Bad Heuristics and Bad Education
Part of being human means dividing our lives into neat little boxes, boxes that are easy to look at and understand from the outside. It comes as a matter of course that in order to simplify what would normally be complex decision-making, we must reduce the complex world around us into categories. This can sometimes be extremely helpful, but in many ways, it is horribly painful for everyone. The most obvious negatives are the tragic ones: like racism, political extremism, ultra-nationalism resulting in wars and conflicts.
The goal of those who wish to control us, our minds, our thoughts, our money, make it their business to reduce complex decision-making to very simple emotions. Nowhere is this more evident than the super market aisle.
What is it about the small, repeated decisions in life –why do they lend themselves to being made with little to no thought at all? When most people buy a car or a large appliance, they take time to read the reviews, they research how and where it was produced, what the quality standards are for it, what makes one cost more than another. But when it comes to food, there are simpler, more primal heuristics that take over: what did I eat last week, what do I like the taste of, what packaging do I like? Something I find even stranger is that one is more likely to also be made fun of, or ridiculed for having standards for their food –e.g., “Why do you want to eat grass-fed beef, does that make you better than everyone else out there eating meat from a factory farm?”– when having standards for an automobile engine or brake pads is perfectly practical. How many would question a friend if they had used brake pads for their car that were from a junk yard because they were cheaper? Most would because they feared for their friend’s safety.
Yet, I would argue that food has just as great of an effect on us, our bodies, as do brake pads. What do we have a more intimate relationship with than food? It is the only product that most of us buy that we put into our body! It is one of a handful of necessities in life that without it, we would certainly die. And yet most of have no idea where the food we eat comes from, how it was produced, how we would make it if we needed to. In fact, there are many in our great country who have advanced degrees who do not know how to grow their own food! Yet, this is not seen as the least bit ridiculous.
This goes on to one of my bigger “beefs” (no pun intended) with our current school system, which is intent on pushing certain subjects as “necessary” and “required” which are a complete waste of time for most. If we want to look at the reason why we have so much class division in America, we need look no further than our schools, which are intent on making an Engineer out of every child. They teach “Math” and Geometry without teaching basic carpentry skills, or how to balance a checkbook, or how to invest your money. They teach “Verbal” –whatever the hell that is– without teaching Literature. And they teach “Science Reasoning” without ever engaging a child’s mind with Nature, Astronomy, or Navigation techniques. Maybe the reason our children cannot concentrate in school, is because the content we’re trying to push in their brain is completely useless outside of an SAT, which many people will never have the chance to take.
If we are serious about a commitment to our children in America, it will not mean an overwhelming commitment to standardized tests, and raising metrics. It will mean a complete reordering of the way we think about “Education.” It will be a de-standardization of our curriculums. (Every school is not the same, as every child is not the same.) It will mean finding out what is necessary in the world, and focusing on those areas first, before a child is tempted to drop out of school.
For the LOST Generation, the items of highest priority are obvious. Learning how to provide food and water for oneself seems like it would be high on the list. Then comes how to build a shelter for oneself. After these items, come how to earn an income for oneself. For many in America, the simplest and easiest way to make money is the black-market drug trade and or the oldest profession. The sooner we recognize and admit to these problems, as politicians are not prone to do, the better off we’ll all be in the long run.
Finally, and if it is indeed the goal, we should be looking to think realistically about class ascent. It cannot mean that all Inner City children born to mothers working minimum wage jobs become doctors. Perhaps it means something simpler, like being able to learn a trade, becoming an Electrician, learning to build something with their hands. Similarly, maybe Johnny from the Suburbs would be happier being a Plumber, than going to Harvard. We need to be bold enough to re-imagine the American Dream in our current context.
One of the most refreshing documentaries I’ve watched as of late was one on PBS about the Green Schools Movement. Green Schools aim to educate students on how to grow their own food, and involve them in activities such as composting, planting, weeding their gardens. They train high school students to improve energy efficiency standards in buildings by installing solar panels, energy-efficient appliances –to put the items which our Engineers design to work. The buildings themselves are also designed to let in more natural light and save money and resources. This is relevant in that many of the buildings in our school system are running on sadly outdated infrastructure and are in need of updating.
This is a good first step towards a new kind of “Education”, one which will become increasingly more relevant as our dependency on foreign oil grows deeper and deeper every day, and the amount of energy we can produce from Fossil Fuels become less and less.
As another school years ends, I have been voicing many of these same thoughts. Our son just finished tenth grade, and I think for the most part, he’s wasted an entire year. The curriculum is scattered and superficial, and many of the teachers appear to be flailing around. The focus, almost universally, is on trivial bits of information or meaningless rules, with little or no discussion about ideas, relevance, or practical usage. Students aren’t learning how to think, how to learn, or how to do anything. What worries me most is that some of these same students are the teachers of the future. It feels like a death spiral to me.
I think you’re right about our schools failing to prepare kids for life in the real world. I’d love to see a mandatory class that covers everything from cooking a balanced meal to balancing a check book. We explain these things to our kids, but a lot of their friends never hear it.
http://www.toddpack.com
I taught this course.It was called Life Skills and I have a home economics education degree. We planned nutritious meals, used great material on budgeting and banking, discussed priorities and child rearing. Sadly it has been cut at many schools as it is considered fluff and irrelevant to college.
You bring up a good point. You should see the two great books they have called, “The Dangerous Book for Boys” by Conn and Hal Iggulden and “The Daring Book for Girls” by Andrea J Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz. They are books that teach you what school won’t dare to teach you like, how to “wrap a package in brown paper and string,” make a wagon, change a tire…but shhh…I don’t think we’re supposed to know this stuff.
http://www.wutevs.wordpress.com
Hi
You are so right! I teach 1st grade in India and the challenge for me is to break away from the rote mindset that has been part of the education system for generations.Fortunately ,the management at my school allows freedom in teaching methodology and i’m able to incorporate some amount of life skills through academics. The problem ,however ,arises when its time for my students to move on to a conventional school ,where all they care about is knowing the times tables and the ability to spell “because”.Recently i had an engaging conversation with a lady from the UK who went to school in mid 1900’s . I was impressed by the things she learnt at school like plumbing, buying groceries,balancing cheque books and baking the perfect cake. All the things ,i realize, i have to struggle with in life as an adult despite having my “masters” .One can only hope that more people will realize the need to completely overhaul the entire system of “education”.Cheers!
Great post! I try not to be too must of a pessimist but it’s getting harder and harder these days and I cannot help but think that the push of standardized testing is going to yield a generation of mediocre minds, with creativity and outside of the box thinking being squelched at a very young age. I worked in the public school system for three years and in 4th grade there are over 200 facts that students must memorize in social studies alone in order to be prepared for the end of year standardized tests. That leaves very little time for anything else – certainly very little time for exploring other topics or engaging in meaningful discussions based on the students’ questions or interests. In my experience, many (not all, of course, but many) students have a difficult time retaining information or discussing what they learned outside of the multiple choice context that they must practice for the tests.
I have to say your article really hit me. I am a victim of a sugar allergy, and before that, I made no thought toward my food purchases. As soon as this happened I was forced to really start checking the labels and making educated decisions…and it’s very tough. But my body and mind thank me, it’s a big deal. Great post!
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Instead of killing skills, education should improve practical knowledge to awaken human potentialities. I think what we need is Human Movement Schools, where children can explore their own humanity playing games and expanding their imagination, which are true charachteristics of childhood. This will open their minds and hearts to become a human happy plumber or a human happy engeneer no matter his cradle was made of wood or gold.
Nice read. I guess I was fortunate that in the schools I attended, they were assignments and even some courses available that taught about balancing checkbooks, interviewing, and more mundane daily living skills. In high school, there were many routes you could take if you were interested in certain trades and not going to college.
As far as foods, I think most people who don’t pay attention to what they’re putting in their body are more concerned with what’s affordable. Unfortunately, the cheapest foods are the ones that are the most unhealthy for you. For the other some odd percentage, there’s simple stimulus exposure in that one has a penchant to prefer foods and tastes that are familiar rather than those that are novel. People are less likely to think outside the box and try something new or exotic. I’ve had friends who’d order chicken tenders at a middle eastern restaurant (and yes at one of them, tenders were inexplicably on the menu; I suppose they had people like my friend in mind).
Dear Mark,
Your June 21st blog was inspiring, well written and educational. Thank you for posting an insightful piece and illustrating your points with such knowledge and clarity. Yours is the first blog I have ever felt moved to leave a comment. The read was enlightening.
Sincerely,
Christina
While many home school their children for religious reasons, mine were educated at home for a more rounded education that included basic life skills with academics. Balancing a check book, making and sticking to a budget, cooking healthy meals, how to do the laundry, mow the lawn, care for pets, change a tire, check oil in the car, add oil if it is low and so on.
Great blog!
GREAT post!
I couldn’t agree more. I was lucky enough to have parents teach me about finance, but I would have loved to learn it in highschool. Make it mandatory senior year? I feel trades are also important, but with all the budget cuts, some schools are just lucky enough to have a Language department.
My highschool offered zero trades… BUT offered JROTC, which I got involved in, and loved! We had a laughable art program, which was just drawing really. Not painting, or pottery, or ceramics. No installations. Just drawing, in a class room. No field trips to museums or exhibits. We had no drama/theater program, no home ec, no science clubs. We did have a Law & Justice program (debate team), which I also joined. Other than that, it was a very very basic curriculum.
I hope we come up with a solution… I would even offer to teach at the same highschool I went to for FREE about personal finances and knowing how to cook and why to stay away from fast food! I’m no expert, but I’m a responsible adult and willing to help out the next generation free of charge.
I fear for the future, but its up to the past generations to pass along the wisdom and the willingness to learn. Kudos on the informative post!
“And they teach “Science Reasoning” without ever engaging a child’s mind with Nature, Astronomy, or Navigation techniques.”
So I assume you meant more intuitive applied science in junior/high school rather than going straight for empirical data which could only be observed through countless hours of observations with the periodic table, the various theories and an electron microscope?
@midipour – Indeed. I think there is a certain “hands-on” portion missing from much of our education. As a graduate of Engineering school, the most physical science of all, in retrospect, most labs were tired and rushed through in order to prove some theory, instead of the other way around. It seems like school would’ve been more exciting had I had a lab every class that pointed to a textbook for reference.
Thanks for your comment!
Although I never necessarily enrolled in science throughout my current college curriculum, there was a certain lack of tangibility that didn’t hold my interest during junior and high school. I was in public school at the time, but even then I believe they could have kept us entertained through video formats and more observable empirical observations rather than supplying us the chemistry formulas that was needed to be memorized solely for a test. It wasn’t until I was 18, with the real world in mind, that went to grasp an understanding on why Science held its merits. My school didn’t prepare me for reality, so I’ll have strongly agree with your assertion on standardized testing. I assume your labs must have been fun for where you could observe the theories?
i will take it a step further and say that higher education in general is of little value. You are saying the “prerequisit” courses serve little value and i agree 100%, but college in general is a business like anything else.
Unless you are planning on pursuing something very specialized; doctor, engineer, lawyer, etc… a college education is not all its cracked up to be in my honest opinion.
I graduated with a bachelors, and was fortunate enough to have my education paid for in full, however if i graduated with the degree that i have now, along with the student loans that normally accompany it, i would be pissed.
There are so many instances of self made millionaires that are college and highschool drop outs that its impossible to list.
I can honestly say that my degree has not helped at all in regards to my current business. It all just depends on what you want to do with your life and what your goals are…
Absolutely right on post! I have felt this way about society as a whole for years…Well ever since I grew a brain and began to explore, experience, and think for myself. I am a biology major by choice, mostly because I enjoy the observation of nature and discovery. I’m hoping it will better prepare me for anything I so choose.
A friend and I discussed this very topic not too long ago. I posed the question: If the world were to dip into a sudden dark ages, who would be the group that survives. The deduction was easy (and oversimplified). The societies without “civility” would be the people to carry on. Living naturally is the best method to life. Civilization is decadence, and we are killing ourselves following this idea that we must be someone and make money.
I agree with a few things you said, but I think I have seen a different side of education as well.
I agree that standardized tests are taking control of our children’s education. This is a terrible thing. However, politicians (and many communities) see these statistics as the only simple way to evaluate how well their children are learning and progressing. Unfortunately, these tests are rather narrow in the scope of knowledge they encompass. We need to let our politicians and policy makers know we don’t want our schools forced to focus so heavily on these tests – through funding or threats of restructuring based solely on standardized tests.
However, I think you might might be surprised to know that most junior/middle and high schools do teach real life skills like using checkbooks or how to budget in real life situations. Also, teaching math/geometry/algebra is something that needs to be learned so that students can extend those skills into real life applications like carpentry. They are the foundational skills that can be built on with trade skills. Carpentry, metal work, and even auto mechanics are taught in most high schools as elective classes. Parents who want their children to learn and apply these skills need to make sure they involve themselves in the class selection process. There are many opportunities to move beyond the basic curriculum, but many students won’t take advantage of them on their own.
I appreciate the time and thought that went into your post and I hope people will take it as a challenge to try and improve flawed policies as well as explore the opportunities that already exist for their children in the public education system.
@grimaud50 – Sadly, it seems like much of the application was missing from my education, and I went to the private “good” school in my neighborhood. As an Engineer, I realize the utility of Calculus, Algebra, etc. But with a brother who is an Art Teacher, and having grown up in a poorer area of town, which is currently getting poorer, I realize that it isn’t for everyone. I think we need to realize this and leverage a diverse community of people by training them to be different people.
Very insightful post! I’d add an emphasis on building critical thinking skills for children and teens in school so whatever subject they enjoy or whatever career path they end up choosing (whether it’s being a doctor, musician, dentist, electrician, etc.) that they’re equipped to change whatever needs fixing in their worlds. The only “problem” with this is that people might become too independently minded and civically engaged. We wouldn’t want “ordinary people” holding their public servants accountable or, god forbid, controlling their own communities now would we? ^_^
I have a problem with the age kids go to university. Higher education is not for everyone, and at my university at least half the people I met were there to little more than get drunk in a town far away from their parents, with almost no genuine interest in their chosen subject. Similarly to in school, the material taught rarely strays from what the student needs to know to pass the exams, and no real desire to learn is encouraged. At age 18 I wanted to be an actress, and went to university to study drama. I also took Spanish, and by the end of my 4 years had no interest in theatre, and instead went on to do a masters degree in translation and linguistics, as I thought I wanted to be a translator. While I took this course, I realised I had no interest in translation but loved linguistics. I now work as a writer and use very little of any of the skills I learnt at university. There is not enough guidance given to people in school about the sort of jobs that will realistically be available to them, and universities are lowering the grades needed so that anyone can o, regardless of whether or not it is right for them. Many of those who go to uni would be far better off learning a trade than spending 3 years drinking and leaving with a third class degree, and many of those who would benefit from university should take a few years out to try their hand at a few jobs to see what they are really interested in and what it would really benefit them to study. Sorry, rant not supposed to be this long!
“many of those who would benefit from university should take a few years out to try their hand at a few jobs to see what they are really interested in and what it would really benefit them to study. Sorry, rant not supposed to be this long!”
This is exactly what I did. Nothing is stopping anyone else from doing this. You are somehow blaming society and “the universities” for your own aimlessness in early adulthood.
@jntr – Not sure I agree that I blame them for aimlessness. I do blame them for having to suffer through lots of lectures that were justified in the name of problem solving, when I felt there were many more physical problems that could’ve been solved and ultimately been more useful to me as an adult.
Thanks for your comment!
No, I blame society for pushing kids to university at the age of 18 when it may not be the best thing for them and they are often too inexperienced to make an informed decision. I blame myself for having unrealistic goals but honestly, the possibility of not going to university was never presented to me, neither by my parents nor by my school.
Excellent post – but that first image hurts my eyes! :S
I agree. Not only that, kids used to learn how to balance a check book, hang a picture and build a birdhouse because their parents showed them. Now they communicate via text and Facebook.
i LOVE the grocery store photo
Great post, I’ve bookmarked your site and will certainly be back to read more!
I disagree. I think we need to get back to actually teaching children how to critically think. How to question. How to engage with theory. We need to demand higher standards for Math and science. By offering ‘skills’ instead of knowledge you create further cleavages between the have and have-nots. Who do you think will opt for the ‘skills’ training? Those who feel they don’t have a fair chance anyway. The poor. If a country wants to help it’s population it should make education it’s top priority.
@LaboriousLiving – I would hope that we can do both. Currently, I think the reason the theory isn’t working is because frequently the theory is the starting point in the classroom. I believe the starting point should be the physical world we live in. This is the only approach that will teach the utility of the theory.
Beyond that, I think the necessities of society should be covered first, not that they should be the only thing covered. As an Engineer myself, I understand the utility of theory, but theory rarely becomes useful or something you even can remember outside of practice.
Thanks for your comment!
Well said (that supermarket image is amazing)
I suspect that current educational practice has the same difficulty the rest of culture isn’t managing very well. We can’t keep up with the way, the speed with which, communication has changed. There are options available for any possible choice that would have stunned us thirty years ago. Courses are offered in middle school that my college couldn’t have instruction material for. An incredible richness of opportunity, but without context.
It may be that the future will belong to the idiot savant, brilliantly capable in narrow ranges, and totally asea.
I agree with your point of view- the education offered to kids should be more rounded. And if there are any budget cuts to be made- why is it usually the music and art subjects that are cut? Are they not just as important as maths, science etc?
Great post! And the connection between heuristics and education is key… I especially like where you argue for the de-standardization of curriculum, because the local needs of local students cannot be standardized. Put another way, these complex beings cannot be reduced and simplified through educational heuristics. A curriculum for a particular student, group of students or community must deal with that communities particulars. On the other hand, I don’t believe that there should be no standards or that such a well-adapted system need necessarily be laboriously difficult. Indeed, with the clever use of heuristics and more flexibility than a simple national standard, one would think that it’s quite possible to develop broad programs capable of adapting to local needs.
@nan – I hadn’t even made that connection myself, but thank you for making it so eloquently! I certainly agree.
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Great post, I love the 1st picture of the supermarket (all the same colorful boxes!). Having passed through the “educational system”, I feel that while memorization is definitely practiced, critical thinking is sadly lacking. Imagine if children started asking questions… the horror!
I also despair when I see that the first thing that gets slashed during this economic crisis are the schools and educational programs. Perhaps if these weren’t cut, we would have better leaders in the future… and not have any crisis in the future…
Nice post – Schools stifle creativity and personalities, this is a legacy of the factory based manufacturing era. Now that our countries (USA and UK) have lost most of our manufacturing to the far east, we need to re-think how and what we teach our kids, in order to best prepare them for the realities of modern life.
Innovation is today’s buzz word and our schools must create environments that encourage individualism and creativity, if we all learn, read and think the same, then we will lack the diversity of minds that is so desperately required.
As for food, good food ain’t cheap and it’s surprising how much junk our bodies tolerate before it gives up the ghost! Unfortunately we’re more concerned with what we wear than what we eat!
Great Post
Respect and Peace!
@dam
Adam, thank you for your comment. The cost of good food is definitely a factor. But I do wonder whether this needs to be the case. Certainly more people would be employed as farmers without all the chemcials and the “factory” methodology we currently employ, but would that be a bad thing? This is something I need to do more research on myself.
Well written. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the green schools video. I didn’t know about the pbs documentary and definitely plan to watch with our school: we homeschool and virtual school. It helps to prevent/solve many of the challenges you’ve discussed in this article.
8)
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I completely agree.
As a student myself, I see your problem with the fact that our classes seem to have no relevancy, and until last year, I would have been with you on this. This year though, I have seen what applied information really looks like, and I would personally go so far as to say that it’s a teaching staff problem. My school revolves around putting the subjects into use, but many institutions (say, in the sciences) would much prefer to redo ancient experiments and fire off baseball launchers. I did two labs in my physics class, but I learned of another world of information, that could have an affect on energy management and the way we put our lives together. It is not that classes are not relevant. It is that teachers do not mould the material and make it their own. Standards would be a cause of this, but it really is the fact that teachers don’t push students, and allow them to work slowly on the theory.
@nahuatldarshan – I agree. I think the world needs good teachers more than anything else to solve all the problems with Education. And I think that also involves luring “good” people into the profession through pay incentives and otherwise. It may also involve kicking a few of the bad ones out. I’m not sure how you handle that, but it is necessary if we value our children’s future.
I’m also not against all standards, but I am against a list of questions for the local exam determining lesson plans, which is currently what happens with my brother –an Art Teacher, for heavens sake!
“Maybe the reason our children cannot concentrate in school, is because the content we’re trying to push in their brain is completely useless outside of an SAT, which many people will never have the chance to take.”
As an honors student who left school recently, I can say that this IS a major reason. I concentrated anyway because getting good grades seemed to be worth the effort at the time; the adults always said that you never know when you’ll need to know something.
Imagine my disillusionment after public school: I took out huge loans to attend a college that for two years didn’t teach me anything about, in my case, computer programming that I hadn’t already taught myself. I left due to financial reasons, and halfway between a diploma and a degree the best job I could find was one at a warehouse that I would have performed adequately when I was 10 years old.
America: the land of opportunity.
@Flaise – Your story is very similar to mine. I was a computer programmer who almost dropped out of school, but didn’t because my parents pretty much forced me to stay in. I hope things turn around for you soon. You might try starting with some contracting jobs for small local businesses. That can help build a resume for a job with benefits. Many people at my work place have done similarly. We at least hire on skills, not on credentials.
We chose to educate our children at home. Homeschooling is growing by leaps and bounds and I believe that it is because of some of the reasons you stated.
A great read is “The Underground History of American Education” by John Taylor Gatto.
This is an eye opening book for those interested in defending our current education system.
I agree with the idea that children should concentrate on skills that are most important for living. But there are a several parts your article that don’t quite cut it.
When going to the junkyard to get brake pads, one has to make sure that the width of the pads is close to original spec and that there are no significant signs of wear (e.g. cracks and rust). I wouldn’t be too worried about my friend’s safety if these precautions were taken. But I quibble. Your main point about being mindful of food sources and processing seems right on.
I would add more to what you’ve said about educational reform. Balancing one’s check book is important, yet it may behoove many to have a thorough grounding in elementary economics, especially when it comes tasks like saving, spending and investing.
And who is this mysterious “They” you criticize in your article? Its like you’re painting schools with one brush. There are still classes that teach carpentry skills and home economics, and we might be able to amend, replace or add to them.
Engineering related topics like physics and math are not “completely useless” as you say. Yes, every child learns differently. Yes, we all have different vocations and socioeconomic backgrounds. But I’m appalled, as a US citizen, by the lack of basic literacy in the hard sciences. I see news reporters making sophomoric claims about scientific research. There are people buying the latest homeopathic drug because a faceless voice on TV tells them it works. And I don’t think all those politicians are being completely honest on the subject of global warming.
Meanwhile, growing economies like India and China are training more scientists and engineers each year. And these trainees are among the folks who help manufacture iPods and automobiles for profit. So teaching science is not a “complete waste of time,” if the US and other countries are to remain technologically and economically competitive.
If we’re going to place more emphasis on skills like making shelter or growing food, we should at least find a way to balance this off with improved instruction in subjects like biology or computer programming.
@bluediode – As an engineer, I understand the utility of science/physics/theory. I don’t believe they have to be “completely useless” as I said earlier in my post. But I do think that they end up being that way because they are what we start with in school, and it doesn’t end up keeping enough students’ interest.
You are right, lack of science literacy is a major problem, but I think the solution lies in getting students involved in the classroom with labs and the like first –hands on activities.
As for the iPod, they are currently designed by American computer programmers, and manufactured in China –in factories that are currently investigated for human rights violations due to a string of suicides. True, many of the American computer programmers and engineers are not natives, so I get your point. We don’t train enough engineers, that’s a problem. I still think the solution lies in creating a wealth of education opportunities early on, and guiding students down their path of interest. That doesn’t mean that students from poorer neighborhoods get filtered into the poorer schools, which teach them little about how to make an income –that’s what’s happening now!! It means determining a student’s needs and desires for their life, and trying to meet them half-way.
Some people argue that diversity in school curriculums is pigeon-holing students, or classism; I disagree. Some of our brightest minds are also being hampered by living in mediocrity in their formative years. And many of our challenged students are not able to participate in the forum that results anyway.
As a computer programmer myself, I can’t really disagree with putting more of it in schools! I think the key is getting the students in the classroom who want to be there.
Thanks for your comment!
I read in Shop Craft as Soulcraft that 75% of the shop programs in California have closed since 1990. All the equipment sold on ebay… and that schools trying to recreate shop programs can’t even find qualified teachers anymore.
First off, WOW! Great photo of the supermarket. Talk about a new perspective, literally and figuratively!
Secondly, as a nurse,embroiled in the institutionalization of the health care system, I see education as a “sister”, floundering in rules, regulations and nonsensical deeds unrelated to our primary objective to heal and educate, all to satisfy those who pay the bill….. our government vis-a-vis… us! Take both systems back from the bureaucacy, which means refuse the funds the government doles out, and you get back a system that responds to the community needs.
I enjoyed the post. As a teacher at a career college, I know what you’re saying about rethinking education. Though sometimes I do balk at the notion that some people just aren’t meant to be at Harvard. I went there, and I probably didn’t belong there, but I had the opportunity. It’s a tough idea. You have Emerson’s quote at the top of your blog, and I imagine that he might have something to say on the matter. I can see him saying that we are all scholars, in one sense at least. Maybe that’s your point, too. But then again, if the practical things you talk about: learning about how to grow food or build shelter start getting defined as education, I fear that we will develop something wholly un-American–a class system where some people will be peasants and others will be educated. Maybe that’s what we have now, but at least the system allows for possibility of something more.
At the very least, I was heartened by your post. I will subscribe to it. Can you tell me of other blogs as thoughtful as this one?
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Great post.
I taught science for4 years–spent the first two teaching the textbook then was lucky enough to leave the job, do a masters at St. Johns College (no lectures, all labs or seminars) and return to the same job.
When I got back I made up for my sins during the first two years by giving the kids the theory and the practice of science: no more cookbook “investigations”–we started building things (all the tools out on pegboards) and once the kids got their project working (nature is the judge of that) they had to take a pass/try again oral exam on the theory behind their contraption (electric motor, hot air balloon, cosmic ray chamber, etc.).
It was a big difference from the science-as-vocabulary-list approach I started with (I ask, on a written exam: “What is heat/thermal energy and how does heat travel?” Student writes something about: “Kinetic molecular theory and conduction, convection, radiation, blah blah blah” having very little idea of what the memorized words mean).
Now the question became: “What are these fins for on the two-cycle engine you just took apart (and will have to put back together and start up to pass this project)?” Student: ” Conducting heat away from the cylinders so it can be convected away by air flow (and a little radiation).” “Why is that necessary?” “AH, so the engine won’t melt from the heat of combustion.” “What is combustion?” etc., etc. you get the picture. They had to know everything–starting with the practical–about that engine: the theory; the units used to describe power, fuel octane, oil viscosity etc.; the tools used to disassemble it and put it back together..
But the typical science teacher, math teacher, English teacher just teaches the textbook (as I did) that they often don’t understand themselves! Trying, as you say, to force kids into the engineer mode (and a bad engineer at that–whose never used a tool, never built anything: has no physical intuitions about the world)! The situation is bleak, but the fact is there’s still some room to do it right in public schools, and a lot more room in charter and private schools.
Science and math teachers might visit my (private) blog to steal some ideas: https://mathscienceolympics.wordpress.com
@Carlja9 – That sounds exciting! I had a friend who went to St. John’s College. It sounds like a great program, and great for teaching students critical thinking skills. Thank you for your comment!
Yes, it’s a great practical education in what hands-on (science, math, language) education really means. Lesson one for me was: I’ve got to throw out the science textbooks when I return to teaching and make my own. (I created Project Trees of progressive projects with Exam Checklists–cf. Checkllist Manifesto: I believe students and teachers need checklists as much as airline pilots– then share the goals and pass/try again criteria with the students and let _them_ drive the process).
At St John’s College the big shock was that they expect you, the student, to be ready to teach the class: a typical math tutorial, e.g., will begin with the “Professor” (only they call them “Tutors”) asking: Who can do this proof for us? Then a students gets up and teaches that part of the class (if no one’s ready, the prof does it, of course). After years of passively taking notes this is a switch!
Wow, great post! But you can be sure schools in Italy are worse than yours in the U.S.A.!
Kisses
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Well I know all about boxes.
Have we lost discovery and play out of education?
In fact is education now the wrong word for what we want for our young people’s future and development?
Are Schools really dumbing down Kids so that they don’t overacheive because the World can’t cope with that.The World has been designed to survive on most new people entering into workforce as helpdesk people to help other people with mainly software generated issues?
I think that robots (computers) are educated to do things for us and so spawn a new wave of further robots.
Humans on the other hand need genuine neural network creating experiences that make them feel alive, self aware and excited and motivated to be the best they can be.
One small thing I do whenever I get the chance at sunset on a clear night is watch the Sun disappear and realise that the Earth is rotaing away from the Sun and the Sun doesn’t race over the sky above us-its effectively staionary!
Might sound a bit heavy but try it.It is very grounding.
And this is refreshing because it can help snap you out of the matrix and realise that as the Earth spins, tomorrow you get another chance to make it the best day in your life.
And make it your Kids best day as well!
Enough seriousness-check out my blog for some light humour!
The same is true in England: ‘academic’ subjects are promoted over practical ones. Analyis is crucial for any A grades in any subject, including PE, Dance and Drama. “Doing something” has become second-best to navel-gazing. There is a reductionist curriculum where mathematical, scientific and English skills have been reduced to nothing more than a check-list of skills. If you are more than slightly vocational, you have only 13 subjects to follow and these are promoted in schools as accessible for the ‘less able’ rather than the practically minded. Vive La France, where being an artisan or crafts-person is more prestigious than being a ‘functionnaire’; being a farmer means getting tax breaks and being an artisan means you are celebrated as an artist.
So very true, and eloquently put. Ironically, all these things that we should be teaching in schools have been the focus of Girl Scouting since its inception. I like to think that’s the very reason I took my education degree into the outdoors and became a camp director instead of a classroom teacher. Thank you for posting. I’m definitely reposting this. Enjoy the extra traffic. 🙂
thank you for you post- i enjoyed reading it and am in total agreement with your ideas – math meant nothing to me until I was trying to make something from fabric and had to have measurements; or i was in the kitchen measuring ingredients, or balancing my checkbook – that’s real math to me! I hadn’t heard of the green schools movement – thanks for the heads up – I will check it out!
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I so agree with you – I don’t live in America, however we have the same issues here. I am getting so fed-up with schools and schooling here. Another thing about school is this – never again in your life will you ever feel as powerless as you do while attending school. If you don’t do as they say you end up being bullied by the system. Unfortunately my daughter only has one year left – I so wish I had home schooled her but it’s just too late now so we have to put up with the system and I try to do as much as I can at home.
We have just changed our whole lifestyle and moved continents to live a slow life in rural South Africa. We plan to provide as much food as possible from our own land.
Some notes about my local area…. An older gentlman in our church is a brick layer. He would like to retire, but can not find a replacement. Our high school has a million dollar lab to teach welding and repair work,but the programhas been ended because it does not lead to college. The local heat and air company is begging for its return as they have no qualified applicants. Our house is almost 9 years old. Much of it has never been repainted… you guessed it, no one does this work. Finally, our local schoolboard will not approve monies for a new greenhouse, but is considering astroturf for the footballfield. Where do I even begin.
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howdy
It never fails to blow my mind that kids these days don’t know how to do something as simple as balancing a checkbook. That wasn’t something that I learned in school. I learned it from watching my mother. (Granted, she may have learned it in school, but I didn’t.)
I actually had a teenage girl come to my teller window once and wanted to get some money out of her account. When I pulled up her account, she was already in the negative. When I told her she couldn’t withdraw any money and that she needed to deposit money instead, her response blew my mind. She asked me, “How can I be out of money? I still have checks!” In her mind, if she had checks, that meant she had money in her account. That kind of thinking is just plain scary.
The vivid colors of the your first photo is a clear symbolic representation of the boxed up educational package that keeps students “learning” in rows of desks, bell-to-bell-classes, grade levels and standardized subject areas (despite their differences and need-to-flourish talents and inner drives). I taught for ten years and realized that the reason my students wanted to do well, learn and participate, was simply due to my knack for making a puposeful connection to their human spirit! I taught “out side the box” and threw lables, ingredients and limiting price tags out the window. For every lesson I helped them realize the imporance of the big picture-further guiding them to reflect on how the skills they were fine tuning would translate and promote their adulthood experiences and expectations. You and the many commenting-readers all echo a solid truth stemming from the grassroots of our need to change, grow and glow… However, it’s a sad reality when everyone wants to speak theory about best educational practices, yet truly don’t move beyond their own articulations. Educational institutions are just that…facilities for education for the masses… Teachers are facilitators and teach every-single-student that walks through their door and sits in their classroom (regardless of need, motivation or appreciation)…An educational utopia would take the whole world to step into these classroom and differentiate insturction and guidance to truly govern idealistic life learning versus academic achievement. “Life learning…” Learning is lifelong and teachers are all around us. Life teaches us…education gives us the foundational groundwork to build upon the fundamentals of knowledge, practice, performance and evaluation to continue to develop these skills from that of profiency to mastered on-going progress. Thus, partnerships have to be be built, bridged and supported between the home and schools, the schools and the community and, above all, the community to the children we’re bringing into this world that we’re running. Set the example, teaching doesn’t just happen in the classroom…We as a human race need to educate ourselves and others for the betterment of all. (Note, our notions of “education” need to steer clear away from USA-ISD and become an active verb that we all engage in; anywhere, anytime, for anyone).
I like this post, it obviously got a lot of people to reflect and react. Nothing’s worth learning if you don’t share it. I look forward to your future notes of life.
Have a great Tuesday 🙂
thanks for the information you have provided. friendship greetings
I really enjoy reading this!
Mark, thanks for this. I totally agree with everything you’ve said. As a teacher, I’m obviously on the front lines of this discussion, but I confess that I often lack the creativity and energy to make any real changes in my methods and curriculum. Reading this has gotten me thinking already about things I’ll do differently this fall.
Great post! I’m a science teacher here in the Philippines and I’ve also struggled with teaching a lot of content and problem solving, and squeezing in the practical, useful skills in between.
Some years ago I made my students do a project: make a home-made, improvised overhead projector. I got scolded by my supervisor, as some parents complained about its complexity, cost, and about it being a waste of time. Since I also offered great incentives for those who’ll be able to make this “cool” project, parents of student NOT from my section complained that her daughter might be disadvantaged in the race for top honors, in case her rivals in my class will get the high grade. Cool project, but it was way too ambitious at that time. Students and parents weren’t quite ready for it.
Now we are adapting UbD, and all units of study shall have a culminating task that will reflect their understanding. Now teachers are the ones not ready to design these culminating tasks… the rubrics, the mechanics, and how the grading system will accommodate this culminating tasks, when our mindset and habits are still leaning towards pen-and-paper tests. Peers and supervisors are even labeling Science as a content-driven subject, and thus aren’t really ready to see practical performances and products as better reflections or evidences of understanding than pen-and paper-tests.
Let’s see how things roll this school year.
I do not disagree with many of your ideas about the aims of education, but I found your generalizations about education frustrating. I get so tired of people making generalizations about education that aren’t based on facts/data. Or even experience as an educator. The truth is that some kids get a stifling, irrelevant education while others get a rich, rewarding one that helps them discover their talents and passions and provides the means for them to develop. Figuring out how we might give the latter to everyone is an amazingly difficult puzzle that can’t be solved within the scope of a blog entry (not that I think you were really trying to do that). The enterprise of providing a quality public education to every child is incredibly complex and daunting. Being told all the ways in which we do it poorly, by someone who does not work in the field and who offers no real solutions for our dilemmas, makes me grind my teeth.
It would be a wonderful world if everyone were educated in accordance with their personal needs and desires. As you point out, these vary widely from one person to another. Although the movement toward standardization is fraught with dangers, it is also probably one of the best ways to ensure equitable experiences for every student. De-standardization in the name of providing needs best suited to communities and/or individuals is a sure way to make sure that some communities/individuals will receive a sub-standard education. Who will determine which students will learn a trade, and how will that happen? Too often it will be those poor inner-city kids you write rather glibly about. And it’s nice to say that we need to re-imagine the American Dream (of course we do, given the changing status of our place in the world), but that doesn’t do much for the students in school right now, today. Those suburban kids are still going to be pushed toward college by their parents because right now, today, it is still true that the more education you have, on average, the higher your income. The higher your income, the longer your life.
If you want to learn more about the impossible choices we are forced to make in schools (from the perspective of someone who has to decide how resources will be allocated and to whom), you might check out my blog (ritaottramstad@wordpress.com). Most recent two entries.
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The problem isn’t that we don’t teach basic life skills, its a sedentary culture in America. Nations with much stricter curriculum than the US don’t necessarily run into the same issues. I feel that addressing the symptom won’t do much good.
There’s a pretty cool school that I’ve heard a lot about since getting into a series of books (Ringing Cedars of Russia) that I think would be a wonderful model to bring over to North America (from Russia). Here’s the link to the school: http://www.deepsnowpress.com/school.htm
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My partner and I have given serious thought to opening this kind of school somewhere in the US… who knows what will happen in the next 5-10 years.
With Love and Gratitude,
The Intentional Sage
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Brilliant article. Very well written, compelling argument.
If you’re interested, this reminded me greatly of Jamie Oliver’s TED talk about children and food: http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html.
And even though it may mark me as a spambot, here’s one more URL: http://fedupwithschoollunch.blogspot.com/. An anonymous teacher eating school lunch every school day during 2010. It’s really eye-opening. I’ve never been one to consider home-schooling, but all this has certainly got me thinking it, if I’m ever blessed with children.
Thanks for the article!
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