WDW not educational? BAH.

[FlightlessDuck]

Yes, there are educational aspects to Disney.

Yes, I think my kids have learned stuff.

But, I will not go out of my way to make it educational.

That's one of several reasons why we go in the summer.

If your school lets you do it, and your kids can handle the time away from school, that's great. But it's not something I would do.

 

[allison443]

Under those circumstances I would probably "play the game" yes. However, if I posted about it at all it would be vent that i had to fabricate such a letter just to take my kids on vacation without them being penalized--I wouldn't post acting like I thought it WAS an educational trip--which is how your OP read to me. Apparently I missed something in the tone, sorry.
FWIW I am not opposed to pulling a good student out of school at any level for vacation--if the student wants to go and is up to the challenge of finding out what work they missed (I believe it should be the student's responsibility to find out--from other student's what they missed or to arrange for other student's to keep an extra copy of worksheets, etc NOT the teacher's burden; at least not after 4th grade or so).

I got the same tone from the OP as you did. She was calling the teacher a "fool" for not recognizing the vast educational opportunities as WDW. Now she's saying it was "tongue in cheek".

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Much as I love AK-it is pretty much a glorified Zoo-taking your kid out of school to go to the Zoo would be frowned upon also.

The two main reasons zoos exist are to study/care for animals and to provide educational experiences to the public. I don't see why saying AK is a "glorified zoo" a bad thing. Of course it's a zoo.

 

[Magpie]

You don't consider art and music to be "learning" but adding up receipts at Disney and making a park plan counts as educational??
I don't know about your school, but my kids definitely spent more than two hours a day learning in school.

Actually, as a former homeschooler, I can tell you that two hours a day is just about right for the formal school curriculum in the primary grades.

One morning's work would usually have us AHEAD of the curriculum goals for that day.

The problem is that public school is designed to teach large groups of children all at once. There's a lot of "wasted" time, not just in moving from class-to-class and getting the kids seated and paying attention, but also in the basics of teaching large numbers all at once.

At any point, while half the class is actively learning, the other half is distracted or just marking time. When you have one student, you can move on the minute they master the topic. But when you have 30, you need to constantly play catch-up, bringing up the slower ones while you keep the faster learners out of your hair with busy work.

I have nothing but the GREATEST admiration for teachers and the job they do. But the fact remains that two hours is probably a reasonable estimate of the amount of actual academic learning that goes on in a typical school day.

On a slightly different topic - I'm personally surprised at any system that would punish a 2nd or 3rd grader for an unexcused absence by dropping their grade from an A to a C. What if the child had missed those same days because they had the flu? Presumably, their overall learning achievements would be the same, and yet because their absence is "excused", their grades won't suffer. That's an awfully steep penalty for attendance!

Grades should reflect actual learning and progress over the course of the year, not whether a child's butt is in a specific seat every day.

 

[Mimi1965]

The two main reasons zoos exist are to study/care for animals and to provide educational experiences to the public. I don't see why saying AK is a "glorified zoo" a bad thing. Of course it's a zoo.

Not knocking Zoos at all-their research is invaluable. Just using some basic logic that the OP put out there.

None of us would take our HIGH SCHOOL aged kid out of school to go to the Zoo-right?

Once my kids got to HS-we only took one or two days off for WDW(like right before a Holiday Break)-more than that they refused-too much work to catch up on.

 

[MushyMushy]

I got the same tone from the OP as you did. She was calling the teacher a "fool" for not recognizing the vast educational opportunities as WDW. Now she's saying it was "tongue in cheek".

Well, actually "fool" was one of the words that I thought would clue people in that I was playing. The "BAH" and "oh no he didn't" were the others.

 

[Mimi1965]

Well, actually "fool" was one of the words that I thought would clue people in that I was playing. The "BAH" and "oh no he didn't" were the others.

I'm getting a vibe that you are trying to change the point of your first post because too many are disagreeing with you.

 

[allison443]

Actually, as a former homeschooler, I can tell you that two hours a day is just about right for the formal school curriculum in the primary grades.

One morning's work would usually have us AHEAD of the curriculum goals for that day.

The problem is that public school is designed to teach large groups of children all at once. There's a lot of "wasted" time, not just in moving from class-to-class and getting the kids seated and paying attention, but also in the basics of teaching large numbers all at once.

At any point, while half the class is actively learning, the other half is distracted or just marking time. When you have one student, you can move on the minute they master the topic. But when you have 30, you need to constantly play catch-up, bringing up the slower ones while you keep the faster learners out of your hair with busy work.

I have nothing but the GREATEST admiration for teachers and the job they do. But the fact remains that two hours is probably a reasonable estimate of the amount of actual academic learning that goes on in a typical school day.

My kids did not attend public school
In primary grades they did not move from class to class. They also did not have thirty kids in a class.
I'm not arguing with you, but I will stand by my assertion that in my kids' school they received more than two hours a day of instruction. I'm sure that varies.

Also, my child has a classmate from another country. She eats lunch with and talks to this child. Educational!
My child waits on a line to go into school. Learning the socialization of crowds. Educational!
My child selects and pays for lunch in the cafeteria. Learning budgeting. Educational!
My child shares markers/crayons with a classmate. Learning sharing. Educational!
My child takes a bus to school. Learning about transportation/neighborhood geography and landmarks. Educational!

Thank you for helping me to see that my child's school day can be as educational as a Disney trip!

(This post was tongue in cheek....)

 

[NHdisneylover]

Well, actually "fool" was one of the words that I thought would clue people in that I was playing. The "BAH" and "oh no he didn't" were the others.

So did he actually say it was pathetic? Or was that part of your joking around?
allison443--tahnsk for posting; I am glad I am not the only one not getting the right vibe here sometimes I wonder.

 

[ReneeA]

You have to play the game and fill out the form. Not one teacher in that school cares if you make WDW educational or not -administration just wants their funding from the state in the event they sweep through the school. Fill it out, make it sound good and have fun.

Side note...I've never understood why so many topics around here churn up so much drama...

 

[MushyMushy]

Actually, as a former homeschooler, I can tell you that two hours a day is just about right for the formal school curriculum in the primary grades.

One morning's work would usually have us AHEAD of the curriculum goals for that day.

The problem is that public school is designed to teach large groups of children all at once. There's a lot of "wasted" time, not just in moving from class-to-class and getting the kids seated and paying attention, but also in the basics of teaching large numbers all at once.

At any point, while half the class is actively learning, the other half is distracted or just marking time. When you have one student, you can move on the minute they master the topic. But when you have 30, you need to constantly play catch-up, bringing up the slower ones while you keep the faster learners out of your hair with busy work.

I have nothing but the GREATEST admiration for teachers and the job they do. But the fact remains that two hours is probably a reasonable estimate of the amount of actual academic learning that goes on in a typical school day.

On a slightly different topic - I'm personally surprised at any system that would punish a 2nd or 3rd grader for an unexcused absence by dropping their grade from an A to a C. What if the child had missed those same days because they had the flu? Presumably, their overall learning achievements would be the same, and yet because their absence is "excused", their grades won't suffer. That's an awfully steep penalty for attendance!

Grades should reflect actual learning and progress over the course of the year, not whether a child's butt is in a specific seat every day.

You make valid points about the wasted time. I believe my kid gets more than 2 hours of learning in a day, BUT how about they give them that time back for all the pep rallies, movies, presentations, speakers and the 8 days they use up for practicing for the state testing -- yes, practicing. 8 days of practice tests. I'd like those 8 days of good quality time traveling. (though I'm only taking 2 for our trip)

 

[SaraJayne]

So, wait. What some of you are telling me is that YOU wouldn't fill out the form to have the absences excused when you know darn well the school will excuse it as an educational trip? You'd call it a vacation, even knowing the school considers it educational?

Sorry, but I have no qualms filling out this form.

And many of you are still missing the point of the thread. I'm going to take my tongue out of my cheek and stick it out at the rest of you now. Actually, I kind of prefer this guy

It's a moot point for us, since the absences are excused, anyway.

 

[bgirldeb]

Mushy, I totally got the vibe of your post when it was originally posted.

In my opinion, kids can learn a lot more from being out experiencing things than sitting in a classroom all day.

The schools may frown upon not having a child in the seat to get funding, but they're my kids, and as long as their grades are not suffering, I will take them out from time to time for vacations.

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm getting a vibe that you are trying to change the point of your first post because too many are disagreeing with you.

No, I'm not backpedaling.

I don't mind a good disagreement or heated debate, believe me. I've been around long enough and have enough posts under my belt to prove that.

Hadley, yes, he said it was pathetic -- that was years ago, it was a former middle school teacher. Yes, I was joking about calling him a fool, and hoping that other people would join in and "play" with their reasons that WDW is educational. I *really* should have known better, but every once in a while I forget the actual tone of this place.

Again, mea culpa.

 

[wvjules]

Mushy, I totally got the vibe of your post when it was originally posted.

In my opinion, kids can learn a lot more from being out experiencing things than sitting in a classroom all day.

The schools may frown upon not having a child in the seat to get funding, but they're my kids, and as long as their grades are not suffering, I will take them out from time to time for vacations.

Keyword! No one is saying that you can't take your kids out of school for a VACATION. Trying to disguise it as an "educational" trip is laughable.

 

[NHdisneylover]

No, I'm not backpedaling.

I don't mind a good disagreement or heated debate, believe me. I've been around long enough and have enough posts under my belt to prove that.

Hadley, yes, he said it was pathetic -- that was years ago, it was a former middle school teacher. Yes, I was joking about calling him a fool, and hoping that other people would join in and "play" with their reasons that WDW is educational. I *really* should have known better, but every once in a while I forget the actual tone of this place.

Again, mea culpa.

Okay--thanks for replying for to that. Okay, so he really said it. Are you actually bothered by it, or do you agree?
Is your daughter actually opposed to this request being made?
I am still a bit lost as to which parts are jokes and which are not.

 

[jrmasm]

Keyword! No one is saying that you can't take your kids out of school for a VACATION. Trying to disguise it as an "educational" trip is laughable.

For the 10th time, the only way to take kids out of school in PA is to disguise vacations as 'education'.

 

[LuvOrlando]

No, I'm not backpedaling.

I don't mind a good disagreement or heated debate, believe me. I've been around long enough and have enough posts under my belt to prove that.

Hadley, yes, he said it was pathetic -- that was years ago, it was a former middle school teacher. Yes, I was joking about calling him a fool, and hoping that other people would join in and "play" with their reasons that WDW is educational. I *really* should have known better, but every once in a while I forget the actual tone of this place.

Again, mea culpa.

I totally got the tone of your original post and replied in line with it. Too bad so many people don't get subtlety and have no funny bone at all, what a colossal bore. I thought the nasty reactions to me were hilarious which is why I didn't bother responding to their swipes. First, it would have been like shooting fish in a barrel and that's no fun & second, it was more amusing to watch them unload at an imaginary target than to be right.

 

[wvjules]

For the 10th time, the only way to take kids out of school in PA is to disguise vacations as 'education'.

I must have missed that part the first 9 times. I also didn't realize that everyone on the DIS that used the "educational" excuse lived in PA. Who knew?

 

[ratlenhum]

You don't consider art and music to be "learning" but adding up receipts at Disney and making a park plan counts as educational??
I don't know about your school, but my kids definitely spent more than two hours a day learning in school.

I do consider it learning but spending 8-12 hours a day walking around Disney blows away 2 30 minute gym classes as far as exercise. I think attending some of the musical shows at WDW compare to music class. Especially for my child whose music, art and gym classes are extremely modified. Sometimes my kid comes home from art with nothing more than a crayon picture. Last week he drew a pumpkin. At every meal at WDW he sits with crayons and the kids menu and draws for almost the entire time we're in the restaurant.

I was talking core academics, math, English etc.


I wouldn't claim WDW as an educational trip but in explaining to the school that we are going on vacation, there is enough of an academic/learning component involved where I think we should be marked down as an excused absence.