Commentary on Teachers & Scientific Research

Move Over Mickey

Move Over Mickey – the headlines read
There is a new mouse the Germans have bred
They’ve altered the brain in their little head
They may get them to talk just like Mr. Ed

In order to speak the way humans do
We must have a gene in our DNA goo
That alters our brain so the signals come through
That gene is now known as the FOXP2

So Wolfgang said “I must put this in mouses
The ones in our labs like the ones in your houses
And we’ll marry them up with like-altered spouses
And my mouse will be better than that dumbkoff Klause’s”

So researchers at the Max Planck Institute
Spliced a few genes into a gene soup
Put it into the mouse DNA goop
And are waiting to see what their efforts recoup

So far they admit they have not reached perfection
But see a bit stronger ganglia connection
In all of the mice they have now in their collection
But none of them speaking has been in detection

But it’s lowered the pitch in the baby mouse squeaking
And with each generation it seems to be peaking
So maybe with just a little more tweaking
A new Mickey Mouse will be actually speaking

Mdailey - 06/01/09
These were written for all of you that do not keep up with scientific research like I do!

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Reading, Writing & Robots

The three Rs never were three Rs
No matter what they say
They were reading, writing & arithmetic
From way back in my day
But the three Rs now are changing
From what I understand
They are reading, writing & Robots
At least now in Japan

They’ve automated teaching
Set a robot at the board
She walks and talks as teacher
Within her, data’s stored

She’s a walking, talking teaching tool
And not that bad a looker
She’ll keep the boys perked up at school
If the school boards will book her
She’ll save the school board money
A fact we can’t refute
She’ll shut down for the weekends
And on Monday’s she’ll reboot

They’ve automated teaching
And the cost’s not out of reach
She’s an expert at – well – everything
There ain’t nothing she can’t teach

But here’s the rub right from the start
The children won’t be loved
If they fall down and skin their knees
They won’t be simply hugged
They won’t feel the human kindness
That good teachers now impart
She’s just a walking, talking teaching tool
This teacher has no heart

They’ve automated teaching
And at first I thought it cool
But I don’t want an automated manikin
To teach my kids in school

Mdailey / 06-01-09