I think there are major steps that are ought to be taken for the improvement of US education.
The national results in international comparisons have often been far below the average of developed countries. In OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment 2003, 15 year olds ranked 24th of 38 in mathematics, 19th of 38 in science, 12th of 38 in reading, and 26th of 38 in problem solving.[75] In the 2006 assessment, the U.S. ranked 35th out of 57 in mathematics and 29th out of 57 in science. Reading scores could not be reported due to printing errors in the instructions of the U.S. test booklets. U.S. scores were far behind those of most other developed nations.[76] . Bill Gates believes that the American high school is "obsolete"
Thats some statistics for you. I can feel the ineffectiveness myself, being a student.
I can honestly say that I don't learn shit! Maybe some things in math, but forget next year. Were given kiddy assignments to do just for the sake of having enough total points. Your in 8th grade and they ask you to fill in a map. In 9th grade, you have to make a soundtrack that relates to some dam fiction book no one cares about. The A graders seem to be the ones that obey unquestioningly.
Where do teachers get their ineffective methods anyway?
In some classes, I feel I know more then my teacher. Maybe this is bad luck but my biology teacher hardly knows what his talking about and I can catch him give the wrong answers..
I think there are major steps that are ought to be taken for the improvement of US education.
Were given kiddy assignments to do just for the sake of having enough total points. Your in 8th grade and they ask you to fill in a map. In 9th grade, you have to make a soundtrack that relates to some dam fiction book no one cares about. The A graders seem to be the ones that obey unquestioningly. Where do teachers get their ineffective methods anyway? In some classes, I feel I know more then my teacher. Maybe this is bad luck but my biology teacher hardly knows what his talking about and I can catch him give the wrong answers..
Hmmm...Maybe they can start by teaching some spelling and grammar.
"School is suck?" "That are ought?" "Were given kiddy assignments?" "your in 8th grade?" "dam?" "A graders?" "And I can catch him give the wrong answers?" I repeat, they can start by teaching some spelling and grammar.
Literature is suppose to be a free expression of self. Its not suppose to follow strict grammar and there certainly isn't suppose to be a "right way" to do an essay. This really renders the English classes as useless, as they do not follow this.
You can make up words in language as well, as long as it easily gives away its meaning.. That's where "A graders" comes from. Must we all say "Straight A students" every time?
What is wrong with "that are ought?, "were given kiddy assignments", "your in 8th grade?"
I did not really like school, mainly because of my teacher that gave me the same grade every time. High school was better, learned more. And because of those two, I am now in college.
Hmm, when Xzeno sees this, he will go "crazy grammar nazi".
Where do teachers get their ineffective methods anyway?
I think they should go back to corporal punishment again. It would work up nicely.
And if you think you do not learn enough, you are not curious enough. And if you forget it, it if your own fault.
Well my school rocks! rocks! The teachers are great, friendly and wonderful in teaching. They know their stuff well, don't just use a whiteboard or read notes.
As a student teacher, I hear your cries. All of my students complain about how difficult my class is. That's because I because I push them, challenge them, and *gasp* make them do work outside of school!
But at the same time I don't teach the typical history or Government course. I have a major theme in my government class. That theme is "ower." I relate everything back to power and money. I am often critical of politicians and always have the students question human intentions.
In World History, it's hard to come up with a overarching theme. So each chapter has its own theme. Right now, we are discussing Nationalism and the dangers behind it. In American History, the main theme is off of Howard Zinn's book "A People's History of the United States." Rather than focus on the politicians and major players, I devote a lot of time to the oppressed (minorities, women, the poor, etc.)
Of course, there are those days where I pretty much teach out of the book. I can't make a lesson focusing on those themes every day. I'm working about 14 hours a day, and sometimes its impossible. But many students have already told me that they always thought history was useless until I came around. It used to be memorizing boring facts, names, dates, places, etc. I make the class meaningful. I look at past ills and how these problems still plague the present. I encourage social activism and want my students to become active citizens.
Thankfully, many colleges are moving towards this style of history education. But not many education colleges are encouraging this in the high school classroom. Slowly there is a movement to make history and political science more involved as opposed to memorizing facts. But time will tell...
We (Japan) aren't so great in the history subject either, but man! What's going on over there?? We are one of the leaders in mathematics and science, and are meeting the average in "Japanese" and Literature. Electives go at their own whims. It don't matter for me, as I don't really have to do any of the writing parts of college, as much as I have to do medical. Some half of my teachers in high school had a poor system of teaching, but I had two great teachers, in English, and in History. They promoted more work, more notes, memorization, and group activities, where those that don't try are punished. They had two great quotes: "Just showing up is not good enough", and "The greatest achievement in human life is being able to do work worth doing". Those that followed these principles were awarded with A's and B's.
You won't learn unless you want to learn. I feel that my school does a very good job of teaching us, and I've noticed that the ones who disagree with me are the ones that don't really care.
