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Forum Post: My Education Had Little To Do With Thought

Posted 10 years ago on May 13, 2013, 12:50 p.m. EST by Phanya2011 (908) from Tucson, AZ
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

Up to the 12th grade, it seems that what I was actually taught were the tools of reading, writing, arithmetic and some science, and the rest was essentially wrong: distorted history, opinions on literature and social systems, variously interpreted by many. Nothing there required practical, logical thinking -- it was memorization of often distorted information. I learned how to think when I played games, which I just recently realized. A game provides a set of rules and information about the parts of the game -- factual information -- leaving it up to the player to apply thought. So, instead of erroneous history we should have games and their creation as a school subject. Imagination and logical thinking all at the same time. If I had had children, I may have figured this out before my second childhood.

7 Comments

7 Comments


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[-] 2 points by gsw (3407) from Woodbridge Township, NJ 10 years ago

You -re Right. Logic, philosophy should be taught more systematically.

New Common Core State Standards, just now beginning to be phased in in 45 states, should emphasize more logical thinking, ideally.

http://www.corestandards.org/resources/key-points-in-english-language-arts

Writing

The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing—a basic form of argument—extending down into the earliest grades. Research—both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and longer term in depth research —is emphasized throughout the standards but most prominently in the writing strand since a written analysis and presentation of findings is so often critical. Annotated samples of student writing accompany the standards and help establish adequate performance levels in writing arguments, informational/explanatory texts, and narratives in the various grades.

[-] 1 points by Kavatz (464) from Edmonton, AB 10 years ago

They should teach kids to play Civilization and chess.

Hey, did you play Word Munchers and Number Munchers in elementary school? Those taught me more than the teachers did.

[-] 1 points by GirlFriday (17435) 10 years ago

End the high stakes testing.

[-] 0 points by redandbluestripedpill (333) 10 years ago

The distorted history issue is the grounds for unity sabotaged.

Apply critical thinking within the correct motivational structure and something closer to the true history can be derived. However, certain aspects of the "reality" paradigm allowed in the western world, prevent accurate societal models.

Here is another way to say that:

If we don't know what we don't know then however it was done when people did know is not necessarily something we will readily identify or accept today.

[-] 0 points by Stormcrow2 (-184) 10 years ago

Isnt the purpose of school to teach children to learn how to reach conclusions?

[-] 2 points by Phanya2011 (908) from Tucson, AZ 10 years ago

I believe it is to teach the skills needed to comprehend and analyze factual information to draw conclusions, not as a delivery system for prepackaged conclusions.

[-] -1 points by highlander21 (-46) 10 years ago

Make minecraft more realistic, no trees in the sky and no endermans, and you might have something.