Aside from how to teach, there is also the why to teach. If what you are saying accurately reflects what is needed today, I think that's kind of depressing. I'm not saying you're wrong, but it sounds a bit dreary.
Things I wish I had learned in school include arithmetic, which I still can't do and don't understand, and civics, which I continue to learn but still don't know enough about to make a functional difference, and history, which I definitely was never taught beyond the false narratives they wanted to brainwash us with. I'm more invested in local survival and creating spaces we want to live in than I am in global competition.
The entire realm of the arts is as important as music. Visual communication, gardening, cooking, canning, making clothing, building a house, woodworking, electrical wiring, plumbing, survival training, first-aid, basic self-care, safety training, writing (cursive is not a waste of time, but good for developing hand skills), printing, acting, pottery, dance, fixing a car, playing a musical instrument, building a machine, purifying water, taking care of a cistern, & any other non-academic skills we need for self-sufficiency (formerly termed "vo-tech skills"). We should know how to survive in the event we cannot hop online and have what we need delivered to our homes. In addition to loss of self-sufficiency, losing these skills disconnects us from human history and inherited culture.
Hi Kay! Thank you for taking the time to share that, I appreciate it. You bring up very good points.
I completely understand why what I outlined might seem dreary - it's nowhere near an exhaustive list of what a person should know to live a healthy, full life. But I needed to define some basic goals so I could demonstrate the method of thoughtfully designing an education system.
The goals I outlined and competencies I described are specifically addressing public purposes - things that justify tax-funded education because they benefit everyone in society, even people without kids.
One clarification on "economic competitiveness" - I'm not saying YOU need to compete globally. I'm talking about whether the nation's economy can generate enough productivity to maintain infrastructure, fund safety nets, support local communities, and provide decent living standards. Or do we decline into economic instability where even local resilience becomes harder?
This isn't about turning everyone into corporate robots competing for global jobs. It's about ensuring our collective economic system can support the kinds of communities we want to live in - including the self-sufficiency and local resilience you value.
The skills you mentioned - arts, crafts, practical skills, self-sufficiency - are incredibly valuable. Some belong in vocational pathways (part of economic competitiveness). Some belong in family and community transmission. Some belong in cultural preservation. I'm not saying we shouldn't teach them. I'm saying my essay was focused on "what justifies the PUBLIC funding part."
For someone struggling to put food in the cupboards, being able to navigate the digital world to apply for jobs or government benefits would serve them better than cursive in that moment. That doesn't mean cursive has no value - just that when time is finite, we have to prioritize.
Does that help clarify what I was trying to do with this piece?
Yes. As a practical-minded person, you’re designing a plan for the world we live in. As a dreamer, I would design a plan for the world I want to live in. Two different projects. Thanks for the clarification. 😉
I hear you there. The world you describe living in is very much aligned with what I would like to see. But as it stands I would settle for skimming the news without feeling like everything on fire and collapsing.
Great list! A couple of thoughts. Somewhere in the goals should be something about ethics, as in what does Justice mean, how to treat people with respect and courtesy, and even a basic understanding of why one should live a life to avoid criminality. Second, and this may be implied in governance, but it's important to teach children what it means to be an American. What are our values? How do we differ from other countries? Why should we love our country? How can we participate productively in our country?
Aside from how to teach, there is also the why to teach. If what you are saying accurately reflects what is needed today, I think that's kind of depressing. I'm not saying you're wrong, but it sounds a bit dreary.
Things I wish I had learned in school include arithmetic, which I still can't do and don't understand, and civics, which I continue to learn but still don't know enough about to make a functional difference, and history, which I definitely was never taught beyond the false narratives they wanted to brainwash us with. I'm more invested in local survival and creating spaces we want to live in than I am in global competition.
The entire realm of the arts is as important as music. Visual communication, gardening, cooking, canning, making clothing, building a house, woodworking, electrical wiring, plumbing, survival training, first-aid, basic self-care, safety training, writing (cursive is not a waste of time, but good for developing hand skills), printing, acting, pottery, dance, fixing a car, playing a musical instrument, building a machine, purifying water, taking care of a cistern, & any other non-academic skills we need for self-sufficiency (formerly termed "vo-tech skills"). We should know how to survive in the event we cannot hop online and have what we need delivered to our homes. In addition to loss of self-sufficiency, losing these skills disconnects us from human history and inherited culture.
Hi Kay! Thank you for taking the time to share that, I appreciate it. You bring up very good points.
I completely understand why what I outlined might seem dreary - it's nowhere near an exhaustive list of what a person should know to live a healthy, full life. But I needed to define some basic goals so I could demonstrate the method of thoughtfully designing an education system.
The goals I outlined and competencies I described are specifically addressing public purposes - things that justify tax-funded education because they benefit everyone in society, even people without kids.
One clarification on "economic competitiveness" - I'm not saying YOU need to compete globally. I'm talking about whether the nation's economy can generate enough productivity to maintain infrastructure, fund safety nets, support local communities, and provide decent living standards. Or do we decline into economic instability where even local resilience becomes harder?
This isn't about turning everyone into corporate robots competing for global jobs. It's about ensuring our collective economic system can support the kinds of communities we want to live in - including the self-sufficiency and local resilience you value.
The skills you mentioned - arts, crafts, practical skills, self-sufficiency - are incredibly valuable. Some belong in vocational pathways (part of economic competitiveness). Some belong in family and community transmission. Some belong in cultural preservation. I'm not saying we shouldn't teach them. I'm saying my essay was focused on "what justifies the PUBLIC funding part."
For someone struggling to put food in the cupboards, being able to navigate the digital world to apply for jobs or government benefits would serve them better than cursive in that moment. That doesn't mean cursive has no value - just that when time is finite, we have to prioritize.
Does that help clarify what I was trying to do with this piece?
Yes. As a practical-minded person, you’re designing a plan for the world we live in. As a dreamer, I would design a plan for the world I want to live in. Two different projects. Thanks for the clarification. 😉
I hear you there. The world you describe living in is very much aligned with what I would like to see. But as it stands I would settle for skimming the news without feeling like everything on fire and collapsing.
Absolutely agree.
Great list! A couple of thoughts. Somewhere in the goals should be something about ethics, as in what does Justice mean, how to treat people with respect and courtesy, and even a basic understanding of why one should live a life to avoid criminality. Second, and this may be implied in governance, but it's important to teach children what it means to be an American. What are our values? How do we differ from other countries? Why should we love our country? How can we participate productively in our country?
Thanks Dave! Yeah, these are the types of conversations I think we need to be having!