Education: Why?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/education/11educ.html?hp
This link leads you to
http://www.corestandards.org/Standards/K12/
I have skimmed through both the math and english sections of this. I say skimmed because I find it difficult to read on a screen. I am considering getting a jump drive, bringing it to Kinkos, and printing it out (I might get in trouble for over 100 pages of material at work).
When I read through the English section, this was my first thought...
"So basically they want to get rid of Kindergarten and make it 1st grade."
I honestly have no problem with that, but I think it might be difficult to wrangle up kindergardeners and put them all at desks to learn for a full day, unless they have gotten rid of AM/PM Kindergarden.
Math, it really comes down to one thing.
Why?
When you are handed a book of algebra equations, and you can not place them to what you need in real life, it is going to be difficult to deal with. Sure if you want to be a doctor or a scientist or an inventor, you would need it. If you're goal is to have a restaurant, be a pastry chef, etc, other maths may be more viable.
I'm sorry, but I can not think of one aspect of my life at current where I would regularly use beyond basic algebra, and when I mean Basic Algebra I mean the stuff I learned in 6th grade.
I think in Elementary and middle school you should get a taste for the maths, and when you get into high school, work at what would be your focus.
I may have passed High School if they let me take Geometry right off the bat.
Instead I failed Algebra 1 (or the equivalent) 3 times, and this really shook me badly when I went into college.
My thought pattern behind this whole thing is the materials to allow it to happen. How teachers would have change, how textbooks would have to change, how parents, yes parents, would have to change. You need to be able to have an atmosphere where children will actually want to learn and in certain areas of the country, that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
I will be interested to see how this continues.
Thoughts?
This link leads you to
http://www.corestandards.org/Standards/K12/
I have skimmed through both the math and english sections of this. I say skimmed because I find it difficult to read on a screen. I am considering getting a jump drive, bringing it to Kinkos, and printing it out (I might get in trouble for over 100 pages of material at work).
When I read through the English section, this was my first thought...
"So basically they want to get rid of Kindergarten and make it 1st grade."
I honestly have no problem with that, but I think it might be difficult to wrangle up kindergardeners and put them all at desks to learn for a full day, unless they have gotten rid of AM/PM Kindergarden.
Math, it really comes down to one thing.
Why?
When you are handed a book of algebra equations, and you can not place them to what you need in real life, it is going to be difficult to deal with. Sure if you want to be a doctor or a scientist or an inventor, you would need it. If you're goal is to have a restaurant, be a pastry chef, etc, other maths may be more viable.
I'm sorry, but I can not think of one aspect of my life at current where I would regularly use beyond basic algebra, and when I mean Basic Algebra I mean the stuff I learned in 6th grade.
I think in Elementary and middle school you should get a taste for the maths, and when you get into high school, work at what would be your focus.
I may have passed High School if they let me take Geometry right off the bat.
Instead I failed Algebra 1 (or the equivalent) 3 times, and this really shook me badly when I went into college.
My thought pattern behind this whole thing is the materials to allow it to happen. How teachers would have change, how textbooks would have to change, how parents, yes parents, would have to change. You need to be able to have an atmosphere where children will actually want to learn and in certain areas of the country, that isn't going to happen anytime soon.
I will be interested to see how this continues.
Thoughts?