Reasons for choosing a school
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Donna Metler dmmet...@bellsouth.net
This is something which I've been thinking about mostly due to the recent private vs. public school thread, as well as the continuing vouchers saga.
As I see it, there are four major specifics which figure in when choosing a school, whether elementary or college.
1. Physical Location 2. Price 3. Programming 4. Prestige Under the current system, in my area, there are three levels of elementary/secondary schools.
Neighborhood public schools, which usually are the most physically convienent and the lowest cost-not only in not requiring tuition over tax money, but in difficulty at getting your child there and after school options. There is also little or no parental cost in registering your child-take in proof of address, and your child is in. Little time, little difficulty, little commitment. Programs tend to be minimal, but vary widely from school to school. Prestige is low.
Choice public schools (optional schools, magnet schools-I would also put charter schools and affordable voucher schools in this list, should they exist). Location is often less convienent, and the cost to parents is higher. The application process is more involved (getting a choice transfer in my district often requires parents to take a day or more off work to wait in lines, get papers signed, and similar red tape-and this is in a district which is supposed to be easy about such things.) Programs are generally slightly better than at the neighborhood schools, especially in specific areas, but may actually be no different, or even inferior, especially for a child who is "out of the ordinary". Prestige varies, but is generally slightly higher than the school down the block.
Special schools. (Parochial/religious schools, schools for special needs, Montessori schools, etc.) Often physically inconvienent, costs are higher than public schools.
Programming is tailored to one or more specific areas, with possible costs in other areas. Prestige is secondary to the programs at hand.
Premium schools-(State-wide magnets, high-end private schools) Often physically inconvienent, with few transportation options available, financial cost and/or human cost is high (schools without costs, or with scholarship options will have a LONG application and difficult process). Programming is considered to be better, and usually extraneous measures like standardized tests look good. Prestige is high.
hru ...@odds.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
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There is one way around the problem, and that is not to make them physical schools. Those aspects which require physical presence, such as physical education ans some aspects of music and art, might well have to be handled in special physical facilities, or even in other types of schools. But one can immediately set up electronic cl***es, so that a cl*** can be ***embled from regions even larger than state-wide, and run accordingly. I believe we will find that even a majority of students will benefit from at least one cl*** not with their local ***ociates. We need to put education first.
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This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399 hru...@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
Donna Metler dmmet...@bellsouth.net
Is this possible with all, or even most, disciplines? It is certainly NOT so in the arts, where there is a need to have some contact both with an instructor and with groups of equally talented students. I commuted regularly over an hour each way to participate in a high-level youth orchestra while in high school.
Similarly, there is no good way to study theatre without other people.
I also wonder about lab sciences and areas requiring special equiptment. One of the benefits of magnets is that they usually have physical resources beyond a community school.
I can see it would be possible for areas where the primary need is for a library, books, and time for writing and study, since discussion could be handled online, writings submitted and evaluated, etc.
hru ...@odds.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
I do not know how much can be done with the equivalent of video conferencing, where there is almost the illusion of physical presence. I do not even know if it has been tried; is the actual physical presence necessary?
I commuted regularly over an hour each Could we not have this activity with the orchestra ***embled electronically? As I said, I do not believe that this has been tried. It would take very good stereo equipment.
The same holds here; has it been tried? Holograms do a good job of three-dimensional effects. The whole job cannot be done, but much can.
This type of activity HAS been done by remote control, using what are called waldos. One place where it is used is in conducting experiments in hazardous environments, or even those completely unsafe for people. However, there are major limitations with this method.
But the lab work in a lab science is typically done in long sessions occupying few days, until one is close to the "scientist" stage. This would enable those needing it to be able to use less transportation, and not to have to go daily to a distant school.
At least this should be done, especially for the ones who can benefit from "unusual" treatment.
--
This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399 hru...@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
Donna Metler dmmet...@bellsouth.net
What kind of time delay is there on multi-directional videoconferencing? If the delay is at all significant, this wouldn't work for large ensembles-the interplay is essential, and even a second delay would be significant. For private lessons, maybe.
Is the sound quality good? My experience with distance courses is about 5 years out of date, and at the time the sound quality, even for short-distance (about 30 miles) voice transmission was very poor.
It would be a good resource if such could exist, since there is definitely a population minimum needed to support a pre-professional youth symphony, which doesn't exist outside of very large cities. Memphis has one, but draws the students from a very large radius-2-3 hours.
I also wonder about use of college resources. From what I've seen college campuses which would have science labs (which includes most community colleges, especially those with 2 year LPN programs) are much more common than truly academic secondary schools. Maybe a student could do some of the coursework via distance learning, and the lab work could be contracted out to a local college? My parents do some of this type of arrangement for students working on science projects beyond the scope of their school facilities, or for homeschoolers via the university liasion program.
How many high school students would be willing to put in the effort needed for independent study? I'm thinking of the relatively small percentage who put in study in the fine arts, which is largely independent (1 hour with a teacher, 10-20 hours personal practice). Even many college age students fail not because of lack of talent or ability, but lack of willingness to put in the effort. In many ways, I can hardly blame them-It is a lot of work for little reward. In a conservatory setting, you're surrounded by like-minded people-people who don't think it's unusual that a "date" is your boyfriend listening to your new concerto in a practice room because the practice is more important. Playing in an orchestra is not only a musical experience, but a social one-even though you may not talk to the people around you, you are communicating at a very visceral level, in a language most don't understand.
I don't know if this makes sense, but one of the only, and most important, parts of being a musician for me is the chance to interact with other musicians. Truthfully, I don't know if I would have been able to go it without some human-human contact, especially in adolescence.
I have to wonder if the reason why distance learning hasn't become more common with younger students is that social need. I know schools aren't supposed to be social settings, but they do provide human contact. Adults usually get this via employment-the chance to interact with people interested in and involved in the same things.
I'm reminded of the Isaac Asimov Short Story _The Fun They Had_, where two children, in a time when education was completely home-based and computerized read a book about primitive schools-and reflect on the fun those students must have had back then, for exactly those social reasons.
hru ...@odds.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin)
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Sound quality depends on the method used. With good FM, it should be excellent.
The time delay would be quite short if satellites are not involved as repeaters. The delay for 1000 miles would be about the same as for 4 feet of air.
This certainly could be done.
We have not really tried to use electronic cl***es. There still is human-human contact.
I have never stated that we should only do things electronically, nor have I stated we should not have personal social interaction.
Only that socialization should not be an essential part of the academic environment.
I suggest the reason is that it has not been tried.
There is a difference between that and what I am proposing.
Asimov ***umed that only robots would be teaching, and that there would not even be cl***es.
Also, Asimov probably went to schools where the emphasis was on learning and not on socializing. The push to mandatory age grouping and dumbing down had not started in his time.
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This address is for information only. I do not claim that these views are those of the Statistics Department or of Purdue University.
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399 hru...@stat.purdue.edu Phone: (765)494-6054 FAX: (765)494-0558
Bob LeChevalier loj...@lojban.org
I can't offer any directly relevant data, but perhaps indirectly ...
A local quasi-professional music group had 2 of its 5 members move out of the area. They broke up for a while but have resumed performing a few times a year when they gather at science fiction conventions, which is theonly time they see each other. They prepare and rehearse together entirely via the net, necessary since one of them lives on the opposite coast now.
Whether they could have worked together enough to FORM the group at a distance is unclear.
lojbab
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lojbab loj...@lojban.org Bob LeChevalier, President, The Logical Language Group, Inc.
2904 Beau Lane, Fairfax VA 22031-1303 USA 703-385-0273 Artificial language Loglan/Lojban: http://www.lojban.org
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