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The word searches were not in AP classes. I don't think ANY teen should be doing word searches as homework. Not every class is offered as AP and even if they were, many students (not just exchange students) can't handle a full course load of AP.
I think the main problem is that for the core courses, students can take either Honors/AP or College Prep. There are no General classes. I think the only remedial courses offered are for those who didn't pass the English or Math sections of the FCATs (or whatever the new tests are called now). This puts the kids who are not "college material" in the same classes as those who are just not electing to take Honors in a particular subject, which "dumbs down" (I hate that term) the teaching for the others.
When I was in school in the early 90s, we had four separate designations for each core course. Remedial, general, CP and Honors/AP. I think it worked pretty well. I was in Honors for most classes, and it was only kids who wanted to be there. The college prep classes were also pretty good. If they still did that, I think it would be better for the students.
(But I think my son would still choose to homeschool. Not sure about my daughter; she's leaning toward going to high school and I think she will like it more than her brother did.)
That's because politicians pushed for every child to be on track for college. People like Jeb Bush who insist that public schools are failing set schools up to look like they are failing and actually did fail those that aren't college bound and should be in vocational ed classes. "Education reformers/deformers" like him just don't understand comprehensive high schools and how some people aren't/shouldn't go to college. It's called snobbery.
Word searches! I think they should be outlawed in all schools. I can't believe how many teachers use these from elementary school though high school. Complete waste of time.
I agree about HS not being that much different from when I graduated in 1973. I think more students read for pleasure back when I was in HS. Today's students are too attached to their cell phones to read. There is too much emphasis on technology today. It is not the holy grail of education. There is too much emphasis on worksheets and much less emphasis on reading textbooks. Teachers in the 1970s rarely used worksheets because there were few copiers. Now the textbook companies provide lots of worksheets that the teachers can print and copy.
MS and HS textbooks have become dumbed down with highlighting, words in bold, multiple headings and subheadings. Books for English class such as Shakespeare now have simplified versions. Students can read No Fear versions of all the Shakespeare plays. They can read Shakespeare in modern English next to the original text.
Students are studying much of the same material today, but reading less with an emphasis on group projects and other activities to force teachers to lecture less. Discipline is worse today in most schools. Most teachers at the secondary level do not teach bell to bell. In most high schools, students expect to have the end of class to talk and then expect to line up at the door to wait for the bell to ring.
Word searches in elementary school are not a bad thing. They enhance detailed observation. Editors and analysts were probably quite good at them.
What you describe at the end of your posts was going on 30 years ago in high school. If it happens today, it's because the teacher lets them. I think a lot of people assume classes are out of control because a lot of teaching (especially math, science, computers, etc) is fairly hands on so while the class looks "out of control", it really isn't. My kids are on block scheduling which gives the teacher time to wrap up the lesson and the kids to get started on homework...not a bad thing. Teaching "to the bell" is a more stand and deliver teaching tactic which isn't good for most kids and rather dated.
Yep, we've been hosting since 2006. It's incredibly eye-opening in so many ways! I highly recommend it! Profiles for next year's group of students come out in the next couple of months...
Ivory, I believe you and I are actually in agreement about much and my kids would have loved you as a chemistry teacher. Probably the favorite teacher in the school is the AP Calc teacher because he teaches much the way you describe and doesn't water things done. He sets high standards and expects the kids to meet them.
Unfortunately chemistry is taught more to the minimum so everyone can pass and my DD lacked basic lab skills when she hit college.
How do you teach chemistry to the "minimum" unless you are focusing on memorizing rather than applying? Having taken several lab courses, every professor is different especially the chem teachers when it came to lab reports. What basic lab skills was your daughter missing? High school classes and entry level college science classes are not going to produce expert lab workers? Even in my mid-level labs, everything seemed new each week.
Yep, we've been hosting since 2006. It's incredibly eye-opening in so many ways! I highly recommend it! Profiles for next year's group of students come out in the next couple of months...
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I doubt it. Having adopted my "baby" through foster care (had him since four) who leaves for college in the fall, my hubby has ruled out any more children we aren't legally responsible for.
Word searches in elementary school are not a bad thing. They enhance detailed observation. Editors and analysts were probably quite good at them.
What you describe at the end of your posts was going on 30 years ago in high school. If it happens today, it's because the teacher lets them. I think a lot of people assume classes are out of control because a lot of teaching (especially math, science, computers, etc) is fairly hands on so while the class looks "out of control", it really isn't. My kids are on block scheduling which gives the teacher time to wrap up the lesson and the kids to get started on homework...not a bad thing. Teaching "to the bell" is a more stand and deliver teaching tactic which isn't good for most kids and rather dated.
I think there are a lot better activities that can enhance detailed observation. How about reading and understanding what you read? There is a focus on this today with the concept of "deep reading." Average students are struggling with understanding what they read and it is going to require a change in current education practice.
So you think it is a good idea to waste much of classroom time with socializing and playing games on electronic devices?
If your students are motivated to start working on homework, that is great. That is not what I am seeing. I wish more teachers were motivating their students this way.
I think there are a lot better activities that can enhance detailed observation. How about reading and understanding what you read? There is a focus on this today with the concept of "deep reading." Average students are struggling with understanding what they read and it is going to require a change in current education practice.
So you think it is a good idea to waste much of classroom time with socializing and playing games on electronic devices?
If your students are motivated to start working on homework, that is great. That is not what I am seeing. I wish more teachers were motivating their students this way.
Where did you get the idea about playing games? Where are you seeing kids lining up? As for word searches, I didn't say they should be a regular thing. They are usually given as a fun activity.
Where did you get the idea about playing games? Where are you seeing kids lining up? As for word searches, I didn't say they should be a regular thing. They are usually given as a fun activity.
I sub in 12 high schools. I've witnessed it in all of them.
I sometimes sub in learning support so I am often co-teaching with the regular teacher.
How do you teach chemistry to the "minimum" unless you are focusing on memorizing rather than applying? Having taken several lab courses, every professor is different especially the chem teachers when it came to lab reports. What basic lab skills was your daughter missing? High school classes and entry level college science classes are not going to produce expert lab workers? Even in my mid-level labs, everything seemed new each week.
It's not about how the profs teach different. I'm not talking about being expert lab workers. It's just about basic lab skills and chemistry knowledge. It's the idea that some kids learn in HS how to do lab, what the basic equipment is, how to use it, how to think in lab terms, whereas in others chemistry is not much beyond mixing vinegar and baking soda.
To be honest, the more I read these threads it seems like those who have access to better high schools school districts don't realize just how rare that is. Our HS for example is one of the top of the state, yet obviously not at the same level as many.
Students are studying much of the same material today, but reading less with an emphasis on group projects and other activities to force teachers to lecture less. Discipline is worse today in most schools. Most teachers at the secondary level do not teach bell to bell. In most high schools, students expect to have the end of class to talk and then expect to line up at the door to wait for the bell to ring.
I have come to appreciate that there is a reason for this. I used to say that the human brain has not changed so we don't need to change education but I have come to realize that overuse of technology has changed the brains of our children. They lack the attention span to be able to read material (which is why I force my students to at least try in the form of requiring reading notes), they struggle with remembering things (because they can look it up on their phones any time they need it so they see no reason to remember) AND they DO NOT THINK. They think Googling is thinking. Seriously. When I pose questions in class the kid who finds the answer on the internet first actually thinks he's smarter than everyone else. What's the solution? Group projects where they have to figure things out for themselves. Ambiguous questions with answers that can't be Googled that they have to work through on their own. While I still do a fair amount of lecturing, I have converted many of my labs to discovery type labs where students have to present their data to the class and the class has to come to conclusions about the data. I'm also requiring my students to answer ambiguous questions where they are required to defend their answer. I'm getting sparingly little push back on this. I've always set the bar high. Perhaps they have just come to accept that.
I actually prefer the lecture format. I can teach a lot more material that way but I cannot say that a lot more was learned that way. The top kids did fine with that format but the bottom half did not. I mix it up so that I can deliver some of the higher content the top kids need while engaging the lower kids too.
As to teaching bell to bell, I only do this in classes where I have behavior issues. I find that 50 straight minutes of new material is too much. I like to have work time at the end of class.
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I think they should be outlawed in all schools. I can't believe how many teachers use these from elementary school though high school. Complete waste of time.
