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About LinkBacksi apologize for highjacking the thread
i apologize for highjacking the thread
Last edited by voltor; 12-22-2009 at 12:24 PM.
Voltor, you can't be serious.. Have you not read any of the rules?
You sir, are not making any effort to build on the topic or express your views.
Instead you're hijacking the thread. Which is disrespectful to the OP.
There is plenty wrong with the current educational system.What do you think is wrong with the United States' educational system if there is anything wrong at all and what do you think we should do to improve our system?
I think a major one is that teacher's are underpaid, which leads to worse teaching and less motivation to do a great job. This will ultimately affect the children.
Another important one is parents who don't encourage their children enough and fail to provide them with a strong foundation.
Well if the things I talked about already were changed then maybe we wouldn't need to.Do you think we should adopt other country's policies on education?
It would probably do more good than to keep things the way they are now.
I watched this video earlier today, just found it again for you guys.
I know this isn't brain stew material, and isn't even about the American education system but australian. However it still rings true.
It's very sarcastic and even funny, but shows just how much of a problem it can be.
It's an Australian school's answering machine, give this a watch..
Hilarious School Answering Machine Video
Last edited by konVILEuted; 12-22-2009 at 02:14 AM.
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While I do agree that teachers are underpaid and entertainers (actors, athletes, etc) are grossly overpaid, I don't think this leads to worse teaching or less motivation. Ask most of the good teachers what their motivation is and I'd bet the vast majority will say it's not financial, rather they get a significant amount of satisfaction from seeing the kids learn and grow. In fact, I would go so far as to say teaching is one of the most satisfying professions around, regardless of pay.Originally Posted by konVILEuted
Also, I recall from one of my business management classes that financial incentives in most cases do not increase motivation or satisfaction in the workplace. I think the reasoning was that it changes the focus from being proud of a job well done to doing a good job only to make more money. Don't quote me on that though, because I cannot remember the exact text. I just feel offering teachers a financial incentive if X number of kids pass at the end of the year is just going to motivate them to teach kids "how to pass a test" instead of "how to solve a problem."
We need to keep in mind that the many of the job functions available today did not exist when we were in grade school. Outside of the basics (reading, writing, etc), kids today need to learn skills that will help them solve problems we don't even know exist yet. I really feel the whole curriculum needs an overhaul, focusing less on memorization and more on critical thinking/problem solving.
I completely agree. In looking at the way my own 3rd grader does his homework, I've noticed that my involvement motivates him to pay more attention on his assignments than the days when he was doing homework on his own. I also help by clarifying things he may have missed or misunderstood from class. I feel a parent who is actively involved serves as reinforcement for the teacher, and is in the unique position to provide one-on-one support customized to their kid's needs. This gives their kid a significant academic advantage compared to a kid whose parents are not around.
I feel there are several variables which contribute to the low international ranking of education in the USA. In many ways, it is a domino effect that would require changing elements which are embedded into our very culture.What do you think is wrong with the United States' educational system if there is anything wrong at all and what do you think we should do to improve our system?
I'd like to preface this by saying the following points are just my own opinion. I do not mean to offend anyone who feels differently. There are always exceptions, but for the most part, this is what I think...
1. Consumer-driven mentality & high cost of living
This forces many (if not most) families to have both parents working. With both parents working, there is less one-on-one interaction with children or there is less quality of time being spent if both parents are too exhausted at the end of the day. Single parent families have an even greater challenge to face.
2. Smaller family dynamics
Many other cultures have a closer family-group dynamic that includes uncles, aunts and grandparents as part of the support system of raising children. I think there is great benefit when relatives play a more active role the rearing of a child, as it offsets negatives when both parents need to work. Although there are exceptions, most families in the US do not utilize this type of extended family-group dynamic.
3. Habitual use of 3rd party care providers
By necessity of both parents working, many children are placed in daycare quite young - which results in an early conditioning towards relying/expecting other people to care or be responsible for our child's development. I'm in no way implying that parents who use daycare are doing the wrong thing - but that our society has a mentality that passes off a lot of responsibility to other people when it comes to our children. I think this can have long-term negative consequences if parents rely too heavily on outside providers for their child's development and education without supplementing with their own influence.
There are more points I would have made, but the above three cover what I consider to be the primary factors limiting education potential in our youth. Ultimately, I believe it all starts with our family dynamic and how active of a roll family & relatives take in a child's life.
School systems and teachers will always have issues, as they are trying to apply a learning curriculum on a mass scale. This does not cater to the individualistic nature and potential of human beings. People learn at different paces and by different methods. Too many children will fall through the cracks when trying to force them to conform to a universal teaching logic. This is why parents and family need to be more involved with the educational process. They are the only ones who truly know the strengths, weaknesses and unique potential of their youth.
I also think a year-round school schedule would be a great benefit, though do not agree with longer school hours. If anything, I would suggest a shorter school day (6 hours instead of 7 or 8).
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