Teach your children well

[Uncle Martin]

You see right through me Freethinker, I am in desperate need of medieval moderating. No, actually, everything from reality and psychology to politics and morality are suddenly simplified. Many of the subjects we've discussed recently. All the pieces are much easier to fit together, an epiphany of sorts. I'm not eloquent enough to put it into words.

[Freethinker]

Now (to bring this back to topic lest I have to give myself a warning) how do we make it this simple to teach to our young'uns?

 

Seriously, the biggest regret I have RE my elementary education was not being taught HOW to think. To have been given a basis for everything to see how interconnected it all is.

 

But then it was mainly a Catholic School education, so learning TO think was not desirable for them.

[Uncle Martin]

We've come a long way in the last 200 years. The very fact that we(science) can question the myth culture's assertions without being killed is a step in the right direction. That religion is compelled to address scientific claims and attemp to validate its own existence is evidence of their uncertainty. I think that the next 200 years will see the virtual end of mysticism through attrition an education. For the present, all I can do is teach the truth to as many people as are seeking it.

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: Uncle Martin

We've come a long way in the last 200 years. The very fact that we(science) can question the myth culture's assertions without being killed is a step in the right direction.

Yet the religious fanaticism of the current US Exec Admin is doing everything it can to stop scientific advancement. We are being stopped from legally, culturally, medically, questioning this admins personally favorite mythology. Regardless of the harm to society they are causing.

 

We had it proven to us by a recent visitor to this site. Christian Dude gave specific examples of the lies he was being taught in the name of Christianity. Such as the outright lies about how STD's are transmitted.

 

AID's is running rampant, yet we are not allowed to question the ignorance of an Abstenence Only governmental effort. The UN is not allowed to educate 3rd world countries on the ONLY way they can actively stop the spread of AID's, the simple usage of condoms. So actually people ARE being killed directly because of an effort to sop the questioning of religious ideology. It is just not the one's being stopped from asking the questions. It is those that would benefit from the answers.

That religion is compelled to address scientific claims and attemp to validate its own existence is evidence of their uncertainty. I think that the next 200 years will see the virtual end of mysticism through attrition an education. For the present, all I can do is teach the truth to as many people as are seeking it.

Let's hope there is light at the end of the tunnel. Or as Carl Sagan put it "Science as a Candle in the Dark" of religious superstition.

[Uncle Martin]

It is my understanding that the reason for schools being out in summer is a carry over from the good old days when most children were needed to tend the crops at home on the farm. Is this correct? Also, is this just an "American" habit or is it practiced worldwide? I truly believe that if we are to prepare our youth for the real world, we should not delude them with 3 month vacations. Very, very,.. few children are needed on the farm anymore. I think Irish teaches all year long. The first step to reforming our failing education system should be to make public school a 12 month per year endeavor. How will we finance this? I do not know, but I believe it is important.

 

I'm an empty nester, my two kids are grown and moved out. (and I LIKE IT) But when they were young, this three month break just about broke me financially. The trend,..... no,... necessity,.. is for two income households now and this three month vacation is something few blue collar folks can afford. I can also say from experience, that this financial burden causes parents to leave children home alone at a younger than desireable age out of necessity. Which is not fair to the kids, nor conducive to their development.

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: Uncle Martin

It is my understanding that the reason for schools being out in summer is a carry over from the good old days when most children were needed to tend the crops at home on the farm. Is this correct?

That is how I understand it also. But one big reason it is not extended now is the cost of air conditioning. This is a SERIOUS issue in northern states. Many schools do not have or have only limited air conditioning. The HS which I went to, which is still the newest HS in the district, didn't even have windows that opened in the rooms. Just "contemporary" verticle strips, not even space to retrofit with opening windows. Easier to heat in the winter and no thought of cooling in the summer.

[IrishEyes]

Some schools are moving towards an all-year school year. I agree that this is more realistic. Very few people will ever realize a yearly 3 month vacation!

 

I had never considered the air-conditioning angle though. very nice point, FreeT. I've never lived in a Northern state. All the states in the West had very good AC systems; Vegas still hits 100 in Ocotber sometimes.

 

So basically, it costs the parents more (in day care) to save the government? That's the idea, right? Disgusting!!

[IrishEyes]

I think Irish teaches all year long

 

Also, yes and no, Unc. In another thread, I think I explained a little bit. We are not your 'typical Christian homeschoolers'. we're about as far from the stereotype as you can get.

 

We don't have any set 'school time' during the day. We have no set days that we 'do school'. There are no 'daily homework' papers that my children must finish. I don't normally give tests, and wouldn't dream of making them take a standardized test if my life depended on it, unless THEY wanted to take one (which one of them does on a regular basis!). I don't let them have the summer off, like all the other kids. It's actually kinda weird. We just went to a group homeschool meeting yesterday, at the park followed by a beach, and some of the kids were talking about how great it was to be off for the whole summer. And the moms were talking about when they were going tos tart up teaching again, and possible changes to their schedules for he next school year (like doing a 6 week on, 2 week off, or something), and someone asked me what I thought. I was the freak who said, "My kids don't get 'time off'. We never stop school" Can you believe I said it with a totally straight face? And when one said, "what about the holidays?' I answered, "Nope, they do school over the holidays". "Well, what about the weekends?" "Nope, we even have school over the weekends" Man, you'd think I was admitting to making them listen to Englebert Humperdink for 10 hours a day or something!

 

The whole idea in my home, with my admittedly unconventinal methods, is that I want my children to understand that learning is not limited to certain hours of certain days of certain months, in controlled circumstances, overseen by someone with a 'superior knowledge' that will *teach* them what they need to know.

 

That's not to say that I do 'nothing' for them. There are books all over the house. They are strictly regulated as to what they can watch and for how long on the television. They have 'projects' that they do, but I don't 'grade' the projects with a letter or Pass/Fail. We have goals for each of them, based on each child and their abilities and interests. We are very goal oriented with them. For instance, we want to travel to Europe with them, so we are trying to learn a few of the languages (French and Italian) and this led into a project detailing the differences in Spain's Spanish and Mexico's Spanish, and why those differences exist. It wasn't homework, it wasn't assigned, it was just something they wanted to know, that would have been convered ina 9th grade world history class, that my 7 year old just explained to his grandmother on the phone last week (which was nice, as she really thought we were going to mess up their lives by keeping them home!)

 

Anyhow, that's a whole other rant, but I'll be happy to elaborate if you want...

[Tormod]

Irish, I said it before but I'll repeat it: I respect your choice and it must be very hard work.

 

In Norway I think you'd be arrested and charged and possibly be fined or even receive jail time. This happens more often now with immigrants who don't want to send their kids to the (Christian) Norwegian school system.

 

I'm serious. Home schooling is not an option here. You send you kids to school or get in trouble.

 

Tormod

[IrishEyes]

I'm serious. Home schooling is not an option here. You send you kids to school or get in trouble.

 

That is, perhaps, one of the saddest things I've ever heard you say...(you know what I mean...)

 

I know it's probably weird for me to be against the idea of everyone sending their children to a state-sponsored Christian based school, but I just think that's horrible!!! I guess I am really an American at heart, huh, as much as I might like to think of myself as more progressive...? I think it is every parent's right...well, more their DUTY, to educate their children. For some, that means sending them to school. For others, that means keeping them home. But I also think that religion is a very personal choice, I'm big on the "free will' thing, and it just offends me to think that someone else could force me to send my children to a place that taught things that I felt were not true! I'm not just talking about religion, or the lack of it, but anything, really. I can remember my mom having the option to opt us out of certain classes, based ion her own beliefs. This was fairly typical in our area (I grew up all over, but mostly on the West Coast, in SoCal, Vegas, and Phoenix, but in the South as well). SHE had the choice whether she wanted me to go to the school sponsored sex-ed class. I had a similar decision when my oldest was in school. What my choice was is irrelevant, but the point is that I HAD THE CHOICE!

 

I feel for you that your own feelings are not important when it comes to the education of your children. I also feel for you that your own personal religious beliefs are not respected by your state, and your children are forced to listen to beliefs that directly contradict what you believe. Are there private schools that they could attend, or is the state school the only option?

[Freethinker]

Originally posted by: IrishEyes

Some schools are moving towards an all-year school year. I agree that this is more realistic. Very few people will ever realize a yearly 3 month vacation!

Only US Fed employees and a small handful of still strong union shops.

 

Kids need to be prepared for the Republican work world. The one that has outlawed required breaks for workers, stopped employers from having to pay overtime, allowed medical costs to get so high employers no longer provide them, promote companies to send jobs over seas, ...

 

IOW trashed the entire concept of a middle class, and made this a "Haves" and poverty class country.

So basically, it costs the parents more (in day care) to save the government? That's the idea, right? Disgusting!!

Like I said, the Republican agenda.

 

It allows their upper crust constituency to write off the costs while making it impossible for working class to assure proper care for their children.