At what point is it no longer learning?

[Vetalia]

Wah wah, school is hard and/or boring.

Let's be honest, pissing away a day planting sea grass is a waste of time.

[LANDOF]

Skappola, what you are doing is not learning. Also is it an environmental sciences class?

[Skappola]

Skappola, what you are doing is not learning. Also is it an environmental sciences class?

No, Marine science

[Colbert Super PAC]

This is clearly a government plot to raise our taxes and force us to eat only moss.

[Las Palmeras]

Pshhh, this is nothing. My Introduction to Social Sciences teacher said that the Jews were the ones that move the economy (if we're gonna talk about seemingly random lessons).

Well, no, you did learn something. Namely that your teacher is full of shit (or bay grass).

She's fairly competent...as long as we remind her not to trail off.

Wah wah, school is hard and/or boring.

Let's be honest, pissing away a day planting sea grass is a waste of time.

Not for bottom-feeders and other primary consumers...like scrod, you know, it's a bottom dweller.

[The Rugged Coast]

It stops being learning when you stop knowing things you haven't known before. [/thread]

Agreed.

[Avenio]

The name is self-explanatory, you take care of the mot boring plant in the world.

If nature has taught us anything, there's always a more boring plant.

/invertebtratebiologymajor

So we plant the things in dirt(which I later found out that we were supposed to put it in sand, you would think she would know that),

Shockingly, plants can grow in more than one type of soil.

So please don't say it's bloggy.

It's bloggy. Sorry, but it needs to be said.

[Jetan]

Well, sometimes people get carried away with things they consider important. I can relate because my Responsible Business activity teacher was quite similiar. She was so enthusiastic (and naive) about developement aid and the enviroment she didn't actually manage to teach us anything beyond enviroment=good, third world exploitation=bad. I actually ruined her day once by pointing out that some music school program or somesuch for poor african kids (which she thought was wonderfull and showed genuine will to help) was nothing but a PR move by the company doing it, because if they really just wanted to help they would have put the money to education or infrastructure instead. She looked like she had eaten a kilo of lemons after that.

[The Rugged Coast]

I'm going to try to keep this post un-bloggy, but I do need to say why I'm asking this.

So please don't say it's bloggy.
So, I have a new "marine" science teacher, who is an environmentalist. I don't really mind that as long as she actually teaches stuff, but so far it has only been on throwing away trash and recycling. I would think, "okay, maybe she'll get to the interesting things soon", but this recent event put me over the edge.

She joined the Bay Grass transplant school program. The name is self-explanatory, you take care of the mot boring plant in the world. So we plant the things in dirt(which I later found out that we were supposed to put it in sand, you would think she would know that), but then when it came to taking care of it, what happened was ridiculous. You know the moss/algae stuff which grows on topsoil where it's moist? She made us scrape it off with our bare fingernails and put it in a compost pile. No tools, just our fingernails. She said it would be "a great learning opportunity"

I'm only in High-school mind you so there's no crazy professor with tenure excuse here.

So what I'm asking is when does it become environmental propaganda/free labor rather than learning? Because, I think it's insane.

You should be learning the specialized knowledge in that field (no pun intended), knowledgeable skills, current procedures, typical routines, and the current models and theories used for Marine Science for your class level--which is probably a very general survey of marine science. It is your right as a student to be challenged in learning marine science, but please remember, teachers are not perfect. Our current educational model is quite flawed and a new teacher will probably be learning how to apply his/her skills for the first time, including how to best use class time.

Whatever concerns you may have, politely address to the teacher (discreetly) regarding how it relates to your expectations. The more constructive the criticism the better--recommend some things that other marine science high school teachers are doing, for instance. If she is a good teacher she will take it into consideration for next year's students. You may disagree with her ideology, politics, hair color or perfume, but a good student will not let that get in the way of learning what she has to teach. You may even learn more than just marine science (like some hands on horticulture), or understanding another person's perspective (even when disagreeing with it).

It becomes propoganda (in the bad sense), when you are learning an "-ism" rather than the thing in itself (Environmentalism vs General Survey of Marine Science).

It becomes forced labor, when it is for a cause other than learning the knowledge in that field. If it is what a marine scientist would do during the course of his/her job, then it is a learning experience. If it is something that an "-ism" would have you do unrelated to Marine Science then i would question it.

Schooling is only a part of one's education. You should also not expect any one class, or group of classes to prepare you for the subject. If you are interested in Marine Sciences read books on the topic, attend guest lectures at your local college campus or civic forums, take a tour of a NOAA facility, talk to professionals in the marine sciences, etc.

[The Silence of Night]

Clearly a conspiracy on the part of the moss. They had an evil plan to conquer the compost pile.

Moss isn't very intelligent.

[Libertarian California]

Don't you see? First you planted her lawn, and then you're going to mow it!

[Katganistan]

Is this the ONLY thing you do in class?

No instruction of any other sort?

[Lemanrussland]

Wah wah, school is hard and/or boring.

Let's be honest, pissing away a day planting sea grass is a waste of time.

If you don't want to scrap away moss with your fingernails, you clearly hate learning, as well as Mother Gaia.

[Valrifell]

I'm at a moss for words.

*gets coat*

drunk your, home go! *collapses on floor*

[The Parkus Empire]

She's teaching you applications and considerations of biology at a high school level. I'm not seeing the problem.

[Sommorragh]

Sounds like your teacher is teaching your class a very important lesson about how you can do your part for environmental protection and conservation--a lesson that, judging from your post, you would do well to learn. Good for her!

Why are you complaining about this? Do you hate our precious natural environment or something?

You can't be serious.

@OP

Sounds like a waste of money and time if your teacher isn't teaching you anything remotely useful. Unless what this woman is teaching you directly has to do with your course, I would recommend doing some extra studying.

[Jetan]

She's teaching you applications and considerations of biology at a high school level. I'm not seeing the problem.

What can scraping moss be applied to?

Sounds like your teacher is teaching your class a very important lesson about how you can do your part for environmental protection and conservation--a lesson that, judging from your post, you would do well to learn. Good for her!

Why are you complaining about this? Do you hate our precious natural environment or something?

You can't be serious.

It's Bluth, he can.

[Las Palmeras]

Now that I stop to think about it...I didn't whine and complain in Biology class last year when we needed a semen sample. All the other guys got nervous for some reason.

What can scraping moss be applied to?

Aquaculture, environmental restoration, aquarium hobbies, koi pond decoration...

Sounds like a waste of money and time if your teacher isn't teaching you anything remotely useful. Unless what this woman is teaching you directly has to do with your course, I would recommend doing some extra studying.

It's an interactive lesson full of facts about the ecosystem, environmental protection, trophic levels and producers (photosynthetic organisms) if you stop to think about it.

[Las Palmeras]

I thought Marine Science was about fish, not grass.

*Edited because I forgot a comma. I'm a perfectionist like that.

More than three fourths of the world is water, it's not that hard to imagine things other than fish.

[United Republics of Aralon]

I'm going to try to keep this post un-bloggy, but I do need to say why I'm asking this.
So please don't say it's bloggy.
So, I have a new "marine" science teacher, who is an environmentalist. I don't really mind that as long as she actually teaches stuff, but so far it has only been on throwing away trash and recycling. I would think, "okay, maybe she'll get to the interesting things soon", but this recent event put me over the edge.

She joined the Bay Grass transplant school program. The name is self-explanatory, you take care of the mot boring plant in the world. So we plant the things in dirt(which I later found out that we were supposed to put it in sand, you would think she would know that), but then when it came to taking care of it, what happened was ridiculous. You know the moss/algae stuff which grows on topsoil where it's moist? She made us scrape it off with our bare fingernails and put it in a compost pile. No tools, just our fingernails. She said it would be "a great learning opportunity"

I'm only in High-school mind you so there's no crazy professor with tenure excuse here. So what I'm asking is when does it become environmental propaganda/free labor rather than learning? Because, I think it's insane.

A) Get over it, it's a tiny thing.

B) It's learning, in fact it's hands on learning, and knowing how to take care of a plant will indeed be a skill you can use in life.

Doing it with your bare fingernails is not learning. This really is edgy. I sure wouldn't have done it. Why the f... would one use ones nails when one could use a tool(like a coin). Mandatory and pointless/demeaning maual labor is physical punishment in my books. Guess where I live this would qualify as such legally. (If the teacher explicitly forbade using tools.)

And no, scarping moss won't teach you anything about moss.Or bay grass. Its green, soft and wet.(And there is no point in trying to take care of a plant which cannot tolerate moss.)


Don't get me wrong this is a minor thing, but the problem is that such people get to teach. Who enjoy making life harder for people, for no damn reason other than their own amusement(Or no damn reason at all.). Yes its petty, but provided she forbade using tools thats just sadistic behavior. It is a minor thing, but it shows the teachers sad lack of character.

[Las Palmeras]

I'm starting to think you guys haven't gotten dirty before. Y'know? Cleaning a chicken, cleaning out pig intestines, burying dead animals in dirt, cleaning windows, gutting fish, sticking your finger in a cat's mouth so it can regurgitate after a surgery, walking around mosquito-infested mud puddles...

Moss, really that's an exaggeration.

[The Parkus Empire]

She's teaching you applications and considerations of biology at a high school level. I'm not seeing the problem.

What can scraping moss be applied to?

Transplants, as is planly demonstrated. Practical interaction is a fine thing.

[Nailed to the Perch]

A) Get over it, it's a tiny thing.

B) It's learning, in fact it's hands on learning, and knowing how to take care of a plant will indeed be a skill you can use in life.

Doing it with your bare fingernails is not learning. This really is edgy. I sure wouldn't have done it. Why the f... would one use ones nails when one could use a tool(like a coin). Mandatory and pointless/demeaning maual labor is physical punishment in my books. Guess where I live this would qualify as such legally. (If the teacher explicitly forbade using tools.)

And no, scarping moss won't teach you anything about moss.Or bay grass. Its green, soft and wet.(And there is no point in trying to take care of a plant which cannot tolerate moss.)


Don't get me wrong this is a minor thing, but the problem is that such people get to teach. Who enjoy making life harder for people, for no damn reason other than their own amusement(Or no damn reason at all.). Yes its petty, but provided she forbade using tools thats just sadistic behavior. It is a minor thing, but it shows the teachers sad lack of character.

I suspect that the odds that she "forbade using tools that were available" rather than "did not actively buy tools with her own money to protect teenagers from the horrors of touching dirt" are approximately zero.

[United Republics of Aralon]

I'm starting to think you guys haven't gotten dirty before. Y'know? Cleaning a chicken, cleaning out pig intestines, burying dead animals in dirt, cleaning windows, gutting fish, sticking your finger in a cat's mouth so it can regurgitate after a surgery, walking around mosquito-infested mud puddles...

Moss, really that's an exaggeration.

Its not about that, I gutted fish, seen a pig slaughtered, planted trees,handled snakes, hiked nigh forty kilometers in a single day. I did of my free will, and I got to use the most apropriate tool available,sot that I could do with the least inconvenience possible in the situation.

It is incredibly pretty, but this still clearly shows cruelty(Or grave stupidity, and the "I told you to do so without thinking,and I was wrong,But I'm right even when I'm wrong" type of thinking) int the teachers personality.

[Vazdania]

I'm going to try to keep this post un-bloggy, but I do need to say why I'm asking this.
So please don't say it's bloggy.
So, I have a new "marine" science teacher, who is an environmentalist. I don't really mind that as long as she actually teaches stuff, but so far it has only been on throwing away trash and recycling. I would think, "okay, maybe she'll get to the interesting things soon", but this recent event put me over the edge.

She joined the Bay Grass transplant school program. The name is self-explanatory, you take care of the mot boring plant in the world. So we plant the things in dirt(which I later found out that we were supposed to put it in sand, you would think she would know that), but then when it came to taking care of it, what happened was ridiculous. You know the moss/algae stuff which grows on topsoil where it's moist? She made us scrape it off with our bare fingernails and put it in a compost pile. No tools, just our fingernails. She said it would be "a great learning opportunity"

I'm only in High-school mind you so there's no crazy professor with tenure excuse here. So what I'm asking is when does it become environmental propaganda/free labor rather than learning? Because, I think it's insane.

Crazy teachers are crazy!!!