I don’t know how many times I have been told that there is no point in trying to learn French. You see, they say, the French spoken in Québec is so different from the French spoken in France that they cannot understand one another. If you study Parisian French in school, people in Québec won’t … Continue reading But they don’t speak the same French!
education
The sad state of education in Canada in 1953
The bored "graduates" of elementary and high schools often are ignorant of things that they might be expected to know, and they do not care to learn. They lack an object in life, they are unaware of the joy of achievement. They cannot read, write or think. They can often type, but too often they … Continue reading The sad state of education in Canada in 1953
Point of View, Paradigms and Prejudice
Years ago I was stopped at a red light on Weber Street in Kitchener, Ontario. I was in the right lane, beside me in the left lane was a police cruiser. There were no other vehicles in sight. Then I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw an old black car coming around the … Continue reading Point of View, Paradigms and Prejudice
Learning to learn
It looks like parents will be teaching their children at home for awhile. Here is something to keep in mind: Education is not about teaching, it is about learning. And the great advantage that home-schooled children have is that they learn how to learn.
Baby steps
"God will provide." We say those words glibly, so certain of their truth that we may appear to have no compassion for people in distress. That isn’t what they are experiencing day after day. Life seems to be stacked against them. Perhaps they don’t have the skills to find a job that will pay a living … Continue reading Baby steps
What does the future hold?
“We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet.” - Margaret Mead In a world that is changing in bewildering ways and at bewildering speed, a statement like the above appears at first glance to make … Continue reading What does the future hold?
Hard work is not a Christian virtue
The robots are coming. Technology could eliminate half of all jobs over the next ten years. Working harder isn’t going to save your job. Working smarter won’t to do it either. The economy is changing and the way to ride the wave of change is to change our attitude about work. Several years ago a … Continue reading Hard work is not a Christian virtue
A disinherited generation
This week I read a book that I feel to be tremendously important. Many people are disturbed by the disorder in the world today, but we have very different ideas about the cause and an even sharper difference in our ideas about a remedy. This book shines a clear light on the roots of the … Continue reading A disinherited generation
Africa rising
What picture comes to your mind when you think of Africa? A remote village of mud huts with scantily clad people scratching their subsistence from the soil with hand tools? Or modern cities with skyscrapers, factories, hospitals and universities? Both scenarios exist, but far more people live in the cities. Nigeria is the largest country … Continue reading Africa rising
Reflections on turning 75
I remember the exact moment when I realized I was edging into the senior ranks. It was in 1992 and I was explaining to a younger friend how things had been when I was a boy. All of a sudden there was a little voice in my head saying, “Wait a minute! What’s going on … Continue reading Reflections on turning 75
Flatlander Faith 