What to teach my children; Technology or Survival Skills?

[skindog]

I've been wondering lately what would be more important for me to teach my children; technology or survival.

The ideological side says technology. If they want a job in the future, they'll need computer/technology skills.

The pessimistic side says survival. When the U.S. collapses into a state of complete anarchy, which seems to be moving closer and closer to a date not-so-far-away, they'll need to know survival skills.

I'm feeling old lately. Things I never thought would happen do so on a regular basis. Mass-shootings everywhere are just one example. This 'feeling old' mindset started about 9/11, and just keeps growing and growing. Up until that point I had a rosy view of the future, now, I wonder how much more of a future there will be.

I believe in a lot of old-fashioned values, and those values seem to be evaporating in the general population. Honesty, truth, justice, fairness, chivalry, and most of the other positive values are becoming empty punch lines for politicians and news organizations.

I’m not naïve enough to think that nothing bad ever happened in the past, and I attribute the ignorance to such events to the way news travels at a much faster rate now than ever before. Before the Internet, before TV, even before the radio, you normally didn’t hear about some random vile act in a tiny town. Now you hear about it, and every other despicable act in every corner of the planet, with nearly unimaginable speed. Was ignorance bliss, or was it just plain ignorance?

I’m not even 40 yet (pushing it!), and I don’t have a lot of hope for the future of America. Greed, selfishness, corruption, political ignorance… It seems to be growing so fast that I’m not sure there’s any other disease out there that can match the growth or speed of our society’s downward trajectory. I don’t believe I’m being paranoid. If I am being paranoid, then will someone kindly let me know. For my sake, please don’t be a politician or member of any news organization. I would like to know from your average, intelligent, sane, hard-working, honest and fair person, if there’s any left…

[IronErnin]

I would teach both with a healthy dose of your values mixed in for good measure. The Boy Scout motto just doesn't seem to go out of style.

[Ludwig]

... I would like to know from your average, intelligent, sane, hard-working, honest and fair person, if there’s any left…

I have to remain quiet. Disqualified by at least one qualifier.

[Night Owl]

I would guess sane did it for you!!!!!:))

[xzochye]

Teach technology and that way they can Google whatever survival skills they need to know. ;)

[IronErnin]

Teach technology and that way they can Google whatever survival skills they need to know. ;)

The problem with that idea is that when they need the survival skills, the internet, most likely, won't be around. Plus, there are a number of those type skills need to be learned by doing, rather than reading.

[Ang]

All Well Said...I feel the same. The strongest will survive.
I've been wondering lately what would be more important for me to teach my children; technology or survival.

The ideological side says technology. If they want a job in the future, they'll need computer/technology skills.

The pessimistic side says survival. When the U.S. collapses into a state of complete anarchy, which seems to be moving closer and closer to a date not-so-far-away, they'll need to know survival skills.

I'm feeling old lately. Things I never thought would happen do so on a regular basis. Mass-shootings everywhere are just one example. This 'feeling old' mindset started about 9/11, and just keeps growing and growing. Up until that point I had a rosy view of the future, now, I wonder how much more of a future there will be.

I believe in a lot of old-fashioned values, and those values seem to be evaporating in the general population. Honesty, truth, justice, fairness, chivalry, and most of the other positive values are becoming empty punch lines for politicians and news organizations.

I’m not naïve enough to think that nothing bad ever happened in the past, and I attribute the ignorance to such events to the way news travels at a much faster rate now than ever before. Before the Internet, before TV, even before the radio, you normally didn’t hear about some random vile act in a tiny town. Now you hear about it, and every other despicable act in every corner of the planet, with nearly unimaginable speed. Was ignorance bliss, or was it just plain ignorance?

I’m not even 40 yet (pushing it!), and I don’t have a lot of hope for the future of America. Greed, selfishness, corruption, political ignorance… It seems to be growing so fast that I’m not sure there’s any other disease out there that can match the growth or speed of our society’s downward trajectory. I don’t believe I’m being paranoid. If I am being paranoid, then will someone kindly let me know. For my sake, please don’t be a politician or member of any news organization. I would like to know from your average, intelligent, sane, hard-working, honest and fair person, if there’s any left…

[Night Owl]

Or the one with the biggest gun(s).

[Ludwig]

Or the one with the biggest gun(s).

I disagree. It's not the size of the tool that matters. Rather it is how well the tool is used that brings satisfaction.:))

[mac]

i'm not so sure about that, when it comes to humans. it may well be that the smartest will survive.......mac


All Well Said...I feel the same. The strongest will survive.

[Mestral]

I don't remember the age of your children.

Until they are ten, they don't need to know ANYTHING about tech.

Just some good ideas:

Until about 8:
Teach them reading, riting, rithmatic, history, and about God (or whatever values you have)
AND teach them how to fish (all phases, from bait selection to cleaning or skinning), identify plants, bugs and birds.

8 to 12, add in science, geography, map reading, mechanical skills, carpentry, and about God (or whatever values you have)
AND landnav, basic shooting, hunting, trapping, camping, etc

If you are home schooling, I would start on tech at about 10, when you introduce mechanical skills,
and impress that is is only a means to an end.

[siamcat]

Why not teach both, although I hope you won't turn into one of those crazy survivalists like the ones on TV.
I can understand the gloomy view, but to scare your children like that to me seems a horrible way to grow up.
Take them camping, fishing, and stuff for fun while teaching them those skills, but don't neglect the technology side of it.
In my opinion the more kids learn about different areas of life, the more prepared they are to survive in any world.

[Mermaid Princess]

Skindog,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts as I found it quite interesting. Every once in awhile someone will post something that will make me ponder.

[Ludwig]

Don't forget to teach them how to safely handle guns and ammunition and train them in marksmanship skills.

[Mestral]

Don't forget to teach them how to safely handle guns and ammunition and train them in marksmanship skills.
I AGREE. Safety in handling weapons should be the first thing anyone should know about them, and should be drilled into them until they are saying it before you do.

[sojourner truth]

Teach your children to love. And to be discerning when dealing with people. How to be honest, yet kind. Tough, but fair. Mechanical learning always comes in handy. Learning the history and language and heritage of our nation is essential. To know and love the God of our fathers always has its rewards. Teach them at least enough math to balance a checkbook and count change. Everything over that is gravy on the taters. Oh, and teach them to read avidly...If you can read and comprehend, you can learn anything you need to know.

[mac]

don't forget to get 'em a dozen or so smoke jensen books.....mac


Teach your children to love. And to be discerning when dealing with people. How to be honest, yet kind. Tough, but fair. Mechanical learning always comes in handy. Learning the history and language and heritage of our nation is essential. To know and love the God of our fathers always has its rewards. Teach them at least enough math to balance a checkbook and count change. Everything over that is gravy on the taters. Oh, and teach them to read avidly...If you can read and comprehend, you can learn anything you need to know.

[Brian McCall]

Well, let's figure out what you mean by "technology". I would say this: teach them the basics. Start with survival skills. Teach them a few things on the weekend. Most of those are things that require some fundamental knowledge, coupled with hands-on type training. Teach them about plant transpiration, then show them the skill by tying plastic bags over a branch overnight, that way they can see how to get water that way, and also understand the principle behind it.

Technology. Well, I hate to say I hate technology. But, in its modern incarnation, divorced from fundamental principles, I do. People think cell phones are magical new technology, when they operate on the basic principles of electromagnetic waves that we understood since the 1800s. Technology in that sense is no different than magic. No, teach them science. Teach them mathematics. Understanding what it means to "Google" something if they can't do binary addition leaves them afloat, unmoored, and doomed to only understanding surface phenomena. Sure, make sure they know how to google stuff, but first teach them binary. Teach them how to perform logic operations on a string of binary numbers. Teach them electronics. Teach them what an electron is, how many electrons make a coulomb, and how many coulombs flowing past a point per second make an ampere. Teach them that when you have a bunch of logic gates with electrons, then you can have something like TCP/IP. Download Wireshark and show them what happens when a communication is initiated between two computers using a connection-oriented protocol like TCP, show them the fields in the packet that indicate SYN, SYN/ACK, and ACK. Show them the HTML on the Google site. Teach them programming so they can comprehend the javascript on the webpage.

THEN when they Google something, they will know what's going on, rather than just playing with a black box like the modern educational institutions teach mathematics.

Teach them the fundamentals of everything, and understanding the "technology" comes naturally.

[siamcat]

Well, let's figure out what you mean by "technology". I would say this: teach them the basics. Start with survival skills. Teach them a few things on the weekend. Most of those are things that require some fundamental knowledge, coupled with hands-on type training. Teach them about plant transpiration, then show them the skill by tying plastic bags over a branch overnight, that way they can see how to get water that way, and also understand the principle behind it.

Technology. Well, I hate to say I hate technology. But, in its modern incarnation, divorced from fundamental principles, I do. People think cell phones are magical new technology, when they operate on the basic principles of electromagnetic waves that we understood since the 1800s. Technology in that sense is no different than magic. No, teach them science. Teach them mathematics. Understanding what it means to "Google" something if they can't do binary addition leaves them afloat, unmoored, and doomed to only understanding surface phenomena. Sure, make sure they know how to google stuff, but first teach them binary. Teach them how to perform logic operations on a string of binary numbers. Teach them electronics. Teach them what an electron is, how many electrons make a coulomb, and how many coulombs flowing past a point per second make an ampere. Teach them that when you have a bunch of logic gates with electrons, then you can have something like TCP/IP. Download Wireshark and show them what happens when a communication is initiated between two computers using a connection-oriented protocol like TCP, show them the fields in the packet that indicate SYN, SYN/ACK, and ACK. Show them the HTML on the Google site. Teach them programming so they can comprehend the javascript on the webpage.

THEN when they Google something, they will know what's going on, rather than just playing with a black box like the modern educational institutions teach mathematics.

Teach them the fundamentals of everything, and understanding the "technology" comes naturally.

I think you just confused most of the people on the board:)).

I agree with teaching them fundamentals:07: