Date Posted:14:24:58 03/06/06 Mon Author: light Subject: Re: thanks for the new Nazi Youth In reply to:
GarlicSoul
's message, "thanks for the new Nazi Youth" on 11:13:17 03/03/06 Fri
I think it is unfair and inappropriate for a High School teacher to make statements like "capitalism as a system " [is] at odds with human rights." or "The United States was "probably the single most violent nation on planet Earth". Though it helps that at the end of his speech he says "You have to figure this stuff out for yourselves. ..." it's still using his position in the classroom as the voice of authority to promote his individual viewpoint. Although allowing students to question his pronouncements might seem to give a balance to them, the playing field isn't level. When using examples in his speech that students likely have barely heard about (unless their HS history curriculum is a lot more advanced than mine was), let alone have in-depth knowledge of-- such as American involvement in Colombia's civil war to U.S. attacks on Cuba during the 1960s, he is setting up an atmosphere of 'debate' that is already defeating to those who would question his argument.
Tangent:
I hated 'social studies' classes when I was a kid cause a lot of it really just seemed like remembering names and dates, a skill which eludes me to this day. Also, when I've looked back on those classes, I saw most of the history we learned was in terms of battles, which might have stimulated some kid's minds, but drew zero interest in mine. By high school there were a lot more 'controversial' classes (I had lots of commie teachers), but by then I was so tuned-out or under-educated in the basics it pretty much flew over my head. I probably wasn't the only one. Each of those kind of classes had a few highly enthusiastic students, all in agreement with the teacher (this being NYC?), and the rest of us were all pretty quiet throughout the term.
I believe that to participate in higher learning exercises, students need to have a solid foundation of knowledge to draw from before truly coming to their own conclusions. I believe that facts can be taught in a way that is reasonably unbiased, and at the same time not 'dry'. Maybe teaching history as studies about how men and Women lived in various cultures and times, and approaching their concerns, would be more interesting to more young people. It's the underlying stories of the populations that make sense of the battles and changes in power-- those aspects history lessons traditionally like to stress anyway.
"Why is it so controversial to agree on a set of fundamental human rights and to support those in our schools? "
Well, that's obviously one that could not be agreed on.
I'm thinking Bill of Rights kinds of stuff. There is a list of basic human rights that could be agreed upon by the majority of people. I'm sure of it. Sure, there are going to be people on the far ends of the spectrum who wouldn't agree with some of the tenants, but there are people on the far ends of the spectrum who think aliens built the pyramids or the earth is 5000 years old. Just because there are those who disagree, doesn't mean it's something that can't be taught in schools.
lump -
"Jesus! Justifying myself? No! I have a different opinion than you guys do."
And is that the end of the story? From my perspective, we're having a debate. I try to base my opinions regarding these sorts of things on justifiable positions. If you simply feel something should be a certain way, do you honestly consider that reason enough for it to become policy? I don't. I don't expect our public schools to do things just because I want them to. I expect them to do the things that make the most sense, that can be best backed up by facts and evidence that support the reasons why. So I'm not quite so sure why I ruffled your feathers so much by expecting you to justify your opinion.
We're all friends here, right? I assume as much. I assume we're all coming from the good place when we have discussions like this. It doesn't upset me in the slightest that your opinion varies from mine. I was just hoping that you would have some reasoning that could back it up.
Lastly, I think you underestimate the mental maturity of a high school student. I think they rise to the level that is expected of them. It was only a few centuries ago that 16 and 17 year olds regularly got married or fought in wars or made major life decisions that 25 year olds have trouble making today. I think that we can increase the ability of our young people to think critically if we give them the practice to do so in our schools. I think it's in the best interest of the human race to do so. It's in their own best interests, that's for sure.
