How important is a traditional education, and higher learning? \ stacker news ~AskSN

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How important is a traditional education, and higher learning?

308 sats \ 13 comments \ @Aardvark 17 Mar AskSN

Personally, I barely graduated high-school. The classroom is not an environment that I particularly thrive in. If I'm not interested in a topic I'm not great at paying attention.

Obviously I'm a bit biased, because most of the things relevant to my life, I learned because I wanted to learn them. I don't even credit school for my ability to read or write, because my mother was always an avid reader, and it was a habit she passed on to her kids.

So, for the people who went further in their education, how relevant or important do you think it is to your life now?

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59 sats \ 3 replies \ @SimpleStacker 17 Mar

I think for some people who want to do certain things, it's very important.

But I don't think it makes sense to push traditional classroom education on everyone.

Another thing I think we should stop doing is age-based cohorts. Learning cohorts should be based on ability, not age. But when I brought this up to a friend, she said she doesn't want 20 year olds in a classroom with her 12 year olds, even if their learning level is similar. Good point 🤔

30 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined 17 Mar

I'm definitely into the learning cohort thing. I moved towards mastery models, when I was last teaching, and if I take another teaching job I'll try to do that again.

26 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 17 Mar

The problem is that the entire system is not designed to support that. We try to move people through in X years, whether or not it's appropriate for their level. We even measure success by things like 6 year graduation rates. In my experience, the vast range in background and ability in a single classroom is the single biggest hindrance to effective teaching.

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 17 Mar

I know some places are working on go at your own pace math curricula. That's a bit easier, because the content is so standardized across universities and instructors.

Basically, your tuition covers a set amount of instruction time (like it does normally), but if you progress into the next course your progress is saved and you might even earn a fraction of the possible course credits. Similarly, if you only make it partway through a course, your progress is saved and you receive some fraction of the credits for the course you were in.

You have to workout testing facilities, too, since the whole class isn't testing at the same time. To do it right, you really need the whole department to buy in.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @ContraMundum5 17 Mar

Sounds like you figured out how to learn on your own, which is what really matters. School can be useful for some, but a lot of people find the most important lessons come from their own curiosity and experience. For those who went further in school, was it worth it? Do you actually use what you learned, or did most of your useful knowledge come from elsewhere?

30 sats \ 5 replies \ @Undisciplined 17 Mar

I have mixed feelings about this.

I enjoyed learning some of the math and physics I studied in undergrad and I definitely wouldn’t have learned it at that degree of technical detail on my own. Most likely, I would have still read about those subjects, but my understanding would be at a different level.

Similarly, the skills I use for work are not something I would have learned on my own and even if I didn’t have to work, I would still use those tools to investigate things that interest me.

All that said, most of what I learned in school was useless at the time and is long forgotten now. However, my retention of stuff I learned on my own is much better.

113 sats \ 4 replies \ @SimpleStacker 17 Mar

most of what I learned in school was useless at the time and is long forgotten now

I hear people say this a lot and used to think this myself. But I'm more cautious about making such a claim now. I think a lot of the stuff we learned have become so internalized that we forgot that we learned it from school.

30 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined 17 Mar

I was thinking about that as I wrote my comment, but it wasn't enough to stop me.

The human capital literature is fairly clear on this. There's very little discernable benefit to spending more time in school. Obviously, there's going to be heterogeneity in there, but for the marginal consumer of education, it probably isn't the most worthwhile pursuit.

36 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 17 Mar

I feel it in my gut. It's my biggest source of job dissatisfaction: that I think for 60% of my students it's a social net negative for them to be in my classroom. I'm not saying that they're not learning anything from me, I just think their time would be better spent on something else... they're clearly not interested, motivated, or sometimes even capable of learning the material, nor will most of them use it at a high level. The whole thing is only happening because of government distortions in the education market.

Yet, it's still individually rational for me to keep doing my job... but dang if it isn't demoralizing.

Contributing to SN and bitcoin keeps my spirit afloat...

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 17 Mar

I feel exactly the same way. I'm hoping to find some more fulfilling work that still keeps the lights on.

29 sats \ 0 replies \ @Aardvark OP 17 Mar

Have you seen "are you smarter than a 5th grader?" That shit is gone.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 18 Mar

I didn't use my bachelors degree in the slightest. It was a place to park myself for 4 years, until I graduated and started actually doing things.

Luckily, with various scholarships and part-time jobs, I graduated without debt, and even with savings.

My degree MAY have helped me SLIGHTLY with my very first "real" job, but probably not, some people in my cohort didn't have a degree. And after my first job, it didn't help at all.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @teremok 18 Mar

My kids are homeschooled.

When people tell me that I'm screwing them up, I tell them to come and meet them.

My young one (3) speaks 2 languages and understands 4. My older one (6) speaks all 4 of them.

All difficult (except English) and important languages. They are very social, and my son excels in math and sports. He can read.

People usually have no seconds thoughts that school is unnecessary after they meet them.