The Lone Elm

I Don't Want to be a Helicopter Parent!

No wonder kids really aren't ready for the real world even after they've gone to college -- they've been nurtured by....helicopter parents!!   One good reason to send your kid to boarding school is to get this out of the parent's system earlier than college!    I Speak of Dreams has a lengthy entry about the increasing number of helicopter parents "supporting" their children in college -- picking the school, picking and advocating for their roommate, picking their classes, and fighting their other battles for them. The cell phone has become an "umbilical cord" to home.  If Mom and Dad do all this, when is the kid going to grow up?  The things parents do that are described in the various snippets here are just beyond belief!  Colleges are now having to spend money (out of the ever increasing tuition we pay) to create systems to deal with the helicopter parents!

The social implications of kids brought up under these over-bearing parents is mind-boggling.  Will these kids be able to think for themselves? Once Mom and Dad are gone, will they look to other "authorities" to provide for them? How will they parent?

Universities on a Pedestal

Michael Barone has an excellent commentary today discussing Judge Alito's background, starting in the Trenton NJ area, and then at Princeton University.  As PowerLIne points out, it seems like universities are the least intellectually open institutions, and were then as well.  As a contemporary of Alito at an east coast college, I can testify that it was very hard being a relatively conservative person who  was uncomfortable with "strikes" and other ways my expensive college education was being hi-jacked. In addition, my school was also one that started out single sex (in my case female) and became co-ed at this time.  The year or two experience with coeducation was not impressive, as we immediately had the minority men in leadership positions! 

Boys Vanishing in College?

Melana Zyla Vickers writes on the increasing gender gap on college campuses in the Weekly Standard. This subject has many angles that I don't have time for this morning, but this is a significant problem.  Boys tend to be more oriented to science, engineering and math and the loss of guys in our educational system can only mean trouble longer run for the economic capabilities of our country.   (I can assure you that girl fear of quantitative work is alive and well based on what the nine-year old Bunny Rabbit is already evincing.)    The emphasis on empowering women and girls has swung the pendulum too far (and I speak as a beneficiary of that trend thirty plus years ago).

U.S. Falling Behind World in Math, Science and Technology

In the Washington Post this morning, Norman Augustine points out the importance of the U.S. deterioration in our scientific and technical education:

"... the U.S. educational system is failing in precisely those areas that underpin our competitiveness: science, engineering and mathematics. In a recent international test involving mathematical understanding, U.S. students finished 27th among the participating nations. In China and Japan, 59 percent and 66 percent, respectively, of undergraduates receive their degrees in science and engineering, compared with 32 percent in the United States."

He explains that, with the ability to quickly and easily do work around the world, it is critical that our citizens are well-educated so that we can compete with the Indians, Chinese, or others aspiring to do cutting edge work.  The article is worth a read.

Iron in Rice Crispies?

The Social Sciences Statistics Blog has a not so statistic-y story of successfully teaching exactly the same thing to kindergartners and  a graduate school class.  Did you know that Total Cereal is attracted to a magnet but Rice Crispies aren't?