Beech Tree News Network

DOING YOUR HOMEWORK

For several years now, probably going all the way back to his elementary years of education, the youngest member of our clan has engaged in an irritating practice. Most of the assignments he completes are perfectly acceptable, some even exemplary, every now and then though there are assignments that he just does not feel like doing and they do not get done. The zero he receives for that particular assignment brings what would otherwise be a fine overall grade, down to something not nearly as praiseworthy. No amount of threats, or consequences, or even pleading, reasoning, or even downright bribery, has been able to break him from this habit. Teenagers can be so frustrating at times, not realizing that it is his parents experience which gives them insight into the path of wisdom and the folly of foolishness, not just the arrogance of “know it all” thinking.

Now, in my ideal world, the option of picking and choosing between assignments while pursuing scholarly endeavors would be a completely viable course of action. I am of the firm belief that several alternatives should be made available toward the goal of completing an overall goal and objective. The choices available should be designed by skilled facilitators and administrators but the actual choices made, should be left up to the child, not the instructor. That is the only way to incorporate the difference in learning styles and personalities and keep the door of curiosity open for all children. Of course the value of homework itself is a hotly debated issue all by itself. Most reputable research has pretty much come to the conclusion that homework for young children holds little value for obtaining long lasting knowledge and does much more harm than good, not only to the child herself, fostering resentment toward the whole educational process, but to the family unit, spending way too much time in homework activity, instead of time enjoying each other and bonding together. Even with older children, most experts still recommend only small doses of homework, to help reinforce what they are learning at school, not become a major component in the whole process.

Okay, so what is the main goal and objective for the whole educational process? I have changed my mind on many issues through the years, my opinions have changed course a few times but one thing I am completely unshakable on, I came to my opinion after tons of thorough and exhaustive research, as well as hard fought experience and deep disillusionment with current methods. In my opinion education should have two and only two, objectives, missions, or ethos. They are 1- to inspire curiosity 2- to instill a lifelong love for learning. That is it, that is all education should be about. All this other hogwash about giving them a sense of responsibility, or preparing them for the realities of life, or getting them ready to join the workforce, is just that-HOGWASH, it is nonsense (like washing off a hog who is immediately going to get muddy again). Not saying that those things are not important or that they have no place in our lives, just saying that like homework, they do not need to become the main component, only reinforcement, we first need to focus on the two main objectives for education. You can never, ever, ever, get me to alter my opinion when it comes to that subject, so don't even try. I firmly believe that if you take care of the first two objectives, all the other stuff will naturally fall into place, without a whole lot of focus needing to be directed there.

Now, That is my ideal world, in my ideal world, universities would also only be three year commitments, because every community which now has a High School facility would also have a community college campus where our young men and women around the age of current high school juniors, seniors and college freshmen would attend. Associate degrees would be made available at that level and of course this dream would include the original dream the founders of public education had and would be made available to everyone. In my Ideal world, the idea of being stuffed into a cubicle box for the majority of your time spent in acquisition of a formal education would also be over . The ancient Greeks had it right, teaching in gardens, they just had it wrong in education only being available to an elitist few. The open concept schools of a few decades ago were not “failed experiments,” the failure was those in charge of education, being unable or unwilling to change and adapt to a new way of acquiring wisdom. They mainly went the route of “better the enemy you know than the one you don't,” even though it was known that something was wrong and needed to be changed, they still wanted to hang on to structure and quiet and focus and “no distraction” as the way to transfer knowledge. In fact, it swung so far the other way, that nearly windowless schoolrooms and other measures were widely incorporated, to insure no distractions. Ever since, we have been slipping further and further behind the rest of the world, just because we can't admit we are doing it wrong. When children compare going to school with “being in prison” they are not completely wrong. Structure and routine are the objectives for prison, the goal is to maintain order and squelch violence, the same goals should not apply to our school systems.

Anyway that is my ideal world, we live in reality, not my ideal world and sometimes you just have to make the best of what you have and that is why we get upset with our son when he does not do his best on every assignment, because until the world changes and different options are available, we just have to “go along to get along,” in other words, compliance is the best option available for now. If the world is to change it is his and his children's generations that are going to change it. So he has to best leverage himself now, for that possibility to be available in the future.

Each word in those educational ethos carries a lot of weight, authority and impact. To – Inspire; is a very lofty goal and quite different from motivation. To Love learning, not just tolerate it. Curiosity; opens the door to wonder and awe, you see, those goals were not just plucked out of thin air or chosen randomly. I am a word lover, I love to explore words, to understand them, to look at their complexity and nuance. I am careful with words, especially when I write, I know what words mean and I mean to use, most of the words I incorporate. I am not as educated as I would like to be but neither am I an idiot, I have done the research and investigated beforehand on the meaning of words before I use them.

Doing the research necessary to really understand something, or what is otherwise known as “doing your homework,” is what the rest of this article is going to be about. Speaking of homework, our State educational system is kind of embroiled in a feud right now, with some of our State legislators, about pensions and benefits for retirees who have devoted their time in the educational system, helping our children live up to their full potential. I happen to fully support their cause I believe that not only should they receive the full retirement package they were promised when entering their profession but I belief they are way underpaid for all their efforts. There is a caveat though, all those protesting, and writing letters and engaging news outlets, are fully justified and should be fully supported, in my humble estimation; one thing though, how many of those protesting now, did not do their homework back when those same legislators were up for election and walked in to the voting booth and checked the box next to their name? You did that just because they had a certain party next to their name or because he seemed like a “nice guy” or whatever the reason. If you did that, you have no real right to protest now, because if you had done even a modicum of research, you should have known what was going to happen, it was blatantly obvious, for anyone doing even a little research. I fully support your views on your benefit package, you are right but not if you voted for these legislators in the first place, you should have known better. Now our whole state is suffering catastrophes in every corner imaginable, not just education and to be honest, I kind of blame you, if you did not do your research beforehand. I don't “trust my gut” when it comes to people whom have a major influence over my life. Just because they seem like “a nice guy” or “a sweet lady,” is not enough for me to be willing to hand them the reigns of authority. I do the research, and a lot of it, to see if their ideals and ideas line up with my own, if they don't I still might agree that they are good people, I will just not willingly give them authority to make decisions for me.

The same thing holds true in just about every area of my life, even spiritually. I know that it is common practice to admire those who “shoot from the hip” or “tell it like it is,” just based on what their gut is telling them or a whisper they claim to hear in their ear. I have no time for such hogwash. If you have not took the time to study and do the research and actually really understand what you are talking about, then I am not about to give you some authority over my life when it comes to my relationship with our Creator.

While your gut or more correctly your intuition, can be helpful and does not need to be ignored, making certain decisions based only on intuition can in fact, ruin not only your life but the lives of all the ones whose lives intersect with your own and those whom you love.

What is the object we ascertain to ascend to, when planning out our lives and making decisions that will majorly affect the journey we take? What is the end goal, not short term but long range; generational? Here is how I base most of my important decisions- “how is this going to impact my children and my children's children?” are they going to have a better life because of the decisions I've made, on a habitable planet, a world where wonder and awe are kept alive and well? Or because of my decisions will they inherit a world where the food they eat, the water they drink, the air they breathe is poisoned, in the name of profit or “having good jobs.” Will compassion and empathy gain a foothold because of the decisions I make or will apathy and greed rule the day. I do not make these type of decisions using my intuition, I do the research , I do my homework, so that I may partner with those also wanting to leave a legacy to our children we can be proud of.

DOING YOUR HOMEWORK-For several years now, probably going all the way back to his elementary years of education, the youngest member of our clan has engaged in an irritating practice. Most of the assignments he completes are perfectly acceptable, some even exemplary, every now and then though there are assignments that he just does not feel like doing and they do not get done. The zero he receives for that particular assignment brings what would otherwise be a fine overall grade, down to something not nearly as praiseworthy. No amount of threats, or consequences, or even pleading, reasoning, or even downright bribery, has been able to break him from this habit. Teenagers can be so frustrating at times, not realizing that it is his parents experience which gives them insight into the path of wisdom and the folly of foolishness, not just the arrogance of “know it all” thinking.

Now, in my ideal world, the option of picking and choosing between assignments while pursuing scholarly endeavors would be a completely viable course of action. I am of the firm belief that several alternatives should be made available toward the goal of completing an overall goal and objective. The choices available should be designed by skilled facilitators and administrators but the actual choices made, should be left up to the child, not the instructor. That is the only way to incorporate the difference in learning styles and personalities and keep the door of curiosity open for all children. Of course the value of homework itself is a hotly debated issue all by itself. Most reputable research has pretty much come to the conclusion that homework for young children holds little value for obtaining long lasting knowledge and does much more harm than good, not only to the child herself, fostering resentment toward the whole educational process, but to the family unit, spending way too much time in homework activity, instead of time enjoying each other and bonding together. Even with older children, most experts still recommend only small doses of homework, to help reinforce what they are learning at school, not become a major component in the whole process.

Okay, so what is the main goal and objective for the whole educational process? I have changed my mind on many issues through the years, my opinions have changed course a few times but one thing I am completely unshakable on, I came to my opinion after tons of thorough and exhaustive research, as well as hard fought experience and deep disillusionment with current methods. In my opinion education should have two and only two, objectives, missions, or ethos. They are 1- to inspire curiosity 2- to instill a lifelong love for learning. That is it, that is all education should be about. All this other hogwash about giving them a sense of responsibility, or preparing them for the realities of life, or getting them ready to join the workforce, is just that-HOGWASH, it is nonsense (like washing off a hog who is immediately going to get muddy again). Not saying that those things are not important or that they have no place in our lives, just saying that like homework, they do not need to become the main component, only reinforcement, we first need to focus on the two main objectives for education. You can never, ever, ever, get me to alter my opinion when it comes to that subject, so don't even try. I firmly believe that if you take care of the first two objectives, all the other stuff will naturally fall into place, without a whole lot of focus needing to be directed there.

Now, That is my ideal world, in my ideal world, universities would also only be three year commitments, because every community which now has a High School facility would also have a community college campus where our young men and women around the age of current high school juniors, seniors and college freshmen would attend. Associate degrees would be made available at that level and of course this dream would include the original dream the founders of public education had and would be made available to everyone. In my Ideal world, the idea of being stuffed into a cubicle box for the majority of your time spent in acquisition of a formal education would also be over . The ancient Greeks had it right, teaching in gardens, they just had it wrong in education only being available to an elitist few. The open concept schools of a few decades ago were not “failed experiments,” the failure was those in charge of education, being unable or unwilling to change and adapt to a new way of acquiring wisdom. They mainly went the route of “better the enemy you know than the one you don't,” even though it was known that something was wrong and needed to be changed, they still wanted to hang on to structure and quiet and focus and “no distraction” as the way to transfer knowledge. In fact, it swung so far the other way, that nearly windowless schoolrooms and other measures were widely incorporated, to insure no distractions. Ever since, we have been slipping further and further behind the rest of the world, just because we can't admit we are doing it wrong. When children compare going to school with “being in prison” they are not completely wrong. Structure and routine are the objectives for prison, the goal is to maintain order and squelch violence, the same goals should not apply to our school systems.

Anyway that is my ideal world, we live in reality, not my ideal world and sometimes you just have to make the best of what you have and that is why we get upset with our son when he does not do his best on every assignment, because until the world changes and different options are available, we just have to “go along to get along,” in other words, compliance is the best option available for now. If the world is to change it is his and his children's generations that are going to change it. So he has to best leverage himself now, for that possibility to be available in the future.

Each word in those educational ethos carries a lot of weight, authority and impact. To – Inspire; is a very lofty goal and quite different from motivation. To Love learning, not just tolerate it. Curiosity; opens the door to wonder and awe, you see, those goals were not just plucked out of thin air or chosen randomly. I am a word lover, I love to explore words, to understand them, to look at their complexity and nuance. I am careful with words, especially when I write, I know what words mean and I mean to use, most of the words I incorporate. I am not as educated as I would like to be but neither am I an idiot, I have done the research and investigated beforehand on the meaning of words before I use them.

Doing the research necessary to really understand something, or what is otherwise known as “doing your homework,” is what the rest of this article is going to be about. Speaking of homework, our State educational system is kind of embroiled in a feud right now, with some of our State legislators, about pensions and benefits for retirees who have devoted their time in the educational system, helping our children live up to their full potential. I happen to fully support their cause I believe that not only should they receive the full retirement package they were promised when entering their profession but I belief they are way underpaid for all their efforts. There is a caveat though, all those protesting, and writing letters and engaging news outlets, are fully justified and should be fully supported, in my humble estimation; one thing though, how many of those protesting now, did not do their homework back when those same legislators were up for election and walked in to the voting booth and checked the box next to their name? You did that just because they had a certain party next to their name or because he seemed like a “nice guy” or whatever the reason. If you did that, you have no real right to protest now, because if you had done even a modicum of research, you should have known what was going to happen, it was blatantly obvious, for anyone doing even a little research. I fully support your views on your benefit package, you are right but not if you voted for these legislators in the first place, you should have known better. Now our whole state is suffering catastrophes in every corner imaginable, not just education and to be honest, I kind of blame you, if you did not do your research beforehand. I don't “trust my gut” when it comes to people whom have a major influence over my life. Just because they seem like “a nice guy” or “a sweet lady,” is not enough for me to be willing to hand them the reigns of authority. I do the research, and a lot of it, to see if their ideals and ideas line up with my own, if they don't I still might agree that they are good people, I will just not willingly give them authority to make decisions for me.

The same thing holds true in just about every area of my life, even spiritually. I know that it is common practice to admire those who “shoot from the hip” or “tell it like it is,” just based on what their gut is telling them or a whisper they claim to hear in their ear. I have no time for such hogwash. If you have not took the time to study and do the research and actually really understand what you are talking about, then I am not about to give you some authority over my life when it comes to my relationship with our Creator.

While your gut or more correctly your intuition, can be helpful and does not need to be ignored, making certain decisions based only on intuition can in fact, ruin not only your life but the lives of all the ones whose lives intersect with your own and those whom you love.

What is the object we ascertain to ascend to, when planning out our lives and making decisions that will majorly affect the journey we take? What is the end goal, not short term but long range; generational? Here is how I base most of my important decisions- “how is this going to impact my children and my children's children?” are they going to have a better life because of the decisions I've made, on a habitable planet, a world where wonder and awe are kept alive and well? Or because of my decisions will they inherit a world where the food they eat, the water they drink, the air they breathe is poisoned, in the name of profit or “having good jobs.” Will compassion and empathy gain a foothold because of the decisions I make or will apathy and greed rule the day. I do not make these type of decisions using my intuition, I do the research , I do my homework, so that I may partner with those also wanting to leave a legacy to which our children we can be proud of.