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Natural Talent and Classroom ConflictsThomas Edison's short stay in the classroom was a disaster. His mother pulled him out and gave him a workshop so he could develop his natural talent at his own pace, she was not concerned about academics. You know the rest of the story. What if he lived in today’s type of government subsidize housing unit? Being a frustrated young man he would turn to crime and drugs, then spend his life in prison, all because he could not find his true talent and/or an outlet to develop it, if found.
The education system believes that adult productivity level is directly related to standardized test scores. This may be true for naturally talented intellectuals, what about non intellectuals? Academics first policy is pressuring them to give up and walk away from the system; they can't compete with natural talented intellectuals. Non-intellectual students have undiscovered and undeveloped talents, why not give them opportunity that is in harmony with their talents? Society does for intellectuals? Education opportunity build around projects, versus academics, can achieve this goal. Discovering one's natural talent is highly motivating. Motivation inspires a desire to learn.
A high percent of today's professional blue-collar workers walked away from the education system, could not qualify for apprentice programs or technical schools, started their career as a helper, advanced until many now make $70,000 per year. Blue-collar employers are not interested in applicants' education level, they want work ethic skills, the ability to get the job done, and positive self-esteem. With healthy self-esteem, employers can teach necessary skills, even at the helper level. A person with negative self-esteem has no value to anyone, even with education achievement certificates. Standardized test builds positive self-esteem in the winners and negative self-esteem in the losers and does nothing for the development of self-discovery or natural talent. Thomas Edison was lucky, his mother quickly recognized what the academics-first policy was doing to Thomas and removed him from that environment. Many of today's teenagers are not so lucky, they are removed from the education environment and sent to jail. |
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