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 How far we have come 
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Joined: Fri Aug 29, 2008 11:07 am
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Location: Boone, NC
I think that it is important to see how for we have come education wise as students and as future educators. For example, many of you might have heard of Lewis Hines, the famous photographer, who went around taking pictures at mills where children worked and taking a stand against child labor; my great-grandmother and great-aunt were photographed by Lewis Hines. They both started working at a mill in Gastonia, NC, as young or younger than eight. They did not have the chance to be a kid nor were they allowed the right to get an education and the chance to even learn how to read. This picture was recently in the newspaper at my home and I was reminded how blessed I am and how far my family has come in education. I just wanted to through this thought out there and remind every one to not take our education for granted and to not be discouraged when you hear a terrible teaching experiance or what not but think about the lives that your are going to change for the better and how much of a blessing it will be to educate students. :)

Does any one know about the past education of thier ancestors? or have thoughts?

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Hannah Johnson


Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:19 am
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That is very interesting about your grandparents. I've researched Hine's work on several different occasions for papers. He and Riss brought the child labor and unsafe working conditions situation to the nation's attention by capturing the plight of the workers. My grandparents were fairly uneducated by today's standards but were nonetheless very intelligent people. My grandfather was educated by the U.S. Army and the C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corp), while my grandmother had no more than an eighth grade education. My mother's parents were dead before I was born but family stories depict them as they were very "rural" and the home that My mother grew up in had no running water, ever. Her parents were uneducated by any standards but raised nine children in a home with no running water and dirt floors in sections of the house. I believe that many Americans (myself included) take educational opportunities for granted. Remembering or learning about our grandparents and great grandparents and their experiences can be a humbling and rewarding. We as Americans could learn a lot by reliving history and not forgetting its influence on the present.

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Corey J. Tucker


Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:19 pm
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I learned about Lewis Hines and his photography in one of my classes last semester which was very interesting.
As for my ancestors' education, all I know is that my grandmother on my mom's side didn't graduate from high school because she wanted to get married with a month left in her senior year. When she got married, she didn't want to attend the high school in the new area to which she moved. So, she gave up on her education. Nonetheless, she lived a normal life with only a few financial struggles. Her and my grandfather were tobacco farmers so there wasn't a big educational need for that job. Then, they ran a gas station for 13 years. On my father's side both of my grandparents graduated high school and were also tobacco farmers.
So, back in the day there wasn't a big need for education but in today's society it is basically a must to have a high school diploma (or GED) and at least some college experience. It is amazing how things have changed.

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Rebecca D. Evans


Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:08 am
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I also find it interesting how far we've come. This is especially evidenced by the fact that in today's society you almost HAVE to obtain a college degree to have a "comfortable" job. My grandparents either never graduated from high school, or if they did never attended college, yet both sides had successful lives. I just wanted to point out that while we have come a long way in child labor and education there was an article in the Sunday Charlotte Observer (Nov. 9th) about Child Labor at a local chicken processing plant. Several of the workers were under 15 when the legal age for this type of work is 18, and several employees (including supervisors) quoted those in command as saying that the children were working there to secure "cheap, compliant labor."

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Amanda Klinger


Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:37 am
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I think that there are always certain instances of backslide or no change in the status of children and their growing up conditions, but personally I can see a big difference within my own family. My grandparents on my dad’s side both started work at a very young age, working in Loray Mills in Gastonia, NC, and the grandparents on my mom’s side were raised in a farming town so they also had added responsibilities at a young age. Neither set of grandparents had the opportunity to attend college or even all of high school. They had to miss out on so many of the opportunities that we sometimes take for granted, such as playing sports, getting a higher education, and goofing off or socializing with friends. My parents both worked hard to get scholarships so they could attend college, and they have encouraged me to pursue this path as well. I think that we should definitely take time to reflect on the changes that have to come to pass not only in society, but in our own families as well. We need to thank those who have taken the time to help us and encourage us to the best person we can be.

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Kerry Crosby Smith


Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:28 pm
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