Fixing Education

[Zazzy]

Thanks for the testimony from the trenches, Zazz.

It's like watching a slow-speed train wreck.

Except the train never crashes because too many people keep it limping along. If it would crash, maybe we could fix it.

Although I suppose you could argue, given our academic performance in the US in comparison with so many other countries, that it crashed a long time ago, only no one on the train noticed.

What a useful metaphor.

[Davidthegoliath]

Stuart Firestein makes a few good points on the topic of education after the 15:00 mark

http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_firestei...rance.html


"I think this comes from what a teacher colleague of mine calls "the bulimic method of education." You know. You can imagine what it is. We just jam a whole bunch of facts down their throats over here and then they puke it up on an exam over here and everybody goes home with no added intellectual heft whatsoever."

[pineapplebunnybounce]

It may be surprising to some of you, but education also includes knowing facts. And if you're given materials to study, it's your responsibility to study it. The test aims to evaluate you. Kids don't get to get high and mighty about how they're only interested in giving opinions but not learning. There's nothing wrong with giving them a bunch of things to learn and then make them perform their mastery of the material in a test.

Education is about delivery of the facts. To a certain point. When you get to higher levels no one's going to hold our hand while you attempt to memorize 200 pages of your text for a test. But you need to do it to be competent in your field. Kids have to learn sometime, preferably before it's going to cost them their careers.

[Fruity]

What do you think of No Child Left Behind? It seems to me teachers are focusing on getting the students to pass the testing instead of the actual learning. I've noticed science is considered a "special" in my son's school and it is treated at the same level as arts and crafts,computer lab, and music. To get specials time they need to earn it. The rest of the day focuses on math and reading.

[Minimalist]

And if you're given materials to study, it's your responsibility to study it.

Do you mean you want the students to be responsible for learning? Wow. That's a leap. Far too many kids seem to think that they are exempt and far too many parents think that teachers are supposed to magically pour knowledge into their little darlings' heads.

There is a whole political dimension to this issue and you know how that fucks things up.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

I'm not american so had to look that up, is this it?

No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act authorizes several federal education programs that are administered by the states. The law is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Under the 2002 law, states are required to test students in reading and math in grades 3–8 and once in high school. All students are expected to meet or exceed state standards in reading and math by 2014.
The major focus of No Child Left Behind is to close student achievement gaps by providing all children with a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. The U.S. Department of Education emphasizes four pillars within the bill:
Accountability: to ensure those students who are disadvantaged, achieve academic proficiency.
Flexibility: Allows school districts flexibility in how they use federal education funds to improve student achievement.
Research-based education: Emphasizes educational programs and practices that have been proven effective through scientific research.
Parent options: Increases the choices available to the parents of students attending Title I schools.

It sounds good on paper, but if you're saying that your son's school need to spend the majority of their time on math and reading just to meet the standards, then either the standards aren't realistic or the school is not managing their resources well.

The only way to do math is to do lots of practice. No getting away with that, perhaps in the US it's controversial to assign "too much" homework (the first time someone told me that assigning more than 1 hour of homework is too much, I thought he was joking), so instead of doing that they're making the kids practice using precious school time. In asia we're perfectly fine with assigning at least 3 hours of homework each day, and we turn out quite balanced and happy . I do think asia is a little extreme, but I think the west is generally extreme in being soft. But yea, that could be what is going on.

[Lemonvariable72]

Let me tell from personal experience, If your neurologically different your screwed in the education system here, and live in canada. Now granted we have fewer problem then the americans do, we have a huge issue with disability services where I live. I have high functioning autism and disgrafia, and was diagnosed with adhd and left on Ritalin for 10 years, that has one hell of a withdrawal leading to some terrible craziness. On top of that I was forced to hand write my notes for years (until grade 10) because my parents didn't have the money for a laptop for me and school refused to help, It was not until my final year that I was in a resource room for tests with a scribe (I had fail countless tests even when getting the answer right because my hand writing is illegible.)
Even worse my fiancée who has cerebral palsy was was told in elementary school by her teachers that she didn't need her books and that a education was wasted on her, and then when she was in high school they put her in a learning center for 2 years, despite her urging for academic classes ( she does have trouble with math and studying). Now she has just finished a diploma in human services and is studying a bachelor degree ))

[Davidthegoliath]

I have a nephew and 2 nieces that grew up in AZ and when I talk to them or play with them their grammar and math skills are NOTICEABLE worse than kids back in CT. I'm finding out from my sister that these schools are focusing on these subjects too. I don't know what's normal but my 7 year old niece brought home a math test she took with at least 20 problems on it and it was only addition of two single digit numbers totaling to either 3 or 4... it blew my mind! My 13 year old nephew regularly is slow with single digit addition and he gets it wrong sometimes too! I swear something isn't right about the schools here. I'm thinking of tutoring them for an hour a day each just to get them to a respectable level of education.

Oh and it doesn't help the student when tests regularly have spelling and grammar errors... AND EVEN THE NEWSPAPER TOO!

I'm no grammar nazi but I think I've found hell for one.

[pineapplebunnybounce]

I'm a tutor and I have seen high school students making mistakes doing single digit additions. I blame the calculators. But it's still rescuable with enough practice.

[Fruity]

Here's how it works around here. Teachers need to get the students to pass the state tests in order for them to keep their job due to the NCLB act. Instead of focusing on comprehension, they focus on getting them to learn what will be tested. For example, the child will learn that 2+2=4 instead of understanding how this came to be so that she can then solve any other problem.They are also given the same material and they are not to stray from it. No room for creativity. In fact, one day I went to school to leave a jacket to my son and as I walked down the hall towards his room, I noticed that every class was spelling out the same exact word at the same time. It was weird! Reminds me of this: