Education is Politics

“Aim of intellectual training is to form the intelligence rather than stock the memory”

It seems as though this mind set is ignored in some school systems by the teachers or professors. In FNED I actually learned things that were surely make me a better member of society, I learned to be more open-minded and understanding of other lifestyles. We didn’t learn these things by simply reading a book or watching a YouTube video, we dissected readings and videos and the media and talked with each other about almost everything. Over time this has become the best class I have taken in college just because of the people in it. I think we actually have a good time in class. I have taken a lot of the reading material and discussions, filtered them a used them in everyday situations including the VIPS program. While this method of teaching may not be usable in every subject I feel as though there are way too many classes that focus on repetition and memorization for a good grade. This isn’t learning necessarily this is remembering and in most cases I forget the information the following semester. I am currently in a History class and I’ll be honest I don’t ever go to class because the teaching seemed a little off and the work was all online, there is no reason why I should be passing yet I have an A in the class simply by doing busy work and showing up for the exams. I have used the time period of the class to do work for other classes that I feel are actually important. If this class wasn’t all about remembering vocab words but focused around discussions and involvement I would be there every day even if I was getting a C in the class because after all what are grades, they reflect what the teacher wants but not always the knowledge you have gained, I’ve learned a lot more from classes that I have received an B or C in than an A. Then there are the classes that an A is important to you because of the work you put in and the knowledge you have gained in doing so.

“In a participatory class where authority is mutual some of the positive affects which support student learning include cooperativeness, openness, and concern about society”

Like I have said before the classes in which participation and discussion are valued as important aspects of the class are generally more effective. In a classroom where the students have some power I feel as though the lesson plan runs much more smoothly. From classes such as this I have learned to be more open-minded about other people I even few the media differently. If students actually were seen as valued members of the class they would be less reliant on someone of authority telling them what to do. Students begin to feel that a correct answer is all that’s important and not the steps in between the question and the answer. Does it really matter if your answer is yes or no if you have nothing to back up what you’re saying? In active classroom students enhance their social skills in a way that will affect them throughout their lives whether it is in the classroom as a student or in society as an adult.

“Students study their own culture and that of the other students different from them. They undertake a cross-cultural study of the other groups in the community-white, Black, Hispanic, Asian-and all students learn English and Spanish. Further, this curriculum is thematic rather than fact-driven. The classwork revolves around cross-cultural themes, among them Our Roots in the Community, Native American Experience. Peace Education and Global Awareness. The teaching methods include cooperative learning, democratic discipline, and students' participation in peer groups and in decision making”

In today’s society the importance of cultural diversity is vital. When I was growing up it seemed as if cultural integration wasn’t as important as it is today. I’m not saying it was as important as it is now but it just wasn’t seen that way. When the classroom in which students learn and grow involves lessons about different cultures and lifestyles, it allows for students to make their own opinions and not those tarnished by their family or the media. In many cases the only information you obtain about something is false especially in school with children. Some of the things I learned in middle school and high school are so far-fetched I’m actually embarrassed I believed them. Thankfully schools are making a turn for the better this is after all a revolution in the education system, across the nation people are beginning to understand the true importance of educating the young so that they flourish to be respectful citizens in society. Thankfully we have college classes that allow us to focus on subjects such as this one in order to help us in educating the generations below us.