I grew up with 3 sister. I have 3 daughters. I've been around chicks all my life. So why don't days like today make any sense to me? A little history: at this point in our family's life, I'm the only one who is not in school, as opposed to 10 years ago when I was the only one in school. Today, I was only one in the family who was not openly weeping at some point in the day. The common factor, aside from gender, is school. Everyone has projects, papers, take-home tests. Everyone was despondent to the point of tears. Not me! I was happy all day! Here's what I can't figure out. I've spent more time in school than anyone in this family, and I don't remember crying once, even when profs would tell me that my work was the stinkiest piece of crap they had ever had the displeasure of reading. Made their nose hairs burn. I always believed that education was a good in and of itself. After observing the trials the rest of my family is going through, I'm beginning to wonder about that. Any suggestions posted in the comment section woud be greatly appreciated.
In other news: Big shout out to Mom and Dad who celebrated birthdays this weekend. March 3rd and March 4th 19....... Let's just say they were born when Roosevelt was president, and no I am not talking about Teddy Roosevelt.
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11 comments:
Maybe it's because my mind is a bit mush from moving vanfuls of plastic toys from the current residence to the future residence, but I'm not sure I see the issue. Education is always a good in and off itself.
Education through a particular pedagogical structure? Well, that can be an entirely different story.
I know I enjoyed education a lot more when the structure changed and/or I found I had more control over my intellectual pursuits.
Yes, Francis, after reading your comment, I would concur that your mind is mushful. Umm, that second paragraph? 'the heck? You just sound like Cranky Academic Guy. Go take a nap or get your blood sugar up or *something*...
Anyway, these gals (Tacy excluded, as she is out of elementary/middle/high school) should enroll in Cambridge/Isanti School District 911! If memory serves me correctly, their curriculum would not work you to the point of weeping :)
Yeah, I think if everything could be taught using the Sims, I think the younger two would be through college already. It's not that they don't see the value in school, but they are just getting tired of the hard work. I must say that they are seeing the payoff for the work. Their grades are truly reflecting it. BTW the post was mostly tongue-in-cheek. I would have used emoticons to express that but 1)I don't know how to use them 2)I hate them.
Sorry, Scott. We don't have our own blog yet to air these out...
Jen, what do you mean Cranky Academic Guy? There was nothing cranky in my reply. Perhaps it was a bit too short and in need of explanation, yes, but cranky? No.
I realize Scott said that he should have used emoticons to represent his tongue-in-cheek tone, but I stick by what I said.
I just meant to say (and I realize that all I did was merely imply) that there are some teachers/ methods out there that cause us to forget that education is a good in and of itself. We shouldn't let them do that.
BTW, Nice emoticon, Jen.
Thanks :), or should it be ;) ?
Scott-
There is one more common denominator that you have conveniently overlooked...
And that would be.......
Let's see: weeping and despondency or cranky ranting. The same emotions fueled by different hormones.
Ok, I get it, I get it. Now I know what KyKy means when she calls this my "Man Period."
...given your rantings during your "man period," I can hardly wait until you go through MANopause...or is it, "Pause, O man!"
Francis and Jen, feel free to air any time. Usually it's just Scott and me. It's nice to mix it up a bit now and again, huh?
Let's talk about education. Control over intellectual pursuits? What's that? At this point I feel I barely have control over my assignments... or scheduled use of a bathroom. Nonetheless, why do I find myself surfing for graduate study programs? Craziness I tell you! But the answer lies in what Francis implied: the more control you have over your intellectual pursuits, the greater the enjoyment of the intrinsic "goodness" of education. Personally, I also believe that the more you enjoy your education, the more you internalize what you're learning, and the more you will be able to transition from benchmark knowledge to applied wisdom...
Which of course brings us back to the girls being tired of school. They have too much homework. And though I love their school and feel that the teachers do a great job encouraging actual learning (which is beyond teaching), it has still beome too much too often. Learning has become tedious and homework is no longer a means by which to apply new learning.it has become "assignment" to document sufficient teaching standards to support funding. Which brings us right into the political arena. I'll stop here. I'm becoming hypertensive and tachycardic at the mere thought pursuing that thread.
"Education is always a good in and off itself."
I'm not sure it is. Maybe there is more gooder and less gooder education. Or, maybe it is intensely more nuetral than we think.
Education has become little more than a system for data transmission (at least through, say, your 2nd or 3rd year of undergrad studies). In that sense it is a technology and consequently is governed by such valueless values as eficiency, accurasy and repeatabilility. And as 'the other (younger) half' pointed out, this has little to do with wisdom.
I am tempted to say, to the extent that education furthers the development of wisdom (presenting options/encouraging choice) in a student it is more gooder and to the extent that it hinders (rote 'assignments') it is more badder.
But even that obviously 'no duh" statement is problematical because on the one hand, few of the historically recognized pillars of wisdom (faith, hope, love, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, etc.) are included in the curricula in any meaningful way and on the other hand, as one author has written at length about, you cannot ride another's coattails into wisdom.
Unfortunately, this takes us down a path perilously, horrifyingly, close to fundamentalistic anti-intellectualism (as does my spelling, grammar, punctuation and word choice).
There the gerbal steps off the wheel, and the only sane response is to say "bite me" under your breath as the teacher/prof walks by and then, of course, ace your next test/exam.
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