Or: The blog where I wonder what Walt Whitman would say about the state of American Education and how much homework we do (but probably not).
Ladies (I refrain from saying and gentleman, since I'm the only one in the class, but if you are indeed a gentleman (whatever that means), please feel free to read on), I have a confession to make: I had a wonderful weekend. I played computer games, read, did a *little* cleaning, slept in, worked some, saw a movie.
All the while, my girlfriend and my brother did homework. They read chapter after chapter in numerous textbooks. Both are college students: my girlfriend majoring in English and Education and my brother in something to do with computers.
Last night, this incessant studying broke down into a discussion on homework, success, high school, college, etc. etc. My brother, a first semester college student, was asking Steph, a hardened college veteran, about her organization strategy and approach to completing all of her homework on time. Her response was fairly daunting: basically, in college, read one chapter of every book you own between each class's meeting. I balked at first, because well, I had just had a weekend of frivolity. But then I conceded the point.
Do we do too much homework? I admit that the subject is split down the middle for me. I do think that the promotion of less homework in high school is ridiculous and poor planning if college is going to maintain its academic rigor. Stephanie was explaining how her nephew complains about his homework volume in high school--a complaint for which the only appropriate response is 'just wait 'til you get to college.'
But then, if we know that some countries with the best education systems do little to no homework, why are we so homework heavy? Is it time to let the hours and hours of homework die? Are teachers compensating for something with their heavy homework requirements?
Why do we have so much homework in college? I personally think it is because our primary education isn't doing it's job, but is not doing it's job with redundancy. Let me illustrate the point with one phenomenal class I had too long ago to admit: American History II--from 1865 to present. I think this subject gets covered at least twice in every American Primary education. And then once in college--this in itself is overkill, in my opinion. Nevermind that in this college class, I learned more than all of my primary education on the subject had ever afforded, the course actually made me interested enough in history in general that I am now something of a history buff, and I had one homework assignment all semester.
I hope everyone is as shocked as I am. I'm going to leave this here for now, because I don't really know the solution. I do have good news--the finnish seem to, and everyone who graduates high school there can tell it to you one of three ways: english, finnish, or french.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Learning and You (or me, as the case may be)
I really wanted to find the lolcatz photo with the books that says learn me some informashun for this post, but alas, i could not. So as you're reading this post, keep that picture in mind. If you find it, send me a link. I'll give you a cookie.
If you don't know what lolcatz is, go here and watch hours of your life disappear.
In other news, it's official: I'm an existentialist. Or at least, according to Gardner's multiple intelligences test. I am curious about the standard deviation among different versions of the test, because according to this round, I am only half logical.
That is, in part how I learn; or at least why. I guess that's a motivational thing. We have been discussing the different things that influence learning: learning strategies, multiple intelligences, motivations.
I tend to be motivated to learn by a diverse number of things--I don't think any of them are extrinsic, save for social learning, but we will get to that in a moment. Most of my learning is curiosity: wanting to know who Archimedes is or how texting works or etc. etc. Of course, a discussion like this inherently relates to my social sphere, as our curiosities and desires are informed by the people around us. So often times I set out to learn something when someone mentions or references information with which i am unfamiliar.
It's very hard for me to draw the line here between what I want to learn through disposition (nature, if you will) and social pressure (nature). Multiple Intelligences is, to me, the conglomerate of these two ideas: I tend to appreciate bigger questions (existentialism), social relevance and self-improvement (intrapersonal), and writing and discourse (verbal). I'm also definitely a visual learner and writer: show, not tell, as the old adage goes. All of this really means that I find little time for minutia.
I had never heard of the general strategies for processing information, so that is new to me. I have however, spent the last few weeks going through one overrun hard drive on my computer that has acted as a reservoir, and so I am definitely acquainted with the actual practice. It seems redundant to say that I organize information, given that that is the designated function of the brain, but I definitely am a classifier. I rarely rehearse things--I typically am more of an 'in the moment' thinker and speaker. I do elaborate on topics extensively--usually toward the point where two distinct concepts overlap, to create a point of reference, which is usually why I think in terms of philosophies more than functions, and also why I demonstrated a tendency toward existential thinking.
The End.
If you don't know what lolcatz is, go here and watch hours of your life disappear.
In other news, it's official: I'm an existentialist. Or at least, according to Gardner's multiple intelligences test. I am curious about the standard deviation among different versions of the test, because according to this round, I am only half logical.
That is, in part how I learn; or at least why. I guess that's a motivational thing. We have been discussing the different things that influence learning: learning strategies, multiple intelligences, motivations.
I tend to be motivated to learn by a diverse number of things--I don't think any of them are extrinsic, save for social learning, but we will get to that in a moment. Most of my learning is curiosity: wanting to know who Archimedes is or how texting works or etc. etc. Of course, a discussion like this inherently relates to my social sphere, as our curiosities and desires are informed by the people around us. So often times I set out to learn something when someone mentions or references information with which i am unfamiliar.
It's very hard for me to draw the line here between what I want to learn through disposition (nature, if you will) and social pressure (nature). Multiple Intelligences is, to me, the conglomerate of these two ideas: I tend to appreciate bigger questions (existentialism), social relevance and self-improvement (intrapersonal), and writing and discourse (verbal). I'm also definitely a visual learner and writer: show, not tell, as the old adage goes. All of this really means that I find little time for minutia.
I had never heard of the general strategies for processing information, so that is new to me. I have however, spent the last few weeks going through one overrun hard drive on my computer that has acted as a reservoir, and so I am definitely acquainted with the actual practice. It seems redundant to say that I organize information, given that that is the designated function of the brain, but I definitely am a classifier. I rarely rehearse things--I typically am more of an 'in the moment' thinker and speaker. I do elaborate on topics extensively--usually toward the point where two distinct concepts overlap, to create a point of reference, which is usually why I think in terms of philosophies more than functions, and also why I demonstrated a tendency toward existential thinking.
The End.
Some Videos for Yesterday
In honor of the Badgers, and how the internet and your brain are not big trucks.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Technophiles and Technophobes
Yesterday, for Dr. Wilson's class, we read and discussed an article on the movement from standard to digital textbooks. Now, as I sit here at Starbucks blogging away on my Mini, I'm sure most would be able to discern that I am for the movement. I think it is absolutely necessary. Of course, I'm also for things like federal curriculum plans, which, as far as I know, the United States is one of only two industrialized nations to be without.
However, I do understand the concerns. Our generation is inadequately prepared for students who live and breathe technology. In an education system where cell phones aren't allowed in the classroom, it's hardly palpable to push for laptops. And teacher's education programs aren't helping. In my classes last semester, three out of five banned laptops from the classroom. The question is: if future teacher's aren't trusted to use technology to facilitate education, is it really a wonder that they would have negative impressions of the idea?
What we need are more creative solutions to the question of distractions in the classroom. College professors do not want laptops in the classroom because their students will be on facebook, or whatever: a moot point, in my mind. If students are distracted or uninterested in what is going on in the classroom, the solution isn't to remove all sources of distraction, which is, in my mind, impossible: the solution is to be a better teacher, and to hold students attention through more effective and environmentally appropriate mediums, plain and simple. Instead of telling students they can't bring laptops, teachers need to be trained to use these new tools in as an educational medium. Until teachers are trained to employ technology effectively in their own education, it is not so inappropriate that they wouldn't think it was possible. To that end, so long as we have course instruction to which the only changes have been made are updated editions of books, which fail to incorporate technology into classroom learning (to be differentiated from student work, which almost always requires the use of technology--unless of course there are professors that still have students write their papers with pen and paper), we will have teachers afraid of technology, and therefore unable to relate to and instruct a generation raised on and by it.
However, I do understand the concerns. Our generation is inadequately prepared for students who live and breathe technology. In an education system where cell phones aren't allowed in the classroom, it's hardly palpable to push for laptops. And teacher's education programs aren't helping. In my classes last semester, three out of five banned laptops from the classroom. The question is: if future teacher's aren't trusted to use technology to facilitate education, is it really a wonder that they would have negative impressions of the idea?
What we need are more creative solutions to the question of distractions in the classroom. College professors do not want laptops in the classroom because their students will be on facebook, or whatever: a moot point, in my mind. If students are distracted or uninterested in what is going on in the classroom, the solution isn't to remove all sources of distraction, which is, in my mind, impossible: the solution is to be a better teacher, and to hold students attention through more effective and environmentally appropriate mediums, plain and simple. Instead of telling students they can't bring laptops, teachers need to be trained to use these new tools in as an educational medium. Until teachers are trained to employ technology effectively in their own education, it is not so inappropriate that they wouldn't think it was possible. To that end, so long as we have course instruction to which the only changes have been made are updated editions of books, which fail to incorporate technology into classroom learning (to be differentiated from student work, which almost always requires the use of technology--unless of course there are professors that still have students write their papers with pen and paper), we will have teachers afraid of technology, and therefore unable to relate to and instruct a generation raised on and by it.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
So, I have to start this by saying that somehow I missed the boat. I had no idea that these great books from my childhood were written by the same guy that wrote Holes. That is super duper cool because last semester I read Holes with Ms. Devine's seventh grade class for the first time, and it was a fantastic book (go read it). Back to our regularly scheduled program.
For school this semester, I have to keep a blog. This is good news for all of you who have been requesting some update on my severely unkept website. This is bad news for anyone who thinks I already talk too much. So, about school. It has started out, well, disheartening to say the least. Texas A&M has changed a few classes, and I am not sure exactly how I am going to work out the new requirements. But that is a story for another time, or at least another place.
The exciting news is that for one of my classes, we are writing a children's book. Or at least part of one. Given my inclination toward writing (despite my apparent lack of practice) this promises to be fun.
I still have yet to attend two of my classes. And I ran out of words, so I'm off to read Water for Elephants and make a star. Later later.
For school this semester, I have to keep a blog. This is good news for all of you who have been requesting some update on my severely unkept website. This is bad news for anyone who thinks I already talk too much. So, about school. It has started out, well, disheartening to say the least. Texas A&M has changed a few classes, and I am not sure exactly how I am going to work out the new requirements. But that is a story for another time, or at least another place.
The exciting news is that for one of my classes, we are writing a children's book. Or at least part of one. Given my inclination toward writing (despite my apparent lack of practice) this promises to be fun.
I still have yet to attend two of my classes. And I ran out of words, so I'm off to read Water for Elephants and make a star. Later later.
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