I think many people don't realize how the generation and distribution of information has evolved over the years. As discussed in the video, it was originally the elite few with the knowledge and information that we so commonly toss around in daily conversation today. Where people once had to be Aristocrats to receive a higher education, people of all background can easily access information for free from the internet. Anyone can also attend a college or university. But do I think the fact that information is readily available online makes a formal educational institution expendable? Of course not. Just because the information is there doesn't mean people are accessing it or even know where to go to find it (or for that matter what they are looking for). That is like saying that there is a lake somewhere in the desert. Maybe people don't realize they might want water. Maybe people don't know it is out there just because they can't see it. Maybe they know they are thirsty but don't know what they need to remedy their thirst. Maybe they don't know where to look for it. So maybe schools just give students a list of ideas, facts, etc. And maybe the student prefer to go online for additional information as opposed to in their books. But at least the school introduced the student to the information. Now the student knows what they want/ what they are looking for. And in many cases the school even shows the student where to go to find it. So, instead of leaving the students in the middle of a desert, the educational institution is leading the students to the water (but it still can't make them drink).
Morgan Bayda and Dan Brown discussed class settings in which they were feed facts to memorize, were discouraged from social intercourse with their fellow students and their professors, and felt the educational institution was failing to teach them. While I can understand where they may be coming from, I have never personally experienced such a setting. Whether in a class of 20 or a class of 200, I never felt like was simply being taught at. I will admit to being the type of student who would ask questions, make comments, etc. And I will also confess that My questions, comments, etc. have never been met with a denied response. Maybe I just got the luck of the draw, but my teachers, educators, professors (whatever they could be labeled as) were always in a state of informative conversation with their students. I have had teachers who encouraged students to explore a subject/ topic/ idea further. I have had some who want to hear more from the students than their students hear from him or her. I have an American Lit professor who gets his 40 students to put the desks in a big circle and basically have us discuss readings, ideas, etc with each other. He says that he knows what he thinks of it and doesn't just want us to think just like him. He wants us to be collaborative and form opinions of our own. So there might be better places for gathering information. But the internet won't teach you how to talk with people and bounce ideas off of one another. It won't teach you how to think for yourself. In the end, it doesn't make a difference if the information is coming from the internet, books, professors, etc. What matters is if you can interpret the information for yourself, if you can do something with that information, and if you can generate ideas, information, etc. of your own.
2. Don't let them take pencils home
This post it very interesting. It shows how desperate people are to find third-party excuses for why students' test scores are low. If the students are showing up for school regularly and the teachers are reporting for work daily, there must be a third-party reason for why students are getting low test scores, for why students aren't getting the material. Instead of searching for who or what to blame for this problem, a search should be mounted for solutions. Maybe instead of looking externally, we should look at our teachers and our students. Just because the schools have students in their seats and teachers at the head of each classroom doesn't mean that real teaching and real learning is going on. Is the material getting across to the students?
3.Two Questions that can change your life
Question One: What is your sentence?
I think it would be good to focus oneself on a sentence. As opposed to simply doing a lot of things, one could strive to do one thing well. Personally, I can say that I have done a lot of things and that I can do a lot of things. But their is nothing that I really exceed at. But I honestly don't want to be known as a great cook or a wonderful teacher. If I could have any one sentence by the end of life, I would want it to be that I loved my family.
Question Two: Were you better today than you were yesterday?
This is a question of progress. If one is striving to do something or be something/ someone, doing and being the same as always before won't make that goal any closer. One must make alterations and improvements to better oneself as time goes. This is not a one step process. One needs to figure out what or who is hindering one's progression. Is there something one does that holds oneself back? Can one reach the goal in the position one is in? This may sound like an obsession over personal faults. But the point is to make improvements.
Excellent post Ann-Marie! I am so glad to hear that someone has had some good teachers and beneficial educational experiences. I too have been fortunate to have had some good teachers over the years. I have had some of the less desirable situations as well. But I think is important that we keep our perspective, its not all bad and it only gets better from here.
ReplyDeleteGreat cartoon strip. SS