From: bernie@binghamton.edu
Date sent: Sun, 23 Feb 1997 19:06:12 -0500 (EST)
Subject: IBM connection

To All: [Del.}'s message about IBM's 'grants to educate for future' was on the mark. At least 5 IBM locations are collaborating with local school districts to build "Education Villages" where they hope to help "reinvent education." As for the machine intended to 'help students hone reading skills,' it recalls the millions and millions spent during the 50's and 60's on language labs intended to teach foreign languages 'alive.' It all failed as audio was replaced by visual and visual by 'virtual reality.' It's all a shaky house of cards, and the 'leaders' simply won't acknowledge it.

The latest wrinkle may be seen in our local university, which has received a $62K Science Foundation grant to conduct a summer program for girls in grades 6-9. It is called the Young Women's Technical Institute and will run for 2 weeks. The program is intended "to convince girls to pursue their natural interest in science and math." It was justified with the argument that by the 8th grade girls show a sharp decline in interest in math and science as compared with the boys. This results from the fact that "In most classrooms, there is an unconscious patronization of girls, especially in science and math classes...Boys are consistently called on more than girls." The long arm of the Feminist Movement? Naturally, the program director would say, "We would like to make this a permanent program, but money is always a crucial factor." The President is about to take care of that.