So I joined
debate with the vague thought that I would kinda keep an eye on it.
Yeah...riiight.
I don't think the debate community is neccessarily the place to aquire great wisdom (problem: quality control), but if there's one thing I HAVE learned, it's how little school taught me.
I try not to comment very much in that community ("try" being the operative word), given that I don't feel like I really have anything to contribute to most of the discussions. Particularly the political ones. So I'm mostly reading.
And as I watch I am re-discovering the inadequecies of the school system I've just exited.
Example: the previously mentioned political debates. I read these things, and I KNOW that we studied all this last year in social studies. I should understand all of it, and theoretically, I should be able to contribute, (whether I actually do, or not.) For gosh sakes, I ACED that class.
...And it's just going right over my head. Whoosh.
I am by no means an exceptional student (well, grades excepted, but we all know those mean nothing), but public schools are intended to be geared for what I am/was; the average student. And if I can come away, and not even be able to remember some of the most basic concepts nine months later, that says something is very, very wrong with our education system.
And I now basically have to re-teach myself high school social studies. And who knows what other classes. Grr.
Yeah...riiight.
I don't think the debate community is neccessarily the place to aquire great wisdom (problem: quality control), but if there's one thing I HAVE learned, it's how little school taught me.
I try not to comment very much in that community ("try" being the operative word), given that I don't feel like I really have anything to contribute to most of the discussions. Particularly the political ones. So I'm mostly reading.
And as I watch I am re-discovering the inadequecies of the school system I've just exited.
Example: the previously mentioned political debates. I read these things, and I KNOW that we studied all this last year in social studies. I should understand all of it, and theoretically, I should be able to contribute, (whether I actually do, or not.) For gosh sakes, I ACED that class.
...And it's just going right over my head. Whoosh.
I am by no means an exceptional student (well, grades excepted, but we all know those mean nothing), but public schools are intended to be geared for what I am/was; the average student. And if I can come away, and not even be able to remember some of the most basic concepts nine months later, that says something is very, very wrong with our education system.
And I now basically have to re-teach myself high school social studies. And who knows what other classes. Grr.