|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I love Google and Yahoo. With Google and Yahoo I can search the Internet on any subject that interests me, at any time day or night, in the comfort of my home. I was thinking how much fun it is to learn new things with Google or Yahoo, compared to the boredom or learning torture that public schools put millions of kids through every day.
Let's consider the differences in how a typical child (we'll call her Jenny) learns when she uses Google or Yahoo, compared to how she learns in her public-school classroom.
First, with Google or Yahoo, Jenny can explore any subject that fascinates her. She literally has the whole world at her fingertips. She can learn about tulips, cooking, dinosaurs, fashion, arithmetic, model airplanes, how to play the piano, or story books by thousands of authors.
When she is older, she can search dozens of Internet libraries, including the Library of Congress, for information on any subject under the sun.
In contrast, in her public-school classroom, Jenny must study only the subjects the teacher or school principal says she must study, even though these subjects might bore her to death.
Second, with Google or Yahoo at home, Jenny can spend as many hours as she wants studying any subject that fascinates her. If she likes flowers, she can spend all day learning about different flowers, how they grow, the best season to plant them, how sunlight helps them, or how much water each flower needs.
In contrast, in public school, Jenny usually spends about 50 minutes on each subject the school forces her to study. She has to go to a different class on a different subject every 50 minutes, even if she was interested in the subject she was studying in her previous class. This can strangle her interest in any one subject. For Jenny, public school turns learning into broken, disconnected bits of knowledge on subjects that often bore her.
Third, with Google and Yahoo, Jenny learns at her own pace. If she doesn't understand something she reads about, she can ask her Mom or search Google and Yahoo to find the answer. She can spend as much time as she wants with a problem that intrigues her. Because she can learn at her own pace, she feels safe and comfortable learning with Google and Yahoo.
In her public-school class, however, Jenny has to learn all the material the teacher gives her in the specific time the teacher allows. Then (in later grades) the teachers will test her. If Jenny didn't like to study the subjects the teacher told her to learn and did bad on her test, she can feel hurt and humiliated. She then associates learning with pain and humiliation. This in turn can extinguish Jenny's joy in learning.
With Google and Yahoo, Jenny finds learning a constant joy. With public schools, more often than not, learning becomes a boring drudge or worse.
Government-controlled public schools will never give your kids the kind of joyous education they deserve, the kind your children can get in a homeschooling environment. At home, your kids can learn from Google, Yahoo, learning software, or hundreds of other low-cost education resources available to you right now.
So how can we Google and Yahoo our children's education? Parents, you might seriously consider taking your children out of public school, permanently. Let your kids once again discover the joy of learning with education alternatives like Google and Yahoo, homeschooling, or low-cost, quality, Internet private schools.
I talk about all these great education alternatives for your children in my book, "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."
Joel Turtel is an education policy analyst, and author of "Public Schools, Public Menace: How Public Schools Lie To Parents and Betray Our Children."
Contact Information:
Website: http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com,
Email: lbooksusa@aol.com,
Phone: 718-447-7348.
Article Copyrighted © 2005 by Joel Turtel
NOTE: You may post this Article on another website only if you set up a hyperlink to Joel Turtel's email address and website URL, http://www.mykidsdeservebetter.com
Although many parents become frustrated as they try to maintain... Read More
Having a high level of emotional intelligence in your children... Read More
Salon visits can be scary experiences for small children: They... Read More
Every school year parents and students dutifully trudge through the... Read More
It has been a long day. Home from work, you... Read More
1. New Word of the DayIntroduce your preschooler to a... Read More
If you ever walk through an orphanage, it will be... Read More
When we consider that the word allowance means, "allowing for,"... Read More
Adderall is a stimulant medication used in the treatment of... Read More
Even though the "Stop and Think" movement in ADHD treatment... Read More
Although, not a well publicized statistic, childhood obesity has more... Read More
Being consistent when children are less than perfect can make... Read More
Each child carries a unique picture of the self, shaped... Read More
A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the way... Read More
Most day cares are non-profit organizations that must operate within... Read More
Let's be honest! When it comes to parenting, men expect... Read More
We need a grass roots campaign targeted towards parents to... Read More
We are all so very happy to see that the... Read More
When a couple steps forth with a baby in tow... Read More
There are a LOT of alternative treatments for sale out... Read More
What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of... Read More
This may come as a surprise, but many parents are... Read More
Did you know that many people retire broke?It's true. After... Read More
There's a new kind of fun and calm out there... Read More
A sure way to double the joys of parenthood is... Read More
I hear from many parents that their child is stressed... Read More
Why do some children still do best after divorce and... Read More
Corolle Paul or Emma Drink-and-Wet SET potty dollsThis is the... Read More
Night Visits From Your ChildIn the middle of the night... Read More
Q. I need your help with a question about my... Read More
Many parents struggle to know which foods are healthy for... Read More
It was no contest. Given a choice between a ball... Read More
This may come as a surprise.But despite all the advances... Read More
Most of the ADHD kids that are seen in a... Read More
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still... Read More
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what... Read More
If you're looking for toys that are both fun to... Read More
A common problem many times facing parents is Colic. Estimates... Read More
By not planning for the future we guarantee that we... Read More
You have just received a call from your child's teacher... Read More
Let's face it: raising children can be quite the adventure.... Read More
Have you ever sat and watch a child struggle with... Read More
Keith is now in the fourth grade and he dislikes... Read More
If you ever walk through an orphanage, it will be... Read More
Winifred or Willow? Thomas or Troy? The name you choose... Read More
"It takes a village to raise a child" is more... Read More
As the father of a toddler, I am an expert... Read More
Traditionally, babies have been named at a christening/baptism.... Read More
It's that time again! Parent-teacher conferences are coming. Are you... Read More
As I sit here and reflect on the past two... Read More
Parenting |