co-ed VS. separate education

Here's a discussion I had recently...

er>I am doing a lot of research on the subject, and I happen to believe that girls and boys should be educated separately. They learn differently, they have different needs...I really think they would thrive if they were separated. What do you guys think?

me>I disagree 100%. The only way to lucratively educate children is to immerse them in the systems of the world that surrounds them. That means being involved with the opposite sex socially, and being comfortable cooperating with them as well.
Of course people familiar with single-sex education would advocate it. However, I believe such a thing is antithetical to equality and familiarity between the sexes, which I consider to be quite important. Perhaps some studies show different thinking processes between men and women: true, but some studies also show some women think as men and some men think as women! Granted, such studies refer to homosexuality. However, the day we separate education by sexuality is a sad day indeed.
There's a reason why "separate but equal" failed to satisfy the people who got the short end of the stick. The sexes should not be separated any more than should people of differing races and especially classes, but I feel class equality is a much greater goal than gender equality.
That said, I agree that people with different learning patters should be taught differently. I am one of those people, and public school has failed to cater to my unique learning strategy. I am adapting! The point is that gender has little to do with education. We should look at boys and girls as unique equivalents. I feel that same-sex education fails to do this.

er>Well I feel that they can get the exposure of the other sex in college- I feel that girls in particularly, in the areas of math and science might not shut down as much. And also- let's not forget that boys and girls are different! They learn differently and have different needs. It's too hard to adhere to those differences if the class room is mixed up.

me>Do you really think the co-ed experience should be introduced only at adulthood? That seems like a lot of problems waiting to happen, to me.
I addressed that; I believe that it's a specific case for each individual child as we are all so different mentally that it only makes sense for there to be different learning methods presented to us. I do not, however, believe that these learning differences are limited to the differences between male and female brains.
Ideally we would be separated and taught according to our strengths and learning patterns, regardless of gender. Girls will have girls to sympathize with, as will boys. But they will also have each other to reflect upon and brighten their impressions of both. We have differences which should be addressed, but more important are our similarities. Humans, prone to prejudice and megalomania, need to be humbled by recognition that all of us are equal. What better way to do this than to disregard our differences, (which become trivial on the subject of education) including race, gender, and class.
I admit I've digressed a bit.

What do you think?

thoughts

My dad and I like to discuss physics, and time/space a lot. I do a lot of thinking on it.

Today we discussed how other civilizations in the galaxy or universe might be living, and how similar they might be to Earth.

Now, I am a big fan of technology and our universe, so I like to think about what sorts of ways other civilizations have manipulated their surroundings and if they have discovered life.

I guess recent reading has ensured I can't think about these civilizations without attributing too much human nature to them, as we're seeing how that's turning out. It's actually quite depressing for me. I'm so detached from the world we've made that I get depressed thinking it will be the only chance we have, the only hub from which to draw insight.

I guess there's legitimate scientific grounds on which to claim that all intelligent civilizations bear human-esque qualities, but let's be frank: the "human" way, the way we're doing things now, isn't really getting us anywhere!

What if there is a species out there, on a large planet, which has developed formidable technology without desecrating their resources? A way of life without competition, win, loss, or class?

Thinking about it makes the current human system seem primitive, based upon reptilian instincts of violence, dominance and rage. We're smart enough to live without those things. Why do we indulge in them? I don't think I'll ever have a reason.

just the same

It's been a while. Sorry, blog :( I've had a lot of things to do. Too many things. But I've still been reading, and going to school (unfortunately,) so I guess I have a few things to talk about. I finally got diagnosed and treated so I'm doing a lot better health-wise.

The book I want to talk about, Creating a World That Works For All, surrounds a familiar topic for me, but approaches it quite differently. The author, Sharif Abdullah, believes we can indeed save humanity, by taking small and large steps in physical and mental lifestyle.

I have to say, the tone seems a bit similar to some self-help books I've read, but instead of self-help, it's world-help. Which is self-help, in effect. What I mean to say is, it offers ways to help yourself think about the world differently, which makes it similar to Endgame. They both insist that the only way we can save ourselves is to think of ourselves as fundamentally connected to all parts of the Earth.

I'll write more about it later. I want to write more in this blog. My current English class is so dissatisfying, it renders me to a (depraved) state of ennui and frustration. I have not written a single essay or paragraph, even, of anything but stale character analysis and reviews of books that I've written one thousand times before. It's one of the most disappointing things ever. I despise highschool almost as much as I despise sleeping. I still spend about equal times doing both.

I must say I agree with it. It's helped me make a lot of decisions. I'm one of those people who thinks far too much for their own good. I think I want to be a teacher.

A big part of me still wants to work with art, but I think that's because it's so easy for me. I'll figure something out. Probably!

It doesn't feel good to have people give up on you. My grades aren't the best thing ever, so my dad won't let me take college classes, and my psychotherapist tells me that (due to my "condition") I probably wouldn't succeed in college anyway.

It's the first time anyone has ever even suggested to me that I might not go to college.

Needless to say I'm still vehement about going.

I need to impress somebody, sometime, or at least prove them wrong.

I know I can help a lot of people someday, if they'll let me, and if I'll succeed. Success is so fickle in meaning!

I'll start writing a lot more often from now on. I owe it to myself. I have to document something about some part of my life or it's like it didn't happen!

each day

I wake up, tangled in my scratchy comforter, check the clock (it's never later than seven,) and gaze at the bold-print marker scrawl on my white board. "CHIN UP," it reads, and the more I see it the more I feel like I'm mocking myself. A book or two fall to the already littered floor as I rouse myself for tea. Another day, another nail in the coffin.

It's not all bad, I suppose. I have people and ideas to keep me company, and blank paper to excite me.

Actually, it is all that bad. I can't continue to allow people to make important decisions for me, as I've been doing since I can remember. I have to let go of my seemingly perpetual despondence and accept that there are, in fact, things I can do. I do not want to "make it through" my life as if it were some kind of punishment or inevitable hardship, like nearly all the adults in my life tell me.

So, I'm going to take charge of this tiny ship and let it be known that I'll be deciding where it sails, blissfully ignoring the parts of myself that lack confidence.

So yes. I've decided for myself that I will make better use of my time and opt out of what's expected of me, starting the next semester. And let me tell you, it feels good.

It feels good (to be perfectly descriptive) to know that there are always things I can do and make for myself, and eventually for everyone around me.

uneventful

The "inevitable workload" beast of upperclassmanhood has begun to press his thumb upon our backs. Needless to say, I've already fallen behind and started getting sick, which seems to be a theme for me. Ah, well. I expected no better of myself. Speaking of expectations, this year's aren't very hopeful.

I bought Creating A World That Works For All by Sutherland's recommendation, and it is fabulous so far. I'm annotating it, and I'll write some reviews and thoughts on it soon. Sorry I've been so lazy lately, I'm totally sleeping all the time (16 hours a day no joke,) and it's times like these I wish I could be a cat.

On the subject of school, well, to be frank, it's not looking so hot. I don't think my dad's going to allow me to test out, and I've got a heavy load with "college prep" class having me spit up homework for hours each afternoon. I'm not sure, but I think I can "just make it through" this year, too. I'll try, anyway. Last year's English class has probably spoiled me for life, because I'm finding Junior English less and less tolerable. Mr. Stein drives me up the wall. Must he criticize my ineptitude of completing his inane assignments every time he deigns to speak to me? I'm working on it, bub. But I guess such is life, and so is being in a language class you're probably too advanced for (I speak on English and French, actually.)

Not that I want a "college prep" English class, anyhow, come to think of it...

Well, it's too late into the semester for me to really do anything anyway. So I guess I'll apathetically crawl through the rest of the year, wasting my time. Well, I'm already cynical about it, so why not?

In other news, it's good to be in art class again. I should post more art and I actually will this time as soon as my dad sets up the scanner.

School

I've been thinking about school for a long time now, even though I've only been for a week so far this year.

I think I've decided I'd much rather be home schooled than continue public school. I don't want to burden my family, but I could learn so much more in a comfortable, focused environment. And let's face it, self; "just making it through the year" hasn't really worked for you in the past.

I don't want to be in a room with people who don't want to be there. I don't want to be in a place where people act stupid and are judgmental and biased. To be honest, I'd rather not be at home all day either, but my preference is clear.

And if I'm home schooled, I can go to college for the credits I can't earn on my own, which of course will make it easier for me to go abroad.

Well, it's something I want to try.

Is there a concrete reality we must accept?

As humans, we must ask this of ourselves. Are there things we cannot change about ourselves, be they personal, societal, etc?

I always think about this question and how unusual it is that people create some constant, and decide that there is nothing that can or will ever be done about it. For example; "there will always be good people and bad people in the world." Though it's very general, it's also matter-of-fact regardless of its assumption.

Most people would agree with it, though. Hell, I'd agree with it, but agreeing with it makes me wonder about how I define good and bad. If I think about it long enough, I don't really agree with it, because people aren't just born "bad." There are things we can do to make people want to do "good," (not including threats or punishment,) and there are things which make people want to do "bad." Both exist in our world, and since there are so many opinions to be had, it's almost like there's no such thing as "right" or "wrong," and thus, "good" or "bad." "There will always be different kinds of people with different perceptions in the world," is a much more concrete reality.

This can go for groups of people, ideas, and anything that can be judged. However, we like to judge ourselves and each other more than anything, don't we?

I've been "apocalyptic" for some time now. That is, I don't believe my people on this good earth will be able to prolong their existence on it for much longer. I've made this judgement, and I've made judgments about all the humans that ever existed, for that matter. It's a broad judgement and it's not a progressive one. What I mean is, I believe that my species is destructive at heart ("for the most part," because while some of us would like to change this, our surroundings and excuses prevent us from doing so.)

We are the dominant species on this planet. We pretty much get to decide what stays and goes, and it's always to our convenience. We think we're damn special, and we like to consider ourselves the most intelligent being we know of as well. So of course, anything we do or want to do takes priority over all else. We are no longer merely beings, we are emperors, say many cultures (including and especially my own,) and there will be no interfering with our growth.

This is the concrete reality that has been forged in our hands and branded on our backs. This, and many other realities, are things we'd be stupid to argue with because they're "in our best interest" and we "need them to survive comfortably."

More on this later, I've had a fever for the past week or I'd post more now that school's started!