What are you doing right now?

[EndOfTheEarth]

Besides posting on here and replying to this thread. Original credit for this goes back to Fate and Nathan on MX.

[nathan_p]

Big compared to most of the East Coast, tiny compared to Canadian provinces.

[Contradiction]

According to wikipedia, we're the eighth largest state in the US.

[Xuut]

XDDD Alberta is sixth. The only ones smaller are the tiny Atlantic provinces way out east. And depending on how you see it, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. They're about the same though.

 

Why does America have such small states?

[Sora]

*shakes head* You lucky, lucky Canadian (that's what I assumed from the French and the I'm not in America. Sorry if I'm wrong and you're really in France or something)

 

Public schooling really depends on where you go and what classes you take and what kind of learner you are...I think a lot of the things could be more efficient (a lot of the crap we learn for standardized tests, for example, is a waste of teachers' time) and in some areas, especially science, we just aren't doing anything whatsoever really, and there are stupid requirements (again, a lot of this due to standardized tests and government's idea of what it is we should learn) that prevent everyone from really achieving what they'd like...I think it's fair to place a lot of the blame on the students, too, though...learning just isn't as valued here as it is, say, in Asia (wink to all the Asians out there). Anyway, I go to a public school in Virginia (one of the better ones, though) but I'm not really a good example...I'm taking IB (International Baccalaureate...they have it in Canada too) because I don't want American schooling (*grin*).

 

As for private schools...most of the time the teachers care a little more but they still have the same sort of annoying requirements...they often have better programs for, say, marching band, because extra time can be devoted to those.

[Xuut]

XD -Is Canadian- -Not in France- 

 

In Asia schooling is intense because their entire world is half oriented on it. If you're smart, you get to leave the hell hole that is Asia. (Except for like, Japan. Which has a high suicide rate BECAUSE of the school-craziness.) And I so do not take my schooling that serious. You should see some hard-care immigrated kids. Fucking. Scary. 

 

We have SAT like things. Only they're done by the province. So there's a common exam for all tenth graders in the four main subjects, etc. Only we don't have one for the entire country because different schools/provinces emphasize different things. 

 

XD IB is very awesome. My school offers both AP and IB so I'm super duper lucky. 

 

God, I should write a social paper on the assumptions people have on Americans because they experience one thing... 

[Sora]

yeah, I know...not saying they're necessarily a good example, just that it's not that way in America.

 

They base teacher's salaries on the number of kids who pass the standardized test, so we don't really have time to learn anything outside of what's on the standardized test. They're not necessarily a terrible thing, but they shouldn't be the only factor.

 

Yeah, we have AP and IB, too...officially I'm in the IB programme but I can take AP classes.

 

...an even longer paper would be the assumptions Americans have on other people.

[Xuut]

Dude, people in countries that are considered "bad" (like say, Russia, China, etc) are crazy about grades. Half the kids in the honours classes (especially Math) have the highest grades. It makes the non-immigrated kids look retarded. 

 

O.o We get a constant rate no matter what. Schooling is important. We can't be stuck with all these stupid kids dammit.

 

Oh, well in Canada you usually only get one choice depending on the school which is why. Mine's the only one in Western Canada that's a public school.

 

XDDD True. I live in an igloo you know. 

[EndOfTheEarth]

Eh. The quality of the teachers is mediocre, but that aside I can't complain.

 

Also, Nathan, the sex ed featured at my school had a whole unit on different preventative measures. I'm sure this differes from state to state, and likely school to school.

[nathan_p]

The depressing majority place a heavy emphasis on abstinence, from what I know. Apparently the abstinence programs are / were government funded.

[Sora]

It'll get more...interesting...as you go along. I got the same thing in 7th grade and then in high school *mind blown*

 

jk I knew it already of course but still it was funny to hear my gym teacher fumbling for an explanation.

[EndOfTheEarth]

Yeah, they focus on that in middle school. The sex stuff isn't until high school.

[Xuut]

You lived by the Boston area though right?

 

Okay, I was told some CRAZY stories. Like how this school had ten ft chain link fences and needed security guards to protect them. And that teachers made absolutely no money in the states, but here in Canada senio teachers can make up to 75 000 which is a hell of a lot...