Hw- 45 Back In My Day...

Okay. So what I gathered is that both of these fellas were the fathers of a particular form of education. Which a lot of people assume is so different from one another.

I looked at the short article that compares both style of teaching. The debate seems foolish since the article states "Hirsch worries mostly about elementary schools, Sizer about high schools" this quote right here should automatically nullify any of the arguments that the teaching styles have against each other.

Hirsch apparently believes that "Students should be able to read and know basic number facts by the end of the first grade" which I believe that many kids can do by the end of first grade as well as basic math. Sizer believes "Students should leave school as well-informed skeptics, able to ask good questions as a matter of habit". To me that idea seems a little far fetched.

When you look at most high school students today the idea of "oh these kids can ask some pretty good questions" is not one that comes to mind when you see freshmen smoking directly outside of school. I think that the teaching styles from 1st to 12 grade differ on a wider spectrum than most people realize.

When kids are in lower grades the independence is in full effect and they still want to hold on to mommy's ankle for as long as they can. As we get older we tend to whisper and sometimes yell f*** off as we shut the front door behind us and welcome the idea of leaving for college.

Honestly I think that both of the ideas of Hirch and Sizer has been lost over time. I think that since TV programs have become something that a lot of kids and teens watch the task of studying has become something that is almost archaic. More and more kids are having a harder time focusing and having an easier time blaming the teacher for various reasons (though sometimes valid).

A lot of the ideas of knowledge has been lost over time and it seems a little weird that the people that argue about it are a long ways out of both middle school and high school. School social norms and styles are always changing so getting the opinion of someone who graduated high school in 1999 no longer has a valid opinion when it comes to high school or middle school because most likely it isn't what it was like 10+ years ago. That's like a 12 year old giving stock market options.

I think that to a point kids care about their education but not to the point to look up or even care about the history or the foundation of their schools.