A Better School

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

ok, well i got this ideal when i saw my schedule and was dissapointed because of my classesan ideal of mine is an ideal for a better school than what it is now..my ideal, is to have schools, where the students pick which classes they want. not just for fun, but for becoming what they want to become for the rest of their life.me for example, i want to becoime a forensic scientist, which would require extensive science, and a fair bit of math, and english so for me, i would choose a math class, as well as a science class as well as an english class, and with those classes, instead of taking some stupid and pointless class like PE there would be advanced math for the subject i am in, advanced science, and advanced english which will go deeper than the normal class will... so i would end up with 2 hours of each subject.....to me, this is a good ideal.. because since they are subjects i like, i am more prone to paying attention than i would be if i were to be in a PE class, or a spanish class.there has been a study done, US wide that has proved that girls learn better than boys do, this is because girls can sit for an hour or so and listen to the pointless talk of the teacher in the subjects they may not like, where boys will sit there and ignore the teacher because the subject is not in their intrests, and fall asleep or talk and get in trouble... and if a plan like this were to be put into action, then people could pick the classes tha they want to take and pay attention and learn the things..... although i think this is a perfect ideal, there are many flaws... like but what if they dont want to learn somthing that is necissary for daily lives, like math... and the answer in my opinion is simple, teach them more stuff earlyer instead of streching it out... get them into algebra 2 by the 8th grade, and if they arent to algebra 2 in the 8th greade then they forfiet the option to choose their classes in high school.. i mean, the only thing you can take after algebra 2 is calculus, triganometry, and those are most definatly not things that you need to live a normal and happy life... so screw them.. leave it to the people who actually want to learn that crap.im sure some of you will be posting, wow what a stupid ideal this would never work... well i dont give a rats *bottom* if you think its a stupid ideal, i think its a good one and decided to post it

[Mich 0]

Well, Albus, I am disappointed in our school. When I went there I took Advanced Math, Advanced English Lit and Advanced Chemistry. What has happened to their curriculum? I thought education was supposed to improve over the years. Sounds to me more like things have gone downhill since I attended it. Too bad I must say. However, PE is important for your health. Teenagers tend not to move around much on their own. And just think, when I went to school, it was a required subject even in college if you were under 21 years of age. Edited August 7, 2006 by Mich (see edit history)

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

it is a required subject now adays too... only two years though, and thank god because they dont have many things to choose from to do... and yeah, education here has definatly gone down hill since you went there....`

[jlhaslip 4]

You two go/went to the same High School?

[beeseven 0]

There are required subjects because not everyone knows what they want to do for a living, especially by the time they start high school. Some people go through college and post-college life not knowing. Making everyone take a variety of classes helps people get exposed to different areas and decide on a future career.

[AlternativeNick 0]

i think you make alot of good points there, but the only problem with it is, what about the kids who dont really want to do with their lives? they just take the basic required classes, and nothing else?

[rvalkass 5]

In the UK, once you reach GCSE level, 14/15 years old, you get to pick what subjects you want to learn for the next 2 years. Then if you stay on for A-Levels you get to pick again, usually sticking with similar subjects or just going more advanced than what you learned in the previous 2 years. At GCSE there are still some compulsary subjects though, but it varies from school to school. We had to take Maths, English Language, English Literature, the 3 Sciences, RPE (Religion, Philosophy and Ethics), PE, basic ICT and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). This always seemed a little weird to me, as we learned all the important stuff in our first 3 years at secondary school, so Maths was mainly just advanced algebra, trigonometry and that sort of stuff, which is not exactly day to day knowledge, and the other subjects were the same. Once you reach A-Level though, it's basically an entire free choice.Speaking from experience, IT WORKS! Many of the kids who were branded as "troublemakers" for their first 3 years at the school completely changed whn they were doing subjects they liked and enjoyed. Yes, there were still a few people who didn't want to be there but quite frankly, they never wanted to be there and probably want compulsary education scrapped.

[uiop 0]

The problem is that most students end up changing their carear, or don't care about their future.I think that the current system of giving everybody a "well-rounded" education works fine. It may be a bit boring at times , but it's great for the future.

[Albus Dumbledore 0]

i think you make alot of good points there, but the only problem with it is, what about the kids who dont really want to do with their lives? they just take the basic required classes, and nothing else?

yes, if they have no ideal what they want to do, stick them with the normal requirements of todays age

@ rvalkass

thats great their doing it in the UK now get them to do it in the US!! lmao but yes, that was a reason i ment to post, if the kids are taking subjects they like, then they are less likely to get in trouble, meaning less disiplinary actions which means administrators and everyone else can focus on making sure that this system works one way or another


anywho, thanks for all your feedback

[garbage 0]

I posted something simialr a hile back, but i think its a great idea. I think that all students should be able to take all basic required courses with the option of the classes they choose, as technical vocational classes. Many schools here in Texas offer classes such as those that get you ready for specific carreers. I think its a great Idea.

[pixieloo 0]

We have required classes that we want to take, and then we have extras where we can choose our own - elective classes. I think it's a pretty good system. You're learning the required material, but you're also getting classes you pick and choose yourself.

[Mich 0]

You two go/went to the same High School?

Yes, jlhaslip, Albus and I go/went to the same high school. Isn't it a small world? I noticed he was from the Sacramento, CA area (where I was born and raised) and asked where exactly and wala, found out he goes to the same high school I attended way back when. How is that for a coincidence. Especially since I am across the country in Michigan.

[JasperIk 0]

ok, well i got this ideal when i saw my schedule and was dissapointed because of my classes
an ideal of mine is an ideal for a better school than what it is now..

my ideal, is to have schools, where the students pick which classes they want. not just for fun, but for becoming what they want to become for the rest of their life.

me for example, i want to becoime a forensic scientist, which would require extensive science, and a fair bit of math, and english so for me, i would choose a math class, as well as a science class as well as an english class, and with those classes, instead of taking some stupid and pointless class like PE there would be advanced math for the subject i am in, advanced science, and advanced english which will go deeper than the normal class will... so i would end up with 2 hours of each subject.....

to me, this is a good ideal.. because since they are subjects i like, i am more prone to paying attention than i would be if i were to be in a PE class, or a spanish class.
there has been a study done, US wide that has proved that girls learn better than boys do, this is because girls can sit for an hour or so and listen to the pointless talk of the teacher in the subjects they may not like, where boys will sit there and ignore the teacher because the subject is not in their intrests, and fall asleep or talk and get in trouble... and if a plan like this were to be put into action, then people could pick the classes tha they want to take and pay attention and learn the things.....
Its kinda
although i think this is a perfect ideal, there are many flaws... like but what if they dont want to learn somthing that is necissary for daily lives, like math... and the answer in my opinion is simple, teach them more stuff earlyer instead of streching it out... get them into algebra 2 by the 8th grade, and if they arent to algebra 2 in the 8th greade then they forfiet the option to choose their classes in high school.. i mean, the only thing you can take after algebra 2 is calculus, triganometry, and those are most definatly not things that you need to live a normal and happy life... so screw them.. leave it to the people who actually want to learn that crap.

im sure some of you will be posting, wow what a stupid ideal this would never work... well i dont give a rats *bottom* if you think its a stupid ideal, i think its a good one and decided to post it

If there wasnt PE people would become even more obese then they already are and no kid would get any form of exercize. Its only for two years, and you can do a sport instead, but honestly PE isnt even that bad. Granted, i skipped it [and all other classes] most the time, and never dressed out...but its because i hate sports, if it was just running i wouldn't care.

The problem with letting kids choose all their classes is, sometimes kids dont know what they want to be...and sometimes what you want to be, you realize you dont want to be. Like 5 years from now, you may not want to be a forensic scientist, but you will only have training in that...so you will have to go into school AGAIN for all the courses you didnt take.

Algebra 2 by 8th grade? That is ridiculous. Plus its quite unfair. For example my mother never finished highschool, so when i started doing algebra she never knew the answers. Alot of times, the kids who are good at math, their parents help them at home, or have some kind of idea. God if you teach algebra 2 by 8th grade, almost every student would be failing. Itd mean you'd have to start algebra in 6th grade, 7th grade geometry etc...and honestly most kids wouldnt be able to understand it.

Plus giving students too much of a choice is risky, because they will choose what probably isnt best for them.
I just don't think its a good idea honestly. You need all the classes they give you, whether you like them or not so you have a better understanding of the world. Its kinda like, okay so you can do a bunch of calculus problems, but you cant form a sentence, because you didnt choose english- to me, you have no intelligence, to me someone who can do simple math and form a decent sentence, has more intelligence then someone who is only good at one thing.
Edited August 20, 2006 by JasperIk (see edit history)

[Bkag 0]

At my school in england we had to choose 5 classes to take along with the "essentials" which are English, Maths, i.t., r.s., p.e. and games. But of the classes you have to take one language and one science (or combined science)

[Gondero Werkus 0]

See you have a good idea but those kinds of schools are reserved for Graduate and Doctoral level studies.If you really want to do that kind of stuff go to college and then go to Graduate school to get a masters degree and then to a doctoral program to get your doctorate degree. I mean high school now in America lets you choose your classes, college most definitly lets you choose your classes.