Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Beginning to Evolve in Methods of Punishment

Corporal punishment for the most part has been a steady part of schooling children, with the first accounts in ancient Egypt and Greece, but with evidence dating back further, according to www.localhistories.org. Parents, in order to show their dominance over a child, would physically slap, hit, kick, or spank a child. For those who were of a high enough status and could afford to send their children to school, this method was also used in the educational environment. The Grecians believed that in order to build a strong society, the rule of “survival of the fittest” must be applied. Now, in an era where brains mean more than brawn, the methods of schooling children should be changed. Since then, we have made it a point to wrap our minds around concepts and ideas that help us evolve, particularly in the areas of science, mathematics, labor, etc. If we made it a point to evolve in those areas, then why isn’t it possible for us to evolve in the area of parenting? The “corporal punishment” method seems to be very outdated.
Children are simply not accepting the corporal method of punishment anymore. The attitude of American children has evolved into that of belligerence and spite for those who tend to hurt them. Children in previous times (like those mentioned in ancient Egypt) were under a strict governmental/social system and were not allowed to break rules, compared to the lenient system of today. A certain amount of respect was present in the classroom. The teachers have very little control in the learning environment now. This is unnecessary fear not needed to drive home the simple concept of “action and reaction” or “cause and effect” which could be effectively learned with the proper positive reinforcement. An alternate method of punishment would include having a “time-out” session which allows the parent to regain his or her mentality as well as allow the child to consider the consequences to his or her action.
The United States should adopt a ban against all corporal punishment. As an avid watcher of a popular television series, Nanny911, my mind can only revert back to the nanny’s strict, no-hitting approach with the children. Now this may not be a completely reliable source, considering that it is “reality television” but the premise behind the punishment is correct. Let us spend our time considering alternate methods to punishing our children, rather than raising a hand to them.

A Fine Line Exists

A fine line exists between punishment and abuse. Corporal punishment taken too far is a type of physical abuse and should not be allowed. How to know when the spanks, slaps, and shaking is too abusive can be a hard task so corporal punishment should be avoided all together. Parents should use other means of discipline to raise their children.

Cynthia Vance, doctor of psychology at Piedmont College said that positive reinforcement is the most effective type of operant conditioning in terms of how quickly and effectively children learn. With positive reinforcement, a stimulus is presented to the child, which results in an increase in behavior. Telling children they will be awarded a sticker if they are quiet is an example of positive reinforcement because it is rewarding the good things the children do as opposed to punishing them for the wrong things they do. In corporal punishment, a stimulus is still presented but it is degrading, not rewarding, and results in a decrease in behavior. In this case, children are always being scolded for what they do wrong but never praised for their good behavior. This is not an effective means for which to raise a child.

According to an online article entitled Educated Parenting by Dr. Kerby T. Alvy posted on January 26, 2006, corporal punishment does get immediate results but it also has long-term consequences. Alvy states these long-term consequences include children becoming more aggressive outside the home and becoming abusive with their own children and spouses when they become adults.

Alvy’s ideas are more than theories. According to an apa online website, Dr. Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff, of the National Center for Child Poverty at Columbia University in Washington, conducted a large-scale meta-analysis that looked at both the positive and negative behaviors associated with corporal punishment. The American Psychology Association published Gershoff’s findings in the Psychological Bulletin in 2002. Her meta-analysis of 62 years of collected data found that the more often and more harshly a child is hit, the more likely he or she is to be aggressive or to have mental health problems.

Personally, I feel like a very disciplined child who knows right from wrong. I have no recollection of ever being hit or physically harmed as a type of punishment. I definitely believe some punishment is needed for a child to be disciplined, but I think other, more positive, strategies should be used besides physical harm. Again, a fine line exists between punishment and abuse and that line should never come close to being crossed.

Bad for Children?

“Please daddy, not the bathroom,” Josh yelled across the screen. I heard this as I watched on a home video of my brother trying not to get a spanking. He was yelling this hoping to embarrass my father. Corporal Punishment, or the spanking of a child, has become a very heated discussion over the last few years. If this scene would have taken place today, my father could be in court for child abuse.

Today there are cases in courts for this all the time, but is it really that bad for a child? Psychologist Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff, PhD conducted a study to see how children reacted to spankings. She noted, “There is general consensus that corporal punishment is effective in getting children to comply immediately while at the same time there is caution from child abuse researchers that corporal punishment by its nature can escalate into physical maltreatment.”

Most do not know that corporal punishment is still allowed in Georgia public schools. It was even more shocking to find out that 23 states still allow this to happen; so, how do cases end up in court? I personally agree with spanking of a child, but I think that it should only be done by the child’s parents not their school teachers or church leaders.
Anthony Saputo said, “I believe the spanking of a child is considered bad on where the action occurs at. If it took place here in rural Georgia, I think most people would agree that it’s not a bad thing. On the other hand if a person in New York City was to spank a child it would be considered child abuse. It just depends on where you live and how you were raised.”

Corporal punishment legal in state of Georgia

Many people have heard of spanking, paddling, caning, lashing, popping, smacking, whupping, beating and so on. Each of these words refers to a certain kind of corporal punishment and carries special connotations.

Corporal punishment has become a widely debated issue throughout the United States when it comes to education. During the 1950s and 60s corporal punishment was not a big deal. Teachers kept rulers in their classrooms for popping knuckles when a student misbehaved and the principal kept the paddle for when a student got into major trouble in the classroom. At that time this behavior was accepted on all levels and in no way referred to as child abuse. It was only a disciplinary tool.

Georgia is one of 22 states that still have a legalized form of corporate punishment. However, state law does mandate specific requirements when it comes to using this method of punishment. As required by Official Code of Georgia Annotated Section 20-2-731, corporal punishment shall not be excessive or unduly severe or used as a first line of punishment for misbehavior unless the pupil was informed beforehand. Georgia law also states that corporal punishment must be administered in the presence of a principal, assistant principal or designee and that the individual who administered the corporal punishment must provide the child's parent, upon request, a written explanation of the reasons for the punishment and the name of the official present.

Even though laws have been put on the books allowing corporal punishment, the final decision remains with individual school districts as to whether or not to allow its teachers to spank pr paddle their students. Several counties in Georgia have already banned this form of punishment, while others, such as Lanier County, have reinstated the policy.
According to www.stophitting.com, in the 2004-2005 school year, 272,028 school children in the United States were subjected to physical punishment. This is a significant drop of almost 10%, continuing a steady trend from the early 1980s. This statistic shows that either this physical punishment is working to deter bad behavior or parents and teacher have developed new methods for disciplining children.

Whatever the case may be, I believe that corporal punishment is a good tool when beginning to discipline children at young ages. How else are they going to know better? At young ages many children don’t understand “no” or “don’t do that” unless it’s accompanied by some form of punishment. This is where a small pop on the hand or smack on the butt could come in handy. I am by no means saying that a parent should turn their child black or blue to teach them what they can or can not do. However, a parent should be allowed to use their own discretion as to how they can raise their kids inside the home or how a teacher can discipline them inside a classroom.

Regaining Authority

Corporal Punishment should be at the discretion of the parent. In schools, the parent should be able to give the teacher permission on whether or not they want their child physically punished. Twenty- two states allow some type of corporal punishment. Children in America today are given everything they want by whining or complaining. Teachers, with the use of corporal punishment can now regain their authority in the classroom. The teacher of today has merely become a figure at the front of the classroom, someone to mock and disrespect. A light spanking will never hurt a child if kept within the parameters of “light.” In Kenya, the teachers used this same mentality but were never regulated by officials so the light spankings became beatings which resulted in broken bones and sometimes death.
This idea of re-instating corporal punishment in most classrooms is not to frighten children but to put them in their place in order to behave. In private schools, the discretion should be left to the headmaster. The headmaster has ownership of a private facility for learning and it is left to the parent if they will admit their child into a corporal punishment environment.
In the home and outside of it, the parent should make the sole decision on how they will punish their child. A parent should not live in fear of capital punishment because of their misbehaving offspring. Children are born innately sinful and need to be taught how to behave. If the parent sticks them in a corner and has them count to ten, what have they learned other than how to count to ten? A spanking will instill a mentality of bad behavior equals punishment. Everything should be at the discretion of the parent on how they want their child raised. If public and private schools aren’t sufficient, consider homeschooling.

The Answer to All Conflict: GET A BIGGER HAMMER

As we all know, parents who spank their children are insidiously abusive bigots and should be incarcerated for infantile assault. After all, when teaching unimportant lessons such as, “don’t run out in the road” and, “don’t touch the searing stove,” it is of the utmost importance that we preserve our child’s inner psyche. To slap a child’s hand when they reach for the stove is far too cruel. Instead, we should let them touch the burning coals themselves. To spank a child for biting or hitting other children is also pure evil. Rather, parents should simply permit the unruliness. Let them run free. Let them make their own mistakes. Right? No? 

Perhaps we should instead use highly complex reinforcement strategies explaining to the three year old that self destructive behavior is dangerous. We could even use a multi-colored powerpoint to truly get the message across. Is this parenting at its best? No? 

I know, lets just beat those inconsiderate guilty little wretches into a bloody pulp. That’ll teach them to listen. Why after a few days, they wont even be able to move much less misbehave. 

None of the above are, in my opinion, wholesome parenting strategies. I say that in order to effectively raise a child you must find a balance between these extremes. Discipline, by definition, simply means to teach. According to David G. Myers, Ph.D. of psychology, author of multiple scientific articles, and John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology at the University of Iowa, there are two ways to shape behavior: reinforcement and punishment. Both should be used in teaching. reinforcement to bolster positive behaviors, and punishment to quell negative behaviors. 

Spanking, one extremely controversial form of punishment, can have both positive and negative effects. If done correctly, it is beneficial to the child. If done wrong, the parent becomes abusive. My point? Active parenting, not merely spanking or not-spanking is the key. Problems aren’t created when children are disciplined. They are created when children are neglected. 

Boys Town psychologist Robert Larzelere (1996, 1999, 2000), says that spanking is effective when used on young children, but should always be accompanied by a healthy dose of parental affection and a bit of reason. Obviously, corporal punishment conduces associative learning, and is therefore, beneficial in teaching children not to participate in self destructive behaviors. Judging from my own experience, I believe that spanking is necessary in training children. Proper spanking is not abuse. It is conditioning. Angrily striking, on the other hand, is unethical and damaging.  

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Corporal Punishment should be banned across all states in the U.S

I was shocked and surprised to learn that in some schools in the U.S corporal punishment is actually still legal. Having had attended public schools in the United Kingdom for 13 years I have had no experience on any level with corporal punishment, and nor did my parents this law in the U.S is really interesting to me. Corporal punishment has been illegal in all public schools in the UK since 1986 and in private schools since 1998. The US and Canada seem to be the exceptions as most western countries simply prohibit it.
By definition corporal punishment is described as, “Intentional infliction of physical pain as a method of changing behavior. It may include methods such as hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, pinching, shaking, use of various objects (paddles, belts, sticks, or others), or painful body postures.”
Georgia is one of 23 states in the U.S where corporal punishment is legal. Local school districts are allowed to ban corporal punishment in schools but in districts where it is allowed it is perfectly legal for teachers to use physical consequences to mold student’s behavior even if it is with the use of an object like a wooden paddle. This to me seems absurd and I can’t understand how this type of humiliation can have any positive outcome on a child.
A study carried out by Terri Moffitt of King’s College London in the UK and the University of Wisconsin found interesting results. 85% of boys the study followed who had too little of the MAOA enzyme which controls mood and is found in two little quantities in about a third of males turned to criminal or antisocial behavior as adults as a result of physical discipline or in some cases abuse.
It seems however that many parents actually back up this type of punishment in their children’s schools which to me is also very disturbing. There is evidence that suggests that corporal punishment is more widespread and considered acceptable in the south because of the religious affiliations it has. Many parents feel that the biblical way is the only way to discipline their children even though the bible contains so much ambiguity on this subject. The biblical book of Proverbs contains five passages which refer to disciplining children with a “shebet” which translates in English to “rod”. Yet another theme that runs through the Hebrew Scriptures of the New Testament is called the “Golden Rule”, treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. It appears the Bible can’t really offer any solid guidance on how to discipline children it is all a matter of opinion and personal belief.
In conclusion I believe that corporal punishment in the school and at home is an ineffective and cruel way of disciplining children which inevitably can do more harm than good. I think it should be made illegal in the rest of the U.S and parents who use physical ways of disciplining their children should reconsider the options.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Assignment Due Wednesday, February 20

Discuss your views on corporal punishment. Remember to include your opinion early and clearly. And back it up with research. Ideas for topics include (but are not limited to): whether it should be allowed in schools, whether there should be a difference between public and private schools, whether parents should be allowed to use corporal punishment to discipline their own children or anyone else's, in public or in private, whether it is an effective form of discipline, whether it is a form of abuse, how widespread it is, if it's becoming more or less popular, whether it's more widespread in the south, and its correlation with religious beliefs.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Shortcomings and Benefits

In my opinion, homeschooling is a disservice to a child and a burden to parents. Everything relies on the parent to educate and mold their child into the adult they will become. There are two ways to view homeschooling; babysitting and motivating.
The babysitter method of homeschooling is one of laziness. Counselor Jeff Bennett said, “At the bottom end some parents have been babysitters and haven’t been doing their job. These children are years behind in reading and math skills.” When these homeschoolers who were not prepped for the SAT take the test, the scores may uncover the unjust crime committed by the parent. Those parents who simply sign a form stating their child has taken a specific course are committing an ethic crime. In my experience, child services was called on a homeschool family because of a suspected lack of teaching and learning.
However, homeschooling does provide perks, such as more family time and a stronger bond between siblings and parents. Joy Ugi is a successful college student and homeschooler of six years. “Everybody has a different way of homeschooling, but that’s what makes it so great. Many think we are social rejects, but I took classes out of the home such as English, math and Latin. All those who taught me had degrees. I’m sure my parents were scared of not doing a good job, but they felt a fulfillment in taking such a large part in our education. It built a deep relationship between my parents and me. It brought us a lot closer and I think that’s why they chose homeschooling.”
Homeschool programs are taking leaps to help their students socially adapt in society. Many parents consult homeschooling centers such as MAFA, a fine arts academy that assists in a child’s education while providing interaction with those of their own age.
Bennett said, “We have been fortunate at Etowah High School with homeschoolers. Most have been to very good programs- community theaters, recreational leagues-and through those programs have experienced classroom discussion and interaction.”On average, some homeschoolers can adapt quickly to large groups of people. The majority does have social problems and can become frustrated with the difference of one-on-one attention to a college course of 200 students but they do adapt.
“Being home schooled is what made me who I am today” Said Kimi Takikawa, a junior here at Piedmont College. She explains the pros and cons of being home schooled until coming to Piedmont. “I became more independent making my own lesson plans and making sure that I did my school work.” Being able to make your own lesson plans is definitely a pro of home schooling because it allows the student to go at the pace he or she feels most comfortable with. But it can also be a con allowing the student to slack off. I know plenty of students who were home schooled and graduated high school much earlier or even later than they should have. But, it is much harder for a student that was home schooled to get into college than for a student that went to public school because their transcripts are not from an accredited high school so most universities will not accept their application. Ms. Takikawa said that “Piedmont was really open; they made me feel like I was acceptable even though my transcripts weren’t from an accredited high school.”

I know that when I thought about home schooled kids I thought they didn’t have any friends or any activities to do. But there are actually sports and clubs for the home schooled to join. They aren’t deprived of a social life, they have dances, games and competitions to go to just like in a public or private school. One of the best things about being home schooled for Ms. Takikawa was that she was able to miss out on the high school drama. Who wouldn’t want to miss out on the popularity contest and the “clicks” in high school that we all wish we could just forget now? I believe that home schooling your children might not be that bad of an idea. It allows them to work at the pace that would be most beneficial to them and teaches them responsibility sooner in life.

Many Advantages, Just Not For Me

“Piedmont College is very home school friendly” Cindy Peterson, director of admissions said. “We reach out to the home school community because these students prove to be very self motivated individuals, engaging their professors, and often taking on many leadership roles.” 8 percent of Piedmont’s undergraduates were home schoolers. Although this may not seem like a large percentage, it is higher than most other colleges and universities. Piedmont’s administration strongly supports home schooling, but how do the home schoolers themselves feel about being home schooled?

Stephens County home school student, Ashlan Williams said, “I really like it. I am able to learn at my own pace and study whenever I want. My schedule is very flexible and laid back.” Williams laughed at the claim that home schoolers do not have any friends or a social life. Williams and her siblings are involved in the Currahee Home Educators in Stephens County. This is an organization made up of over 100 families with home schooled children that meet regularly and go on many trips throughout the year. “Even given the opportunity to attend a public school, I would still choose to be home schooled” Williams said.

According to ezinearticles.com, the 5 main advantages of home schooling are having a flexible schedule, receiving individual attention, spending more quality time with family members, not having to worry about peer pressure, and being able to openly teach religion. These advantages strongly support Williams’s feelings.

Although I see the definite advantages of home schooling, I still do not plan to home school my children. Debbie Payne, my mother, said, “A major part of the workforce is dealing and interacting with other people.” Even though home schoolers do have friends, they don’t experience the same day to day interactions with others students as public school students do. Sure the flexible study hours are nice but how is that teaching students time management skills at all? In the real world you are expected to be at work on time, not whenever you feel like getting there. Also, I can’t imagine graduating from high school without the memories of cheerleading for Friday night football games, going to proms and winter formals, and just daily talks around the lunch room table.

Most all of the home school students I meet are very intellectual, but I want my children to be well-rounded individuals in all aspects of life. It is all about what you are striving for individually. I understand that public schooling does have its disadvantages but to me the social interactive skills developed through public schooling outweigh those disadvantages in the long term, big picture called life.

Safe and Sheltered

With parents raising their children in the twenty first century it is easy to see the reason why homeschooling is on the rise. It seems like very day there is another Columbine High School or the University of Virginia Tech coming on the news. Keeping your children at home to teach them keeps them safe but will keeping them sheltered just hurt them worse when they enter the real world?

Homeschooling has many advantages and disadvantages. One of the main advantages is homeschoolers can be taught one on one much more. They can also be taught in the way that the child learns the best. According to http://www.blankslate.net/, “One of the biggest problems with public education is the mold. In a class of thirty or forty students, a teacher cannot possibly cater to the individual needs and must create a stereotypical student which hopefully represents the class.” One of the biggest disadvantages of homeschooling is that homeschoolers are not around their peers socializing much.

Nolan Adams a home-schooler said, “I really love getting done with school a lot faster everyday, but I do wish I had more friends and more things to do some times. I am really glad I just turned sixteen I can now go and get out and do more things on my own. I love my parents but I feel like since I am around them so much they control and are everything my teacher, providers, and I sometimes feel my only friends. Lisa Deal, a homeschooling mother, said, “It is easy for her children to be around their peers. All homeschoolers have to do is get involved. Churches have youth groups that go on trip that my children can go on. One of the biggest ways for them to get out is to play a sport with the local recreation department.”

If homeschooling is so much better then why do more people not do it? The biggest reason most of the time is both parents work and don’t have the time. Another big reason is that it is hard for students to get into college. They have to go on SAT scores alone in most places. Here at Piedmont 8% of the students were homeschooled. This is a large number for a college. Piedmont tries to get these students to come here because no other schools will cater to them. This is probably the biggest draw back from being homeschooled, but with more colleges accepting these students it would be safe to say that more children are going to started homeschooling.

Homeschool: What's really best?

Across the United States continuing numbers of parents chose to home-school their children. In a statistical analysis report conducted as part of the NHES, nearly half of parents asked said they choose to home-school their children because they want them to have a better education, other reasons included religious beliefs and seeing a poor learning environment in schools. With the failure of government legislations aimed at improving educations in schools such as No Child Left Behind it is easy to see why parents choose this method of teaching but is it really healthy?
Home-schooling has benefits that children can’t get in the regular classroom. Children receive a one-on-one education from usually their parents instead of having to share their education was a classroom full of kids it is often just themselves or a home-school group. Parents can be sure that their child is getting a good education and that they have more time for recreational activities and socialization but this is something that must be fulfilled if a child is to benefit from homeschool in their developing years.
Many parents that choose to home-school feel that their children are at “risk” to social and peer problems at school but surely sheltering them from this just creates further problems when an individual steps out into the real world. It is unfair for parents to make the “home-school” decision because of their own worries of socialization at school.
Here at Piedmont College however there are many students who have made the transition from home-school to college fine with few problems at all, there is also evidence that they are the better performers in the classroom. Freshman Emilie Garner who had home-school experience as a child says, “If home-school is going to work it’s vital that children go to a homeschool group or participate in sports for example because socialization with other peers is how children learn their social skills.”

You mean smart people DON'T go to school?

To begin this short argument, I would like to quote the words of a certain anonymous Piedmont sophomore. “Home-schoolers are weird.” I must say, I absolutely, completely, and unquestionably agree. Home-schoolers are different. Most of the time we are drug free, happy, healthy, intelligent, and above average students. This is, most definitely, a contrast from the majority of students enrolled in public institutions. However, The question of the day is not whether we are weird or strange, but rather, whether or not home-based education is an advantageous alternative to public school. Unfortunately, there is no completely right answer. Childhood education is such a complicated topic and each child is so unique, that no single unconditional answer is possible. 

If done correctly, home-schooling can be tremendously advantageous. If done wrong, it can leave the student both academically and socially inept. How can I say this? To be perfectly honest, I was home-schooled from birth until fall of last year. This fact means that I have approximately fifteen years of first hand experience, and can therefore be considered and expert in the field. I can personally attest to both the advantages and detriments of family based education. 

The pros are easy to see. As a home-schooler you have a highly flexible schedule, nearly exclusive teacher attention, and free choice of curriculum. Also, you have the ability to learn at your own pace, an idea that is often misinterpreted as learning slower; in practice, it nearly always means accelerated learning. As an example, while my sister began reading quite a bit later than normal, she is now within the top seven percent of children her age nation wide. At present she is 12 years old and reads possibly more than I, a mass communications major of Piedmont College. 

  And what are the possible problems surrounding home education? The greatest of course are lack of both social exposure and academic accountability. However, these disadvantageous ineptitude's arise only when the educational process is conducted in a parentally inept fashion. If parents chose to isolate there child, then the inevitable outcome is a social abnormality in the child. If parents choose not to make the effort to teach their child, the child will be academically impaired. The bottom line: parents have to be responsible. In the case of academics, responsibility obviously means setting high scholastic goals and insuring that they are met. In the case of social development, responsibility means supporting and encouraging children in extracurricular activities. Whether, those activities are sports, clubs, churches, martial arts, home-school co-op classes, trips to the Caribbean, horse back riding, or just neighborhood friends (note: I experienced all of these), they should always be supported by the parents. 

Interestingly, the majority of home-school families do not fall in the category of negligent or overbearing parents. Rather, they are parents with serious doubts on the public school systems ability to teach. (This information comes from knowledge of the families involved in Currahee Home Educators, the home-school organization based in Steven's County Ga.)  They see the statistics reporting american students being beaten out by the third world in standardized testing of math, reading and science, and chose to look for a better way. Therefore, the majority of home-schooling parents are in fact, extremely supportive of their children.  

Parental non-involvement, regardless of school format leads to maladjustment. Likewise, active parenting inevitably leads to healthy bright kids. Period.

Two sides to every story

The most recent Federal Government study concluded that about 2.2% of the K-12 students or 1.1 million students were being homeschooled in the United States as of spring 2003, according to time4learning.com. While this may be true, the real question lies in whether or not these students are given the same opportunities as those in public schools when it comes to developing intellectually as well as socially.

There are several disadvantages to withdrawing children from public schools for a homeschool education. The first disadvantage would be the opportunities that the students would be deprived of that are available in public schools. These opportunities could include difficulties in finding athletic facilities for children to participate in sports as well as music education programs.

The greatest disadvantage to those who receive homeschool education would be the lack in the development of social skills. This is the most crucial element to a child’s life due to the fact that they will use these skills as they grow into young adults. According to ezinearticles.com, “Social interaction with their peers and with adults outside the family is essential if a child is going to grow up with a properly balance of personality and a reasonable level of social skills.”
Amanda Underwood, a sophomore Business major at Piedmont College, says, “I agree that homeschooled students should at least be involved in some kind of sport or club outside of the house. This would allow them to develop socially, therefore making the transition into college much easier.”

Around 8 percent of Piedmont College’s student body consists of homeschooled students. While Piedmont reaches out to these students many other colleges throughout the state of Georgia do not. Cindy Peterson, Director of Admissions, says that Piedmont reaches out to those with a homeschool education. Several faculty members have also said that Piedmont’s homeschooled individuals are self-motivated and become leaders among the campus community.

With homeschooled students at Piedmont proving many of the states’ statistics wrong, it is easy to say that there are two sides to every idea. Homeschooling, just as any public education system in the state, has its problems. Nevertheless, a person must always analyze both the pros and cons of a program before jumping to any conclusion about the matter.

Home-schooling: A Better Idea Than Most Think

When the United States of America was becoming a nation, every parent in the country was home-schooling their children. If it worked at that time then why wouldn’t it work today? “Well, the times have changed.” The times may have changed, but the children’s minds have not.
Dr. William Brown, Professor of Education at Piedmont College, as well as the founder of “Home Education Coach,” a newsletter for home-schooling parents, finds home-schooling to be a good thing for the children of America. He says that “every child can’t always adapt to the curriculum of the grade. All childrens minds are different.” He also adds that “children should be home-schooled up until the second grade.” But why limit it to before the second grade? Before the second grade, children are simply “learning to read,” and the second grade is when they begin “reading to learn.”
This has to do with children making the transition from the preoperational stage to concrete operational stage as defined by Jean Piaget in the Theory of Cognitive Development. In the preoperational stage, children begin “mentally acting on objects” but not necessarily thinking for themselves. In the concrete operational stage, lasting through the age of 7-11 (or second through fifth grade), children begin to “use logic” and think for themselves. Therefore, the children that aren’t mentally prepared until the age of 6 or 7 are forced into restricting curriculum of kindergarten and first grade and end up becoming increasingly more and more frustrated with school and reading. And when National studies find that “17.5% of children will encounter a problem learning to read during their crucial first three years in school” things begin to come together.
Also, parents schooling high-school age young adults are required to follow a certain county-wide curriculum ensuring that all children are receiving equal education. Dr. William Brown also adds that students who come into college from being home-schooled tend to have more “focus,” better concentration as well as good study habits and “a better appreciation for the education they are receiving.”

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Due Friday February 8

Give your opinion (or opinions) on homeschooling. Your research may include (but is not limited to) interviews with teachers, professors, friends, family, administrators; Internet research; personal observations and experience.