What are we teaching kids these days?

[minikin]

Miss South Carolina may have shown us that we're not teaching them public speaking. However, in her fumbling, she obscured the original observation that "a fifth of Americans can't locate the US on a world map." We're apparently not doing a good job of teaching our kids geography, either

Comments

I found that

[ladyozma]

I learned far better outside of school than in. Now I'm a parent and I home-school my kids. For this very reason! :)

I do miss being military because I LOVED the travel. However the atrocities committed by the Clinton Administration/Congress of the 90's was not worth staying in for. That and the nil for pay.

But sometimes I miss the travel. We've been in this house nearly 3 years now and that just seems far too long. I have the itch. I need to get on the road. See something new. Experience something new.

Oh and, we didn't make it to Houston, but on our trip from east to west we made it through Dallas-Ft Worth. Does that count for anything? (And we managed to work in a trip to see the entire family from NJ to TN to Mississippi!)

Re: I found that

[purdypiedad]

--I learned far better outside of school than in. Now I'm a parent and I home-school my kids. For this very reason! --

Me too! In this house, we believe in a lifestyle of learning. Yes, we have the textbooks, and we make sure that we can pass the standardized tests, but the valuable learning takes place in the garden, in the kitchen, on a hike, pleasure reading, at the museum, and, in a few years, abroad.

Our culture teaches that an education is a requirement, not a privilege, and our children treat it as such. If we instill a joy of learning and offer them great learning moments by being actively involved in our children's lives, they will be far better educated than any school system could achieve.

There is so much to be learned from travel. In a few years, Kristine and I want to take an intensive language course in a Spanish-speaking country. My time abroad has been invaluable. I can't wait to share that with my daughter.

Re: I found that

[ladyozma]

We read read read and anything else is done by experience. it's great!

You don't need to be in a classroom of 30 other kids to learn. And you are right. It's now a requirement and requirements are no fun. Well that's just bogus.

I wish we could go abroad. We just can't afford it. If I had more money we'd just travel aroudn the world learning stuff! :) For now we use the net to travel and books.

Re: I found that

[purdypiedad]

I can't afford to go abroad either. But, I'll put a little away over the next few years so that we can. Going to a Spanish-speaking country in Central or South America for two months costs less than living here for two months. Of course, many cost of living expenses here in the US don't go away while one is abroad, hence the necessity to save beforehand.

I know a woman who is extremely well off that homeschooled her kids for two years so that she could take them around the world. Heh. Definitely some advantages to great wealth.

Re: I found that

[ladyozma]

We've got some killer bills. :( So we wont' be able to go for a long time. So we bring countries to us. This year we're hosting a girl from Morocco. We're discussing where to host someone from next year. :)

Wow, see, I wish I had that gal's problem. HEHEHE If I had money I could totally see it. We live in the DC area so I told my husband sending my kids to school when we had so much stuff around us was criminal. HAHAHA

Re: I found that

[purdypiedad]

Hosting exchange students is a GREAT educational experience. AND, living in DC makes you the perfect learning experience for an exchange student. You are right. With all of the history and culture around you, all you have to do is take advantage of what you've got.

Re: I found that

[ladyozma]

Yup. We can't afford to do hardly anything... but.... :) We've found all kinds of neat stuff. Did you know there's a statue of Ghandi in DC? No kidding! I had no idea! It's up by the Embassy for Morocco! HAHA

We also found there's a National Geographic Museum. COOOL! We saw all these neat animal cams. I wonder what's there now. HMmmm... We found an Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond , VA. That was cool, too.

All sorts of neat things!

Re: I found that

[purdypiedad]

*envies* :-)

Re: I found that

[ladyozma]

Well, I'll be posting in my blog in a couple of months when I post the sound-seeing tour of the Poe museum to my podcast. You'll have to check it out. I also interviewed the curator and another employee. Very cool! But those aren't due to be released for a couple of months.

I love this area. :) We are VERY blessed.

Re: I found that

[minikin]

That will be such a blessing for all of you.

Re: I found that

[purdypiedad]

It will! I'm excited about the prospect.

Re: I found that

[minikin]

Texas is a big state, and all the pieces and parts are awfully different. :) I've spent time in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, and even Corsicana, home of the world's best fruit cake, but I've only scratched the surface.

That sounds like an amazing road trip!

I love travel, far and near. But I surely did miss those Navy moves the last time we moved on our own: Mom and Dad always paid (with their moving allowance) the movers to pack the house, and it was so much easier that way.

Re: I found that

[ladyozma]

Oh yeah, we let the military get us movers for our two cross country trips. All other of our 9 moves were done ourselves. Yuck. I like the movers. Talk about so much easier!!!!

I miss the travel. Though I hate the process of moving so I don't miss that. HAHA But I love going somewhere new, seeing new stuff, experiencing life somewhere else. *SIGH*

My husband got to go to Japan. Though he was an E5 with time left on his contract, I was not allowed to go with him. :( I was so robbed of that cool experience! C'est la vie I guess.

Re: I found that

[minikin]

Wow. I didn't know there were non-war zone deployments that didn't allow for family. :(

Re: I found that

[ladyozma]

yeah, every deployment has unaccompanied tours. That's the way of the military. There's "standards" though that they have. Like in the USMC most everyone serves overseas once on their first enlistment, tends to be Okie. Since they dont' have enough time on their contract or high enough rank it's generally no family. That's the way it is

Re: I found that

[minikin]

There's a history of misinformation about military service. Even before Vietnam, the non-military picture of what the life is like was really off.