Not that we have High School Graduation here, but if the Government report praised it that would mean in turn that its pupils were actually perfectly capable of taking and passing the state exams at 16 and 18 (and did).
So the point about its success is not only the way in whuch things are taught, but that the people there do at least as well, academically speaking, as they would at a mainstram school. So it appears, anyway.
It's not for everybody. Many students need more structure, and this unschooling is very unstructured here at least. The education system should be equipped to handle many styles of learning. There are kids that would totally flop if not pushed. Though I do wish that answers weren't just given to kids, but debated on them and why things are so..More analytical thinking skills.
Originally posted by Atlantis001Yes, they are only taught for tests, not real education for learning. More rote. No wonder so many hate school.
It think there would be some casualties, but only because the educacional system is made to train students to have high grades, you learn how to obtain high grades, not to think.
Though I do wish that answers weren't just given to kids, but debated on them and why things are so..More analytical thinking skills.
Maybe it was because I was in honors and AP classes during high school, or maybe because I went to a really good high school, but a lot of my classes - my science ones especially, and my physics class I took junior year in particular - were like that. In my physics class in particular our teacher wouldn't always explain exactly why something worked the way it did, but rather set it up where we could do an experiment to work it out ourselves. Surprise surprise, I liked my science classes a lot in high school, and despite the fact my physics class was the hardest one I took, I did very well in it.
Though there are many people who aren't interested in why something is the way it is, they just want to know the info.
Originally posted by Lana
Though there are many people who aren't interested in why something is the way it is, they just want to know the info.
I agree. They just want to know what they need to pass the tests, and even the tests are made in a way that is not needed to much analytical thinking. Just remember the equation, substitute x by the given number, and find the result. Students do not do much more than a calculator do.
Originally posted by debbiejo
They just want to know the info for the passing grade, because that's what they've learned to do. It's the easier yet most uninteresting way.
It was not so easy for me, when I do not see the purpose of what I am doing I do not do it well. But it is a good thing to those who can do it.
Originally posted by Atlantis001
It was not so easy for me, when I do not see the purpose of what I am doing I do not do it well. But it is a good thing to those who can do it.
I'm like that too, if I see something as being pointless, or really can't figure out what the purpose of it is, I find I have a hard time doing it. I hated doing homework in school - I saw no point as I didn't need to do it to understand what we were learning.
The only way that can happen is with small classes and more teachers...and considering how overcrowded most schools are (especially in cities), how much schools have to cut programs to try and have enough money to stay open, and how much that stupid No Child Left Behind act has screwed things up in the US...that's not really possible.
Only in private schools I'm afraid...You know how expensive those schools are when people are already paying taxes for the government schools as it is. It doesn't even matter if your child is attending school or if you don't even have any children people are still taxed by it...Gotta pay no matter what....Not right.
Originally posted by Lana
I hated doing homework in school - I saw no point as I didn't need to do it to understand what we were learning.
Exactly, and that lead me to have some lower grades in high school sometimes. Fortunately in college things are different, and I do well enough. I have many friends who did very well in high school, and now totally failed in college.
I think that if the educacional system was good, then there should be some correlation between grades, and learning, but for me, were I live at last it is not like that.
Why should we not share our ideas? In my opinion, it isn't what you hear, it's how loudly you hear it. Good ideas or bad ideas can be expressed, but as a race we need to be able to have the foresight to see how it can benefit or detract from our existence.
Only after every human being is made aware of the consequences of their beliefs, and their willingness to act upon them in regards to the rest of humanity, will a true peace and understanding be acheived.
The variety of life is the driving force behind stability. Once people know and accept that their willingness to act on their counter-cooperative instincts will be detrimental to their existance, then the aforementioned variety can add to teh stability of our world.
The human condition lends itself to suffering. Therefore, fellow human beings must not be allowed to contribute, directly, to that suffering. Convictions are important, but knowing when to exercise them is invaluable.
Evolution
What we need in this world is clear understanding of what the modern theory of evolution is all about. People read Darwin and think that's what we still cling to, and that isn't the case. And that lack of a broad and sweeping modernization of the theory is what people who still believe the Earth to be 6K years old cling to when they're out there, spreading ignorance. Darwin hypothosized that a whale came from a bear. That's just wrong. It was a revolutionary concept for it's time, and it does indeed have it's basis in factual evidence, but it was wrong. The whale evolved from an animal that originally lived on land, but the bear-thing is way off.
So, basically what I'm saying is that there needs to be a modern Darwin, that puts all the pieces together for everyone. I'm not saying that there aren't going to be aspects of the theory that are proven wrong in teh future, I'm saying it holds up against all teh bible-based rhetoric that there fanatics want to present as fact. Look at how much time has been spent trying to prove the events of the bible; how better could that time and energy have been put to use? Evolution doesn't rob people of their faith. It can exist alongside all the scientific facts. Those in that position simply choose to ignore this fact. Once people realize that their "FAITH" is unshakable, then the religious will become much more tolerant. As it is, they argue so strongly, because they themsleves are incapable of dealing with their own insecurities in regards to their faith.