Important skill or obsolete?

[dakcp2001]

My best friend teaches 10th graders. One of them asked her what time it was on Thursday. She pointed to the large clock above her head. The girl explained she doesn't know how to read a clock, she uses her cell phone. So my friend asked the whole class. Out of 27 students, 6 of them knew how to read the clock, all were taught by their parents. She gave a lesson on how to read a clock. And on Friday she got an earful form a parent saying no one needs to read a clock and its obsolete. This is an inner city school, most will not go to college ( 52% last year went to college). Not sure if the demographics matter or not.

What do you think? I was surprised as it never occurred to me that kids were not learning this skill. What if you are in another part of the country? Your cell phone dies? Is it really a necessity? I think everyone should know how, but maybe I am too old to judge.

What do you think?

 

[handinpocket]

Nope, not buying it. I don't believe for one second that only 6 kids out of 27 knew how to read a clock. This is taught in elementary school and is not something hard to catch on to.

I think your friend is pulling your leg.

 

[snykymom]

Nope, not buying it. I don't believe for one second that only 6 kids out of 27 knew how to read a clock. This is taught in elementary school and is not something hard to catch on to.

I think your friend is pulling your leg.

I don't. More than one of my kid's friends don't know how to read a clock (including my kid!). No matter how many times I tried to teach her. She had a really hard time. She uses digital clocks/cell phones/watches (if she wears a watch). And she graduated from college summa cum laude.

My guess is that within the next 20 years or so, clocks with hands will be quaint accoutrements, lovely to look at but not necessary.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think a lot of things are changing technologically, and just as there were some things that were obsolete to us from our parents' generation (like an ice box, or a telephone operator to connect calls, for instance), there will be some things that go the way of the dinosour with our kids as well, and subsequently their kids, and so on.

With that said, I've found it enjoyable as a parent (and was fortunate to have the time and inclination) to spend lots of time with my kids talking about things like that and trying my best to eductate them on everything I found relevant to their knowledge base. Although I will admit that when they were little, they were late learning to tie their shoes because, although I exposed them to it, it was a lot easier with twins to use velcro so I guess I'm guilty of having kids in K that weren't very good at shoelace tying. (They seem to have no trouble now, though, so it didn't scar them for life, thankfully. )

I do have two 10th graders and in regards to the time issue, it's interesting. We have clocks all over the house (I like a clock in every room so I can keep track of time) but I have noticed my DD will say time in digital fashion as opposed to round clock fashion. For instance, she will say 10:45 instead of "quarter of". It doesn't mean that she doesn't know what quarter of is, or that she wasn't taught what it means, it's just that that's what she's accustomed to because it's what she uses herself every day, even at home. In many ways, I do it myself now, too. Changing times. (I never use an alarm clock anymore, for instance. I prefer using my phone instead if I use an alarm.)

Interesting topic.

PS Military time is a whole other thing. ETA I use it at work and still have to really think about it sometimes as it wasn't something I ever learned until I was an adult.

 

[leebee]

I believe it. People don't seem to mind being dependent on "technology" so things like learning to read an analog clock, knowing how to make change, writing in cursive, doing long division and multiplication, etc., are falling by the wayside. We have digital clocks and cell phones, calculators, electronic cash registers, etc. Why should people bother to learn how to do things when a piece of technology will provide the answer? Makes me sick, personally, but this is the growing attitude from parents and in schools. Heck, in our Common Core math training, we were told that getting the correct answer to a math problem was no longer important, as long as the kid knew HOW to find the answer... the answer didn't matter, just the process (like knowing how to read numbers from a cell phone instead of figuring out the time from an analog clock). I guess many people just don't mind becoming ignorant, as long as something can tell them the answer.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Nope, not buying it. I don't believe for one second that only 6 kids out of 27 knew how to read a clock. This is taught in elementary school and is not something hard to catch on to.

I think your friend is pulling your leg.

Correct to the bolded. I distinctly remember my kids doing "clock work" homework, as well as making our own clocks when they were younger. I'm sure most parents must do this with their kids.

 

[dislal]

Nope, not buying it. I don't believe for one second that only 6 kids out of 27 knew how to read a clock. This is taught in elementary school and is not something hard to catch on to.

I think your friend is pulling your leg.

My kids never learned. I have taught my DD's with no problem but my DS doesn't even try. It is sad.

Our school also stopped teaching cursive after dd18, my two younger ones cannot read my cursive writing.

I think we are failing our children, I understand moving forward with technology and all, but...............

 

[lauradis]

Lol that pretty high %. I personally like digital clocks better. Even if you are taught something in Elementry school but then never use that education in the practical since, more then likely it will not be retained.

As far as parents being upset most work places still us old fashion face clocks.

Face clocks are becoming more of decoration item in homes, then function of telling time.

 

[3smithboys]

It is a skill that is taught in elementary school, but like any skill, if it is not practiced on a regular basis it will not become learned. I teach 6th grade and many of my students ask me the same question every day. I point to the clock on the wall, and they also look at me perplexed! I teach in a very affluent District.... but people just don't use analog clocks anymore.

It's a shame that kids can't tell time using a clock - I bet that in the future, we will just get rid of them because no one will be able to read them though!!!

 

[hegsag]

My son is learning how to tell time right now and he's in the second grade. I was surprised that he is even learning about phrases such as half past, quarter til and others that I can't think of.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

She pointed to the large clock above her head. The girl explained she doesn't know how to read a clock, she uses her cell phone. So my friend asked the whole class. Out of 27 students, 6 of them knew how to read the clock, all were taught by their parents. She gave a lesson on how to read a clock. And on Friday she got an earful form a parent saying no one needs to read a clock and its obsolete.

What do you think? I was surprised as it never occurred to me that kids were not learning this skill. What if you are in another part of the country? Your cell phone dies? Is it really a necessity? I think everyone should know how, but maybe I am too old to judge.

What do you think?

oh.my.gosh.

I'm not too old to judge, I'm 22, so i'm not THAT far ahead of them. I learned how to read a clock in elementary school. We also have always had 2 analog clocks in our house...so do these people just not have clocks hanging up in their home??

And I can't believe the parents got mad?! That's like, a skill I feel like you should know..

And how did these kids tell time when they didn't have cell phones?! I'm pretty sure i learned in like, 1st-2nd grade.

This reminds me of a situation that always comes up at work. I work at a children's shoe store. Parents will come in looking for shoes for their 8 year old and OLDER, and I can't tell you how many don't know how to tie their shoes. A couple occasions, the kid has come in and wanted to get tie shoes, and the parent says, "I'm not buying you tie shoes until you learn how to tie your shoes." WHAT. .

Anyway, I think it's ridiculous how much kids are not taught compared to what I was taught

 

[Surfinpiratee]

My son is learning how to tell time right now and he's in the second grade. I was surprised that he is even learning about phrases such as half past, quarter til and others that I can't think of.

Wow! Hah, I don't remember learning 'half past' I'm sure I did, but it's not really something people say now. I do remember learning quarter til

 

[Surfinpiratee]

My kids never learned. I have taught my DD's with no problem but my DS doesn't even try. It is sad.

Our school also stopped teaching cursive after dd18, my two younger ones cannot read my cursive writing.

I think we are failing our children, I understand moving forward with technology and all, but...............

They don't teach cursive?! Now, I know we don't really use it, but how are they going to learn to sign something?! Like write their signiture!?

 

[kellyg403]

I think it is probably the way things are going.

I have a lot of teenagers who work for me. All of them can read a clock because we don't have digital and just like grownups, they know what time their shift is over... However, if clocks with hands become obsolete then it will be a dying art.

One thing I dislike is that the kids can't add or subtract in their head. They have to pull out their phones to figure it out. They think I am the smartest thing that walks because I can look at it and figure out the correct change.

Pretty soon, there will be calculators everywhere we go.

Kelly

 

[MSLRAC]

Nope, not buying it. I don't believe for one second that only 6 kids out of 27 knew how to read a clock. This is taught in elementary school and is not something hard to catch on to.

I think your friend is pulling your leg.

I believe it and actually read an article back during the summer about graduating seniors not knowing how to tie shoes, tell time, count money, write in cursive, etc because it's no longer taught in school. I've had to teach my own kids those skills and when I asked their teachers about it, it's usually a combination of no time and no need to teach it due to technology.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I guess many people just don't mind becoming ignorant, as long as something can tell them the answer.

Ignorant vs relevant? I guess that is the question.

At what point do you suppose it became less ignorant for me to know how an ice box worked, even though it wasn't relevant to me?

I mean, at some point certain things do become obsolete, and we are seeing that more than ever now today. I'm not sure it's always a bad thing. (Although I naturally agree that certain things are still important, at least for the foreseeable future, like cursive writing and the telling of time, etc.)

 

[MSLRAC]

They don't teach cursive?! Now, I know we don't really use it, but how are they going to learn to sign something?! Like write their signiture!?

I work in finance and see young adults every day that can NOT sign their names...especially their middle names for DMV work. Most either just print it or make the first letter and scribble the rest. It's quite sad!

 

[snykymom]

I believe it. People don't seem to mind being dependent on "technology" so things like learning to read an analog clock, knowing how to make change, writing in cursive, doing long division and multiplication, etc., are falling by the wayside. We have digital clocks and cell phones, calculators, electronic cash registers, etc. Why should people bother to learn how to do things when a piece of technology will provide the answer? Makes me sick, personally, but this is the growing attitude from parents and in schools.

So do you know how to use a slide rule? Or to read a sun dial? Or use a rotary phone? Do you have turntable for your records? Do you use the Yellow Pages, or just look up companies on the Internet?

Happens in every generation. And the older generation decries it.

In our generations, it's just happening faster.

 

[jam217]

I absolutely believe it. And they may be taught it in elementary school but because they're not practicing it regularly, they lose the skill. When I look at the clocks around my house -- stove, microwave, Bose radio, phones, computer -- the digital far exceeds the analog clocks. I think the analog clocks will become like rotary phones.

 

[DisneyDreamer2504]

I find it hard to believe it a skill not being used.......there are clocks EVERYWHERE! Sounds like a class trying to distract the teacher and get them off subject to me.