As a kid, I once started to look at a book on how to draw things. It was probably filled with reasonably good advice, but I didn't keep looking at it for very long. Maybe I looked at it as a possible purchase (or to ask for...) but the information didn't make sense to me. What it did was start off with drawing lines and circles and ovals to rough out a shape of a person or animal. But that wasn't the shape of the thing being drawn! It had all this extra crap. What good was that? And since it didn't make sense, back on the shelf it went.

Of course, those construction lines weren't a real problem. They were meant to be a framework for later lines. The later lines would be inked and after the ink dried, the construction lines could be erased. The problem was that I did not know that and the text did not explain that right off. So, to me, not aware of the sequence of events, it looked like so much nonsense. Had there been even a short summary of procedure right off, the results might have been a bit different.

It's not just books on drawing that have this problem. When I first looked at electronics, at the very basic part, there were endless exercises using groups of resistors. These don't seem to do much. They limit current. They generate heat. But they're not exactly exciting and a circuit of a battery and a bunch of resistors just seems wasteful. It wasn't until I read a book my grandfather had given me that I got something of an explanation. It brought up the question I had, "Why all this fuss with resistors?" and answered it by saying they represented loading, and were just easier to consider than, say, motors or lights and the more interesting would be coming along soon enough. Elements of Radio started off differently and introduced each new component as a need for it was explained. This made even more sense.

I am not blaming the flaws of one book for my not drawing things. Had I been as determined about that as I had been about other things, one poorly explained text would not have mattered. It's just an example that getting into the fiddly details of how to do something, without explaining the why, can cause confusion and with it a loss of interest.

( Preserved comment(s) )

Current Mood: calm

When I was attending a technical school I wound up making a bit of money, or perhaps I should say offsetting some of the expense, by tutoring. Most was within the settings of the tech school itself, as part of its own program. There was one instance where it was outside the tech school and was for a kid in (junior) high school, who needed help with algebra. The interesting thing is that of all the students I encountered, and there were a fair number, none of them didn't know what they came to me (or someone) for. They knew the subject, they just didn't believe that they knew it.

In many cases it was a matter of translation. One person, who did not speak English as his first language, had trouble with vague instructions, but that was all. Once he knew what was really being asked of him, he had no trouble at all. Others had similar problems. They knew, it seemed to me, what had to be done but didn't realize that they could do it.

A friend of mine even showed up. He had the simple parts of an electronics course down just fine. He could work out series resistances and parallel resistances easily enough, and work out simple currents and voltages without much trouble. Yet when he was presented with something that was a set of combinations he'd panic. The thing as a whole looked complicated. He couldn't see the trees for the forest, really. When it finally dawned that a complex thing is just a bunch of simple things stuck together, it got easier for him.

The kid with the algebra concern wasn't dumb. He wasn't panicking. He was just.. bewildered, I guess. I think I spent more time asking questions than answering them. That was the way for most, really. Actually, nobody I encountered was dumb. At the very worst, they were maybe a bit more ignorant than might have hoped for, but ignorance is a curable condition. More likely they were just uncertain. There was a point, now that I look back, where things crossed a threshold. It went from "This is how it's done." or "This is how he does it." to "This is how I do it."

I now realize that I never taught much of any electronics, or mathematics, or chemistry, or any school subject. I taught confidence, if only a little. John Taylor Gatto has pointed out that most people can do pretty much anything, given the opportunity and the time to do it on their own schedule. But they also have to believe that they can, and that's the hard part. And I've pondered things I've not done, at times, and wondered why not. And it's the same wretched problem. I think I don't know some bit and so don't do something when what I need to do is have a whack at it and find out which bits, if any, I really don't know. Then go take care of that and have another whack at it.

If I'm like those I encountered before, and I expect this to be the case, then the only thing really keeping me from doing anything is me. Sure, I've heard this line before, but hearing something and actually believing something are very different things. Now if I can just convince myself of that... and remember whatever it was that I wasn't doing.

( Preserved comment. )

Current Mood: good

Fair warning about the links below: Some folks might find some of the language used in the postings linked below to be offensive. And I might use some forceful language myself.

There was a post by 2_gryphon. And Xydexx has what seems an interesting reaction (a poll without explanation) to it. Another, dour, pointed out that identifying symptoms is not in itself treatment. Someone else, I forgot to note who, pointed out this contrast.

2 says the post is him just letting of steam. Fine. No problem. But it's not just his blowing off steam. The "just die already" attitude is not unusual. While there may be those who are genuinely determined to be miserable, it's more likely that the case is one of learned pessimism. The thing with learning is that there is often a teacher of a sort involved, though probably not in the formal classroom sense.

When one finds that the supposed friendly pat on the back was no such thing as claimed, but just a ruse to attach a "kick me" sign, a lesson is learned. When one walks along minding one's own business and is actively tripped, a lesson is learned. When one is told a joke in such a way to make one the victim of it, a lesson is learned. Each incident alone might be small and forgettable, and maybe even forgivable - once. But if they are repeated, the lessons are reinforced. Those are but three examples. There are so many other things that can, and do, happen to some.

Would it be any wonder that someone who experienced this sort of thing, over and over and over again, would learn to be paranoid? After all, the pat on the back can't be trusted, so maybe it's best not to be touched at all. It's safer. One can't trust people not to trip, so keep your eyes open - and look down to see where their feet are. The joke is at your expense, so it's best not to play along. And this makes a person look like they're paranoid, and depressed, and humorless.

And then people, often even the ones who taught all those things, wonder what's wrong with that person that he is so miserable. It's because they taught him to be miserable. A simple apology, even if actually heartfelt, will not undo all that. Genuine friendship might, eventually, mitigate the effects. And then there are the objections that this person "doesn't want to be friends with anyone." No. That person probably wants that more than anything else in the world. But he's learned that opening up to people -- the evil teachers of the lessons of paranoia, depression, and mistrust -- only makes him a victim yet again. Defenses go up. And with each new lesson, the fort walls get thicker and the armaments get heavier. Getting though all that will take effort. And it'll be slow going.

The deserving targets of outrage and disgust are not the people who wound up like this, but the bastards who did it to them.

Current Mood: pissed off

In the 1980s, as I recall, there was a report on the state of education in the USA which commented or lead to the comment that had such a dismal situation been foisted on us by another country, we would consider it an act of war.

Foreign powers and shady underground groups need not waste their time attacking the US. Why should they, when the US does such a dandy job of attacking itself?

Recall the "Class II" books? You won't find those in the modern classroom. Any information that might be "dangerous" is expunged, lest there be a lawsuit if little Johnny gets himself trouble when Ma & Pa ain't watchin'. Go to the library? Good luck. That text was considered obsolete. Or a chapter was ripped out, just in case someone might read it.

The modern chemistry set is a sad shadow of the old versions. Even the rather pitiful version I had would likely be impossible to find now. If you look, you'll find things for environmental testing and that's about all. Nothing that could remotely cause any trouble. Well meaning, but ultimately boring. It's not it should be dangerous, but that the interesting stuff involves things that need some caution. Remove the "dangerous" stuff and the you removed the interesting things that can be done.

I was looking for optical grinding and polish stuff last night. Nothing remotely nasty. What could be more harmless than homemade optics? Did you hear of a horrible lens or mirror disaster at Riverside? Does Stellafane ring any alarm bells? Of course not! But there were warnings "See Material Safety Data Sheet" Yes, there is a chance of irritation.. if you're so daft as to eat grinding grit or a make big cloud of it and breathe it - repeatedly! To put it bluntly, to hurt yourself with this stuff you have to be INCREDIBLY STUPID! Not careless. Not accident prone. STUPID! The warnings about adult supervision, fine. There should always be that. But you know what? A kid, preteen, raised decent, could be trusted with this stuff.

But it gets worse. In a slashdot article reviewing the book "Uncle Tungsten" by Oliver Sacks (a good book, by the way, I own a copy) there is a followup pointing this out. Again, well meaning, but the result is an idiotic overkill. I fear such regulations are disgustingly common.

The disappearing Class II books, disappearing tools, and the watering down of anything left, makes it that much harder to learn despite school. Predictions of doom are almost invariably wrong, but this sort of thing doesn't make me very hopeful for the future.

Current Mood: gloomy

There have been at least three people in my (extended) family involved in formal schooling in positions other than as students.

( Three people, schools, and actual education too. )

Current Mood: thankful

A few things happened in the last several days that all seem to be related by way of dealing with learning or lack of learning.

( I have never let schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain )

Many people learn a lot in school. But I often wonder how much more would be learned if schools didn't get in the way. John Taylor Gatto, 1991 New York State Teacher of the Year, claims the answer is, "Quite a bit." He has something to say about what school really teaches.

Current Mood: thoughtful

This morning I saw an article about toys, specifically toys for the "proto-geek" and started thinking of some of the toys that I and my sister had. This list is by no means complete and is somewhat biased to what I had, but there is a common theme. These are items that require effort on the user's part to create, or at least assemble. Sure, you could wreck things, but you had to build them first.

The lesson was that creation took effort and while destruction might seem easy and satisfying, rebuilding was not. I wonder if too many kids nowadays aren't taught this lesson.

( A few toys )

Current Mood: nostalgic

We need more Class II books. Lack of them is a failing in the information revolution. A failing not of the net and computers, but of books and printing presses.

( Let me explain. )

Current Mood: curious
Current Music: low rumble of a big engine idling