Is 18, too long?

[Delta4Embassy]

Do we coddle teenagers too much when it comes to education?
As curriculums are ever "dumbing" down. Kids should easily; and I mean, easily; complete a 12th grade education by 16, or in some cases even 15 years old.

So have we set the bar too low?

If there's anything to slower paced lessons cause kids to drift off and pay less attention, then perhaps a more accelerated pace should be the default, and slower versions available as needed. I think if we set the bat too low, we get lower results. Set it higher and people will meet it. Especially nowadays with kids more plugged in than ever before.

Have to be careful though. One of the reasons Asia does so well academically is they stress the living crap out of kids and parents alike. We can certainly do much betetr than we do, but we shouldn't overemphasize things until we make higher education more affordable, or at the very least go back to how community college was in the beginning and make it free again. No point steering kids to college with accelerated academics if no one can afford it without going into lifelong debt.

Should adopt a European style model as well. Regular academics til about high school, then give kids the opportunity to continue with that or head into a technical school learning actual career skills like plumbing and whatnot.

My daughters high school is doing just that. They have a program that trains select students for certain fields. My daughter is in the space and engineering program. They also have software programming, nursing, and automotive tech.

Space and engineering? Neat. Future warp field engineer.

Its a pretty progressive school. I believe they are going to be adding some more programs soon. I know Cisco and Google both are sponsoring the IT programs.

While my feet kinda itch at the thought of corporate involvement with schools I think some is okay if technical and science-based. We are getting so outclassed in the science arena something new should be tried.

 

[Roadrunner]

Do we coddle teenagers too much when it comes to education?
As curriculums are ever "dumbing" down. Kids should easily; and I mean, easily; complete a 12th grade education by 16, or in some cases even 15 years old.

So have we set the bar too low?

They no longer need a 3 month break to go work the farms, a month to be kids is enough.

And kids should be allowed to learn at their own pace, not the slowest kids pace.

NO CHILD ALLOWED AHEAD made it policy to gear the classroom to the 504's and special ed kids in their least restrictive environment.

You could get letter of reprimand or worse if a Special Ed person barged into your classroom unannounced and did not like what you were doing.

Due to absent teachers, I once had three different classes in my room at one time, 55 kids in a classroom with 35 desks, and got written up for not devoting enough attention to one 504, who, in fact, loved the subject and was doing just fine with an A.

 

[Asclepias]

Children learn what you put in front of them. As long as someone is not telling them they are not supposed to know it they pick it up. I constantly stress to people I meet and know to teach their young kids Algebra as soon as they know how to count. I've done it with all my children before they hit school and the results speak for themselves.

 

[Roadrunner]

Children learn what you put in front of them. As long as someone is not telling them they are not supposed to know it they pick it up. I constantly stress to people I meet and know to teach their young kids Algebra as soon as they know how to count. I've done it with all my children before they hit school and the results speak for themselves.

Now I know you are white.

; - )

 

[Asclepias]

Do we coddle teenagers too much when it comes to education?
As curriculums are ever "dumbing" down. Kids should easily; and I mean, easily; complete a 12th grade education by 16, or in some cases even 15 years old.

So have we set the bar too low?

If there's anything to slower paced lessons cause kids to drift off and pay less attention, then perhaps a more accelerated pace should be the default, and slower versions available as needed. I think if we set the bat too low, we get lower results. Set it higher and people will meet it. Especially nowadays with kids more plugged in than ever before.

Have to be careful though. One of the reasons Asia does so well academically is they stress the living crap out of kids and parents alike. We can certainly do much betetr than we do, but we shouldn't overemphasize things until we make higher education more affordable, or at the very least go back to how community college was in the beginning and make it free again. No point steering kids to college with accelerated academics if no one can afford it without going into lifelong debt.

Should adopt a European style model as well. Regular academics til about high school, then give kids the opportunity to continue with that or head into a technical school learning actual career skills like plumbing and whatnot.

My daughters high school is doing just that. They have a program that trains select students for certain fields. My daughter is in the space and engineering program. They also have software programming, nursing, and automotive tech.

Space and engineering? Neat. Future warp field engineer.

Its a pretty progressive school. I believe they are going to be adding some more programs soon. I know Cisco and Google both are sponsoring the IT programs.

While my feet kinda itch at the thought of corporate involvement with schools I think some is okay if technical and science-based. We are getting so outclassed in the science arena something new should be tried.

I had mixed reactions. I have worked with Cisco for the last 20 years so I know their culture. I still had visions of "big brother" scenarios and robots groomed to produce workers but the knowlege they are teaching in these classes will help a lot of people have an introduction to the technological and engineering opportunities they may not otherwise have ever had.

 

[Asclepias]

Children learn what you put in front of them. As long as someone is not telling them they are not supposed to know it they pick it up. I constantly stress to people I meet and know to teach their young kids Algebra as soon as they know how to count. I've done it with all my children before they hit school and the results speak for themselves.

Now I know you are white.

; - )

Still Black as onyx.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

If there's anything to slower paced lessons cause kids to drift off and pay less attention, then perhaps a more accelerated pace should be the default, and slower versions available as needed. I think if we set the bat too low, we get lower results. Set it higher and people will meet it. Especially nowadays with kids more plugged in than ever before.

Have to be careful though. One of the reasons Asia does so well academically is they stress the living crap out of kids and parents alike. We can certainly do much betetr than we do, but we shouldn't overemphasize things until we make higher education more affordable, or at the very least go back to how community college was in the beginning and make it free again. No point steering kids to college with accelerated academics if no one can afford it without going into lifelong debt.

Should adopt a European style model as well. Regular academics til about high school, then give kids the opportunity to continue with that or head into a technical school learning actual career skills like plumbing and whatnot.

My daughters high school is doing just that. They have a program that trains select students for certain fields. My daughter is in the space and engineering program. They also have software programming, nursing, and automotive tech.

Space and engineering? Neat. Future warp field engineer.

Its a pretty progressive school. I believe they are going to be adding some more programs soon. I know Cisco and Google both are sponsoring the IT programs.

While my feet kinda itch at the thought of corporate involvement with schools I think some is okay if technical and science-based. We are getting so outclassed in the science arena something new should be tried.

I had mixed reactions. I have worked with Cisco for the last 20 years so I know their culture. I still had visions of "big brother" scenarios and robots groomed to produce workers but the knowlege they are teaching in these classes will help a lot of people have an introduction to the technological and engineering opportunities they may not otherwise have ever had.

Loved the woman who did the voice overs for some of their commercials last year. Hint of an accent but you can't be quite sure.

 

[mgh80]

Yes we have. For example I have a 16 year old sophomore in one my classes. He has a 0.0 GPA (no that's not a typo). Yes he's a sophomore and got straight F's throughout his freshman year...think about that one.

Oh and I hear "why did I get a <insert grade lower than an "A"> on my work? I completed it."

The obvious answer is "because it wasn't "A" quality work. But they've been programmed to think that just completing the work is enough to earn an "A". It's a battle that I deal with all of the time.