I have always said that
teenagers should earn their degree in high school and the state pays for it
rather than going to college to learn your degree. To me it is a perfect
opportunity for teenagers to focus more on what they want to learn instead of
what the state say they should learn. For example, I do not use Algebra,
Chemistry, Geometry, and most of World History in my day to day life. Only
thing that was really useful was English or Language Arts. I would have been
better off studying Psychology in high school. The point is that children
should be measured on their own intelligence. If a child is good at music,
measure that intelligence. If a child is an artist, measure them on that
intelligence. I am good at studying behaviors, I would have rather been
measured on that intelligence. This country would definitely would have less
drop outs.
Meanwhile in China, they
have developed a system called high-stakes testing centuries ago. They teach
their children through intense rote memorization. They have long hours of
school and tons of homework. Of course they test, test, and test to see who the
best student is. The teachers keep their jobs based on how well their student’s
academic achieve maybe (Mathews, 2014).
I would love to develop a
school where they learn skills that can be used right out of high school like
it used to be. No offense Walden University. You are a great school but I wish
I would have taken these courses in high school 1996-1999.
Mathews, J. (2014). Don’t
Go Overboard Praising China’s Schools. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/dont-go-overboard-praising-chinas-schools/2014/02/09/bbd51248-8edc-11e3-b227-12a45d109e03_story.html
I agree with what you said about testing children's diverse intelligence. Allowing children to excel in interest areas and affirming those successes at younger ages might develop more self-esteem and achievement in children as they mature.
ReplyDeleteOne concern I have about your proposal to bring the more specialization of college into high school is that it does not allow the access to diverse content that children need to be able to see what they are good at. Cognitively, we are still developing through those years and beyond, so exposure to diverse content can sometimes spark an interest or skill in children they would not otherwise known they had. It also may put undue stress on children if the need to choose a specific area of study were introduced at younger ages. College freshmen and sophomores have a hard enough time declaring a major, let alone a 16 year old. Some children may have the the interest, drive and self-awareness to benefit from your proposal, but I would wager most of the population of adolescence would not benefit from the specialization or increased pressure at younger ages.