If you were head of the Department of Education, and were able to change the curriculum to Elementry, Middle school, or High schools - what whould you do? what kind of classes do you think our youth should be able to take?

I wouldn't have mind taking "introduction to consipiracies".

and if someone says MMORPGS...So help me..

Haha I haven't seen that movie in forever. Damn DVD got scratched. Anyways, I believe we should abolish most ideas of American schools. Most elementary schools are fine as is, besides obvious things like getting more qualified teachers, etc. Sadly, I realize most of my ideas will probably never see the light of day, so I'll go with the a more moderate position.

Grade 6- One marked with a *, just assume its there for the rest
General Science
General Math
Writing/Reading
World History
Gym/Health*
Elective*

Grade 7
Life Sciences(Basicly think an intro to Biology light)
Pre-Algebra
Writing/Reading
Geography

Grade 8
Physical Sciences(Physics/Chemistry light)
Algebra I
Reading/Writing
US History

Grade 9
Biology
Geometry
R/W(Emphasis at building analytical skills, espically with poetry, Greek Mythology, and some classic works)
World History(ie, Classic Greece/Rome, Ancient Egypt and Sumeria, China and Japan until about the 1900s)

Grade 10
Physics
Algebra II
R/W(Emphasis on continuing to build analytical skills)
European History from the end of the Dark Ages to now

Grade 11
Chemistry
Either Trig or Pre-Calculus
R/W(A continuation of analytical skills, but also increased emphasis to be able to write it in essays)
US History

Grade 12
A secondary level course in one of the 3 sciences learned in HS
Either Statistics or Calculus
R/W(Continuation of Grade 11 using poetry, novels,philosophy, etc)
Contemporary History(Basicly History from about World War I to now, let's face it, this gets covered in the last 2-3 weeks of any normal history class if at all)

I would disband that branch of government and turn power back to the states, cities and parents. All the Dept of Ed has done is inject mediocrity into our schools.

If i were the head of the department of education I would shut it down and tell the states to take care of it, we don't need a department of education, states can do and do this already.. why duplicate efforts and wast tax dollars. create some competition between states to say were the best education state inthe country..

In the age of computers just the idea of curriculum/grades is obsolete. Let the kids seek their own level of education at their own pace. For the malcontents, beat them senseless.

[edit on 23-10-2008 by whaaa]

I would reinstate the good old fahioned paddle.
Then I'd get rid of all the dead beat troublemakers that don't want to learn anything anyway.

I don't think that changing the course offerings should be the first priority. The trouble isn't so much with what students are studying, but rather how they are studying and who the teachers are. For instance, skimming through an AP literature text list would suggest that the course is relatively rigorous. However, if you speak directly with students and observe their studying habits as well as the classroom atmosphere, you'll find that the reality is hardly conducive to developing analytical and writing skills. When your primary concern as a student is to prepare for the big test at the end of the year, and all of the time in between can be spent browsing "cheat" sites like SparkNotes or plowing through Princeton Review books, you aren't developing anything more than test skills. That is not what I think students should be learning, but it is the reality for most American students.

[edit on 23/10/08 by paperplanes]

oh man...

If I were the head of the department of education I would expand to education beyond college level. Education for every american, because it is direly needed.

I would re structrue elementary schools to better suit each individual student. The dictator ship structure of school would end and the school bell would lose its purpose in most schools, rather than serve as some type of pavlovian mechanism to affect the minds of the seriously impressionable.

There would be two options and I would directly interfere with every state because education is important.

There aren't really that many different types of people. People learn in a couple of different ways and these people are suited to do different things and learn in different ways.

The basics would remain in place, but new subjects would be implemented around the nation. This would be mandatory code for teachers.

Teachers would cease to be change agents.

All teachers would have to measure up to the highest of standards in not only education but life as well. If they weren't at that level, they would be required to achieve it to keep their jobs.

All teachers would be allowed to deviate from the curriculum at times to teach valuable things about life to students.

In my state there is elementary school(1-5) middle school(6-8) and high school(9-12)

This is great, but the change that I would make is that I would situate students with students of different age levels in order to boost learning/teaching capabilities.

New subjects in mid/high school would include metaphysics, quantum physics, the study of the concealment of history, financial mastery, anthropology, theosophy to name a few.

Free and critical thinking would be stressed and homework would be eliminated for those who met the criteria to be free of it. Those that didn't get the assignments or couldn't pass tests would be required to do homework.

There would definitely be a revival and revealing of true history and it would be required for all teachers to be updated as well as the students.

All students would be allowed choice as to the education program they best saw fit.

I would hire some of the best minds in the world to collaborate on creating several options of education geared towards what the student wanted to do with his/her life.

I know that by increasing creativity we will increase individuals who do not desire to be a robot and work for someone else, to work for themselves and create jobs for people that do desire to work for other people.

I would also expose in history classes the families that have owned this world for centuries and their ties to ancient history.


ATS membership will be required

I would be like an education czar until I saw that a majority of americans and their offspring were free thinking, independent, critically thinking, skeptical, aware, human beings.

I would work to eliminate the educational/class hierarchy.

I would also disallow punishment of any ridiculous means. All students who wish to not educate and open their minds and achieve a minimum standard of quality of intelligence will be forced...thats right I said it...forced to read books.

If its really serious than they will have to copy entire pages out of the dictionary.

all subliminal mind control tactics would be revealed and perhaps the most important change I would make would be to educate every child on how their brain actually works.

Originally posted by paperplanes
I don't think that changing the course offerings should be the first priority. The trouble isn't so much with what students are studying, but rather how they are studying and who the teachers are. For instance, skimming through an AP literature text list would suggest that the course is relatively rigorous. However, if you speak directly with students and observe their studying habits as well as the classroom atmosphere, you'll find that the reality is hardly conducive to developing analytical and writing skills. When your primary concern as a student is to prepare for the big test at the end of the year, and all of the time in between can be spent browsing "cheat" sites like SparkNotes or plowing through Princeton Review books, you aren't developing anything more than test skills. That is not what I think students should be learning, but it is the reality for most American students.

[edit on 23/10/08 by paperplanes]

From someone who took an AP literature class and an AP writing class, it does feature some of that. However, the only thing Spark Notes will help you with was my teacher gave us daily "Chapter Quizes" on the books/poems we read and I got tired of get 2/3 or 3/5 so I started reading them regardless. If you try the approach you mention, at best you'll get a 3/5 on the AP exam. If you actually learn the skills you will get a 4 or 5 on it.

Originally posted by whaaa
Let the kids seek their own level of education at their own pace. For the malcontents, beat them senseless.
[edit on 23-10-2008 by whaaa]

With the Internet, you really don't even need school, but everyone (kids)needs some influence or guidance, ya just can't say here's google learn something...
if your dumb, you should stay dumb...

Originally posted by SuperSecretSquirrel
I would disband that branch of government and turn power back to the states, cities and parents. All the Dept of Ed has done is inject mediocrity into our schools.

the states, cities, and parents have alot of power right now. if you have looked at states from north to south, graduation requirements change dramatically! still, someone is in charge of what is taught, (not in charge of what is learned) This thread is for if you were in charge

Originally posted by juveous
If you were head of the Department of Education, and were able to change the curriculum to Elementry, Middle school, or High schools - what whould you do? what kind of classes do you think our youth should be able to take?

I wouldn't have mind taking "introduction to consipiracies".

and if someone says MMORPGS...So help me..

If I'm repeating someone else on this thread, forgive me; I'm so inflamed about this topic I saw you, juveous, & had to chime in.

Now, bearing in mind this is the UK

1: FIRST AID
2: MANNERS
3: BUSHCRAFT
4: PERSONAL FINANCE
5: HOW TO COOK

If any of the above seem facetious or flippant to any of you, then you're mistaken. I'm gonna submit this now and hopefully find I've been pre-empted!

Originally posted by juveous

Originally posted by whaaa
Let the kids seek their own level of education at their own pace. For the malcontents, beat them senseless.
[edit on 23-10-2008 by whaaa]

With the Internet, you really don't even need school, but everyone (kids)needs some influence or guidance, ya just can't say here's google learn something...
if your dumb, you should stay dumb...

You sound quite young. Or naive? The Internet is here to maintain a 'Sibling Society'. There is precious little aspiration among us for our elders. This is catastrophic to the individual. Read Jung.

Originally posted by Catesby

Originally posted by juveous

Originally posted by whaaa
Let the kids seek their own level of education at their own pace. For the malcontents, beat them senseless.
[edit on 23-10-2008 by whaaa]

With the Internet, you really don't even need school, but everyone (kids)needs some influence or guidance, ya just can't say here's google learn something...
if your dumb, you should stay dumb...

You sound quite young. Or naive? The Internet is here to maintain a 'Sibling Society'. There is precious little aspiration among us for our elders. This is catastrophic to the individual. Read Jung.

Thanks for your comment and I did look into Carl Jung, quite interesting. I will still defend what I mentioned though. I don't believe the internet has an "intended" purpose, unless of course you missused your words, The intenet is a cornerstone of independent instruction, regardless of the audacity it reveals to those who have past ideologies. - my previous comment was also in part, a joke.

Sorry again blade! Couldn't help m'self. That's a major point, though; technology may have changed but ideologies remain the same........discuss.