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From NurtureShock:
In his new book, Dr. Joe Allen has concluded that our urge to protect teenagers from real life – because we don’t think they’re ready yet – has tragically backfired. By insulating them from
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adult-like work, adult social relationships, and adult consequences, we have only delayed their development. We have made it harder for them to grow up. Maybe even made it impossible to grow up on time.
Basically, we long ago decided that teens ought to be in school, not in the labor force. Education was their future. But the structure of schools is endlessly repetitive. “From a Martian’s perspective, high schools look virtually the same as sixth grade,” said Allen. “There’s no recognition, in the structure of school, that these are very different people with different capabilities.” Strapped to desks for 13+ years, school becomes incredibly montonous, artificial, and cookie-cutter.
This was my experience, and a key reason why I dropped out of high school and joined the workforce at sixteen.
This was my experience as well. I’ve always thought real learning was active, hands-on, and took place in real-life, not behind a desk.
Now you have students who, because of the internet, have surpassed their teachers in knowledge and experience. I often find myself chuckling at new media courses in universities because we can learn all of it for free - just by researching, asking, and doing. Even the valuable school communities (and alumni) are being formed online based on interest and participation.
Sitting behind a desk learning information that is rapidly changing (especially if you’re in new media or technology) seems like a hold-back. The master/student dynamic is also royally warped. Today the students are the masters.
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