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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mike Dougherty<br><b><span style='color:#1F497D'>>…</span></b></span> <br> <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-right:0in'><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There are three cookies and five children. What now?</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>There are no choices, the student has to suggest an approach</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>…</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#1F497D'>>…</span>I think this example provides another illustration: Rank the five children according to some criteria ("standard") then give all three cookies to rank #1. S/he can eat all three or share as s/he wishes (with whatever sense of entitlement comes from being #1). Perhaps #1 shares with #2 and #3, creating some reciprocity of trust for a minor reordering in the next ranking. There might even be some unexpected 'sharing' that comes from the realization that if #4 & #5 consistently lose the contest they may simply beat up #1 and take those cookies. Yes, that's a metaphor for the have-nots using criminal action to take from those who have. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I realize this is probably not the discourse you might have imagined on Common Core.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>On the contrary, this is exactly the kind of discourse I was hoping to have.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Regarding the cookie example, the unspoken assumption is that the cookies are to be shared equally among the five children. Then they think of clever ways to divide three cookies five ways, but that isn’t the only solution. They can play rock paper scissors for instance, with the winner take all. Or they can play winner take one, then the remaining two cookies are cut in half and distributed among the four remaining children. The biggest kid could whoop the other kids’ asses and take all the cookies. The smallest kid could Cookie-Monsterishly devour the comestibles while the big kid is busy whooping asses, then absent himself forthwith. The kids could divide all three cookies in half, which is an easier division than three fifths, then compete or fight over the remaining half a cookie, or they could hurl the remaining half a cookie to the local fauna. They could attempt to divide and distribute half a cookie five ways, which is in a sense easier than dividing a full cookie five ways and figuring out how to deal with the two-fifths cookies. They could see if there is any practical way of obtaining two additional cookies, or better still, seven additional and really get a good sugar buzz going. They could recruit or invite a sixth cookie devourer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>My point: the real world is filled with examples where we are called upon to derive creative solutions, rather than memorize algorithms. As time goes on, the memorization of algorithms becomes ever less significant as computers are taught how to do more and more of them. We need THINKERS rather than just grinders and we need the hell out of them now more than ever. We have this looming problem: oil will eventually run out, and we still don’t have a really good alternative, or not an easy cheap one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Example in real life. My former college roommate is a volunteer at the local school. He and several students were trying to retrofit wiring through the floor boards over to a central server, but they couldn’t see what they were doing without wrecking too much of the flooring, so they were struggling. One of the kids suggested they get a pointer stick, tape the wire bundle to the end of the stick, tape two cell phones to the end of the wire bundle, set one of the phones to flashlight mode, call Skype with the other, watch what the Skype cell phone was seeing, with the way lit by the other cell phone. It worked first try. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Why was it that this idea was thought of by a student, rather than my very bright former college roommate with an engineering degree? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Answer: because younger people have an easier time thinking outside the box than grownups. OK then, let’s design our education system so that it takes full advantage of that which children do best.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I hope Common Core is a step in the right direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I find it most encouraging to hang out on Extropians, since this tends to be a most creative-thinking group.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Mike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>