Jareth #12 @2634
Sat May 14 22:19:37 1994

I plan to be a carpenter or a welder. And while I am learning alot of usefull
stuff, I'am being tought alot of crap too.  I realy dont think Biology is
helping me toward my carere(SP) goals.  I plobly could use some help in the
spelling department though.... well.... you get my point.

                        <{[(Jareth)]}>



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Shadow #2 @2634
Sun May 15 17:59:59 1994

The problem is, a lot of people don't know what they wnat to do with their
lives. A point I would like to make is that high school doesn't really prepare
the youth of America for the "real world." In a recent English assignment, I
made a point to my teacher that our teaching system is extremely one-sided,
not designed for slow kids, nor for the exceptionally intelligent.   It's also
very sluggish. We "learn" the same things over and over again, we get used to
it, then all of a sudden we've graduated, we jump out into the world, and,
KA-ZAM!!! We're caught flat-footed. New ideas and concepts are whizzing past
our heads and many of us wouldn't know the slightest as to how we'd catch up.
And we should have yearly checkups as to how our knowledge is progressing,
starting as very young children, maybe not telling the results to the people 
as to not discourage slow students, and to not get fast students too cocky. 
Then they would be put in classes to suit their knowledge level. Many 
educators and gov't officials stray away from this so  that schools will not 
be segregated by intelligence, but I personally think this would be effective. 
The "slower" classes would learn new things capable of putting them in a 
higher class, and if they still don't learn, they can be put in a similar 
class of the same level so that the student doesn't feel like they are staying 
put because they are stupid. The teaching style and curriculum would be 
slightly different to make it seem that they are in a higher or different 
class. The students would learn at their own pace and be judged based on the 
class they are in, at their own level, not like today, where people of many 
different learning styles compete at the same level and are not judged at a 
level not suited for them.

There are probably holes you could drive a truck through in there, but it's my
vision, my distorted vision that is absurd because it is not the way things
have been done before.
                                           Shadow



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Johnith #1 @2634
Sun May 15 21:20:32 1994

No way it's absurd!
           
           If no one says what they think would be better, things will never
change!  

          One thing I'd like to see is personalized grading systems. If a
teacher offered say 3 or 4 different grading systems (i.e. one more dependent
on test scores while another is more dependent on homework)
                                The awesomest Sysop Ever
                                                Johnith



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Johnith #1 @2634
Sun May 15 22:00:41 1994

          I was gonna put more, but you called and I had to get off....
Anyway, that way grades would reflect intelllegence more than ability to jump
through hoops....  That's all that school is, you know, it tests your ability
to jump through hoops.. I have always thought that Homework (or as they say in
French: Devoir which means "To have to (do something)  
shoot, somebody's calling again...
                                      The awesomest Sysop Ever
                                         Johnith



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Suicidal Failure #1 @2600
Mon May 16 13:56:26 1994

   School...
   Not only does school not help most people, but it's also a massive
conspiracy!  I am being taught to WORK HARD and not stray from the "straight
and narrow" so that I am not exploring new things.  The government is so
fucking scared of me, and I am beign taught that they love me, and all 
American citizens.  Bullshit! They don't want advancements in society, or 
advancements in world peace, because they are too god damn conservative to 
take real chances.  They are so concerned about their precious economy, that 
they won't move forward to create a more stable economy that can allow people 
to live happily in all countries, united.  Our schools are the basis for this 
attitude, and are truly killing the population of the world. 
  "Look around, we're all people, who needs countries anyway?"
                          -Dead Kennedys.
The dead Kennedys must not have been americans, we learn in school how to be
totally ethnocentric and patriotic, so theories like the above won't become
reality, that would be too risky, after all, look how great our country is
doing now? Happiness and singing in the streats, right?  Well, if that's your
attitude, then maybe we don't WANT to rip this hook out of kids mouths.
   People blame the problems in society on everything EXCEPT the true roots of
these problems:  school.
   I heard somewhere in a dream that we all have a RIGHT to an education.
Administrators seem to think that means "a right to go to school." It doesn't,
it mean just what it says.  I think the youth of America needs to rise up and
grasp ahold of what is drifting away from us - individuality, creativity,
strength to stand up for what we believe in.
   School could be such a great way to enlighten all the people of the world,
but instead it is a concentration camp for the youth.  Most kids don't even
CARE about learning, school to them is a social event.  And why shouldn't it
be?  They aren't teaching us anything.  
   My school spends more money on footballs than science textbooks.  I don't
think sports should be a part of the school system at all, what, is that part
of our right to education?  NO.  it's bullshit, get it out of my face.. 
   But wait, they can't do that, the schools are pushing competition and 
hatred for the enemy/opponent like a rocket against gravity.  
   And guess what our tax dollars are going for!  A stamp costs 29 cents.  But
instead, my school had to spend 5 bucks to send a CERTIFIED letter to my
father containing a contract that they expected me to sign, that basically
said I was to go to my classes, nowhere else on campus, and not to involve
myself with any school systems. (cant use the phones, computers, intercom,
etc.)  This could have been sent with a 29 cent stamp, what a waste!  That
money could have been spent on teacher's wages so they can spend a LITTLE more
to get teachers who give a shit about people.  Or maybe they could have spent
it on health care.  My example?  They could start by not using asbestos
anymore! the school is full of it,  but they just built a new tennis court,
maybe so the special olympics can have students that lost their legs to 
cancer, but still play a mild game of tennis!
   1st through 5th grade could be good, you leard to read and write, add
subtract, etc.  If there wasn't so much of the pushing conformity and "good
manners and etiquite(sp?)"
    BTW - I agree with the choice in grading systems that Johnith brought up.
Only problem with it is that what REALLY needs to happen is erradication of 
the current school system and placement of an entirely new curriculum, so 
there wouldn't really be any SET systems for grading.  I like the idea, it 
expands your options, but I think it's more important to have EVERY option, 
not just 3 more options.  

  I have SO MUCH MORE to say, but I have to defecate REALLY bad, so I have to
go, maybe I'll type some more tomorrow if I am up to working my fingers to the
bone...
                                         Suicidal Failure


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Johnith #1 @2634
Mon May 16 23:18:46 1994

         The reason I said three different types of systems is because
teachers usually have around 100 students to take care of, and if everyone had
a different system, teachers would be spending more time trying to figure out
how to *grade* John Smith than how to *teach* John Smith...  

          Shadow- The reason I had so many typos was because somebody was
calling and I had to get off fast...

                                The awesomest Sysop Ever
                                          Johnith



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Johnith #1 @2634
Mon May 16 23:27:12 1994

          Every smart teacher (i.e. one who is teaching cause s/he likes it 
and also has a brain-and believe me not all of them do) I have talked to about
homework tells me something about "You gotta jump through the hoops." I HATE
HOOPS!  It's just teaching you to follow the flock! Teachers aren't mentors
anymore unless you're lucky, they're just shepherds!  Damn....   The reason I
don't do my homework most of the time is I want to show that I can not do it
and still live,  I haven't failed a test in years, and I still have a
2.6 GPA... That's one of the main reasons I'd give for doing that new grading
thing..  BTW- How many spaces are you supposed to put after a period? A comma?
I don't think anyone ever taught me that... Of course, I've never taken a
keyboarding class, but that doesn't matter...  I still type well enough to put
these long-ass posts up and not get logged off for using up my time....

I'm rambling- bye.

                                      The awesomest Sysop Ever
                                               Johnith



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Suicidal Failure #1 @2600
Tue May 17 00:17:50 1994


You know,  One of the reasons you don't get logged off for running out of
time is.. YOU ARE THE SYSOP!!

  1 space after a comma, 2 spaces after a period. I DID learn that in school,
but it was in elementary school.  I still beleive highschool is 100% crap.




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Canvas Houdini #2 @2600
Tue May 17 15:41:20 1994

             "Government-sponsored imagination removal system"

I'd have to agree with SF and Jonith......actually just about anyone that
disagrees with the school system or parts of it.  It sucks.  We pour massive
amounts of money into this thing which is little more than a discipline class.
   "Alright kids, there's a few things you have to learn here in kindergarten
    do you want it to take a few minutes or twelve years?"
   "A few minutes!"
   "Alright.  Do as you're told.  Don't ask questions.  Be patriotic. Love
    what you do, so long as it's appropriate and you don't love it *too* much
    Don't imagine. Conform."
   "Ok.  Can we go now?"
   "Of course not. We've gotta keep you little creeps off the streets until
    you're 18." 
                    in the words of Matt Groening.



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Suicidal Failure #1 @2600
Tue May 17 23:13:32 1994

  School is horrible.  Not only do I not learn anything, but I am PREVENTED
from learning and experiencing things, just by BEING there, but don't think
they don't do that on purpose, because they do.



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Grant Boling used to have a penis, but not anymore, because lindsay separated
it at the spine, and it died.  Er... Well... Something like that happened.