Firing the Canon

My mother graduated from high school in 1949.  I finished in 1969 and my three children graduated in 1996, 1998 and 2001.  All of us read Dickens' Great Expectation as well as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Hamlet.  I lucked out of the Scarlet Letter when my eleventh grade English teacher assigned Wouk's The Caine Mutiny. As much as I love to read and write, I hated my English classes.

 For all of us the math courses came in the same order as did the science classes.

Now I understand that there is something to be said for all of us to share in similar educational experiences.  It connects the generations and provides a common language.  That reasoning is sadly outdated and irrelevant.  So much has changed and the educational canon needs updating.

Admittedly I am not a fan of Dickens but the rest of my family enjoyed reading the ninth grade assigned novel.  I just think that there have been new books written since his day that would appeal to the modern student.  Allow students to choose what they would like to read and introduce them to what is happening now.  Maybe they will be moved to read the "classics" in order to understand some of the literary references. 

Let students work through the science and math courses in the manner that suits them.  Allow them to pace themselves and own their learning.  Offer more courses that would meet the state requirements.  If students take a class and don't have the necessary background, let them take the time to acquire it, even if their learning path resembles a wandering path. 

The factory model of education no longer serves its population and ideas from the homeschooling, private and charter school sectors need to be incorporated into public education.  The time for change is now.

Hunger Games

As a rule, I do not read Young Adult literature.  Often I find it shallow so it was with some hesitation that I began the Hunger Games series.  And I loved it. A great story well written and so I proceeded to finish all three books in quick order.

Friday my younger daughter and I saw the movie.  It was everything the pre-release hype promised. The cast was perfect.  The pacing felt right.  But I do have a few complaints.  I know that there are always changes when a book goes to the big screen.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.  In the Hunger Games film, the small changes were unnecessary.  For example, the way Katniss received her mockingjay pin is better in the book, ties the three books together and would have taken the same amount of time in the movie as the change took.  Also the cornucopia differs from the book.  Again a small change that wasn't needed.  The audience didn't need the visual change to remember that the setting was in the future.  And why was Peeta's last injury omitted?  Again it is something that ties Katniss and Peeta together in the series.

Still my recommendation is to read the books and see the movie.  They both are way better than the Twilight series.

Back Again

Returning from helping my mom recover from surgery, I was sure I would have a job offer and be working.  When that didn't happen, I went into a stall.  All I could think about were finding a job and not slipping into a depression.  As some of you know, I suffer from major depression disorder and worry that I'll slide back down into that gray abyss.  So between job-hunting and taking my mental temperature, nothing much was done.

Last week some energy and hope returned and I started writing again.  In fact, I plan on posting more than once a week.