RE: Education and Presidential Candidates

[Miller Charles L SSSD <MillerCL@SUPSHIP.NAVY.MIL>]

  Survival and Belonging are the bell ringers, with freedom and fun as
subsets of each.  The use of the word empowerment("It empowered the
children, since it increased their understanding of the
world around them") indicates to me that it and attempt to put empowerment
on the same level as Survival and Belonging.  My theory is that new born
babies do not need empowerment.  They need to survive and know that they
belong.  Babies will take in what is offered as long as they know that they
will survive and that they belong (are loved and nurtured).  Love and
nurture are subsets of survival and belonging too.  We adults think and feel
that we are setting up an empowering environment.  What does the child think
and feel?  The child is going through the motions of confirming survival and
confirming belonging.  
  We, the adults want to change love and nurturing to empowering and I do
not agree with that.  I would like to see that we are constantly confirming
the child's survival and belonging through loving and nurturing activities.
If it happens to be Mathematics or English, the child will have the best
chance at success if it is approached this way.  Stop forcing children to
compete.  Realize that they will continue to be the best if they are loved
and nurtured.  
  Loving and nurturing in the classroom is more time consuming and requires
more resources.  I believe that the budget priorities depict a child's
future.  It is easier and costs less to compete and go to war.  We can then
make more prisons to incarcerate and employ those who did not make A's.  
  The sad thing is that an, "A", guarantees nothing when looking at the long
term survival and belonging of our children.
  Refer to, "Out of the Crisis," Pages 98,121,127,159 and 344.  The topic
is, "Figures."
  How could it be any different for events around our children?
Respectfully,
Charlie
millercl@supship.navy.mil