Posted by violette on September 6, 2010, at 0:35:16
In reply to Inappropriate ADHD diagnosis » sigismund, posted by ed_uk2010 on August 26, 2010, at 15:21:15
Ed, your post was interesting, and thought I'd add something related to what you'd said. I read in China, they put kids on a 'track' based upon competence and natural skill that emerges during their early education-some are more inclined in math, some manual dexterity/working with tools, some artistically creative in visual arts, etc.....so after their strengths are discovered, they become 'specialists'...it truly maximizes the potential of the social capital. There are inequalities and problems..but are being smart. Here in the US, i think the public education is stupid..as policies here really need to emphasize more creativity, innovation if our human capital is to have any competition with other nations.
But I dont' think it's fair to say kids with ADD should not pursue academic routes merely because they cannot sit still....my son, for example, was highly ADHD-did poor in high school, but is now 'teaching' me about physics, doing well at the local community college...transferring to a top-rated engineering university next year on full scholarship. I did not put him on medication despite being threatened by school administrators..we had no health insurance, but also did not want to put him on medications until after his brain was fully developed. It was a tough choice to make. But now that he can pursue his interests, march to his own beat, his attention and behavior has improved accordingly.
There's a famous school system that originated in Italy that brings out the best in children; i forget the name of it..but the only thing close to how education needs to change and why:
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66
(This guy could have probably said in 5 minutes what took him 20 minutes to say)...
But basically, the school system here, has not changed in 20 years..it's pathetic because one particular school in my district won a national award as the 'best' in the country; yet i had gone there, as well as my son, and through evaluating my son's education-it really hasn't changed much.
Then again, I'm all about interdisciplinarism and individualism, to bring out everyone's best potential..a bit idealistic, but i think it could work only if privatization were to happen as the politics are just too influential to make productive changes.
poster:violette
thread:959607
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20100829/msgs/961444.html