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You cannot "teach" critical thinking. Kids have to develop it themselves.
In today's society there's not many activities that require critical thinking.
I did some reading on gamification and math.
Many of us older folks grew up playing board games.
Great fun but under the covers it taught us to think and strategize.
None of my tier 3 students played board games/card games at home or with their friends.
With my tier 3 students I taught them how to play Crazy 8's.
I modified the rules somewhat to fit within the time constraints. They get to play the last 5 minutes of each session.
Crazy 8's, from a Math perspective, involves patterns and a variable.
Kids have to learn to not only recognize the patterns but be able to rearrange them in order to win.
A lot of the soft skills cannot be taught. You can show them the way but it's inside their heads that they have to develop it.
It sounds like a lot of you older folks grew up being taught by rote memorisation of facts and nothing else? Of course critical thinking is vital in every aspect of life, from the supermarket to the doctor's office, in the car, choosing a cable provider, everywhere! And it is not only teachable, but taught in schools (although much less so in schools which teach to the NCLB standardised test). But it's not taught through rote memorisation, maybe that's why you don't recognise it?
It sounds like a lot of you older folks grew up being taught by rote memorisation of facts and nothing else? Of course critical thinking is vital in every aspect of life, from the supermarket to the doctor's office, in the car, choosing a cable provider, everywhere! And it is not only teachable, but taught in schools (although much less so in schools which teach to the NCLB standardised test). But it's not taught through rote memorisation, maybe that's why you don't recognise it?
Thinking isn't a skill; it's a process.
And rules of a card game is hardly "rote memorization".
The rules are "this" or "this" or "this". The students have to "critically think" about those rules and which one to apply.
NCLB isn't dead. It's still a law and still enforced.
Yep, problems in education in America are clearly the result of what college-level electives are offered as options.
I would say that politicians of a variety of stripe, at all levels of office (state as well as federal officials, elected school board members, even politically advanced superintendents and CEOs of schools) have certainly had a hand in damaging the way education is structured and organized. It's not a conservative vs. liberal thing...either side of the aisle has done their part to damage education, because agendas are pushed by people with no background in education and limited understanding of what measures are legitimately helping and what are major hindrances. It's not confined to "LEFTISTS" or "right wing twits," it's about people whose agendas aren't actually about the betterment of educational opportunities sticking their oars in and lobbying for decisions that benefit their particular interests.
It's legitimate to say, "Political debates belong on the politics forum," but when you're discussion educational policy, there's no way you can realistically leave politics out of the discussion, since educational policy and reform are the sole property of state and federal level departments of education. Public schooling is run by the state and feds. You can't have a discussion about it without acknowledging that decisions made at this level are a big part of the picture.
Our graduate schools, medical schools, law schools and business schools are the best in the world thou here in "dumb Amurricahhh" as the world likes to think of us.
My dad dropped out of school in 1914, when he was in 8th grade, because his father died and as the oldest child, he had to go to work to support the family. He still had a better education than I ever got, even with two years of college. Because he was taught how to think analytically and process information logically, which springs one into autodidacticism and enables one to learn on the job with real world applications. He understood cause and effect relationships, not just isolated details of history, and put them in context with today's news. He was given a good foundation in classical literature, and memorized great poetry. My favorite comic strip was Pogo, because my dad could explain the nuances, and say "That a takeoff on the Rubiyat of Omar Khayyam!" and then quote the whole verse.
Education doesn't do any of that anymore. Doesn't even try. Isn't even acquainted with the concept. And that's what's wrong with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nigel devereaux
It has devolved because of leftism's influence over policies, style and substance....for example why on earth on campuses you can take a course in "Women's Studies"....and say not in "Men's Studies".....or you can take a course in "Black Studies" (not history), and not in "White Studies".
You can thank the LEFTISTS for this kind of nonsense...and don't conflate true "liberalism" with LEFTISM either.
I agree completely with this -- and I'm as left as you can get. The liberal agenda has forced schools to teach only from a Politically Correct perspective.
Re: "Yes, we do have a preponderance of foreign students coming specifically to study in our terrible, terrible, terrible school system"
For sure. Thing is I wonder what they say about us if and when they leave and go back to their mother country.
When foreign students come here they not only learn in their studies but also in how the U.S. presents itself in its institutions and values. At this point I'm not too sure they would give the US an 'A' on all that. Just my take especially on how the US is viewed globally today.
Re: "Yes, we do have a preponderance of foreign students coming specifically to study in our terrible, terrible, terrible school system"
For sure. Thing is I wonder what they say about us if and when they leave and go back to their mother country.
When foreign students come here they not only learn in their studies but also in how the U.S. presents itself in its institutions and values. At this point I'm not too sure they would give the US an 'A' on all that. Just my take especially on how the US is viewed globally today.
I don't know, I'll ask the ones I know who then opted to stay and work here what their thoughts are on how subpar everything is.
Exactly. The government wants its subjects dumb and ill-prepared to function without its "guidence". It is easier to manipulate voters who don't question authority or understand its rights.
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Why is America's education system so bad?
