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#16 Deb aka Resume Lady

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 08:12 AM

QUOTE(bishmasterb @ Apr 18 2006, 09:07 AM) View Post

And why not let parents choose an academic course that's more suited for their particular child's situation? Poorer, inner city kids could perhaps choose a simple 3 Rs track with an emphasis on trade skills.



Surely you don't think that the need for basic academics with a trade skill track is a unique need for "poorer, inner city kids." There are students in most/all schools who will not pursue a college education for a variety of reasons.
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#17 bishmasterb

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 08:23 AM

QUOTE(Resume Lady @ Apr 18 2006, 09:12 AM) View Post

Surely you don't think that the need for basic academics with a trade skill track is a unique need for "poorer, inner city kids." There are students in most/all schools who will not pursue a college education for a variety of reasons.

Oh, of course not! I don't presume to know what's best for anyone except myself. That's why I'm suggesting that parents have the control, choice and responsibility for their children's education, not the government.

And you are absolutely right, many children, rich and poor, might greatly benefit from a simple 3 Rs/trade school education. I was only citing one obvious example.

#18 bordercolliefan

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 09:07 AM

It's interesting how everyone thinks the schools need to be improved, but everyone has a different idea of what needs to be done.

Forumreader wants the kids kept busier with more work. Chad wants kids in school 7 or 8 hours a day.

I consider myself extremely academically-oriented, but I have a completely different prescription. I don't think more work is the answer: my first grader already brings home a thick packet of homework every week. Sadly, most of this work is dreary, repetitive stuff -- 100 subtraction problems; copying the same letter of the alphabet over and over, etc. Woo hoo, that's really going to get kids excited about learning.

Nor do I think more time sitting in school is the answer. My daughter uses some of her free time at home to play elaborate imaginative games with her sister, practice piano, learn chess, do crossword puzzles, observe nature, write in her journal, etc. I am thankful the first grade school day is only 5 hours, because I would rather her be exercising her mind with these types of self-motivated activities than vegetating at her desk in school.

The problem is not that we need to give kids more work; the problem is that we need to give kids more creative, engaging, exciting work.

If I were education czar, I would ditch the "Back to Basics" theme and focus on helping our teachers think outside the box.

As it stands, parents who desire their children to be more than burned-out, rote-memorizing automatons are on their own to create a stimulating, experimental atmosphere at home...



#19 (Gaelic925)

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 09:08 AM

QUOTE(bordercolliefan @ Apr 18 2006, 10:07 AM) View Post

It's interesting how everyone thinks the schools need to be improved, but everyone has a different idea of what needs to be done.

Forumreader wants the kids kept busier with more work. Chad wants kids in school 7 or 8 hours a day.

I consider myself extremely academically-oriented, but I have a completely different prescription. I don't think more work is the answer: my first grader already brings home a thick packet of homework every week. Sadly, most of this work is dreary, repetitive stuff -- 100 subtraction problems; copying the same letter of the alphabet over and over, etc. Woo hoo, that's really going to get kids excited about learning.

Nor do I think more time sitting in school is the answer. My daughter uses some of her free time at home to play elaborate imaginative games with her sister, practice piano, learn chess, do crossword puzzles, observe nature, write in her journal, etc. I am thankful the first grade school day is only 5 hours, because I would rather her be exercising her mind with these types of self-motivated activities than vegetating at her desk in school.

The problem is not that we need to give kids more work; the problem is that we need to give kids more creative, engaging, exciting work.

If I were education czar, I would ditch the "Back to Basics" theme and focus on helping our teachers think outside the box.

As it stands, parents who desire their children to be more than burned-out, rote-memorizing automatons are on their own to create a stimulating, experimental atmosphere at home...



I agree! School = sleeping.gif


#20 Farley

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 12:42 PM

QUOTE(Gaelic925 @ Apr 18 2006, 10:08 AM) View Post

I agree! School = sleeping.gif



A child's attitude toward school is widely influenced by a parent's attitude toward school. The regimentation of school may sometimes be boring, but learning, developing skills, understanding ideas and concepts can also be very exhiliarating. A lot of it depends on the learner's attitude.

Though it may sound boring, the best way to learn many things is through repetition.

#21 Deb aka Resume Lady

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 12:52 PM

QUOTE(Farley @ Apr 18 2006, 01:42 PM) View Post

A child's attitude toward school is widely influenced by a parent's attitude toward school. The regimentation of school may sometimes be boring, but learning, developing skills, understanding ideas and concepts can also be very exhiliarating. A lot of it depends on the learner's attitude.

Though it may sound boring, the best way to learn many things is through repetition.



The fact that parental attitudes and invovlement is so critical has always made me question the meaninfulness of school data. If schools in Folsom tend to test better than schools in an urban area, is it because the quality of teaching is so much better, or is it because parents in this area tend to be more educated, tend to value education, tend to ensure homework is done, tend to be able to help with that homework, tend to get involved and help out in the classroom, etc.? Me thinks it's the parental involvement and not the teaching itself.
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#22 forumreader

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Posted 18 April 2006 - 01:01 PM

QUOTE(bordercolliefan @ Apr 18 2006, 10:07 AM) View Post

It's interesting how everyone thinks the schools need to be improved, but everyone has a different idea of what needs to be done.



I think this is why, in part, bish was saying that parents need choices. Choices, choices, choices!! -- A one-size-fits-all education plan is clearly less than ideal.

An education plan that my husband and I might consider best for our family may not be right for another family. What might work for one of our children, might not work well for the other.

Practically speaking, a menu of educational options for families cannot be limitless. However, we should have far more options than public school, private school (wherein you payfor education twice) or homeschooling. Perhaps we need more numerous and diverse charter schools.

If I could paint an optimal education plan for my high school student now, it would be to homeschool the liberal arts, and have him receive math, science & music instruction at the public school.




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