Reply #27: don't know if my experience will add to or remove something form the discussion... [View All]

but here it is anyway....

My exp. with my education so far is that I learned HOW to think at a relatively young age (relative to other people, it seems) and a college or university education is supposed to be very field specific. I was enrolled in college earlier in my life, but since I had no idea what field I was interested in, I was wasting my time. I say this because while even the basics (College Algebra, Comp., etc) are required, I had no interest in learning them until I had a greater goal in mind, and those classes then became stepping stones to the things I REALLY wanted to learn, and then I was happy to take them and pay attention to the course material.

A few other thoughts on this topic.....
....There is a difference between High School General Biology, and even a year One college Anatomy and Physiology class.

...IF a college degree is to be the new high school diploma, the market will start requiring Masters level work for even an entry level position, I.E., not everyone WANTS a college degree, not everyone NEEDS a --field specific-- college degree. Not everyone will agree with this, but I know that for ME, even if I had to run fryer at a burger joint for the rest of my career, I would feel immensely better about having to do that job if I knew I had a degree in my pocket (not as a condition of having that job mind you, but just as a personal life accomplishment. and as an aside, I think that a person should be able to have a good life and be able to build wealth even IF that is the only job they ever have, but thats another thread)

...Carl Sagan was right when he said that our species not only NEEDS but DESERVES a basic understanding of how the universe works. Its my opinion that that kind of GENERAL education should be affordable to anyone who wants it, regardless of age or economic status. If you're 18 or 50, (or 60 or 70) and you want to learn about astrophysics, you should be able to enroll in that class (maybe not at Harvard, I'll grant that) at any Community College in the country for a minimum fee. Learning should NEVER be cost prohibitive, or ONLY available to those who have a specific career in mind. I think the advent of technology (the internet) makes this possible. I think that if you are a university professor at a State institution, part of your contract is that we can put all of the lectures you give, all of the classes you teach, online for all to see, free of charge so that knowledge can be disseminated to all who want it. (but if I want transferable CREDIT for it, I had better be willing to pay for the class and work to pass the tests.)

...We have to start teaching critical thinking skills at a MUCH earlier age than we do now. I don't care if my daughter graduates High School WITHOUT a working knowledge of Cartesian Proofs, if she has learned how to to LEARN, how to STUDY, and how to do her OWN research and thinking she can go learn Cartesian Proofs anytime she damn-well chooses. And those skills are not ones that one forgets.

...Teaching to the test is the opposite of actual learning. Every smart kid I know figured out LONG ago in life that on most modern academic tests, the answer to a question you don't know is very likely IN THE TEST SOMEWHERE ELSE. Process of elimination by logical inference will get you a C on that sucker at least. The ones who know this already don't NEED to be taught to the test, they can figure it (the test) out on their own.

...Over-diagnosis of ADHD is (not in ALL cases mind you) a cop out. ALL young children (boys especially) are almost by definition ADHD, its how their brains work. Its WHY a 3 year old can LEARN in a way that a computer processor can't. Biologically, a human child is not evolved to sit still and listen to something that bores them, until their BRAINS have acquired a measure of adult-level self control. Kids need room to run.

Thats my 2 cents. If its not even worth that to you, feel free to say so=)
Peace