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147 Comments
- KuntaKinte, on 10/11/2007, -5/+163god forbid anyone learns anything!
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -5/+71holy ***** he's named like I'm named!
- thelab101, on 10/11/2007, -3/+48What a dangerous country to want to become a teacher. I think I'll just work in telemarketing, at least my American morals won't get in the way.
- mrASSMAN, on 10/11/2007, -2/+40This guy managed to receive national board certification, a VERY difficult endeavor that most teachers won't even bother with. Only 20% of the teachers who go through the year-long expensive course actually pass the test and recieve their certification. So obviously this guy is not only a fantastic teacher, but a very intelligent person.
And he gets fired for showing a video. Wow. I'm sure there are a thousand schools around the country calling him up right now seeking to hire him. - signal15, on 10/11/2007, -2/+40Gotta love the effects of the standardized testing that all of the schools are so worried about now. Anything that doesn't drill the answers into the student's heads is useless according to administration, because if they don't do better than they did the year before, they lose a bunch of funding. Whoever thought of this is an idiot, because a school cannot sustain indefinite improvement on the tests. Once the test results reach a certain level, they are going to stay there, until the school loses funding for lack of further improvement, and the scores are going to suffer, and they will lose even more funding.
I graduated in 1994. Up until 7th grade, I think I had an excellent education in public schools. I was placed ahead with the older kids in certain subjects, and the school did a good job of identifying students that could handle the harder stuff. One of my classmates in 7th grade was going to the U of MN for his math courses. When I moved to another state for a couple of years, they moved me back 4 years in math, because it was against school policy to put me with the older kids. I was not allowed to leave school and take courses at a nearby college either. As I got older, more and more started revolving around standardized tests, and less on the actual intellectual development of the students.
There are plenty of great charter schools out there that are still free, otherwise, there are some great private schools (that cost nearly as much as college). I strongly encourage anyone who is disillusioned with the current public education system in this country to look into Montessori schools, charters, and private schools. Something drastic needs to happen with our public education system here, and if people are leaving public schools in droves, then that might be a good way to send a message. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+38but outsourcing will get in the way
- swavalier711, on 10/11/2007, -6/+35what the *****? What the *****?
It's a medical documentary! It might have some blood and stuff, but it's a MEDICAL documentary! You bleed if you're shot or cut! - carnesm, on 10/11/2007, -1/+24it's interesting that this story made it onto Digg. I had Baker for two classes back before I graduated from EHS 10 years ago. He's one of the few teachers that encouraged students to have their own opinions and to think critically. I don't recall a student ever being punished or ridiculed for having a stance different from his. It's too bad that our country has been become so submissive to political correctness that we have to be afraid of offending anyone. Regardless of one's political stance, this was a documentary on a side of the war that most people don't see. I've seen the video, and I can guarantee it wasn't anything worse that some of the movies I saw when I was in high school.
A shame he was fired. A lot of kids will miss out on the opportunity to have a unique learning experience without him around. - highwebl, on 10/11/2007, -2/+20War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.
Ambrose Bierce - knulpm, on 10/11/2007, -3/+20Baghdad E.R. (as the article points out) is only anti-war in showing that "gasp" war has casualties and how they're handled.
I'd be on the school districts side if I got the vibe this guy showed a buncha shot up Iraqi's and soldiers and used it as a platform to horrify the kids into agreeing with his view on the war.
But that doesn't sound like it happened.
Sounds like this was a genuinally caring guy who maybe bent the rules a bit to get kids to think (talking about current events in geography, teaching history "backwards") who rubbed the administration the wrong way by injecting a bit of controversy and not "teaching toward the test.
From my personal experience, left leaning high school teachers aren't the "crazy left wing psychos" who fail people who don't agree with their view points you hear about in universities. They're usually open to discussing any view point with students. - abanana, on 10/11/2007, -7/+22@aceq
Huh?
I dont remember being taught about the holocaust, then that it didnt happen and was given the choice to decide what i think happened. Im pretty sure every American history textbook teaches us about how glorious the American revolution was but fails to mention how the rebel army was basically a terrorist organization by the standards of that time period's warfare.
Every classroom is biased. My AP Government teacher tries to be fair and balanced, but her women's rights opinions always end up dominating most topics.
This guy is human, he has an opinion, its going to come out, most students either dont give a ***** about geography or hear the same ***** on the news so really there is no harm being done to the students' psyches. But dont get me wrong, he is an idiot for showing this because knee jerk reactions always follow something controversial in school settings - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -3/+18All I have to say is: "What the *****?"
Doesn't surprise me, I brought copies of Jesus Camp, 911 Mysteries, An Inconvenient Truth.. to school and got flak for it - obliviousfool, on 10/11/2007, -4/+16This is a pro-school film!
It will keep the kids in school ...and out of the military! - manicallday, on 10/11/2007, -2/+14Actually the study of geography can entail a lot of different subject matter.
"Man in society and local variations in environment." - Halford Mackinder, 1887
"How environment apparently controls human behavior." - Ellen Semple, c.
"Study of human ecology; adjustment of man to natural surroundings." - Harland Barrows, 1923
"The science concerned with the formulation of the laws governing the spatial distribution of certain features on the surface of the earth." - Fred Schaefer, 1953
]
"Geography is both science and art" - H.C. Darby, 1962
"To understand the earth as the world of man" - J.O.M. Broek, 1965
"Study of variations in phenomena from place to place." - Holt-Jensen, 1980
"...concerned with the locational or spatial variation in both physical and human phenomena at the earth's surface" - Martin Kenzer, 1989
"Geography is the study of earth as the home of people" - Yi-Fu Tuan, 1991
So studying how war affects people can definitely be relevant. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+11Welcome to American Schools, where we're more concerned with being sued than actually teaching your brat some education.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -3/+14and that is why they didn't like it
- mrASSMAN, on 10/11/2007, -4/+14"Also Jesus camp is perfectly acceptable in a psychology class, you don't think mindless brainwashing and mass organized religion falls under a psychology issue?"
I do. But this is public school (right?), and the people who pay you likely have certain religious beliefs and don't want you show that to their kids. I personally wouldn't want a teacher showing Passion of the Christ in History class. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11I watched American beauty in school with out a permission slip; however, I live in Canada
- JonForTheWin, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11>If this was a polisci class, or even history class I would be angry, but its a geography class,
"which shows the lives of doctors, nurses, medics, and soldiers in Iraq. "
That's not "politics". These days anything you limp-wristed slaves don't want to ***** face is "politics". You're pathetic. Newspeak for the loss. - colinmhayes, on 10/11/2007, -2/+11do any of you have any clue what geography is??
- colinmhayes, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8ge·og·ra·phy (jē-ŏg'rə-fē) pronunciation
n., pl. -phies.
1. The study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity.
no clue what it has to do with what's going on in other parts of the world. - Bradygilg, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8Hi, I actually attend Lincoln East High School and I think this article is somewhat biased. Though I did not have Mr. Baker as a teacher during this video tape (I had him last year), my classmates have told me that the problem with the videotape was not because of medical gore or Iraq, but because the videotape contained a live recording of an execution. (by beheading if I'm not mistaken)
Someone must've complained, and Mr. Baker got suspended. He was due back in a week, but he chose to quit. He wasn't fired. I'm not surprised, he is strongly against... many things, and takes action for them. He was part of some protest of the Vietnam war and was sent to jail for example. I'm not surprised that he quit after what he felt was an unfair suspension by the schooling system. - laserblazer, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8That's why I said it's propaganda. The main intent is to control public opinion of the war. The side-effect is quicker treatment for the wounded.
If you're suggesting they care enough about the troops to treat them quickly, you're forgetting who put them in this nightmare in the first place. - Laytonx, on 10/11/2007, -2/+9god forbid anyone see the actual effects of war.
- laserblazer, on 10/11/2007, -4/+11This is an object lesson that school is a place to learn to be a corporate drone, not an educated citizen.
They love to say, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse", but they don't teach you law at all during any of the many, many years they have you for. (I digress a bit here, sorry)
Mandatory schooling is not only communism, but one of the worst and most insidious aspects of communism.
edit: Don't give me any ***** about home-schooling being an alternative. You're forced by law to teach their curriculum if you home-school. Disgusting. - vsaint, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8With practices like this coupled with the low pay, it looks like we are due for a large teacher shortage.
- aceg1357, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I'm not sure about the state you reside in but in the state of Washington it is law to teach the Holocaust in the 11th grade U.S. History classes as part of WWII. The other side of the story isn't that it didn't happen. The other side so to speak was what the heck the Nazi's were thinking and their goals behind it. Because there is massive amounts of evidence that the Holocaust happened it is taught. Only idiots believe the Holocaust didn't happen therefore that isn't taught.
Actually some US history teachers bring up what is terrorism when introducing the revolutionary war. At least I did as well as most of my colleagues when I taught History in High School. Elementary and Middle School teachers do not because one of the stated goals of teaching history is to manifest a sense of patriotism in the students. Anyone who has ever taken a U.S. history class in collage is taught the revolutionary war in this light. Oh and terrorist isn't the word I would most describe Washington. Guerrilla warfare is a much better description of some of the tactics.
Yes people are human and biases will come out. They are free to come out in collage. But in the public school system K-12 it is the teachers responsibility to present classes in an unbiased fashion. Some constantly go over the line of professionalism and some get caught for it. This sounds like the case with this particular teacher. If he wanted to teach a general anti-war bias there are many ways to go about it that wouldn't get him in trouble although History classes are more appropriate for those things. - KarthVader, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Whether this teacher had an ulterior motive or not is up for debate. I've seen the documentary Baghdad ER because I am seriously considering joining the military as a physician in the future. How this is involved with a geography class, I'm not quite sure, but I still would applaud this teacher because we need more teachers that will challenge our thought process and not just be sheep. There is nothing controversial about this documentary except the fact that it shows that the U.S. soldiers that are shot at can bleed and can die from those wounds just like any other soldier from any other country. I don't know if the state of Nebraska is pro-Bush/Cheney or pro-War in Iraq, but showing students the realities of war and that it is NOT glorious should not mean immediate removal.
Some people (school officials) are idiots. - lunarnall, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I go to Lincoln East, too. I remember my friend who's in his class telling me how they watched the really good movie and then he was fired because of it. Then I heard people talking about how they made him agree to a retirement deal, or something. I feel really bad for the guy, and my friend really liked him as a teacher.
- Dichotomic, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7Of course it would have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that getting aid to wounded solders as fast as possible might help save their lives...
- dsveen, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I have never had Mr Baker as a teacher but as a student at Lincoln East i knew how much all the students respected him and listen to what he said. Many times you will hear students ranting about how the think differntly then when he has givin his opinion. But thats what make Baker such a good teacher, he makes students question their believes and lets them change their own perspective about what is happing in the world. He doesnt shove believes or thoughts down on anyone, he lets you decide what is real and not.
- joot2112, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5High school kids are almost old enough to experience the war first hand. Isn't it fair to give them a couple of years warning?
- juneau, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Hey, remember when this was a free country?
- Kelroy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5i go to lincoln east high school in nebraska it is a good school as a matter of fact i watch rated r films daily in my us modern millitary history class just down the hall from where baker showed his film.
- Comatose51, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Holy crap! They did a segment on NPR about Baghdad ER. If anything, that film is very supportive of our soldiers. The Pentagon had a chance to review it and some soldiers thanked the makers for it. One of the parts they talked about is how our medics and surgeons will save anyone, including insurgents and terrorists. One nurse waited until an insurgent was better and conscious to remind him that the blood that saved his life came from an American soldier.
God forbid our children being shown at least some members of our population living up to our ideals and being noble. - laserblazer, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7They don't want you to know that if you receive triage and die five seconds later, you're listed as wounded rather than killed.
Check out the new FAST (Forward Aid STations) and their role in the propaganda war. They get the wounded triaged as quickly as they can so the number of KIA (Killed In Action) doesn't jump quickly in a single day or week.
I think a lot of you would be surprised by how many of the roughly 50,000 wounded American soldiers are actually dead. - aaronm67, on 10/11/2007, -4/+9Well, you probably got flak because at least two of those don't really have a place in school.
Jesus Camp - why the hell would you watch a documentary about a religious camp in school? I haven't seen this, but I IMDBd it, and I really can't understand why you would watch it in school, as it doesn't relate to any subject really, and it will just piss people off.
911 Mysteries - school isn't the place to try to spread your conspiracy theories. This is a ***** documentary, and almost every "mystery" shown is easily explained. You got flak for bringing this to school because it's a terrible, uneducational, most likely irrelevant documentary.
An Inconvenient Truth - this one is actually a good documentary, and it's pretty reasonable to show to a class. - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7After that "documentary," could any of his students locate Iraq on a map?
- EtherGnat, on 10/11/2007, -2/+7I not only buried your comment I buried your stories as SPAM too, and I'd encourage others to do the same.
- Dichotomic, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Actually I disagree; it's not that the education itself sucks, it's that there is little to no discipline in public schools and so there is no atmosphere that supports learning.
I went to public school, and I could have learned a LOT more if the environment(student body environment that is) had been more conducive to learning. - jockser, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6Nebraska über alles.
- jellygraph, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4This is all part of the fascist nazi-like social self-censorship... disgusting, isn't it? way to go america, well done, look whats happening to you
- WoollyMittens, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Alle subversive elements must be removed. Schools are for breeding the obedient. Filling their heads with reality makes for disobedient citizens.
- vonskippy, on 10/11/2007, -4/+8Public Education (in America) sucks.
If this is a surprise to you (or you disagree), and you're American, lets all take a wild guess and say you went to public school? - cankillar, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Welcome to my blocklist.
...and you're going to support your statement with logic, reasoning, and facts, right? - David513, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5I'm strongly opposed to the war in Iraq, but I can't figure out what business a geography teacher has showing a documentary about an emergency room in a war zone. That's not what geography means. It sounds more like someone is showing a film to his class for political reasons. I wouldn't fire the guy for it (if it's the only offense), but I certainly don't think it should be allowed -- just as it shouldn't be allowed for another geography teacher to show a pro-war film. Teach geography in a geography class, not politics.
Of course, the truth is that many, many teachers show films that have nothing to do with their classes, because they just want to fill up time with useless things. (Yes, some of those lazy teachers are friends of mine, so I'm certain about their motivations.) In this case, though, it sounds as though the motivation was political. That shouldn't be allowed, whether he's pushing propaganda for leftists, rightists, libertarians or anyone else. Just stick to teaching your subjects, please.
David - sonaro, on 10/11/2007, -2/+6That is a very interesting piece of information you claim is true. Please provide a reputable link.
- fatesdefiance, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Totally agree with Dichotomic. There is nothing wrong with the education *available* in America's public schools. The problems arise in getting the students to take advantage of that--and a large factor in those problems lie with the parents rather than the school.
- EtherGnat, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4It had nothing to do with my feelings on the war. It has nothing to do with the stories. Good stories will rise to the top on their own merits. If spamming stories isn't discouraged then comments will be flooded with people trying to promote their stories.
- AtlGuy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Wow, people are just too uptight these days. When I was in high school, I had a teacher that would play a movie every so often, and we'd get her to play the US Festival from sometime in the 80's (she had the entire festival on video)...heavy metal day of it too with quiet riot, van halen, and a few others that I can't remember.
Despite that, we did work and got pop tests so studying was a necessity. -
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