USA Today: Students Say School is Too Easy

[Lutra]

Extra extra!

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-07-09/school-too-easy/56120106/1


I know we have a huge homeschooled population on this forum, but I think they'll find it interesting all the same.

What are your thoughts on the article?  Is school too easy?  If its too easy, how would you fix it so that learning could be more challenging?

[Tannsrall]

Actual knowledge

[Icefire]

Fascinating! I was homeschooled, but I still think this is interesting. This is probably why my mom would like to see my second cousin homeschooled. She is sooo smart, but if she gets stuck in that kind of system she will be bored out of her mind and won't try learning when the school level finally catches up to her. I wonder if this happens because adults underestimate what a kid can do. They don't think we can take the challenge, so they try to ease us up the scale when we really just need someone to push us to take up the challenge. We're capable, but not encouraged.
Alright, I'll stop rambling now.

[Flandor]

I was moved ahead in Kindergarten, so as to provide me more of a challenge.  I don't think it's the best solution however, because though I may have felt as mature as my peers, I was still developing a year younger than everyone I went to school with, and it often made me feel out of place.

I like public schools a lot.  I think the extracurriculars and other benefits offered outweigh any drawbacks.  I also think public school is the only reason I know how to deal effectively with people and co-workers I don't like.  It's a great preparation for adulthood. 

That said, I think things can be improved about public schools.  The number one thing would be cutting out the standardized testing and allowing teachers more freedom to challenge students.  There are too many multiple choice and standardized tests and not enough presentations, speeches, essays, and classroom discussions.  This is true of college I found as well.  Too many tests, not enough real thinking encouraged. 

I would also suggest that more be expected of students in general.  Overprotective parents are ruining the school systems.  Kids need to have recess, and the option to eat lunch outdoors, and more difficult schoolwork.  It is good for them.  Babying kids helps nobody.  In the real world, nothing is easy.

However, I also attended school in Germany, and I found it was too intensive and didn't focus enough on social activities and extracurriculars.  I believe there is a happy middle somewhere, but the US isn't there yet.

[Icefire]

I think you would like classical education. I wish I had received a classical education. My mom started me ona classical education, but it's so much work that she ended up having me use a cirriculum that's basically a glorified textbook. I still learned, but there are many things I should be able to do and have no clue how to do because I wasn't taught that way.
What I like about the classical education system is that each class is set up to challenge the kids in ways they will understand. For example, the younger classes learn things to music and chants because that has been shown to be the way that age group learns best. All age groups are taught to actually think through things. For the older classes, my understanding is that every class includes debate.
I watched a video about classical education once. If I find it back (and if anyone's interested), I'll post it.

[Tiria Wildlough]

I get a classical education, which means I learn Latin and stuff. Still, I have nothing to add to this thread 'cause I don't live in the US.

[SableFury]

I like the Waldorf education. I've gone to the same school all my life, but this is my last year.

[Icefire]

This might seem like a really silly question, but what is the waldorf education?

[MatthiasMan]

I don't know either.

Personally, I am an artist so I don't really care about Science and the earth's history. I know now that I was put on earth for some reason and it's not a braniaced, scientist. I'm an artist and a electronic games lover. Personally they need to make school more fun. My art would be amazing right now if my school had a good art teacher. Where's Picasso or Leonardo when you need 'em?

School is too easy for me. I just give up and don't want to do it because I don't care what 183.76 divided by .3 is.(Not that we do things like that but close) I want a challenge. A puzzle. Something I can make with my hands and still think about. This is why I got an F in science. Because school was too easy and I just don't want to do it if it's not a challenge.