In a class called, “Critical thinking: Myths of the past and present-
Can you tell the difference?”.
Reading, writing and arithmetic would probably be more beneficial than pottery class and learning to play the banjo. Or were you just suggesting that those sorts of electives, while still of marginal worth, would be better than the religious classes?
There’s a foot of snow in my backyard. Which has all fallen in the last four hours.
I wish I was exaggerating.
I’d skip work tomorrow, but it’s my day to bring treats. I’m fairly certain I won’t get my car out of my street.
Damn, I’m glad I moved to Hong Kong. No snow.
Went skiing today in Ontario. http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1269/120412blackriver.jpg
Season’s ending a month early.
There’s a lot of research indicating that arts education shows benefits across the board - here’s a PDF link to a chart of SAT scores which shows a marked increase in scores for students who indicate they had studied arts. (Charts and graphs provided by the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education.)
Oliver Sacks has much to say about music education. Here’s a quotation from Music and the Brain -
Unfortunately, there are many people in charge of education who will not change their ideology no matter what a valid study has to say. That’s why it’s a constant struggle to improve music education in schools, and much of the time, we’re fighting just to keep programs from being cut.
I will say, anecdotally, that the music lessions my kid gets seem to do him worlds of good in terms of teaching him self-discipline, the rewards of application, focus and concentration.
He’s taking piano lessons (he’s 6) and he really seems to enjoy them. Mind you, we have the resources to pay for a teacher and to buy him a keyboard … unfortunately such opportunities do not exist in the public system, at least not in grade 1.
I have no links on studies or statistics or anything of the sort, but it’s ever been my understanding that music study inherently encompasses both mathematics and language studies.
I remember reading long ago about music students scoring higher in math.
I myself am very musical, and have an affinity to math and languages. Whether this is simply genetic or all inter-related due to music study at a somewhat early age (10), I have no clue.
I’ve read similar things about video games. I don’t doubt that music has multiple avenues for exercising the brain and producing changes for the better.
But, I also wonder from your pdf link if the time spent taking music lessons were spent in an actual math class, if the improvement would have been just as good in math scores. Evidence for such is the people taking acting, which requires quite a bit of verbal ability, scoring the highest on the verbal mean scores. In other words, doing the activity increases the ability to do the activity well.
The local Mount Washington ski resort is open till April 22, even though as of the 6th of April we have a base of 22 feet of snow.
Come on you Canucks in the ROC, do you really hate the Vancouver Canucks that much ? We don’t ever expect to be Canada’s team, but the Ottawa Senators ? I don’t expect that Hillary Clinton will be wearing red anytime soon.
There’s a lot of research that says you want to create multiple pathways in the brain to the same region. That strengthens an ability by creating degenerate (in the “multiple” meaning of degenerate) ways for the brain to perform an action, rather than just having one way to do it. Reinforcing an activity with multiple parts of the brain is more effective and permanent than just repetitive actions.
So absolutely, you want to have kids do lots of math. But you also want to connect those math abilities to a different ability. “Music is math” isn’t just a pithy saying, it’s absolutely true and useful for learning.
I don’t particularly care for music, so putting me in a music class is pointless, although my interest in math is high, but more from its practical application rather than theory. Which is odd because being an INTP, I tend to care more for theory.
Language classes bore me other than composition.
I’d rather be in a science class doing something interesting. Put me in a metal or wood working class and I’d make connections in the brain that were just as important. Essentially, exercising the muscles in different ways.
Sure, interest has to be there, and the specific thing isn’t always important. It’s just that music happens to be really effective. Sometimes we need to go to the gym even if we don’t feel like lifting weights. 
I opened my Toronto Star today to find two full-page colour ads from the Royal Canadian Mint, side-by-side in the centerfold, announcing the new redesigned loonies and toonies. Laser-engraved mint marks! Edge lettering! Virtual images!
After the glow-in-the-dark dinosaur coins, the digital cash contest, the elimination of the penny, the new plastic banknotes, the holographic coins, the coloured circulation coins, and the million-dollar gold coin, you’d think someone would need a bit of a rest…
My point being, that if you want someone to learn math, you need a math book, a pad of paper and a pencil. Cost minimal. You want someone to learn music and it costs a hell of a lot more.
Ensuring that the essentials are covered is the most important thing. Now I can be convinced that computers are not necessary in the classroom and could be replaced by musical instruments. But then I could make that case that if you have computers, then an add on would be a keyboard and some software-far cheaper than a bunch of pianos.
Now that the snow in Ontario is gone, the buds of spring are green with envy.
Music isn’t interesting? Making music isn’t interesting?
As I recall my high school days, music class was one of the things that didn’t make me feel so stupid. Math and science were totally beyond me, but music I understood totally. I could read it, I could play it, I could sing it. I loved music class! Unlike math, physics, and chemistry, music was a class in which I could excel. It did wonders for my adolescent ego.
Today, I have no need to do trigonometry, or to balance chemical equations. I don’t need to calculate trajectories of bullets fired from guns, or figure their velocity when they are 1000 meters from the gun. But I do continue to play and sing and otherwise enjoy making music.
The music education I got at school has greatly enhanced my life. I think it would be a shame if others did not have the same opportunity. At least to try it; and if it’s not for a person, well, that’s fine. But to dump music in favour of yet more science and math? No, I disagree.
I would rather have root canals done without the freezing. Just so you know how much I looked forward to art, music, and French classes.
I did act in a couple of plays when I was in primary school. That was okay because there was always girls involved. High school had ‘mandatory’ electives and I was always assigned shit like art and music. Yay! A great way to build character, I guess, being in classes that I sucked greatly at even though participation pretty much ensured a ‘B’.
French was something I deliberately resisted as I saw little need for it in western Canada (let alone anywhere else that I thought I’d ever be. I’ve needed to do trig more than speak any other language at that is with having worked around the world).
If it makes you feel any better, I dislike the Ottawa Senators nearly as much and am also enjoying the possibility of them losing in the first round. Watching the President’s trophy winners crap the bed for yet another year amuses me.
Never assume that just because a Canadian isn’t cheering for your Canadian team that they are cheering for the other Canadian team. I most certainly am not. I think the Kings’ tweet was hilarious.
The last time I went on a tour it was at 4:30 in the afternoon on a Monday and they seemed to be working really hard. Watching people from the overpasses, most of them seemed to be in a good mood. Maybe they like what they are doing… more coins, gotta make more coins! 
I have a hard time getting myself worked up about the playoffs since the non-season of 2005, when the Stanley Cup should have been awarded to the London Knights.
The Maple Leafs aren’t in, and I just don’t have the energy to care about any of the other teams. Sens? Yeah, maybe. Flyers? Yeah, maybe.
