better than a lot of stuff I did take…
> -Kelly
>
>
>
>
>
> I get ya Kelly, but in general I disagree with the notion.  There is so
> little classroom time available, I would advise young people to look around
> for worthwhile practical electives: typing, networking, IT, Microsloth
> apps, perhaps home repair or craft shop, but not auto, not home economics,
> not welding.  Reasoning: there are better ways to learn that stuff,
> especially now.
>

Well, we're talking about 1980 in my case. I was very lucky indeed to be
able to use my study hall period to sneak into the audio visual CLOSET to
use one of two Apple II computers to TEACH MYSELF how to use a computer.

The things I did take were things like sewing, home economics, organic
chemistry, history, english, lots of math and the like. Now, had I taken
welding instead of home economics, I would be better off today. Yes, I can
still learn welding, and it is on my VERY short list of things I want to
learn to do, there have been hundreds of things I wanted to weld over the
years, and very very little that I wanted to sew.


> When we were younger, the way to learn that was to get a junky old car for
> practically nothing, then fix it.  Plenty of old guys around will help you
> or explain to you what you need to do.  I see that as one of the most
> effective male bonding rituals left.  It isn’t dangerous, isn’t
> particularly costly, and it has a ready reward: fix the junkpile, you
> ride.  Otherwise, we call you pedestrian, and do it with an understated
> derision, the kind that motivates young men to pick up the wrenches and get
> to work.
>

Yeah, I was never impressed with that argument when younger. But I wish I
had been. I guess my parents giving me a car was less than helpful.


> Welding: never waste classroom time with that, unless you intend to become
> a professional welder.  Otherwise, get a welder and some rods (they aren’t
> expensive), watch the YouTubes, read the basics book you can get online or
> at the public library, all of which can be done in about an hour or two.
> Then just practice your way to success.  Make a weld, break it, look at the
> break, figure out what they mean by penetration and why your first welds
> don’t have it, try again, etc.
>

That's what I intend to do as soon as I have access to welding equipment.
Hopefully this will happen at the local maker space soon.


> I would tell the young people:  Learn it by doing it, in both auto and
> welding.  Put away the dope and the beer, you don’t have time for those
> things now.  You have the opportunity to pick up skills that will help you
> the rest of your life.  Grab as many of them as you can.
>

While I think dope should be legal (along with a LOT of other better
stuff), I don't advocate actually using the stuff. It's stupid. The only
thing dumber than drugs is outlawing them and fighting against people's
right to use them.

I agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly!

-Kelly
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20140122/1a36ce96/attachment.html>