FT: Special Committee on Education

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x Dr_Novella: Member of Fremont House of Commons

I look forward to hammering out some solutions with you people.

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Perhaps children in middle school should have required computer related curriculum? Teach the ins and outs of word, excel, power point, ect. Along with typeing speed. Though computers are common in this day and age, we still need to make sure students are computer literate by the time they get to high school.

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@truman: seperate class would be fine.

@Rpryor: algebra 2 before high school might be asking a bit much. While I can't speak for all schools, I can say that from the schools I have seen. Algebra 1 is where they get to before high school. And even then there were still issues.

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@Rpryor: algebra 2 before high school might be asking a bit much. While I can't speak for all schools, I can say that from the schools I have seen. Algebra 1 is where they get to before high school. And even then there were still issues.

I interpreted that to mean "by the end of high school;" regardless, I agree completing Algebra II before 9th grade would be a bit much to ask.

Oh bluh. I just realised that myself. My bad.

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I'd like to add five years of music to the elementary curriculum, as well as changing the Foreign Language requirement to not be (spanish/other). Also, maybe require that all students complete Algebra II by high school?

I would support all of this, particularly the part about music education. Did you have something specific in mind regarding the Foreign Language requirement (i.e. other options to accompany/replace Spanish)?

Just the fact that Spanish shouldn't be the main foreign language. We should allow for more options, such as Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, German, and French.

I believe he choose spanish because it is a very common language here in the region and thus the one mostly likey one would need to learn. I do however support the offering of other languages.

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How should we incorporate digital literacy into the curriculum? Should it count as a science credit, or do y'all see this as a subject in its own right? Similarly, how many semester credits ought be required for all students?

I'd ether see it as it's own class, or a part of the English catagory. Length would be a semester or two if we went with its own class. Something you take in 6th grade.

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Revised standards, based on the feedback in this thread:

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I'm fine with this. Covers all the topics I feel students should be taught.

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This is a little late, but I think computer programming should be taught in elementary school along with art/music and require at least a year in middle and high school.

I could support increasing the requirement for Middle School students to one year, but I think requiring six-year-olds to take a computer programming course is a little onerous. Elementary schools would be free to introduce such a program on an individual basis, of course, but I don't think it should be mandated by the region.

I could maybe see sessions on how to type properly. But otherwise elementary kids don't really need computer skill. It's not till middle school that it becomes more important.

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This is a little late, but I think computer programming should be taught in elementary school along with art/music and require at least a year in middle and high school.

I could support increasing the requirement for Middle School students to one year, but I think requiring six-year-olds to take a computer programming course is a little onerous. Elementary schools would be free to introduce such a program on an individual basis, of course, but I don't think it should be mandated by the region.

Yeah, I just meant computer skills more broadly for K-5 students:  this includes basic programming (on the lines of click/drag programming languages like Scratch) as well as word-processing, safe social media use, research skills, etc.   But perhaps it doesn't need to be as frequent as art/music.

With respect to middle school, 1 year is good.  I do think a course in high school introducing the fundamentals of computer science, as well as the fundamentals of web design would also be useful for people.

Those seem like reasonable suggestions. Keep it simple in elementary, then get more specific in middle school. And maybe more advanced in high school. Maybe keep the high school one optional.

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Sorry for my quietness, never the less I think what you have is good. "Teaching for the test" has done for more harm than good for students and we need an improved system for sure.

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Alright! With the new session of parliament underway, I figure it's time to revive this. The question on the floor is that of standard examinations in public schools. Earlier, RFayette submitted a draft proposal on the matter; it has been suggested (by myself) that the requirement for examinations of kindergarteners be struck, and (by Mr. Barnes) that we ought to explore the possibility of alternative testing methods for students of the younger grades.

As a reminder, all citizens of Fremont - not just MPs - are eligible to join this committee, so if you have something to say, speak up!

I don't know a lot about alternative methods of testing younger students, but the idea of waiting till at least 3rd grade before regular tests is something I could get behind.

Otherwise the main proposal given is fine with me.

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I have no objections