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Rosemary Decker's avatar

This is not a new war. Many years ago a tea party school board member asked the superintendent to have me fired for “teaching critical thinking”. Thankfully he was pretty much laughed out of the office. In those times I was more likely to be evaluated poorly for not developing critical thinking skills. Our PA standards demand ever higher thinking skills as students move through the standards. In our now fraught times I am sure the protection of state standards in many states is disappearing. So we are in that sense in a very dangerous place.

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Tim Dineen's avatar

I'm definitely ignorant of a few things - starting with many of the different machines at a gym. The only gyms we had when I was growing up were for boxing and professional weightlifters.

Finish carpentry is another. I can rough in anything, but the finish work totally eludes me. Fortunately, there are YouTube videos of everything - not that I will ever be able to do it properly, but... the information is out there if one cares to look.

Uncle Tim and Uncle Victor always buy books for the littles birthdays and holidays. (One of our favorites is "Why Do Farts Smell?") This year we got our 4 year old niece and nephew an interactive globe and a children's atlas. We have 2 new babies joining the family this year - one in February and another in May - and there will be no shortage of books for them, either.

I went to a Catholic Grammar School back in the '50s/'60s. (Think nuns in traditional full length medieval black habits, wimples, and veils.) Critical Thinking and Academic Excellence were the goals in all subjects - except religion, where we were expected to tote the company line. I argued stuff from the bible constantly and a couple of times was sent to Father Mayo where I had some pretty interesting religious discussions - for an 8 year old. "Sister is not wrong, but there are different ways to see things..." I had a great aunt who thought I was either going to be a lawyer or an archbishop because of the way I would argue a point!

Today, in discussions, I'm always grabbing my phone to look something up. Not to be right or prove someone wrong, but to KNOW what is correct. I have no problem changing my mind when given more information.

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