User talk:Alan Nicoll

I couldn't help but wonder after your description of your son's unschooling..... Firstly, I think it's awesome that you are doing this for him. I think it can be brave to go in largely uncharted territory, especially when you yourself may have been "schooled".

Anyway, I was wondering, have you read many John Taylor Gatto books? "Dumbing Us Down" and the "Underground History of Education (or something like that, you can check the article on it). He was a "teacher of the year" in NYC and quit because he didn't like "hurting children" as a teacher.

On of his thoughts was that education is outside of the school AND in the community. The gist being that learning this or that was all good and well, but kids should also be encouraged to spend a portion of their day out in the world, getting involved with things that they find interesting. Internships, volunteer work, and the like. He related it to the days when we used to learn a trade by apprenticing to a master.

I wouldn't normally have sent something like this to a stranger, but speaking from the point of view of a former kid who played "too many" video games, I've thought in retrospect that being out in the community would have been a worthy addition to my schedule. A potential addition that I lament the lack of. I thought I should say something, so that if this really strikes him, it can be an alternative for too much games. Sorry for butting in...... ;)

(Antelope In Search Of Truth 22:19, 4 April 2006 (UTC))


 * I'm happy to hear from you. I have read a little of Gatto; he always seemed a bit extreme to me, rather like a feminist who claims that men are in a conspiracy to repress women.  Seems like I browsed a bit in his Underground History and came to that conclusion.  I don't recall details.  I agree that public school "hurts children"; the remaining question is what to do with them that won't hurt them some other way?  Is there such a thing as too much freedom?  I think there can be--there was a book I read, I think it was called Children on the Hill, about a homeschooling family where, apparently, the mother was left to clean up all the messes by herself.


 * My opinion these days is that "better" schools are not really that bad and may be better than a sub-par homeschooling experience, but there is no way to bring all schools up to such a standard, or indeed, even to be sure what's "better" in any general sense. I can see no general solution.  If control is very local, as with a storefront school and similar efforts that avoid the huge bureaucracy (sp?), the result must be that some efforts will be brilliant successes and others dismal failures; but if the control is centralized, you are almost certain to get some version of what we already have.  I think the easiest system to implement would be to allow teachers more control of their own classrooms, but I'm concerned that some would use that power to repress students even more than at present.  But I'm rambling and these thoughts are superficial and hurried.  I have done extensive writing on education--more thoughtfully--at my web site and at The Wisdom Project.  If you're interested, check out my two essays on education at my web site (http://nicollsbooks.com/index2.html) and the several lengthy threads at The Wisdom Project (http://www.thesearchforwisdom.com/community/boards/forumdisplay.php?fid=134).


 * Community involvement would be great, but my son has shown little interest in such things, and I haven't the time to do much in that line myself. My "community" efforts take place mostly on the Internet.


 * I was indeed schooled in public school, and was largely bored by the process and felt that it was a huge waste of time. I was far more engaged with my own pursuits than with my schooling; unfortunately, my pursuits were never encouraged, aided, or even recognized by teachers.  My pursuits included literature, astronomy, photography, ancient history, chemistry, biology... I mean, ye gods, what a little professor I was, and nothing came of it career-wise.  I was very fortunate that my parents were supportive, but so much of my time was wasted on tests, hundreds of repetitive math problems ("drill"), boring "instructional" lectures.  So my homeschooling effort and opinion is fueled by disappointment with my own life.


 * This was fun--it seems you uncorked something when you wrote to me. Thank you.  Alan Nicoll 19:01, 5 April 2006 (UTC)


 * Regarding your posting of original content on the Civilization II page: Wikipedia is not for original content... however, Wikisource is. I don't know how many will find it there, but I'd assume it'd be appreciated if you posted it at wikisource.org Lejman 20:25, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

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