I do realize......

That "I" and "I alone" am responsible for my own learning.<---That's a "period".

...but...often I wonder why some 10yo kid in Norway, France, Switzerland, etc. knows my language plus usually at least 2 more, grammar and all. In many cases he/she knows more about my, and world history than my contemporaries. Why did "they" have so much of a head start in an understanding of the arts...etc., etc., etc.?

Though I was a well (mind, body, heart, and soul) cared for child, why did "I" not have these tools by a relatively young age?

I guess I'm interested in what people have to say about the broad (world) spectrum of educational methods. What worked for them...didn't, and any "eureka moments"..

Don't know much about how the education system or the drive to excel in other countries works because, lol, they didn't teach me that in school.
What I was taught was just the bare minimum required for me to pass to the next grade or year, and/or for the teachers to get a paycheck.
I'm not knocking teachers...there are some amazing ones out there.
My experience with the American education system is this: You don't have to learn unless you want to learn. You don't have to be considerably bright to pass a class.
If you want to continue your academics after high school, you have a choice. You can go to college to study one field pertaining to a singular area of interest...the idea being to get a well paying job...or you can just go there to learn, but who's gonna hang in there longer than they need to when money's on the line?
There was once a Greek city-state where it was a blessing to expand ones mind. Here and now, learning has become means to an end rather than an adventure in itself. There are people out there who want to learn for the sake of knowledge...but most, from what I can see, are either retired and no longer worried about bills, or world travelers who must leave America to find the wisdom they seek.
Anyway, just some thoughts.

Its like that nowadays but it doesn't mean that educated ppl are any smarter. I think its trial and error for some. Not everyone that becomes educated is always in the lead :) But thats just the way I feel. The Educational system in the US isn't as great as it was once anticipated. Maybe thats why some asian, european countries offer a second or maybe even a third language to students. It is beneficial. ^_^

I LOVE this 4everw8n!

(readers digested down)
My higher learning (whatever that means) was in the 80s. EVERYONE seemed to be business majors. One of my favorite Philosophy classes pointed out how the focus of the time was to make a good living (or at the time "opulent living") rather than to be a "well rounded individual"....like in generations past.

Education motivation, we don't have it. Our modern world is set in motion and we have a whole generation thinking automatic faucets are expected and if you have to actually turn the handle it is considered "Old Fashioned."
I think wisdom would be a better asset. So many people are considered worldly, but not wise. Knowing things and applying them are not often taught.
I don't know how, but we need to show ourselves how to build and find our own world. That made more sense in my head. Oh well, on to another post.

basic thing about education is to know the proper from wrong, in which i will explain in two paspective (1) in a community where there is urge percentage of learned citizen occupied the population you will see that this people will reason positivly conpare with the self interest community like africa that have the best resourses in the world because of low learning there is caterstroph in there world am from Nigeria where government wont let there citizen learn because of there self interest and selfishness. (2) in civilized world that know the important of education is creating a public avenue of education that affect positivly the life of there citizenry like gate bill so education is what we have everyday not that you most go to school before you have one just be a revolutionary thanks

Because we teach to pass tests, we punish those who are actually interested in learning by ignoring them to make sure that ALL kids can pass, whether they really can. So you take any enjoyment and initiative away from those who want to learn. Plus, you take interesting classes away and give the basics, and skip through most of those basics because they might offend someone. And God forbid people are actually taught to think!

Beachfarmer, it's because you live on a beach and you're a farmer. No jk, I'm pretty sure it's because they go to school all year round, they know they aren't the center of the Universe, and with democratic socialism, they are very focused on finding you your niche in the world. Automatic job guaranteed by the time you enter the world of work. so it is very important you don't get labeled "streetsweeper" at an early age. For real. They test and track kids through their education systems.

When it comes to language,, I think most the countries you named are about as big as some of our states and equally as close to each other. They are mingling amongst other languages on a much regular basis than we are being such a LARGE country, As children and adolescents we retain more of what we are exposed to than what we learn in books.

As to the arts, I think those countries have produced more artists and artistry so that is a deeper part of our culture which places more of a priority on technology.

I dont know that the students are any better educated overall(at least in the countries you mentioned)

Our ego gets us in trouble. We don't feel we should have to learn another language.

Now they only push certain ones, like Spanish. I would have prefered German.

I dont think its just that. As I said, those countries are as close to each other as our states are to each other, they regularly are hearing and speaking other languages because of proximity. They actually DO have more of a need to know other languages because of how often they will be in contact with those speakers.
We dont have quite that same dynamic with other languages and countries.

Good point msharmony...why should some kid born in LA,CA (ya that's me) to learn Swedish (random) unles there was a geographical..or other personal impetus.

..and I suppose my question was slanted more towards the liberal arts because that's what I'm interested in.

so I'll attempt the analytical side.....

Through the 90s and early 00s I worked in in Biotech. I would say that less than 50% of the actual researchers were North American born.

That is a witnessed statistic that I wonder....why it was.

America's a self absorbed society our pride/beliefs get in the way of our educational standards...like we're in our own little bubble

All is forfeited if it doesn't concern america..
LoL (ex) especially language, simple geography and/or current affairs

Moral of the story educate urself in some aspects take initiative ...

Because America doesn't support the sciences. We fight over things like creationism vs evolutionism. We haven't gotten beyond the religiousness of anything, despite claims of secularism.

Most of the American born scientists end up over in Europe, because they do support that. Look at the super-conducting super collider. We were supposed to end up with that here in this area, but it ended up over in Sweden, if I recall correctly (CERN), because the hassle was too big.

Regarding language - one doesn't need an obscure foreign language. What about Chinese? They're buying out what they can't poison in this country. It might be smart to kind of have a clue about that language...

Right on. I wish I wish...it would be nice to have had the same dynamics, but you can't pick your birthright. What you can do is open a book or go traveling, emerse yourself in another culture. We have to work a little harder to become more one with the world.

Check out the biographies of Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter of the Doobie Brothers and Tom Dowd.

Both of these guys have major education/experience in areas totally different for what they are best known for-Music.

People have an amazing capacity for learning.
Basic education provides a means to learning how to learn, and function in society. The rest is up to the individual.

As Americans we are more isolated by oceans and distance from other countries. If you look at countries in Europe and Asia, they have more potential to travel and mingle with people who speak different languages and who have different cultures. I do not see my self taking a row boat or driving a car through the atlantic or pacific, and airfare and lodging overseas (when you don't know anyone of course), is very expensive. Therefore it is easier and more feasable to drive or fly to florida and interact with our own cultures here. Do not forget too, in our country we are not forced into an environment where we must know other languages to survive. There might be a lot of spanish speaking individuals, but english is readily available and the vice. If you go to Bulgaria, Qatar, etc, you can now understand the difference, it is harder to find English speakers, signs, directions, etc. So the answer is genuinely you are not undereducated, but rather America is more isolated by geolographical boundaries from other cultures. Another thing to remember too, is educational level, skill level, or intelligence can not be quantitatively gauged. An example is that of an extradinary physcisist, master craftsman, brilliant machine operator and engineer, and an very great artist. The knowledge and skills they all possess are not necessarly all related or similar, however, they all can make great achievements in what they do? If we gave them all a standard IQ test do you think they all will test about the same? Absolutely not! IQ tests are formulated to gauge a narrow competence level rather than being individuallistically formulated to test an individuals abilities in a certain field or area. Therefore, you my friend might actually be a genius, and someone who speaks 3 languages, may not have many great skills rather than memorization and verbal skills. So do cut yourself slack!

Excuses. I love them. New Zealand is in the middle of nowhere down far away as possible from Europe or USA and yet..


Education in New Zealand follows the three-tier model which includes primary schools, followed by secondary schools (high schools) and tertiary education at universities and/or polytechs. The Programme for International Student Assessment ranks New Zealand's education as the 7th best in the world

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_New_Zealand

No.

The only reason someone might not want to get educated is being lazy and careless. Period.

it's no longer politically correct to push the kids to excel

we got rid of valedictorians cause it made the other kids feel inferior

no more games like tag cause they were too aggressive

little league baseball games no longer keep score because it makes the loser feel bad

we are raising a generation of illiterate self entitled social welfare kids who are growing up thinking the world owes them a living




but in China and Japan and Korea they push the kids and fill em full of science and math and make em work hard to succeed

Agreed, but how many of THEM speak other languages besides their native tongue and the language of those they do business with (english)?

Education on a whole needs an overhaul, but I dont think the language spoken or not spoken has much to do with it.