Doing right by our school children

Despite endless head scratching and tons of money American education is firmly in the doldrums, little better than it was thirty years ago.  More than ever is spent per pupil, class sizes have shrunk, testing is more thorough (too thorough?), national standards have been revised, all to no avail. The answer, maybe, can be found …

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The uses and misuses of technology

The September 2014 edition of Wired carried an article headed: “What’s the best messaging technique to use when I’m angry at my spouse? Text, email, phone call, Snapchat, Facebook?” It goes on, in part, to quote Marshall McLuhan: “One of the effects of speedup of information movement…is that the moment of impact and the moment …

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Why are the American young so indifferent and supine?

Professor Lawrence Lessig, apparently a supporter of the Republicans, teaches at Harvard. He recently commented on the youth movement in Hong Kong that is fighting for the democracy promised when the British handed over the colony. He contrasted this brave resistance to the diktats of the Chinese Communist party, who insist on nominating the candidates …

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