Wii Teached 'em Good

At a recent Friday afternoon faculty gala (yes, we have them quite often - don't judge us), the discussion centered on the testing of homeschooled children. Should they be tested to ensure they're receiving an appropriate level of education?


On one end of the homeschooling spectrum we have un-schoolers who might be using the Playstation 3 curriculum, and on the other end of the spectrum we have... well, schools like the "Whiddon Flying Aces". At this school, it's all about organization and gettin' her done. Let's all face east and pay homage to Bowie's finest.

Some un-schoolers are actually very successful. Others, as we've noted, think the term "manipulatives" refers to Wii joysticks. What, if anything, should be done? Some of us feel that they should be left alone. The argument goes that it's their choice to harm their children, and it's really no business of ours. Others (the Academy included) beg to differ. I mean, we don't actually care if parents want their kids to spend their careers under paper hats, but their failures invite general scrutiny. And by scutiny, we mean jack-booted officers kicking in doors, confronting students down the barrel of a sharp #2 pencil and interrogating them with questions like "what's the formula for the area of a cylinder?" and "What are you doing for socialization?" It's enough to make the Headmaster hole himself up in a cabin in Montana for years, learning survival skills and writing a homeschooling manifesto...


[awkward pause]


Today the Academy had its annual review. After hiding the Wii controllers, we did the best we could. Then we handed out the paper hats.