A Milestone and More on Caine Learning

Just wanted to mention–I got my 1000th visitor today! Thanks everyone!

Now, on with the Caine part…

I attended this online, invitation only conference (Thanks Steven) about different learning styles. Caine Learning was mentioned heavily. I really hadn’t intended on putting to much more about it here, but I felt compelled to do so after what I heard.

First, it mentioned (as the previous article did) how dangerous any program that completely follows Caine Learning is. It discussed how children lose a sense of respect for those around them and authority and what is expected of them. To make matters worse, it teaches children to be self-centered as the “pursue” their “own” educational interests.

While that’s all fine and dandy in the sense of College, in Elementary school, it works backwards. For example, you can have all the choices and projects that you want. This won’t push the kids that don’t want to do anything to do anymore than they would in a traditional setting. In fact, their study showed that kids who were generally unmotivated in traditional settings were even less motivated in the Caine setting. The study showed that the students didn’t feel like they were required or had to do anything. Thus, they were far behind their peers in other more formal schools in most areas.

Second, these students did not exhibit any less pressure than those who were in traditional schooling. These students felt more pressure as they felt their peers were watching them or forcing them to complete some task that couldn’t be done without them and add to the whole group. Caine contradicts its self at this point. It basically requires all the students to participate in a project…one project…while at the same time saying that the student should be able to pursue their own avenue of learning. Interestingly enough, it does NOT allow for the student to produce their OWN project.

They did present the errors in traditional education as well (we all already know where that falls short). This conference also talked about how elements from both can be used together to ultimately reach every student. Much like the Newsweek article, it explained that both Caine and Traditional Education FAIL in reaching EVERY child. It criticized both Caine and Traditionalists for believing that their way is some utopian answer to the problem facing education today.

Quite interestingly enough, this conference also had a study that showed that children who came from (most) Caine based learning institutes (or like programs) had poorer test scores than those who went through traditional schooling. It also showed that these kids had the same self-confidence issues as those who went to public school. And I was told that Caine was supposed to improve this?

In the last part of the conference, they mentioned that New Agers love this program because it promotes free thought and “releases us from the bondage of religion and most importantly, fundamental Christianity.” Yes, that’s in quotes.

Again, it did not say that all aspects of Caine were bad. There are some I believe in using in the classroom (and did) but with balance.

Anza Days is this weekend! I hope to see some of you at the parade and events!

-Mr. Josh

Repointing The Compass

Anger has a way of controlling people…even very good people. When someone acts out in a rage of anger, it can really seem like they have lost all sense of hope and direction. It certainly seemed that way with me. But I realized something. As long as I was angry about the situation and how things have been handled lately, I would always be a slave to that situation or group of people. Not anymore.

One thing I was encouraged to do was read the book of Job and try to align it with the new teaching styles of Caine and Caine. While I couldn’t find any reason to use it as an argument supporting Caine learning, I did learn something about my situation and God. Job was blessed beyond measure and yet, God allowed everything to be taken from him. Job at first did acknowledge that he must have done something wrong. He also questioned God to the point of becoming angry over the fact that he thought he didn’t deserve it. Whether or not he did deserve it doesn’t matter. What does matter is he became angry with the only one who has a right to decide what blessings we get and how long we get to enjoy them.

That being said, with the help of God and a few good people of faith, I have put the rage, anger, and bitterness behind me. I know there are still things being said about me; some of it is being said by those who have accused me of saying untrue things–that can be forgiven. I have found myself at a point where I have no other choice but to rely on God and see what He has in store for me. Maybe He will work tomorrow or ten years from now, but whatever it is, I know God will provide and it will be within His will and not in mine or anyone else’s. I can only see His will revealed as long as I stop allowing myself to be angry. Anger is how I stay bound to the “slavery” that I felt I have experienced as part of a denomination.

I can honestly say that I love the people of my former church despite their imperfections. I too have imperfections that I may or may not overcome in this lifetime. Because of that, it is not my right to hold a grudge against those who did me wrong. I can present information (like the article from Newsweek) which is objective and free of my opinion. Truth is truth. How it is presented determines whether or not it is accepted.

I still feel like I was in bondage to a denomination. I feel like denominations in general tend to put their own moral code, rules, and expectations ahead of God’s will and expectations. I have felt like I had to please men before I please God. I am in no way am implying that I have been perfect in how I have handled things. I am only stating what I have been able to learn by stepping outside of a situation and looking in.

I am now re-pointing my compass to follow God’s calling and see where He leads. I still intend to post results of research I come across regarding Caine Learning but I won’t see it fit to single out one organization or school (though I do acknowledge that the majority of my readers are part of a specific school or organization).

Something that even I have had to learn that last few days has been from John 3:17 which read: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him would be saved.” If Christ can “love” the world, I too can love those who have caused me pain and frustration. As the words of 1 John 4:8 say: “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” While I don’t feel things recently have been handled in love, I have chosen to love just the same. Right now it’s a choice I am making but I am dedicated to it. As much as it would be easier to sit and hate and yell and scream, I’m not happy when I am doing that. God had it right. God is love.

Until next time,

Mr. Josh

A quick note and an Article

The article stays…as I think it’s very informative…I’m trying to not sound angry anymore so I took down the rest of what I said before the Article. I still am required to give proper credit though–

The following is a News week article…I have full written permission to post it here because it is not archived on the web (otherwise I would have had to provide just the link and not the whole article). Enjoy.

Education In Crisis–Is There A Solution?

Everywhere you turn it seems everyone is crying out about the deplorable situation of our education system. Politicians and civilians alike toss out the words “Education Reform” but have no real solution or strategy to reform it. Yet, many activists, politicians, and extremists have taken the matter into their own hands.

Quite frankly, the problem comes down to the battle between what’s better; private school or public school. It is apparent that public school have over emphasized standards and testing to the extreme while many private schools have gone to the other end of the spectrum by removing traditional elements of education completely. These schools have even gone as far as to eliminate grade levels and traditional worksheets and grading systems in favor of child and student led learning. Both extremes are dangerous to our society and both continue to add to the social and religious decay of our society.

Public school curriculum continues to tighten the freedom and creativity of both teacher and student. Public school leaders provide a very scripted and unchangeable curriculum that all but stifles free speech and does not allow for creativity to thrive in the minds of the students. It blocks teacher from being able to reach each child in a creative way that will spark a love of learning and allow the child to grasp it (I do acknowledge however that this isn’t the case in every situation).

School that have adopted other extremes, such as Caine Learning and identical programs, have an even larger problem. Supporters of such curriculum tend to be secularists with an agenda to remove the close-minded religious philosophies from the public view and replace it with “free-thinking” individuals who are above such ancient folklore collections such as the Bible. Now, I’m no religious person, but I certainly don’t think all religious people are close-minded whether Jew, Muslim, or Christian. But it is clear that programs such as Caine and atheist authors such as John Taylor Gatto are supporting movements that demoralize religion and the practice thereof.

These programs (Caine Learning) are designed to get people to think without relying on society and a “supreme being” for their guidance. Instead, it teaches and molds kids to think that they have the power within themselves to accomplish anything. In fact, Caine learning doesn’t do anything to fix the problem that it advocates against! Caine learning does nothing but produce a society of individuals–that is, a society where people are so consumed with themselves that they think the world revolves around them. And why shouldn’t they? Through out their educational career in Caine Learning, they are taught that education revolves around their interests and what someone else thinks shouldn’t matter to them.

Maybe I am being a tad bit unfair, but let’s look at some numbers shall we? In a recent study by an independent study group out of Harvard, it showed that schools who have built their model of education completely around Caine Learning and similar programs actually had a lower College/Career success rate than those kids who came out of traditional public and private school settings. One conclusion they came to was that these kids were not taught that certain things are expected of them. They were not taught that there are times when certain things are done in a certain order and that sometimes, it had to be done that way. These students also had little or no respect for College professors and instructors and little respect for those in power over them in the work place.

Furthermore, the study showed that over 70% of those who went through the “Caine” program had come to the conclusion that religion and Christianity were for closed, uncreative, minds. 65% percent of those were from Christian homes and had attended Christian institutions their whole lives. Interestingly enough, there are a growing number of Christian institutions adopting these policies.

There are an even bigger number of religious groups opposing these philosophies. Many private schools have shown some creative freedom in how they implement curriculum. Many have seen good parts of both traditional and Caine type learning and have incorporated projects and traditional worksheets and instruction in a well balanced and unbiased way. This same study showed the highest success rate of any program researched by the group were from schools that used this model. These school had many multi-grade classrooms but had never given up on teaching grade level instruction. Each grade level still learned their basics and were required to complete assignments based on these direct instruction periods. Periodically throughout the year, students attended field trips, listened to special speakers, and participated in individual and group projects to build on what they already learned.

Perhaps those behind traditional and Caine learning approaches to school could learn from the previous paragraph. There is a balance to everything. Caine claims over and over again that everyone learns differently yet does not account for those who actually learn best from direct instruction. Supporters of Caine make bold, inaccurate statements that ALL traditional models of education are bad and detrimental but fail to realize that Caine learning is nothing more than a bunch of theories and experiments. Parents who wish to try alternatives to public education should really be wary of schools that go to either extreme and try to find schools that have learned how to balance out all the different types of learning to really reach each child’s potential. Neither Caine nor traditional “Public” education does this.

-David Ryan, Former Contributor

The article speaks for its-self and thus, does not need a comment.

Many updates are coming including a fully functional website (don’t worry, the blog will still be here).

Have a great summer!
-Mr. Josh