Eliminate history classes all together?

[stopschoolpaddling]

If I could I would eliminate all history classes in grades K-12 since I can't see a shred of evidence that knowing what happened in the past has ever influenced the future in any positive way. If anything it keeps children looking for answers in the wrong direction. If someone has an interest they should pursue that in their spare time. I would love to see history classes replaced with a class called, "What is happening right now?" and I don't mean this year or this month or this week but right this very second and I would have web-cams set up so students could communicate and see what is happening in classrooms all around the world at that very moment. Then maybe,with this preparation, real communication could actually develop between all of humanity. Putting the past or anything that happened in it on a pedestal is over-rated at best and downright harmful at worst.

[Codeine]

1. You would, but you can't, and I'm glad. You lose. nt

[Fire1]

20. ROFLMAO!!!

:rofl: :rofl:

[stopschoolpaddling]

24. Hey Fire1, could you break that down for me? ROFLMAO!!!???

I don't mind looking like a fool. Perhaps I am and so be it. Anyway, if that's an abbreviation for something, do kindly explain it to this fool?

[Fire1]

26. Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Ass Off. ROFLMAO. n/t

[stopschoolpaddling]

28. Woo hoo. Thank you I just learned something new. I'm glad I could make you laugh,

especially to that extent. That is awesome. I wish I could have seen it. Perhaps I could have captured some of that for myself by watching you. I bet I could have!

[Fire1]

30. No. Codeine made me laugh. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. LOL!

[pnwmom]

2. What is that old quote? Those who don't know the past are doomed to repeat

its mistakes.

No thanks. History is an important subject. Do you honestly think, for example, that World War II and Vietnam shouldn't be taught? Or the Nixon debacle? Or the Civil War and the history of slavery? Or early American history and the founding of the U.S.?

[stopschoolpaddling]

25. That would be cool if that were true but I don't see any evidence that

not knowing the past dooms you to repeat. It seems more likely that you could learn from the past just what behaviors (either good or bad) may help your selfish ass get what is wants.

[proud2BlibKansan]

35. Tell that to the Germans

[YvonneCa]

37. Or GWB...

...:7

[jwirr]

3. I personally am where I am because of knowing history. On the wall

in front of me are four things that symbolize why I am a Democrat: a signed picture of FDR, a signed picture of RFK, a set of etchings of a MN lake scene (nature) and a cross. All of that is history and it has influenced me and my family in all we do.

[stopschoolpaddling]

13. No offense but that cross has killed more people than all

the wars put together and it still is. The bible itself is the greatest weapon ever made. It is still used as the sole justification for beating children and more crimes than I have time to mention but I'm glad it's working for you.

[jwirr]

15. You are welcome to your opinion.

[Fire1]

22. Blaming "that cross" for what some stupid people did a

thousand years ago, is not our fault or His. Besides, that's not the point to those who do believe.

[stopschoolpaddling]

27. Then explain to me why everyone in my community supports hitting children with

an enormous wooden board and when they are asked why they do it, they refer you to the bible and the passage, "if you spare the rod, you spoil the child"? I'm thinking that's okay for homes with whatever beliefs they hold but didn't we take this "GoD" thing out of schools? And yet it is still there because according to the most recent scientific data, paddling shows no positive benefits to the child getting it? And the only reason it is still happening is because the people on the school board are using the bible to keep it in place.

[Fire1]

32. First, paaddling children has nothing to do with the wars to

which you referred in your relating post. Second. It's still happening because the parents in your community are obviously, also, in agreement with it.

[Chipper Chat]

4. So you're saying World War II did not have any effect on the 1950s?

Or the "95 theses" was akin to Papa Johns stapling their pizza menu to your front door?

[DrDan]

5. ". . . on a pedestal. . . " - simply studying history is certainly not putting in on a pedestal

you facing a big history test or something?

[RoyGBiv]

6. Well then, I'm glad you're not in charge ...

That is one of the more idiotic suggestions I've heard.

[jtuck004]

7. Virtually the entire conservative movement would agree with you, methinks . n/t

[DrDan]

9. actually they prefer rewriting history

[jtuck004]

10. LOL - I thought about that as well

[HeresyLives]

8. To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born

is to always remain a child.

Cicero

[stopschoolpaddling]

11. Yes and perhaps that is exactly the point. When you can no longer think like a child you are in a

sad state of affairs.

[HeresyLives]

14. It's child-like thinking that has caused all the trouble.

[stopschoolpaddling]

16. Please do explain how something a child could think has caused trouble.

Be sure to use plenty of examples.

[HeresyLives]

17. Children believe in magic. That wishing will make it so.

Children believe you can hit somebody over the head and take their toy, and it's okay.

Children believe eating with both hands, and stuffing it all in is alright.

Children believe that tantrums will get them what they want.

Childran believe in Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny.

Children think only of themselves.

But most of all, children are unaware that all of their behaviors have been tried before...millions of times...and have always produced the same bad results.

[stopschoolpaddling]

21. I'm talking about children as they are before we taught them what they know whether verbally,

physically, or subtly.

Children believe in magic. That wishing will make it so. (What kind of magic? The kind adults teach or the kind they were born with?)

Children believe you can hit somebody over the head and take their toy, and it's okay.(No child is born hitting. Who gave them the toy?)

Children believe eating with both hands, and stuffing it all in is alright. (Personally, I don't see anything wrong with this, less silverware to polish and clean. Could be good for the environment as well.)

Children believe that tantrums will get them what they want. (Who gave in to the first tantrum and showed them that it works?)

Children believe in Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny. (No way did they come up with this on their own.)

Children think only of themselves. (Not true. Find an infant and play with them and consider the response you get? Does their smile, giggle, or laughter indicate gross self absorption?)

But most of all, children are unaware that all of their behaviors have been tried before...millions of times...and have always produced the same bad results.

Isn't it truer that everything we have done to educate and dominate children has led to the same bad results? Don't blame the children! Blame anything but the children!

[HeresyLives]

31. Children are born that way, I'm afraid.

They have to be taught manners, empathy, temper-control, and how to behave in a civilized fashion.

If we teach them nothing, they begin at the tribal stage...what we had thousands of years ago.

If they never learn history...they won't realize we've already done all that before we arrived at this point.

[Fire1]

23. What????????????????????? n/t

[stopschoolpaddling]

29. Oh Fire1, do tell, are you beyond words? Is there a special meaning to

What????????????????????? Come now, surely you have more words than that?

[Fire1]

33. Rarely, am I at a loss for words. My question denotes

a lack of understanding. But, nevermind, I don't want to know.

[sandnsea]

12. "what is happening right now" - Current Events

Did they stop teaching current events?

Maybe you failed to understand the effect of historic events on your current events studies.

I would say maybe your teacher failed to make the connection, but I've got enough teachers pissed at me around here.

Not teach history. Ouch. That is painful to even consider.

[jtuck004]

18. You might be right, however. Here's an experiment...

Tell the kids at the start that the school insists they take History, but you think it is a waste
of time.

Use three books:

Lies My Teacher Told Me
http://www.amazon.com/Lies-My-Teacher-Told-Everything/dp/0684818868

People's History
http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States-1492-Present/dp/0060528370

And whatever comes from the Texas School Board proposal for changes to a history text, or
whatever text other than the previous two that your school provides. See if they agree and
ask the kids why or why not, discuss the omissions.

Assign the kids to read some original sources, (Internet, Inter-Library-Loan) and contrast that with
what is in the textbooks. They should also find the historical markers within 100 miles of the school
and decide how accurate they are, or which ones were left out and why. Only use dates in a very general
way, none on the tests. Only ideas and what people may have been thinking then...

Ask them at the end if they think it was a waste of time.

Then decide.

[jody]

19. You've only taken shallow draughts from the Pierian spring of history. Drink deeper and sober up. nt

[FBaggins]

36. No.

You cannot know who you are an an individual OR who we are as a people until you learn from whence you came.

You cannot accomplish anything until you see the shoulders of giants upon which you stand.

The notion is as ridiculous as saying that there is no need to teach any math prior to Differential Equations... Or read any literature older than Harry Potter... or watch any film older than the latest YouTube hit.

Without context, "current events" have no meaning.

[YvonneCa]

38. Children need MORE history education...

...not less. UNBELIEVABLE.

[Starry Messenger]

39. No.

They don't get enough history as it is. Hell, I'm still learning things every day I wish I'd known 20 or so years ago. In my perfect little utopia we'd learn the history of the Civil Rights movement a LOT earlier, real American history would get taught (what Europeans/Americans did to the indigenous population here), the history of the labor movement, we'd expand world history to actually include the world, not just greco-roman history and its traces through European history, and add the actual history of socialism/capitalism and not the scary propaganda we all get spoonfed, etc. I think current events are important too, but it's important to evaluate them in a context that most Americans totally lack anyway.