An Open Letter to Educators by Morgan Bayda
I feel like a lot of my money is going to waste with some of the classes I have taken in college. I know there are thing that have helped but there have been things that have been "taught" that I have known since I was in the 2nd grade! People always talk bad about American education, but for the most part it is true.
I agree with a lot of what Morgan wrote about. She included a lot of good things to thinks about. However, I have not been in that class that lectures for 3 hours and I am required to take notes about something that I will never use from that class. I think I am lucky in that part!
Dan Brown was talking so fast but it was so much information he was throwing out and he is right by saying that for the tests we have to take, we memorize facts that don't really even matter and society could care less how many facts we know.
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home by John Spencer
This is often times too true, we know a problem but never do anything to fix the problem. Children can write and draw out thoughts when they use pencil and paper! So, I think it is important for us to let them take the pencils home.
Two Questions That Can Change Your Life
My Sentence: "I will not let tomorrow stand in my way of today."
Yea, Dan was talking fast. You're right our society doesn't care how many facts we have memorized. That means "we" the students need to change our concept of education. It's not about memorizing facts but understanding how these facts apply to our lives. By being a student that thinks beyond the facts and finds out what these facts actually mean, you are challenging yourself to be a productive member of society.
ReplyDeleteWhat sucks is that we can really be good at school but not truly learn anything.
I am glad that you have been one of the lucky ones if regards to not having a 3 hour lecture class, but I had one. As a history major I have lots of those types of classes. I was taught to take what you are given and make the most of it, the difference in positive and negative outlook. So I take that three hour lecture class and I teach other students in the class new study methods. So that in a 3 hr lecture class, we use note cards and can not only learn the material, but remember the material and ace the test. So its all in how you look at everything. If every school had one teacher who was absolutely amazing and used technology and challenged their students. What would that do to the rest of the school? Could we make being an amazing teacher contagious to the other teachers. Lets shake up the schools one teacher at a time, lets support each other, share new ideas and methods to teaching that help the students compete on a global level and lets quit whining about yesterday, today, everything thats not perfect and LETS MAKE A CHANGE. Each teacher has the ability to be an earthquake in their school, and the after shocks will affect everyone.
ReplyDeleteHey Caryn,
ReplyDeleteGood post! I think you have really been lucky to not have to endue what so many of us have had to put up with!
Keep on Blogging,
Stephen Akins