Today's Lesson Is On Whining And Crying.

I just got finished reading an article in the Washington Post about a fourth grade classroom in South
Korea using their tablet PCs. Two things are striking about the article. First it's summer time and these kids are still in school? Second each kid is using a handheld PC instead of a textbook? Now, I admit, I don't know much about these latest innovations of the computer world. I'm barely able to use my hand crank model computer. But I can see the advantages of using these things instead of textbooks. First, they would easily be updated with new information or corrected if inaccurate information were to find it's way into the programs. Even if a student were home sick, they could keep up with the classroom. Even home schooling would be easier. The other thing is a longer school year. In countries that are leading the world in student scores, its pretty much a given that students are spending more time in school. It's way past time for America to wake up and get rolling on our education system. Education is what made us great and ignoring it as we have been doing will doom us to second or third rate status. Oh I know, kids have summer responsibilities in America that they don't have in other countries. Like yard work or pool care and there's the summer camps and complaining that there's nothing to do. These are all important for kids in the learning process. Yard work teaches how to properly use trampolines, pool care teaches the back stroke and I'm not sure what complaining teaches, but I'm sure it's important. Look. If we can disagree on whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, we should be willing and able to disagree on how to program the tablet PCs.