Of course, schools and teachers and other fountains of wisdom should always be allowed to invite students to consider favored topics, and try to show students why those topics are worthy of consideration or even devotion. Even back then in the good old days, our schooling systems didn't work very well for many students. Since it is no longer possible for anyone to understand most of what human beings consider important, these people need new job descriptions. Some schools are breaking out of these traps, by applying the quality improvement systems developed for industry. The community pays the school system to help students learn.
Teachers become managers, who are there to do whatever they can to help the workers do their jobs.
Basic Books, 1994. Rather than using computers to teach the same old curriculum even more mechanically, some visionary teachers have used computers creatively to enrich learning. Computer-based media can let children master areas of knowledge that are now inaccessibly difficult, and self directed study can support diverse learning styles let students to take charge of their own learning. After years of research, Langer has concluded that many of the problems with current schooling systems can be traced to seven commonly held myths, and teachers' efforts apply them. She offers alternative approaches based on her five principles, with startling results.