I just wanted to say...

[Igloo]

that my college experience was almost a waste of time. I just graduated with my degree in middle school teaching for math and English, and I honestly learned so little that I can say that it was not worth the $35,000 or so in debt that it put me in. Like half of my classes were review classes of stuff I already knew, other classes taught me stuff that most people would know as common sense (i.e.- a class to teach me that middle schoolers go through growth spurts and hit puberty during their middle school years), and at least one class that really shouldn't have even needed to be in my major (Calculus for Middle School- how often does that happen?). On top of this, there was so little actual experience working with students that had I got a job right out of college, I probably would have felt incredibly overwhelmed.

Thankfully, God was able to show me through information I bumped into at college just how messed up America's public education system is, and that there were people out there doing education differently. So I at least have a chance to get a job in a school that puts the children first instead of the curriculum.

But yea, I could have learned how to be a teacher much better from doing an apprenticeship than from what I received from my college. Rather disappointing considering how much colleges tout themselves as wellsprings of knowledge.

 

[DarkHorseRising]

We started calculus in grade 8, isn't that middle school?

I guess everyone's experience is different... I love my school, and now that I'm entering my final year I'm looking back and seeing that I've really gained a lot from my education. Maybe you could look into grad school and get a master's degree?

 

[Pizzaguy]

Calculus in grade 8? Not in any school in Georiga. 2

You got a very good education - or at least it sounds like you did!



EDIT: Can I ask how far you got in High School Calculus? It really impresses me that you were doing that in grade 8, or even at all - considering that we are graduating kids in Georgia who can not read well enough to understand some company's applications for employment. (No, not exaggerating, not at all. One set of parents have sued or are suing one county in Georgia 'cause their kid cant read the employment application at Honda.)

 

[DarkHorseRising]

Calculus in grade 8? Not in any school in Georiga. 2

You got a very good education - or at least it sounds like you did!



EDIT: Can I ask how far you got in High School Calculus? It really impresses me that you were doing that in grade 8, or even at all - considering that we are graduating kids in Georgia who can not read well enough to understand some company's applications for employment. (No, not exaggerating, not at all. One set of parents have sued or are suing one county in Georgia 'cause their kid cant read the employment application at Honda.)

High school was where it almost fell apart. I started at a public school where the math was two years behind... then switched to a Catholic school and everyone was on the same level again. So I think there's a big variation in schools and school boards...

There's also different streams, I was in the university entrance stream so we covered more ground than the other two... but yeah, I know of some people in our school who were graduated with a reading level I had in elementary school. It's sad, and there's a lot of causes. BUT I think God has a plan for everyone, and He gives different gifts and tools to everyone.

 

[elizabethbraddock]

It really depends on what you're majoring in.

And I love calculus. :D

 

[CalledToServe]

that my college experience was almost a waste of time. I just graduated with my degree in middle school teaching for math and English, and I honestly learned so little that I can say that it was not worth the $35,000 or so in debt that it put me in. Like half of my classes were review classes of stuff I already knew, other classes taught me stuff that most people would know as common sense (i.e.- a class to teach me that middle schoolers go through growth spurts and hit puberty during their middle school years), and at least one class that really shouldn't have even needed to be in my major (Calculus for Middle School- how often does that happen?). On top of this, there was so little actual experience working with students that had I got a job right out of college, I probably would have felt incredibly overwhelmed.

Thankfully, God was able to show me through information I bumped into at college just how messed up America's public education system is, and that there were people out there doing education differently. So I at least have a chance to get a job in a school that puts the children first instead of the curriculum.

But yea, I could have learned how to be a teacher much better from doing an apprenticeship than from what I received from my college. Rather disappointing considering how much colleges tout themselves as wellsprings of knowledge.

Post-secondary education used to be a lot different in the early 90s and earlier. Classes were difficult and designed to make you think while at the same time challenging you academically. Colleges of today have to have the general education requirements because public schools have failed and have to bring students up to a college level. However, college level today is high school level from when I was going to high school in the 80s. This is what happens when people push equality of outcomes not equality by being unequal.

When I was going to go back to school at one college I had to take the Accuplacer for math and English. I aced the math test, but failed the English test. Being a professional writer, that failure made me realize how dumbed down education has become. Back when I was in school, when you were confronted with a compound/run on sentence that was filled with punctuation errors you had a choice in separating the two sentences through the use of a semi-colon or a period. Under the new/dumbed down rules for English a comma now serves as a period and semi-colon for compound/run on sentences. Accuplacer uses the new/dumbed down rules without presenting the testee with the option for the true correct answer that breaks the sentences up into two. This is the result of teachers and public schools failing in their job to educate. Instead of teaching students to achieve high standards of learning and critical thinking, they are teaching students how to beat the standardized tests. Those that fail the tests are still passed with their results being dropped from the academic pool that is reported to the US Department of Education.

This my brothers and sisters is because of the government being involved in education and government employee unions that protect teachers and administrators that fail to effectively teach students.

 

[reba]

Just stop and think about sending your young child ,a sponge, to set and learn from unsaved persons.

The kids are started out before the age of 5 . We tell them listen to your teachers... We compound what they are taught. Do we know what they are being taught? The public grammar school i worked at use spirit guides.

 

[elizabethbraddock]

Post-secondary education used to be a lot different in the early 90s and earlier. Classes were difficult and designed to make you think while at the same time challenging you academically. Colleges of today have to have the general education requirements because public schools have failed and have to bring students up to a college level. However, college level today is high school level from when I was going to high school in the 80s. This is what happens when people push equality of outcomes not equality by being unequal.

When I was going to go back to school at one college I had to take the Accuplacer for math and English. I aced the math test, but failed the English test. Being a professional writer, that failure made me realize how dumbed down education has become. Back when I was in school, when you were confronted with a compound/run on sentence that was filled with punctuation errors you had a choice in separating the two sentences through the use of a semi-colon or a period. Under the new/dumbed down rules for English a comma now serves as a period and semi-colon for compound/run on sentences. Accuplacer uses the new/dumbed down rules without presenting the testee with the option for the true correct answer that breaks the sentences up into two. This is the result of teachers and public schools failing in their job to educate. Instead of teaching students to achieve high standards of learning and critical thinking, they are teaching students how to beat the standardized tests. Those that fail the tests are still passed with their results being dropped from the academic pool that is reported to the US Department of Education.

This my brothers and sisters is because of the government being involved in education and government employee unions that protect teachers and administrators that fail to effectively teach students.

While I agree, education has been dumbed down quite a bit in many schools, the experience really depends on the institution you go to. There are still professors out there who want help you learn, and will challenge you to think outside the box and challenge your thinking.

 

[elizabethbraddock]

Just stop and think about sending your young child ,a sponge, to set and learn from unsaved persons.

The kids are started out before the age of 5 . We tell them listen to your teachers... We compound what they are taught. Do we know what they are being taught? The public grammar school i worked at use spirit guides.

While I don't agree with many things in public schools, such as trying push various social agendas and indoctrination, I find that you can take many good things out of school if the student has a solid foundation to start with. Things like math and science are excellent tools to train a mind to think logically and problem solve, and helps in learning real, useful skills outside of school, unlike soft majors such as philosophy or art history (no offense to anyone with degrees in this area...they're wonderful to study, and allow us to better appreciate culture), allowing one to pursue careers in engineering, medicine, etc.

 

[Nick]

My university experience so far has been quite educational. Sure,. the lecturers push a certain viewpoint, which you can argue against in your essays. But you need to have evidence to support whatever case you're trying to make. If you can argue a solid case, then you'll get the marks.

 

[Mike S]

My university experience so far has been quite educational. Sure,. the lecturers push a certain viewpoint, which you can argue against in your essays. But you need to have evidence to support whatever case you're trying to make. If you can argue a solid case, then you'll get the marks.

It was pretty much the case for me, doing undergraduate and graduate work in the 70s, that there was very little effort to brainwash college students...IF, you were in a technical degree program. It was again the case in the 90s, when my my son earned an engineering degree. It is NOT the case if you're in a liberal arts, non-technical, degree program. Then the liberal social nonsense is all consuming.

My belief is that any college degree program with "studies" (women's studies, gay studies, etc.) in the description is a waste of time, and will take years of real life experience to recover from.

 

[Nick]

It was pretty much the case for me, doing undergraduate and graduate work in the 70s, that there was very little effort to brainwash college students...IF, you were in a technical degree program. It was again the case in the 90s, when my my son earned an engineering degree. It is NOT the case if you're in a liberal arts, non-technical, degree program. Then the liberal social nonsense is all consuming.

My belief is that any college degree program with "studies" (women's studies, gay studies, etc.) in the description is a waste of time, and will take years of real life experience to recover from.

Well actually I am doing an Arts degree with a diploma in education. My major is modern history.

I have a friend who does women's studies etc (sociology) at a different university to mine in Sydney and although in the course there is a feminist lean, to say the least, she can argue against it if she presents evidence etc.

Not all hope is lost!