[From Rick Marken (950825.2300)]
Me:
that sounds a lot better than saying "you teach the rules"
Ed Ford (950825.daytime)
Rick, How do you think people learn about something about which
they know nothing. They are read, or are told or taught by someone
else.
Do you really think that kids break the rules becuase they don't
know what the rules are? If one kid stabs or shoots another kid do you
think it's because the kid didn't know (or forgot) that there is a
rule against killing your classmates?
And how do you teach rules to a kid who "knows nothing" about them?
Do you have the kid write the unknown rule 100 times on the board: "It
is against the rules to shoot my classmates. It is against the rules to
shoot my classmates..."
According to you, the ideal would be not to have signs on the road, in
buildings, etc. alerting the public to the local rules.
The signs don't alert people to the rules; they are part of the rules. The
stop sign doesn't tell you to stop at it; you stop at the stop sign if you
can (and want to) control for the rule "if stop sign, then stop". Do you
forget the rule about stopping at stop signs when you've been driving for
a long time with no stop signs? Do you forget the rule about stealing
because it's not posted everywhere that "thou shalt not steal". If your
answer to either of these question is "yes" then I sure hope you live in
a neighborhood with a lot of "stop" and "don't stwal" signs. And I'll bring
some signs to the next meeting;-)
I'd love to see you run an inner city school based on what you have
suggested. I really would.
What do you think I have suggested? But I'm glad that you would be happy to
see me run an inner city school from a PCT perspective. It's just not
my calling.
Unfortunately, you didn't listen to LeEdna who clearly explained at
the conference that we held student discussions, getting their input
into school rules (which end up the same as the adults), and the
purpose of rules, prior to implementation of our program.
This aspect of the program sounds like it is quite consistent with PCT. I
would hope that the kids and adults would end up negotiating a set of
rules acceptable to everyone; I would be surprised if the negotiated rules
were always the ones that the adults had in mind but I believe you if
you say that it always comes out that way.
I just wish this "negotiating the rules" aspect of the program were
emphasized a lot more than the "teaching the rules" aspect of the program.
We know what works best and it is always in line with the theory.
It sounds like you believe that there is no way to improve your
program; you know what works best and it is always in line with the
theory. I can see, then, why these discussions on the net might strike
you as a waste of time.
I will be sending LeEdna's thoughts if I get them in time enough to
retype the material.
I would love to read LeEdna's comments. But don't go giving yourself
carpel tunnel syndrome trying to type them in. Since your program is
already perfect -- and perfectly described in your books -- LeEdna's
comments could really only be of academic interest.
Best
Rick