While they didn't turn out to learn much in math, they did learn how to sit still at a desk, which is perfect preparation for a later office job. At least the parents got a break and someone else to take care of their kids for a few hours each day.
American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
11–20 of 173 posts
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#12[deleted]
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#13> American children came top at thinking they were good at maths, but bottom at maths. For Korean children, the inverse was true: they considered themselves poorer at maths than the children of any other country, but were the best.
This really stood out to me because I often found my own examination results puzzling. I would ace exams that I thought I failed and just pass ones I was sure I had done well in.
This has lead me to believe that the more I know about a subject, the more I know how little I actually know about it and the greater respect I have for subject as a whole.
This might explain why children who are not great at maths might think they are. Not due to an inflated self esteem but because "knowing what you don't know" is a part of the learning process.
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#14The author seems to be attacking common core ("so many different ways to think about simple addition") but then links it to self-esteem, without actually showing the connection. How does he know the math curriculum was designed to boost self-esteem?
Also, the ability to do rote sums is not the same as understanding math. So the fact that his son "could add up already" doesn't mean much, at least out of context.
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#15> American children came top at thinking they were good at maths, but bottom at maths. For Korean children, the inverse was true: they considered themselves poorer at maths than the children of any other country, but were the best. This really stood out to me because I often found my own examination results puzzling. I would ace exams that I thought I failed and just pass ones I was sure I had done well in. This has…
I like to have short names for similar things which are described by different people, in this case the name is likely to be Dunning–Kruger effect
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#16We actually want more self-efficacy: http://seliger.com/2008/05/01/self-efficacy%E2%80%94oops-the... rather than self-esteem. Which is a topic that's been bandied about in the media for a while yet hasn't really taken hold.
Your dad might have an em dash addiction.
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#17If self-esteem is so high, why is suicide so common? Giving someone self-esteem doesn't mean letting them whine all the time. Your swimming instructors saying “C’mon dude, stop complaining, let’s get on with it!” IS giving the kid self-esteem! Teaching many ways to add is important because not all kids are going to be able to learn the same way at that age. Different methods are going to "click" for different student…
The argument I've heard is that children are not learning how to deal with failure or criticism early enough to develop a basic toolkit for it.
Agreed. A person who has unnaturally high self esteem will be more surprised by failure than someone with moderate or low self esteem. Losing a job, going through a failed relationship, flunking out of school, or any number of other personal "failures" may be that much more devestating to a person who places unwarranted expectations of success on themselves.
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#18Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#19How about they learn English? I don't mean a particular dialect of English, I'm just talking any English at all. About 10% of Americans can not only not speak a foreign language but they can't speak A language. 10 fucking percent. And this is legitimately the most powerful country on earth. Disgustingly pathetic is what it is.
Re: American Children Are Drowning in Self-Esteem
#20It is ironic the author uses a swimming metaphor: "If their instructors had focused on making them feel good about swimming, instead of on making them swim, they could have drowned." Swimming is almost natural. Most mammals can swim with out training (even my cat knew how to swim). Fear on the other hand is what leads to drowning. You don't need formal training in swimming to stay a float. You need to not be afraid o…
That's nonsense. As a kid I was not afraid of water. I could dive 10 meters down without fear. But I still couldn't swim without instruction.
Maybe so. But the author says "drown" not swim. I presume you knew how to float if you weren't afraid of the water?
I have seen adults that refuse to take lessons because... because... they are afraid.
So regardless I still say it is pretty crappy metaphor.