Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Having an interest in travel, foreign culture, world events/news and sports helps.
Especially soccer.
(The expectation of) a basic high-school education isn't about curiosity or personal interests, lol - though it's easy to see why our high-school students lag behind other countries educationally on the world stage.
(The expectation of) a basic high-school education isn't about curiosity or personal interests, lol - though it's easy to see why our high-school students lag behind other countries educationally on the world stage.
Learning the names of countries on a map will not stick with you 10-15 years down the road unless you have application. That's why kids can do it, because they JUST learned it. But it won't stick with them unless they use it.
For instance, I know where England is because it's an island. Islands are easy. I know where France is because I've been to both countries.
I know Germany is next to France, and I know that Poland is next to Germany because Germany invaded the heck out of Poland.
I know Greece because it's uniquely shaped and I know Turkey because I know they have beef with Greece. I know South American countries because I wanted to visit Brazil and Peru.
Etc, etc. It has nothing to do with me going to a good high school or college. Do you think that in good schools they tell you Italy is shaped like a boot, but they don't tell you that stuff in ghetto schools? Maybe so, but who cares?
There are mostly things that I've learned through my own curiosity.
Learning the names of countries on a map will not stick with you 10-15 years down the road unless you have application. That's why kids can do it, because they JUST learned it. But it won't stick with them unless they use it.
It's our high-school students who are being tested (and lag behind students from other countries); it's not 'fifteen or twenty years down the road'. They can't apply what they don't have.
Furthermore, one can teach (by way of) practical application i.e. encompassing more to the study than simply 'learning the names on a map'; that's (supposed to be) the point to social studies, as a whole. It's not about simple memorization (which is old-school methodology).
It's our high-school students who are being tested (and lag behind students from other countries); it's not 'fifteen or twenty years down the road'. They can't apply what they don't have.
Furthermore, one can teach (by way of) practical application i.e. encompassing more to the study than simply 'learning the names on a map'; that's (supposed to be) the point to social studies, as a whole. It's not about simple memorization (which is old-school methodology).
That is correct. Simply memorizing things on a map without context isn’t very helpful as you are bound to forget the information down the line.
...for everything else there is a Sharpie. Our outgoing President couldn't find a single nation outside of the USA, but many people didn't seem to care.
What does going to college (or not) have to do with being able to identify the Pacific Ocean on a map - or having (at least) a vague notion of globalization or the world in which one lives?
You said you wanted to eliminate vo-tech from public school. That's a bad idea and it would not help kids find anything on a map.
Learning the names of countries on a map will not stick with you 10-15 years down the road unless you have application. That's why kids can do it, because they JUST learned it. But it won't stick with them unless they use it.
For instance, I know where England is because it's an island. Islands are easy. I know where France is because I've been to both countries.
I know Germany is next to France, and I know that Poland is next to Germany because Germany invaded the heck out of Poland.
I know Greece because it's uniquely shaped and I know Turkey because I know they have beef with Greece. I know South American countries because I wanted to visit Brazil and Peru.
Etc, etc. It has nothing to do with me going to a good high school or college. Do you think that in good schools they tell you Italy is shaped like a boot, but they don't tell you that stuff in ghetto schools? Maybe so, but who cares?
There are mostly things that I've learned through my own curiosity.
How hard would it be to identify Canada or Mexico? If US voters cannot do this, how can they understand the implications of NAFTA or should they just trust the politicians? If they don't understand where Central America is, how can they understand the arguments made in talks about Mexico stopping Hondurans from passing through to the US? If they don't know the relative size of Brazil to its neighbors, how can we talk about the impact of cutting down the rain forests?
Of course, I suspect that these people probably could not identify the District of Columbia on a map of the US either.
Because they are easy pickin's. They don't have a clue. If they picked older people they might get a bunch, which would spoil the show. Not fair to the kids really, since they don't teach Geography anymore......
But they should learn it on their own. Not a smart generation, for sure.....
This seems like a good place to jump in!
Geography joke from one of my grad profs: guy on the street: Geography, that's what, states and capitals? Her: We found all those; we are working on other things now.
Geography is not just that, of course, but the ability to map anything on Earth.
As far as anything else, I remember being in one class, many years ago, where the Prof introduced one of my classmates as being from Bhutan and saying most of us probably didn't know where that was. Me: Not only do I know where it is, but remember the coronation of your King back in 1973.....which shocked my classmate.
It's our high-school students who are being tested (and lag behind students from other countries); it's not 'fifteen or twenty years down the road'. They can't apply what they don't have.
Furthermore, one can teach (by way of) practical application i.e. encompassing more to the study than simply 'learning the names on a map'; that's (supposed to be) the point to social studies, as a whole. It's not about simple memorization (which is old-school methodology).
Mmmmmm, sort of the way I remember the above, by picture association and further, both your words and the Nat'l Geo above reminds me of the 80's Mission Impossible episode "The Lions" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0649402/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
......because in it, Phelps in disguise as the young King's tutor is questioning the prince about the geography of other countries because it is necessary for him to know and just like the coronation in reality above.....the situation in that episode was quite the media affair.
So maybe, that is what is useful if not necessary, learning how the world works by what the stories on TV tell us....or should tell us.
There is an episode of classic Hawaii 5-0 that I hold dear to that purpose. "Presenting ... in the center ring...murder" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0598123/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 . In it, Danny and Chin visit the Cuban high wire act for routine questioning and note that they are nervous which Danny notes back to Steve at the office. "Well, Danny, you have to remember where they are from. In their country, a visit from the State Police usually means the end of the line.".......it is something I keep in mind about uniformed police presence around elder blacks.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 12-09-2020 at 10:12 AM..
What does going to college (or not) have to do with being able to identify the Pacific Ocean on a map - or having (at least) a vague notion of globalization or the world in which one lives?
There needs to be a show called Housewives of Guam for many people to learn these things.
When a huge percentage of Americans have never left the country, except maybe for a honeymoon to a resort in Mexico or Jamaica, they’re sadly not likely to know much about the rest of the planet.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
