the children are our future Nov. 28, 2011

Blocks Are 2011’s Hot Educational Fad

By Dan Amira

A young girl participates in a child-initiated activity as she attempts to construct a building with blocks February 13, 2004 at the Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago.

Faster! FASTER!!! Photo: Tim Boyle/Getty Images

Yes, blocks — those pieces of wood that you built things with as a child. They’re apparently back in vogue in New York City schools, the Times tells us today. Because blocks foster creativity and problem-solving skills in young children, and prepare them for the lifetime of manual labor they’ll be forced to perform for Chinese construction conglomerates when those are the only jobs available to them in their bleak, dystopian futures.

Sources

Tags:

Comments Leave a Comment

Blocks Are 2011’s Hot New Educational Fad

Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission.

Most Viewed Stories

Editor’s Picks

THE FEED

Enjoy Your Last Days of Not Paying Student Loans

By Kevin T. Dugan

It’s been more than three years since they were due. A lot has changed.

Millennials Will Not Age Into Voting Like Boomers

Older millennials are getting more conservative as they age, but the generation’s politics are still distinctly left-wing.

early and often

early and often

2024 Presidential Candidates Side With Far Right on Debt Deal

Trump, DeSantis, Haley, Pence, and Scott all seemed cavalier about risking a debt default to please the most extreme elements of the party base.

Most Popular

are they out there?

are they out there?

Floating Metallic Orbs Are Everywhere — and 4 Other UFO Revelations From NASA

The space agency is finally getting in on the trend of government investigations into unidentified foreign objects.

tremendous content

tremendous content

Tape Reveals Trump Doubted His Mental Declassification Powers

By Margaret Hartmann

After the Mar-a-Lago raid, Trump claimed he could declassify “even by thinking about it.” But he didn’t believe this a year earlier.

The Adams Administration Has a New Policy for Jail Deaths: Cover-up

The Department of Correction will no longer alert the media of inmate deaths. The move comes after a report raised questions about deadly incidents.

tremendous content

tremendous content

Ron DeSantis Can’t Decide How to Pronounce His Own Name

By Margaret Hartmann

For years, the Florida governor has switched from “Dee-Santis” to “Deh-Santis” and back again with no apparent rhyme or reason.

early and often

early and often

MAGA World Dismisses Ken Paxton Impeachment As Political Persecution

Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marjorie Taylor Greene say the Texas attorney general’s impeachment on 20 articles was a RINO-led “witch hunt.”

early and often

early and often

Kevin McCarthy Really Did It

The debt-ceiling deal passed the House by sweeping bipartisan margins, leading the Speaker to dunk on his haters.

How to Navigate the Bizarro Economy

By Kevin T. Dugan

Is good news on jobs going to push the Federal Reserve to create a recession?

Will Google’s AI Plans Destroy the Media?

By John Herrman

The new bot-generated content is ominous for digital publishers. But the search giant might have a reason to pull back.

The Plane Crash That Killed an Alleged Monster

A plane without wings fell out of the sky in western New York. Inside was a doctor who allegedly used his sperm for fertility treatments.

early and often

early and often

DeSantis Aims to Convince Voters That Trump Is the Real RINO

The governor’s strategy may seem strange, but it’s the path to victory in Iowa.

yeezy season approaching

yeezy season approaching

Adidas Is Ready to Make Money on Yeezys Again

The company is selling off its back stock and giving a “significant amount” of the revenue to charity after cutting ties with Kanye West.

early and often

early and often

Is Trump the New Nixon?

Analogies between the two presidents liberals love to hate only go so far.

tremendous content

tremendous content

Donald Trump’s Nasty Ron DeSantis Nicknames, Ranked

By Margaret Hartmann

Trump has been workshopping his DeSantis nicknames, floating “Meatball Ron,” “Tiny D,” and “Ron DeSanctimonious.” Here’s some constructive feedback.

early and often

early and often

The Quirky Conservative Who Saved the Economy and McCarthy

Thomas Massie broke with fellow far-right Republicans, who are determined to make the House Speaker hurt.

How TikTok Beat the Ban (for Now)

Earlier this spring, Democrats and Republicans came together to call for a crackdown. It was never going to be that easy.

A Generation Moves On

Right-wing indoctrination is heady, but it doesn’t always stick.

early and often

early and often

Did We Just Trade a Debt Default for a Government Shutdown?

Most of the debt-limit deal must be implemented via future fights over appropriations, which could trigger shutdowns and even deeper cuts.

tremendous content

tremendous content

It Turns Out ‘Trump Bucks’ Aren’t Actually Legal Tender

By Margaret Hartmann

It seems Trump has nothing to do with this online scam — though his PAC selling worthless fake credit cards probably added to the confusion.

All That for $46 Billion?

By Kevin T. Dugan

The Biden-McCarthy deal could have been a disaster. Instead, the hostage-taking over the debt limit produced a budget that’s basically status quo.

Elizabeth Holmes Is Going to Prison Today

For the next 11 years, she’ll be trading the black turtleneck for an inmate’s jumpsuit.

on with kara swisher

on with kara swisher

How Diia Is Becoming the Ukrainian Government’s Real Everything App

By Intelligencer Staff

Kara Swisher talks to Ukrainian deputy PM Mykhailo Fedorov and Samantha Power about how the app has evolved into a wartime digital Swiss Army knife.

The Failson Celtics Don’t Deserve to be Near the NBA Finals

A Heat-Nuggets matchup may not have massive crossover appeal, but the two teams possess a killer instinct Boston lacks.