Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.
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There are some things in this life that are simply inevitable.
And one of them is the return of this feature which, like Old Man River, just keeps rolling along.
But does that mean today's subject for debate is rivers?
It's possible.
But, then again, it could be absolutely anything because that is the nature of this feature. Until someone suggests a topic, in the comments section below, it's anyone's guess what the discussion will be.
Therefore, feel free to suggest that topic and we shall see just what unfurls....
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22 comments:
This topic might not work. If so, please someone else suggest a better one! Anyway...
To me, learning any subject, the basics are what's important. Knowing the basics properly, advanced stuff's built on that. But - without the basics - any subject's compromised.
So...what books/resources do you wish you had/knew about, at school, to assist learning a subject, but you only found out about, decades later?
Here's my list:
1.) Michel Thomas French course - MT was in the French resistance during WW2, and his knowledge of languages kept him alive (supposedly). I wish I'd had this fantastic resource at school. I scraped through '0'-level French with a C !
2.) 'Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess' - Fischer didn't write it ; his name just cashed in on the 'Fischer boom. This book isn't about chess in general. It's about 'programmed learning'. That learning method explores one narrow (but important) aspect of chess - illusory protection. A fun, basic book, and great for learning.
3.) Atari Basic - Albrecht - Just like 'Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess', this is a 'programmed learning' book - but applied to BASIC programming. At my school, Computer Studies was a joke. I wish, back then, I'd had Albrecht's great book, for first principles.
Phillip
I wish I had a tutor. I spent thousands tutoring my kids. Charlie.
Any history book suggestions, Charlie? WWII's your subject, n'est pas?
Phillip
Well… it depends on the age group. In general though, humans are just the result of 3.5 BB years of evolution and layers of “society” added on top. I would require persons to learn how to think by taking a basic course in logic. Or learn to realize decision-making flaws such as relying on heuristics. I don’t have a particular book in mind though. Just enroll high school kids in repetitive courses in”logic” which may only start at the junior college level?
But you UK dudes are much better educated than us Americans (well, I assume you are, because I know French German and Italians are] so maybe you can have a logic course in your high school like around the age of 15- 16? Whereas in the USA we won’t see that until you start junior college, which is usually around 18.
But, yeah, learning how to think logically can go long way in this world.
Charlie - Our only logic was Leonard Nimoy on Star Trek! UK education isn't without its flaws, either.
Phillip
Phillip, thanks for the topic.
I am going to have to think long and hard about this one.
Learning some basic cookery skills in school would have been useful but we boys were only taught woodwork which was a complete waste of time as I can honestly say I've never needed to cut a dovetail joint or make a wardrobe from scratch in my entire life.
Charlie, you think the British are more educated? In 2016 52% of the UK electorate voted for Brexit which has turned out to be a complete failure as anyone with half a brain could have foreseen but in that same year only 46% of the US electorate voted for Donald Trump so I'd say we Brits take the prize for stupidity.
Colin - At my comprehensive, both woodwork (called 'Craft design technology' - CDT ) & cookery (called Home Economics) were taught, on termly rotation, along with needlework/sewing. Cookery was popular (even with the bullies), chocolate logs at Christmas, and other tasty grub resulting. UK staples, like shepherd's pie, & apple crumble, however, were the usual recipes. None stuck in my memory, but I suppose it means pupils aren't scared to turn on an oven. All I remember about woodwork's making some sort of perspex-lidded layer game, with holes drilled, and ball bearings to get in the holes. Taking the subjects up to 0-level, you probably gained more; but the same option columns also had academic subjects - so, by a process of elimination, the less academic kids choose CDT or Home Ec. Sorry for this boring aside!
Phillip
Chose not choose - damn typos!
Phillip
Phillip, your secondary school sounds more enlightened than mine. Cookery was known as Home Economics in my school too and boys could take that subject if they wanted as long as they didn't mind getting mocked. We only did woodwork for the first three years and only the top stream did woodwork while the stream below us did metalwork. I'm rather glad I never did metalwork because the metalwork teacher Mr Jones (no relation) seemed to fancy himself as a hardcase and I heard he was quite a bully.
Colin - At mine, the boys' machismo was saved, because those traditionally female subjects were compulsory for both boys & girls, prior to '0'-level. It wasn't without incident, with boys sabotaging other boys' cooking creations (to save face, doing a 'girly' subject? ) - but that's predictable. That school was a girls' grammar school, a few years prior to becoming comprehensive, whereupon its standards & behaviour rapidly declined. A number of older female staff (used to teaching selective all girls) couldn't manage disruptive comprehensive boys (although a couple could.) The school became a Sixth Form college, a few years later. I went to a better school for the Sixth Form. The distinction between woodwork for the top stream, & metalwork for the lower stream, at your school seems unusual. Does metalwork require more strength, so need a more caveman-like physique? ; )
Phillip
Actually, Colin, my school probably taught metalwork, too. My memory's too vague to comment accurately!
Phillip
Phillip, my school was a former grammar school too - my uncle was a pupil there in the late '40s and early '50s. My school had only about 500 pupils so it was quite small - it was demolished a few years ago and a brand new school was built on the site.
I think they just flipped a coin to decide which stream would do woodwork or metalwork!
My local Tesco has put Boris Johnson's new book on special display - do they really think we are desperate to read the biggest collection of fairytales since Hans Christian Andersen? I felt like complaining to the manager but obviously I just harrumphed and walked past :D
I was listening to Brain Of Britain on Radio 4 last Sunday and one of the questions asked for the name of Liz Truss's recent book but none of the four contestants knew it was called "Ten Years To Save The West". If even the BOB contestants didn't know the name of Truss's book it just shows how irrelevant Lettuce Liz has become.
You guys talking about school?
Remember that song "Hot For Teacher"?
We had this lady (a very nice lady, by the way) teaching 8th grade who looked like a 40-year old Wonder Woman.
She often wore heels.
I didn't learn a damn thing in that class.
M.P.
M.P. - Yes, Van Halen's 1984 album! She's probably not reading this post, anyway - the topic's dropped like a lead balloon!
Phillip
That could be another topic - songs about school.
When I Kissed The Teacher - ABBA
Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd
School's Out - Alice Cooper
To Sir With Love - Lulu
Oh what fun we had! Madness
Phillip
Phillip, I did think of that one but I couldn't remember the name of it and I still can't.
Colin - Baggy Trousers?
Phillip
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