benjamino wrote:
i have to agree with this on the basis that when i was growing up my mother never mentioned racism or sexism, never even to tell me it was wrong, so it was never ever an issue to me and i was only introduced to these ideas when i was older and in high school at which point they just seemed silly. i was brought up with the idea that people are just people, i think if you teach ideas of discrimination, even if you are telling children they are wrong, you are still introducing the idea that people are different in the first place.
The only problem with this statement is that I was brought up by my mother to be very wary of racism and sexism. It has made me more aware of the problem and therefore able to keep a better watch on myself and others. Also, if I ever exhibit racist actions I cannot use ignorance of the issue as my defense. My point remains that we cannot control these issues by ignoring them. We don't have to make a huge deal of it, but kids need to know what is right and wrong.
benjamino wrote:"i was brought up with the idea that people are just people"
Isn't this teaching ideas against discrimination? That all people are equal?
Yeah in my opinion i think the untied states education sucks or just our concept of education. I am graduating HS this year and what i have learned is that grades are much more important to colleges then the people themselves. I know three old friends of mine that have been arrested more than once, are always in fights, and are just assholes to people but they get fairly good grades and all 3 of them were accepted into Auburn. I don't want to single out auburn cause i think alot of colleges make the same mistake. People maybe have terrible integrity and be a boarder line criminal yet becaues they get good grades they can get into good colleges. Thats just one thing that bugs me
The other thing that i was actually thinking abotu today was how i just signed up for this champion ship training class at my school because i heard it was an easy A so i thought it would help my gpa....anyways well in the class we dicuss philosophical ideas and how to apply them to life. The teacher is the football coach who i think is quite a wise man. He agrees with me that school doesnt seem to teach kids character or morals just education. What i found though was that in all my other classes yes i am learning new things and being "taught", but i am not thinking. I just sit take notes and accept what is being told. In my opinion you don't have to think to learn. I define thinking as finding your own answers. Nothing in school draws out any of my emotions or attention. Where as this website people bring up controversial issues and are forced to think for themselves and find their own information to back themselves up. While many people may be misinformed at least they are using their mind. I look foward to my champ training class cause we talk about interesting issues that involve peoples personal opinions. Im not gonna argue with most of the stuff im taught in school becuase all i know is what they teach me. That is why i think it is important for kids to do their own research and not just accept what school tells you to accecpt.
Just a thought
This dude ill admit is ugly as hell but its a decent article discussing home schooling. Im not sure i agree with everything this guy says
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kellmeyer/050428
He discusses the book under ground history of american education which from some of its talking points seems like an interesting book. If anyone can find any better links then this one:http://www.sudburymaui.org/gatto.html
Post it so i don't have to spend my emergency abortion fund on the book lol jk
experience is the best education.
there are age old questions all humans ask in the dark. who am i? what am i? why am i here? all of these deal with waking consciousness and a quest for self actualization.
surely, different sages speak of such truths in many tongues.
but to distill it down, learn those things that make you happy.
pure Bokononism at heart.
Book of Bokonon:
Verses 2-4: In the beginning, God created the earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness.
And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely.
"Everything must have a purpose?" asked God.
"Certainly," said man.
"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God.
And He went away.
Verse 5: Live by the foma that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy.
On the creation of Bokononism:
I wanted all things
To seem to make some sense,
So we could all be happy, yes,
Instead of tense.
And I made up lies
So that they all fit nice,
And I made this sad world
A par-a-dise.
On the end of the world:
Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end,
And our God will take things back that He to us did lend.
And if, on that sad day, you want to scold our God,
Why just go ahead and scold Him. He'll just smile and nod.
So the general consensus seems to be that you should use as many abstract teaching principles as possible, and stimulate processes as opposed to specific circumstances. Seems reasonable. Does anyone have a contrasting opinion?
