Things Kids Should Know by age 18

[dragonfly411]

I was at SO's mom's the other day and his sister, her boyfriend and her best friend were there. They are all 16. I was appalled when one of them asked where Kenya was , and even more worried when they couldn't name a Cheetah as the fastest land mammal or spell some pretty basic words. This is not some great fault of their own, but a flaw I see in many kids their age right now that I think is based on schooling and how things are taught, especially in my area. I told them that I was going to come up with a list of things they should know by the time they graduate and that we would be studying together and having quizzes and if they didn't apply themselves and pass my tests there would not be fun trips like we've been doing. This is also an attempt to raise a few of their grades (one is suffering in Biology, another in English and History and the third in Math, Biology and English). I want them to learn the major countries, where they are and their capitals, along with basic facts that they should know about our world, history, basic math, science, notable people etc. My cousin is the same age and has the same sort of lack of knowledge, and a very materialistic attitude, so I might propose the same challenge to her with some kind of reward. So what are some things that you feel a person should know by age 18 or high school graduation? I figure that most of the people here are quite knowledgeable so you can help add to my list.

 

[kenny]

Devil's advocate here . . .

Why teach much math to everyone when calculators cost $5?
Why teach a whole slew of things that could be "googled up"?

I don't have an answer.
I realize I'm being flip, but the incredible technology at our fingertips really makes me wonder about the necessity of learning much of what I learned when I was in school in the 1960s.

 

[dragonfly411]

Kenny
I believe in personal knowledge and I believe that we shouldn't be allowing people to rely on technology as their crutch. People NEED to be educated. Do you want some google happy numb skull running the country some day? Do we want a President who can't spell tomorrow or embroidery? Why would you want to lose intelligence? What happens if technology were to fail and they had no knowledge on their own?

Meaning this as a post for questions to ask yourself before saying goodbye to educating people.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Devil's advocate here . . .

Why teach much math to everyone when calculators cost $5?
Why teach a whole slew of things that could be "googled up"?

I don't have an answer.
I realize I'm being flip, but the incredible technology at our fingertips really makes me wonder about the necessity of learning much of what I learned when I was in school in the 1960s.

My kids are required to know their multiplication tables by 4th grade. There is even an online computer program the school bought to ensure the kids have the basics.

Basically, for a kid to succeed at higher level mathematics, they should know their basic math so they don't waste time using their fingers to type in numbers, when instead it comes right to their head and they can then do the advanced calculations.

It really comes down to TIME MANAGEMENT and TIME WASTED when a kid should know how to spell basic words and do math equations, but cannot, and have to run to the ipad to figure stuff out. Hours could be shaved off of homework if they had all those skills down.

There is a list of the commonly used words "high frequency words," and it would be great if every child had those down in elementary school.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I was at SO's mom's the other day and his sister, her boyfriend and her best friend were there. They are all 16. I was appalled when one of them asked where Kenya was , and even more worried when they couldn't name a Cheetah as the fastest land mammal or spell some pretty basic words. This is not some great fault of their own, but a flaw I see in many kids their age right now that I think is based on schooling and how things are taught, especially in my area. I told them that I was going to come up with a list of things they should know by the time they graduate and that we would be studying together and having quizzes and if they didn't apply themselves and pass my tests there would not be fun trips like we've been doing. This is also an attempt to raise a few of their grades (one is suffering in Biology, another in English and History and the third in Math, Biology and English). I want them to learn the major countries, where they are and their capitals, along with basic facts that they should know about our world, history, basic math, science, notable people etc. My cousin is the same age and has the same sort of lack of knowledge, and a very materialistic attitude, so I might propose the same challenge to her with some kind of reward. So what are some things that you feel a person should know by age 18 or high school graduation? I figure that most of the people here are quite knowledgeable so you can help add to my list.

I for sure expect my kids to know the majority of countries and hopefully capitals and we're doing this as as side project at home. Years ago, when I was in college, I told a guy who was trying to take up conversation with me that my mom was from Austria. He responded something about how that is cool that she is from Australia. I had to say, "No, AUSTRIA." You know what? He didn't know what I was talking about and I gave up trying to explain that there is a similar country to Australia in Europe called Austria! lol Ugh. I do not want my boys to grow up not knowing basics so we are working on this at home...even though our school does cover this.

 

[kenny]

Kenny
I believe in personal knowledge and I believe that we shouldn't be allowing people to rely on technology as their crutch. People NEED to be educated. Do you want some google happy numb skull running the country some day? Do we want a President who can't spell tomorrow or embroidery? Why would you want to lose intelligence? What happens if technology were to fail and they had no knowledge on their own?

Meaning this as a post for questions to ask yourself before saying goodbye to educating people.

Goodness, don't jump to the ridiculous.
As I said I don't have answers, just questions.
I'm not endorsing stupidity or saying education is not needed.

I do think technology changes what we need to learn.
Do you know how to use rocks to wash laundry in the river?
Of course not.
Technology, electric washers, freed us to learn something more important.

I guess there must be discussion in academia about this.

 

[dragonfly411]

Kenny - A better example. When you're talking to your doctor, would you feel comfortable with him/her saying "hold on, let me google that and find out what it is and how it's treated,"? I wouldn't

MC I agree along with a wealth of other things. I once had teenager ask what a carabou was. My kids had better have a good knowledge of things.

 

[dragonfly411]

Kenny
I believe in personal knowledge and I believe that we shouldn't be allowing people to rely on technology as their crutch. People NEED to be educated. Do you want some google happy numb skull running the country some day? Do we want a President who can't spell tomorrow or embroidery? Why would you want to lose intelligence? What happens if technology were to fail and they had no knowledge on their own?

Meaning this as a post for questions to ask yourself before saying goodbye to educating people.

Goodness, don't jump to the ridiculous.
As I said I don't have answers, just questions.
I'm not endorsing stupidity or saying education is not needed.

I do think technology changes what we need to learn.
Do you know how to use rocks to wash laundry in the river?
Of course not.
Technology, electric washers, freed us to learn something more important.

I guess there must be discussion in academia about this.

I've seen a video of washing clothes in a river, but never tried it. I do believe in knowing how to do things without technology but I"m an oddball in that sense. SO and I have made it a goal to learn to be self sufficient and pass that on to our families as they grow. But good point.

 

[kenny]

Kenny - A better example. When you're talking to your doctor, would you feel comfortable with him/her saying "hold on, let me google that and find out what it is and how it's treated,"?

Of course not, that's different.
Working degreed professionals must meet the standards of their fields.

BTW, I don't care if even my doctor does not know off the top of her head the capital cities of every country.
Besides, this thread was about age 18.

 

[ForteKitty]

What I've noticed more often in the 16-22 age range is that they simply don't care to know. I was chatting with my cousins last week about something, and when a few topics came up, they said, "I don't know what that is." Period. I asked, "aren't you curious?", and they said, "yea, but I never learned it in school. Nobody taught me." WTF your phone is on your lap! Google that shiz! These kids already graduated from UCLA, btw.

 

[Circe]

Relating to ForteKitty's post, I actually think what I'd emphasize would be an attitude rather than any one piece of information: to utilize the technology, but not depend on it; to develop some basic intellectual curiousity, and some independent responsibility for how it's applied.

I'm teaching freshmen this term. They're nice kids. We did Don Quixote, which has these cute little parodic poems in the beginning, almost like blurbs, "written" by famous characters from other works basically saying that Don Quixote is the shiznit. Some of them are written in a form of poetry where the poet left the last syllable of each line occluded - it was like a guessing game for the reader, a fill-in-the-blank kind of thing, v. popular at the time.

Three of my kids complained about it, saying they didn't understand.

IT WAS FOOTNOTED.

And don't even get me started on how they will ask me what words mean when we're discussing key passages. It's like the concept of looking things up has disappeared. It's the seed of the attitude that makes people come into threads here and say things like, "LOL, what's a culet?" instead of just looking it up themselves. It makes people dependent, and it drives me nuts (in case you couldn't tell).

The flip side of the coin is that they cannot - CANNOT - depend on technology. I just got a paper where a kid obviously just used auto-correct and didn't proofread. The result? It's full of typos about the "hansom prince." Which might for interesting Black Beauty fanfic, but which is a really stupid error to make in a final draft. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT, kids.

Getting back to the original ... a high school education was supposed to provide a basic grounding in reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. I'd add in basic geography and history, and some practical skills (it's a travesty that kids are reaching 18 not knowing how to balance a checkbook, read a basic contract, run odds on basic credit). It does, however, make me very sad that you are apparently having to fill in on the fly for basic education. Our tax dollars at work, ladies and gents!

 

[amc80]

What I've noticed more often in the 16-22 age range is that they simply don't care to know. I was chatting with my cousins last week about something, and when a few topics came up, they said, "I don't know what that is." Period. I asked, "aren't you curious?", and they said, "yea, but I never learned it in school. Nobody taught me." WTF your phone is on your lap! Google that shiz! These kids already graduated from UCLA, btw.

See, my mom is the same way. She will text or email me a question that could be easily answered with google. But it's easier for her to take the time to text me the question.

I think basic algebra is a must. I'm pretty good at math (you know, with that MA in Economics and all) and it's amazing how many people can't do basic calculations. A few years ago, a friend of mine was helping her husband's little brother with his 8th grade algebra. The question was something like 3x = x +24. She called me and asked me for help. And she has her MBA.

In all fairness, I'm not good at spelling. I remember having to actually study for spelling tests in high school. It just doesn't come naturally to me.

 

[aviastar]

I am on board with all learning and basic 'common knowledge' things like geography are important- because they lead to questions that lead to higher learning, but also because they equip the user to function in conversation, debate, and society at large.

But, the things I wish I had known at 18, looking back now, were things like how credit cards work- what is interest, how is it calculated, what does all that jargon you sign up for actually mean? Same for bank accounts- high yield, daily vs. monthly vs. no minimum balances, etc.

My dad was on top of the car maintainence knowledge for me, but I spent a lot of time in college jumping batteries, changing tires, and checking oil for kids that didn't have the faintest idea how to, or even that they should be doing those things! I also had to help a few guys on my freshman floor learn how to turn on the washing machine

So in addition to genreal knowledge, I think 18 year olds should be equipped with basic life skills.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I was at SO's mom's the other day and his sister, her boyfriend and her best friend were there. They are all 16. I was appalled when one of them asked where Kenya was , and even more worried when they couldn't name a Cheetah as the fastest land mammal or spell some pretty basic words. This is not some great fault of their own, but a flaw I see in many kids their age right now that I think is based on schooling and how things are taught, especially in my area. I told them that I was going to come up with a list of things they should know by the time they graduate and that we would be studying together and having quizzes and if they didn't apply themselves and pass my tests there would not be fun trips like we've been doing. This is also an attempt to raise a few of their grades (one is suffering in Biology, another in English and History and the third in Math, Biology and English). I want them to learn the major countries, where they are and their capitals, along with basic facts that they should know about our world, history, basic math, science, notable people etc. My cousin is the same age and has the same sort of lack of knowledge, and a very materialistic attitude, so I might propose the same challenge to her with some kind of reward. So what are some things that you feel a person should know by age 18 or high school graduation? I figure that most of the people here are quite knowledgeable so you can help add to my list.

TBH, though I'm all for personal betterment and students knowing certain things by the time they graduate from HS, I don't put the world's capitals at the top of the list.

Of course, major gaps need to be addressed (and I know you said major countries, not all countries), but is it better for them to have a list of facts they need to memorize just to say that they know this stuff, or better for them to develop critical reading and reasoning abilities? FWIW I can still tell you the capitals of every S. American country (thank you capitals song in Spanish), but it doesn't do me much good

 

[Gypsy]

Best thing you can do, IMO is this.

If you can afford it, or if their parents can. Set a $15 budget a month and one trip. Take the money and one day a month go to the bookstore for a few hours. Go to a nice one with a cafe.

Help them pick out a book, with a $10 budget. Any subject they want but no graphic novels: paragraphs not pictures. (Before hand you can look into YA fiction on Amazon so you have an idea of what is popular and has good reviews).

They use 10 for the book. And 5 for drinks/snacks at the cafe.

Then their task is to read one book a month.

There is NOTHING like reading to enhance vocabulary and reading comprehension. And, as a bonus it's entertainment and if they build the habit now they can carry it as adults.

I would make a deal with their parents that, if they don't already have a tablet, they get one after 12 books. So they can keep reading, but on Apps on the tablet.

Teaching them how enjoyable reading is more valuable than learning a bunch of capitals. Not to say that's not important, but I too am an advocate of skills, not facts type learning.

Learning how interest works on credit cards, why debt is bad. That just that it IS bad. But why. Teenagers are no longer at that age where "NO." is enough. You need to explain the reasons WHY things are bad so they can understand that, and extrapolate that to other things. Teach them what your credit score means. How to tip-- why tips are important to servers. What laws protect workers. HOW to look up (on the net) the laws of your county, or state. Those are the other things I would teach. Practical knowledge. Balance checkbooks, read basic contracts, understand your obligations as a citizen (jury duty, etc.). Understand how having a conviction can ruin your future (not just that it CAN, but HOW it actually does. How you have to report it to every employer, how you can't vote if you have a felony conviction.). What your basic rights are if you stopped by a cop or arrested and WHAT THOSE RIGHTS MEAN.

 

[SB621]

Sorry i didn't read through this entire post so I might be way off on what you are asking for, but below is a list of things I go over with my younger couins and my younger brother.

- For math we go over debts and interests rates. As well as how to budget.
-History- I typically find whatever is current in the newspaper and then look up examples of it happening in the past. They need to know that history and business are cyclical and will keep re-occuring.

My children are toddlers right now but when they are older we plan on studying the history of places we visit with them. DH and I are well traveled so say if we go to England, then the kids will study up on English history, law, geography, agriculture etc. I know it seems like a lot but we have fun ways to help them learn.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Kenny
I believe in personal knowledge and I believe that we shouldn't be allowing people to rely on technology as their crutch. People NEED to be educated. Do you want some google happy numb skull running the country some day? Do we want a President who can't spell tomorrow or embroidery? Why would you want to lose intelligence? What happens if technology were to fail and they had no knowledge on their own?

Meaning this as a post for questions to ask yourself before saying goodbye to educating people.

Goodness, don't jump to the ridiculous.
As I said I don't have answers, just questions.
I'm not endorsing stupidity or saying education is not needed.

I do think technology changes what we need to learn.
Do you know how to use rocks to wash laundry in the river?
Of course not.
Technology, electric washers, freed us to learn something more important.

I guess there must be discussion in academia about this.

i'd agree with Kenny. .

what % of kids today know how to write in cursive? how many can figure out a math problem with a piece of scrap paper?

 

[Gypsy]

I don't think cursive is useful. Honestly. I don't use it and I am in one of the most writing heavy fields out there.

I think being able to do basic arithmetic is probably a good idea. Not to mention basic algebra.

Frankly I think the most important things for kids to learn is that life is a two way street. You take out what you put in. If you don't put anything in, if you are too demanding and too entitled, you won't get anything out of it. That applies to relationships as well. And school. And work.

 

[iLander]

I think that many kids today just don't have much curiosity. I blame it on toys and video games that spoon feed them with sensations throughout their childhoods. Also, the brain is plastic, similar to a muscle in that the more you use it, the better it works. I think a lot of early education isn't as stimulating as it used to be.

Also, there are many different types of learning. What you are hoping for is an associative mind, those that pick up information, seemingly through osmosis, that don't have to be taught to learn. Those are the teens that know that a cheetah is the fastest land mammal, without being taught.

In lieu of all that, I'd like to recommend this book; http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Treasury-Natural-History-Bertha/dp/B000TZUX5S/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1355776032&sr=8-4&keywords=new+golden+treasury+of+natural+history

Or even this series of books. I read through it, and it's got a lot of stuff, http://www.amazon.com/E.D.-Hirsch-Jr./e/B000APILDS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 Maybe the cultural literacy one?

It covers pretty much ALL basic natural history. It's written on a kid level, but so chock full of facts, it's perfect for a teen attention span. Even if you have to put it in the bathroom to get them to read it, it's worth it. I read it twice when I was 8, and it opened the world of nature for me, the way no amount of schooling ever did.

But I tried to get my son to read, and he never did (read to him every night, was the "Story Mom", etc) get into it. But he's in his mid-20's, in management in banking, and a productive member of society. So don't worry about it, everyone finds their place.

 

[Enerchi]

My initial reaction to this title was "manners" - social skills, politeness, respect for others.... - that kind of thing, till I read thru and realized you meant school stuff!

I think being able to read and comprehend is key - no matter what the topic, if you can at least focus on the subject, you'll get *something* out of whatever you are reading.

A basic sense of geography, broad world history, appreciation for art & music as a whole, rudimentary math skills and basic science. People will gravitate to a subject or field that appeals to them and then explore to different levels and dimensions of that field, but if we at least all start with a basic "all around" general knowledge of these topics, we have a common ground to start from. (ooh -that was wordy and a little tangential!)

But if we are talking social skills --- I think by 18, respect is definitely something that I would love to see instilled in the young adults of today.

 

[ksinger]

Relating to ForteKitty's post, I actually think what I'd emphasize would be an attitude rather than any one piece of information: to utilize the technology, but not depend on it; to develop some basic intellectual curiousity, and some independent responsibility for how it's applied.

I'm teaching freshmen this term. They're nice kids. We did Don Quixote, which has these cute little parodic poems in the beginning, almost like blurbs, "written" by famous characters from other works basically saying that Don Quixote is the shiznit. Some of them are written in a form of poetry where the poet left the last syllable of each line occluded - it was like a guessing game for the reader, a fill-in-the-blank kind of thing, v. popular at the time.

Three of my kids complained about it, saying they didn't understand.

IT WAS FOOTNOTED.

And don't even get me started on how they will ask me what words mean when we're discussing key passages. It's like the concept of looking things up has disappeared. It's the seed of the attitude that makes people come into threads here and say things like, "LOL, what's a culet?" instead of just looking it up themselves. It makes people dependent, and it drives me nuts (in case you couldn't tell).

The flip side of the coin is that they cannot - CANNOT - depend on technology. I just got a paper where a kid obviously just used auto-correct and didn't proofread. The result? It's full of typos about the "hansom prince." Which might for interesting Black Beauty fanfic, but which is a really stupid error to make in a final draft. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT, kids.

Getting back to the original ... a high school education was supposed to provide a basic grounding in reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. I'd add in basic geography and history, and some practical skills (it's a travesty that kids are reaching 18 not knowing how to balance a checkbook, read a basic contract, run odds on basic credit). It does, however, make me very sad that you are apparently having to fill in on the fly for basic education. Our tax dollars at work, ladies and gents!

Yes. God forbid anyone other than a teacher in a school have to lift a finger to pour knowledge into the passive little tabla rasas that are our children.

 

[iLander]

Getting back to the original ... a high school education was supposed to provide a basic grounding in reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. I'd add in basic geography and history, and some practical skills (it's a travesty that kids are reaching 18 not knowing how to balance a checkbook, read a basic contract, run odds on basic credit). It does, however, make me very sad that you are apparently having to fill in on the fly for basic education. Our tax dollars at work, ladies and gents!

Yes. God forbid anyone other than a teacher in a school have to lift a finger to pour knowledge into the passive little tabla rasas that are our children.

I think this is a good point. A LOT of learning has to happen at home, it always did. When I was a kid, my grandparents didn't even speak the language, but they raised me with a monthly subscription to a kids encyclopedia, National Geographic magazine, Time magazine, Nat Geo World (their kid's mag), and in infusion of fresh nature info books periodically.

BUT I was bookish kid, still am, just bigger now. I have about 500 volumes in our house, but no one reads them but me. I don't know how many times a topic comes up for discussion, and I say "I have that book!" or "We have a book on that!" Everyone just blinks at me, then they move on. It's kind of a thorn in my side.

The upside, I use a lot of obscure words in regular conversation, like bailiwick, obfuscate, exacerbate, that kind of thing. I think that's why DD did very well on the verbal part of the SAT.

BUT DS did not. I'm not sure he would know the word "heretic".

People learn what they are interested in, and not much else.

 

[rubybeth]

Everyone needs to learn how to write and communicate well. I don't care what job you do, you need to talk to and write for other people. I hate reading an e-mail that's four paragraphs when it could have been one.

Edited to add: also, how to analyze information for reliability. Wikipedia is not a good source for school work. Fox News is not without bias. Not everything you read on the internet is true. I am kind of appalled at adults that I know that don't have this capability.

 

[maebelle]

It's full of typos about the "hansom prince." Which might for interesting Black Beauty fanfic,

I died laughing at this

We all have holes in our knowledge. I'm an avid Jeopardy fan but I groan anytime geography comes up as a category. I think it is less about what knowledge people should have by 18, but the attitude towards learning they should have. I think curiosity is the most important thing about being human!

“We spend the first year of a child's life teaching it to walk and talk and the rest of its life to shut up and sit down. There's something wrong there.”
― Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

[madelise]

Dragonfly, I'm not completely shocked at what has happened to them, but I am completely shocked that they're willing to participate in your study sessions and quizzes! That age = teenage angst, I hate the world, nothing matters but mememe! I was the epitome of "IDGAF" when I was around that age. Luckily, I've always had a curious side, too, so I'd google stuff that I cared about, and grew and extensive knowledge of random stuff, but again, only things I care about. You're lucky your BF's sister and friends are willing to participate.

One thing I was very, very grateful for learning was in my economics class my senior year. They need to teach this $hit to everyone, and repeat it for years until it's ingrained in our minds. Teach them about credit and credit cards.

Teach them that credit cards and loans = interest, and that borrowing $10,000 means you're actually paying back whatever amount of money it is with X% APR, over X number of years. I'm sure there are worksheets on the internet to explain these in easier terms for them. I was shocked at how many classmates of mine have no idea how credit cards and building credit works. There are those extremely reliant on credit cards and loans, who don't really grasp the concept. One of my hired (yes, I hired her ) employees, a few years older than I am, realized after YEARS that her minimum payments to her student loans were only paying off her accrued interest for the month. She had been paying for YEARS! I wanted to fire her just for that, lol. My aunt (bless her) thought that credit cards were free money when she was younger! And she is a very smart woman, she just wasn't educated properly on credit cards.

Then on the other extreme are those who are so scared of loans and building interest, and never get credit cards. My boyfriend is on this side. He ended up being 25 years old, without credit, and without a credit card.. at a very high paying engineering firm, with no credit to allow him to open a credit card to start building any credit! We were struggling to get an apartment! He was so scared of being in debt that he never opened a card.. and screwed himself over from what could have been 7 years of building solid credit. It was so embarrassing for us to go from department store to department store, filling out credit card application forms to try to get one opened for him, after the banks rejected him (we heard department stores were easier). They asked for his annual salary, and it was just ridiculous that he was still being rejected, purely because he had no credit history. I recently found out my sister also had no idea that you need loans to build credit.. so she just got her her first credit card. The "savers" can get screwed by our system, too.

Another thing I just remembered: Teach them how to survive HS and college. Let them know that their HS GPA gets wiped clean after HS, but their college GPA stays with them for life. I didn't know this, and screwed up pretty horribly in community college, thinking it gets wiped clean when I got to uni. Teach them how to manipulate the system to their best advantage. Most community colleges allow HS students to take classes for free. Have them take easy general education classes during their winter and summer breaks, so they knock off a few classes BEFORE starting college. It'll give them a great head start. Knock off those speech, foreign language, and art classes. They're a breeze. Teach them HOW to apply to college, and what classes they need to graduate. College advisors SUCK. I was completely lost in the community college system.. and my university advisors are no better. Luckily, my program advisors are stellar. I hear it's the same across the board in the US.

Teach them how to write a resume. I'm appalled by how many people my age still have no resume. They can't sell themselves if their life depended on it, and cannot recall what they did and when.

Teach them to open a gmail account with a professional, to-the-point email address. No MiZzBaBySexYbOoILove69@netzero anymore. JaneDoe, DoeJane, JDoe, maybe add 1 or 2 digits if they're taken. Tell them to save that email address for PROFESSIONAL purposes only. It's to email things for school and work, and to save information that they can email themselves, like passwords, their resumes, things they think they'll need to refer to in a few years. Make it key that they don't use it to subscribe to CollegeHumor or Abercrombie and Fitch, so that their important stuff gets drowned out with spam emails.


See, I don't find knowing what countries and their capitals are to be important. They can always google that. It's more important that they understand concepts behind survival in the now. Which, BTW, you should prob teach them the value of googling information if they haven't been inspired to already. I'm also shocked at how unwise people are at research. The internet is a plethora of information, but people don't know what a reliable source is anymore. .edu and .gov = reliable, probably. An article off someone's blog? Not so much. Peer reviewed professional articles: good. Yahoo Answers: bad.

 

[Maisie]

What I've noticed more often in the 16-22 age range is that they simply don't care to know. I was chatting with my cousins last week about something, and when a few topics came up, they said, "I don't know what that is." Period. I asked, "aren't you curious?", and they said, "yea, but I never learned it in school. Nobody taught me." WTF your phone is on your lap! Google that shiz! These kids already graduated from UCLA, btw.

See, my mom is the same way. She will text or email me a question that could be easily answered with google. But it's easier for her to take the time to text me the question.

I think basic algebra is a must. I'm pretty good at math (you know, with that MA in Economics and all) and it's amazing how many people can't do basic calculations. A few years ago, a friend of mine was helping her husband's little brother with his 8th grade algebra. The question was something like 3x = x +24. She called me and asked me for help. And she has her MBA.

In all fairness, I'm not good at spelling. I remember having to actually study for spelling tests in high school. It just doesn't come naturally to me.

I don't know the answer to that question. I must be really thick.

I must add that in the 25 years since I left school I haven't needed to use algebra once. Which is a good thing because I don't understand it.

 

[ForteKitty]

I use algebra all the time.

Question: This piece of scrap gold ring is 14k, that piece is 18k. They weigh 3.2 grams & 5 grams, respetively. 14k = 58% gold, 18k = 75% gold. Given today's rate of ______, how much can I get in today's market, if the market buys in ounces?

Answer: F this, it's going into the box and I'm going to take what they give me.

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I'm kidding. I actually sit down and calculate exactly what I should be getting before I sell my scrap. Since I do it often, I created a formula so all I have to do is plug in the gram weight for the differe karat golds.

 

[amc80]

What I've noticed more often in the 16-22 age range is that they simply don't care to know. I was chatting with my cousins last week about something, and when a few topics came up, they said, "I don't know what that is." Period. I asked, "aren't you curious?", and they said, "yea, but I never learned it in school. Nobody taught me." WTF your phone is on your lap! Google that shiz! These kids already graduated from UCLA, btw.

See, my mom is the same way. She will text or email me a question that could be easily answered with google. But it's easier for her to take the time to text me the question.

I think basic algebra is a must. I'm pretty good at math (you know, with that MA in Economics and all) and it's amazing how many people can't do basic calculations. A few years ago, a friend of mine was helping her husband's little brother with his 8th grade algebra. The question was something like 3x = x +24. She called me and asked me for help. And she has her MBA.

In all fairness, I'm not good at spelling. I remember having to actually study for spelling tests in high school. It just doesn't come naturally to me.

I don't know the answer to that question. I must be really thick.

I must add that in the 25 years since I left school I haven't needed to use algebra once. Which is a good thing because I don't understand it.

It's definitely one of those things you will lose if you don't use. My friend didn't have any excuse- she had graduated with an MBA a few years prior. And I know she had to take at least one math-based class (you know, since I had to help her with her homework and all). DH is horrible at math. We will be at the store and there will be an item that is, say, $25, with 20% off. He will have me do the math. One time I had him walk through it and try to figure it out. His thought process was interesting, to say the least. And he's a smart guy! Just not great at math.

I'm an avid Jeopardy fan but I groan anytime geography comes up as a category.

Mine is Opera. Ick.

 

[Circe]

Relating to ForteKitty's post, I actually think what I'd emphasize would be an attitude rather than any one piece of information: to utilize the technology, but not depend on it; to develop some basic intellectual curiousity, and some independent responsibility for how it's applied.

I'm teaching freshmen this term. They're nice kids. We did Don Quixote, which has these cute little parodic poems in the beginning, almost like blurbs, "written" by famous characters from other works basically saying that Don Quixote is the shiznit. Some of them are written in a form of poetry where the poet left the last syllable of each line occluded - it was like a guessing game for the reader, a fill-in-the-blank kind of thing, v. popular at the time.

Three of my kids complained about it, saying they didn't understand.

IT WAS FOOTNOTED.

And don't even get me started on how they will ask me what words mean when we're discussing key passages. It's like the concept of looking things up has disappeared. It's the seed of the attitude that makes people come into threads here and say things like, "LOL, what's a culet?" instead of just looking it up themselves. It makes people dependent, and it drives me nuts (in case you couldn't tell).

The flip side of the coin is that they cannot - CANNOT - depend on technology. I just got a paper where a kid obviously just used auto-correct and didn't proofread. The result? It's full of typos about the "hansom prince." Which might for interesting Black Beauty fanfic, but which is a really stupid error to make in a final draft. TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT, kids.

Getting back to the original ... a high school education was supposed to provide a basic grounding in reading, writing, and 'rithmatic. I'd add in basic geography and history, and some practical skills (it's a travesty that kids are reaching 18 not knowing how to balance a checkbook, read a basic contract, run odds on basic credit). It does, however, make me very sad that you are apparently having to fill in on the fly for basic education. Our tax dollars at work, ladies and gents!

Yes. God forbid anyone other than a teacher in a school have to lift a finger to pour knowledge into the passive little tabla rasas that are our children.

A friend of the family shouldn't have to be explaining that Kenya is in Africa to a 16 year old. That's a flaw in the educational system, either in terms of selected material, or in terms of its transmission.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I use algebra all the time. .

I rarely use algebra and now my 6th grader is taking it and asking me questions and I'm totally confused. Hence, the MY experience at the amount of time wasted running to the ipad to look up various terms.