Comments | belenen: free public education is necessary but the current system is mediocre bordering on abusive

belenen

free public education is necessary but the current system is mediocre bordering on abusive

Feb 13, 2015 22:48

icon: "bluestocking (photo of a book laying open on a table in front of an open window, with light streaming in and a yellow spiral fractal overlay)"
from bunnika: What are your feelings on education at large? Its necessity (or lack thereof), benefits, downsides, cost. Feel free to include all levels of education that you have opinions on from preschool ( Read more... )

writing prompts, other-directed education

Comments 6

secret_keep February 14 2015, 05:15:06 UTC

I have so many thoughts on this. Postingaaaah.

Short version: OMG yes I agree! Consent in all things! Web of knowledge to improve the world.

I think writing and math are both very useful, but definitely not as they're taught. I was in a class this summer that had a book excerpt, I wish I remembered the name of the book. It talked about how math is a beautiful art, and it was ruined by being forced. It talked about what the system would like if music or painting were required in the same way that math is, and how it would ruin them.

rubyelf February 14 2015, 12:39:08 UTC

I was a teacher. I quit. It was pointless. No one was teaching or learning anything.

naimahlopez February 14 2015, 13:45:11 UTC

This is wonderful!!! Agree 1000%. I thought I was the only one feeling this way!!

aerialmelodies February 14 2015, 14:33:14 UTC

I want to say there are some schools for the lower grades that are taught the way you're mentioning. Not 100%, but it's a similar idea where the kids are able to really focus on the skills and interests they have rather than dabbling in a lot of various ones. I could be wrong... my memory is a bit blah lately ( ... )

belenen April 22 2015, 05:56:31 UTC

Art more than anything is entirely too interpretational to allow for grading except pass/fail, I feel. I like that idea about co-ops, too.

kiwi February 15 2015, 23:12:57 UTC

The running joke within my most recent education program was that it was hoop jumping and the most valuable lesson we learned from everything was the ability to "acknowledge and move on" when the $h!t hit the fan.

*shrug* there's likely some truth to that. But boy do they charge a lot to you to learn to be flexible, if you want to look at it like that. ;)

I absolutely agree that critical thinking skills needs to be taught early (and often). I took a class (mandated) and it was one of the best things I've taken...but was dismayed that it took getting to college to be able to take it. WHY AREN'T WE STARTING THIS TYPE OF THINKING EARLIER?!