The U.S. is ranked #25, read why.

I was in class about 20 minutes ago and my teacher had a meeting somewhere down in Florida and he came back with some really interesting facts on WHY students in school are being tested on these big comprehensive test. The United States of America that most of us at this site live in, is declining in comprehension and reading. Our technology is not the greatest. India is ranked #1 in comprehension, learning, and technology. In 1945, the U.S was ranked #1, now we are #25 and Mexico is ranked #26. Its THAT bad. In the year 2050, the average human life expectnancy is 120 years old. The U.S. and Bill Gates NOW has something called Nano-Technology. The ability of a device the size of a cassett tape to take a sample of your saliva, and see what future deseases you will get. The US is fighting to teach these people on what to do about our comprehensive. For all schools, a whole new learning plan is being developed. The Adaptation of the human mind in the U.S. is declining extremely fast. We are trying to stop overseas jobs. Technology is advancing very fast in the U.S, dont get me wrong, but Americans are relying on technology too much. I wouldnt say now that the world will destroy itsself with nuclear weapons. Not in our lifetime folks. We still got a long way to go for that. Across the world, one country is already developing "artificial real" human organs. A mouse has a human ear grown on it. They are taking that ear and putting it on a human which had cancer on the previous ear. Bet yall didnt know that we cloned a human on a SHIP overseas did you? Dont know what her name is, but there is an exact replica of her. I would have to say that comprehension is a very vital and important factor of today. I could go on and on about this but it is way too much to type but you get the general idea.

Hey creamsoda - interesting stuff to think about...

My question - everyone knows that comprehension is declining, so why test? Why not spend the money to improve education, and access to things - like music - that build brainpower?

...I worry that the tests will be used just to label and categorize - and that the decision-makers don't really want to help kids. ...If they did, they'd just do it.


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Because the Americans only know what they HAVE to know, when they need to know it. We arent going to remember something to use later on, but we will only remember it for a test. No Ameican can deny that. Thats why you cant quit testing people. If you did that, comprehension would decline really fast. Its alot to think about, but its all true.

Originally posted by creamsoda
Because the Americans only know what they HAVE to know, when they need to know it. We arent going to remember something to use later on, but we will only remember it for a test. No Ameican can deny that. Thats why you cant quit testing people. If you did that, comprehension would decline really fast. Its alot to think about, but its all true.

Creamsoda - I don't think that's true at all. ...Real skills and knowledge don't go away, and thinking is like riding a bicycle - once you know how, you never really forget - even if you stop for a while.

...The problem is, tests tell us that learning is just about remembering a pile of information somebody gave us in a big "fact bag" - and ya, we all forget those "facts." ... 'remembering facts' is not what learning really is.

If our schools give us real tools - how to read, collect our own information (research), how to think about facts and evaluate and analyse them, how to use information - that's what never goes away, and it's what important...

Think about that...


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The real problem with the picture is most (yes, I say most) kids in American feel tortured to go to school. When kids don't have any passion to learn, they don't. Simple as that. By the time they get to High School, they're already so far behind they can't catch up to acomplish their dreams. Now-a-days, kids would rather sit at home and play video games all day, or something else for that matter.

I have heard of a new teaching program close to where I live. The program is a more interactive type of teaching. All students get a lot of attention from their teachers. Maybe someone else has more information on this. I sa this on 20/20 or something similair.

The old style of teaching was designed when America was predominatley a manufacturing economy. The thought was that about 10% would become managers, accountant, lawers etc.. which required college and the rest just needed to learn basic reading and math skills to be productive working in manufacturing facilities etc..

Originally posted by DarkFlame
The real problem with the picture is most (yes, I say most) kids in American feel tortured to go to school. When kids don't have any passion to learn, they don't. Simple as that. By the time they get to High School, they're already so far behind they can't catch up to acomplish their dreams. Now-a-days, kids would rather sit at home and play video games all day, or something else for that matter.

I have to say that is true..........I'm 25 and didn't really "learn to love learning" until a few years ago......I hope it's not too late........at any rate.....

....I would like to add something...........a problem with the educational system is its ability to teach critical thinking. Context and Metaphor are valuable concepts to understand, especially in todays world of fantasy. Popular books( Harry Potter) and movies(Lord of the Rings/Matrix), T.V.(exaggerated criminal dramas CSI and Law and Order)and even religion(Parables) all are mediums of communication but are too often taken literally. The "morals" and other valuable insights get lost in the "awe" induced by the story.
Technology also contributes to the loss of "mental interaction" with ones environment. Convenience is the order of the day and even a basic understanding of the sciences that produced are various technologies are shuffled to the background.
Testing will always occur, but more money should be spent on education. Not just more, but better quality. BTW, I believe the relegation of Dreams to the mystical section to be the biggest farce of our time.......If evolution is true, then dreams evolved for a reason, but I digress.

[edit on 31-1-2005 by MemoryShock]

I can vouch for that. However, I think they're trying to do better.

My school tries to shove a lot into our heads, even cutting out some classes which I think are vital such as reading class. They sacrifice a reading class for a technology class where you learn close to nothing. I've only learned one important thing in a class: how to really type and not henpeck. The rest of technology is just busy work and maybe some critical thinking games like Sim City.

In sixth grade I did better than 98% of the people in my state on the annual reading test. The year after, I got a 73%. I thought I was going to really bomb it this year because my English teacher would make us read a story and quiz us on trivial things (What color was so-and-so's shirt?). I'm lucky, though. She's fresh out of college and knows exactly the way to teach us to help us improve our reading comprehension.

The math teachers on the other hand haven't been that through. I have had a good math teacher since sixth grade (I had the head of the math department.) The next year I had a woman who wouldn't explain a lot to us and made us take notes for five minutes. The rest was joke telling. Then, on tests, she'd curb our grade and make it easier for us.

There is also a science test coming up. I don't think I'm prepared for it. I mean, math and reading are one thing, but science is something totally different with so many different aspects to it that it's hard to remember. On top of that, my teacher can't get a perfect score on it.

Originally posted by creamsoda
I was in class about 20 minutes ago and my teacher had a meeting somewhere down in Florida and he came back with some really interesting facts on WHY students in school are being tested on these big comprehensive test. The United States of America that most of us at this site live in, is declining in comprehension and reading. Our technology is not the greatest. India is ranked #1 in comprehension, learning, and technology. In 1945, the U.S was ranked #1, now we are #25 and Mexico is ranked #26. Its THAT bad. In the year 2050, the average human life expectnancy is 120 years old. The U.S. and Bill Gates NOW has something called Nano-Technology. The ability of a device the size of a cassett tape to take a sample of your saliva, and see what future deseases you will get. The US is fighting to teach these people on what to do about our comprehensive. For all schools, a whole new learning plan is being developed. The Adaptation of the human mind in the U.S. is declining extremely fast. We are trying to stop overseas jobs. Technology is advancing very fast in the U.S, dont get me wrong, but Americans are relying on technology too much. I wouldnt say now that the world will destroy itsself with nuclear weapons. Not in our lifetime folks. We still got a long way to go for that. Across the world, one country is already developing "artificial real" human organs. A mouse has a human ear grown on it. They are taking that ear and putting it on a human which had cancer on the previous ear. Bet yall didnt know that we cloned a human on a SHIP overseas did you? Dont know what her name is, but there is an exact replica of her. I would have to say that comprehension is a very vital and important factor of today. I could go on and on about this but it is way too much to type but you get the general idea.

one of the main problems with that may be the lack of willingness on the pupil's part to learn outside of school. Fault is always found with the actual school system, but many of the success stories, of students over-achieving if you will, are of those students who actually have a knowledge base outside of their school curiculum. ie, you mentioned nano-tech.

www.zyvex.com...

its a broadening new field of science and medicine at molecular and atomic level. not really the size of a cassette, try size of a headache tablet. soon you will be able to purchase a small table with millions of swarming little robots inside, which are engineered to combat bacteria/disease at the molecular level. if you're worried about your countries' schooling, or as you should be more importantly your own, here's a tip- you have the equivalent of the library of alexandria at your fingertips. the internet. anything you want to learn you can. so use it.

of course theres a whoooole lot of disinformation. but heck most of its amusing, and its why we come here

Originally posted by DarkFlame
The real problem with the picture is most (yes, I say most) kids in American feel tortured to go to school. When kids don't have any passion to learn, they don't. Simple as that. By the time they get to High School, they're already so far behind they can't catch up to acomplish their dreams. Now-a-days, kids would rather sit at home and play video games all day, or something else for that matter.

Wow! How is it so many miss this simple point? Well said, well said ! Now all we need is a plan...

That was really interesting, however, one should aslo put into perspective the amount of Military and non-sensical spending other countries do compared to America...

America is more worried about propogating a culture of fear and spending countrless billions on military endevours, than it is educational systems and social reform programs.

I would like to see a link to the statistics, aswell. Is that possible?

Deep

Originally posted by DarkFlame
The real problem with the picture is most (yes, I say most) kids in American feel tortured to go to school. When kids don't have any passion to learn, they don't. Simple as that. By the time they get to High School, they're already so far behind they can't catch up to acomplish their dreams. Now-a-days, kids would rather sit at home and play video games all day, or something else for that matter.

I have touched upon this in countless posts. I call it the moronification of a nation. That's what we are becoming... a nation of morons!

There are a billion arguments as to "WHY" this is happening and I have no interest in exploring all of them at this point. However, I will introduce this simple thought... government beauracracy. No matter what happens, the government's general solution is to spend more money per kid... with little or no results. Instead of having an age-based education system where children are corralled into "grades" with students of the same age, we should employ a cognitive advancement system that rewards advancement on the merit of the knowledge retained and displayed. For whatever reason there is such a stigmatism associated with being held back that kids are often advanced to the next grade without ever mastering the cognitive skills required to excel at their current grade leaving them ill equipped to handle the next grade.

How about using capitalism as a motivation? C'mon, admit it, it's why you do your job.

If you get an A in English this quarter, you'll get the Halo 2 special edition released only to honor roll students!

Or maybe gaming in school -

History: You're egyptian, the approaching army is Phoenecian. In coastal terrain, what kind of unit will you purchase to route an approaching military on horseback?

Science: What angle does your Class 2 fighter spacecraft need in order to re-enter the earth's atmosphere without burning up? What is the co-efficient of friction?

Math: You're in a group with a dark elf who has 355 gold and needs to split the loot amoung a dwarf, a high elf, and a gnome. How much does each party member get? How much gold is remaining? Who has the hitpoints to win the fight in combat for the remainder?

Originally posted by DarkFlame
Now-a-days, kids would rather sit at home and play video games all day, or something else for that matter.

What's wrong with video games? Kept me out of trouble : P

When has this been NEW news? Everyone has known that the U.S. has one of the worst education systems when it is compared to as the 'best' place to be. But...that does not mean that individuals in the U.S. are academically 'challeneged'.

I see a very big problem in the way things are taught in schools, especially high schools.

Memorization of equations vs knowledge of what those equations are actually doing. I used to walk around high school with a button on my shirt that said 'Why am I learning this?" Sure, its arrogant, whatever, but it does provoke a powerful question that most teachers just dont care to answer.

Originally posted by Aether
I used to walk around high school with a button on my shirt that said 'Why am I learning this?"

This is a really good point. I think part of the reason for boredom is that lack of practical application of the information. The only reason why I liked Trigonometry (and did well vs. Algebra I and II) is because I could create a game, firing a ship projectile at an enemy ship. All I needed to figure out was the angle above horizon, speed of the projectile, and distance of the enemy ship. A simple parabola and BLAM! Enemy ship hit! Now when that enemy ship is moving it becomes more fun. YES, this officially makes me a geek of the squarest kind, but it got me through the suffering.

Well, I can tell you why much of it has declined.

You have to be taught how to reason. The basic logic course that you can get in college is ALMOST NEVER taught at the HS level, and is not required in college. Math priciples that also govern speech are ignored. We have multiple chouce tests which we regurgitate, and teachers teach TO THE TESTS. (I should know, I'm going through the psychology classes and whatnot right now, so I can become a teacher.) Teachers are not much more than overglorified babysitters in too many cases. Things that werecommon sense 10 years ago are not so today....*sigh*

Another part of the equation is the fact that our society demands adults to work at least 8 hours a day, erego I do think there is a measure of baby-sitting in effect until they reach the level of maturity for college. Not saying that staying home with kid(s) all day every day wouldn't drive some parents a little batty, but maybe if there was a way to work this out to where school was a shorter length of time than a work-shift. It may 'pop' a little bit more for young minds and would be better prep for them to grow into the academia nuts as required by universities.

Also, this bouncing around from subject to subject always seemed a little crazy. How about focusing a quarter on social studies, a quarter on science, a quarter on math, etc.?


[edit on 1-2-2005 by saint4God]

I have two daughters and another on the way. I live in a state with madatory state testing. My oldest daughter, seven years old, is in a school, where just about every subject is taught in a fun and educational way. She loves to attend classes, gets A's on all her report cards, and scores in the 5th and 6th grade levels for the state while she is only in 1st grade, on the state mandated tests.

Both my wife and I work 40 hours a week (Its not odd for me to have 13 hour day and over 100 hours a pay period), and have to spend alot of time on call and work on weekends too. But, we make the time to spend extra time with her on reading and math.

We do restrict what she can and cannot watch on TV, but not to the point where she isn't able to talk with her friends about a show they saw. She's not perfect, just like all kids her age she acts up and gets in trouble, but when it comes to learning we do everything we can to make it something she wants to do, without setting it up as some reward system if she does good. We constatnly complement her on her work, and encourage her to always do her best.

I am more amazed everyday by things she says and does that are representative of things I didn't learn until later on in life.

I believe that every parent in America can attain the same level of confidence in their children as I have in mine. They only need to take as little as 5 minutes out of their day and sit and read with their children, or show them a bit of a math problem.

Time is a precious commodity. Make the sacrifice for your children.

Phae

[edit on 2/1/2005 by Phaethor]

Totally love how you've not only explained to us how it can be done, you've set the example rather than gripe and complain like a lot of us tend to do. I hope I'm a good parent as well and will let your post serve as a personal reminder. Thanks!

[edit on 1-2-2005 by saint4God]

IMO - the problem is complicated. ....Perceptions are manipulated on purpose to create drudges and dumbos - then people blame the parents, and label the kids as unmotivated or 'slow.' ...IMO - the media and the school system don't want people to be educated or evolved (cuz they'd cause too much trouble). ...It's an uphill battle for parents, impossible for many...



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