Learning and Education

   Obviously, learning and education are  two different things.  Any successful education fosters learning.  It's surprising the number of people who just don't know that.  It's surprising the number of educators who seem to have missed that.  One glaring, recent example is the movement to discontinue teaching cursive.  The idea is almost crippling and therefore is amazingly misguided.
    Education fosters the ability to gather, properly handle, integrate and understand integrated information.  That's it.  No nutshell. That's it.  OK, we're done here.

    Well, maybe just a little more.  I've read some articles on education by well meaning people.  I've never met them.  I can only assume they're well meaning.  I can also assume they aren't very bright.  Maybe they're more convincing in person.  Anyway,  these people seem to believe a few things I think are just wrong. One is the laughable assumption you can somehow further education by teaching less of the basics.  That's as untrue in detail as it sounds on its face. Take teaching cursive. Cursive!, We don't need no stinking cursive.
    Cursive teaches two basic things. It teaches fine motor skills which sure do come in handy. More importantly, it's a secondary method of handling data.  It converts the symbols of block printing to the symbols of the script alphabet.  This type of tactile transfer of information is a reinforcement along the lines of the Montessori Method.  In case you don't know, kids taught with the Montessori Method never have dyslexia. Never. That means dyslexia isn't a learning disability, it's a teaching disability.  It seems to me anyone involved with early-childhood education should know that.
    Hey, that was an easy sell.  I'm gonna wish I had some complimentary steak knives to pass out for this next item.  Let's all learn Latin.  It's really too late for us but for god-sake man, save the children!
There are a couple things about Latin that strike me as important.  The words themselves make up about a third of our language. That's kind of important.  In addition, Latin grammar constitutes the underpinning rules of our language.  We think in symbols and the symbology we use is  language.  Therefore,  understanding our language from basic underpinnings to finished product forms a logical chain that is just invaluable.  Honest!  I wouldn't lie.  Try them steak knives. They're great.  I'll also point out that a century ago we taught Latin and Greek in grade school and now we teach remedial English in college.  That sounds like a problem.
    Here's something else that I find absolutely laughable.  These people seem overwhelmed by the flood of information the digital age has made available.  Somehow they seem to have gotten the idea there is more information and the medium of delivery has somehow changed the information itself.  That's just not true.  Marshal McLuhan aside,  the conclusions they have reached based on those erroneous assumptions are wrong.
    So, in conclusion,  all I can really say about early childhood education is,  Neener, neener.