Saw this article on USA Today's site about the possibility of FL requiring HS students to declare a major program of study - like college.
The thought is that by choosing a major, students will be able to focus more on courses that are interesting to them and be better prepared for college or working. On the surface, that sounds really good. What high school student wants to sit through classes that have no bearing on his intened future? The problem is, 'intended' future is often not the same as reality 5 or ten years down the road.
Will this really leave students more prepared? Or will it just add more stress for students to deal with in a time of life when they're not really ready for that kind of decision. What do you think?
Students - what major would you pick? Would you want to be forced to choose a major in HS?
Adults - At 15 years old, would you have picked a major that would have prepared you more for the future you are now living in?
I didn't even go to college until I was 36...and it was 2-3 years into classes before I had an idea of where I was going with things. How can you pick a direction for your life when some days the most important thing in your life is a zit on the end of your nose?
ReplyDeleteThe Dad
Clave... I agree. I already see too much pressure for test scores and extra-curricular resume building for the sake of admissions. Why add to that by forcing a student to make a decision that could severely limit her future choices?
ReplyDelete'The' Dad... I remember! Part of why I don't like this idea... but then again, I'm pretty far from FL, so my opinion probably doesn't matter a whole lot at this point.
Any students want to weigh in... (please).
I'm a senior in high school and I have less then a month of school left and I have ideas of what I want to do with the rest of my life but nothing that i'm 100% sure with. I think having to pick a major you plan on pursing in the furture at the age of 15 is asking a little to much of a high schooler. I believe it would just add a ton more stress in teens lives. I know when I was 15, there would have been no way that I could have decided anything like that... to be honest I was not even close to being mature. All I cared about was what I was going to be doing with friends and how I would ever get through the next day of school. I truly believe that it would be a bad a idea for high schools to start. As a student, there is so much pressure already that I think by adding something like this would make students want to drop out earlier in their high school career
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you'd mention more dropping out as a result of this. That's exactly what they're trying to prevent. Maybe there's a better way...
ReplyDeleteI don’t see how this will work in Florida & I live here. A few points and I am done. 1st Jeb is not power hungry... the man is on his way out. He can’t run for reelection in Florida again. He has served his full time. 2nd You can always declare a major and just change it later. In fact most college students change their major more then once while they are enrolled in college. The biggest laugh for me is that the article says that students will be able to choose classes moving toward what they want to study. THIS IS HOGWASH!!!!!! Colleges both in state and out require specific classes to get into their schools. Examples would in include the foreign language requirement & having a specific number of core classes such as math, science, etc... Does this really matter? Yes. Now comes the clincher. The FCAT, which is a test all students have to take. If students don’t score well the school looses some funding and vise versa. Teachers have no choice but to teach to the test. It’s job security. Students are still not going to be allowed to take classes geared in one specific direction. When you look at the academic requirements to graduate you will see that after the core classes students are allowed very few electives or classes they are interested in. there was also a piece of legislature passed a few years ago that was requiring more academics and less electives to graduate. On a local level here in Panama City, if middle school students score poorly on the FCAT they get no electives (i.e. band, choir, art, etc..) and MUST take remedial english & or math classes. Not a good day for those programs. The issue about students reading abilities should be addressed in elementary school, which is where I feel the problem starts. This is also been proven as the best time for a child’s education and ability to learn. I’m getting off the soapbox now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight straight from FL. I don't know how it will work either. Actually, like you pointed out, I don't see how it will change much of anything at all. Students still have the core of requirements they'll have to fulfill.
ReplyDeleteWhich brings you back to the question, "Why make students choose a 'major' in HS?"
It might work. It is just having to take certain classes as requirements and others as electives that is all. I know when I was in High school in the 80s and in Canada we could do an Arts of English, Math, route or other areas .. I did the Business - so not only did I get a degree but also a certificate in Business as well. Who knew, and went from there to Bible college and Seminary.
ReplyDeleteAnd that sounds like the way it already is. Some classes required, some are elective that you can choose among options...
ReplyDeleteMaybe we're just attaching too much to the idea of claiming a 'major'. But if not, if nothing is really changing, why the need to require it?