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It seems almost inevitable that this country will mimic some Latin American countries, in which a certain class of people will get the highest income and the best education and the rest will be left with little. I am not overly concerned with some of these studies. After all, there are student going into college who must take remedial classes, yet they are accepted. I think there, for years, has been the automatic graduation of inferior students from one high school class to the next. I also believe this is changing. We reached a point in which a high school diploma meant nothing.
The move now, it seems, is to train the best teachers possible. There is no substitution for actual learning. The game can only continue for so long. There will always be failures. We must, to succeed as a civilization, to be able to compete with other countries, reward those for good work and just drop off those who cannot keep up.
So, it is important that a child, while young, have the best chance possible. Parents must be impressed how important it is that they start supporting and encouraging their children at an early age. Teachers should not allow disruptive children. There needs to be a place to send the slow and problem learners to.
Excellence can no longer be compromised. We are competing on a world market and the future of our nation is at stake.
Yep, our sports dominated culture is starting to learn that you can't just stumble through highschool and get a good job at the factory like the boomers did. They are a little slow but they are getting it.
Algebra is something people use ALL THE TIME and don't even know it.
Cutting Algebra for the reasons giving is a great way to dumb down the population even more.
If they turned off Jersey Shore and the xbox for 30 minutes a night I could teach them Algebra no problem.
Algebra is arguably the easiest to learn and most practical math beyond learning how to add, subtract etc.
Yea, i was one of those kids that frowned on math pretty early until my father (who is an engineer with strong math skills) showed me that i was good at it if i'd just apply myself. After that, i took every math class i could in school all the way up to AP Calc...and it started with him showing me how to negotiate basic Algebra. Becoming really proficient in Algebra 2 gave me lots of confidence to move on to Geo and Trig.
But unfortunately, too many parents give in to their children's fear of Math and let them skate by with just the basic math requirements. Sad too, because being afraid of math really limits your choices in college.
As for what classes to do away with, hell, don't do away with anything. Just make sure your kids excel at the basics.
I think algebra and geometry should still be required. You always say you don't need this stuff, but these are pretty basic and I think they're necessary. Here are two examples: I was trying to figure out a pricing structure based on a percentage of a certain product's price and how many products I needed to make a certain total price point. Algebra. And when I played on a pool league, playing pool is geometry and physics (although playing pool is not a necessary part of life, just a hobby).
I think English classes should be a lot different. Kids can read Cliff's Notes and get by. Do we really need to study Shakespeare? High school is not to become cultured, it's to gain knowledge you need for the real world and analyzing Macbeth is really not necessary to get by in life.
I think history is important, as boring as it may be. I actually think physical education should be extended for all four years in some form (at my high school 10 years ago, we stopped in 9th grade). I do believe the arts and different technical things should remain in place as electives. I think typing and computer classes (as electives) could probably be done away with at this point since kids know these things just through their personal lives.
Now that I'm thinking about it, I actually think it's not the classes or course selection that should change but maybe how it's taught. It should be more like college and life as you go up each grade, less hand-holding and more focus on doing things independently without the teacher and working as a team with peers. And more oriented toward the real world.
I don't know the answers but I do know that something needs to change b/c kids act like they are allergic to work these days.
I am asking this in response to a recent controversy by some scholar in the NYTimes saying Algebra might be dropped as a requirement to graduation. I think, in the US, some twenty five percent of ninth graders do not complete high school and the biggest stumbling block is algebra.
I remember being told by my instructors that high school is a general preparation for going further in life and many people change majors in college and change vocations later in life. They said you never really know what you will require in your future.
I, personally, believe that math studies train the mind into critical thinking. They help us to look more deeply for the truth and to not be swayed as easily by sweeping generalities.
My husband is an artist. He has used his early geometry in some of his works. I had an esoteric ailment, caught during traveling I believe, that was not adequately treated by six local physicians. I ultimately treated myself and it took a refresher of my high school math knowledge to figure out how.
So, I believe that my early teachers are correct, that you never really know what you will find useful later in life.
I think algebra should be continued to be taught.
I think I could have lived without knowing French, but also wish I would have been taught that earlier, when my mind was more open to a foriegn language.
I think scientific knowledge is growing in leaps and bounds and the understanding of we in the general public, of these things, is being left way behind.
My feeling is that high school should also prepare us, as much as possible, to be self sufficient. I know that I did not balance a checkbook or set a budget or know about personal investing or setting up a basic garden or know the fundamentals of plumbing and wiring in a house. Fundamentals in personal and family dynamics would probably come in handy.
Perhaps high school should be extended for a year so that people can learn these skills, as well.
The problem there is that Algebra is also a core class in college. It would do students good to have at least a basic knowledge of algebra.
Algebra is something people use ALL THE TIME and don't even know it.
Cutting Algebra for the reasons giving is a great way to dumb down the population even more.
If they turned off Jersey Shore and the xbox for 30 minutes a night I could teach them Algebra no problem.
Algebra is arguably the easiest to learn and most practical math beyond learning how to add, subtract etc.
Completely agree. What I find really sad is when people just out of high school have to take a remedial math class before they can move on in college. They should not be passing at the high school level without being able to solve a basic algebra equation.
Cut algebra???? That is a horrible idea, but I see no problem with cutting Texas History out of the curriculum (something that is required in our school district).
The problem there is that Algebra is also a core class in college.
No it's not. The only math I took in college was calculus. "College algebra" is a remedial course when you enter college that you only take if you cannot score high enough on the placement test.
No it's not. The only math I took in college was calculus. "College algebra" and is a remedial course when you enter college that you only take if you cannot score high enough on the placement test.
Same here...if you don't know algebra already, you really have no place in college!
If we were to cut anything, I think we should cut music/art and replace them with personal finance and more math/science. I also think we need to extend the school day so that it is eight hours of instruction per day, as well as have year round schooling. Obviously this calls for a dramatic change in how teachers teach...so I don't know the practical way to implement this system, but more teachers would absolutely be needed for anything like that to become a reality.
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