The Vent and Rant Thread

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

No, I've met my 2011 goal of one book. Now I'm just coasting!

Aim low and you'll always exceed your expectations, eh? I smell some new and novel educational theory here...

[TheKindleWorm]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

No, I've met my 2011 goal of one book. Now I'm just coasting!

Thanks - thought I'd missed something funny and actually I had!

[wvcherrybomb]

This post says nothing

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

For the third, I'm dropping in to rant.

Why on earth does a mod here insist on giving false information to newbies on the Kindle forum???????????? I have seen him do this so many times now that I can't even count. New people coming here will assume that information given to them by a mod is correct. Nothing like spreading bullsh*t to the masses...

Whoever is in charge on this forum needs to monitor the mods much better than they do. Opinion and fact are not one in the same.

What is the nature of this incorrect information (i.e. how can we tell you're correct without knowing what it is)?

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

Aim low and you'll always exceed your expectations, eh? I smell some new and novel educational theory here...

It's neither new nor novel, unfortunately. Back in the '90s making sure no one hurt Johnny's widdle feewings took precedence over whether he could read, write, or add. We've been lagging behind ever since.

[wvcherrybomb]

Originally Posted by desertblues

This is my rent and rave for today; just for the once:
∏
Why do certain people, who should know better, on the Kindle-forum give false information to newbies. What's the point or the fun?
oh ∏, it happened to me and it happens to others. ******(*&&^%$#
allright: done.

Hmmmm .... I see this has been brought up before. Wondering if it's the same person.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by wvcherrybomb

Hmmmm .... I see this has been brought up before. Wondering if it's the same person.

Has this been addressed directly in that forum, the post(s) in question or by PM?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

It's neither new nor novel, unfortunately. Back in the '90s making sure no one hurt Johnny's widdle feewings took precedence over whether he could read, write, or add. We've been lagging behind ever since.

Yep, Leave no child behind, just push them ALL back!

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Yep, Leave no child behind, just push them ALL back!

My father, before going to law school when I was a kid, was a public school teacher. He thusly swore I'd never attend one, and so I didn't. At least until college when I attended UNC-Chapel Hill. As such, alot of this educational drivel managed to be unseen by me.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

It's neither new nor novel, unfortunately. Back in the '90s making sure no one hurt Johnny's widdle feewings took precedence over whether he could read, write, or add. We've been lagging behind ever since.

Ah, yes, "social promotion". Being left back will give Johnny a stigma, so we promote him with his class regardless of whether he knows the material, and wind up graduating semi-literates, some of whom even get college degrees through the same mechanism.

That particular bad habit pre-dates the 90's, and likely originated in the 60's.

I recall reading an article years back about a Russian educator attending a conference in the West. He described the curriculum in his schools, and was told it had been "scientifically proven" that kids weren't capable of learning things that early, that much, or that fast. He replied he didn't know about that, but in the Soviet Union they were expected to do so or judged mentally deficient.

Ultimately, learning is what childhood is all about. You learn to be a member of your society and learn skills to make productive contributions to keep your society functioning. Kids are sponges soaking up knowledge, and you can't prevent them from learning. You can do a good job of insuring they don't learn the stuff you want them to learn, and do learn all the things that tend to wind up in incarceration, hospitalization, or death, and we are doing all to well at that.

Part of the problem is a social taboo. We accept and even glory in the fact that some kids are faster, stronger, and better athletes, and reward them with professional sports careers and multi-million dollar contracts. We accept and glory in the fact that some kids are talented entertainers, and can sing, dance, act, and/or play music, and some go on to multi-million dollar careers as entertainers. We shy away from any thought that some kids are simply brighter and learn various things faster, and set the pace to the one the slowest kids can match.
______
Dennis

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Ah, yes, "social promotion". Being left back will give Johnny a stigma, so we promote him with his class regardless of whether he knows the material, and wind up graduating semi-literates, some of whom even get college degrees through the same mechanism.

That particular bad habit pre-dates the 90's, and likely originated in the 60's.

I recall reading an article years back about a Russian educator attending a conference in the West. He described the curriculum in his schools, and was told it had been "scientifically proven" that kids weren't capable of learning things that early, that much, or that fast. He replied he didn't know about that, but in the Soviet Union they were expected to do so or judged mentally deficient.

Ultimately, learning is what childhood is all about. You learn to be a member of your society and learn skills to make productive contributions to keep your society functioning. Kids are sponges soaking up knowledge, and you can't prevent them from learning. You can do a good job of insuring they don't learn the stuff you want them to learn, and do learn all the things that tend to wind up in incarceration, hospitalization, or death, and we are doing all to well at that.

Part of the problem is a social taboo. We accept and even glory in the fact that some kids are faster, stronger, and better athletes, and reward them with professional sports careers and multi-million dollar contracts. We accept and glory in the fact that some kids are talented entertainers, and can sing, dance, act, and/or play music, and some go on to multi-million dollar careers as entertainers. We shy away from any thought that some kids are simply brighter and learn various things faster, and set the pace to the one the slowest kids can match.
______
Dennis

even that is being "dumbed" down now. a lot of the athletic leagues for kids are going with the concept that no one wins or loses

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

It's neither new nor novel, unfortunately. Back in the '90s making sure no one hurt Johnny's widdle feewings took precedence over whether he could read, write, or add. We've been lagging behind ever since.

Both my children have problems in school. Especially with reading. They're both at least a grade behind and they're only in 2 & 3. Every report card is poor or ok. I can't afford a tutor and I'm at a loss as to how to help them. Right now their testing my oldest (8) to see if he has learning disability. Up until now we all thought he was just being inattentive (I think some of the teachers they've had just plain suck too). Unfortunately the school they attend doesn't believe in holding kids back a grade. "It's bad for their self esteem" they say...my butt. How do they think they (the kids) feel watching all the other kids get good grades while they bring home C's and D's...or worse.

Just last night my son turned to me with tears in his eyes and said "Mommy, you know what? I'm never going to get an A, no matter how hard I try".

We don't all give birth to geniuses and some kids NEED to be held back in order to move forward.

Just my 2 cents.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

Both my children have problems in school. Especially with reading. They're both at least a grade behind and they're only in 2 & 3. Every report card is poor or ok. I can't afford a tutor and I'm at a loss as to how to help them. Right now their testing my oldest (8) to see if he has learning disability. Up until now we all thought he was just being inattentive (I think some of the teachers they've had just plain suck too). Unfortunately the school they attend doesn't believe in holding kids back a grade. "It's bad for their self esteem" they say...my butt. How do they think they (the kids) feel watching all the other kids get good grades while they bring home C's and D's...or worse.

Just last night my son turned to me with tears in his eyes and said "Mommy, you know what? I'm never going to get an A, no matter how hard I try".

We don't all give birth to geniuses and some kids NEED to be held back in order to move forward.

Just my 2 cents.

This just moves me to hear. Children need to know that they are beautiful, complete persons inside and that grades don't say anything about who they are, where they stand in life.
As a parent, I feel for you and hope you will be able to work something out and be able to give your kids enough confidence to stand straight.

[thinkpad]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

Just last night my son turned to me with tears in his eyes and said "Mommy, you know what? I'm never going to get an A, no matter how hard I try".

We don't all give birth to geniuses and some kids NEED to be held back in order to move forward.

I hope it works out for your kids, one way or the other. It's never easy to know what's the right thing to-do. I don't think smartness is a goal in itself but it's never easy when you feel that everyone else is doing better, and today's school is very competitive.

[Pookeysgirl]

Thanks both of you I tell my kids every day how wonderful, smart and special they are.