Why you shouldn't homeschool your kids ! - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Karlo_Moharic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 01:27:10 pm
content: Watch the video , title of the post says it all :

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 01:40:44 pm
content: Blame the schoolsystem they should guide and teach him on his interests and level, if he is not allowed to get that what else should he do?I saw a lot of kids that could have graduated high school with honors at age 14 but were kept small and back by the system so they bored themselves.There should be a place where very smart kids could go to and stimulate instead of trying to squeeze everyone to the mediocre level.

author: Kjelt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 02:03:16 pm
content: Just making an assumption here but his parents can't probably understand him or guide him anymore so for them he is the boy genius.They probably ackowledge that every time (also wishing for that) so he lives up to the wishes of his parents.Place him between other boys his age with the same iq, interests and he grows up much better realizing he might not be the one time genius and nurture his interests and stimulate him to grow further.See this all the time on the sportsfield, parents that think their kid is the next Messi or Ronaldo and treat him like that

author: StillTrying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 05:12:30 pm
content: I'm not surprised his parents keep locking him in the boiler room and telling him to work on cold fusion or something.

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 08:35:44 pm
content: This is a Hoax !Typical ingredients : energy for nothing, cold fusion.Even if the kid is bright, the less one can say is that he his quite infatuated of himself. He should learn humility. Real research is far more difficult than bragging about a fake experiment of energy harvesting.I would only believe it if the schematics are published and it is repeated by external experimenters.The blackboard with formulas is obviously a set up and stating that these are simple computations, just another ingredient of typical hoax.The kid register to online course at MIT. Any three years old toddler can do the same !

author: Karlo_Moharic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 09:43:08 pm
content: Quote from: StillTrying on June 27, 2016, 05:12:30 pmHahahahaha

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 10:36:48 pm
content: "There should be a place where very smart kids could go to and stimulate instead of trying to squeeze everyone to the mediocre level"Over the last 20 plus years our school systems have moved from educating our kids to providing jobs for the teachers. There is this overwhelming desire to make winners out of losers, to avoid competition, and to make everyone happy. Often at thee cost of dragging down the brightest and smartest.NYC is a good example. It has a few schools where kids are admitted on academics. However, some people are trying to admit students based on thee kids skin color .You would have thought those people are racists. Except that people advocating a color blind admission system are being called racists now.Confusing times.

author: SL4P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 11:12:56 pm
content: Home Schooling? Why not?There's a distinct possibility you don't know as much as you think?!

author: System Error Message
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 11:35:54 pm
content: Theres no such thing as free energy, the device he built gets the energy from static and radio waves and is a trick well shared underground even with the explanation that it is not free energy but if there are AM radio stations or high power transmitters around you can get electricity flowing but not huge amounts. Its enough to power LEDs as the combined wattage at the point where you place the device is probably a few watts including background radiation.If you didnt notice the kid lacks friends as no one mentioned friends. At one point hes going to get lonely.

author: dannyf
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 27, 2016, 11:55:31 pm
content: QuoteDepending on your definition of "free".So his "free" energy comes from the radio station which does pay for their energy consumption. So the energy is free to the kid but not free to the radio station.What if his contraption picks up from sun rays? Is that free?What if his contraption picks up background radiation? Is that free?What if his contraption is able to convert dark matter / dark energy? is that free?...even if you don't consider that free, does that matter that you have (near) endless supply of energy?

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 12:43:58 am
content: Looks like a general topic to me or maybe even under free energy. Why would it end up here? Perhaps OP was home schooled?

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 12:53:57 am
content: Quote from: System Error Message on June 27, 2016, 11:35:54 pmMaybe that's why eevblog.com has so many members.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 03:50:53 am
content: I think he might have viewed too many Geek Squad episodes (or whatever the Boden site is called). He's seems to be focused on the trendy side of things. He's probably a bright kid, but there's a very strong "look at me, aren't I clever" vibe going on here. Hopefully, he'll grow out of this, else he's going to become completely intolerable.

author: LaserSteve
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 28, 2016, 09:09:27 pm
content: I dislike Processing, Arduino, Helicopter Parents, and PWM for a good reason. The White Rabbit is the WRONG symbol for a message. IMO, this is an example ofHELICOPTER PARENT MARKETING!That said..I love to work with students who have some practical experience before they get here, in moderation. :-)I love to work with students who are a little advanced over their peers, and come to the University for some advanced exposure.I've had great success mentoring Jr. High and High School students , or their school science team for Intel-ISEF.I've seen graduate students challenged in thought by unusual concepts, when they are involved in mentoring youngsters. (One Actual Patent out of that!)I love using idling equipment to aid in their projects, on evenings or weekends. After all, its on hot standby all the time, and a few extra minutes of use costs nothing, as the fixed costs happen to be the same, either way. ( I do get permission, and our Ethics Statement supports use for good cause!)At his age... If he is Home Schooled..He needs to be in a regular school. He needs a sport such as soccer/football and access to Girls.Most dating skills, as well as the critical co-habitation skills, are actually picked up by watching the interactions of adults, and/or older teens at a very early age.I've seen many of them become hopeless monsters with poor socialization. They get really good at manipulating adults and funding agencies.However they often last about a year or less in Post-Graduate education. That early EGO development is costly when you need to display humility, and work really hard to be part of a team. Narcissism can become a serious problem later on..But when push comes to shove, there are biological changes at physical ages of 14 to 16, and 18 to 21, specifically in Learning Skills. These kids get clobbered when the "photographic memory" and recitation memory wears off in early adulthood. Most of them have a missing skill needed to succeed, such as logical processing for computer programming, which does not come into service until they are older. Example, 14 year old "Geniuses" may be able to memorize, and recall everything printed, but are still missing the brain development for Calculus, which comes later in life.Our state has a program where High School Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors may spend a half day at the local college for free. They get college credit for passing the classes. Kids like him get shunted into that program. Many of them are miserable when they find college age peers are not impressed by "Doogie Howser MD". However the college folk tend to be less abusive then his age peers would be.The textbook School of Education answer is as follows:When you get a bright kid like that, you USE them in the classroom to help teach, among other tasks. Then you pair them with a group of C or D students as a permanent group. The amazing thing is when you pair the "Exceptional" student with the "Problem" student, both of them accelerate in development. The "Problem" student often has a very different approach to problem solving, which can challenge the "Exceptional" student. There are plenty of studies to support that finding. If you want to know how that works, "Johnny, if you want your string of straight As to continue, make sure Billy passes my class, or else..."The second technique is to find them a Mentor. Placing them in a professional situation working in the area they excel in, often shows them personal weaknesses that challenge them. After all, memorized Rote Learning often gets trashed in the first exposure to the practicum.Home school can work well for reasonably normal kids with well socialized parents. But it can be a disaster for "Exceptional" students.What gets fun is when we accept these kids for mentoring, is when the "Helicopter" parents show up. I took one "Bright" young man up to a NASA facility to get him access to instruments in his field of interest. His science teacher rode along. We had everything set up for him to spend a summer learning at a space center. The NASA guys quizzed him, and he suitably passed as a intern candidate. We had briefed "MOM" before going about what would happen, and what NOT to say.However, Mom noted the travel distance. She then insisted vehemently that NASA just loan her the instruments, and he could teach himself. One minute he's looking at a triple rack of Agilent gear, plus two senior scientists as new friends. The next minute NASA's contract guards are gently watching to make sure she's off the property, and not returning.Now I screen thePARENTSbefore mentoring any teens!!!!Max mayREGRETthat video in a few years, when he is out on his own looking for employment. I would advise his parents to have it pulled, if possible.The National Science Foundation in the US, will often issue extra funding ( Thousands or more) to Professors who host promising students for mentoring. Most institutions of higher learning will at a minimum, issue a tour for a bright kid, and often a library card."Sparkfun EE" is my new phrase of the week!Steve (Who grew up on Sheldor)

author: uncle_bob
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 12:07:52 am
content: HiPardon me, but the world of "public school / home school" died a few decades ago. Even if he lives in a hut at the south pole, there are a number of alternatives. Many of them offer a "work at your own rate" approach. The one I am most familiar with does indeed graduate students a year or two "ahead of time".Bob

author: sarepairman2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 07:05:23 am
content: Quote from: EmmanuelFaure on June 27, 2016, 01:57:09 pmyou obviously never worked for a company before"figure out how to make this cheap bullshit vaguely marketable" The maker community you are describing is basically a manufacturing ground for sales engineers.these guys are like impedance matching between you and the customer! management rolls in hard when they start detecting reflections!

author: sarepairman2
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 07:07:55 am
content: Quote from: EmmanuelFaure on June 27, 2016, 02:25:12 pmyou should be happy, the job market will be easy for youdo you want more competition or something? that shit could turn into highlander

author: hans
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 09:29:10 am
content: Quote from: LaserSteve on June 28, 2016, 09:09:27 pmLet me throw out something completely random: who knows if this is a case of narcissistic parenting. Golden child vs black sheep family. Perfect family to the outside world, mentally abusive within. Complete trust and convinced of their own perfection and wisdom, to the point it becomes arrogance. Never satisfied their accomplishments or results because there is no working feedback system, working & pushing too hard that will at some point give way.It's either that, or this child is really gifted.Personally I think that this quote is applicable:"The Secret to Creativity Is Knowing How to Hide Your Sources"

author: alsetalokin4017
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 02:55:25 pm
content: Quote from: System Error Message on June 27, 2016, 11:35:54 pmI have quite a bit of experience with low power RF and EM energy harvesters, as well as electrostatics, and I'll go out on a limb here and say that this kid's device is a hoax. Ten to one there is a battery concealed in it somewhere. With no onboard battery, the performance could be duplicated with a deliberately constructed inductive power transmission system, hidden close by, with his coil setup as receiver, but it's pretty clear that he doesn't have the savvy to put one of those together. A spoon as a critical component of his system?Give me a break.

author: Aodhan145
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 03:18:49 pm
content: What even is this? They don't look like real/meaningful equations.

author: LaserSteve
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 03:24:19 pm
content: Emmanuel,A full Dollar for using the term Sparkfun EE? I'll make you a different offer, you pay me to use it, or I'll use the more economical "He has a degree from the "Ada School of Engineering at Sparkfun College, Arduino Campus"Don't get me wrong, I like Sparkfun, but they have somewhat moved away from the intrinsically useful kind of hardware I liked to order from them in the past.We here could rule the low end 3D printer world. All we would have to do is add position encoders to the shafts, and stop assuming the motor actually makes each step with equal force and uniform step size. The world would march to our door, until they figured out how to mount the encoders.. One wonders if the cards have enough interrupts left for the encoder expansion. We could set the rest back a year by introducing true PID using the encoders, as Phase II of our scheme to conquer the world. Phase three would be true fractional microstepping using a synchro. For those who don't know, CT machines still use a massive Synchro around the patient, as they are better then absolute encoders at high speeds.Back to the fun at hand.The White Rabbit logo suggests a Father who self identifies with the deluded computer programmer/traitor/hacker in Jurassic Park. That is a bit disconcerting. No way the kid would have picked up on that, himself.One of the first things I did when I moved into the professional world was refuse to call myself an engineer. I'm a Technician or a Technologist. I'm no longer a self taught engineer, nor do I always like it when my colleagues refer to me as "Our Electrical Engineer". As I teach grad students to use equipment, and as I support the teaching of future engineers, I like to see the State Standard of "Professional Engineer" kept alive. Around here, if you call yourself an Engineer and work on anything related to Safety of Life, your on the hook if people get hurt. I'm working on ignoring the Professor who refers to me as "Professor Rxxxxxxs" in meetings, (Jokingly) and the handful of students who call me Doc... Once in a while when dealing with lay people, I will say, "I do Systems Engineering for the University", as a way of explaining my task. With the odd sales and marketing person, I'll use the phrase Engineer, carefully. I do have a degree in an Allied Field, and I actually work for the Engineering College I flunked out of. (Math, Not the Science)I know my limits, and I often turn down tasks that I feel may result in over-reaching professional liability. I'll work out a design for a medical prototype, but some one else is signing off on it. I'll lay out drawings for rewiring portions of our building, but you can bet I have them checked by some one with a Power EE if three phase is involved. Peer Review is important and it works..Steve

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 04:38:19 pm
content: Quote from: alsetalokin4017 on June 29, 2016, 02:55:25 pmYep. There's no way he's going to light up all those LEDs with just a spoon and a coil of wire.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2016, 04:43:15 pm
content: Quote from: LaserSteve on June 29, 2016, 03:24:19 pmMost of the sensible printer makers have been doing that since last year.