> Every student could now study the same material, no matter where they lived. In tune with this post-industrial mindset, fuzzy and hard to quantify educational methods like apprenticeships and the singular teachings of local sages were overtaken by national benchmarks and one-size-fits-all curriculums.
It also meant every student got at least something resembling an education, even if the quality of local educators was sub-par.
Mass production of almost anything tends towards results that are a bit below what people hope for, but the results are uniform.
I want to know where the author of this post expects to find all these amazing teachers at for every single small town and village around the country.
Yes, I also had some absolutely incredible teachers out there. I also had lecturers so good that I was able to pay attention for the entire hour. But in general, sure, I'll buy that most of my classes had maybe 20 minutes of focus in them. But I'd also say the majority of teachers were aware of this and, up until college, didn't try to talk for more than 10 or 15 minutes at one go.
We're mass-producing teachers, but we're also mass-producing students. In the example of a medieval university or a traditional apprenticeship, the students have some kind of vested interest in being there. These were limited opportunities, not universal requirements. In contrast, most teachers in most classrooms today are trying to impart knowledge that their students aren't particularly motivated to have.
Lectures are a great way to convey information to students who want the information in the first place. They are a terrible way to engage with involuntary participants.
It also meant every student got at least something resembling an education, even if the quality of local educators was sub-par.
Mass production of almost anything tends towards results that are a bit below what people hope for, but the results are uniform.
I want to know where the author of this post expects to find all these amazing teachers at for every single small town and village around the country.
Yes, I also had some absolutely incredible teachers out there. I also had lecturers so good that I was able to pay attention for the entire hour. But in general, sure, I'll buy that most of my classes had maybe 20 minutes of focus in them. But I'd also say the majority of teachers were aware of this and, up until college, didn't try to talk for more than 10 or 15 minutes at one go.