The meaning of Life and the Universe...

[dreb13]

9 year old discusses the meaning of life and the universe

Bright kid!  Im not sure how much of his information was "front loaded" by his dad but the kids explanation is interesting.

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

I think a lot of it is parroting what he has heard...
Smart kid though, shame that 99% of children get their inquisitive nature bullied out of them at school.
I wish all kids were asking questions like this, instead of constantly being distracted by kiddie things.
It would make for a very interesting world, if young ideas weren't nipped in the bud by 'education'

[Littleenki]

Good retention skills, definitely front loaded..for bear!

Even so, if the kid understands half of what he says, hes better off than 99 percent of the other kids...good for him.

Most likely a result of home schooling, which I am wholly in favor of!

Cheers!

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

Most likely a result of home schooling, which I am wholly in favor of!

I thought i was, but one of my relatives showed me it was not a good idea, since the person doing the schooling is nuttier than squirrel poop, but that's another story

I think home schooling can work, if it's monitored in some way.
Kids can find all the tech know-how from G**gle & Wiki, like their parents do

What they need to know are social skills & interacting with others, & to do that they need to leave the house...

[zorgon]

Downside of home schooling besides the 'nuttier than poop' type of tutor...

The kid is isolated from normal society. No interaction with other kids his/her age and will likely be ostracized by his peer group

Also it is likely that most home school kids are kept home because the parents are  'nuttier than poop' and don't trust the system

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

Yes, yes, and yes

[rdunk]

Downside of home schooling besides the 'nuttier than poop' type of tutor...

The kid is isolated from normal society. No interaction with other kids his/her age and will likely be ostracized by his peer group

Also it is likely that most home school kids are kept home because the parents are  'nuttier than poop' and don't trust the system

Nope! Nope! And Nope!

All of the people I know/have known who either home school or go the private school route, do it/did it to get their kids a better education, in a more-parent controlled environment. Public education is, for the most part, the worst ever in this USA. The involvement of the Federal Government has made a mess of what was one of the best education systems in the world.  And now, they are even dictating to the kids what they can and cannot eat.   

And regarding the "normal society" comment ~~~~ for the most part that doesn't really exist in the public schools anymore. It is something that sounds good, because that is "the way it was". But, the "way it is" now, is pretty much "alien to "what it was". From drugs to sex to bullying to the new language of four letter words, to being required to take Spanish ~~~~~~~~~~ to on and on and on!

Yes, there are still a few good public schools around, but that would be in spite of all that is being thrown against them.

If we want to get our school system fixed, then lets make it so that school funding follows the kid(s), so parents can choose public or private schools for their kids!

And with all of that said, in a place of "advance thinking", we should be with the mindset that the brick and mortar schools are soon-to-be "dinosaurs" in the world of education. While some of us may not be prepared for that, on-line schooling will be a "have to" proposition in the very near term.

Brick and mortar schools are too expensive, brick and mortar teaching is a manpower (vernacular) hungry/dollar hungry part of the current education process. That is in the process of being changed right now, in some areas. Plans must be made within each state, for incorporating internet schooling into their public education process.

So, with that said, I guess we could say, that "home schooling" will pretty much totally replace what we now refer to as public schools - 0h they may still be "public schooling", but for the most part, it will be in the homes. 

Comments?

[PLAYSWITHMACHINES]

Schooling is a subject i know about, or at least schools

From drugs to sex to bullying to the new language of four letter words, to being required to take Spanish

Well i got all that in a private school 35 years ago, so what's changed?
(With us it was French & Latin)

Yes, there are still a few good public schools around, but that would be in spite of all that is being thrown against them.

True, i've seen that also.

the brick and mortar schools are soon-to-be "dinosaurs" in the world of education. While some of us may not be prepared for that, on-line schooling will be a "have to" proposition in the very near term.

Probably, but the 'brick & mortar' schools also had a social function, where the kids could be themselves, without having to look over their shoulder for Mums & Dads approval.
This is when real character starts to show, & the kids also learn to stand alone (for a while) which is not a bad thing, IMO.

There are good points on both sides of your argument.
certainly the kids can learn each at their own speed and become computer literate at the same time.
But we can't replace a playground with Farcebook or Tw*tter either.
The last thing we want is for our children to grow up in a fantasy world knowing only 'Multicorp inc.' generated freinds and thinking everything's all fluffy & perfect.
On the playground, they find out it isn't.
Above all, we must let the next generation experience life as it is, not how they (or Multicorp) want it to be.....

[rdunk]

PWM I don't disagree with anything that you said, because the education system in the US has been steadily deteriorating for a long time. In many ways what is now being taught has been "leveled" toward the lower end of the intelligence scale, so that as many as possible can pass, even if they cannot read or write.

You do talk about the social learning - yes that is a good thing, if left to individual capability and circumstance to learn. But..........for many reason, the way it is today, is absolutely not the way it was. Much of the "social learning" now is directed and dictated in and of the student activities. Yesterday's winners in the social functions learned that training and hard work helped make "winners". Today, winning is not seen as so important for success, it is how you play the game, and everybody gets to play, capabilities not regarded. Real performance is not really sought after, nor rewarded.

Everybody (nearly) passes in class, often with no real learning, and nobody fails or gets left out anywhere in anything. We have done a great job of dumbing down, on average, many of the kids.

With such in mind, I am not so sure the loss of some parts of the social learning of today would be so bad. As a matter of fact, overall, we might be surprised at how much better parents could deal with this aspect of child learning and growth toward maturity.   

[Amaterasu]

Downside of home schooling besides the 'nuttier than poop' type of tutor...

The kid is isolated from normal society. No interaction with other kids his/her age and will likely be ostracized by his peer group

Also it is likely that most home school kids are kept home because the parents are  'nuttier than poop' and don't trust the system

That fully depends.  Had We chosen to homeschool Lili, She would have been also enrolled in any activity We could get Her into - specifically for that socialization.