The sorry state of 'murrican education.

[Freeky]

Home ec is something that nobody takes anymore, especially not guys, because it's seen as an old fashioned, stupid, boring subject, but I think more people would be better off being required to take it.

[Luna]

Home ec/child rearing is another interesting topic.

I would have been better off if I'd been shown how to change a shitty diaper, instead of on-the-job training at 3AM back in 1993.

It is my own humble opinion that any adult that can't manage to deal with an infant (diaper change, feed, burp, and at least make a decent attempt at figuring out why the fuck the kid is screaming) isn't educated.  Managing to make a decent meal without burning down the kitchen  , sewing on a button and managing at least a straight seam, knowing which end of a hammer to hold, left/loose, right/tight with a freakin' screwdriver, how to change oil and a tire, are basic life skills.

[Luna]

Home ec is something that nobody takes anymore, especially not guys, because it's seen as an old fashioned, stupid, boring subject, but I think more people would be better off being required to take it.

Hell, my home ec class actually had a section on economics.  Writing checks, balancing a checkbook, budgeting...  We also did a whole month on foods from around the world.  That's where I learned to use chopsticks, actually.

[Juana]

This is to be contrasted with the notion of the federal government giving a corporation a billion bucks to generate an irrelevant test, and then forcing the entire country to change its curriculum to match.

Those are the kind of tests I'm talking about, not tests a teacher creates and gives. A classroom test is much more valid and useful than federal/state irrelevant tests that take up ridiculous amounts of classroom hours.

[Worm Rider]

I teach introductory biology at the local community college as an adjunct. I can attest that memorization is fundamental. Understanding is not really understanding when you understand that the thingy is made of other thingies and performs some functions like it does some stuff to other thingies or makes thingies or something...but I understand it, deeply. You have to memorize the names of the thingies, sorry. Also, a lot of my non-majors are older (non-traditional) and they can be worse than the kids in terms of not wanting to learn. Everybody needs a college degree now like its a ticket to a job. What people don't realize is that they have to want to learn, to be scholars, intellectuals, thinkers. They just want to pass the class so they can get a promotion. Older people (>30) tend to have a personal narrative that tells them they are too old, it has been too long since they were in school, they aren't science people, excuses, excuses, excuses.

I can't really speak to younger grades, but I will say that it is very important that I am able to fail someone for not doing their work. Learning takes work on the part of the learner to build knowledge in their own minds. The model that teachers can impart knowledge upon their students while students sit passively and receive this knowledge is bullshit. This means some students need to fail if they don't do their work. I speculate that teachers might spend too much time trying to cram the minimum amount of required knowledge to pass the standardized test into the slower kids heads while everybody else sits and waits for the dumb kids to catch up. Teachers need to be allowed autonomy and be given the tools to increase learning effectiveness in their classrooms, starting with a better cognitive model of how learning takes place in the human brain, and leading to more playful interaction with concepts so that students can develop their own understanding.

It's actually pretty complicated, and politicians and people in general hate complicated things, so they pretend they are simple. 

[Freeky]

Alty, I seem to recall on my homework schedule I'm supposed to have an essay to do something about.  Can I use this if it turns out to be appropriate?

[Salty]

Sure!
Use how?

[Suu]

Home ec is something that nobody takes anymore, especially not guys, because it's seen as an old fashioned, stupid, boring subject, but I think more people would be better off being required to take it.

Home ec was required for me in 6th grade as part of a wheel that I had to take. I couldn't tell you everything in the wheel class, but I do remember that it started with home ec in the first 6 weeks of school and ended with art. It was a long time ago. I know I had a gymnastics class in there that I hated, and another PE class that focused just on various ballgames. o.O

[Juana]

they didn't even offer it at my school.

[Freeky]

Sure!
Use how?

I dunno.  Probably to do with analyzing stuff.  NOT as my own work, I can assure you. 

[Salty]

Oh I didn't figure that. Yeah feel free.

[Freeky]

Woot woot! 

[Salty]

Just leave out the bit about rote memorization, plz. 

HINT HINT, Phlogiston.

[Freeky]

Just leave out the bit about rote memorization, plz. 

HINT HINT, Phlogiston.

[Don Coyote]

Every high school graduate should have at LEAST the following under his/her belt:

Algebra & geometry.  MINIMUM. 2nd year HS algebra and a year of geometry
Statistics. Unless it was hidden someplace..nope
Physics. does basic science count?
Chemistry. I miss my chem class
Biology. ditto
American history, at least the basics, 1600-present. I think something
20th century European history. nope. I don't even think it was offered
4 years of English, to include speech and essay writing. Um...I took that much as you can see it never really stuck.
Civics, to include the US constitution. Does a semester that I barely remember count?
Literary study (Twain, Mencken, Kipling, etc) I think....no?
Basic mechanics and electrical knowledge. So I should have taken autoshop instead of metal and wood shop?

Electives added to round it out.

Anything less means you do not have an educated citizen, and 90% of the above is memorization.

OFUK