Chris,

I apologize for misreading your tone and intent.  It's an unfortunate =
attribute of email that it loses personality.  I agree that a school =
purchasing an instrument for instruction should have a high quality but =
I don't see that our schools are at that point or that caveman is =
recommending this as a school solution. =20

Let me try to explain my sensitivity.  My son's middle school dropped =
earth science to meet state mandates for an increase in physical =
education hours.  We moved shortly after that to another state.  Here I =
became involved with the science fair and to my shock the largest middle =
school in the region did not participate.  When I inquired I found no =
contract for extra work outside the classroom hours so no science =
projects.  One high school science teacher explained to me that there is =
no time to fit any extra topics in order to meet federal and state =
curriculum guidelines.  The one teacher that did let me demonstrate a =
seismograph left the area and her job was cut.  A German exchange =
student I am hosting is near the top of the English class and shows =
better understanding than most others according to her teacher.  She has =
only been in the US since August so what does that tell you.  Our =
political mandates are dumbing down the best students.  It really is =
approved and budgeted science only and that leaves only individual =
interest.

An old magazine article from 1960 something about a smoked drum =
seismograph stuck in my mind until I started to research in 1995 and =
build my first.  The Lehman article has been the basis for many on this =
list but few of us are using pipe fittings on a board anymore.  Maybe =
something simple like the caveman web page will spark other individual =
interest.  How well it functions doesn't matter if thinking is set in =
motion and the steps to reach something better follow.  That's where =
learning starts.  Think about what percent of aeronautical engineers =
started with paper airplanes looping into the ground and being refolded? =


Randy







Chris,
 
I apologize for misreading your tone =
and=20
intent.  It's an unfortunate attribute of email that it loses=20
personality.  I agree that a school purchasing an instrument for=20
instruction should have a high quality but I don't see that our=20
schools are at that point or that caveman is recommending this as a =
school=20
solution.  
 
Let me try to explain my =
sensitivity.  My=20
son's middle school dropped earth science to meet state mandates for an =
increase=20
in physical education hours.  We moved shortly after that =
to another=20
state.  Here I became involved with the science fair and to my =
shock the=20
largest middle school in the region did not participate.  When I =
inquired I=20
found no contract for extra work outside the classroom hours so no =
science=20
projects.  One high school science teacher explained to me that there is no time to fit any extra =
topics in=20
order to meet federal and state curriculum guidelines.  The one =
teacher=20
that did let me demonstrate a seismograph left the area =
and her job=20
was cut.  A German exchange student I am hosting is near the =
top of=20
the English class and shows better understanding than most others =
according to=20
her teacher.  She has only been in the US since August so =
what=20
does that tell you.  Our political mandates are dumbing down the =
best=20
students.  It really is =
approved and=20
budgeted science only and that leaves only individual =
interest.
 
An old magazine article from 1960 =
something=20
about a smoked drum seismograph stuck in my mind until I started to =
research in=20
1995 and build my first.  The Lehman article has been the basis for =
many on=20
this list but few of us are using pipe fittings on a board =
anymore.  Maybe=20
something simple like the caveman web page will spark other =
individual=20
interest.  How well it functions doesn't matter =
if thinking is=20
set in motion and the steps to reach something better=20
follow.  That's where learning starts.  Think about what =
percent=20
of aeronautical engineers started with paper airplanes looping into the =
ground=20
and being refolded? 
 
Randy