Wish i had that back in High School...

[dilloduck]

boy you sure have !!!

 

[KLSuddeth]

who has what dillo?

 

[NewGuy]

Originally posted by KLSuddeth
the last line reminds me of the phrase regurgitation education - swallow it all down quick and spit it back up for the test the next day lol

remember that?

All to well. I used to try to learn the teacher's perspective so I could play them and beat the system. It generally worked.

 

[dilloduck]

referring to
new guys comment==

I found that understanding why you believe is far more important than regurgitating WHAT you believe.


__________________

 

[KLSuddeth]

gotcha - and a big AMEN to that!

 

[DKSuddeth]

No Pass, No Play. stick with it.

 

[TN_Independent]

Originally posted by KLSuddeth
Tn -

I have a question that I so hope you can answer, as I am at my wit's end.

How do you get kids to CARE about learning.

I cant seem to get through my child's THICK skull that he HAS to learn - home school or otherwise. This is driving me crazy as well as making me feel like the most ineffective person who has EVER walked the planet....Im really concerned about his progress, or lack thereof.

KL,

I wish I had an answer to that. If I knew, I'd be rich beyond belief, I think, because I could probably sell it for a fortune. (That was not meant to be a smart-ass response, even though it might have read so.)

Most children are immature (and some never outgrow it). They simply see right here and now, with no vision for the future. For that reason, I think, education is a chore to them. Most of us have probably experienced that ourselves.

I personally could have cared less about an education when I was growing up. I wanted to have FUN. My mother and father saw to it that I got a good education, and for that I am eternally grateful to them. I would have been more than willing to fail and be done with school, but was not allowed to do so. My sister, on the other hand, was totally self-motivated (those individuals are rare, in my experience). She wanted all A's, and what everyone else thought be damned. I applaud her for that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: make 'em learn it. Don't worry about whether they see the need now - just make them do it. Later on, when they are more mature, they'll get the reason for it.

While it would be wonderful for us if we could open youngsters eyes to the true value of knowledge, they simply won't get it most of the time until they are older. Sad, but true, I think.

It is definitely true that with age comes wisdom. That's the one bright spot in getting older..... I'm getting wiser!!!!

 

[TN_Independent]

KL,

Example:

My nephew, who is in med school as we speak, was in his junior year of college when this happened. We were installing a satellite dish for his dad, and we needed coaxial cable.

I had a partial role, but didn't know if I had enough. We went to my tool shed, took down the roll, and he began to remove the binding tape.

I asked what he was doing.

He replied that we had to measure the cable.

I told him that was unnecessary, and asked him to estimate the diameter of the roll.

He told me it was one foot, approximately.

I then asked him the formula for the circumference of a circle, to which he replied pi*d.

I asked him to multiply pi*one foot and approximate an answer.

He told me 3 feet.

I then asked him how many loops were in the roll.... by now he'd gotten it. There was enough cable.

He looked at me and said: "Damn, I always wondered where you'd ever use that formula."

You never know when your knowledge is going to come in handy, but kids can rarely ever see the value in that.

 

[KLSuddeth]

its more than that duane. if that were working 100% , I wouldnt be asking

 

[TN_Independent]

KL,

After a bit of thought, I've an addendum. I know you are home schooling and therefore this may be a bit more important, and also more difficult, for you than for a parent of a student who goes off to school each day.

Having read many of your posts, I know that you are an extremely intelligent and articulate person and you have probably already addressed the issues herein, but I offer my opinion nonetheless.

I always try to explain to students to the value of an education (even though for the most part I know my words fall on deaf ears). I tell them the story of how four years ago I lost my job. I explain to them that when I lost my position of 17 years, I was not afraid or overly concerned - because I had a great education and knew that I'd find another, probably better position to replace the one I'd lost. I contrast that with a story of my cousin, who is my age and not well educated, who struggles with a low paying, meaningless job that he hates because he has so few options.

Explaining situations similar to that is probably the best way I know of attempting to convey educational value to young people (or anyone else, for that matter). You have to make it mean something to them, which is tough to do. How is it going to make their life better (easier, richer)?

I know that you knew all that already.....

Good luck,
TN

 

[KLSuddeth]

Tn - Thank you.....And pls dont ever concern yourself with telling me something that you think I already know. If there is one thing Ive learned in the last couple of months of this HS situation, is that I know nothing....lol - nor does it seem that Im able to even pull up what I do know that might be applicable to said situation.

Im so ready for the fall. lol

(if youre reading frustration, desperation and pathetic-ness in my words, youre right) :

 

[fuzzykitten99]

i don't recall EVER studying. I graduated in a class of 798 students, total school population was 3012 when i graduated in 1999, and I actually graduated a semester early because all my requireds were in, and i had maintained a 3.5 gpa. class sizes depended on the subject, but the required classes varied from 35-50 kids in a class, and we had 4 classes of 85 minutes each, and 1/2 hour lunch, with 10 minute passing times between class. you needed all the passing time because the school was only built for capacity of 2600. anyway, i am getting of subject...the whole thing with class sizes too big is totally bogus. The only reason the liberals complain about class size is that they think that the child does not have to take accountability for their own learning.

the average 1999 senior class gpa was 3.1. not bad considering the large class sizes. we only had 3 total people drop from our grad year. not bad for a grad class at beginning of senior year of 801.

i don't recall studying, because i not only had a job, i had a boyfriend(now my hubby), and I was rarely home right after school. i just did the homework, and paid attention (somewhat) in class.

i could have taken all elective classes 2nd semester my senior year, but i had gotten myself a full time job that paid well, and was able to move out of my parent's house and buy a new car all on my own.

as far as the calculator thing, i only did it during one test in my freshman year, where i had been out for a week due to my grandma dying, and the teacher refused to let me make it up (yes he was a real asshole) but i knew and saw kids doing it more. i mostly used them to talk to my friends during class. we would type the messages and either pass teh calculator when the teacher was not looking, or use the cable. this was easier than passing notes because in an instant, you could erase anything written, and evidence is gone. i had a guy who liked me in class, intercept the thing once, and he found out i liked him, and he typed "will you go out with me?" on it...at first i looked at my friend like she was losing her mind...then she pointed to the guy. i couldn't pay attention through the rest of class.

 

[insein]

Originally posted by KLSuddeth
great.
wonderful.

Stupid me - I thought school was to LEARN.

DAMN, my life could have been SOOOO much easier had I only cheated my way into my Phd rather than doing it the 'hard' way.

See now your learning, lol.

 

[KLSuddeth]

lol

 

[pegwinn]

Hey All.

In 1982 I was watching the original star trek and waiting for Capt K's Communicator to show up. Believe me I coulda used it. I was the guy the girls parents warned them about. Had a 2.4 Average up to day one of my senior year. Then scored a 4.0 as a senior. One teacher had the gall to be dismissive of me. HE told another teacher (in my presence) that they needed to focus on the students that had potential and to cut loose the ones that simply had no future except on welfare like (pointing to me). That pissed me off and I told him so. Since I was already on his short list he didn't send me away to the office. He laughed.

The next year I earned all A's in classes like advanced lit, psychology, journalism, etc. Each term I slammed down my straight A's and he would chuckle, flip it back at me, and mutter something to the effect that anyone could hang in there for the short term. I think he's passed on now. I still aint sure if he was apathetic or if I got played.

I never went to college except for courses that interested me personally (computers and history (go figure)) but I figured out that I can learn anything I choose to. My dad tried to tell me that as a kid but he was an idiot. As I got older he became a freaking genius LOL.

I agree with TN, I consider my self well educated even though I am 40 without a degree. As I go after my 2nd civilian job, all I got to do is get the interview.

Hang in there on the HS. Get under the kids skin and let them resent it. Challenge them. And remember that as they get older you will get smarter. It worked for my kids