Has anyone looked at Neil Bush's "Education Program"?

[hedgehog]

It's called "Ignite! Learning" and involves purchasing something called a "COW" which I can't quite figure out. It seems to be some sort of portable projector full of little cartoons about various topics in history, science, geography, etc. It's pretty sad really. Here's the catch. It's written around the mandatory state test. Now the light begins to dawn. George pushes the mandatory state testing. Neil sells the gizmo that spoon feeds the answers. This isn't learning and it isn't the kind of state testing that some states like New York and Connecticut have had for (literally) a hundred years.

[tanyev]

1. I was looking at the website yesterday.

Remarkable how little info there is, considering they are trying to sell a product.

www.ignitelearning.com

[Debau2005]

5. As a website designer

I had the same thought. The site is not very software business looking, rather childish! I realize it is for children's learning software, but you would think you would want to gear your site towards the adults that are purchasing it! Interesting that there is no hint at a cost per unit or total cost.

The demos are very basic, and cartoonish looking.
Oh good lord, look at the one for Heredity!
http://www.ignitelearning.com/media.shtml

[hedgehog]

11. Cost doesn't matter when the units are donated by

friends of the Bush family. Are any of these actually purchased outright by school districts or are they all donated? Are they actually used in the classrooms?

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. I don't know anyone who uses this crap

[NJCher]

18. how prescient

The demos are very basic, and cartoonish looking.
Oh good lord, look at the one for Heredity!
http://www.ignitelearning.com/media.shtml

Mom and Dad are dressed in stripes and so is junior! Remind you of how any family we know should be dressed--from head to toe, I mean. Oh yeah, and we certainly do know it's heredity.

That was awful.

I'll bet Pat Booone composed the lyrics.

Also, did you notice the poor resolution on some of the graphics? I mean--why? Why not do it the right way?




Cher

[bleedingheart]

6. I just looked at it and thought the same thing...but then again

the only purpose in Ignite's software company is to bilk investors....

[hedgehog]

10. You can't have content on the Website

if there's no content in the product!

[Richardo]

7. That is horrible.

Stupid name ("COW")
Virtually content-free
Aimed at - who knows? - not professional purchasing departments. Maybe targeted at Babs?

[Rose Siding]

28. The pitch itself is juvenile. There used to be sample lessons on the site

The one I remember was a rap song cartoon video: "Manifest Destiny"

[havocmom]

2. Neil S&L Scandal How did these hookers get in my room Bush?

Oh, I'm sure it's all on the up and up. Just like his momma giving money to Katrina charity with instructions it was to go to Neil's company... all on the up and up and definitely helpful to $OMEBODY.

[Dora]

3. "COW"

COW = Curriculum On Wheels

Oh, and your theory is probably right.

:puke:

[hedgehog]

8. Did you see the one that comes in a purple and black holstein print?

Heaven forbid that we use books and a chalk board and a real person to teach our children! They might start thinking and asking questions then!

My daughter recently looked at an article in the New Yorker about the Haymarket Riot and identified an illustration as the same one in her history text. Take that, Neil Bush!

[Dora]

9. Real books and real teaching.

That's exactly what many people DON'T want in our classrooms, and this is exactly what my mother and her generation of teachers fought for. Alas, their fight appears to have been in vain.

When my son is of school age, we're going to homeschool or send him to a charter school if we can find the right fit. I'm committed to raising a citizen, not a drone.

[fed-up]

13. Did a mix of 1/2 homeschool/public-his HS teacher just showed Corporation

He opted for what is called "West" program in his high school which is really a school within a school, about 200 kids have the same teachers for two periods a day for all 4 years of high school. The kids bond with the kids and with the teachers. They do a lot of team activities and presentations.

Son chose this over the AP college prep program where it is read/memorize and spit back out. He has learned how to think independantly and how to get up in front of a group of 200 students.

He also did two years of classes at the junior college (worth one year of credit) when he was a HS freshman and sophomore. The health, sociology and Japanese classes were great at the college level!

Sometimes he hates HS clicks, immature students etc, but overall I am glad he got to sample both worlds.



Looks like the Ignite program is just a bunch of videos, so much for human interaction with a teacher...

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. There are LOTS of good public schools

Don't give up on them. They need your support now. Find a good district and move there. Supporting a charter school just takes money away from public schools.

[babylonsister]

4. And what have we here? Jebbie's been busy also. I wonder if

there's any links between the brothers - 'education-wise', or course.

Florida to Link Teacher Pay To Students' Test Scores
HIALEAH, Fla. -- A new pay-for-performance program for Florida's teachers will tie raises and bonuses directly to pupils' standardized-test scores beginning next year, marking the first time a state has so closely linked the wages of individual school personnel to their students' exam results.

The effort, now being adopted by local districts, is viewed as a landmark in the movement to restructure American schools by having them face the same kind of competitive pressures placed on private enterprise, and advocates say it could serve as a national model to replace traditional teacher pay plans that award raises based largely on academic degrees and years of experience

Gov. Jeb Bush (R) has characterized the new policy, which bases a teacher's pay on improvements in test scores, as a matter of common sense, asking, "What's wrong about paying good teachers more for doing a better job?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[seafan]

12. Oh, yes, Jeb is using his position to grease the skids for Neil:

Jeb went to the Bahamas on February 20 (last month) to shoehorn his new "Global Florida - Classroom Connections" program into Bahamian schools. And guess what it is about.... although he never mentions Neil's software program Ignite!, Jeb refers to his new bright and shiny *educational initiative* as a *technology-based interactive educational* opportunity.

Governor Bush Visits the Commonwealth of the Bahamas
February 20, 2006

TALLAHASSEE -Governor Jeb Bush today traveled to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas to launch "Global Florida - Classroom Connections", an educational exchange program between Florida and the Bahamas. During the visit, Governor Bush highlighted Florida's strong ties to the Caribbean Basin and stressed the importance of continued economic, cultural and educational partnerships.

"The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is one of Florida's most vital trade partners and a great asset to our growing economy." said Governor Bush. "However, our state's relationship with the Bahamas is not limited to trade. Through Classroom Connections, we will link students in Florida with students in the Bahamas and nations around the globe, providing an interesting and interactive opportunity to learn more about the geography, history and customs of other countries."

Governor Bush met with Prime Minister Perry Gladstone Christie and officials at the Bahamian Ministry of Education to announce this historic partnership between schools in Florida and the Bahamas. "Global Florida - Classroom Connections" is an international exchange program that uses technology to increase reading proficiency, raise awareness about the culture and history of Florida and the Bahamas and assist the Ministry of Education in developing teacher training programs.

In the program's early stages, three Florida schools will pair with three Bahamian schools. Each pair will form sister classrooms, sharing culture, educational concepts and technological innovation and strengthening reading skills. To start the process, the classes are swapping books and will connect online in the spring.

snip

http://www.myflorida.com/myflorida/showstory.jsp?sk=4900


So, Neil has the UAE, Bar and her *literacy programs* and Jebbie, our *education legacy governor*, goin' to bat for him.

[Old Smokey]

14. I'd never use it.

I would love to see them try and get me to put that shit in my class. I can teach without the help of neil's software.

[npincus]

15. It looks awfully dumbed-down

but what would one expect from a clan of idiots?

Some people look at the devastation of a great American city and hear Ka-Ching! Ka-Ching!

[wovenpaint]

16. Here's my favorite snippet-from recommendations

"It (the COW) really gets them excited about learning. I used it today... for the entire period. I was probably showing clips for about 20 minutes!"
- Ms. Lovvlorn, Middle School Teacher

:rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. LOL SO she admits using videos to do her job for her

What a tool. I guess unemployment doesn't concern her.

[movie_girl99]

17. a COW is:

Computer On Wheels...our district has one in every classroom.

[tanyev]

23. So is this just a glorified film projector,

or is there interactivity?

[NJCher]

19. so this clunky thing is wheeled around to show little video snippets?

Is that it?

Really, I don't get what the clunky purple thing does. I know if I hover my mouse over the bottom, though, it will identify "wheels" for me, LOL.

Oh man, this is pathetic.

Just a cursory reading of the site shows six or seven grammatical, punctuation, or capitalization errors. If one is in the business of education, might one be able to display correct usage of the English language? EVEN if it's a scam, at least "pretend!"

Sheesh, is it that easy for them to scam all these millions out of the public?


:shrug:




Cher

[VOX]

20. Neil says,"Ignite! is...for "hunter-warrior" kids who don't like reading."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Bush
"Ignite! is designed to make learning fun for "hunter-warrior" kids who don't like reading."
- - - - -
And doesn't THAT sound familiar!!! :grr:

[Initech]

21. Spoon-fed, dumbed down education. Ah, great!

[Minnesota Libra]

22. This is a joke right?? I just don't get the punch line, please......

.....someone explain this to me. This can't be real.:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

24. I looked at it when NCLB was first passed.

It's just part of the bush agenda to fleece America.

As a teacher, my opinion is that this program really sucks. If he wasn't the pres's bro, it would never have gotten past school administrators. It's that bad.

[donsu]

29. he's just running a scam like the bushies do

nt

[tom_paine]

30. I figured it would be something like this...

You arrrre feeling sleeeepeeeee...

Emperor Bush is a Noble and Godly Leader.

War is Peace.
Slavery is Freedom.

Anyone who disagrees with Our Emperor is a traitor who should be liquidated.



Now...WAKE UP!

Here is a photo of some Liberal Traitors...



If 10,000 Liberal Traitors in Halliburton Homeland Detention Camp accidentally die on the same day of "heart attacks", another 5,000 America-Hating Liberal Traitors accidentally die on the same day of "severe influenza", and another 2,500 Flag-Burning, Baby-Killing, Communist, America-Hating Liberal Traitor also coincidentally die on the same day of "tuberculosis", then how many Liberal Trators accidentally died on the same day..?

If you said 17,500 Flag-Burning, Baby-Killing, Communist, America-Hating Liberal Traitors accidentally died in Halliburton Homeland Security Camp on the same day, you are correct!



And we America-loving Republicans are all the better off for their accidental deaths, aren't we?
For your correct answer, you may reward yourself by being allowed to watch five minutes of The Bill O'Reilly Show. and feel free to have a bite of your Halliburton Hamburger.

[Rose Siding]

31. Almost- It's cartoons. Here's a link

Most are done in a style that already seems dated.

http://www.ignitelearning.com/media.shtml

The first one on the page somehow manages to dis diplomacy even though it was successful.

Hard to believe the makers of this program would miss the opportunity to spin the lessons.