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Back in the day...

Our local paper has a remember when section and today's featured a classroom activity about 50 years ago - it involved working on "gross motor skills, problem solving in a group and character development". That's right, the children were making holiday decorations for some building. I especially like the fact that the teacher was quoted in the newspaper describing the academic purpose of the activity... have we come full circle or was it a hint of what's to come? I'm sure you remember these types of activities. I remember they were a heck of a lot of fun and I'm sure we learned all the things we needed to.

Then I think about education today and read this and this and I start to wonder if we're fighting a loosing battle against a thousand voices who all claim to know what is best for all children, slowly killing all the fun with a death by a thousand cuts.

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