HW 45

Both Hirsh and Sizer make excellent points.  Although I think that Sizer’s ideas on teaching are a better preparation for the real world, I do believe certain aspects of Hirsch’s ideas could be of some use.  In some ways people of the School of the Future, and other schools part of the Coalition of Essential Schools have had a taste of both worlds.  Although my elementary school wasn’t completely based on standardized testing generally speaking it was much more than SOF.  Hirsch is about the content of learning and being able to understand it earlier on.  While Sizer thinks a more portfolio-based education actually allows the mind to truly learn.

Hirsh wants to make people that follow the path and are easy to keep under control.  His ideas are very similar to the Prussian Education System, making people good soldiers and good factory workers.  His ideas lead us to becoming mimicking robots that are good at retaining information and spitting it right back. 

Sizer believed that real learning happened not by testing but by thinking.  Being able to use alternative options in understanding content. Our school is an example of one of his ideas coming to life.  We have eliminated regents and substituted them with exhibitions.  While most kids become excellent at bubbling in circles we are exploring the Habits of Mind, and their reflection on our learning and thinking. 

In this NY Times Article from 1996 written by Sara Mosle it discusses the ideas that Hirsch was trying to preach. “Progressive educators like Mr. Sizer contend that ''national standards'' will simply lead to more standardized testing. Mr. Hirsch recognizes the limitations of many standardized tests, and offers suggestions for making them both more nuanced and more comprehensive. And he cautions against state governments' using such tests as a ''blunt legislative instrument'' to impose reform; they must also provide the resources necessary to make meeting such standards possible. But Mr. Hirsch maintains that such tests are far fairer than more subjective means of assessing student performance, such as ''portfolios'' -- compilations of students' creative work -- which are currently in vogue.”  What I think is interesting that over 10 years later Hirsh’s vision isn’t so unreal, the whole “No Child Left Behind” seems to have elements of his message.  The idea that an elementary standardized test is given to evaluate the child’s knowledge seems crazy. 

I do not completely disagree with what Hirsch is saying but I think it could be tweaked slightly.  I do think that it is important in early childhood development for children to be exposed to content in both math and science.  If one child really seemed to grasp the information and understand it then maybe later on in life they will decide to pursue a career in it.  I do not think though that this set curriculum should stay within an education the whole time.  I also do not believe a test can measure the ability of ones knowledge.  Certain skills though that are used in preparing for tests could be incorporated within a classroom.  The ability to remember what you learned yesterday, and be able to know it so well you could teach someone else.  But by at least High School is when the Sizer way should come into play.  As Sizer said: “Inspiration, hunger: these are the qualities that drive good schools. The best we educational planners can do is to create the most likely conditions for them to flourish, and then get out of their way.”  I think what he was trying to do was to make learning something exciting and what students looked forward to.  While Hirsch didn’t think about the students ideas and more so his own.  Sizer wanted to give students a blank canvas and let the imagination go, while Hirsch gave the students a coloring book. 

 

 

 

HW 44

I hate to admit it but I was blown away by what Obama said. Although I am a Obama fan, I am not a fan of the way the education system is set up. I think what he was saying was actually quite inspiring and made me want to push myself to my goals. He ensured us that there is a spot for every single one of us. My only disagreement is if one student goes to a SUNY and the other one goes to an Ivy, who is honestly really going to get the job? I know that Obama wants us all to succeed and become the leaders of tomorrow but I think he forgets that our culture and institutions are so socially divided. The student who had to work a job to support their families throughout High School, and could of got very good grades but didn't have the opportunity to is probably not going to end up at a school like Harvard or Colombia. I would rather have a leader that had experience being normal and not someone who has always been very privileged.

Something very ironic that I realized about the Liberal Arts Education was the school focused on is a very conservative, republican school. Since a Liberal Arts school offers more opportunity to explore a variety of subjects, these students are being influenced to find love in one of them. My point being that wealthy college students are intended on filling positions in both science and the government. It is as if the institutions are planning ahead of who is going to replace the current leaders. So that the rich stay on top and everyone below them does the mediocre work. I mean why is it that the leaders of today feel the need to continue this lifestyle if their not going to be here forever?

Lastly the article I read was "Where the bar ought to be". I was discussing it with Melissa and it seems as if Ms. Kenny has the right idea for education. Instead of turning kids into robots who can spit back information you just clocked into their brains, they actually know how to use them. Her philosophy seems very similar to our school. Being able to take what we learn in the classroom and apply it to what we do in the real world. Being able to communicate with any sort of person regardless of their social class. Are students of the private institutions being taught to live by the same standards? If they are the ones expected to have lifestyles that fulfill these goals is the material being taught to them now really going to help them? Or is it just giving everyone around them the illusion that they have the capability of fulfilling the jobs presented to them?

HW 42

How can you be a good worker in the future, if you can't interact with people in the present?

I think it is disgusting that our social classes and schooling separates us.  The fact that the more privileged end up filling the big guys shoes.  I think something very important learned in school is communication.  I would rather have someone in office who has the experience of working with people who are from different backgrounds, different neighborhoods and different religions.  How can we put someone in office who is used to being around the same race and lifestyle their whole lives?  How they can connect to average people when they consider themselves so elite? 

One of my private school friends refuses to apply to SUNY schools because she claims that she has worked to hard to go to a school that is for average people.  The fact is the people that go to SUNYs and go to public school I truly believe are so much more down to earth and real.  They have a better sense of what goes on in the real world, and understand that you have to work to get to your goals.  If she came to SOF I think she would be really intimated by everyone and wouldn't know how to communicate.  She is used to everyone around her being just like her, and if per say she were to become part of the governmental system how would she be able to connect to this country.  I feel as if private schools train the students to be top leaders of the future but these so called leaders have no idea how the rest of the country runs.  

I think there is a solution to both private and public education.  This is experience.  A memory of something is much more likely to stick with you and turn on and off when needed.  I think by 9th grade you should be able to have a sense of what you would like to do with your life.  Instead of wasting four years in a classroom behind a desk I think the learning should begin in a real setting.  Lets say you were learning something in Biology class about fish, and it was coming out of a text book.  If in four years from then your in college trying to decide what you want to do, and you realize Biology is your calling, are you really going to remember the information from the text book? Or will you remember that morning on the boat when you watched a school of fish swim by and observed them? 

I am not saying that school is completely unnecessary I just think the system needs to be revised.  I don't think it should be so separated and there should be more real life experiences.  I think the fact that SOF has internships makes a little more advanced.  What I do in my internship actually leaves a mark on me and I am learning so much from younger children.  If for all our classes we could go out and explore each subject then it would be easier to figure out what our likes and dislikes are.  

HW 41

1.

Dillon, Sam "High School Students to Offer Plan to Graduate 2 Years Early"

 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/education/18educ.html?ref=education

NY Times Web 17 February 2010 

In 2011 there will be an opportunity for students after two years of High school to take a test and receive their diplomas. In which after they will be able to continue on to school in local community colleges.  This new system has already been introduced to Denmark, England, Finland, France and Singapore.  In the states of  Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, certain students will be able to be apart of this new way of education.  

I think this a very well thought out plan.  For many students they find themselves quite bored in school.  Maybe not because of the structure of the teaching but simply because they are ready for bigger challenges.  If the opportunity of finishing High School early and being able to continue on to college earlier was offered to me, that seems like plenty of motivation alone.  By motivation I mean that maybe students would work harder to meet that goal.  Personally I know I could of done better in my 9th and 10th grade years and if I were to have had this sort of opportunity I just might of.  

2. (Additional Works Consulted)
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/06/15/nyregion/06162009TEACHER_index.html?ref=education in relation to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/nyregion/16teachers.html?_r=1

3.

Alvarez, Lizette "New York City Valedictorians Prepare for the Future"
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/nyregion/28valedictorians.html

NY Times Web, 26 June 2009

This article published in the early summer of last year had both a corky attitude about it but also real feeling about it.  The kids who were a part of it were all top of their class.  Most of them broke 2000 on their SAT and all were going to very well regarded colleges.  Something that struck me though was the personal comments made by each student.  They discussed things from Obama to what they said for their graduation speeches and how they were feeling about graduating.  

I choose this article because I think in some ways it shows that a lot of these kids could probably do something really great tomorrow.  But as a alternative to my topic might still need even more education to make a even stronger difference in the world.  It seems that they are all very well spoken and have certainly not taken their educations as a walk in the park.  I think what is so great about this is the fact that they are from NYC and it is easy to relate to them on a personal level, to understand exactly where they are coming from.  

4. (Additional Works Consulted)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Unit_and_Student_Hour

5.

Anonymous, "Education: Going to School at Sea"

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,923915-3,00.html

Time Magazine Online, 28 January, 1980

This article describes a program offered to students in college to live on a boat for a semester.  It is for people who are liberal arts majors or interested in learning about the ocean.  Essentially it is a classroom experiment that you are apart of.  The students hardly get any sleep because they are either doing experiments or making sure the boat is running smoothly.  

I am glad that Andy mentioned this article because it ties in perfectly with my idea of stopping school and actually using our tools in the real world.  In my interview of myself I talked about how I am working with younger children.  Although I feel as though they should go to school to learn about emotional aspects and working with other people at a certain point how much more of that can we really learn?  I think this program is a great idea because you are still learning but it is completely hands on and gives you an experience so that what you learn will actually stick with you.  

6. (Additional Works Consulted

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/23/advice/

7.

Gallagher, Teresa , "Alternatives in Education - The Other Side of ADD" http://borntoexplore.org/addsvs.htm BTE - Born to Explore, 1997

In Summary, this independently run website is preaching the idea that there is a link between the system of US Education and ADD.  The United States bases there educational system off the German.  Germany's Schooling was to make better factory workers and better solders.  There system seemed to be quite successful so we copied them as well as many countries.  The only difference between us and them is that we didn't want our students to be illiterate.  

Considering the fact that ADD is the most over diagnosed disorder it probably has very little to do with the brains and more with the similarity between most schools.  If in most schools being yelled at and training for jobs is the main focus how can children explore their creative imagination.  Just as it is described in the website, how can people focus if what they are learning has no interest to them? Or further more has no time for exploration in thinking topics?

8. (Additional Works Consulted)

http://www.ctcl.org/about/book

9.

Anonymous, "Prussian Education System" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prussian_education_system Wikipedia, 30 November 2009

In relation to the link about Alternatives in Education, this is a more information about the Prussian Education System.  The system the United States education is based off of.  In this characteristics I find it so interesting that this system was created in the 19th Century.  Even though this country claims to have changed so much for the better Education is one of those things that really hasn't changed.  

This is what the education system was described as two centuries ago: The Prussian system instituted compulsory attendance, specific training for teachers, national testing for all students (used to classify children for potential job training), national curriculum set for each grade, and mandatory kindergarten. It sounds very similar to how the system is run today.  So much change...if we know it isn't working then why do we continue to follow it...so that our military stays in line?  So we are obedient people who follow the system?

 

 

 

HW 40 - The Interviews

Part A:


Friend (New York City Public High School Student)

Having experienced going to both a regular public school and a specialized public school, how would you say the experiences are either similar or different?

Regular Public Schools and Specialized Public Schools are a lot different in size. Since Specialized Public Schools are larger there is a lot more diversity. Although you meet a lot of different people it can become overwhelming because there are just so many. The teachers don't really know who people are. They cannot really do a lot of one on one help because they have so many students to care for. However for some that might be a difficult challenge to undertake. Personally my parents and teachers have always told me I am an independent person. So it doesn't really take affect on me. Besides which I don't really like asking my teachers for help, I normally ask my peers. I think the reason why I rely on my peers is because when teachers tell me stuff I don't really care because they are my teachers and not my friends. I find that my friends can make sure I understand it more. They explain it to me in ways that I can relate to and are more willing to listen.

Dad

How much did your school career have an affect on your real career?

In my early childhood schooling as a teenager I decided early on that my interests would be in music and literature. When I got to college my interests were defined even more. But it wasn't in till out of school I realized I wanted to be a teacher as well as working in the arts in general. In elementary school there was very little emphasis on the arts and in middle school and high school there was more emphasis in the interest of the arts but there was also a lot of emphasis on grades and testing. I was fortunate to go to a college (Bard) where the emphasis was not so much on grades but on learning for its own sake.

How different would your life have been if you didn't have as much schooling as your father had?

It probably would of been different because my father couldn't attend school because he had to earn a living to support his family at a very young age. He had to choose an occupation that would enable him to support both himself and his family throughout his life. If my father had gone to more school he in fact may have become an artist himself. Since he was very drawn to art and in later life music. What schooling enabled me to do was have some leisure time to explore many different aspects of thinking and doing. It helped me learn many different ways of thinking about the work that I eventually chose to do after college. My father despite his lack of formal education was a very "educated" man. He was able to take his experience and relate it directly to his work and his family. He became very articulate in his understanding of many principals of life. I think my father made his life meaningful by the knowledge he gained from his work and his relations with people. His not going to school did not affect his ability to interact with people and to become a successful business man. In the long run what you make of your experience and your knowledge has little to do with the amount of schooling you have and more to do with your ability to deepen your experience, through reflection and your attempts to understand who you are and what it is that you are doing.


Mom

How important is school to a successful life?

I think it is very important because in school you learn about the world and yourself, and your relation to the world. Through different subjects. School can awaken your sense of curiosity. In school you learn to interact with other people and collaborate and work toward common goals. A student also learns about the history of the world and the various cultures to help them understand their place in the world. One of the first steps to success is to make good decisions and a good plan on how to proceed. We are lucky in these days that we have a variety of choices of ways to engage in the world and to find meaningful work. We are very fortunate in that regard. School can actually be a microcosm of the world and we can learn how to live in the world. The more educated one is the better. However one also has to learn compassion and understanding and listening skills, in order to really function.

If you had not gone back to get your masters degree would your life be any worse or better?

I think my life is better because going to graduate school presented a challenge for me. It wasn't easy because I was working full time. It took a long time for me to earn my degree but it also proved to me that I could reach my goal of improving my knowledge of the world as it related to art history and museum studies.

Would you say that your experiences in life were more meaningful than the ones gained in school?

Both of my experiences in my life and in college and graduate school have been equally important to my education. Some of the most profound experiences have occurred when I was traveling to other countries in the world including, France, Italy, Spain, Israel and various states in the US. I felt more connected to the world and realized what a big wonderful planet we are living on. How marvelous all of the people around the world are. However I hope that I am always a life time learner.


Friend # 2 (New York City Public High School Student)

How different would you say coming from a private school education public school is?

I think public school is a lot better in many ways, I don't see a huge difference since my school is a lot like a private school anyways. I think it is better because the kids don't have as much a sense of entitlement and work much harder. The teachers are better. I think the reason why my school is so similar is because it is very small, well off and is very nice inside. It doesn't have a lack of funding whatsoever and gets the same opportunities and stuff for the students. My school however is not very diverse that's the only thing, it is still a majority white school and is about the same diversity as my old school. The reason for this is because it is a screened school, priority to district two. Although my school is public it is very different in comparison to most because it is more like a private school.

Self

Why is going to school for practically everyone such a painful thing?

I honestly don't know its probably like going to a job you absolutely dislike. If you have no interest in what you are doing than why would you want to waste your time doing it. To be successful? It is as if we bribe ourselves to get out of bed every morning and remind ourselves of the gold pot at the end of the rainbow. Success seems to drive people and if theoretically we want to be successful we seem to follow the peoples paths which lead them to success. Most people in this day and age led very similar lives after high school, they go to college get a degree in something they claim to find interesting and try to find a job that satisfies their ability. If high school classes were more based around things that I was interested in I think I would enjoy coming more. The fact that we are forced to learn certain things that follow the curriculum just makes it so boring. Personally I find this class interesting although we have units at least it helps us to form our opinions. We get to learn information that will most likely have a lot more significance in 10 years. 

A couple of weeks ago Mr. Kinory was talking about how people remember 9/11 so clearly but can't remember September 10Th 2001. Our brains remember significant things that had a huge impact on our lives. I don't think for example the subject math makes an impact on my life at all, I can't even remember what we learned a week ago in that class. I believe that learning is about experiences that change us as learners and people. A couple of summers ago I volunteered at the hospital Mount Siani and some of the people that were patients made such an impact on my life. There was a patient from Inwood Park and I talked to her every day for a week. The fact is I still remember things she said to me and that was 2 years ago... once we get to a certain age I think that experience in the real world plays a bigger role in learning. I am working with 3 year olds at a preschool called Merricat's Castle for my internship. They are learning about things such as feelings and communication skills. I think those are important reasons to come to school especially at the age when the brain is still a sponge. But at a certain age our skills should be practiced in real life situations verses in structured classes.

Part B:

From all five interviews I think what strikes me from most of them is being able to figure out what makes the individual interested. I guess by coming to school we create skills which help us branch of into different areas of interest. However I truly don't know how important it is to keep coming back to school. My mom for example who went back to get her masters degree already had a job in the same area. Is it simply for the title which makes the person seem as a superior authority? Or is it the fact that in order to have a job in this day we must know a certain amount of information? My grandfather who my dad described was a very successful factorer (someone who gives loans to people working in the garment business) was very well respected and he had zero degrees. However that was in a different time and in this day and age there is much more competition to success. Regardless though I don't believe that degrees make someone any better of a person and maybe in some ways by spending so much time competing you loose sense of meaning. 

My mom said this which I thought was interesting: "School can actually be a microcosm of the world and we can learn how to live in the world. The more educated one is the better. However one also has to learn compassion and understanding and listening skills, in order to really function." In a way though every school is different so does that mean whatever kind of school one attends is the type of life they will lead? One of my friends who has always attended private school has the goal of getting at least a 2100 on her SAT, getting into Duke and becoming filthy rich. In all honesty that just sounds so disgusting. I am convinced that the reason she is like that is because of the way she is taught both in the classroom and in the world. Not only is she like this so are all the other students that go to school with her. It is as if we are all programed robots and from Day 1 there is evidence of separation of the classes. No wonder it is so much easier for certain people to find success than others it is probably because of the way that they were trained in school so they have the skills to reach whatever goal is designated to their social class.

HW 39

Part A:

Questions:
1. How does your view of education vary or differ depending on the type of school you go to?
2. If we were not to learn certain types of math and replace it with something more meaningful how would it affect our lives after high school?
3. Why must we go to school for so long when 70-80 years ago people stopped at very young ages, and still ending up doing well in life?

Ideas:
1. Bloomberg sees us all as numbers both grade wise and $ wise.
2. By not constantly taking tests at SOF whenever we do take tests it feels as if it is another language.
3. Teachers constantly say that by doing exhibitions it will help us greatly in college.

Experiences:
1. I find myself often getting into arguments with one of my friends who goes to private school because I feel like she is very closed minded. Maybe not intentionally but I believe the structure of her school makes her that way.
2. I have met kids who go to private school who are embarrassed that they do.
3. In a lot of my classes I find myself checking the clock every 3 minutes to see when the class will be over.


Part B:

I am going to use something from The Cool Unit that I think has a relation to the school unit. I interviewed two of my very good friends, one of them goes to a private school and the other one goes to a public school very much like this one. Just from having conversations with them I can tell the difference is so strong. The friend from private school seems so close-minded about all of her ideas. I constantly find us bickering because I don’t understand how someone could not think about situations from different points of view. I asked to describe her school in the interview and this is what she said: “Um, I go to an all girls school, there are around 50 girls in my grade. We all know each other really well. The workload is crazy. Most of the girls live in the neighborhood of the school, a couple live in Westchester or like Brooklyn. Some girls party a lot while some girls don’t do anything at all. There aren't really cliques if there is any exclusion it’s between two people not a whole bunch of people. There are of course groups of friends but they aren’t really exclusive.” From this it doesn’t really seem like her philosophy is that bizarre but from personal experience it is very hard to relate to her. I think she has grown up in a very sheltered home and a very sheltered school. She doesn’t experience very much diversity and it shows in her opinions. I have a feeling though that the lifestyle she leads now isn’t going to change much when she becomes an adult. She has said to me that most girls at her school are expected to get into Ivy League Schools and continue on this cycle of I guess being better than everyone else. Considering the fact we spend so much time at school, I really think it does take an affect on who we are as people.

Now in comparison to my friend who goes to a school very much like SOF, her views as a person are much more down to earth. She is more aware of her surroundings and has a better understanding in my opinion of what life is going to be like as she gets older. Although she goes to a good school and has good parents she isn’t trapped in an illusion of how her life is going to be. I feel as if a lot of my private school friends have their whole life’s already mapped out and handed to them, and although it is not to say people that go to public school are not like that all I feel like they have a better understanding of what they really want. In my interview of her she described her school as the following: “My school is very liberal. It’s not like a lot of other public schools because we don’t take regents, its very stressful. It’s a very creative school; people are into music, art and history. It is a medium sized school, 300 kids per grade. Most of the kids live in Park Slope, Brooklyn and the Upper West Side. Most of the people that attend have known each other their whole lives. Kids are really into getting their messages out to others about different cultural and social concerns. Most of the kids at my school party…like everyone actually. There aren’t that many cliques but there are big groups of friends that never leave each other and everyone else just falls wherever.”
A line that struck me was “Kids are really into getting their messages out to others about different cultural and social concerns.” Maybe it is to say that have more of a choice to believe whatever they want to and are not concerned about fitting a certain arc type. It seems like living a care free meaningful life is more important than being the best or having large salary.

HW 38-Art Project

We would like to think our paths are set in stone.

It is our excuse for our lack of change.

Is it because we like who we are? 

Are we satisfied? 

Is it clear that we are just recycled?

Individualism doesn't exist.

As we waste our lives living behind something else the earth keeps spinning.

It doesn't stop for us for any reason.

It doesn't give us the constant attention we long for.

It won't stop spinning when we stop spinning.

Our dreams, hopes and desires are someone else's.

Our thoughts, opinions and ideas are someone else's.

Our style, taste presence are someone else's. 

It was someone else's before us and will be someone else's after.

The cycle continues over and over again, so much that it repeats itself.

As cool fluctuates we fluctuate with it,

Not because we want too,

it's just the way the earth spins, the oceans flow, the birds migrate

we have convinced ourselves it is how we undergo survival.

For my art project I used some of my photography which I feel fit with the poem I wrote.  I think that my art takes cool to more than it just being a materialistic obsession which integrates with our obsession of appearance.  But into the idea that it is taking over so drastically and affecting our lives so deeply.  When first going into this unit I never thought I was going to get to this level of my understanding of how dangerous the whole concept is.  It is so much more than wasting money and being something completely opposite of your true self.  It scares me that all of these companies, advertisers and even the government go so far into convincing us that we need certain things to fulfill a meaningful life.  We lead lives with such a wrong conception of how to deal with difference.  It seems as if the second we don't look like everyone around us we go out and buy something to fit right back in.  While at the same time we think we are so individual and authentic.  I am not really sure what I want people to take away from my art but maybe just the idea that we need to remind ourselves to find our moments of stillness to make sure our sanity is still around.  

At first I was inspired by a picture I had of myself as a little girl behind a carnival stand.  The one where there is a whole for your head but the body isn't your own...I thought that went back to the whole idea of trying on so many different bodies which all have somewhat of a relation and following those paths.  This was what inspired my poem and I wrote a lot of ideas down but came to put this together.  I was going to put the picture with the poem but I can't find it unfortunately.  So I decided to use some of my own photography... the first picture I think relates back to the maps and paths we follow throughout our lives that fit us best.  The second photo I think best describes our fear, the idea of not being here forever, and not knowing what is coming after.  The third photo is suppose to symbolize endlessness and how big this world is, how big this galaxy is, and how I believe we forget that.  The last photo relates to the first photo's meaning, of paths and "destiny."

I love art although I don't necessarily think it is cool.   I think it is a great way to express ourselves.  Although I don't think there is one person who is nothing like anyone else in this world, art is as close as it gets.  Our expression gives us somewhat a branch of individuality and allows us to show our interpretation of what we feel meaning is.  This unit has really made me think and come to the understanding that trying is such a waste of time, and just by living with no final destination or no next stop might allow us to find purpose in this confusing world.