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> gamed by parents paying for prep courses, practice tests, expensive tutors, mentoring, etc. Given the amount of free things like Khan Academy, MIT Courseware

by troupe 8y ago

> gamed by parents paying for prep courses, practice tests, expensive tutors, mentoring, etc. Given the amount of free things like Khan Academy, MIT Courseware, etc. the distribution of access to resources to perform well is becoming more distributed than ever. A poor motivated kid with good encouraging parents and access to only free resources is on a more level playing field with kids from a rich family than at any point in history.

mdorazio 8y ago
How much time have you spent with poor families? You seem to think it's merely a problem of will, which is absolutely not the case. It's kind of hard to sit down and do a Khan Academy series when, for example, you have to spend all your time helping your mom raise your siblings because she's working three jobs since your dad left home. Or if you're a girl, your parents tell you not to waste your time on studying or STEM things because you should just be trying to be pretty and get married. And even if you did get out of those traps and spend the time on free stuff, it's not even going to come close to getting you on par with a tutor who knows what they're doing spending 1 on 1 time with you and parents willing to spend thousands of dollars on electronics, flying lessons, or whatever other enrichment activities support you. And where's the free equivalent of your dad getting you a high school internship at his prestigious company for kids who need to work minimum wage service jobs to help pay the bills? "A more level playing field" is not even close to the same thing as "A level playing field" today, and it won't be for a long time. That's why diversity programs are still important.
- troupe 8y ago
  I still contend that the ability to access educational resources is more evenly distributed than it has been at any time in history. Motivated kids from supportive families have more free and inexpensive educational opportunities than they will ever be able to exhaust even if their family is at the lower end of the income spectrum. Your examples of bad parents making things hard for their kids doesn't change anything I stated. Your main contention is that a kid with access to tutors, expensive electronics and flight training is going to get a far superior education to someone who is working with their parents to direct their own study. Those things aren't as big of a differentiator as they used to be in one's ability to obtain an education. Much of the pedagogical value a tutor can provide in sequencing topics is easy to find online--often written by the very people who would make the best tutors. The ability to ask questions and get answers is also easily available. Is it nice having someone decide exactly what you need to work on and learn. Sure, but in terms of access to educational resources, not having a tutor isn't a particularly big differentiator. > How much time have you spent with poor families? I grew up below the poverty line, so a reasonable amount of time.

by troupe 8y ago

mdorazio 8y ago

How much time have you spent with poor families? You seem to think it's merely a problem of will, which is absolutely not the case. It's kind of hard to sit down and do a Khan Academy series when, for example, you have to spend all your time helping your mom raise your siblings because she's working three jobs since your dad left home. Or if you're a girl, your parents tell you not to waste your time on studying or STEM things because you should just be trying to be pretty and get married. And even if you did get out of those traps and spend the time on free stuff, it's not even going to come close to getting you on par with a tutor who knows what they're doing spending 1 on 1 time with you and parents willing to spend thousands of dollars on electronics, flying lessons, or whatever other enrichment activities support you. And where's the free equivalent of your dad getting you a high school internship at his prestigious company for kids who need to work minimum wage service jobs to help pay the bills? "A more level playing field" is not even close to the same thing as "A level playing field" today, and it won't be for a long time. That's why diversity programs are still important.

troupe 8y ago
I still contend that the ability to access educational resources is more evenly distributed than it has been at any time in history. Motivated kids from supportive families have more free and inexpensive educational opportunities than they will ever be able to exhaust even if their family is at the lower end of the income spectrum. Your examples of bad parents making things hard for their kids doesn't change anything I stated. Your main contention is that a kid with access to tutors, expensive electronics and flight training is going to get a far superior education to someone who is working with their parents to direct their own study. Those things aren't as big of a differentiator as they used to be in one's ability to obtain an education. Much of the pedagogical value a tutor can provide in sequencing topics is easy to find online--often written by the very people who would make the best tutors. The ability to ask questions and get answers is also easily available. Is it nice having someone decide exactly what you need to work on and learn. Sure, but in terms of access to educational resources, not having a tutor isn't a particularly big differentiator. > How much time have you spent with poor families? I grew up below the poverty line, so a reasonable amount of time.