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I took a look at the Einstein stuff, and I must say that I am kind of charmed by the concept. There are a lot of similarities with what is at the moment being more and more discussed in Dutch politics, e.g. the fact that life long learning has to be taken seriously. According to me however, some more extensive information could be given on the contents of the program, or, as it is called on the site "the pedagogical approaches'. This is very important with regard to the differences in sexes.
Let me shortly explain this: girls and boys don't have that many differences in behavior until they turn, let's say 12/13. Then the gender differences are being put into the social game, either consciously or subconsciously. To put it concretely: whereas boys go on learning about and playing with computers, girls sit behind the keyboard that they know very well how to use, but are now giggling about it and playing the dummies so that the boys will help. This is the exchange of gender identity which is very important to the development of skills for girls. I feel that this should somehow be taken into account when developing and advancing with an educational program that is as ambitious as Einstein.
Secondly I felt, and here I shortly return to the concept of playing with computers, that too little attention is paid to the fact that it will not suffice to see computers either primarily as objects (about which you have to learn) or as subjects (as a medium). I feel that if the program is to be successful both aspects will equally have to be taken into account: especially with computers it is important to play, to see the fun of it and to learn that the thing will not bite or explode when you do something wrong. From the text I did not get a very clear grip on what the intentions of the program are with respect to this.
Neither did I fully understand whether it is the purpose to implement new ways of learning mathematics etc. This, because in my view it will, again, not be sufficient to digitalize the current math teaching and then think that it will be improved because it is now on the computer. I think that in order to keep everybody in society it is also very important to let people discover the usefulness of their own capabilities. And when you are a good social scientist, but don't understand a thing about numbers, learn to develop this and stress that you can succeed in society with your capabilities.
In other words: help people to understand their own value.
And with respect to technologies I am very pleased that the program sets out to help people learn how to use them in order to keep pace with society. With regard to some Dutch potential interested parties I can suggest PWT in Utrecht (I'll look up the address for you) a non-profit organization that is according to my information currently working on computers on primary schools
Let me know whether this was useful to you. I'll follow this project as I think it's interesting.
Margo Groot fred@rigo.nl
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