Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Legos Banned from School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clq-HDIDipg

Now I don't know what the real truth is here...you know how the media works (both sides). But this really concerns me. I remember when I was in college, learning to be a public school teacher (because EVERYONE is already a "teacher"), that the emphasis was on "cooperative learning." Kids were supposed to have jobs within their group and roles to play to get a community project or task completed. I guess the idea was to teach kids in school how to work well with others because adults in the real world were not able to do it. So how well do you think those cooperative groups functioned? Adults can't do it, so we force it on our kids? I wonder how many cooperative learning activities ended up in bloody noses.
My point is this. Legos is an individual activity. Building uses so many different parts of the brain, and stimulates parts that nothing else can. It is hard work! Why are we then forcing kids to work with other kids (which adults can barely do!) who they probably don't even get along with during mundane activities like lunch, and expecting them to emit a certain behavior? Let the kids PLAY! Let me build my own town, with whatever pieces I got my hands on, and leave me alone! If you want that piece, you'd better come up with a good negotiating plan or get over it. And if my building looks better than yours, then next time get your work done before me and get to the Legos first!

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