Interesting Links for 19-07-2012

[andrewducker]

• Green streets can cut pollution
  (tags: green nature pollution )
• What Central Europe thinks of Britain and why
  (tags: uk europe viaNWhyte )
• Private education: The Swedish model. (I am fascinated. Anyone got more on this?)
  (tags: education schools sweden )
• Leaked e-mail suggests Scots gay marriage bill may be delayed until UK Equalities Act is amended
  (tags: equality law marriage lgbt uk )
• John McCain does a good thing, by acting like a reasonable human being.
  (tags: republicans usa viaSupergee politics )
• Firefox 15 plugs the add-on leaks (hits beta today/tomorrow)
  (tags: memory firefox )
• Northeast Portland man who stripped naked at airport is acquitted of indecent exposure charge
  (tags: nudity freespeech law usa )
• Very simple visualisation of the structure of a windows executable.
  (tags: windows code software visualization )
• Microsoft will inspect photos you store on SkyDrive and remove your account (including XBox Live) if it doesn't like what it sees.
  (tags: photos microsoft EpicFail nudity )

Comments

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

Gah, I'm so fed up with all this prevarication over equal marriage! The only people under the impression that anyone will be forced into anything are the churches who are vehemently opposed anyway. BBC Scotland keep going on about it being a 'highly controversial' proposal but their own polling shows 60 % in favour, 19 % against and 21 % who presumably don't care - is that really highly controversial??

[andrewducker]

Absolutely!

[clevermynnie.livejournal.com]

I really like any model for early education that allows students to go at their own pace. I was in a Montessori school for four years as a kid, where you largely did play and sporting activities with others but worked on your own with workbooks and quiet reading. Because of the free-form way that the days were structured, there were lots of add-in classes you could do around your own work, like music lessons and advanced instruction in programming and algebra (in elementary school!). I ended up skipping two grades before my parents moved me to a public school (for financial reasons), but I really think that a lot more kids would progress through material faster, and learn more side things of interest, if they are allowed to go at their own pace.

[andrewducker]

I feel much the same way. And not just because it would have been good for me - I _hate_ the way that people get left behind by the current system. If you miss something vital in the foundations then you never get to go back over it, you get shoved forward into areas that can never make sense to you. It's a recipe for frustration.

[clevermynnie.livejournal.com]

Yes! The amount of time kids need to put in to learn anything is naturally going to vary by subject, which is a problem when everyone is being dragged through lessons in lockstep, but totally fine if the work is being done individually.

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

Exactly this!

When I'm interested in a subject I have a lot of motivation and dedication. I remember being ready to explore and learn topics in school, but by the long dwindling time we finally got round to them I was bored. The ideal schooling experience would have let me explore as I was interested.

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

McCain is a great man. I wish like hell he'd gotten the Republican spot back in 2000 instead of Bush, and even when he was running against Obama I was fairly happy with that until Palin entered the scene and he suddenly went all wishy-washy. It's good to see him back on form.

I was rarely bored in school, and loved it, which in my opinion makes me lucky. The Montessori method intrigues me a good deal. This Swedish model is intriguing also, though the barrenness of it concerns me a bit.

And oh please go away memory leaks in Firefox please please.