What if Education was more like Video Games?

[Bill_B]

Originally Posted by Taylor

a We can't keep chasing the carrot - we have to gain control of the stick.

I've seen this analogy misinterpreted several times, so without accusing you of that and in the interest of education . . .

The carrot represents a reward. The stick represents a punishment, not the method of presenting the carrot on a string. The modern educational paradigm for the U.S. has effectively disguised and postponed the "stick" so its short-term effectiveness is limited. The longer-term punishment of ignorance and life-discomfort is not recognized at the lesson-learning point.

So, gaining control of the stick may be taken to mean finding better (nicer?) short-term punishment methods that will not raise the ire of a public that refuses to discipline their own children but chastises those who seek to reinforce educational lessons. I know, build the classrooms with more corners in them for "time-outs".