I think everyone should get a solid grounding in math, science, arts, and humanities. As long as they get that, I don't have an opposition to a focus on vocational skills.
To add to the mix:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....0320/Anyone_had_experience_with_DI_.htmlI don't think that a lecture format is necessarily a terrible thing, as long as it's done well. The main problem would be IMHO that you need to make sure the pace is appropriate for everyone in the class, and the obvious tension is that for money and resource reasons the tendency is always to squeeze some kids where the fit isn't very good at all.
I like a lot of things about Montessori, including their autodidactic approach which is at the heart of it, but I haven't fallen in love so much with their actual math autodidactic tools that I've seen. That would fit under the category "Working Out the Bugs".
I don't that it's a good idea to just let kids stagnate in certain areas because they didn't pick to work on them for extended periods, so some mechanism should make sure they're well-rounded, implying that they are actually forced (gently) to work on their less-favored and weak areas sometimes. As long as they don't fall behind, though, I am generally all for letting kids go at their own pace, and increasing that ability however possible, through manipulatives or computers or whatever else.
