Someone just asked me who we got our independence from: England or Spain.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

And they're both EDUCATION majors...It's not looking good for our education system.
Duckie

[Pithlet]

1. Yikes!

That's bad.

[kalian]

2. I work in a school district....

and I can tell you that our educational system is deplorable.
Oh well...it won't matter anyways once we're a third-rate nation.

[camero]

3. You're not in Florida either I don't think

This state has the worst educational system. Maybe he thinks Ponce De Leon gave him independence.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

7. We're in Oklahoma.

[Bertha Venation]

4. Fellow students? U.S. Citizens? Were they born here?

Jesus god. I am frightened. :scared:

[camero]

6. This is a COLLEGE student

Geesh and some here pick on me for being "uneducated". :eyes: Not you, I'm just responding.

[Bertha Venation]

15. "uneducated"

There's a difference between formal education -- which is great but not necessary for life, and certainly not necessary for intelligence or sophistication* -- and self-education by reading, observation, paying attention, etc.

Then of course, there's Hard Knox U, where I earned my BA, BS, Masters, and four PhDs.... ;)

* Disclaimer: not knocking the formally educated.

[camero]

19. Agreed :)

I had to actually explain to my 17 yr old sister that some of us can be self taught. I think the one duckie was talking about probably went to college to drink. :)

[YellowRubberDuckie]

8. Fellow students, US Citizens...And they were born HERE...

Went to Oklahoma schools their whole life...one even graduated from one of the top high schools in the state.
Duckie

[GOPisEvil]

5. *slaps forehead*

Everyone knows it's France. Sheesh!

</sarcasm>

[Rabrrrrrr]

12. And Shrub - God bless him - is the one who liberated us, too!

[Dookus]

9. No offense to any educators...

My father was a teacher his whole career. my twin sister is a teacher. My brother and his wife are teachers.

But...

When I was in college I typed papers for money (yes, back when we used typewriters).

Consistently, the worst papers I ever typed were from Education majors. They were just awful - bad spelling, horrible grammar, incoherent arguments. I never understood why.

[GOPisEvil]

10. Those who can't do, teach?

;-)

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

34. Watch what you say, sir!

I teach! :mad:

That said, I'll admit education in Brazil is in even worse shape than the US, but in a "we don't have money to properly educate everybody" way. Among those who DO get educated, I don't think I'd be able to find one who doesn't know who we got our independence from (or who the USA got THEIR independence from for that matter).

P.S.: in case you're wondering, it was from Portugal, and our Independence Day is Sept 7, 1822.

[GOPisEvil]

39. I was kidding.

That was the reason for the winky guy. ;-)

Oh, and thanks for the bit of knowledge. I knew who, but not when. I'd have suspected a little later...

[TheMightyFavog]

14. Just so you know, I'm not being misogynistic here.

But it seems that 60% of all the education majors going to my 2-year college are only going for their MRS. degree.

Perhaps this may explain some things.

[Bertha Venation]

16. 95% of the women at Los Angeles Baptist College in the

early '80s were there for the same reason.

The rest of us were lesbians.

[KamaAina]

11. What a complete dunce.

Every American schoolchild knows we got our independence from Canada.

</sarcasm>

[Lefty48197]

13. Stupid Question

We're not independent. We're under occupation.

[SOteric]

17. I had an education rant earlier today, too.

I read an entry in a online journaling community wherein a woman was blaming liberals for wanting to eliminate the honour roll. Apparently we feel it's bringing to much hurt and humiliation to mediocre and poor students.

I'd never heard such a thing. I certainly wouldn't back such a plan. I don't know any liberals that would.

If anything we should get rid of certain grading practices that obscure the the reality of education in favour of statistics.

Anyway I did some brief research on the net and the only place I've seen any proposal to eliminate honour rolls is in one solitary school district in Tennessee. According to voting records of 2000 that district is predominantly Conservative.

So, if anyone knows more about this story, or has some links or opinions they'd like to share, you know where to find me.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

35. i don't have a link for you...

but from what I recall in the reading that I did (consisted of a whole TWO articles) the lawyers for the school system are the ones who made the recommendation based on the potential for lawsuits over various things like 'emotional distress' in the children not posted to the honour roll. This recommendation also included removing class work from the walls of the school because not all students' work was being included...only the good work.

I'll see if I can dig up the article.
theProdigal

[RoeBear]

18. There are three kinds of people...

...those who are educated and those who aren't.


Or how about this one "Do I need a passport to go to New Mexico?"

[DrWeird]

20. There's a NEW Mexico now?!!

Holy shit!!

[Beaker]

21. according to the declaration thingy-

didn't we get it from the creator(s)?

[Endangered Specie]

22. Let me tell you something: Education Majors AREN'T ALWAYS SMART!

as a matter of fact, many of them are dimwits (at least at my college). I dont want to rant on and on about them, but if you dont believe me, do some research.

[pfitz59]

23. Valid question.....complex answer!

Inhabitants of the original 13 colonies won their independence from England (with significant French assistance!) Inhabitants of most of the US Southwest won their independence from Spain! (Only to be conquered and annexed by the US 30 or so years later!) Florida was purchased from Spain. Louisiana Territory was purchased from France. Alaska was purchased from Russia. Hawaii was stolen from the native monarchy. Puert Rico, Samoa, Guam and other terriotories were war booty. ALL of the US was stolen from the aboriginal inhabitants. Read Howard Zinn's: "A Peoples History of the US" for more info. LYNN CHENEY and the other right wing nuts would have us believe the lie that we are all descended from benevolent white tradesmen and plantation owners. Shame on previous posters for maligning the question!

[Rabrrrrrr]

24. I have a feeling the person wasn't thinking in that nuanced of a way

Though I agree with everything you said, except Hawaii - we took it from England first, then took it from the monarchy.

And Texas and that area were taken from Mexico.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

36. They tried to pull a similar stunt in Cuba (from Spain)

Only it got sour 60 years later. And the intermezzo regime was a banana republic instead of a monarchy. :dunce:

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

29. Almost right. The only part of the SW US that got independance

from Spain was Texas. All the rest of the west was ceded to the US by Spain or Mexico directly to the USA. No other lands were liberated as independant areas before joining the US.

If that was the crux of the question, I understand it. But, damn, that is pretty dense.

[Vogon_Glory]

25. Poor-Quality Education

The problem with poor-quality education is that it not only produces an ill-informed, ill-educated, unreasoning citizenry, but also dittoheads.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. Sounds like an ed assignment to me...

You know...The prof telles everyone to ask as many people as possible who we won our independence from to prove the point that history isn't being absorbed.

[flamingyouth]

27. I worked with someone who thought Pearl Harbor was...

...when the US dropped a nuclear bomb on China. When she saw the film, she was quite surprised, she told me. :eyes:

I really couldn't restrain myself - I had to laugh.

[ChoralScholar]

28. well, in all fairness

I was watching Headline News yesterday morning, and there was a tagline about "On this date in..." and one of them read 1785 (or whatever year it was) Spain recognizes United States' Independence

I didn't know that we even cared if they recognized it or not.

But.. that may be why those guys were wondering.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

30. We cared a great deal, as Spain was a major power at the time

and it meant that our ships could use their ports. A very big deal in those days, and very important for trade with the Mediterranean Sea.
It also meant avoidance of the Napoleonic Wars in the US West, which was a very real threat and severe headache for Washington at the time.
It basically prevented North America from becoming another Europe with lots of smaller countries at each other's throats.
Can't get much more basic than that.

[ChoralScholar]

33. point well taken EOM

[Edge]

31. You've...got....to...be...kidding....me...

that is very sad.

[mykpart]

32. I once worked with a HS graduate who

didn't know who Christopher Columbus was!

[Zero Gravitas]

43. Even I know that

He's a movie director. Duh!

[Loonman]

37. Dumbasses

Education majors?

No wonder American kids are so damn stupid.

[Hubert Flottz]

38. When the best schools in America turn out a product like W.........

it's not surprising!

[truthspeaker]

40. part of the problem (IMHO) is the education major

I'd rather have teachers who majored in history, math, sciences, English, foreign languages, art, music etc. who also take a few education courses and go through teacher certification. In some states that's easier to do - my friend's wife has a BA and Masters in history and got a teaching job in Minnesota lickety-split.

But in New York it's a different story. My dad has a PhD in Chemistry, taught college for ten years, worked in industry for 20. He looked into teaching high school chemistry and in New York he would basically have to go back to college and get a BA in education. His PhD in his field and 30 years of experience are worth exactly zip.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

41. That's ridiculuous, Truth...

There's nothing that doesn't qualify him for teaching HS. An education degree means absolutely BUPKIS... and you know there are schools all over the country that would probably pay him whatever he wanted to teach Chemistry.
Duckie

[truthspeaker]

42. Doubtful on the pay thing

There's usually an established union scale.

But he doesn't want to move, and doesn't care about the money. He's retiring soon, loves teaching, and wants to help kids learn science.

[ChoralScholar]

44. Arkansas has an alternative licensure

for experienced professionals who want to teach. I think it takes 3 years to complete the requirements, but you start teaching immediately and complete the requirements while you teach.

And.. since Arkansas licensure is pretty stringent, you can take your AR teaching license to 37 other states, site unseen, no other college work necessary. (New York Included)