Learning is for Everyone thinks discussion is a great way to learn, especially small group discussion, especially dialectical efforts where people evaluate information by asking a lot of different questions and suggesting a lot of different answers.  There's rarely any one right way to do anything, and considered understanding (and commensurately, informed decision making) typically requires looking at more than just two sides of an issue, because most issues have a *lot* more than two sides!  To that end, and in the interest of real understanding and dialogue, LIFE Inc. will be providing monthly Small Group Discussion topics across various subjects and topics.

We invite you to discuss these topics with your family, with friends, in homeschool groups, in teaching or administration groups, in book clubs and just as a topic of interest and information with others, and then come back at the end of the month, or the beginning of the next, and share your group's insights and ideas.  Just reply within this thread or with "High School Major" in the subject line.

June's SGD topic concerns choosing a major area of study in high school.

Read the article: "Florida Gov. Bush signs education bill requiring high school majors", linked in our news section at http://www.learningis4everyone.org/content/view/678/2/ and consider the following points of discussion:

Florida is now the first state in the nation to require that high school students select a major.  The major can be a traditional academic subject like English or math or a vocational field such as carpentry or auto repair. Students will still have to complete a core studies.  Gov. Bush says the plan "will increase rigor and relevance at the middle and high school levels." 

Critics say otherwise: "Florida has the worst high school graduation rate in the nation and it's only gotten worse under the A- plus plan," said Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, who voted against the bill. "Rather than repair a flawed policy, we simply continue down the same wrong kind of path. I thought there was very little in the bill that would meaningfully change anything."

How might choosing a major in high school "increase rigor and relevance"?

How might having to choose a major not help?

Consider your own high school years.  Would such a plan have helped or hurt you, or not made a difference one way or the other?

What about students who might choose non-traditional majors  or vocational fields? 

Would schools be able to support highly individual selections? 

Would additional money and teachers be needed to implement such a program?

Might this lead to new community-school partnerships that have been overlooked or not fully employed in the past? 

What other information might be helpful to know about this effort? 

What else comes to mind when you read the article, that hasn't been asked here?

When you reply, tell us where you live, about the group you discussed the topic with, and how you felt about the experience, along with your responses to the talking points above, or whatever thoughts occurred as a result of your discussion with others.

The idea here is to start coming up with some reasoned and thoughtful responses and ideas concerning education, teaching and learning, something more far-reaching than knee jerk opinions or "gut" responses that may not fully give the due consideration that the many issues and topics facing us truly deserve.

So give it a shot, and let us know what you think. Let's start the Education Conversation rolling!

We'll look forward to hearing back from you by early July.

Thanks!

Theresa Willingham
Learning is for Everyone, Inc.
www.learningis4everyone.org