- What do you think is the fundamental purpose in/of education?
It is my belief that education has
strayed from what it was originally meant to be. I feel that the purpose of education is to arm the future
generations with skills that will make them functioning members of
society. As a teacher, it is my job to
teach students things that can help them in the world and to introduce
different avenues to them in which they may one day succeed.
At one point when I answered this
question as such, I was asked something to the effect of “Well how would you
feel if one of your students used the information you taught them
inappropriately? Maybe to break the
law?” Yes, this is certainly a
possibility. In my classroom I enforce
the standardized rules of our school.
In a way, this is instilling an idea of morals that world deems
acceptable (to a point). I also teach
them the standards that are required and considered necessary by the state. How they end up using these skills is
totally up to them. I can’t control
their every move and every decision. I
present information that can be beneficial to them in their future endeavors;
it is up to them to use it as they see fit.
In my opinion, what we need to know
is all to often dictated to us until we reach a college level; then we choose
our “field of study.” Why not give our
students the same option? Couldn’t it
be possible that our students would thrive in an auto mechanics course in which
they were reading books about diesel engines, doing math
concerning the engineering of mechanics, using chemistry when working on
said engines? It is because of these
ideas that I support the idea of vocational schools.
Even in the schools we are or will
work at, some students are often labeled as trouble because of their behavior
in class. What if the problem is that
the information being presented to them has no relevance concerning what they want
to do? If they enjoyed what they were
learning and were legitimately interested in it, I honestly believe that the
percentage of behavior problems in classrooms would drop significantly.
Hi Brecque, great post. Regarding the possibility that your students take what you teach them and apply the skills and knowledge for illegal (or immoral) means is -- and I agree with you here -- not within your control. If we continue to limit what can be taught (or the tools that can be made available) to students then we all suffer the loss. An example that supports this idea of loss (in an odd way) is an "toy" that was widely available when I was a kid: the chemistry set. For safety reasons and liability issues, these sets are no longer widely available on toy store shelves. Back then it simply wasn't considered that my friends and I might be (1) poisoned or (2) blown up (yes, I'm exaggerating a bit here, but not by much). Of course, we didn't wear seat belts or bicycle helmets back then either... Anyway, my point is, our DIRECT experiences in some areas are less rich now due to certain learning tools, such as chemistry sets, being restricted. But in trade-off, the info we have available to us through INDIRECT experiences (e.g., video) is far broader now than I would have dreamed possible as a kid. If I want to know how to do virtually ANYTHING I can download a clip from YouTube. For free. And still, it's up to me how I apply it.
ReplyDeleteHi. Nice blog. I would like to comment on this statement: "...some students are often labeled as trouble because of their behavior in class. What if the problem is that the information being presented to them has no relevance concerning what they want to do?" First, thank you for being a teacher and recognizing this! Second, have you ever heard of Drapetomania? According to Wikipedia, it "was a supposed mental illness described by American physician Samuel A. Cartwright in 1851 that caused black slaves to flee captivity." So when slaves showed a desire for freedom, it was not seen as a natural impulse, it was seen as a mental illness. Holy moly! And you know what? The same thing happens in schools every day. Energetic youth are trapped in classrooms for hours at a time and forced to do meaningless tasks, so they naturally seek outlets for their pent-up energies, but this behavior is now given pseudo-scientific labels such as ADHD and ODD. Our schools blame the students for problems that are more likely caused by the education system itself.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great blog! I definitely agree that we need to target our students to make the information they are learning more relevant. When I look back on my favorite classes/teachers they were the ones where the material really stuck with me because it was something I found interesting and could see a real application. However, I don't believe that all children know what's best for them so letting them chose a field of study at too young of an age could be damaging if they do not first master the basics. I think that is the point of electives...and that it's the responsibility of core curriculum teachers to find ways to make the material interesting with relevant applications.
ReplyDeleteI liked your blog because it made me think about how we teach and enforce the standards and a level of morality in the classroom. It made me think that we are an extension of their home life (please let me emphasize extension) by being another adult figure that teaches their child. Like a parent, we can teach all we can to our children, but what they do with it is their choice. We should be that other perspective that sees a child and sees potential and a spark in certain areas and go on to encourage them to pursue it. I have children of my own and as a parent I've learned to help my kids find "their thing". Find that area that they have a passion for both inside and outside the classroom. I think that goes directly into the classroom too, The kids there are my children for a good portion of the day and I believe that giving it all to them to help them not only achieve standards, but finding each and every one of their places in the world is a great responsibility and a great honor. But, as you said, you have no control over how they use it. You have no control over whether they ignore you either. You give them tools and show them how to use them and let them use their choices to take them to the next level. Thanks for the thoughts you've shared,
ReplyDeleteTying to get the hang of this phlogg business. Anyway, I am excited to get to know you and share experiences! As a fellow science teacher i am eager to learn and gain a fresh perspective. It will be nice to speak to someone who has not been "ruined" by education. What i mean is that teachers are often bitter and they seem to have lost their spark. I agree that students should have a more active role in selecting courses that are interesting to them. Learning a trade or skill will keep students interested. This would help students to see the relevence of learning. Also the student would have a real skill and this would help them to become a productive member of society. Thanks for your thoughts:)
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