piseco ([info]piseco) wrote,
@ 2006-12-12 18:34:00
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unpopular nerds
Snerked from [info]queenalia, read this.

Weren't you nodding your head in agreement the whole way through the article? The point he makes that popularity takes work, and nerds have more important things to do, was a new take on the situation, and it makes sense.

Of course you know my response: this is why I won't be sending C to public school.

The author also says, on his follow-up page, that homeschooling isn't the long-term answer, but that high schools have the potential to be every bit as engaging as colleges. This is absolutely true, and in many, many conversations with friends over the years, I've often talked about an Ideal School, how it would be optional and open and Holt-ish, available to all kids at all times, to have group experiences and informed mentors and expensive equipment and more, but never the drop-off, marking-time prison it is today.

So how do we do this??

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[info]just_the_ash
2006-12-13 12:13 am UTC (link)
Definitely not as an offshoot of the same public school system with the same bureaucracy and oversight, as much as I love it that my high school was there, because the need to serve two masters (to say nothing of the massive underfunding) creates the same "gangs in prison" atmosphere that you get anywhere; the gangs are just more interesting.

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[info]asoleil
2006-12-13 01:52 pm UTC (link)
Ok..First off I must admit my bias, as I am a Public School Biology Teacher. That being said, there is much I dislike about out public school system. However, I do not fully believe that the answer is for all parents to pull their children out of public school to homeschool them. It is sort of an "abandon ship" mentality. Things will not get better if all the really good parents decide to withdrawl from the system and take their "future nerds" (said with love as I am a former nerd myself) with them. It is exactly those type of parents who can initiate change and demand more from the school. Now, I understand you might be saying, "I am not going to sacrifice my child for the betterment of the system". Agreed. There is no reason to assume your child will falter or be a victim of sub-par education just because they attend a public institution. I went to a public high school. I did well at that high school. I was one of those rare individuals who was in the top 10% of their class, yet would not be singled out as a "geek". I feel that my success and ability to survive amongst the masses is a direct result of my parents encouraging me to deal with all types of people and not to avoid uncomfortable situations. I think that the "real world" is full of all factions and if the survival skill you impart to your children is to withdrawl from any uncomfortable situation you are not adequately preparing them for these types of situations. There is talk out there about something called "EQ" or emotional IQ. It is one's ability to intuit and deal successfully with others. I feel this is as important for a happy life as mental intelligence. Attending a public institution helps one hone these skills. Now, there is alot of BUTs here for me...A child will only succeed in this environment if the parents have prepared their children BEFOREHAND. It is too late to start to deal with these peer issues in high school. As one enters that arena, they must already possess the self-confidence and internal strength to withstand the situations that will arise. This might be unpleasant, but having come through it, one will emerge stronger and more able to deal with others in the future. It is also our responsibility as parents to supplement our child's education with trips to museums, parks, etc. Visit the classrooms, call the teachers, volunteer to be a "class mom"...these are things that can help not only your child but all the children. Again, I do NOT love the system. I know there are problems..I see them every day but I would rather try in my own little way to be part of the solution rather than abandon all hope.

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[info]piseco
2006-12-20 03:08 am UTC (link)
Sorry that I got distracted last week and hadn't answered you!

First, the "abandon ship" mentality. On the one hand, I see your point. On the other hand, if EVERYONE really did pull their kids out, then we'd all be equally motivated to provide decent, interesting, new experiences for them to share, and we'd be much closer to an ideal situation for them! Okay, I admit that won't happen because not every parent is motivated to be fully responsible for their child's education. So on an individual level... I can't justify leaving my children in a situation that is a lesser experience just to try and leave some good kids in a bad system for the system's sake. I don't think doing a minor disservice to the public schools by removing my kids is as bad than putting my kids into a mind-numbing situation for 13 years.

I also don't believe that attending a public institution really does help kids learn how to deal successfully with others. It might force them to find a way to cope with others, but there isn't actually any teaching of social skills once you're past kindergarten - and hey, maybe that got dropped in favor of NCLB too. Honestly, I think that kids who are homeschooled have a better chance to develop social skills in groups of homeschooled friends, YMCA sports, church groups, etc. When I know exactly the kinds of interactions they're dealing with and the problems they're facing, I'm in a much better position to help them, to teach them, talk with them directly and pass down to them the social skills they need. Homeschooled kids have a better chance to learn how to interact with a broader group of people (literally all ages) in actual real-life situations.

The last point is that sure, I could supplement my child's boring school hours with some interesting trips and science experiments (my parents did that for me) - but it could never be as good as actually being with him and making every day enjoyable and helping him learn new things as he becomes ready and eager to learn them.

Have you read this article by David Albert? It's very poignant for me because when I went to nerd camp I did cover a lot of math in a little time - I went through both Algebra I and Geometry in 6 weeks, and had enough time left over to do quite a bit of Trig as well. I was 12. And it's not that I'm some genius - I was motivated, the environment was exciting and engaging, and I was given a textbook and a mentor and told to work at whatever pace I felt comfortable.

So I believe the same holds true for all kids. They can learn more, better, faster, with deeper understanding, when they are in charge of deciding when to learn it. There's a popular homeschooling quote that says

Learning can only happen when a child is interested. If he's not interested it's like throwing marshmallows at his head and calling it eating.

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