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Education
PremaSagar
Veteran
Based on your experiences and insights from grade-school do you think that there is any way to reform or change the system to improve the quality of education ?
What made school more bearable for you ?
What made it more difficult ?
What made it easier for you to learn something ?
What made school more bearable for you ?
What made it more difficult ?
What made it easier for you to learn something ?
0
Comments
. . . well the insipid ones at least . . .
If you have no great passion for your subject, what mediocre results can you expect?
More field trips, placements, outside lecturers. Practical skills. Kids are designed to learn. How extraordinary that we can not make good use of this capacity . . . I enjoyed school. I like learning. I taught adults for many years. literature teachers telling me books I could not read
History teachers not being allowed to teach contemporary history . . . stuff like that . . .
Teachers not being allowed to teach psychology etc. The library.
Now the Internet.
Now education is continuous . . .
:scratch:
There are always ways to improve. We have a lot of room for improvement, lol. A broad, sweeping overhaul of the entire US education system? Probably pretty unlikely, at least in the near future. But part of the problem is the way education is funded in so many parts of the country. Property taxes. So, when schools need money it has to be voted on and those without children have a hard time finding value in the things schools are asking for, because the don't understand current education (chalk and blackboards are fine! They don't need computers!) and being willing to pay even more taxes to fund schools they don't understand or believe in.
What made school more bearable for you ?
I actually really liked school, for the most part. But I could have learned so much more than dates of the Civil War and so on. Being well rounded is important, but if a kid shows a strong pull or proficiency towards something once they are a bit older (say, 12ish) they should be allowed to persue that some and not be stuck in the same boring curriculum as everyone else.
What made it more difficult ?
Teachers who were just biding their time until retirement. Impatient, angry, tired of children, whatever the reasons were, they were crabby, boring, and mean. Some of them, of course, not all. Teachers should be required to take regular trainings on new things within education so they are more on par with the people just graduating college and not 30 years behind. Some places do better with that than others
What made it easier for you to learn something ?
Being able to apply it. Even though I wasn't good at science, it was one thing in school I learned the most from, by being able to put into action the things we learned from the book. You can put anything into action, into tangible, interesting results. But some teachers do not like that type of learning, even though the average person has their learning rooted better this way. Also, there is not the funding in most schools to be able to pay for all the things necessary to make things like history come to life.
Offer young people in the above age bracket, options to pursue a handicraft or apprenticeship in a manual craft or profession. Regardless of gender.
Resume F/T education at the age of 20 - 25. The human brain is far more capable of absorbing information effectively and processing knowledge sensibly.
before then, the brain is busy trying to grow up, and the person is desperately trying to cope with all hormonal and emotional changes pertinent to adolescence. Coupled with the fact that we are trying to shove exams, high-level learning and "your future depends on this" crap down their throats, no wonder so many kids commit suicide at a critical stage of their education!
The number is not proportionately high - but even one, is 'too high'.
But I think back to my career...all in suburban schools, except one. Student taught in a quite-good junior high. First regular teaching job at a superb rural high school. Second teaching job at a quite-bad high school. Third teaching job at a fairly good middle school. Fourth teaching job at an excellent middle school. Fifth teaching job at a very good high school. Administrative career at a top-of-the-line middle school. Now what was interesting was that, with the exception of the rural high school, the other schools were all in the suburbs. The first 2 (one quite good, the other terrible) just a couple of miles from each other, and the last two middle schools as a teacher at fairly good and excellent schools which were 2 miles apart.
Major factor 1: The quality of the principal IF principals are left at a school for a significant amount of time. Some large school systems rotate principals every 3-5 years so that a principal doesn't build up a power base in the community. But principals who have staying power can make or break a school.
Major factor 2: How much does the particular community value education. Part of that is the extent of the balance between being a white-collar versus blue-collar community, though even comparing schools in blue collar communities, or schools in a white-collar communities, you will find a great deal of variance between how much schools and education are valued. And what follows is an attitude toward education on the part of the students, a tradition of how much parents are involved in a school (both in terms of attending conferences and volunteering, etc.), and how much the community supports the school financially.
The next year a slightly younger teacher allowed me to read DH Lawrence 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'. I can not say I understood the sexual aspects but the prose was beautiful. It certainly made me appreciate great writing.
We were not allowed to be taught psychology, I had to learn sociology instead . . . there is a political and suppressive nature to education. I remember one teacher being dismissed for starting a 'radical film club'. Again we were too young . . . but sneaked in. The teacher was dismissed. His crime? Offering to educate us about South Africa and apartheid.
It is a bit like creationism being taught without any real countering. Thank his Noodliness the Flying Spaghetti Monster for real educators, libraries and the Internet.
I remember when I was just about that age I saw the film "Toys In The Attic", written by Lillian Hellman. I liked it a lot. Saw it a couple of times after that on t.v....and liked it. And then when I was a bit older I finally saw it again and suddenly realized what it was really about. Bazinga!
I guess it goes without saying.
My children have qualified for the 'gifted'/honor programs because
of their scores in the science category. They were 'average' in
all other scores...but scored off the charts in Science. The
admins at school questioned me at length about what
supplemental teaching I was doing at home in the area of
science because of the difference of range with the other
students.
I didn't know whether to shake my head or laugh.
While some senior teachers were quite experienced and excellent, I did feel that some of my high school teachers that had been teaching for decades got quite complacent and didn't really care too much about the students - they just wanted to get through the material. Though teachers work really hard and don't get paid their due in many cases, not letting "new blood" into the system due to the seniority system is problematic, IMO.
In my high school district, academics were highly emphasized. The teachers and counsellors expected all "normal" students to go onto university - that is, students who weren't labelled as "problem" kids and performed at a decent level. There was very little discussion about trades apprenticeships or helping students explore the career side of things. There was a short-term internship program, but it was kept on the down-low and only a handful of students in the senior grades did it. I think having that sort of experience would help a lot of students figure out if they want to go to university or just try to work fresh from high school (although the possibilities for a decent job with just a high school diploma these days are pretty slim). I just felt like I was not really shown any options in my senior year of high school. Having teachers who cared about more than their paycheque. I hated math a lot, but I remember having a teacher who made the concepts interesting and - dare I say - fun.
Being able to choose electives around grade 10/11/12, so i wasn't stuck studying what I didn't want to study (for the most part). The other kids.
Although in hindsight there could have been changes made that would have helped me enjoy school more, I'm lucky enough to say that I don't think there were any obstacles per se for me. My own interest in it was a big factor (and still is). But I think if the teacher showed a passion for it as well, it helped to get me excited about it too. I found that younger teachers that weren't totally green but had a few years under their belt were best at that.
We all need to be rejuvenated in our jobs. And, if we want to really consider ourselves professionals, we need to stay on the cutting edge. Not all techniques and strategies that are new are better, but not all the old ways are best, either. As I would say to my teachers, when you learn a new strategy it isn't necessarily that you will replace what you do now, but you will that new strategy or new technique in your bag of teaching tricks, and when the kids aren't getting something or aren't interested, that's when you pull that new strategy or technique out of your little black bag and rejuvenate your teaching.
Children are very curious. Try and block a direction and they will go that way . . . many convent raised girls will tell you so . . .
Also at twelve I was developing an interest in yoga, the occult, hypnotism, Buddhism etc. I was kind of a 'religion nerd' by the time I was sixteen, however I did not gain much if anything from religious education at school which was based around the Bible and I even managed to not attend religious classes by having a note from my dad excusing me. For a Catholic, in some ways he was quite liberal . . . I never, ever remember him telling me this was 'a book I should not read' . . .
I read everything. Thanks dad. :rockon:
My dad is a huge autodidact. He dropped out of HS at 17, just shy of his HS graduation (after being accused of cheating on a paper). He has taught himself everything he's ever needed to know, and he's excelled at all of it. He taught himself to play at least 5 different musical instruments. He taught himself languages. He taught himself how to build, and build 3 houses and 2 airplanes. He taught himself astronomy, computer hardware rebuilding, software writing, auto repair, and many other things. There literally are very, very few things he cannot simply do for himself. Need a stairrail? He'll make it for you in a day. Need a watch band? He can do that. He made my wedding rings. If someone else can make it, he can make it, with very few exceptions. He simply does not subscribe to the limits placed on most of us that teach us what we are good at and what we aren't good at. He's horrible at math...on paper. But he can write software and solve algorithms within the planetary universe, and build complex designs, all using math. The idea that if we want to learn something, we have to go to someone else to learn it, is something I have a problem with. Children, when growing up in an active community, will learn the colors, how to count, how to talk, how to write, where they live, and so on without going to school. We've made it so school is necessary to learn the most basic skills, when that's far from the truth.
60 minutes did a report on it last year.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7420278n
I didn't know about this! Great resource I will now
be using! Thanks so much!
you can still go under the Learn section and it's really user friendly.
I watched 2 already. It will help the kids.....and us.
https://www.khanacademy.org/
We are lucky to have any education, where many do not have the opportunity for basic literacy . . .
I listened to a history podcast the other day where a quote was used, something like "wooden shoes are worn on the way up the stairs and silk slippers worn on the way down." Meaning, throughout history it is the tough people in hard situations who fight to get ahead and advance society and it is those who have attained success who take advantage of that success and become soft and complacent and eventually decline.
Not to put this all on lazy kids but for discussions sake, how many of the issues in education have to do with kids not understanding the importance of education and the easy access to activities which are much more enjoyable?
A few years ago I was commissioned to advise a primary school head teacher on becoming more entrepreneurial in her approach. Some daft national initiative. After two meetings I realised she made no decisions of any importance whatsoever. Her entire task was to implement decisions made in Whitehall. I made my apologies and departed.
I'd give schools back to the teachers and sack ofsted. Then I'd ban computers from primary schools, teach comparative religion properly, make competitive sport compulsory and introduce 2134 other changes. Then at 'A' level I'd offer a module requiring pupils to spend 40 days in the wilderness.
I want to be in charge dammit.
Our state, of course, has requirements on what students must complete, but it's kind of up to the school to decide how best to meet those requirements. My sister went to an arts high school and one of her math credits was learning the math and physics behind choreography. We have a charter school opening near here for grades 7-12 that will operate similarly. More outdoor education and other options for fulfilling the same requirements. I will be looking into it for my son, though he'll only be in 6th grade this year. My oldest went to a charter school for a time and did amazingly well in them. though, they can be horribly managed, as well, so caution is required.
Do they still have the system in France were the curriculum is set and if you walk into a classroom of a set age, they will be teaching the same thing throughout France? Maybe that never happened? I have been misinformed . . . ?
Remember too how imperialism, homophobia, celebrity worship, Islamaphobia, racism, militarism and other agendas are surreptitiously transferred. Are you a result of miseducation? Look at the disinformation and conspiracy theories that people are so hungrily believing in. Memes are becoming the new propaganda. Can red necks, extremists, (Dalai Lama) monarchists be allowed a 'better Buddhist' education? Would they naturally become more liberal and move to a a middle way? I believe we can, in fact I know we can become radically different people. I did not sign up to be another bald headed Buddha Drone . . .
Free Your Mind
Morpheus in the Matrix