Need some help with research...

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Gabrielle
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Need some help with research...

Postby Gabrielle » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:25 pm

Hello! :D
I'm a college freshman taking English Comp 2, and I need to write a convincing essay arguing "the other side" - the arguments against homeschooling. Having been homeschooled 10 out of 11 years of my "official" education, I'm much more familiar with pro homeschool arguments, and am having trouble finding any credible arguments against it. Can anyone point me in the direction of some well thought-out arguments against homeschool? Or even just some opinions of what those who are unfarmiliar with homeshooling commonly believe about it? From what I've been able to find the three biggest arguments seem to be socialization, academic achievement, and potential for child abuse... but these arguments might be outdated. Any help "seeing the other side" would be greatly appreciated :wink: Thanks!
~Gabrielle

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You could read the thread in this area titled...

Postby Theodore » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:06 am

Well, you could read the thread in this area titled "Why I am against Homeschooling". I would personally debate that there's nothing wrong with homeschool socialization, but if socialization means being thrown together with as many random people as possible, rather than having meaningful interactions with a somewhat lesser number, then homeschooling is definitely deficient.

This is really the only issue muddied enough to be argued from both sides. Any other objection to homeschooling is immediately laughable.

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Postby Gabrielle » Sat Feb 18, 2006 8:56 am

I have read that thread, actually, and I agree with your opinion on it. Being thrown into a sea of "peers" does not qualify as socialization. But I'm not arguing that- I'm very pro homeschool :wink: Even so, I have to write a paper- convincingly- about the other side's argument. So what are the laughable other arguments? Ridiculous or not, I need to put them in my paper. Next paper, though, I get to switch back to my orginal essay topic of why homeschooling is effective, and rip the other arguments to shreds :D
Thanks for your reply!
~Gabrielle



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Re: Need some help with research...

Postby Theodore » Sat Feb 18, 2006 10:32 am

Well, let's see.

The majority of child abuse occurs in the home, so since homeschoolers spend more time at home, they must be child abusers!

Since the public school system is paid by the child-day, homeschoolers are un-civic-minded, depriving the school system of the funds they need to do a good job!

Homeschoolers don't like to waste time on unnecessary subjects, so their education isn't well-rounded!

Homeschoolers don't get the full ethnic experience!

Homeschoolers are often taught by people with no college degree! Their education must be sub-par as a result!

Etc. I feel sorry for you- arguing the other side is so much easier :) Why are you stuck debating an issue that's so obviously one-sided?

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Postby Gabrielle » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:03 pm

Thank you! That helps immensely 8) I agree, the other side is much easier, lol. I'm stuck debating this one sided argument because it's an antithesis paper. For my first essay I picked the topic "why homeschooling is effective," and so this time I have to write the opposite view- why homeschooling isn't effective. Problem is, homeschooling is beyond effective, so the antithesis paper is proving hard :? There just aren't any good arguments against it. But for my third essay, I get to go back to my topic of homeschooling being effective, while acknowledging the others sides views, then tearing them to pieces- so the worse the argument against HS, the easier it'll be to rip it to shreds. :D Now that'll be fun!
~Gabrielle



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Postby Princess_Fyara » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:49 pm

lol, I read one once a few years ago from Time magazine... Homeschoolers tend to be more grown up for their ages and they tend to be better adult citizens, but this is not worth depriving them of a normal childhood. I can't remember much else, but I seem to remember that being their point.

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Normal by whose standards, though?

Postby Theodore » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:59 am

Normal by whose standards, though? Public schoolers seem to think that the only way to have fun is their way, so obviously homeschoolers can't be having as much fun. But is unrestricted fun, fun? What if you're one of the minority who gets picked on and made fun of because there are insufficient adults present to keep things on a civil basis? Sure, the majority might be having fun (until they grow up a bit and find the college atmosphere somewhat less forgiving, and businesses unappreciative), but it's largely at the expense of others. Academic achievement is discouraged, not encouraged, and what really matters is being popular and good-looking.

It mainly boils down to the public schools having too small a teacher-student ratio, and the few teachers who are there having very little power to enforce the rules or reward academic achievement. You can't do anything to hurt the egos of the students (so you can't reward the best students or put the worst students on display), you can't dish out any sort of real punishment (so a student practically has to kill another before anything happens), and any teacher that produces results through any method outside of the status quo is quickly gotten rid of (it's an embarassment to the rest of the teachers). So teachers quickly learn that it's easiest to teach the motivated students and label / dose everyone else.

Also, the values being tought in the public school system are definitely not what you want your children learning. Even the teachers can be a problem here.

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Postby Gabrielle » Sun Feb 19, 2006 9:05 am

It's so very sad, isn't it? The American public school system has become so lost it's bordering on corrupt (perhaps it even passed that border) and our children are suffering the consequences. Innocent children enter school each day, and each day they come out with a little less spontaneous laughter, a little less hope, a little less motivation, a little less tolerance, compassion, and caring. And a little less diversity, as they try to conform to America's "normal." It's a sad state of affairs we find ourselves in. Teachers, in the proper sense of the word, are so very few and far between; even those who strive to do good, cannot accomplish enough to make a difference- if they are allowed to try at all. :roll:
I am only glad that I was not subjected to the system, and vow to never put my own children through it (future children, of course. I've only just turned 18; children are a few years down the road :wink: )
~Gabrielle



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Postby Gabrielle » Sun Feb 19, 2006 11:01 am

I think I found the article you read, Princess Fyara. Times magazine, 8/27/2001.

"...In 1992 psychotherapist Larry Shyers did a study while at the University of Florida in which he closely examined the behavior of 35 home schoolers and 35 public schoolers. He found that home schoolers were generally more patient and less competitive. They tended to introduce themselves to one another more; they didn't fight as much. And the home schoolers were much more prone to exchange addresses and phone numbers. In short, they behaved like miniature adults.

Which is great, unless you believe that kids should be kids before they are adults." How completely ridiculous! lol. Poor people. So misguided... :roll:
~Gabrielle



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Postby momo3boys » Sun Feb 19, 2006 4:12 pm

One I guess you could call it a disadvantage would be that it takes time and effort and sacrifice from the parents. But isn't that what we are supposed to do for our children anyway? Just a thought, of a new angle for your paper.
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Postby Princess_Fyara » Mon Feb 20, 2006 12:08 pm

Nice to meet you Gabrielle. :D I only just turned 18 as well!

That would be the exact article. "miniature adults..." mwahaha! I like that. As a Christian, being "about my Father's business" is important, and a compliment. There is a lot of work to do, and someone has to do it. :)

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Postby Gabrielle » Thu Feb 23, 2006 11:33 pm

Nice to meet you too Princess Fyara! 8) Thanks very much to everyone for their comments and advice. My paper was, thus far, a success. I turned in my rough draft, and it was returned with only the remarks "excellent" and "it's convincing, especially as your antithesis effort" written on top. So I guess I managed to effectively pull all that info together to form some sound logic- however wrong that 'logic' is. Boy, that was hard to write- I didn't believe a word I typed for it :| Hopefully my final draft comes out on top as well. Then the fun begins. I get to write pro homeschool again, while acknowledging the other side's views, and then proceed to rip those views to shreds with statistics, examples, logic, and plain-and-simple common sense. :lol: Thanks again, everyone!
~Gabrielle



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Postby Princess_Fyara » Mon Feb 27, 2006 12:37 am

Wow, this sounds like fun. :D Let us know how it all goes!

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This was helpful

Postby Grace » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:05 pm

I've been having the exact same difficulties with an English 2 class - I am doing a research paper arguing the positive side, but temporarily I have to argue the for the opposing side. I was so happy to come across these postings in my search. I hadn't found much beyond the normal socialization arguments either! Thanks so much :D

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Postby Gabrielle » Sun Mar 05, 2006 9:37 pm

Hello Grace! I found an article that presents a decent argument against homeschooling- not great, mind you, but the author did put some thought in to it, lol. It was mentioned up there /\ somewhere: Cloud, John, ect. Time "Home Sweet School" 8/27/2001, Vol. 158 Issue 8, p46. If you don't have access to a database or archives so you can read it, I'd be happy to email it to you. Good luck with your paper, and happy writing! 8)

...and Princess Fyara, I have yet to comence writing essay number 3, but will be sure to let you know how it goes :D
~Gabrielle



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