Plummeting Education Standards Are a National Emergency

[Shady]

7 hours ago, manofthecoldland said:

The current information/disinformation and political propaganda scourge is another topic.

If the discussion is the quality of education, it's the only topic.

Do you want your children educated by a system that quite literally believes math is racist and are trying to overhaul the entire curriculum?

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-20/california-controversial-math-overhaul-focuses-on-equity

[OnMyWay]

4 hours ago, Shady said:

If the discussion is the quality of education, it's the only topic.

Do you want your children educated by a system that quite literally believes math is racist and are trying to overhaul the entire curriculum?

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-20/california-controversial-math-overhaul-focuses-on-equity

That is California.  It is not the same everywhere and that will fail in California, like everything is failing in California.

[Jack D]

12 hours ago, Shady said:

history is being re-written

Always re-written, but not only in the US. My grade school textbooks (in the US) avoided many historical facts. 

For example, my US education completely avoided any mention of the Mexican War (1846-1848), where the US invaded Mexico (and toppled the central government in Mexico city). Instead, the US textbooks simply state that Upper California, present-day Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado were ceded the the US. This was known as the Mexican Cession.

Similarly, the US textbooks in my grade school also avoided any mention of the Philippine-American War (1899 - 1902). The textbooks simply stated that the US defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War (1898), and ended up in possession of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

[earthdome]

3 hours ago, Jack D said:

Always re-written, but not only in the US. My grade school textbooks (in the US) avoided many historical facts. 

For example, my US education completely avoided any mention of the Mexican War (1846-1848), where the US invaded Mexico (and toppled the central government in Mexico city). Instead, the US textbooks simply state that Upper California, present-day Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado were ceded the the US. This was known as the Mexican Cession.

Similarly, the US textbooks in my grade school also avoided any mention of the Philippine-American War (1899 - 1902). The textbooks simply stated that the US defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War (1898), and ended up in possession of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

As it is said, history is written by the victors.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I think it is sad that some of you did not find the joy of math.  I followed every math class with avid interest and then went home and did a couple of hours of math practice every night.  I loved it.

Now I watch "average" people on Facebook thinking they are math genii and I do a face palm every time.  So sad.

[Jack D]

Moved to next post

Edited May 21, 2021 by Jack D

[Jack D]

4 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

I think it is sad that some of you did not find the joy of math.  I followed every math class with avid interest and then went home and did a couple of hours of math practice every night.  I loved it.

Now I watch "average" people on Facebook thinking they are math genii and I do a face palm every time.  So sad.

Nowadays, students in some US schools can use calculators and smartphones during their math tests.

[Tommy T.]

21 hours ago, manofthecoldland said:

The one thing that is easy is to buy your child a globe and make sure they know its basic layout.  All map projections have distortions that are often misleading. I often use my small globe to show the Mrs. the relative distances and sizes of other places, since her reference scale is only the PI.... and the travel times within by ferry or jet.  Its only of a mild curiosity to her at present.

I think that is an excellent suggestion. Nat'l Bookstore and even the local Gaisano department store downtown sell globes - some of them have inside lights so they will be more interesting to observe at night?

L, interestingly, can draw accurate maps to direct people to find our home. Yet she has no concept, really, even about local geography. I tried showing her how to use Google Maps to navigate while I drive (it shows us as a little ball cruising along the roadways). I think I need to spend a lot more time with her because she just didn't get it. As mentioned above by Queenie and others, interest in a subject makes all the difference...

[Tommy T.]

8 hours ago, Jack D said:

Always re-written, but not only in the US. My grade school textbooks (in the US) avoided many historical facts. 

As an example of your point:

I have read a few articles about how the Japanese school system has, and continues to, re-write their version of Japanese aggression and atrocities from WWII. The revised histories mention little or nothing about the real causes of the Pacific part of the war.

5 hours ago, earthdome said:

As it is said, history is written by the victors.

I think I just noted that is not always the case? But I think your comment is mostly correct.

[Jack D]

40 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

… the Japanese school system has, and continues to, re-write their version of Japanese aggression and atrocities from WWII. The revised histories mention little or nothing about the real causes of the Pacific part of the war.

A fine example of how the loser (Japan) can also rewrite history.