9-Year-Old Foils Would Be Car Jacker
As one mother found out, leaving your kids, all 4 of them, in a car while you run in for a drink isn't the best idea. Many people are calling those of us who feel the mother was in the wrong, too harsh. How could she be expected to carry all of those children, ages 9, 3, 19 months, and 4 months, into the store for just a drink? Back in the day, parents left their children in the cars all the time. In answer to the first question, I don't expect her to take all of her children into the store for a drink, I expect her to go through a drive thru like the rest of us. As for the 2nd thought, we don't live back in the day.
Almost everyday, I hear of one person or another talking of yesteryear, a time when parents weren't afraid to let their children play alone outside. Or run into a store and leave their kids in the car. Some feel parents today are overprotective, our children are becoming wimps. But gone are the days when others would look out for your children. We live in a time where people stand around and watch a young woman being ganged raped outside of a school. We live in a time when some idiot tries to jack a car with 4 children inside of it. This little boy was brave, but he shouldn't have needed to be. He shouldn't have been held responsible for the safety of his baby brothers.
I don't subscribe to the theory that the mother should be tarred and feather, or the equivalent of being processed through Child Services. It was a bad decision, and hopefully she will learn from it. I am not without guilt. I have left my son in the car while I used a port a potty at a park. I left him in the car in the pouring rain while I had to run through a flooded parking lot to ask a gas attendant to turn on a pump. Both instances where I felt he was safer in the car, both instances where I was panic stricken the entire time that something was going to happen to my kid. And maybe I am overly cautious, but for all of the children who are safely sitting in the vehicle when the parent returns, there are the ones who aren't. The ones who have accidentally pulled the emergency brake and rolled the car into traffic. The babies found sitting on the side of the road where the car jackers tossed them once they were discovered in the back seat. The children who are never found. Because even if the ratio is 150 to 1, the ratio means nothing if your child is the one.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Fear of Information
Convicted Bomber Invited to Speak at University
When did our society become so afraid of information that we want to refuse adults the right to decide if they want to hear a lecture? I personally would be fascinated to hear this man's story, the who's, what's, and why's. This doesn't mean I agree, or disagree, with his actions, it means I enjoy and value knowledge. Without speaking with those who have committed crimes, everything we know about those crimes is speculation. You can't possibly understand, or even know, a person's motives unless you speak with them. Maybe a greater understanding of the thought process behind terrorists would give us little bit more assistance than the unsuccessful beatings at Gitmo.
Honestly, though, this is not a question of agree or disagree, right or wrong. This is a University. The students are adults. This is not mandated as part of their grade. This is an informational lecture, they may participate or not. They may agree or disagree. They may walk away changed or have more conviction of their established morals. The choice is theirs. Our country is so afraid of "indoctrination" that we are willing to raise sheep, those who follow blindly without ever being given all of the details. Information is power and we should be teaching our children to embrace it, not be afraid of it.
When did our society become so afraid of information that we want to refuse adults the right to decide if they want to hear a lecture? I personally would be fascinated to hear this man's story, the who's, what's, and why's. This doesn't mean I agree, or disagree, with his actions, it means I enjoy and value knowledge. Without speaking with those who have committed crimes, everything we know about those crimes is speculation. You can't possibly understand, or even know, a person's motives unless you speak with them. Maybe a greater understanding of the thought process behind terrorists would give us little bit more assistance than the unsuccessful beatings at Gitmo.
Honestly, though, this is not a question of agree or disagree, right or wrong. This is a University. The students are adults. This is not mandated as part of their grade. This is an informational lecture, they may participate or not. They may agree or disagree. They may walk away changed or have more conviction of their established morals. The choice is theirs. Our country is so afraid of "indoctrination" that we are willing to raise sheep, those who follow blindly without ever being given all of the details. Information is power and we should be teaching our children to embrace it, not be afraid of it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Learning doesn't stop once children exit the classroom
In discussing the state of our education system, Obama was quoted as saying, "Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas… But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom." (msnbc.com)
The thought process being if we wish to be competitive with other countries, we must focus more of our time on school. According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, we spend 25-30 percent less time in the classroom than foreign countries. But what are those countries giving up in their quest for educational dominance? When does education begin to hinder rather than help?
Being the parent of a 2-year-old, I have not yet faced the concerns of school through the eyes of a parent. But I hear from parents with children in the Carroll County school system that school is far from over when their children step off the bus. First graders have 2-3 hours of homework a night. In addition, the parents are sent their own list of tasks to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis. And let’s not forget about the all too important standardized testing time, when the earth stops rotating on its axis and parents, students, and teachers must study for tests that serve no real purpose aside from determining a school’s budget for the next year. In addition, parents and students are expected to participate in school functions outside the realm of education: chaperoning field trips, attending sporting functions, and raising funds for the school through constant fundraising.
Elementary school used to be a stepping stone, a foot in the door, to teach basics, and prepare children for middle then high school. These days, children are being treated like high schoolers right out of the gate. Parents are being told children’s elementary school careers are determining factors of how they will do later in life. I don’t know about you, but I know plenty of people who would be doing a lot worse (and some better) if elementary school was a true indicator of their adult life.
I remember starting school when I was 5, no preschool for me, and then I only attended half-days. My kindergarten class consisted of interactive play that taught me my ABC’S and 123’s. It seems now the kindergarteners are expected to learn as older children do, with less play and more book learning. The ABC’s and 123’s are expected to have been taught prior to what used to be a child’s first year of school. I understand the science behind this, children under 5 are better able to learn and retain information, such as numbers, letters, and languages. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are antsy, squirmy little creatures who need to be taught in an interactive atmosphere rather than from behind a desk. I’ve heard of teachers telling parents of 1st and 2nd graders that their children lack focus and will have no hope of a good education if it isn’t reigned in now. But, and it’s been awhile, I remember most 1st and 2nd graders lacking focus. Shouldn’t the teachers have some way of garnering their attention? Helping to make it interesting enough that they want to focus?
Since teachers already have complaints about children’s attention now, what will happen when children are expected to be in the classroom 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 11 months a year? When will they have the time to recoup, unwind, and start fresh? Children need decidedly more down time than adults, their brains and bodies are still growing, at warp speed some times. This requires more sleep, and when kids are stressed, just like adults, sleep is restless.
And in all of this hubbub about competing with other countries, are we forgetting the importance of a well-rounded child? A child exposed to sports, leisure reading, playing on the swings, enjoying a movie with their family, as well as school assignments. Countries way ahead of the curve in education, allow their children to miss out on most of these things. But if a child doesn’t have the opportunity to be a child while they are attending school, when will they have the chance? These same countries also have students who attend graduate school well into their 20’s.
I think the approach here is off. Before we start adding time to school, why don’t we do more with the time we have? Give teachers the tools they need to make their classrooms a place of learning for children with all types of personalities, not only those that are easy to deal with. Give back the time that is taken away to focus solely on standardized tests. Reduce the amount of written homework and assign interactive assignments. For instance, if you are working on conversion of measurements, have the children help make dinner. Longer hours and more days is not the answer to a better school system. Focus on our children and don’t worry about how well other countries’ students are doing. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t a competition, and maybe if we stop treating education like it is, then we may see some results. And most importantly, let’s remember, school needs to be a part of children’s lives not be their life.
**Published Eldersburg Advocate 11/3/09
The thought process being if we wish to be competitive with other countries, we must focus more of our time on school. According to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, we spend 25-30 percent less time in the classroom than foreign countries. But what are those countries giving up in their quest for educational dominance? When does education begin to hinder rather than help?
Being the parent of a 2-year-old, I have not yet faced the concerns of school through the eyes of a parent. But I hear from parents with children in the Carroll County school system that school is far from over when their children step off the bus. First graders have 2-3 hours of homework a night. In addition, the parents are sent their own list of tasks to accomplish on a daily or weekly basis. And let’s not forget about the all too important standardized testing time, when the earth stops rotating on its axis and parents, students, and teachers must study for tests that serve no real purpose aside from determining a school’s budget for the next year. In addition, parents and students are expected to participate in school functions outside the realm of education: chaperoning field trips, attending sporting functions, and raising funds for the school through constant fundraising.
Elementary school used to be a stepping stone, a foot in the door, to teach basics, and prepare children for middle then high school. These days, children are being treated like high schoolers right out of the gate. Parents are being told children’s elementary school careers are determining factors of how they will do later in life. I don’t know about you, but I know plenty of people who would be doing a lot worse (and some better) if elementary school was a true indicator of their adult life.
I remember starting school when I was 5, no preschool for me, and then I only attended half-days. My kindergarten class consisted of interactive play that taught me my ABC’S and 123’s. It seems now the kindergarteners are expected to learn as older children do, with less play and more book learning. The ABC’s and 123’s are expected to have been taught prior to what used to be a child’s first year of school. I understand the science behind this, children under 5 are better able to learn and retain information, such as numbers, letters, and languages. But that doesn’t change the fact that they are antsy, squirmy little creatures who need to be taught in an interactive atmosphere rather than from behind a desk. I’ve heard of teachers telling parents of 1st and 2nd graders that their children lack focus and will have no hope of a good education if it isn’t reigned in now. But, and it’s been awhile, I remember most 1st and 2nd graders lacking focus. Shouldn’t the teachers have some way of garnering their attention? Helping to make it interesting enough that they want to focus?
Since teachers already have complaints about children’s attention now, what will happen when children are expected to be in the classroom 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 11 months a year? When will they have the time to recoup, unwind, and start fresh? Children need decidedly more down time than adults, their brains and bodies are still growing, at warp speed some times. This requires more sleep, and when kids are stressed, just like adults, sleep is restless.
And in all of this hubbub about competing with other countries, are we forgetting the importance of a well-rounded child? A child exposed to sports, leisure reading, playing on the swings, enjoying a movie with their family, as well as school assignments. Countries way ahead of the curve in education, allow their children to miss out on most of these things. But if a child doesn’t have the opportunity to be a child while they are attending school, when will they have the chance? These same countries also have students who attend graduate school well into their 20’s.
I think the approach here is off. Before we start adding time to school, why don’t we do more with the time we have? Give teachers the tools they need to make their classrooms a place of learning for children with all types of personalities, not only those that are easy to deal with. Give back the time that is taken away to focus solely on standardized tests. Reduce the amount of written homework and assign interactive assignments. For instance, if you are working on conversion of measurements, have the children help make dinner. Longer hours and more days is not the answer to a better school system. Focus on our children and don’t worry about how well other countries’ students are doing. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t a competition, and maybe if we stop treating education like it is, then we may see some results. And most importantly, let’s remember, school needs to be a part of children’s lives not be their life.
**Published Eldersburg Advocate 11/3/09
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