An Open Letter to Educators
I really agree with Morgan in her feelings about education. I often feel as though Professors feel as if they are the only ones in the classroom with any knowledge on any subject. I feel as if they give assignments that are not meant to educate us but to give us a grade.
I really don't think that the education system here is not meant to educate in the most successful way. We assign a grade based on what educators think is best. We give assignments based on what educators think is best. We don't ever think about the students and what is best for them.
It seems as if Morgan's experiences and feelings are very similar to mine. She doesn't feel as if she is being truly educated. I think that EDM -although I don't always like all of the assignments- is taking a step in the right direction. It allows students to express themselves and grades on the process as well as the product.
Don't Let the Kids Take Home the Pencils
I love the message in this post. So often educators must find something to blame low test scores and situations on. Mr. Johnson finds a solution to these "problems" rather than focusing on them. As educators we shouldn't be focusing on the problem-we especially shouldn't be using it as an excuse-we should be deciding how we are going to solve these problems.
"I feel as if they give assignments that are not meant to educate us but to give us a grade." Well, perhaps. But what kind of assignment would be useful to generate a grade but not useful as an educational tool?
ReplyDeleteWhich assignments do you not like in EDM310. We review all of them at the end of each semester and make many changes. You will have a chance to specifically answer this question later in the semester.
It seems that you did not understand that Tom Johnson's post Don't Let Them Take the Pencils Home was a metaphor in which pencils were computers. I will complete my post Metaphors: What They Are and Why We Use Them (A Learning Opportunity) later this week. After this post appears on the Class Blog you will be required to leave a comment. Watch the Class Blog for further instructions.
Jacob,
ReplyDeleteI also feel that the education system needs to change. The knowledge we often get from our professors is something we can find on our own. I feel that they should help us learn as opposed to help us get a grade. Grades mean nothing, however teaching us how to learn will help us in our future endeavors, whatever they may be.
I hate standardized testing! I always did well on them because I have a good memory, but others that I know are very smart never did well on them because they have trouble remembering facts like that. I have learned this semester from this class, and another that I am taking, that you can learn more from critical thinking then you ever could by just regurgitating facts.
Good Luck with the second half of the semester.
Michael Armstrong
Hello Jacob,
ReplyDeleteIt is very understandable that many teachers do think that they are the main focus in the classroom, therefore their teaching style will not be effective to the students. Many college students of today have felt the same way as Morgan did, and discussing this will help us to become better teacher's in the future.