only in the UK lol?

Question

when everyone is going on about keeping religion out of schools , or bringing prayer back into schools
we bring in Harry Potter and magically the school standards go up lol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=493455&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490

can you see this happening in the US ?
personally I think it is a great idea

Answer 1

That's incredible.
And we haven't had a school shooting for decades, despite not teaching Creationism and not forcing children to pray in non-faith schools.

It's just a pity that children can't be inspired by better books.

Answer 2

Hehehe...I love the imagination that these teachers have put into transforming their lessons. And to be fair, they've done it with other themes too, but Potter has a knack of catching and inspiring young imaginations - that's one of the reasons it's as phenomenally popular as it is. But what have we got here? We've got a determined bunch of teachers, evidently working on the principle that by giving kids a stake in their lessons - they were ASKED who or what to base their lessons around - and making learning FUN and involving, they get better results, happier, more engaged kids and probably a more deep-rooted rhythm of learning than any conventional system based on the drilling of information has yet given them.

So in principle, I think it could catch on in the States. Whether the Potter theme in particular was one that was "allowed" in certain uber-Christian communities would be for them to sort out on a school by school basis I suspect. But the principles of making learning fun and getting the kids to choose a theme - knockout stuff, and surely something that is ideally aimed at the US education system?

Answer 3

I think that's excellent. If a school performing badly can use Harry Potter to turn the results around and engage students--more power to them.

I don't see it playing in the US unfortunately, but it's a good idea. As long as they are getting grounded at the basics, what is the harm in making learning fun.

Answer 4

Many US schools use Harry Potter books in the classroom. The middle school where I work recently had the founder of Mugglenet.com visit our students who were reading Harry Potter, and I have a huge Harry Potter poster on my wall.

EDIT

I have also been told by one of my students that the poster is creepy because the eyes follow her around the room like a picture of Jesus! I just threw that in for fun.

Answer 5

It's a cool idea! I wish more schools were like that! After all, it's about teaching the kids - and they achieve fantastic results. So I really don't see where the supposed problem is. All problematic schools should try something like that. And it says it wasn't only HP, but every term a different topic. I think it's fantastic.

Answer 6

Well, we had to do something...
A British man faking Egyptian artefacts was only caught because experts spotted a spelling mistake on an inscription.

Unless we can raise the standards in our schools (and around here wouldn't hurt) future experts will have nothing to go on... Spelling mistakes will be the norm.
(Though coins dated 50 BC will still be a bit of a give-away.)

Answer 7

A Harry Potter themed school might actually make kids more interested in school. I know i hated school it was soo boring and im pretty sure its the same for most kids i think.

Answer 8

Amazing! I'm not crazy about the books meself, but it's impossible to deny that Ms. Rowling has created a new wave of reading among exactly the age group that needs it.

How typical of the US Christian Right to be opposed to such a beneficial influence.

CD

Answer 9

if it helps then it is good but i don't like the trendy teaching ideas of combining lessons, but this idea makes it fun while keeping the core modules there by the look of it and gives students a say in how they are taught

Answer 10

Unfortunately religious parents would freak out and shut the whole state down, not just one school. I am glad England is open to new ideas.



((Pangel))