State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson told an audience of educational leaders and education students at Elizabeth City State University Monday that public education in the state needs to be “remodeled” rather than torn down.
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Comments
Mixed results
While the statistics Atkinson quote sound great it does not break with the national trend though. Nationally every state is experiencing a rise in graduation rates credited to lack of job options due to the sluggish economy. I am hopeful for ECPPS all the same but at what level ranking nationally are the children? I say this as our region is definitely being held back from recruiting businesses in large part due to our schools.
Our region needs a regional gifted and talented school that ranks in the top 50 schools in the country. We could recruit businesses, doctors and engineers to want to live here. Like everyone else they too want a better life for their children. Anyone with a gifted child (who can afford it) are driving their child out of the area for education, this should not be.
http://www.greatschools.org
Far too early!
Introducing technology to children at such a young age probably isn't a great idea. An i-pad in the hands of a two year old? No wonder Attention-Deficit Disorder, aggression and precipitous declines in literacy have spiked in the past two decades! One American Medical Association report from 2005 strongly recommends against television before age 3, with a definite no-no before age 2.
The report acknowledges that most of their data can be up to twenty years old, so there is no way of truly knowing what effect an i-pad has. However, seeing that television shares similar overstimulating effects on the developing mind with the plethora of interactive electronics available in today's world, all I can ask is to step back, reconsider their approach and be prudent about it.
There has to be some sort of minimum age, perhaps six or seven, when the mind is more developed and able to (in gradually-increasing levels) accept this flood of neural stimuli. Letting technology be the babysitter during these crucial formative years is unthinkable! As I know that some in the audience are ready to lambast me, know that I write out of mere concern about for our youth...a stage I am not far removed from. I'm only twenty-four.
Here's the article: http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=486070
iPad is not the same as TV
Just because both a TV and iPad are electronic does not mean they are the same for learning. The issue difference is between interactive (iPad) and passive learning (TV). Nearly all good iPad learning apps are interactive learning. I have no problem at all letting my 3 year old learn using an ipad. She is picking up counting and letters with a breeze, because it requires interaction. As a parent; it is my job to limit exposure, edit content and work with the child while learning.
Most of the problems with TV you are quoting are answered by a recent study that made national news this week. In that it is the content of TV shows affect children's behavior. Unfortunately TV (and not without coincidence society) has gotten much more tolerant of violence resulting in higher aggression and ADD. With out a doubt at such a young age limited TV (if any) exposure is key as the brain's neurological pathways are being developed and they do change as a direct stimulus result.
What Atkinson in the article is referencing without naming is Kahn Academy. Any parent should look up what Kahn Academy is. The results are very impressive. Here is a 60 minutes article on him:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=zxJgPHM5NYI&desktop_uri=/watch?v=zxJgPHM5NYI
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