Dillards 41: Chocolate, Cheese, and Other Things More Interesting

[HarryPotterFan]

 

On 9/27/2017 at 5:44 PM, VelociRapture said:

 ... uh... did this teacher ever hear about the Battle of Britain? Or about Enigma? Project Mincemeat or Agent Zigzag? How about Winston Fucking Churchill? They heard about him, right? What about the Queen Mother's badass reaction to part of the palace being bombed? 

What was her reaction?

10 hours ago, louisa05 said:

Something I would add to the discussion is that even where it remains in the curriculum here in the USA, there is an increasing expectation that history (and all social science) be dumbed down for students as it is of little importance compared to STEM. 

This just pisses me off. History was never my favorite subject, but being well informed is so freaking important to advancing as a society...understanding the major screw ups of past leaders, horrific events of the past, wars, slavery, racism, civil rights...it's just so damn important to being an informed voter and making laws to improve people's lives. 

I would love for my AP World teacher to give a good history lesson to our elected officials. It was one of the toughest classes I've had. I don't think I had a class that challenging until junior year of college. She claimed her class was to prepare us for college. More like grad school prep   But she drilled "change and continuity over time" into our heads, and got mad if someone made a judgement based on western or American perspectives. It was such a hard class, and at the time I joked she was some sort of robotic vampire, but I still remember the important life lessons she taught. Definitely one of my most impactful classes. I still think of her, specially over the course of the most recent election. I tried to imagine what she'd think and what she'd say in the classes. My friends and I named a teddy bear a former student gave her Lady Murasaki, who is viewed by by many as the world's first modern novelist. I kinda want to find and friend her on Facebook now..

ETA: Not to get back on topic or anything, but which type of Trump supporter is Derick?

[Maggie Mae]

2 hours ago, louisa05 said:

@Maggie Mae  A historical element should be included in all course work, especially in the humanities, but we can't rely on it as a source for history instruction or justify the lack of history instruction because it is there. 

Oh, I'm aware. I'm just tired of the "Americans are a bunch of dullards who don't know anything about history meme." We have 50 states that all have different statewide mandatory curriculums. And just because I never specifically took a class on European history doesn't mean that I don't have some background knowledge from what I've learned on my own and in literature/government/whatever else. And just because something is required by the state doesn't meant that individual schools and school districts can't require more. I'm not justifying the lack of history required, but people keep asking more and more things to be taught - soft skills! taxes! STEM! More math!... Why can't we just hold ourselves to a higher standard at all times and actually figure out a way to value education - that's how you get better results! 

[louisa05]

3 minutes ago, Maggie Mae said:

Why can't we just hold ourselves to a higher standard at all times and actually figure out a way to value education - that's how you get better results! 

Those of us who are privileged enough can. I grew up in a middle to upper middle class household. I was taken to the library not less than once a week for as long as I can remember. I was taken to museums, allowed (and encouraged) from a young age to watch historical documentaries and movies, watched the news and read the newspaper (as soon as I was able to read well enough). So, yes, people like us can hold ourselves to a high standard and value education enough on our own to seek out new knowledge in this and any other area. 

But I subbed in a kindergarten class last year that had four kids who came to school having never opened a book or held a crayon. And that's the problem. Those kids are not going to become self-motivated lifelong learners without a lot of the jump starting taking place in school whether we are talking about social sciences or math or any other subject. 

[Four is Enough]

7 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

But I subbed in a kindergarten class last year that had four kids who came to school having never opened a book or held a crayon. And that's the problem. Those kids are not going to become self-motivated lifelong learners without a lot of the jump starting taking place in school whether we are talking about social sciences or math or any other subject. 

You are not kidding. Read, read, read to your little kids. Give them big pads of paper or giant coloring books and let them  have at it. Play with blocks on the floor. Do puzzles. Over, and over, and over and over... they really learn a lot from that.

[BadMurphy]

1 hour ago, HarryPotterFan said:

 

What was her reaction?

 

 

She said "I'm glad we were bombed, now we can look the East End in the face"

She also said that she wore fancy dress at her bomb site visits bc she knew that they would wear their Sunday best if they visited her home too.

 

 

 

[Maggie Mae]

12 minutes ago, louisa05 said:

Those of us who are privileged enough can. I grew up in a middle to upper middle class household. I was taken to the library not less than once a week for as long as I can remember. I was taken to museums, allowed (and encouraged) from a young age to watch historical documentaries and movies, watched the news and read the newspaper (as soon as I was able to read well enough). So, yes, people like us can hold ourselves to a high standard and value education enough on our own to seek out new knowledge in this and any other area. 

But I subbed in a kindergarten class last year that had four kids who came to school having never opened a book or held a crayon. And that's the problem. Those kids are not going to become self-motivated lifelong learners without a lot of the jump starting taking place in school whether we are talking about social sciences or math or any other subject. 

I know that. But there are also people who have the benefit of being somewhat educated and they still don't care and think that school isn't for fostering a love of education, it's for workforce development. 

[grandmadugger]

I can't remember what history/social science classes were required to graduate from a Kansas High School in the 90s.  And what I learned in which class I couldn't tell you much but I feel like I have a decent grasp on history.  We started history/social studies in elementary school.  It didn't wait until high school.  I know I took at least a couple of classes in high school but by that time I had years of history.

[SapphireSlytherin]

1 hour ago, Maggie Mae said:

they still don't care and think that school isn't for fostering a love of education, it's for workforce development.

My sister-in-law (who has a college degree and lives in England) believes that schools are babysitters. She whinges daily about having to get up early to take her children to school so she can sit on her ass and eat chocolate and play Angry Birds.

[Coconut Flan]

Carry on here: