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wolven7A bunch of us were talking about the need for this, just this past monday. Unfortunately, this needs to be happening in elementary through high school levels, as well.
We trail in everything, and we wonder why, then every school cuts either the funds for those things, the standards, the programs, entirely, or all of the above. Music and art are almost non-existent, and language is going next, unless something is done. And by "something," I mean Not Cutting Those Programs.
There is something to be said for being able to understand the language on the country in which you find yourself, or the people from said country. If you are going into the business world (as most of the country's university students do), the academic world, psychology, or whathaveyou, you will, with very few exceptions, be exposed to another language. You will have primary and secondary source materials which would be much better served, and would better serve you, were they not in translation. The nuances of a language are hard to translate.
Art. Music. Language. All of these things are important, because, even if you know the fundamentals of a discipline, it would serve you well to know how to defend of attack it. My friend Bryan (Native German speaker, by the way, with whom I'd like to be able to converse in his language), just told me that on the UGA campus many people can tell you the fundamentals of cloning, and science behind the applications. But none of them can formulate an argument for or against cloning. They cannot think creatively about the applications of this potentially amazing and terrifying tech, to tell you anything other than "It's good," or "It's Bad." This bothers me.
I want people to be able to think through their arguments, even if I don't agree with them. I want people able the Think, at All. And, honestly, that starts early.
Stimulate kids. Let them play outside, read them things, give them various kinds of music options, even if you don't like them (not saying like Sabbath, at 4 yrs., or anything, just different). Talk to them about the things they draw (give them drawing materials, art materials), don't Just shuttle them back and forth to soccer, or music, or whatever. Talk to them about it. Watch them, encourage, but don't Shove. Try to help them find what they enjoy, and teach them the value of sticking with it.
Or so help me god, we're going to end up with a nation of people who don't know their thoguths from a hole in the ground. And with good reason: They'll have pretty similar properties.
{EDIT 2.16pm: "Thoguths": That's like "Shoggoths" with a lisp. I mean "Thoughts."}
We trail in everything, and we wonder why, then every school cuts either the funds for those things, the standards, the programs, entirely, or all of the above. Music and art are almost non-existent, and language is going next, unless something is done. And by "something," I mean Not Cutting Those Programs.
There is something to be said for being able to understand the language on the country in which you find yourself, or the people from said country. If you are going into the business world (as most of the country's university students do), the academic world, psychology, or whathaveyou, you will, with very few exceptions, be exposed to another language. You will have primary and secondary source materials which would be much better served, and would better serve you, were they not in translation. The nuances of a language are hard to translate.
Art. Music. Language. All of these things are important, because, even if you know the fundamentals of a discipline, it would serve you well to know how to defend of attack it. My friend Bryan (Native German speaker, by the way, with whom I'd like to be able to converse in his language), just told me that on the UGA campus many people can tell you the fundamentals of cloning, and science behind the applications. But none of them can formulate an argument for or against cloning. They cannot think creatively about the applications of this potentially amazing and terrifying tech, to tell you anything other than "It's good," or "It's Bad." This bothers me.
I want people to be able to think through their arguments, even if I don't agree with them. I want people able the Think, at All. And, honestly, that starts early.
Stimulate kids. Let them play outside, read them things, give them various kinds of music options, even if you don't like them (not saying like Sabbath, at 4 yrs., or anything, just different). Talk to them about the things they draw (give them drawing materials, art materials), don't Just shuttle them back and forth to soccer, or music, or whatever. Talk to them about it. Watch them, encourage, but don't Shove. Try to help them find what they enjoy, and teach them the value of sticking with it.
Or so help me god, we're going to end up with a nation of people who don't know their thoguths from a hole in the ground. And with good reason: They'll have pretty similar properties.
{EDIT 2.16pm: "Thoguths": That's like "Shoggoths" with a lisp. I mean "Thoughts."}
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