Archive for November, 2009
The Middle Ages were one of the darkest periods in world history – rife with disease, poverty and human cruelty. The previously enlightened civilizations of Rome and Constantinople had fallen victim to the bubonic plague, rampaging barbarian hordes and dangerous superstition. Few people could be said to enjoy life during this era: kings and land barons had it pretty good, but what about all the illiterate peasants forced to grind out a subsistence lifestyle?
Monks and other members of the clergy were often the only ones afforded a chance to learn. Of all the people alive in Europe between 700 and 1100 AD, most were unable to read and write. Monks and some enlightened kings were the rare exception, and they kept the light of logic and reason burning for future generations. Reading is fundamental for success and self-advancement today just as it was in the Middle Ages. Kids should take advantage of interactive reading games in order to further their own educations.
In New York, Illinois and many other states across the nation, newspaper writers and professional educators are lamenting the fact that lowered expectations have hindered math curricula. Simply put, teachers and legislators have lowered the bar in terms of what they expect from students in math, and tests have been made easier to compensate. Not all the blame should be placed on teachers, and children cannot be held culpable for losing interest in a subject that doesn’t seem to relate.
It’s up to parents to foster their children’s academic growth out of school. What’s the use of sitting in a classroom all day if most of the material “learned” is forgotten as soon as the bell rings? Educational math games on the computer can help get kids engaged in the learning process in a way that rote memorization and vague chalkboard equations simply cannot. Here is a case of technology being put to good use.