re Re: re Re: re Re: SLSL language

[Abdiel OAbdiel]

--- Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net> wrote:
> 
> But it would never be a question of blindly using
> the same teaching methods on ALL special groups.
Using the home language as a means of
> teaching standard English (contrastive language
> teaching) would only be employed where is it shown
to be useful and necessary. It's not really a
> question of "accomodating" everyone in the same way
> out of some notion of fairness,  but of what works
on a particular group of children.
> Fairness consists of seeing to it that everyone
> comes away competent in standard English.

Yeah, very American, very practical & democratic. 

"There is no such thing as Eduactional Valure in the
abstract." 

-Dewey

John Dewey's practical idealism is characterized by a
"down-to-earth" faith in the possibilities of human
experience and an unflinching optimism about the
boundless capacities of ordinary human beings. It is a
working idealism, a hard-headed and practical
enthusiasm, an American brand of matter-of-fact
aspiration, such as that of Whitman or Thoreau or
Emerson, that animates Dewey's thought. It is not
content to entertain itself with dreams of castles in
the air. There is work to be done; America is not yet
finished; something is "broken" and needs to be fixed.
This "fixing" requires a vision of new possibilities,
better ways for Americans to live and work together,
that captivate the heart and yet bear fruit in hard
efforts and gradual transformations. In fact, the very
projection of such new ends and ideals affords some
peace in the interim, a sense of being on the right
track even in the midst of crashing failures. 

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