Apr 28, 2022·edited Apr 28, 2022Liked by Packy McCormick
Have been following both Primer's and Not Boring's journeys since early days and very excited about both the investment update and the deep dive here! Continued success!
This is very cool. Congrats on the investment! What this reminds me of is an article in The Atlantic from 2016, which describes how U.S. youth math went from being irrelevant to best in the world through online and after-school math programs. The key was teaching math with a problem-solving pedagogy versus a rote-learning pedagogy. It inspired me to think very differently about how I'd like to raise my own future children: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/03/the-math-revolution/426855/
Will the school be free? What if the next "outlier" is from a low income home where the parents have no time nor money to get their kid into this program? What if your son isn't an "outlier" in anything - will he be tossed from this program?
I'm all for education reform - but if the "cool new thing" just follows the same vein as previous private education attempts (increasing the divide between cohorts of differing socio-demographics), then that's not much progress at all.
Most of us are not "outliers" - we should strive to give kids the best education, and this model may have promise, however I don't see how this just further separates the haves from the have nots.
The education system definitely needs a shake-up and I can easily see components of Primer dovetailing nicely with public schools. If the online components are engaging enough to not only create the spark, but grow the flame, then the "closet nerd" demographic is sure to grow. I'm just not sure how this could replace public education because doing so would lend itself to all the pitfalls that have gotten public education to where it is. It almost has to remain private or selective with the student base to ensure survival, no? Without the supportive family and/or self motivated student you're left with a lot of barriers to even the point of entry. Not that eliminating the barriers is an unworthy endeavor, but it certainly taxes the system and shifts focus away from the main objective. I look forward to checking in on Primer and seeing how it progresses. Thanks for the shed of light!
sounds wonderful. just wonder what happens when the alt-right, radical red wingnuts get ahold of the curriculum? best wishes & may the force best with you. but be aware!
Primer: The Ambitious Home for Ambitious Kids
Have been following both Primer's and Not Boring's journeys since early days and very excited about both the investment update and the deep dive here! Continued success!
This is very cool. Congrats on the investment! What this reminds me of is an article in The Atlantic from 2016, which describes how U.S. youth math went from being irrelevant to best in the world through online and after-school math programs. The key was teaching math with a problem-solving pedagogy versus a rote-learning pedagogy. It inspired me to think very differently about how I'd like to raise my own future children: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/03/the-math-revolution/426855/
Will the school be free? What if the next "outlier" is from a low income home where the parents have no time nor money to get their kid into this program? What if your son isn't an "outlier" in anything - will he be tossed from this program?
I'm all for education reform - but if the "cool new thing" just follows the same vein as previous private education attempts (increasing the divide between cohorts of differing socio-demographics), then that's not much progress at all.
Most of us are not "outliers" - we should strive to give kids the best education, and this model may have promise, however I don't see how this just further separates the haves from the have nots.
The education system definitely needs a shake-up and I can easily see components of Primer dovetailing nicely with public schools. If the online components are engaging enough to not only create the spark, but grow the flame, then the "closet nerd" demographic is sure to grow. I'm just not sure how this could replace public education because doing so would lend itself to all the pitfalls that have gotten public education to where it is. It almost has to remain private or selective with the student base to ensure survival, no? Without the supportive family and/or self motivated student you're left with a lot of barriers to even the point of entry. Not that eliminating the barriers is an unworthy endeavor, but it certainly taxes the system and shifts focus away from the main objective. I look forward to checking in on Primer and seeing how it progresses. Thanks for the shed of light!
sounds wonderful. just wonder what happens when the alt-right, radical red wingnuts get ahold of the curriculum? best wishes & may the force best with you. but be aware!