On Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:47:42 -0400, "Robert Green"
wrote:
"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
On Oct 23, 11:09 pm, "Robert Green"
wrote:
stuff snipped
At: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/ma...24labor-t.html
the author says "High-school shop-class programs were widely dismantled in
the 1990s as educators prepared students to become "knowledge workers." . .
. The Princeton economist Alan Blinder argues that the crucial distinction
in the emerging labor market is not between those with more or less
education, but between those whose services can be delivered over a wire and
those who must do their work in person or on site. The latter will find
their livelihoods more secure against outsourcing to distant countries. As
Blinder puts it, "You can't hammer a nail over the Internet." Nor can the
Indians fix your car. Because they are in India.
So it could be that the folks that have managed to acquire a trade despite
the "knowledge worker" bias of schools will have the last laugh. And the
last jobs.
I'm on both sides of game.
In the "Knowledge worker" sphere , Ido the nuts and bolts stuff that
can't be done online, as well as the stuff that can be - and I've kept
up my Auto Mechanic's licence so if every confuser in the world came
to a grinding halt I would still have the trade to fall back on.
hmm...I wonder if that's why so many Art and Music classes have been cut
too. You know, I'm leaning towards budget cuts as opposed to lawsuits.
It's probably a combination of multiple factors, but there's no doubt in my
mind that school administrators are keenly aware of the potential
liabilities of shop class injuries and just don't want to take the risks.
My high school still has all three because we keep voting to have them
funded.
Good for you. Too bad it's not the same all across America.
Besides, I thought it was the parent's job to ensure that their kid's
learned these types of life skills. My kids boys both took shop, but
the vast majority of what they learned about taking care of their cars
and houses either came from me or was introduced by me and then they
took it the next few steps.
My youngest daughter, not university educated but very successful in
her chosen field, is able to change her own tires (summer /winter
switch-over) and doesn't have to call dear old Dad every time
something doesn't work right in her house.
The elder University educated daughter has been slower to take on the
mechanical tasks, but living away from home, where dear old Dad can't
come running to bail her out, has been learning to do some of those
mundane tasks as well.
Shop class taught me a lot about safety and other things like measuring
twice and cutting once. It filled in a lot of other skills I didn't learn
being the flashlight holder and tool fetcher for my dad when he worked on
the family car. But both types of exposure "set the mark" and enabled me to
learn on my own.
I once showed my youngest son how to change his brake pads and the
next thing I knew he was doing a full brake job - rotors, calipers and
pads - on a junker that his older brother bought.
A guy I worked for only got tools for his Christmas and birthday presents
but those gifts paid off in him being able to do almost all his own auto
work: full brake jobs as well as a lot of other tasks. His dad was a
mechanic on Air Force One, hence the tool gifts.
Sometimes they just need to be introduced to the subject matter and I
think that that introduction is my responsibility.
Kids are incredibly imitative. I recall showing my friend's kid something
ONCE on the computer (how to turn it on, log on and open his speak and spell
games) and he was able to do it himself the very next day. So I agree, it's
important to get them started and the problem is that there are fewer and
fewer people doing repairs and maintenance so there are fewer and fewer kids
being exposed to it. I think part of the problem is that so many things
just can't be fixed anymore without sophisticated tools or replacement
parts.
And are more expensive to fix than to replace.
Anyone who's been to Cuba can attest to how creative good mechanics can be.
The island is filled with cars from the 60's still running with close to a
million miles on them. They may be godless commies, but boy can they
stretch a car's useful life out by an extra 30 years.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and political isolation has
made the cheap replacement option a non-starter in Cuba. If you want
it there, you basically MAKE it. From what's left.