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Previous issuesEducation
Confessions of an Underachiever
Posted June 13th, 2007 by Harvey MelnickPARENTS and Adultas Who have alternative Learning Needs- Don't miss this plea from an adult who experienced being labeled an "underachiever" for all of his life!
INTELLECTUAL SIMULATION: Learning Differently in America
Posted May 27th, 2007 by Harvey MelnickMany students have varied learning needs which are not being met in regular classroom settings. They instead spend their days "simulating" their participation in school. Read on to discover the roots of this disservice to children with non-traditional learning needs and what needs to be done to address this sad state of affairs.
The Law of Unintended Consequences: Neither a Law nor Unintended...
Posted May 22nd, 2007 by Harvey MelnickA somewhat complex look at sthe reasons underlying why individuals fail to see and therefore understand the complexity of systems, and how this over-simplification affects outcomes as diverse as the false assumptions which underlie our educational system as well as America's foreign policy
The Politics of Ability
Posted March 15th, 2007 by Harvey MelnickMuch of what we explain to parents and tell children about the reasons why children succeed or fail in school is dead wrong. We constantly fail to distinguish between cause and effect when we point to motivation as a factor. Our reliance on deprecating labels, characterizations, mislabels, misdirection, and blaming the victim cannot go on forever. Our willingness to support a system which daily results in immeasurable harm being done to untold numbers of children, their self-esteem and future adult vocational choices, and to society as a whole, is unconscionable and must end.