Blog One-01/27/2010

After reading," Why Go To School?", by Steven Wolk, I found very few thoughts that I did not agree with in terms of his overall opinion of what U.S. schools are NOT doing(or not enough), and SHOULD be doing. I often found myself saying YAH!!..THEY ARENT AND WHY NOT?? I also wonder with pieces of writings out there like this, why do they never seem to fall into the right hands of someone who could do something about it? Not saying I could not, or will not at least try to do my part to do something about it, but I mean NOW! Sooo many of his thoughts seem so obvious that it is silly they are not already crucial parts of our educational systems!! For example, why are so many of our young Americans not educated about current political issues ...especially when these generations are the ones that will soon be voteing for our future leaders. I sound ignorant in saying so, but I too have voted in not 1, or 2, but 3 elections, knowing little about the candidates I am voteing for. To be totally honest when I voted the first time, I voted on the premise that my dad was democratic and always supported them so it must be the right decision across the board..I marked straight democratic ticket...not even taking the time to weigh the options. Why first of all, if we want an educated youth ''politically,'' and to develope "better and more democratic citizens" with our school systems, are we not teaching them about these facts when the time comes for them to vote?? (Preferably before) If we ever want to start making some right decisions in this country...WE NEED TO START EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS ABOUT ISSUES SUCH AS THIS, THAT REALLY MATTER!!..like our environment for instance... one of the topics Wolk feels we exclude. Here I am speaking about the environment beyond the study of rocks and landforms which we do do, but about we how can start to change the environment before we kill our ozone and all fry to death. Yes.. we teach about conservation and pollution, but if I remember correctly, there might have been one chapter about conservation in my science books throughout my 12 years in school...and it was at the end mind you... Still now, the only effects that I feel our generation learned from this one chapter was to recycle and turn the lites out when you leave a room. it just doesnt make sense! Wolk names many other issues that are important, that we are just NOT including, or at least not enough. These included topics like peace, global awareness, and media literacy.
I also feel that our current school systems tend to use many instructional methods of assessment or "teaching" that can in some ways deter a child from learning rather then help. Some of these tools such as "fill-in the blank" worksheets, unrealisticly long reading assignments, and of course, the grueling copying of definitions are intended (I think at least)to engrain enormous amounts of information in our students heads. They are not challenging them to think and expand. Instead these processes are numbing our childrens minds and taking the fun out of learning. Taking away special activities like field-trips and interactive lessons...or furthermore whole programs, such as art and music, are simply causing our children to lose interest in going to school. This thought leads me into my next post, surrounding the article, "The Goals of Education, by Richard Rothstein and Rebecca Jacobson...to be continued...