NationStates Jolt Archive

Ok, I've posted one of these before (where one of the girls in my Spanish class didn't know how many days were in February), but this tops it.

This is how it went down:
The teacher is doing an oral review and asking questions. The question for the girl was (in Spanish)"Peter is from Spain", and we're supposed to answer what he is by continent, so the answer would be European. Easy stuff, no?

Teacher: "Pedro es de España"
Girl: "Umm...I don't know. What's 'España'?"
Teacher: "España is Spain. Don't you know where Spain is?"
Girl: "No, why would I?"

This is a prime example of American Public Schools at their best. Thoughts?

And this is in a Spanish class?

Do you really think that the United States is the only country in the world that has atleast one idiot in a classroom at a time?

This is a prime example of American Public Schools at their best. Thoughts?
At least she won't be handing a European a box of lumber to fuel the anti-American fire. *nods*

Do you really think that the United States is the only country in the world that has atleast one idiot in a classroom at a time?

lol. A girl in my French class asked for what the word "via" stood. :D

Considering the only European map we generally see is one which is unlabelled save for England, I'm not surprised.

I myself thought Belgium was in Germany and the Alps were in Russia. :P In my experience, we learned hardly NOTHING about Europe, except that we went there for war and we kicked England's butt some number of years ago. We don't even have other countries in our "World News" unless an American dies in another country. In short, we don't really care about other countries, so we don't focus on them, unless we're at war with them.

I went to a private school where I met a girl who thought Europe was a nation. And none of my friends could find ANY of the European nations on a map except like 3.

I went to college with a girl who could not point out North America on the globe.

On the other hand, I'm a product of American public education and I can not only point out North America, I can point out Europe, Africa, Brazille, Franz Josephland, Aukland, Sao Paulo and Singapore, too, even if I can't always spell them right.

Do you really think that the United States is the only country in the world that has atleast one idiot in a classroom at a time?
No. I believe that the United States is one of the only countries in the world that has at most two smart people in an average class at one time. I'm counting the teacher as part of the class. Though, not as one of the two.

Bah! I went to public school, and I can tell you exactly where Spain is. *points south* :D

Well I don't know any American geography. I don't see why Americans should be expected to know European geography.

Well I don't know any American geography. I don't see why Americans should be expected to know European geography.

Maybe not, but the USA form one country. Europe contains lots of countries.

Ha! Try explaining Luxembourg to them.

Maybe not, but the USA form one country. Europe contains lots of countries.
well i don't know any states. I have only the vaguest of ideas where the US ends and Canada or Mexico begins.

Well I don't know any American geography. I don't see why Americans should be expected to know European geography.
It's not geography at all. It's common knowledge. And on top of it, as Nadkor so rightly put, it's a Spanish class. If you're taking a Spanish class and don't know what Spain is, you're...I can't even describe it.

At least (I hope) you know that the USA is in North America...

It's not geography at all. It's common knowledge. And on top of it, as Nadkor so rightly put, it's a Spanish class. If you're taking a Spanish class and don't know what Spain is, you're...I can't even describe it.
It really doesn't matter in the States, unless you're studying the "vosotros" form of verbs and learning to be über formal. Y'all should be learning good Mexican-Spanish anyhow. Knowing where Spain is really isn't all that important if you speak Mexican-Spanish. You end up getting laughed at by little kids by using the formal form of verbs in Spain when you should be informal. The best thing being: You won't even know why! Like me...

I kinda lost thought after I saw "The teacher is doing an oral.."


Hehehe.

Well it happens in college. My wife studied some French for Opera. The teacher was talking about French History and the Royals. A gal raised her hand and asked about King Louis' twin brother! As from the Man in the Iron Mask. The teacher just stared and said you know that is a story right?

I must only meet smart people, because %90 of the people I know could easily find Spain. A lot of them could find, for example, Djibouti after ten seconds, at most.
Basically, the American education systems 'problem' is that everybody is allowed into it, and US kids are forced into it. Hell, were supposed to provide free education to Mexican kids fresh over the fence, as long as he can prove that he lives in town.
Stupid Texas *grumbles*

It's so funny that the government is the one thing we keep giving money to when it fails to give us what we want. I went to public school for a few years, and I can count the number of things I learned on one hand. The education system has failed, quite honestly. It's time that we stop pretending that it can ever be fixed in its current form- much like the income tax.

Ok, I've posted one of these before (where one of the girls in my Spanish class didn't know how many days were in February), but this tops it.

This is how it went down:
The teacher is doing an oral review and asking questions. The question for the girl was (in Spanish)"Peter is from Spain", and we're supposed to answer what he is by continent, so the answer would be European. Easy stuff, no?

Teacher: "Pedro es de España"
Girl: "Umm...I don't know. What's 'España'?"
Teacher: "España is Spain. Don't you know where Spain is?"
Girl: "No, why would I?"

This is a prime example of American Public Schools at their best. Thoughts?

Public schools are crap.

Private and Homeschools do a much better job.

Public schools are crap.

Private and Homeschools do a much better job.

What a sad state of affairs...

For me I suppose I'm so used to a top rate state funded system here in NI, that it almost comes as something of a shock to see one so poor.

What a sad state of affairs...

For me I suppose I'm so used to a top rate state funded system here in NI, that it almost comes as something of a shock to see one so poor.

Me-ow.

Me-ow.
Me-ow?

Me-ow?
It felt like a 'Me-ow' moment.

That, and I've being waiting to use that all day. Guess I wasted it now. Drat.

It felt like a 'Me-ow' moment.

That, and I've being waiting to use that all day. Guess I wasted it now. Drat.
Oh ok.

Well, it wasn't wasted, I can at least pretend to be suitably impressed/know what's going on.

Heh I got some good ones... (Yes, this is an American Public School)

One kid thought that Toronto was in the U.S.A.
Same kid... thought Arkansas was a country.
Same kid... asked when we went to see a play as a class if "Les Miserables" took place during the Great Deppression
Different kid asked if peanut butter grew on trees.

Yea, it amazed me how little some people know about the world.

One kid thought that Toranto was in the U.S.A.

Yeah, and then there was this one guy who thought "Toronto" was spelled "Toranto"!

:p

If students in american public schools are dumb it's because of the education system. In most european countries, public schools are top notch, and graduates from public universities are regarder higher than private ones.

Me-ow?

I bet he really just wanted to get you to say it. :p

Yeah, and then there was this one guy who thought "Toronto" was spelled "Toranto"!

:p
Hmm... would you believe that the "a" and the "o" are switched on my keyboard? No? Gosh darnit.

Ok, I've posted one of these before (where one of the girls in my Spanish class didn't know how many days were in February), but this tops it.

This is how it went down:
The teacher is doing an oral review and asking questions. The question for the girl was (in Spanish)"Peter is from Spain", and we're supposed to answer what he is by continent, so the answer would be European. Easy stuff, no?

Teacher: "Pedro es de España"
Girl: "Umm...I don't know. What's 'España'?"
Teacher: "España is Spain. Don't you know where Spain is?"
Girl: "No, why would I?"

This is a prime example of American Public Schools at their best. Thoughts?


No, this is a prime example of teen idiocy at its best.

No, this is a prime example of teen idiocy at its best.

That's fair:rolleyes:
I can show you where most European nations are on a map, but to be fair i do live in Europe.

Liasia']That's fair:rolleyes:
I can show you where most European nations are on a map, but to be fair i do live in Europe.

Oh yeah? Unless it's a huge map, there's no way you could put your finger solely on Luxembourg. :p 1,000 sqmi. p00nz j00 nubz.

Heh I got some good ones... (Yes, this is an American Public School)

One kid thought that Toronto was in the U.S.A.
Same kid... thought Arkansas was a country.
Same kid... asked when we went to see a play as a class if "Les Miserables" took place during the Great Deppression
Different kid asked if peanut butter grew on trees.

Yea, it amazed me how little some people know about the world.


It didn't occur to you that maybe these two kids you associate with are stupid? ;)

It didn't occur to you that maybe these two kids you associate with are stupid? ;)
Haha, the first one yes, is actually widely acknowladged as stupid. Oddly enough, the second one with the peanut butter is actually one of the smartest kids in our class and gets incredibly high grades. Go figure.

Oh yeah? Unless it's a huge map, there's no way you could put your finger solely on Luxembourg. :p 1,000 sqmi. p00nz j00 nubz.

Well, i can spot it on an atlas...so
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/World-map-2004-cia-factbook-large-2m.jpg
Ok, so its pretty damn hard to spot.

*toots own horn*

I am a product of American public schools. I'm a Phi Beta Kappa, and had a graduate GPA of 3.91 out of 4.0. I've a BA in English and a MA as Secondary School Teacher: English. I've also a Desktop Publishing Certificate. ;)

;) Don't say the system is broken -- not when every day I see students ignoring their teachers and lessons, leaving the handouts that explain the assignments on the floor, chatting with each other, sleeping, trying to read fashion magazines/music magazines/motor magazines in class, thinking that if they wear their hoodie, no one can see the iPod headphones, texting each other, and then complaining that the material (which they have not even looked at yet) is TOO HARD.

I swear to god, I have students who claim that reading just five pages in a novel is too much homework.

Ok, I've posted one of these before (where one of the girls in my Spanish class didn't know how many days were in February), but this tops it.

This is how it went down:
The teacher is doing an oral review and asking questions. The question for the girl was (in Spanish)"Peter is from Spain", and we're supposed to answer what he is by continent, so the answer would be European. Easy stuff, no?

Teacher: "Pedro es de España"
Girl: "Umm...I don't know. What's 'España'?"
Teacher: "España is Spain. Don't you know where Spain is?"
Girl: "No, why would I?"

This is a prime example of American Public Schools at their best. Thoughts?

Egocentric loser.
I suppose you are a mental giant among pathetic dullards who quake at your immense mental adroitness.
You are in this failing public school, so why on earth should we trust your opinion on anyone's intellectual capacity?
You have already stated her complete ignorance is a product of the same institution that has molded your mind, making you about as credible as the young woman you are so eager to defame.

You are a sad pathetic little person, I pity your need to ask complete strangers to help you mock someone they themselves don't know because you lack anything of yourself redeeming enough to post about.

Really, some of the problem lies with the parents. These kids slack off because nobody really cares what these kids do at school. I go to a public school and yet we have classes that go beyond what AP tests look at including Ordinary Differential Equations, Interactions of Radiation and Matter and Multivariable Calculus. Our school has great opportunities but that does not mean that we still don't have losers hanging at the very bottom, taking stupid classes who make 7s in those classes, yes, I am talking about 7 out of 100 for a grade. The problem lies with the students in many occasions, there are opportunities to succeed but schools cannot force students to learn.

wow, this is pathetic. I've gotten a decent geography education since about 3rd grade. This last semester I had map quizzes on Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America where we had to know 7 random countries out of a list of 25.

I feel ashamed that the majority of Americans don't know shit about the rest of the world.

That is truly pathetic. I am taking French and I can EASILY point out France on any map; moreover, all of the countries in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and, Antarctica/Australia by default.

P.S. I attend an American school in Kansas.

its not so much a product of the american public school then it is a product of american youth society. i would say a majority of American youth dont know fiction from reality. it is rather sad that these will grow up to be democrat voters:D

That is truly pathetic. I am taking French and I can EASILY point out France on any map; moreover, all of the countries in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and, Antarctica/Australia by default.

P.S. I attend an American school in Kansas.
Kansas doesn't teach science so they focus on Geography instead.

Anyway, I think it's cause American kids just don't care. Why? It's just the, as I like to call it, "Apathy Movement".

Kansas doesn't teach science so they focus on Geography instead.

Anyway, I think it's cause American kids just don't care. Why? It's just the, as I like to call it, "Apathy Movement".


Actually, we seem to focus on maths; but, our biology guidelines are a bit, umm, nutters.

Actually, we seem to focus on maths; but, our biology guidelines are a bit, umm, nutters.

hmm.. what if each part of the united states was to focus on certain educational ares so much that it makes the students in that area almost specialist in the subject matter upon graduation

then we could combine all of those students together to create a super intelligent team capable of doing anything