School: Preparing for life or Babysitting?

[manganimefan227]

Hmmm . . .Maybe I've made a topic of meaning or use . . .

Do you think school has a purpouse or is it there to stress you?

Hard subjects, for example, such as Math and Science, especially in high school can be very confusing and in the end, alot of the stuff you learn only people entering certain fields or careers need those skills. I think these should be electives!

Someone said a class for everything Tax should be required and I agree, It's a useful skill so that you are not stressed out. Also like they said, cooking classes as well.

Also learning anout World Cultures through language classes!! Our kids are our future! We should teach them how to appreciate culture so that war does not break.

One last thing, Politics: How To Be A Future Politic and NOT be Arrogant People Trying to Get Everyone To Live Your Way- America- Nuff said!

Do you think we should still learn the way we do? Or "Prepare for life " In a different way? . . .

Oyasumi nasai for now

[Tsuwabuki]

The answer: both.

Teachers can only do so much. We aren't parents, and we shouldn't be. Although we can encourage our students, give them opportunities, and work with them for success, we cannot do the work for them. At some point, especially during the adolescent years, a student must step up and decide for themselves to prepare for their future.

Basic math and science, which is what is taught at the high school level, is not really optional. Nor should it be. There is a certain minimum level of education all people should have, and we should always strive to make the minimum more and more difficult to keep up with technological changes in our daily lives.

...and tough being the only superpower left, but seriously, bemoaning American "imperialism" is so overhyped. As I've said elsewhere, it was cool four or five years ago. Now it's just silly.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by manganimefan227

Hmmm . . .Maybe I've made a topic of meaning or use . . .

Do you think school has a purpouse or is it there to stress you?

Yes, school has a purpose...and it isn't just to stress you. This is a short sighted question that only a young student would ask.

Originally Posted by manganimefan227

Hard subjects, for example, such as Math and Science, especially in high school can be very confusing and in the end, alot of the stuff you learn only people entering certain fields or careers need those skills. I think these should be electives!

Someone said a class for everything Tax should be required and I agree, It's a useful skill so that you are not stressed out. Also like they said, cooking classes as well.

Just curious, how do you learn Taxes without learning Math?

But really, the point of subjects like science and math is not only to fill your brain with facts, but is to teach you HOW to learn. Learning progressively more difficult math techniques expand your mind into seeing things in new ways. Without even thinking about it, your brain will apply these skills to other things in life.

Originally Posted by manganimefan227

Also learning anout World Cultures through language classes!! Our kids are our future! We should teach them how to appreciate culture so that war does not break.

And then you go on to say...

Originally Posted by manganimefan227

One last thing, Politics: How To Be A Future Politic and NOT be Arrogant People Trying to Get Everyone To Live Your Way- America- Nuff said!

Sounds like you might benefit from that World Cultures class you are proposing.

Originally Posted by manganimefan227

Do you think we should still learn the way we do? Or "Prepare for life " In a different way? . . .

Actually I think student should learn more like they did a couple decades ago. It surprises me that students can graduate from high school without taking basics like Algebra, Biology, and at least of couple years of Foreign Languages.

[Tsuwabuki]

My high school education compared to my mother's was far, far more rigorous. My mother graduated from college in 1970, and went on to post-graduate work and has a master's. She often points out I did more before I was 25 than she did before she was 50. This was largely due to educational opportunities I was granted at the high school and college level she was never given.

My high school electives consisted of Radio TV Film courses, Computer Aided Design courses, and Robotics courses. None of which really existed at the high school level until only the last fifteen years. Math and Science, of course, were basic courses that led to higher electives. I do not claim to be a capable engineer, but basic math and and science gave me enough understanding to apply concepts in those electives. Many western countries are already falling behind in terms of math and science, especially as it applies to innovation and technology. Simply taking classes in humanities will only further this trend.

And my civilian careers have all been journalism, public relations, or teaching, but I still value the courses I took in math and science.

[Columbine]

The only things that really strikes me as glaringly weird about the American school system are a) nobody seems to know what geography is and b) you don't specialize on your subjects until really late.

The latter only probably seems weird because in the UK you have to start refining your classes when you are 14-15, picking your GCSE subjects. The former just seems like a gap in the curriculum.

But I do think some school subjects should have more real-life focus. Especially practical subjects like Techs. I don't need to know how to calculate the amount of calcium in a meal to balance an imaginary child's diet, what I really need is to know what and how I can cook this lump of meat, defrost it without poisoning myself and the difference between it and that other lump of meat. I doubt there will ever be a pressing need for me to vacuum form plastic, but I would love to actually know the names of these thingy-bobs and how they are holding the hoojamacallit together, so I know what to ask for and how to fix it when stuff breaks. How to grout tiles! Hang a door! Iron silk fabric! Thank God for google.

It's easy to assume that these are just simple life-skills that people will learn at home, but that's not entirely true because not everyone is in that kind of situation. I have lived in so many house shares where I've actually been the only one capable of feeding herself a proper meal and not freaking out and calling the landlord every time the shower curtain comes off the wall.

Actually though, in the UK they are starting to do things like invite banks to talk at the school and explain personal financing to students, and what interest rates are and the difference between bonds and ISAs and so forth.

[redline]

Originally Posted by Columbine

I don't need to know how to calculate the amount of calcium in a meal to balance an imaginary child's diet, what I really need is to know what and how I can cook this lump of meat, defrost it without poisoning myself and the difference between it and that other lump of meat. I doubt there will ever be a pressing need for me to vacuum form plastic, but I would love to actually know the names of these thingy-bobs and how they are holding the hoojamacallit together, so I know what to ask for and how to fix it when stuff breaks. How to grout tiles! Hang a door! Iron silk fabric! Thank God for google.

there are those classes, home ec. (cooking), and shop.

Yes, school is very purposeful, and is very much a necessity especially in today's world. Even this advanced math that you mention, which I assume is calc. (I don't see where you couldn't use the lower classes), is very useful and I use on a normal basis e.g. skateboard ramp building, converting wattage. It just makes life so much easier knowing the proper numbers.

Personally I could have used more periods to fit classes into my schedule. Unfortunately people in the states that plan to go to college can't really afford to take many electives. I remember I actually didn't get to have any electives and ended up taking 5 years of math in the 4 years of high school just so I could get up to a transfer level.

Also, I don't see how kids knowing more about culture will stop war. Most wars aren't because of clashing cultures. Not that culture isn't important, but the culture usually IS taught as part of the language courses. Not only that, schools usually have world history classes as well.

America doesn't really care about how other people live their lives. It's more about trying keep America a super power and such. Kind like when a person is "looking out for #1" first. America doesn't hate anyone so why hate America?

I think they system of teaching is correct, but it needs to be knocked up a notch. There are too many... not so bright ones getting through too easy, when they could have applied themselves and become quite smart.

[Columbine]

Originally Posted by redline

there are those classes, home ec. (cooking), and shop.

Yes, I know, but my point was that the curriculum I was taught IN those classes didn't actually teach you anything applicable to daily life. This might not be true for the same classes in other countries.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Columbine

Yes, I know, but my point was that the curriculum I was taught IN those classes didn't actually teach you anything applicable to daily life. This might not be true for the same classes in other countries.

You didn't learn about cooking and using tools?

[JasonTakeshi]

When i was 5 i wanted to be an astronaut.

- That little dream I had when i was younger.

When i was 12 i wanted to be a lawyer.

- So many TV programs i saw who influenced me that thought.

When i turned 17 i wanted to be an Informatic Engineer.

- So many "Worlds of Warcaft" and "Ages of Empire" for inspiration.

Im now 19 and i dropped Informatic Engineering to take International Relations.

Astronaut, lawyer, Engineer and diplomat. Whats comming next?

- Dropped those ideias because i was given the chance to see the requirements (subjects) to take such courses. I had the grades to take all of those mentioned above, but my interest dropped as soon as i saw what was behind each course. And thats not how it is on TV!

What i want to say it that school helped me to pick what i want to be in the future. (Now its more about my vocation and what im good at anyway...)

[RobinMask]

Originally Posted by MMM

You didn't learn about cooking and using tools?

It's entirely possible that he may not have done. I - for example - never was taught cooking or using tools, such lessons didn't start until Year 7 (age 11-12), and then it was entirely theoretically knowledge, I believe I only ever cooked two things: a fruit salad and a cheese sandwich, which as you can imagine one doesn't exactly need a class on to know how to do such simple meals. Then from ages 14-15 it's an optional course. So we learnt exactly three years of theoretical cooking skills :P

Personally I agree with some of the other posters, schools need to teach things more practical to everyday life, a lot of the time the skills we learnt were things easily forgotten or not applicable to life. I for one have never used a quadratic equation outside of lessons, but things such as cooking would would have been a lot more useful to have learnt! Then again, I suppose it's not entirely up to the schools, but to parents as well.