<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Oct 21, 2007, at 9:41 PM, Willem Blees wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV>-----Original Message-----<BR> From: Israel Stein <<A href="mailto:custos3@comcast.net">custos3@comcast.net</A>><BR> To: <A href="mailto:caut@ptg.org">caut@ptg.org</A><BR> Sent: Sun, Oct 21 11:08 AM<BR> Subject: [CAUT] Uniform Formal Education<BR> <BR> <Ah, yes, Cy. You have introduced a very important principle into this discussion. "Uniform" does not mean "one-dimensional". It is the height of folly to think that in order to get to a uniform educational standard one needs to teach "a uniform way of tuning: how to sit, hold the hammer, even setting a temperament" as somebody here seems to be advocating. That's nonsense. <BR> <BR> snip</DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> <BR> In my opinion, one of the bigger problem with much of the instruction offered by the PTG - in classes, chapter meetings, some of the publications - is precisely this "one size fits all" mentality.> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff">I agree that there are many different ways to accomplish a task, whether it is settinga temperament, tying a string or regulating an action. But in order to pass the RPT exam, there is only one way that is correct.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>No no no no. Each task has a defined goal, but there may be many quite different ways to achieve it. We are not graded by our methods, but by our results.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> And it is that correct, uniform method that needs to be taught to beginning students if the PTG expects them to become RPTs. Once a technician has learned to do it the "correct" way, then hes/she shoudl be encouraged to learn as many different ways of doing things. </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"><How many times I hear people argue over whether this or that is "best" or "correct" or whatever - when essentially they are both right (depending on the specifics of a given situation. I have seen students bat their heads against a wall trying to do things "the way they have been taught" - unsuccessfully, and then being introduced to another method - and picking it up in a flash. Not that the second method is "better" than the first - they are both used successfully by many people. Just that for some reason the student can relate better to method B than to method A. Trying to force a unitary way down students' throats is a sure way to retard learning for many people. ></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff">And perhaps that is one of the reasons we have so few people taking the RPT exams. Maybe because the exams have become so annally uniform, without a slight bit of lee way, (other than the tollerences), Assocaites are just giving up trying to become an RPT. </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I think there are many reasons. </DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>First, the government does not require anyone to take any exam to become a piano technician. There are many non-members and non-RPT members doing quite well with no reason to take any exam. We must remember that this is, after all, an occupation. The foremost goal is to offer a service in exchange for money. If a technician is offering a good quality of work and has a reliable customer base which keeps referring him more business, that is the goal of his pursuit.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Taking the RPT exams does not make anyone a better piano technician. It simply evaluates his/her skills. If a technician is confident of his/her skills he/she has no reason to pursue the RPT exams except political ones.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Some folks just aren't interested in joining organizations. Some avoid the exams for the sole purpose of being a rebel against the "establishment". Some are mentored by highly skilled, proven technicians who just aren't interested in PTG and that rubs off.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The exam setting is not consistent from location to location (especially tuning). The difficulty level of the exams is over hyped and literally scares potential examinees away.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>There are many many reasons to not pursue the exams.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>There are also good reasons to pursue them, but I was addressing your point.</DIV><BR><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"><There are many more issues that I will not vex you with at this point. A printed curriculum can go a long way in at least offering the possibility of correcting such problems as the above. The rest is up to the individual - and there is no way to make sure that any given individual will make good use of whatever tools are made available. ></DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff"> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: #000; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, Sans-Serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #fff">Like a leading a horse to water. etc. But isn't a curriculum basically making sure instruction is "uniform", from one instructor to another? <BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>No. It means task goals are consistent. Not methods.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Jeff</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR></DIV><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV>Jeff Tanner, RPT</DIV><DIV>University of South Carolina</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>