So, I must admit that I have been slacking off in my blog posting for the last two weeks. In my defense, that is becuase I am truly learning the definition of too much writing. I have spent the last three weeks doing a literature analysis so that I could write a research proposal for one of my classes. Excpet, it wasn't just a research proposal... it was a proposal and a midterm all rolled into one. So rather than simply writing the proposal, we had several questions that we had to incorporate in depth answers for into the proposal. All told, the proposal was a little over 3000 words, but the reading and citing and all of that made it so much harder to complete than a free-thought piece of the same length. So the 500 word a week blog posting seems like a piece of cake after cranking that thing out! Also, the proposal was turned in yesterday afternoon, so I have some free time to catch up on the blogging that I have been slacking on lately.
I think I am starting to see where the ideal of this class is going...
There are only a few basic concepts that a person MUST know to function in society.
In my opinion, a person must know the language, that includes the ability to speak, read, and write. A person needs to have some concept of the four basic principles of math, addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. If for no other reason than to deal with currency. Decision making, certain ethics, more social skills that are harder to teach are obviously desired, but not absolutely required. Other than that I can't think of anything that EVERYONE needs to know.
The problem is that I started learning things I didn't need to know (and have never used) when I was in 4th grade. In fourth grade, I didn't know that I was not going to live in Michigan for the rest of my life (that came about in 6th grade) and I was an aspiring author. I didn't decide to going into computing until my Sr. year in high school.
I don't know that I have an answer to the question that Jay keeps asking about "How do we prepare someone for a job when we don't know what that job will be?" My instict is to say that educators have been doing that for years and years... but then I remember that most of us don't like the education system.
So then my next question is... if everyone else can see this and everyone else is all for changing this, why don't educators see this and what is preventing the change? Are politics too involved in education? Is there something that the people in charge of deciding how education works know that we are not aware of? All very perplexing.
Of course teaching a student how to learn rather than what to learn creates massive burdens in itself. How do you teach someone how to learn rather than teaching them specific topics. How do you determine (measure) that a student has in fact learned how to learn?
In my master's program I took a class and the students freaked out over the first assignment. The directions for the assignment were given in two short sentences. As the students probed the instructor for more information about how to complete the assignment, how to format the document that would be turned in, etc. The instructor continued to reply... whatever you think is best. Finally she said to pretend she was your boss and that he gave you this as a work assignment to complete and is too busy to answer your questions.
I REALLY enjoyed that class and the freedom to complete the assignments anyway I wanted to. It didn't matter what the answer looked like as long as the process I took to come to that answer was supported. It didn't even matter if the answer was wrong. If I supported my process and came to the wrong conclusions, then I was given instruction as to where my logic was flawed or where I might have made a mistake. My grade wasn't penalized for it since it was a learning process.
It drove the majority of the class insane. They wanted step by step instructions on how the task was to be completed and a big long description of what the final paper was supposed to look like. They couldn't fathom that they were free to choose how to complete the assignment. So to me, that is a better learning environment and closer to what I think the point of this class is (of course I could be wrong... it happens)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You said, "I don't know that I have an answer to the question that Jay keeps asking about "How do we prepare someone for a job when we don't know what that job will be?" My instict is to say that educators have been doing that for years and years... but then I remember that most of us don't like the education system."
ReplyDeleteI don't know about MOST of us but I do not like it in the slightest!!
"So then my next question is... if everyone else can see this and everyone else is all for changing this, why don't educators see this and what is preventing the change?"
Well, I think most people do NOT see it in the slightest. The robot-like structure, the factory system, works just fine for most. It is a system that dumbs down, prepares people for a robot-like, unquestioning existence, etc. This is perfect for a consumption society that doesn't want to think. Look at the economic shambles we have today. The whole world system has been going down the tubes due to a removal of a sound money system. Our constitution guaranteed a sound one but the "smart guys" got us off of sound currency and VOILA! The fact that the whole world is in the same boat is not reassuring when we are all sinking.
"Are politics too involved in education?"
Simple answer, YES. And note that the politicians do NOT send their kids to those schools and into THAT system. Yes, a free universal education system is one of the planks to the communist manifesto!!
"Is there something that the people in charge of deciding how education works know that we are not aware of?"
Yes, they know that most people are sheep, are lemmings that will go off any cliff that THEY point out. They know that their system is meant to guarantee a future supply of more sheep for them, the elites, to slaughter (in any manner they can, politically, socially, mentally). Just look at the way they want people off of drugs but make sure they drug them up in the schools. We might not like Tom Cruse at all but he is right about the drug pushers in the school systems.
All very perplexing.
But not if you step back and look at the overall goal...socialism. When the masses are ignorant they accept any tyrant or group of tyrants and become quite compliant. The school system is a perfect success when viewed from that standpoint. Ignorance is Bliss!!
Of course teaching a student how to learn rather than what to learn creates massive burdens in itself. How do you teach someone how to learn rather than teaching them specific topics.
YOU CAN't.
How do you determine (measure) that a student has in fact learned how to learn?
You don't.