Do you think our modern education system teaches kids to think logically?

[Crono]

And by logic I mean logic in the general sense, not mathematical logic.

I'm wondering if each subsequent generation is taught more only to pass tests rather than how to think through situations and solve problems.

It seems that kids today (increasingly in the past few decades, really) are taught from a broader array of subjects, but with less focus on the basics and less time is spent on critical thinking and reading comprehension.

 

[yhelothar]

Depends... there are many tests and assignments that I have in my science major where I have to think logically. There are a lot of experiment design questions which requires one to think logically whether a conclusion should follow from the experiment, and study all the ways other people have designed experiments to reach their conclusions.

On the other hand, they don't really do this much until certain higher level classes in high school. I think that most majors, short of art, would require ample training in logic.

But at the same time, I see that anyone can get by with brute memorization.

 

[JS80]

School is taught by liberals so by definition they are not taught to think logically, but are taught to think like whiney pussy morons.

 

[GTaudiophile]

No, I don't believe our education system teaching kids to think at all.

Here's how it goes...

1) Government mandates standards to teach XYZ.
2) Teachers teach XYZ (basic facts, etc.)
3) Students take test on XYZ.
4) Students regurgitate XYZ on multiple choice test.
5) Students pass, school gets more funding from government.
6) Teachers take the path of least residence to ensure funding.

Regurgitating information does not involve much learning/thinking.

 

[Dumac]

No, I don't believe our education system teaching kids to think at all.

Here's how it goes...

1) Government mandates standards to teach XYZ.
2) Teachers teach XYZ (basic facts, etc.)
3) Students take test on XYZ.
4) Students regurgitate XYZ on multiple choice test.
5) Students pass, school gets more funding from government.
6) Teachers take the path of least residence to ensure funding.

Regurgitating information does not involve much learning/thinking.

Pretty much this.

Public education is just a game that schools play in order to get a larger part of the limited funding. Teachers are the soldiers, and students are the peasants. What the students actually learn doesn't really matter. All that matters is how much money what students "learn" will get the school.

Most students aren't taught to think logically or critically. I could ace almost every class by regurgitating answers. There was little thought involved until college.

 

[Tristicus]

School is taught by liberals so by definition they are not taught to think logically, but are taught to think like whiney pussy morons.

Everyone knows this. They don't even teach you how to spell!

 

[Matthiasa]

There is a thing called college and or university which serveas a means to go into stuff in depth.
Any education before that should cover a wide array of stuff so that people can find out stuff they like and what stuff they are good at.

 

[gaidensensei]

Kinda side with JS80 on this one. It depends on where you're being raised being the critical factor. (for young children)

 

[Dumac]

There is a thing called college and or university which serveas a means to go into stuff in depth.
Any education before that should cover a wide array of stuff so that people can find out stuff they like and what stuff they are good at.

Shouldn't logical/critical thinking be a basic part of any education at a young age? It applies to any field.

 

[Perknose]

School is taught by liberals so by definition they are not taught to think logically, but are taught to think like whiney pussy morons.

OP, JS80 has provided your answer for you.

Of course, it's not the one he thinks he provided, but, shhhhh.

It makes me weep. We get these red-faced, logically challenged retards in P&N all the time, from all points of view.

How do even begin to have a profitable exchange with an idiot like him?

Twerps like him were raised by mass media, never guided by their parents, never challenged by their teachers, and never smacked around for being loud mouthed punks by their peers on the schoolyard.

Now, in the safety and anonymity of the internet, they have their own zircon-encrusted megaphone, and they honk on it like a crack whore desperate to really earn that five bucks.

And they vote!

 

[RSaylors]

I'm wondering if each subsequent generation is taught more only to pass tests rather than how to think through situations and solve problems.

Not valuing knowledge is the essential problem with many, this is a social problem.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

I didn't learn about how to learn until my first quarter of college, but I bombed that anyway due to all the problems to solve that were wayyyyyyyyyy over my head. I still picked up on the concept that was attempted to be taught though.

 

[Matthiasa]

Shouldn't logical/critical thinking be a basic part of any education at a young age? It applies to any field.

That would fall under a wide range of stuff.
It's hard to take science or math classes and not think logically. (If a then b or if not a then maybe c type stuff)
Thinking critically though takes a bit more to instill, and I would argue that most college students can’t really do that even.

 

[chedrz]

Don't blame the teachers. Don't blame the students. Don't blame the parents of the students. Blame the federal/state governments who base their school funding on how well students do on a test. The individual states mandate what must be taught, and the teachers have to teach that material. There is little room for teachers to teach what they want or how they want to today. If the teachers' students don't do well on tests, schools get less money, and teachers don't get brought back the following year.

This is my experience. I'm not a teacher yet. I graduate May 2011 with my Bachelor's in History and a teaching certificate. But what I am telling you is what we are now taught at universities. It is unfortunate, but it's the way the system works.

 

[guyver01]

logical? not really.
modern education does not support creative thinking until late High School years.
Until then, modern education is memorizing facts and figures.

 

[DanDaManJC]

I don't blame the system or the teachers; I blame the children and by extension the parents.

Not valuing knowledge is the essential problem with many, this is a social problem.

Yeah I'd agree with that.

I'd think through at least middle school kids really do just need to sit down and learn memorize facts just to get a base of knowledge... but thereafter you could really start focusing on trying to teach critical reasoning skills.

People now a days have plenty of opportunities to move forward and really learn with AP, IB and early-enrollment options at Community Colleges. To some degree those classes are "just" simply more about memorizing facts and stuff, but on the other hand just by having higher standards and giving kids a real challenge people end up growing. I'm not sure if you could solely correlate a higher academic standard (ap or college level) with reasoning ability... but for the most part the "honors kids" in high school were more likely to have better critical thinking abilities.

But the problem is the culture... so many people really just don't care. At all. I'm not really sure what we could do about that either. On the other hand, we all can't be doctors, engineers and lawyers so less competition for me

 

[TehMac]

In states like New Jersey where the Teachers unions have the most control, very little is being taught at all.

The wonders of an interventionist policy...

 

[DanDaManJC]

In states like New Jersey where the Teachers unions have the most control, very little is being taught at all.

The wonders of an interventionist policy...

I'm in Washington and we don't have a heavy union lobby around here... and our education system really isn't great either.

Some schools are pretty good, but that's because they're located in more affluent areas where the parents were college educated and placed value on getting a good education. Doesn't really have that much to do with regulation as opposed to constituents that care about their education.

 

[BoberFett]

No, our schools teach kids to be obedient little automatons.

 

[BoberFett]

It makes me weep. We get these red-faced, logically challenged retards in P&N all the time, from all points of view.

How do even begin to have a profitable exchange with an idiot like him?

Twerps like him were raised by mass media, never guided by their parents, never challenged by their teachers, and never smacked around for being loud mouthed punks by their peers on the schoolyard.

Now, in the safety and anonymity of the internet, they have their own zircon-encrusted megaphone, and they honk on it like a crack whore desperate to really earn that five bucks.

And they vote!

Oh the irony...

 

[BoT]

i don't think it teaches them to think at all. just to reside previously attained information.
critical and logical thinking is out the door

 

[BoomerD]

No, I don't believe our education system teaching kids to think at all.

Here's how it goes...

1) Government mandates standards to teach XYZ.
2) Teachers teach XYZ (basic facts, etc.)
3) Students take test on XYZ.
4) Students regurgitate XYZ on multiple choice test.
5) Students pass, school gets more funding from government.
6) Teachers take the path of least residence to ensure funding.

Regurgitating information does not involve much learning/thinking.

While I think this is more or less the truth, IMO, it's gotten worse since Dubya's "No Child Left Behind" laws. No more do they actually teach kids to think...they teach them the tests. Unfortunately, because here in Kahleeforneeya, our schools have so dammed many immigrant kids, (legal & illegal) many of whom start school with ZERO English skills, they drag the overall test scores down...and the law doesn't allow the schools to any leeway for trying to educate those who have no basic language skills.

There is also the problem of classroom education being dragged down by the school districts being forced to TRY to educate the druggies and thugs from the ghetto who don't want to be in class...they're ONLY there because they're forced to be there...so they're intentionally disruptive in class.

Logical thinking and critical thinking are two of the most important skills that students of all ages need to learn.

 

[JS80]

Oh the irony...

Srsly. He's living proof of what he just wrote.

 

[Bibble]

I don't think the issue is with teaching kids to think logically so much as teaching them to think critically. I would expect most 8th graders to think logically, or at least to the extent that 14 year olds are able. High school ought to be where students are taught to examine theories, trends, literature, etc. In my experience, however, students were more or less given the answers. As GTaudiophile said, regurgitation is the name of the game. You can teach facts this way, but it is no way to teach kids how to think.

 

[Dominato3r]

My highschool teachers always applied our learning to real life. If that is what you're getting at.