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

[spike]

From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Mike Dougherty
>. 
 

 

There are three cookies and five children.  What now?

 

There are no choices, the student has to suggest an approach.

 

>.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.  

I realize this is probably not the discourse you might have imagined on
Common Core.

 

On the contrary, this is exactly the kind of discourse I was hoping to have.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.  

 

Why was it that this idea was thought of by a student, rather than my very
bright former college roommate with an engineering degree? 

 

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.

 

I hope Common Core is a step in the right direction.

 

I find it most encouraging to hang out on Extropians, since this tends to be
a most creative-thinking group.

 

Mike

 

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