It should be easy to get a good doctor. After all, many young medical hopefuls spend several hard and exhausting years going to school to do a job they love, right? Even if that is true, and there is no doubt that it is for most, it is still hard for many people to find a good doctor.
One of the challenges standing in the way of finding good health care is the health insurance companies that doctors will accept. Most people who have health insurance still have to pay a large portion of their doctor bill. To make matters worse you can't even pick the doctor you want to see. Most insurance companies have a short list of doctors that will take that particular insurance. This narrows the field of quality providers immensely. You must look down the list and hope you will find someone who genuinely cares about their patient, and is not over crowded or no longer accepting patients. Regardless of whether or not you find someone you like, you still have to go to the doctor. You still have to pay a co-pay in most cases.
Another area you don't have an option in is specialty care. In many cases doctors must refer you to a specialist if one is needed. Again, the specialist must take your particular insurance. There is probably a guarantee that you won't even get a list to look at in this case. Whichever specialist your doctor wants to send you to is where you will go.
Wouldn't it be nice if people with health insurance had more choices? If you are going to have to pay for something, even in part, your opinion should matter. Wouldn't it be nice if you could choose your own doctor, and that doctor would accept your insurance, no matter what kind of insurance you had. Since life doesn't work like that it is a good idea to interview potential health care providers in order to get a good idea of who would best fit your family.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
High school Extras
When people are questioned about high school, most people will say that they remember very little. Most people cannot seem to remember learning anything new past the 10Th grade. Perhaps there are a few things we could do to make high school more memorable.
The first thing to do would be to offer more variety in the extra curricular activities. Many schools only offer a limited number of P.E. choices to their students. The main activities offered are Wellness class (consisting of learning about the body and wellness through a book), swimming (in which young, self conscious, changing teens must wear swimsuits), and P.E. (physical activities decided upon by the teacher teaching the class.). For some these choices are acceptable and embraced. For most, however, it is the most hated part of the day. Offering a variety of specific physical activities such as softball, soccer, swimming, etc. would be more appealing to any audience, especially teenagers. Teenagers, like most adults, like to have some say in what they will be doing. Wellness class should be integrated into each students high school experience, but the actual physical activities should be up to them. Less children would "ditch" class if they were able to choose which P.E. they were going to take. This would also allow students to experience a larger variety of sport related activities if they decided to change their P.E. every semester.
As long as they are getting the physical activities they need, the activity should count. Teens who are in school sports such as football or softball should be exempt from another P.E., except wellness class, because they are already getting the exercise they need by doing those sports. School sports should be the only P.E. related activities that students are not allowed to change every semester. If they did then it would be hard for scouts to notice good players.
Another thing that schools could do to help students would be to add a variety of "jobs" to the school program. Teaching children skills like typing and fixing cars, as well as doing internships, would allow students to pick different work fields that may interest them and study them for a semester. In this way students would have a better idea of what they want to study in college. If the schools were really creative they could have students graduating with a two year college degree. The bottom line is that high school would benefit greatly if students were presented with choices.
The first thing to do would be to offer more variety in the extra curricular activities. Many schools only offer a limited number of P.E. choices to their students. The main activities offered are Wellness class (consisting of learning about the body and wellness through a book), swimming (in which young, self conscious, changing teens must wear swimsuits), and P.E. (physical activities decided upon by the teacher teaching the class.). For some these choices are acceptable and embraced. For most, however, it is the most hated part of the day. Offering a variety of specific physical activities such as softball, soccer, swimming, etc. would be more appealing to any audience, especially teenagers. Teenagers, like most adults, like to have some say in what they will be doing. Wellness class should be integrated into each students high school experience, but the actual physical activities should be up to them. Less children would "ditch" class if they were able to choose which P.E. they were going to take. This would also allow students to experience a larger variety of sport related activities if they decided to change their P.E. every semester.
As long as they are getting the physical activities they need, the activity should count. Teens who are in school sports such as football or softball should be exempt from another P.E., except wellness class, because they are already getting the exercise they need by doing those sports. School sports should be the only P.E. related activities that students are not allowed to change every semester. If they did then it would be hard for scouts to notice good players.
Another thing that schools could do to help students would be to add a variety of "jobs" to the school program. Teaching children skills like typing and fixing cars, as well as doing internships, would allow students to pick different work fields that may interest them and study them for a semester. In this way students would have a better idea of what they want to study in college. If the schools were really creative they could have students graduating with a two year college degree. The bottom line is that high school would benefit greatly if students were presented with choices.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Theories On How we Got Here
School systems seem so anxious to teach children one set of things and not another. One piece of theoretical information is considered fact, while the other is laughed at. The promotion of ignorance seems to be a difficult thing to get rid of and is easily embraced. We seem to promote one thing and ignore another of the same topic. One such topic is the simple theory of where people came from. How we came to be on this little ball of rock called Earth.
Currently the public school system teaches only one theory, Evolution. There are several theories about how man came to be on this earth, but none of them are in agreement with the other. All of these theories are discredited by one or more individuals and each of these theories are accepted as fact by other individuals. While it would be irrational to attempt to teach all of the theories, it would be beneficial to teach the two most commonly accepted theories, Evolution and Creationism.
The definition of the word theory indicates a belief that something is truth, or that it can be considered truth due to the predictable nature of whatever the theory is about. The theory itself is not a fact. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory http://www.thefreedictionary.com/theory ). Why then would we be so ignorant as to teach only one “theory” to the children in our school systems! For years homeschooling parents have been ridiculed for teaching their children at home, in part because they are only teaching the children Creationism (or whatever their preference happens to be). Yet the school system is doing the same thing on the other end of the spectrum. In only teaching one theory, children automatically accept what they are taught as fact. They are impressionable, and unless their family is intent on teaching their own theory at home, the children have no alternative but to believe the one thing they are taught in school. Meanwhile, the children whose parents are spending time teaching those theories they believe, are being teased in school for not accepting the “truth”.
This is not teaching. This is religion. Teaching is showing what options are out there and explaining why those options are believed to be accurate. The only way to make sure that students accept theories as theories is to teach more than one. By doing this, young people are left with an itch to investigate further, as well as the option to choose. It also reminds children that each person thinks and believes differently about the way things are and the way things work. Teaching children the two main theories of human existence, and mentioning that there are other theories circulating, is the best way to cause children to think about the theories, and maybe even discover what is fact.
Currently the public school system teaches only one theory, Evolution. There are several theories about how man came to be on this earth, but none of them are in agreement with the other. All of these theories are discredited by one or more individuals and each of these theories are accepted as fact by other individuals. While it would be irrational to attempt to teach all of the theories, it would be beneficial to teach the two most commonly accepted theories, Evolution and Creationism.
The definition of the word theory indicates a belief that something is truth, or that it can be considered truth due to the predictable nature of whatever the theory is about. The theory itself is not a fact. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory http://www.thefreedictionary.com/theory ). Why then would we be so ignorant as to teach only one “theory” to the children in our school systems! For years homeschooling parents have been ridiculed for teaching their children at home, in part because they are only teaching the children Creationism (or whatever their preference happens to be). Yet the school system is doing the same thing on the other end of the spectrum. In only teaching one theory, children automatically accept what they are taught as fact. They are impressionable, and unless their family is intent on teaching their own theory at home, the children have no alternative but to believe the one thing they are taught in school. Meanwhile, the children whose parents are spending time teaching those theories they believe, are being teased in school for not accepting the “truth”.
This is not teaching. This is religion. Teaching is showing what options are out there and explaining why those options are believed to be accurate. The only way to make sure that students accept theories as theories is to teach more than one. By doing this, young people are left with an itch to investigate further, as well as the option to choose. It also reminds children that each person thinks and believes differently about the way things are and the way things work. Teaching children the two main theories of human existence, and mentioning that there are other theories circulating, is the best way to cause children to think about the theories, and maybe even discover what is fact.
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