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.
I guess I don't quite understand the argument OP is making, because you state that the curriculum should conform to the student, vs. the student conforming to the curriculum, but who/what is the benchmark for that? And also, wouldn't you agree that the economic landscape has changed quite a bit with manufacturing moving overseas and higher education costs soaring and family dynamics changing, etc? You can't look at students as they are NOW and teach to them based on what they should know NOW. Isn't that what one might call short-sighted?
No one knows what the future needs will be. The student is the one who determines the needs of the student. Children have an intrinsic motivation to learn. ... what they are interested in. Beyond basic skills like reading, writing and math each individual has different needs. Self directed education with guidance from parents or teachers will allow the children now being educated to determine what the future will be, instead of financial interests training children for a future designed to benefit these same financial interests.
There is no "should know" beyond the basics. Leave that up to the individual and you will get a diverse and unforeseeable future, albeit a non standardized one. Not everything needs to be neat and tidy.
This foreign-based business is profiting off of our educational system at the expense of children and teachers. They're training children to be cogs in the machine, not independent free-thinkers.
Why do you think this is true? Where is the evidence? This is hyperbole.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhBeeHave
The Common Core is a fundamental change to public education as we know it; public schools have had no choice but accept it, while private schools, which are not affordable to the bulk of our country's citizens, are not accepting or embracing the CC. One educational professional referred to the gap this will create as educational apartheid. Education will not be equal.
Have you gone on to the Common Core site and read the suggested goals and curricula for elementary school grades? I have, and I cannot understand what all the uproar is about.
Look back on the history of Common Core in NY and there was a time when LI school districts were supportive. It is only after the state forced each district to come up with a teacher performance plan that was tied to test results did Common Core become "age inappropriate", "commercial interests above education", blah, blah, blah
John King had it absolutely correct when he pointed out that parents do not want hear their little snowflakes aren't so special after all.
Standardized schooling has one purpose, training workers.
This is the straw man argument at the crux of the matter that is totally transparent BS. Education's ("common core" included) purpose is to teach people to read, write, do math and be qualified for higher education leading to potentially more specialized professions. Period. Unfortunately America schools aren't monasteries where we teach kids to meditate and wax philosophic (although there are probably a number of classes offered that do just that in plenty of progressive schools). There is nothing taught in K-12 that directly leads to "robotic" effectiveness. There is plenty of rote memory work and probably way too much testing and sure, there are European models that are much better (albeit they have little diversity, immigration and much smaller populations) but that whole "we are teaching them to be automatons" argument is as simple minded as it gets...and yet it persists. What's different is the pressures are greater and the competition is greater...coincidentally just like the domestic (and global) economy(s).
Last edited by marigold69; 03-14-2014 at 09:06 AM..
Children have an intrinsic motivation to learn. ... what they are interested in.
From what I've seen, mostly Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox, Playstation, TV, some sports. The three R's are pretty low on the list. I tell my kid to learn the basics so he can eventually create content. All that junk stimulation is created by someone. I hope he'll decide to be one of those. I read him some TS Eliot the other night. That was a treat. Knocked him right out (zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz).
look back on the history of common core in ny and there was a time when li school districts were supportive. it is only after the state forced each district to come up with a teacher performance plan that was tied to test results did common core become "age inappropriate", "commercial interests above education", blah, blah, blah
The reliance on a "system" is part of the problem. The very concept of a system implies necessary standardization, because a system needs standard components to function properly. I don't have a solution suitable for every individual, no one does, no one can.
Your expectations are simply too high for public schooling. There are other options; perhaps you should avail yourself of them.
Status:
"Let this year be over..."
(set 22 days ago)
Location: Where my bills arrive
19,219 posts, read 17,091,524 times
Reputation: 15538
A lot to read just to catch up.....
To the OP based on the cost of providing any type of none teaching positions in a school district it seems far more cost effective to allow companies to develop and market teaching products. That said those who are in leadership positions and determine the curriculum should be constructively evaluating what is out there to choose from.
I have come to the conclusion that older adults have a warped memory of their schools years (myself included). School and the curriculum wasn't that great back in the 60's/70's and for many it lacked a lot. Now as parents (mine are grown) they are up in arms over every little thing that affects their precious snow flake. I was at one school this morning, the line to drop kids off looked like toll booth line for the GW Bridge, put them on the bus.
Finally I often read posts that feel a holistic, a more well round, a more inclusive, a more whatever type of learning would benefit their child and others....give it up. I work in education (none teaching role) and see enough classrooms that try to engage the child how they best relate, it doesn't work. Children have too much freedom/individuality in every aspect of their lives what they need is structure; to learn how to show up on time , have the assigned work complete and conduct themselves in accordance with class rules and have fun. Life as any adult knows rarely goes the way you would like and employers really don't care about your personal growth and self discovery.
Just my 2 cents
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.
