Come the Revolution...
From the Anchoress:
"Some Seattle school children are being told to be skeptical of private property rights. This lesson is being taught by banning Legos.
"A ban was initiated at the Hilltop Children's Center in Seattle. According to an article in the winter 2006-07 issue of "Rethinking Schools" magazine, the teachers at the private school wanted their students to learn that private property ownership is evil.
"According to the article, the students had been building an elaborate "Legotown," but it was accidentally demolished. The teachers decided its destruction was an opportunity to explore "the inequities of private ownership." According to the teachers, "Our intention was to promote a contrasting set of values: collectivity, collaboration, resource-sharing, and full democratic participation."
"The children were allegedly incorporating into Legotown "their assumptions about ownership and the social power it conveys." These assumptions "mirrored those of a class-based, capitalist society -- a society that we teachers believe to be unjust and oppressive."
"They claimed as their role shaping the children's "social and political understandings of ownership and economic equity ... from a perspective of social justice."
Now for an antidote.
From the "First Grade News and Notes" of Holy Family Academy:
"This week we learned that colonies are lands owned by other countries that are far away. The American colonies were owned by England. While learning about King George III taxing the colonists, we 'paid' taxes for a day in the classroom so we could see what it felt like for the colonists."
The first graders then composed one royally ticked-off letter to King George, telling him where to get off. Every child signed it.
Try messing with their Legos.
"Some Seattle school children are being told to be skeptical of private property rights. This lesson is being taught by banning Legos.
"A ban was initiated at the Hilltop Children's Center in Seattle. According to an article in the winter 2006-07 issue of "Rethinking Schools" magazine, the teachers at the private school wanted their students to learn that private property ownership is evil.
"According to the article, the students had been building an elaborate "Legotown," but it was accidentally demolished. The teachers decided its destruction was an opportunity to explore "the inequities of private ownership." According to the teachers, "Our intention was to promote a contrasting set of values: collectivity, collaboration, resource-sharing, and full democratic participation."
"The children were allegedly incorporating into Legotown "their assumptions about ownership and the social power it conveys." These assumptions "mirrored those of a class-based, capitalist society -- a society that we teachers believe to be unjust and oppressive."
"They claimed as their role shaping the children's "social and political understandings of ownership and economic equity ... from a perspective of social justice."
Now for an antidote.
From the "First Grade News and Notes" of Holy Family Academy:
"This week we learned that colonies are lands owned by other countries that are far away. The American colonies were owned by England. While learning about King George III taxing the colonists, we 'paid' taxes for a day in the classroom so we could see what it felt like for the colonists."
The first graders then composed one royally ticked-off letter to King George, telling him where to get off. Every child signed it.
Try messing with their Legos.
I'd like to see the Mensa brain trust from Seattle try this in Miami.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, half the people here came over -- on anything that'd float -- to avoid "collectivity, collaboration, resource-sharing, and full democratic participation."
-J.
DIH: go here http://weeklyscheiss.blogspot.com/ and read the one from March 2. She hits it right on the head. I hate stupid teachers.
ReplyDelete