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Isn't that actually a fairly good reason to have kids watch the inauguration in school - that TV isn't just for goofing off?
The inauguration is also an important part of our political process ... an important part of who we are as a nation.
Agreed. It's never a bad idea for kids to be exposed to current events. With all the things that are truly a waste of time going on in schools, this one really just isn't.
However, I do doubt elementary kids would even know, care, or remember any of it... ...
I hear ya, but you never know. As a young elementary schooler, I crystal clearly remember being in summer school when Nixon was impeached, and being "forced" to watch because it was historical. I'm glad I was there, so to speak. With all of the hub bub about this historic event - perhaps the kids will have a deeper memory of it and will appreciate "being there".
Really? You really think that it is more beneficial for children to be drilled on meaningless drivel to pass a meaningless test than to see the inaugeration of the first Black President? Or any President?
I'm flabbergasted by this.
Thanks for saying this. How many times does a kid need to "practice" the same nonsense over and over and over? Watching half an hour of living history cannot possibly be more important that reading some inane passage and answering some inane questions.
I hear ya, but you never know. As a young elementary schooler, I crystal clearly remember being in summer school when Nixon was impeached, and being "forced" to watch because it was historical. I'm glad I was there, so to speak. With all of the hub bub about this historic event - perhaps the kids will have a deeper memory of it and will appreciate "being there".
I absolutely remember the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I was in third grade, and it was my twin brothers' birthday. I remember sitting down and talking about it in a Girl Scout meeting after school, also. We had all been following coverage due to Christa McAuliffe and the Teacher in Space program.
It amazes me that the OP would be upset that her child will miss maybe TWO PERIODS because the teacher is going to MAKE the students watch a president swearing into office. That won't happen again for four years. So, watching something that will go into history books, really isn't worth giving up the two periods of "instruction"? Please, teachers waste more time than that on a regular basis and I'll bet she doesn't make an issue about it.
It amazes me that the OP would be upset that her child will miss maybe TWO PERIODS because the teacher is going to MAKE the students watch a president swearing into office. That won't happen again for four years. So, watching something that will go into history books, really isn't worth giving up the two periods of "instruction"? Please, teachers waste more time than that on a regular basis and I'll bet she doesn't make an issue about it.
Perhaps the teacher could consider the inauguration a double session of social studies, skip SS the next day and use the time to make up the classes missed. There are ways to accomodate something this historic!
When I was in grade school, I can rmeember when we took an hour or so out of the afternoon to sit in the auditorium and watch Alan Sheperd go into space. I can't remember much else we "had" to watch.
I taught school 30 years and over the years, we were ordered by principals to have our kids watch certain events. (Several were inaugurations.) Given this is a fairly unique inauguration, an hour and a half out of the OP's kids school day isn't going to cause a critical uproar in their education.
OP needs to just tape it and watch and discuss at home with the kids.
I would pull my kid out... Thank god for private schools!
My child is in school to learn not to watch an inauguration of a president.
You didn't see schools sticking young children in front of a TV when 9/11 happened did you?
No. Perhaps due to content BUT that was historical too.
They are in school to learn. And to be honest most kids could give a crap about watching something like this unless they are older and have an understanding of it, to them it's just a FREE PASS out of class.
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