EternallyIgnorant
03-11-2008, 04:18 PM
Do you believe the educational system is seriously flawed? Any system will have flaws, yes, the system relies on too many people with different ideas spread out through a country of 300 million people for it to be anywhere near flawless.
I think its seriously flawed, but considering I'm making this thread, that probably isnt a surprise.
Speaking of k-12 here:
One of my biggest problems with our schools is how much information is supposed to be memorized. History classes are the best example of this. Learning and memorized dates and names instead of the conepts and revolutions in technology or thinking that have a occured.
Its like the saying "If we do not learned from history, we are doomed to repeat it."
That saying means learning the concepts behind what happened. For example, what made Hitler ok with killing millions of people, why were so many people willing to follow him? What kind of last effects did this have on the world? on individuals? on Germany? Kids should be learning that, not memorizing what years certain battles took place, and things along those lines.
I think in the near future we will have problems with students using cell phones to google answers to test questions. This will be hilarious to me, because why should the students have to learn it if they can just look it up online in a few seconds? There a a few exceptions, especially math classes, because in math you are learning the concepts, but the only way to test kids that i can think of is by having them solve problems or explain how to, and both of those can be found online in both cases, but its still important to understand the concepts being the problems.
I propose that in every grade level there be a class designed specifically around finding information online and through all other sources, and then deciphering that information, learning how to know how much a source should be trusted. The class should also teach how to make use of information you have, and acquire. Also it should teach the basics of logical thinking, and what logicial fallacies are.. specifically:
Everything linked here:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
OBVIOUSLY that wont happen, because no politician, democrat or republican is going to want a classroom of 10 year olds who are able to understand how to decipher what they read or hear, and understand what a logical fallacy is. :ohnoes:
Ok ill stop for now, what do you think? Agree with me? Have your own issues with our system?
I think its seriously flawed, but considering I'm making this thread, that probably isnt a surprise.
Speaking of k-12 here:
One of my biggest problems with our schools is how much information is supposed to be memorized. History classes are the best example of this. Learning and memorized dates and names instead of the conepts and revolutions in technology or thinking that have a occured.
Its like the saying "If we do not learned from history, we are doomed to repeat it."
That saying means learning the concepts behind what happened. For example, what made Hitler ok with killing millions of people, why were so many people willing to follow him? What kind of last effects did this have on the world? on individuals? on Germany? Kids should be learning that, not memorizing what years certain battles took place, and things along those lines.
I think in the near future we will have problems with students using cell phones to google answers to test questions. This will be hilarious to me, because why should the students have to learn it if they can just look it up online in a few seconds? There a a few exceptions, especially math classes, because in math you are learning the concepts, but the only way to test kids that i can think of is by having them solve problems or explain how to, and both of those can be found online in both cases, but its still important to understand the concepts being the problems.
I propose that in every grade level there be a class designed specifically around finding information online and through all other sources, and then deciphering that information, learning how to know how much a source should be trusted. The class should also teach how to make use of information you have, and acquire. Also it should teach the basics of logical thinking, and what logicial fallacies are.. specifically:
Everything linked here:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
OBVIOUSLY that wont happen, because no politician, democrat or republican is going to want a classroom of 10 year olds who are able to understand how to decipher what they read or hear, and understand what a logical fallacy is. :ohnoes:
Ok ill stop for now, what do you think? Agree with me? Have your own issues with our system?