High School Education- Subjects that you've found have no value
- Thread starter mb7299
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Less to do with the subject, and more about how it was taught, was history, just because it was often so slanted, and taught as fact, versus perspectives. I think it is also a subject that should enable teachers to challenge kids to understand society and why things happen, and question things, versus being about memorizing dates and "facts."
Funny so many mention PE. Hopefully things have improved since my day, and more kids are encouraged to exercise even if they are not on sports teams, but the one thing I found so ludicrous in high school was that only athletes on sports teams were allowed to use any of the physical ed facilities outside of PE class. I remember having a quarter class of learning how to do weightlifting, but outside of class, only the football and wrestling teams could use it.
It's funny that several of the first responses say that these classes are important because they taught critical thinking skills. I'm going to have to strongly disagree because critical and/or logic are two things that are extremely lacking in public education. They love to stress memorization and repetition but don't stray out of the lines or box, that will get you in serious trouble.
Everyone is different and forcing all of them to take nearly the same classes is dumb and trying to put everyone in the same box and tell them its good for your "well-rounded" education. That is a bunch of Bullhockey. You need to learn the base Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.
Everyone is different and forcing all of them to take nearly the same classes is dumb and trying to put everyone in the same box and tell them its good for your "well-rounded" education. That is a bunch of Bullhockey. You need to learn the base Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic.
Sex-ed hasn't proven very useful for me thus far...
So is figuring out discounts, and comparing prices...
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Amazing how many people don't know the difference between a crescent wrench, slip joint pliers and vise grips....or why some screwdrivers are called "Philip" (my adult granddaughter asked me that one).
See I totally get the value of PE, if you've ever been around a school that is predominately in poverty you understand the value of teaching working with a team, sportsmanship, how to deal with situation where you don't get what you wanted even though you gave your best. Skills you truly need everyday of your life. Also along with poverty comes the higher risk of obesity from poor diet (prepackaged food is so much cheaper and you go with what you can afford) so teaching kids what your body truly needs to be fully functional is supremely important. If you dont think it is take a look around at how many people are obese around your environment. Agree completely about how history is taught, why would anyone remember random facts that may or may not be right, where does that get anyone in life.
It isn't so much the subjects, but what is done with them. For instance, a government class focuses a lot on how the government works (elections, bills becoming laws, etc.), but very little on how the normal person interacts with the government (voter registration, small claims court, dealing with a traffic ticket, asking for reassessment of property values, bailing friends out of jail, etc.).
And a big part of the problem is college admissions. Most colleges don't expect you to come as a freshman with any idea of what you want to study (and granted, many students don't have a clue and are likely to change multiple times). So they want high school to be a broad preparation for any and everything (science, math, English, history, etc.). And colleges set their admission standards accordingly. However, for someone who knows that they want to study history in college, why should they have to take Calculus in high school?
And a big part of the problem is college admissions. Most colleges don't expect you to come as a freshman with any idea of what you want to study (and granted, many students don't have a clue and are likely to change multiple times). So they want high school to be a broad preparation for any and everything (science, math, English, history, etc.). And colleges set their admission standards accordingly. However, for someone who knows that they want to study history in college, why should they have to take Calculus in high school?
Personal Finance, Health/Nutrition which includes OUTSIDE Recess, and reading all need to be the building blocks of every student's education. We would create much more successful adults if we spent more time on these items!
There are obvious reasons for the lack of those items, which I will agree are at least as important as the basic education. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
People that understand finance don't pay large sums of interest to banks and payday lendors,
SImilarly, they would learn that healthy eating or supplements could solve most of their problems not our huge Sick Care Industry,
And last but not least, we don't need public education administration to let kids play together outside. That is pretty much free.
People that understand finance don't pay large sums of interest to banks and payday lendors,
SImilarly, they would learn that healthy eating or supplements could solve most of their problems not our huge Sick Care Industry,
And last but not least, we don't need public education administration to let kids play together outside. That is pretty much free.
Do they do that in AP History? That seems like a good place to do it.
I know when I teach chemistry I have to knock the concept of using the Bohr model for atoms out of students. At some point you need a foundation, after that, you build. I can understand setting the foundation in lower level high school classes, than pushing the envelope in junior/senior level courses.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
That makes sense.
One thing to consider is when we start seeing students begin to think critically. I worked with several instructors at NIACC and wrote a critical thinking exit exam that was given to all graduating/transfer/diploma students over 4 semesters. It's hard to tell how serious students took it, but they didn't do great (to be honest, some of the administrators who took it didn't do awesome either). That seemed to fit well with the research that critical thinking and problem solving generally show up more in your early 20s over your late teens.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
I'd buy that.
With history, we deal with a couple other variables:
1. History/Social studies teachers tend to be coaches first, and teachers because they're stuck with it.
2. History is pretty politically charged in the way parents and the public receive it. If you mention critical thinking too much early on, some activist parent will go nuts crying about revisionist history and trying to turn their kids into Christ-denying communists.
