Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

I think it is great that our youth are exposed to something of
this magnitude at such an early age.

This has been something that has been missing from our school systems
for quite a long time and that is the financial, credit, business, enterpreneur
aspect of life. Our future leaders need to know how to start their own business
as well as learn and understand how money works.

What an outstanding program.

Friday, May 30, 2008
I agree this is a remarkable skill set to teach your offspring, it is clearly one of the advantages awarded to those more "privileged" and wealthy who can afford the luxury of a private education. I was married to a "North Dallas brat" and I happen to know first hand about the culture of Dallas. There are a lot of great people with remarkable qualities who go the "extra mile" to give their children everything under the sun. While I can appreciate the model you have found in this case in point, I question the true cultural value taught about charity in this model. I doubt many people who grow up in a privileged family understand the concept, but I want to encourage future efforts to introduce this ideology into the culture- THEY need more of it in the families that I have met- (the ones who look down their nose at others). It seems evident at least to me, that when everything is handed to someone on a silver plate, they tend to "look down" on others, this attitude has in my experience, created a great divide in our culture. Given the enormous model that this school may have, perhaps a better use and application of it would be to see if the children can take those practical lessons into less privileged populations and teach other students what they have mastered. This is a skill set in; and of itself, not only to the students of wealth blessed enough to be granted a private education that will by default learn the curriculum with more confidence (once they are presenters), but also it will expose them to students of all ethnic, and social conditions. Many of the lessons regarding our social biases, I believe, can be best resolved by the babes- if we try to do it I am confident we will screw it up- however, if you ask children to work on social bias, and the "great divide" in our culture we might actually solve this issue- thus end up with a few less ethnocentric spoiled brats in Congress who have the their greatest moments when they decide to draft a law to sue OPEC! I still cannot believe that law came into existence. Further; if we give the basic information to a group of 5th graders I wonder if they would agree with the idea of being at odds with 12 countries in one single act! It has long since been my opinion that Congress is filled with people who have led a life of wealth and privilege like the children who go to this school- and while it yields some advantage to a few, I wish we could carry that good over to the masses, and let it "work" for us, not against us as a culture. There is no doubt it serves our children well to know the basic ideas of business, this will serve them well, and in the end serve us as a nation well- since it is they who will be accountable for our GNP as we lay weak and lame in our old age wondering what we could have done to make this world a better place for the children who will end up running it!

I agree with both of the comments above. This all goes back to what the author of Rich Man Poor Man has been trying to tell us. We set the premise that we are to grow up and work for someone else and that is what we are taught in school. This school is changing that attitude and is reaping the rewards. Just think about what those students will be capable of when they get older. I love hearing stories like this. These students will be prepared for much more than business, as they will be able to equate what they have learned to everyday decisions.

This show is awesome. It would make sense that we be allowed to study some of the current subjects be taught to 5th graders, then if we fail. Well, I guess we would have to finally admit to being less smarter than a fifth grader. I am sure even 3rd graders would win over adults.
Benigna Marko

What happens if one of the chickens die before laying any eggs? Are these children mature enough to understand loss without it affecting future business risks? Real estate investing isn't always a winning outcome, and neither is farming.

If these kids were really looking to learn about running a business, they would have to be taxed. Assuming that they had any after tax income remaining, they could DECIDE whether or not any further "charity" was necessary. It certainly shouldn't have been placed at number one on the list. Of course, I would imagine that "private school" was likely code for "religious school," and what with "giving" unearned rewards somehow being considered a virtue under religious dogma, that would somehow make sense; strange as that is to some of us.

Oh well, teach a man to fish is often lost in today's self-undulating press releases. I would expect no less from a Dallas "private school."

Take it easy! We are talking about children here. They probably had fun doing this project. Why do adults feel a need to make more out of it ? This was ONE project... not graduate school.
Maybe the next lesson can be for the students to pretend they are the chickens and see how long it takes to lay an egg. Then the adults can calculate potential income for their business plan, which will be reviewed by angel investors when they are looking for money to expand their "clucking" business.

Learning and having fun should be a child's only business. After that, they become like the adults that we are. Do we really need more people in this world who don't place charity as a top priority "for the good" of society, business, and self?

@ Cheryle:

I thank you for your comments but it's important to understand that all businesses have risks and these children can learn that just because they may suffer a loss from time to time. Due to the chicks being cared for in mulitple locations the risk of substantial loss is minimized. Pardon the pun but these kids learned a valuable lesson that they shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket! Sorry.

Brett

@Sharky,
Not a parochial school. Just one wanting to get kids to understand the nature of how business operates and the "gift of work". Have any of you read "The Ultimate Gift" by Jim Stovall? We have hired him to come speak next week at a fundraiser in Dallas and I am thrilled to get to hear him. His book is inspirational and really speaks to the "entitlement" minded folks out there.

Brett

Mr. Carman, thanks for sharing this. I love service learning and hands on learning. This definitely is teaching practical skills that can be applied to many life situations. What I like about this one is it was designed for younger students.