I wonder if I can save myself the trouble of buying Glenn Reynold's new book An Army of Davids? It looks hopeful since Edspresso seems to have provided a neat summary of the contentions on matters educational in Instapundit's argument about how the little guy, empowered by technology and the market, will take on Goliath.
Think I will get it anyway. It might be cheering to be reminded that all this technology can be used for good, particularly when we've spent so much time recently worrying about the European inclination towards e-government.
And anyhow, what better re-incarnation of David can we hope to find than a home educating child?
7 comments:
It looks as though it is still essential reading! If we are heading for an 18th century style enlightenmnet, I'll be delighted - one of the most exciting and experimental periods! - In literature at least.
Why are schools even more expert at training factory workers today? It's crazy that the National Curriculum has actually perfected the syllabus for training them in a time when it is extremely obvious that individualism has to flourish for people to survive.
D
The only time Reynolds has ever posted on homeschooling he was falling for the "taking the best kids and most committed parents out of the system hurts us all" line.
Whoops...he does need sorting on that one. Wonder if he has revised his opinion at all, particularly as it would seem to be vastly at odds with his main line of argument in this book.
Carlotta,
I just recently finished reading An Army of Davids. I found it a very easy, conversational-style read, but so densely packed with thought-provoking ideas that I had to read it in small bites.
Glenn's daughter is in public school, and even though he or his wife have occasionally taken a swipe at some aspect or other of their schools, I feel they are "believers." Strange, that.
Hi Karen,
Would you recommend reading it or is the precis linked to by Carlotta the best part?
D
D,
Edspresso's precis is a good one--and better that than nothing, I guess. But I really strongly recommend reading the whole book. And read it with someone else, too, if you can.
It's like this: Read a short chapter. Your mind fills and whirs with ideas. Google the thing you didn't understand. More ideas whir. Find someone to talk to. Lob ideas back and forth. Images of the future begin to flesh out. More ideas whir.
Repeat.
What could be more fun than that?
Sounds perfect!
D
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