Dazed and Confused

The focus on results in schools is overshadowing the importance of developing critical individuals capable of independent and creative thought.

[dfvas]

Hello there.

You’ll see several different genres as you explore, which can all be found on the right side of the web page if you would prefer to navigate the table of contents rather than scroll through. The first tab on the table of contents, "Opening Remarks" will just bring you to the full page of what you're currently reading. After that there is "Interviews with Current College Students" which is a page with a couple of interviews that  I conducted with peers, asking about their own experience with the education system and how it has effected them as they transitioned into college. I wanted to really start the blog with this in order to bring it down to a relatable level. Though each of the students interviewed attended different schools during their elementary and high school years, all feel that the push on results and test scores has limited their ability to actually learn in college.

If you scroll past the interviews you'll see a quote that will take you to an essay I have written. If you choose to select the next tab on the table of contents, "Is Results-Oriented Education Limiting Independent Thought" you'll be taken directly to the essay. I explore this medium by arguing that the current focus on results oriented education is limiting students’ ability to think independently, creatively, and critically outside of themselves and will ultimately stifle academic and professional success if not expanded to broaden individual ability. As the backbone of my overall argument, this essay breaks down the education system and questions why results seem more important than students’ individual and personal success.

The next post ("The Difference Between Passive and Active Learning") is a series of photos. The first two are a copy of a real assignment that demonstrates a students' capability to engage fully in the learning process. The third photo is a copy of a different assignment, somewhat "easier" and demonstrates little active engagement necessary. This is for you to compare and contrast and make your own judgments. If I've done my job correctly up until this point, you will see the lack of effort education seems to be putting forth to truly engage students in assignments any more.

The fourth and fifth pieces of this portfolio ask you to do your own thinking. In "Do Your Own Research" I've collected a series of articles and arranged them by topic. Ranging from studies on creativity in children and the importance of play time in schools to the detriment standardized testing has on high schoolers, I think it’s important that you know I’m not the be all end all on this topic. There are other ways to learn information and I encourage you to. I leave you with "Why Should My Opinion Matter", a speech on my own experience and the struggle it is every day to be a creative mind in a structured world, not knowing how to express this desire for more in a world that asks for less.

My aim is that you walk away understanding that while I may just be a student myself, I know what I’m talking about and I want YOU to know what you’re talking about. I want you to recognize that the primary method of teaching has become archaic. The world is growing, technology is growing, minds are growing—so why is the most important thing in education still just the regurgitation of facts? It doesn't make sense to me, and I hope that once you explore for yourself it will no longer make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy what I’ve worked so hard to bring you.

Thank you for your time.

The truth is just a scroll or click away.

[dfvas]

So what are students thinking? Here's what Emily is saying.

              Domonique Vas: Hi, there. I'm looking for some first hand accounts of college students for what it's like being a sort of product of our current education system. I just have a few questions about what your experience has been like, is that okay? 

DV: Well First off, where are you a student now and where did you go during your primary years?

EF: I'm currently a junior at Appalachian State University. I was home schooled during elementary school, then sent to a private Christian Academy. When I got to high school my parents enrolled me in an Early College program at one of the community colleges around.

DV: What's an Early College?

EF: It's basically a program that has high school students taking dual enrollment courses and getting high school and college credit for taking a college level class. So by the end of your senior year you graduate with your high school diploma and an Associates Degree.

DV: Oh, wow! That must have been pretty challenging. I guess that was pretty different from being home schooled, too. Can you tell me a little about the transition? I bet you felt pretty prepared when you got to college! 

EF: It was a really big change for me. There were these standards in homeschool, but when I got to Early College it was a whole different thing completely. It was weird, too, because the classes I was required to take were all kind of the same, just with different subjects. We had projects to do but they were like poster boards, stuff I've seen from kindergartners. It was very monotonous, sitting in a classroom all day and just listening to the teachers lecture. It was kind of mindless work sometimes but there was so much pressure to just know everything because there was always an assessment to take. I honestly don't think it prepared me at all for college, even though I was already there. I don't think any of the things I learned and got tested on were really meant to help me, I think it was just a way to pass me one. 

DV: How was the transition to college? Did you find that information is taught in generally the same way since you took some of the courses already in high school or is it different?

EF: It depends on the class. I'm double majoring in Psychology and English, so I have classes on different ranges of the spectrum, really. Some of my psychology classes are similar to my high school classes. The professor sits at the front of the class and lectures for an hour and we take notes in order to pass tests. I'm starting to get into the more hands on classes, though, doing case studies and making hypothetical diagnoses. The lecturing is something very familiar, and with my English classes I'm used to all of the reading. But actually participating in class is something I'm not really used to.

DV: What do you mean?

EF: I'm just scared of messing up sometimes. In some of my English classes we have these really in depth discussions and we analyze text and literary theory. I graduated high school with my Associate Degree, so I'm in all these higher level courses with absolutely no context really for what some of the other students have learned. I just feel like if I say anything I'll sound stupid. I don't want to be wrong so it's easier sometimes not to say anything at all. Even though I've been in college classrooms for almost six years of my life, I think because I was still a high school student those college teachers didn't ask as much of me. I never really learned to value my opinion or trust that the way I was reading into the text was right. 

DV: Do you think these classes that look for more critical thinking are important, though? Are they, at least, kind of preparing you for the real world?

EF: Oh, yes. It's kind of terrifying but I really learn more when I'm pushed out of my comfort zone a little and asked to engage. I’m still nervous about graduating and looking for a job because I still feel like I don’t know what’s expected of me, though. College allows me to be a little more free but I'm still kind of lost when it comes to knowing what I'm supposed to do. The standards are still high, the push for results is still high. I have classes I'm required to take or I can't graduate, and some of them aren't even relevant to my major. I've been thinking about grad school, and that just means taking another big test and making another good score. I just really doubt my future employer is going to care what I made on the GRE so I don't see why it's such an important part of life. I just want the right education so that I can feel competent in my knowledge about the things I like. Test scores don't mean anything compared to that. I just really wish that there was more of a push towards active learning. I want to know what I'm doing. 

[dfvas]

Visit Original Link

An interview with Maggie Wall, a 20-year old college student. 

[dfvas]

A different perspective: Ernesto's experience with education.

           Domonique Vas: You have a really interesting spin on the education system because of your background, so tell me a little more about that. 

DV: That must have been quite a change.

EH: It was really different because it was a different country. The whole culture was different. But the education itself was a complete flip because things weren't tied to religion. And even socially, I was surprised. I didn't speak the same language and I had to catch up really quickly.

DV: Did the schools you went to in America ease your transition at all?

EH: I don't think there is any easing into a situation like that, but that says less about the education system of America and more about what a drastic difference there is.

DV: Can you talk a little more about that?

EH: The grades are really different. In Peru we got numbers, not letters, and the numbers were from 1-20. A passing in primary school was a 13 and in secondary school it was 11. 

DV: Would you say grades were more or less important in Peru than here in America?

EH: They're more important here. Like, to get into college here you have to apply and it's based on grades and what you've done but in Peru there's just a test you take and you pass or you don't. The only good medical school there only takes about 30 people a year. 

DV: That sounds really competitive. 

EH: I guess it was, but it seems more competitive here actually. I had to work really hard in school when I moved here to get good grades but then I got them and it still wasn't good enough to get into the schools I wanted.

DV: What do you mean?

EH: They wanted people with extra curriculars. And I didn't have many because I was so focused on school. A lot of colleges want the grades and the extras.

DV: Is that frustrating to you?

EH: Yeah, because it doesn't make sense to me. All of the classes I took in high school and all of the teachers I talked to told me how important it was that I get good grades if I wanted to be a doctor. So I did and I got good test scores on my SAT and ACT and then I still got rejected from Chapel Hill, my dream school. It was just really...it made me upset.

DV: Because we advertise education and tests and grades as the most important things but then we don't follow through?

EH: Yes. I don't like that at all. 

[dfvas]

Click the link to read my essay on the detriment results-oriented education has on current and future students. 

[dfvas]

The first two images here are copies of a tenth-grade high school English 2 assignment that I was assigned. The third image is also a copy of a high school English 2 assignment given to me in the past. Which do you think engages a student actively in learning?

The first assignment seems lengthy. The students are given this information at the beginning of the semester and are given a month and a half to read a book of their choice and then given three parts to complete the assignment. They need to know the book, understand the book, and analyze what they've learned and be able to apply it to future creations. The instructions are clear and concise but they also leave room for student improvisation. There are guidelines but there are also options. Students are being given a power over their education and are being treated as individuals with different needs. The teacher here recognizes that not every student will want to do the same thing, whether that be write summaries or draw storyboards. There is an option for every learning style and preference, and the assignment demonstrate's Paulo Freire's problem-posing encouragement. 

The second assignment, illustrated in the third photo, seems like a lot less work. However, it also underestimates student ability. The topic is generic and broad. It applies to every single student and there is only one way to complete it: write. There are not further directions, just a prompt. Each student will most likely write an essay providing just the bare minimum to get by, because the only thing they've been asked to do is describe an event. There is a level of personal engagement, but it is gone as soon as the student figures out what event they're going to write about. Once that's solved, it's just a paper away from a complete assignment. 

These two assignments are examples of what the education system should be aiming for and what it should be straying away from. The first assignment was an example of a teacher ready and willing to engage students in active learning. The teacher embraced that there was a marker that needed to be completed (a book report) but rather than assign an essay that could be written by spending a few days on Google or Netflix there was an effort to show the students that their participation in the learning process really matters. There were options in case students felt frustrated inside the box of a typical essay, and there were clear steps outlined. The second assignment was an example of what most students seem to be looking at these days-- nothing more than a generic prompt with a generic "anything is right" answer. The student is not being challenged but is instead being coddled. As students move on to higher education, the assignments may become less or more structured but the common denominator is that all teachers want to see the student actively engaged in the material. If this is overlooked in high school, when students arrive at college they are left feeling lost and overwhelmed by the suddenly analytic and independent environment.  It is important to remember that the results (in this case, having a completed paper) are not more important than the work (engaging in the book assigned). 

[dfvas]

On Your Own Time

If you're curious about the current state of the education system, I encourage you to take a look at some of the research and writing taking place about the potentially detrimental effects focusing on results can have on students and their future. Click on any of the links to take you to the full article or journal.

About Testing in Schools:

"Kindergarten teacher: My job is now about tests and data--not children. I quit."  l  A Washington Post article about an elementary school teacher and her frustration with test scores being more important than the development of young children. 

"Beware of Standards, Not Just the Tests"  l   An article from Education Weekly in 2001 by Alfie Kohn, an author who writes frequently about the reform of education, discussing the difference between harder and better in education. He argues that there is not enough distinction between outcome and content and how this should be considered more carefully. 

"Raising Standards in American Schools: The Case of "No Child Left behind""  l   Published in the Journal of Education Policy, this article delves into what the No Child Left Behind Act is and how it effected the education system, putting more pressures on public schools to amp up testing in order to measure student performance and accountability at any cost. 

Creativity in Youth:

"Are Today's Youth Less Creative & Imaginative?"  l  An article on livescience that cites researcher Kyung Hee Kim in her research on the decrease in creativity among current youth. Discusses the theory that creativity needs to be nurtured in order to thrive and the many ways it is being suppressed in children. 

"Creativity and Competition"  l  A study done on the correlation between creativity and competitiveness. Students and employed adults alike are often placed into competitive situations to yield better results and to perform more productively, but does that really work? This study explores the differences in results. 

"Test Scores, Creativity, and Global Competitiveness"  l  America may not rank as high as other cultures in education when it comes to test scores, but is it possible that we rank higher in creativity? With new technology sweeping the world, America tries hard to keep up with new innovations. This article discusses the link, or lack-thereof , between test scores and creative innovation. 

[dfvas]

Why does my opinion matter? Because this affects me personally! 

[dfvas]

Closing Remarks

I think that the most persuasive parts of this DMP are my essay and perhaps my speech, simply because one is very detached almost while the other is incredibly personal. I establish that I am educated enough to write about this topic but also emotional enough to plead and be honest about my own experience in the education system. My current definition of rhetoric involves the use of symbols to make and shape meaning, so I do believe that the components of my DMP do just that. I lay out what I’m talking about fairly clearly and in a concise way.

On questions of rhetorical theory and epistemology, I’m a bit hopeless. While I would love to believe that knowledge is pre-existing, in my experience it is not. Knowledge is shaped through language and symbols and truth is relative for the most part. I still believe that there are some indisputable Truths though no matter the argument, and that’s just a matter of personal faith. I believe that we should always argue for the truth, but because my truth may be different from someone else’s it is okay that we are arguing for different things. It’s about intent and I believe that as long as intent is meaningful and not harmful then so be it.

Students, parents, and those considering being involved in the education system would benefit from my DMP just to have their eyes opened to what is really happening in the minds of students. The last idea I want my reader to think is “I have to do something.” Not necessarily to change the education system, but to do something more than what society has been asking. I want my reader to know that it’s okay to learn things you won’t be tested on and it’s even more fun that way actually. Learning happens all around us and school should not be the main educator in children’s’ lives, especially not when they value students as little more than numbers. I feel that by using a blog to demonstrate my argument I have also dipped a little into the creativity I feel many are trying to stifle. It was a challenge that I am very proud I stepped up to, and I know that by going outside of the box I have demonstrated the significance of my argument. By completing such an out of the box assignment and embracing it fully, I proved that creativity isn't dead but in the process I definitely discovered that it is difficult to untap in an educational setting after years of being asked not to.

[dfvas]

Sources

Donegan, Ryan. “The Numbers Behind Why Millenials are ‘Generation Frustration.’” The Blog. Huffington Post. 13 Sept 13. Web. 21 April 2014.

Freeman, Emily. Personal interview. 21 March 2014.

Freire, Paulo. “The “Banking Concept of Education.” Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, Herder and Herder, 1970. 242-255. Web. 23 April 2014.

Loeber, Allison. Personal interview. 21 March 2014.

Rettner, Rachael. “Are Today’s Youth Less Creative & Imaginitive?”

LiveScience. Tech Media Network. 12 Aug. 2011. Web. 22 March 2014.

Roweton, William E. "Creativity and Competition*." The Journal of Creative Behavior. 16.2 (1982): 89-96. Web. 26 March 2014.

Smith, Emma. "Raising Standards in American Schools: the Case of “No Child Left Behind”." Journal of Education Policy. 20.4 (2005): 507-524. Web. 21 March 2014.

Sternberg, Robert J. "How Intelligent Is Intelligence Testing?” Scientific American. (1998): 12-16. Web. 25 March 2014.

Strauss, Valerie. “Kindergarten teacher: My job is now about tests and not—not children. I quit.” The Answer Sheet. The Washington Post. 23 March 2014. Web. 23 March 2014.

Thompson, Van. “Are High School Grades an Accurate Indicator of High School Performance?”  Everyday Life. Demand Media. Globalpost. n.d. Web. 25 March 2014.

Wall, Maggie. Personal Interview. 21 March 2014.