[Edu-sig] An OLPC comment ("Why Educational Technology Has Failed Schools")

[Paul D. Fernhout]

Bert-

Thanks for the kind words.

Well, I would not agree with everything he has to say, but I would expect 
the Austrian Rudolf Steiner
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner
   http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_Steiner  [auf Deutsch]
as the originator of the "Waldorf education" method
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf_schools
   http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldorf-P%C3%A4dagogik  [auf Deutch]
might have written much in German? See here:
    http://www.sab.org.br/steiner/biogr-eng.htm
 From the English Waldorf link:
   "Waldorf education (also called Steiner education) is based upon the 
educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, and stems from his 
spiritual/religious philosophy anthroposophy. [1] [2] This sees child 
development as a process of the child's soul and spirit incarnating into a 
developing living, physical organism.[3] Waldorf education emphasizes an 
imaginative and holistic approach to education.[4] Spiritual values are 
central both to the curriculum [5] and to the training of teachers.[6] [7] 
[8] [9] Waldorf education is practiced in more than 900 [citation 
needed]established independent private Waldorf schools located in about 
sixty different countries, in "Waldorf-method" government-funded schools, 
in homeschooling environments; and in special education."

Personally I'm not into Waldorf education as a big picture, but I like a 
lot of the parts, especially their stand against media for young kids. I'd 
say the same about the Montessori method too (the other big well known 
alternative).

And then of course there is bablefish automatic translator,
    http://babelfish.altavista.com/
though it is obviously an awkward mechanical translation:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=en_de&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.johntaylorgatto.com
[That link translates a page on Gatto's site from English to German and 
continues to translate as you click on links; it breaks sometimes]
See also:
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=en_de&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.johntaylorgatto.com%2funderground%2findex.htm
http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/trurl_pagecontent?lp=en_de&trurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.johntaylorgatto.com%2funderground%2ftoc1.htm

It's really interesting to at least try bablefish; it seems a miracle it 
works at all; I've used it a couple of times for translating Spanish sites 
about programming -- it's a funny experience to suddenly have such a site 
in a different language make (some) sense..

All the best.

--Paul Fenrhout

Bert Freudenberg wrote:
> Am Jan 18, 2007 um 6:45  schrieb Paul D. Fernhout:
> 
>>  so no matter how cheap you made distributing a
>> diversity of text books or related educational materials, schools  would
>> not want any but the standardized ones to be used at the standardized
>> times. The point of conventional schooling was then ansd still is to
>> produce a standard graded product, not amplify differences. As I  
>> point out
>> in my previously linked essay
>>       "Why Educational Technology Has Failed Schools"
>> http://patapata.sourceforge.net/ 
>> WhyEducationalTechnologyHasFailedSchools.html
>> computers linked to the internet have revolutionized just about  every 
>> area
>> of life today related to information access and education -- except,
>> ironically, schooling. I think there is a reason. Schools are  *actively*
>> in the way of everything the better side of the world wide web  
>> promises --
>> diversity, expression, disintermediation, innovation, etc.
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Paul,
> 
> I *very* much enjoy reading your thoughts on technology and  education. 
> I wish they were in German, to be able to show them to  people here ... 
> Do you know any German writer with similar views?
> 
> - Bert -