What are the teaching kids??

Apologies for longer post!
As my town does not have a high school; my daughter and her friends in 8th grade, visit different high schools to pick where they want to attend. Obviously since there is choice we are choosing the best 3 options in our area.
SO, I picked them up and was returning them to school. Apparently they had attended a class in environmental studies. I preface this is not political; I believe in protecting the environment for future generations. Good stewardship of natural resources is common sense!
The data they were discussing was that the United States uses more fossil fuels than any other industrialized nation. Especially more than Europe. They wanted to know why the US was so wasteful and did not have more mass transit options.

OK, what are the industrialized nations, well they didn't learn that; top of my head Germany, France, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and Russia.
What is the break down of that fossil fuel use? meaning what percentages for aircraft, automobile, farming, and electricity production? They were not told. mmm

OK girls how big is Germany? no idea. The size of Montana or half the size of Texas.
OK how many people in Germany? No Clue.. My guess about 80 million.
How many people fly from Frankfurt to Berlin like NYC to LA .. blank stares.
How much fossil fuels go into production of food and transport?

Each girl grabbed their Iphone and researched said questions about each country. To ask the next day at the class?

GUESS who got a call from principal? He wanted to know if I was a teacher? ahh No. I just want the children to be able to look at a set of information and ask intelligent questions about it. I want them to be able to reason and not accept information without realizing life is more complicated than a meme or spoon fed propaganda. Meaning teach them how to Think especially in a world where data can be presented in ways THAT MAY be designed to prove a point.

Pushing 50 years old I am still getting called to principal office

 

Our kids come home with all sorts of questions of why aren't we aren't doing this or why do we do that. They learn the rest of the story mixed with common sense and logistics.

They also have the most available technology available to research information, but many times don't always use it to get answers.

There is one teacher in particular who teaches based on their agenda and I believe steps over the line. Let kids make decisions based on actual information and some research. Brainwashing is what comes to mind. Staying non-political.

 

fishingpol, If a teacher wants to teach an agenda, I am OK with that, IF they encourage the kids to think, analyze. ask questions and learn from the topic. The girls, mine plus 3 others, were excited with their research. Liz was amazed that Germany was only county with 2 airports in top 15 of all Europe (Frankfurt and Munich)

 

Did you ask the principal why they were only doing half their job?
Afterall you don't get the choice to pay half your taxes.
I'm sure they are still teaching kids, columbus discovered america..

 

Ok I am rocking boat. But no one takes a plane from anyplace in England to another airport in England! I never saw an 18 wheeler in the U.K. their roads are too narrow, they use box trucks.

I do not think, there is enough agricultural land in Germany to feed 80 million people, much less grain to make beer. I know they make beer.

 

All I know is mine graduates in June and we are done with public schools. She's getting real close to being your neighbor for 4 years.

 

Good on you Canadian border VT We need more parents teaching their kids to think critically and not just accept everything they are told.

 

Nothing of value.

 

My point.. How does Germany size of Montana compare?
Australia and Canada similar sizes but 10% of population..

 

tree killer always need good neighbors

 

Good on you CBVT


Our children should be taught that there is more than one side of a story (or statistics).

They cannot make an informed decision if they only receive part of the story/equation.

Likely it may seem unsurprising, but my favorite part of English classes was reading and debate.

I still can't find a "dangling participle", but can rock a good debate.


Yeah, I'm gonna let that one just "hang" there.

 

I am a high school environmental science teacher and while you raise some valid points, I feel there is more to this story. I have never heard of any faculty member at any level calling home because kids came into class with valid questions. Maybe they challenged in an inappropriate manner? Maybe they did it in a disrespectful manner? I'm not accusing your daughter of those actions, just pointing out that something is missing OR you need to really go after that principal.
Now as far as the information your daughter and her friends gave you...is it possible that 13 year olds didn't relay the complete and proper information? Because that never happens! (Sarcasm intended) Could the teacher have said per capita and that was missed by the girls?
I am all for teaching students how to think and not what to think. I stress to them they have all the answers in their hands with their electronic devices but most only choose to use it for social media, music, and taking endless selfies.
Concerning our consumption in the U.S. we do consume roughly 25% of all resources in the world while we make up approximately 5% of the world's population. Raising awareness about that and finding ways we can help improve our numbers isn't such a bad thing.

 

Good for your Canadian border VT and I commend you! I am of the same mindset, and I always try to play devil's advocate which usually brings to the surface the the facts from both sides of the agenda. Pretty crappy job of them not giving them the full picture and allowing them to discern and think for themselves.

 

jrider I absolutely agree! a little more details, the girls (1,mine 3 friends) are visiting high schools to pick which one they will attend next year. I picked them up from high school A, and brought them 30 miles back to home. I am a big meanie!! My daughter and her friends, all know me and my rules! No devices in car, this is communication time with humans. Do Not Want teenagers using devices in cars. Good precedent to start.

I presume, I was a viable option only because school bus was 3x as long and girls had a holiday function they wanted to get to.

The chances these girls were paying anywhere near half attention, my guess absolute Zero. We were discussing what they learned today? Normal in my car, the answer "nothing" is half hour penalty extra without devices.

As for the principal calling; it was nothing nefarious; apparently the girls questions made the 2nd class, the next day "more lively and educational". Principal was at a function that night with my uncle (a retired teacher) who gave him my number. Principal was curious as to how: 1) I had gotten girls to engage; 2)research ideas for the next day; motivated them to do so and if I had pictures/time be a guest speaker. From educators perspective, mirroring students that have no vested interest in a class (might not even go to that school, in future) contributing to a class, apparently puts a buzz in the teachers lounge!

 

I commend you for your no devices rule...I wish more parents did the same. Your story now makes a whole lot more sense.
Phones in class are so bad I started "Phone Prison" this year. I gave them their number and they put their phones in their slot when they walk into class and take it with them on the way out. Most can't stand it at first but come around to realize how addicted they really are.

 

Commend you both jrider and Canadian border VT again my wife and I are in the same mindset! My kids are still young but believe it or not my 8yr old whos in second grade has kids in school that have some type of smartphone. I started telling her from now, your not getting a cell phone for a very long long time.

We have electronics time, but its limited, we have family time to talk and just interact with each other. To many parents use electronics as a babysitters so they can go and sit on their smartphone and post about Gods knows what on social media! While I realize its benefits and its many pros there are also many cons. Everything has its time and a place!!!

 

NOTE: This post was not intended to be a slam against teachers. Most teachers I know went into that profession because they wanted to 'help' kids. Because so many of my family are educators, I realize the amount of regulation, standards, paperwork teaching requires. It is just I have never found regulation and minimum standards to be devices that encourage learning.

 

I work in the IT Dept. for a school district and well lets just say sometimes teachers are the guiltiest of user error when trying to use a computer

 

We had a teacher years ago get into a little bit of a dilemma when she googled the writer "Longfellow". Lol. True story!