School days, dear old days, dear old golden cruel days.

Welcome to Rumblestrip, Vermont.

Today, a commentary from Mark Estrin about the three things he learned

in his years of school. The only three things. Here's Mark.

The best teacher I ever had was a philosopher historian named Hans Meyerhoff. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at noon, he held forth on existentialism in literature

in the largest hall on the UCLA campus.

People would pack the room, sit on the stairs, eat lunch standing at the back to hear this man.

Each week he would begin a new book, he would stride across the stage to the lectern, slowly

reached down and pull the book from his briefcase, open the book decisively in

front of him, and say in a thick German accent,

What does this book show?

With this question he taught me how to read.

What does this book show is one of only three things in 25 years of schooling other than typing class in junior high school, that I have found valuable

as an adult.

Of the other two, one is also in a German accent, though from a different emigre.

An old world biology professor once remarked,

upon observing a student report,

percent means 100 samples.

Do you have 100 samples?

It made me look at statistics differently for the rest of my life.

Among the students in the seminar, 60% brought laptops to class.

Right.

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