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Any proposal like this should include, "And we should cut topic X to make room for it." Media literacy is absolutely a good thing to have, but schools don't ha

Any proposal like this should include, "And we should cut topic X to make room for it." Media literacy is absolutely a good thing to have, but schools don't have unlimited time to teach every subject Granted, some topics can be integrated into others, but piling things on is not a sustainable thing to do.

labster 8y ago
And we should cut cursive handwriting to make room for it. No need to prepare kids for the 20th century when you can already sign documents with emoji.
- garmaine 8y ago
  They cut cursive handwriting a long time ago.
  - gbear605 8y ago
    Maybe in your area, but definitely not universally in America.
ohithereyou 8y ago
We should cut all standardized tests whose makers cannot show a causal link between success in life and increased tests scores on their exam. That should free up at least six years of time to learn civics, history, and geography.
vkou 8y ago
> "And we should cut topic X to make room for it." We could start with having one, or two years of Shakespeare, instead of five. We could also drop most of the feel-good national history fairy tale propaganda bullshit. Also, while we're at it, ditch most of chemistry, beyond the basics (Conservation of mass, atoms and molecules, formulas for basic chemical reactions, combustion, acids and bases, temperature, pressure, and ideal gases, the common forms of matter are all good, and can be covered in three months, tops. [1] Also, while we're at it, maybe 30 minutes of homework a day, instead of 120? And smaller class sizes? [1] I explicitly omit nuclear physics [2], but only because I categorize that as part of physics. [2] Everyone should understand how an atomic bomb works, how an atomic reactor works, and what the differences between the two are. [3] [3] And why two countries having thousands of the former pointed at eachother is completely bonkers. Especially when a few hundred would work just as well.
- Pulcinella 8y ago
  Also, while we're at it, ditch most of chemistry, beyond the basics (Conservation of mass, atoms and molecules, formulas for basic chemical reactions, combustion, acids and bases, temperature, pressure, and ideal gases, the common forms of matter are all good, and can be covered in three months, tops. You didn’t cut anything. You just described everything that is in a basic sophomore chemistry class and it does take a whole year. In regards to smaller class sizes, everyone wants that but no one wants to pay for it. Communities and politicians have bitter fights over 0.2% changes in education budgets when meaningfully changing class sizes would require increases of at least 50%. Source: I teach HS chemistry.
PavlovsCat 8y ago
The wider costs of people lacking media literacy and the ability to think critically are harder to measure, but I would suspect them to be vast.
- pbhjpbhj 8y ago
  Cost to whom? An easily manipulated population is the dream of some politicians, why would they work against it.

labster 8y ago

And we should cut cursive handwriting to make room for it. No need to prepare kids for the 20th century when you can already sign documents with emoji.

garmaine 8y ago
They cut cursive handwriting a long time ago.
- gbear605 8y ago
  Maybe in your area, but definitely not universally in America.

ohithereyou 8y ago

We should cut all standardized tests whose makers cannot show a causal link between success in life and increased tests scores on their exam. That should free up at least six years of time to learn civics, history, and geography.

vkou 8y ago

> "And we should cut topic X to make room for it." We could start with having one, or two years of Shakespeare, instead of five. We could also drop most of the feel-good national history fairy tale propaganda bullshit. Also, while we're at it, ditch most of chemistry, beyond the basics (Conservation of mass, atoms and molecules, formulas for basic chemical reactions, combustion, acids and bases, temperature, pressure, and ideal gases, the common forms of matter are all good, and can be covered in three months, tops. [1] Also, while we're at it, maybe 30 minutes of homework a day, instead of 120? And smaller class sizes? [1] I explicitly omit nuclear physics [2], but only because I categorize that as part of physics. [2] Everyone should understand how an atomic bomb works, how an atomic reactor works, and what the differences between the two are. [3] [3] And why two countries having thousands of the former pointed at eachother is completely bonkers. Especially when a few hundred would work just as well.

Pulcinella 8y ago
Also, while we're at it, ditch most of chemistry, beyond the basics (Conservation of mass, atoms and molecules, formulas for basic chemical reactions, combustion, acids and bases, temperature, pressure, and ideal gases, the common forms of matter are all good, and can be covered in three months, tops. You didn’t cut anything. You just described everything that is in a basic sophomore chemistry class and it does take a whole year. In regards to smaller class sizes, everyone wants that but no one wants to pay for it. Communities and politicians have bitter fights over 0.2% changes in education budgets when meaningfully changing class sizes would require increases of at least 50%. Source: I teach HS chemistry.

PavlovsCat 8y ago

The wider costs of people lacking media literacy and the ability to think critically are harder to measure, but I would suspect them to be vast.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago
Cost to whom? An easily manipulated population is the dream of some politicians, why would they work against it.