[Terez]

bridgeburner42, on 04 February 2010 - 06:53 PM, said:

I am actually home schooled and I really enjoy it. A good majority of my friends are as well.

Since you went on to say 'and I really enjoy it' in your first sentence, it is necessary to clarify that your friends 'are home-schooled as well'. Also, 'home-schooled' should be hyphenated, as it is a compound verb. Finally, the first sentence would be less awkward if it had a comma after 'home-schooled'.

bridgeburner42 said:

Though there are some of the stereo typical awkward home schoolers, most of them are totally fine socially.

'Stereotypical' is one word. Again, 'home-schoolers' should be hyphenated.

bridgeburner42 said:

In fact I would say more so than public schooled kids.

This would have been less awkward if it had been made a part of the sentence before, separated with a semicolon; as it is, the 'more so' is too separated from its reference point. Also, there needs to be a comma after 'fact', and 'public-schooled' should be hyphenated.

bridgeburner42 said:

Since we have a lot more free time to hang out with friends, instead of sitting in a class room all day.

This is not a complete sentence. Also, 'classroom' is one word.

bridgeburner42 said:

The whole issue of "socialization" amongst home schooling is kinda dumb. I mean it's not like we stay home all the time and never get out, we actually have more time to socialize than public school kids.

You should have used a semicolon here instead of a comma, since the final clause is independent. Also, 'home-schooling' should be hyphenated.

bridgeburner42 said:

Not to mention avoiding the pathetic education system in most states.

This is not a complete sentence.

bridgeburner42, on 04 February 2010 - 07:05 PM, said:

Haha you are so funny. There are definitely a group of the "freaky" home schoolers, they even scare me.

Again, the last clause is independent, so it should be separated from the previous clause by a semicolon rather than a comma. Again, 'home-schoolers' should be hyphenated.

bridgeburner42 said:

But they are the small majority.

Incomplete sentence.

bridgeburner42 said:

And honestly what is better?

This would flow better with a comma after 'honestly'.

bridgeburner42 said:

Going to public school and sitting in a class room all day and getting a pathetic education? (There is a reason that America on a whole scores ridiculously low on education)

The parenthetical is missing a period. Again, 'classroom' is a single, compound word.

bridgeburner42 said:

Or getting all my school done in like 4 hours and getting a real education?

This seems to imply that you got a standard education in 4 hours as opposed to 12 years. 'Schoolwork' would probably be better.

bridgeburner42 said:

Then I can hang out with friends and stuff the rest of the day. And I know some kids who go to pubic school who are a whole lot more awkward socially than my home schooled friends.

It's okay to start a sentence with a conjunction every now and then - even though it's grammatically incorrect, everyone does it from time to time - but doing it twice in a row is probably a little much (actually, it was three times in a row, counting the last sentence).

bridgeburner42, on 04 February 2010 - 07:47 PM, said:

I didn't say that. However as a majority home schooling will allow you to be a lot faster, since you don't have to wait for all the other kids.

Yes, all those other kids were wasting all that time working on grammar while you had more important things to do, eh? There should be a comma after 'However'. Your usage of the word 'you' is incorrect; it is better to say 'will allow one to be a lot faster, since one doesn't....' And again, 'home-schooling' should be hyphenated.

bridgeburner42 said:

And do all that busy work crap.

Like studying grammar? This is an incomplete sentence. Sometimes incomplete sentences are appropriate in a rhetorical sense, but in this case, it's simply awkward. Also, 'busywork' is one word.

There, I have just home-schooled you. I was going to pick apart the rest of your posts, but I discovered in the process that I am lazy. Well, maybe I already knew that, and simply rediscovered it, but I think this should be enough. Okay, one more, just because it was pretty bad:

bridgeburner42 said:

I'm not saying there isn't any advantages.

This sentence suffers from a lack of singular-plural agreement.

Don't get me wrong - plenty of people who went to public schools have grammar issues - but you're not exactly making a good case for home-schooling here.

[HoosierDaddy]

Pedants Anonymous just called, Terez. They miss you.

[Anomander]

Terez, on 05 February 2010 - 02:38 AM, said:

Don't get me wrong - plenty of people who went to public schools have grammar issues - but you're not exactly making a good case for home-schooling here.

I don't agree with the idea of schooling children from home but using the grammar debate (when you consider the piss poor state of writing in public schools) is frankly a bitch move. Instead of asking questions about how he was taught grammar or even approaching the issue with tact you sought to belittle him. I would ask that if you don't have anything polite and constructive to add to the conversation you refrain from taking part.

[Illuyankas]

Complaining about grammar on an internet forum. Come the fuck on. Did I miss something in this guy's posts? Does he really come across as some kind of smug wanker telling you public school is worthless? Why the fuck are you all jumping down this guy's throat for his opinion?

[Terez]

Illuyankas, on 05 February 2010 - 03:22 AM, said:

Did I miss something in this guy's posts? Does he really come across as some kind of smug wanker telling you public school is worthless?

Only on a few points, really. Namely the one where he says that being home-schooled gave him the opportunity to get ahead of all the wankers in public school. I was just pointing out that he didn't, really. It's a rather simple point, and has less to do with belittling and more to do with outlining a fallacy. Much like amphibian using the super-huge font earlier to point out the fact that he didn't know what the word 'majority' meant, with Obdi rubbing it in, and you being a smartass about it. But of course, I'm the one that gets called down for 'belittling'. I even made it clear in my post that, relatively, his grammar issues don't mean much. They just don't help his case for home-schooling.

[RodeoRanch]

Anyone who isn't a lazy sod like me able to find decent statistics on home schooling? Do home-schooled students have any fantastical advantages or disadvantages over their public brethren?

[Illuyankas]

Terez, on 05 February 2010 - 04:02 AM, said:

It's a rather simple point, and has less to do with belittling and more to do with outlining a fallacy. Much like amphibian using the super-huge font earlier to point out the fact that he didn't know what the word 'majority' meant, with Obdi rubbing it in, and you being a smartass about it. But of course, I'm the one that gets called down for 'belittling'. I even made it clear in my post that, relatively, his grammar issues don't mean much. They just don't help his case for home-schooling.

Amph and Obdi and I finding out he's using a word in the wrong context? I do that all the time, and I wasn't homeschooled. Going through his posts to systematically point out every single grammatical fault in them, whilst going, "Herp derp you didn't bother to write your posts in a fancied up casual conversation TO PERFECT ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATION STANDARDS THEREFORE YOUR POINT IS WORTHLESS, YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR" is a bit more than just taking the fucking piss.

[bubba]

http://www.homeschoo...s.com/index.php
http://www.hslda.org...0/200410250.asp


 aaaaa.jpg (88.65K)
Number of downloads: 3


From
http://en.wikipedia....i/Homeschooling

[Anomander]

Terez, on 05 February 2010 - 04:02 AM, said:

Much like amphibian using the super-huge font earlier to point out the fact that he didn't know what the word 'majority' meant, with Obdi rubbing it in, and you being a smartass about it. But of course, I'm the one that gets called down for 'belittling'.

Oh grow up already. Yes you're getting called out because you quoted 15 posts for the sole purpose of picking apart someone's grammar. Quit playing the injured party because it's getting pretty tiresome.

[HoosierDaddy]

What does the educational level of the parent doing the home-schooling matter, Bubba? It doesn't make them better educators per se.

Here's the deal, I can almost guarantee you more kids who are home-schooled graduate and go to college percentage wise than publicly schooled children. However, home-schooled children are obviously in an environment where parents are encouraging education to at least some degree. Many parents in public school could give a lesser shit, thereby there is an inherent bias in a poll like that. Let's look across the broad spectrum of parents who have achieved a doctorate, and the percentage of their kids that graduate high school and get into college. I can guarantee you those are much more comparable.

[bubba]

H.D., on 05 February 2010 - 05:00 AM, said:

What does the educational level of the parent doing the home-schooling matter, Bubba? It doesn't make them better educators per se.

Yes HD it does. I don't see how your statement can hold any validity.

Here's the deal, I can almost guarantee you more kids who are home-schooled graduate and go to college percentage wise than publicly schooled children. However, home-schooled children are obviously in an environment where parents are encouraging education to at least some degree.

Yes that is the point.

Many parents in public school could give a lesser shit, thereby there is an inherent bias in a poll like that. Let's look across the broad spectrum of parents who have achieved a doctorate, and the percentage of their kids that graduate high school and get into college. I can guarantee you those are much more comparable.

That is true to your second point.

[HoosierDaddy]

I disagree that higher education equates to better teaching ability. I have a higher education than anyone in my family, but I haven't been taught how to teach. They have and are, therefore, much better teachers than I am at this point.

Edit: Let me supplement to make this even more quantifiable: 41% of public school teachers have a Masters Degree, whereas your picture states that the average home schooling parent is a woman with a college degree.

This post has been edited by H.D.: 05 February 2010 - 05:18 AM

[bubba]

H.D., on 05 February 2010 - 05:09 AM, said:

I disagree that higher education equates to better teaching ability. I have a higher education than anyone in my family, but I haven't been taught how to teach. They have and are, therefore, much better teachers than I am at this point.

It should be the starting point. No?


>>>personal opinion<<<<<
I don't hold teachers in as high regard as most do. And before anyone flips out, it is because I went to college to become one. When I seen what education had become, I was disgusted and disheartened. It is no longer about an education, as about pumping them out the door, regardless of whether or not they learned anything. I feel they sold out.>>>>>>>End personal opinion<<<<<

[Terez]

Illuyankas, on 05 February 2010 - 04:35 AM, said:

Amph and Obdi and I finding out he's using a word in the wrong context? I do that all the time, and I wasn't homeschooled. Going through his posts to systematically point out every single grammatical fault in them, whilst going, "Herp derp you didn't bother to write your posts in a fancied up casual conversation TO PERFECT ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATION STANDARDS THEREFORE YOUR POINT IS WORTHLESS, YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR" is a bit more than just taking the fucking piss.

haha, stop putting words in my mouth. I didn't say his point was worthless, just that the issues didn't help his case. I think people tend to have a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to correction of grammar on internet forums, because generally people do it in the midst of debates where grammar is pretty much irrelevant. In those cases, it's pedantry; in this case, it happens to be relevant. His grammar is bad enough that it is almost guaranteed to cause problems in college, and likely to cause problems when he's trying to get a job.

[bubba]

H.D., on 05 February 2010 - 05:09 AM, said:

Edit: Let me supplement to make this even more quantifiable: 41% of public school teachers have a Masters Degree, whereas your picture states that the average home schooling parent is a woman with a college degree.

Not my picture.


and I feel you have veered of what you said to begin with.

That last bit quantifies what I said, NOT what you said.

[bubba]

Terez, on 05 February 2010 - 05:24 AM, said:

Illuyankas, on 05 February 2010 - 04:35 AM, said:

Amph and Obdi and I finding out he's using a word in the wrong context? I do that all the time, and I wasn't homeschooled. Going through his posts to systematically point out every single grammatical fault in them, whilst going, "Herp derp you didn't bother to write your posts in a fancied up casual conversation TO PERFECT ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMINATION STANDARDS THEREFORE YOUR POINT IS WORTHLESS, YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR" is a bit more than just taking the fucking piss.

haha, stop putting words in my mouth. I didn't say his point was worthless, just that the issues didn't help his case. I think people tend to have a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to correction of grammar on internet forums, because generally people do it in the midst of debates where grammar is pretty much irrelevant. In those cases, it's pedantry; in this case, it happens to be relevant. His grammar is bad enough that it is almost guaranteed to cause problems in college, and likely to cause problems when he's trying to get a job.

How perfect was your grammar in say the 10th or 11th grade Terez?

[Terez]

Bubba, on 05 February 2010 - 05:19 AM, said:

I don't hold teachers in as high regard as most do. And before anyone flips out, it is because I went to college to become one. When I seen what education had become, I was disgusted and disheartened. It is no longer about an education, as about pumping them out the door, regardless of whether or not they learned anything. I feel they sold out.

It is true, for the most part. But one obvious advantage to institutionalized schooling over home schooling is variety. There are some bad teachers, but most students will get a new teacher every year for each subject, and theoretically, the chances are that the better teachers will make up for the bad ones. A home-schooling parent might be well-educated, but everyone has strong subjects and weak subjects. Teachers are trained to have specialized knowledge, and home-schooling parents don't have specialized knowledge in every area they teach. The well-educated ones will be able to do well enough to prep students for standardized tests, but I never felt like standardized tests actually measured what I learned in high school in any real way. For example, nothing that I learned about advanced science and math was on the ACT. There were exactly 4 trigonometry questions; the rest was all algebra. The 'science reasoning' section was mostly focused on reasoning skills rather than actual scientific knowledge. I've heard they've changed the test since then, but this was in '95 or so. Public schools also tend to offer electives, such as foreign languages, music, art, and social sciences, and home-schooling parents don't have to drill their kids in these things at all, because standardized tests don't test those areas.

Of course, this is less relevant for pre-secondary school. Most educated parents would have enough knowledge to teach all subjects at grade school level.

[bubba]

The parent for the most part are NOT setting the curriculum. Almost all home school children are learning from a coarse system laid out by educators. All the parent is doing is administrating it.

[Terez]

Bubba, on 05 February 2010 - 05:33 AM, said:

How perfect was your grammar in say the 10th or 11th grade Terez?

It's not perfect now, but it has come naturally to me for as long as I can remember. In the 11th and 12th grades, I made a decent amount of money typing up term papers for people and correcting their English. I took accelerated English classes before high school, so most of the bad grammatical habits were snuffed by the time I made it to 9th grade, but I have gotten lazy about it over the years. Also, reading a lot of dramatic fiction has gotten me in the habit of using incomplete sentences again. Still, there is a way to use them that is effective, and a way of using them that just is just plain wrong.

Bubba, on 05 February 2010 - 05:43 AM, said:

The parent for the most part are NOT setting the curriculum. Almost all home school children are learning from a coarse system laid out by educators. All the parent is doing is administrating it.

I know that, but curriculum books don't make up for specialized knowledge.

[Silencer]

To be fair, Bubba, mine was fairly close to what it is now; that is to say, I'm a pedantic grammar Nazi, in most cases.

However, I propose this: is a person's abililty to write a formal letter comparable with their ability to type? Is it not, in fact, dependant on their ability to type and the level of effort they apply to such a task? I would say it is, and very much so. Just because this thread is about the merits of home-schooling does not mean that one must suddenly up the ante, as it were, with regards to the amount of effort they are putting into 'SPG' while typing.

I'm sure, Terez, that over the course of your, how many is it? 1500 or so posts on this forum, I could find plenty with grammatical errors, spelling errors, or punctuation that is lacking in quality. Indeed, I'm sure you could find plenty of my posts that also have these deficiencies. But what does this say about my abilities in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? What does it say about my level of education? Nothing. Fingers slip, people don't care as much, and in the heat of the moment one can type something completely different to what they were thinking...is a pedantic double-checking session really necessary? Even a once-over can go amiss if you don't care enough to make the effort. I used to make the effort, indeed I sometimes still do - but only where it counts. In official publications? You bet. Formal writing? For certain. On the forum? Not anywhere near as much as I used to. This very post, in fact, I will submit without checking. It probably has significant 'abuse of the common comma' syndrome, a spelling mistake or two (though in this case, I'm typing on a boat floating on water, with a touchpad that moves when I'm not touching it, and often leads to me typing in a place I wasn't before). Can you honestly make a judgement of the quality of my education from this post? I don't think so. And I would suggest you don't, lest I go on a rampant search for your own mistakes.