My father was in the Navy, so I moved a bit as a child. I spent 1st and 2nd grade in Connecticut, then moved to Virginia for 3rd and 4th grade. When I left Virginia and moved back to Connecticut at the start of 5th grade, I was 2 years behind. I learned none of the things in Virginia that the kids in Connecticut had learned. Two of those things still haunt me to this day (parts of speech and weights and measures.) I learned cursive writing on my own to catch up in 5th grade.
It was amazing the difference between these two school systems, even though both were in well-to-do towns. When I got to High School (9th grade), I and my friends were pegged as "troubled kids" by a teacher who lived in our neighborhood. She disliked us so much that she placed her son in a Catholic School rather than leave him with us. Because of this label, I spent most of high school in "3 Groups" (read DUMB) in everything. I was bumped into advanced math courses because I opted for them early. The kids in the 1 Groups got a top-flight education. The kids in the 3 Groups were not even given books to take home. (For example, the Scarlet Letter was read aloud in class by the teacher. We were not given the book to read ourselves) I then learned that there were differences in education even within the same school. I ended up at a state college due to financed, and did not graduate. I learned that mass education does not allow for any individuality, and that answering the question the way the teacher wanted was much more important than actually learning the material. Since then I have taken and audited a number of courses at smaller liberal arts colleges (Conn College for example), and have read voraciously on subjects that interest me. I finally learned that my education was solely up to me. I am taking this knowledge and trying to help my 5 year old nephew benefit from this. It is not only the school system that will teach him, but what we teach him outside of school. Jerry Jerry Johnson Web Developer Dolan Media Company >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 12/15/04 03:57PM >>> I agree. But I'd like to see some real changes and standards on our education system anyway. Some solid math, some pushing of reading, some solid introduction to scientific thinking and problem solving. Things that I think are missing from many schools. I went to public school for a while after Yeshiva (6th grade on or so) and I was shocked at how far behind the public schools were in comparison. I slept through math classes (literally) without problems. Eventually I just quit and got my GED (highest score ever) and went on to college. Even there in the core science and math classes they were below the level I'd expect. :( I WANT REAL LEARNING IN THIS COUNTRY OR I'M LEAVING! > Let me add that I would love to see a mandatory comparative religion > course in every Junior High school (7th or 8th grade.) followed the next > semester by a social anthropology course (or whatever would cover > societal/cultural differences). It is interesting. It is useful. > > I think the more we understood at a young age, the more we would be > understanding as adults. > > Jerry > > > Jerry Johnson > Web Developer > Dolan Media Company > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Special thanks to the CF Community Suite Silver Sponsor - New Atlanta http://www.newatlanta.com Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:140082 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
