HP Prime or HP 50g

[dbbotkin]

These seemingly senseless requirements (e.g. in our public education system) didn't happen because a few teachers thought a "36-page legal document" would be a wicked prank to play on parents.

No, somewhere some parent (or more likely, a group of them) got some misinformation from the internet (this is rife in my community) and complained to the school board, sued the school or whatever, because their "little Johnny" wasn't being treated properly. The school then "lawyers-up" and presto: a 36-page manual on how to add a harder math problem or two to a kid's homework.

There are so many things that were part of the learning that took place fifty years ago that are simply impossible to do in school today, mostly because they are considered "unsafe."

Unsafe, hell: they were downright dangerous. But we learned something useful: my 9th-grade science teacher made us change a tire. The whole class, everyone of us, girls too, had to jack up the car, remove and replace the tire and let the car back down safely. We did not get a man to the moon without some kids first trying it out with fireworks and a frog, that I know for a fact.



(the frog was released unharmed)