Earlier quoted context omitted.
New York city?
"Informatics" implies central or eastern europe
Yes, I'm from Bulgaria
Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
141–150 of 213 posts
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#142Wonderful speech, but a bit of a misleading title on the article as she's not speaking out against schooling, but against a specific kind of schooling that's common throughout the United States (and elsewhere): H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further f…
While intriguing to think about, this teleological viewpoint which she repeats a few times is a little silly. There isn't really a shadowy cabal of plutocrats secreted away in a subterranean headquarters inside of a volcano, planning all of this.
It's likely instead a series of unplanned, undirected side-effects from other things. Standardization could side-effect of trying to mass-produce education, which is a side effect of the increasing size and complexity of society. Educational institutions last for generations and stick to what they know because they don't know what else to do. It's very difficult to get feedback or to infer causal relationships or have anything resembling an experimental control over a 20 year education process and literally a lifetime. No one is directing all of this from a secret mountain lair while cackling malevolently and stroking a trained leopard.
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#143There's a lot of selection bias here - the majority (all?) of the readers of this site are far more intelligent than the majority. So all (most? many?) of us will probably agree with her (at least as regarding our own schooling). I know I do. But the trouble, the reality, is that most students can't do what she suggests, using our minds for creativity, and not rote work. There really is a difference in intelligence,…
I do not agree with her as well. Yes there are problems with the system. Yes, we can have a more liberal flexible system. But the system is designed for everyone. How many people in your class didn't know the capitals? How many couldn't write a formal letter? How many couldn't solve for x? I'm sure majority of HN thought this was trivial, but many others need this, and the only way they can learn it is through repeti…
I feel that learning to solve for x, learning the capitals, writing a formal letter, etc. can all be handled better than "repetitive, boring, tedious tasks." Why am I solving for x? How would knowing the capital of Nebraska ever help me? When would I write a formal letter? These are questions school fails to answer and thus fails the students.
For example, teachers could give projects out that involve a closed-system and get the students to work through the problem until everyone understands. I have spent weeks being taught a single subject because the teaching pattern involved putting a math problem on the board, wiping it off, repeat until the bell rings...
Another example would be finding a business that they deal with regularly and writing a formal letter expressing their concern/surprise at the services the business provides. In school, instead, I was given the task of copying word-for-word formal letters out of a book for the purpose of replicating something identically.
The problem is that we are graded and passed based on memorization, duplication, and busywork. It's not that we accomplished anything in particular - we just learned a little stuff without much purpose (most of which will be forgotten within a year or two).
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#144Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#145I think she has come to the same conclusions many teenagers have come to before her. Although perhaps she frames them a little more elegantly. Most teenagers just have the instinctive realization that, "school sucks."
Grading is a system that can be gamed. However, it's not a system that doesn't encourage you to learn anything. I'd say you are rather clever if you can get good grades but not very smart if you didn't learn anything along the way. In one of her criticism she claims "I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared." She should be scared. Scared that she made a mistake to not learn anything.
But of course I don't believe that to be true. She did learn something even if she is spiteful of the methods by which she came across the knowledge. I also do not believe that the system is perfect either and it is good that she recognizes this. However I think she, like the vast majority of people charged with writing a speech for an audience, got hold of a single idea and stretched it beyond its logical limits.
Is the system perfect? No. By any rote definition of perfection any system wrought of the mind of a human cannot be perfect. Could it be better? Certainly. Though I think you will have a tough time educating people by removing the goal of excellence.
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#146Oh come on now, Valedictorian, you can find plenty of important life skills to be learned in school if you only look hard enough: kindergarden - learn how to play nicely together first grade - learn how to read and write second grade - learn how to add, subtract, multiply, & divide third grade - learn how to spell fourth grade - learn how to play a musical instrument fifth grade - learn how to appreciate great litera…
If someone starts learning a foreign language at 7th grade something is wrong I think. Question: Is this the general case for US Education?
During the 70's/80's in my home state, 7th grade would be about normal to start learning a foreign language if you were seen as college bound. Otherwise, you had to wait until 9th grade. In my area of the US, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian are the predominant languages taught. The choice of languages goes strictly according to the immigration patterns.
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#147Did she really end a high school speech with the term "pedagogic movement"? Sounds like a "Curse of Knowledge" overdose to me.
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#148Oh come on now, Valedictorian, you can find plenty of important life skills to be learned in school if you only look hard enough: kindergarden - learn how to play nicely together first grade - learn how to read and write second grade - learn how to add, subtract, multiply, & divide third grade - learn how to spell fourth grade - learn how to play a musical instrument fifth grade - learn how to appreciate great litera…
Computers are all the way up at eighth grade? Egads.
I started in 5th grade in the late 70's. We learned binary arithmetic and punched cards to program the school system's only computer. Learning computers varies in the US. As I understand it, high schools today in the US teach basic computer skills like using a word processor, spreadsheet, browser, etc. to the general populace and may have more advanced classes for people identified as having more ability.
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#149Oh come on now, Valedictorian, you can find plenty of important life skills to be learned in school if you only look hard enough: kindergarden - learn how to play nicely together first grade - learn how to read and write second grade - learn how to add, subtract, multiply, & divide third grade - learn how to spell fourth grade - learn how to play a musical instrument fifth grade - learn how to appreciate great litera…
And where do they learn the "why" of all this?
They don't. That's the problem with the school system. Likewise, you seem to be so focused on skills that you can't even question anymore why those skills are necessary, or even worthwhile.
Re: Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech
#150Earlier quoted context omitted.
Let's put that grit argument another way: Surviving prison develops grit. Therefore it is beneficial to go to prison. Counting the grains of sand on the beach develops grit. Therefore, it is beneficial to count the grains of sand on a beach. Point: not all activities that develop grit are beneficial. The implication of the grit argument is that any tedious activity has some benefit - if not for anything else, then at…
I bet reading those will develop grit... :)
Ironically, most of my startup ideas are the result of 'grit' developing activities.