Thursday, October 31, 2013
"What a waste, we think, that one who is so intelligent about so many things in life seems unable to apply that intelligence to academic work."
Gerald Graff suggests that a potential reason some students do poorly in school is a result of the type of work schools are assigning to their students. He feels that many students have "street smarts"that are overlooked in our education system because school's are focusing too heavily on classic "weighty and academic" subjects instead of subjects that interest the student. I agree that this could contribute to a student's performance in school and that students can be intelligent in other subjects not related to academics. However, I feel the type of work given to students is only a minimal contribution to their ability to perform well in school. I think the biggest reason student's don't perform well in school is a result of their own self-motivation. It is the student's job to motivate and push themselves to complete assignments to the best of their ability no matter how hard or boring it seems. If the work seems boring, uninteresting, or even challenging the student should be responsible enough to find ways to make the assignment more understandable for them rather than toss out the thought of trying to understand and complete the assignment. A person's intelligence is still a great measure of their academic performance, but, ultimately, the result lies in how much effort a student puts in to their academic work.
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Well I personally believe that the classes get together and tell each other "LETS ASSIGN FOUR PAGES OF HOMEWORK ON THE SAME DAY SO THE STUDENT CAN SUFFER" I get like 4 pages of homework every single day...If not, more. And my dad cannot even possibly trust me if I go out of college because he believes I have no "STREET SMARTS". Well, maybe because I'm too much focusing on SCHOOL SMARTS, that I cannot even make a living or survive by myself. I'm not allowed to hang out out of school with my friends, only if I have a basketball game that day and I need a ride. I just pray that I will survive in college. I do believe that I can improve my self motivation, because I depend on others to motivate me a lot. I do need to practice on that. Great job on the blog Moriah!
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ReplyDeleteI cannot agree more Moriah. School is like this long mystery that you kinda forget about and become controlled by. You forget that you were the one who wanted to be there in the first place and know and find answers. It's especially hard on teens because of all the uncontrollable, stupid mistakes we were prone to making. When you really think about it, school is a safe place where we can make mistakes. We even get help trying to fix them and turn our selves around. I myself believe that the hard work changed my life and I probably wouldn't be where I am without school. It's really how you make it your own and mature as a person to deal with all your responsibilities your own right way. And school is literally like a step by step process.
ReplyDeleteI don't think any of us would be who we are today without school. When I am at my mom's house, my brothers and grandparents and cousins and family friends bustle about noisily, and I can hardly think a thought in silence. There is no way on Earth I could possibly get what I get done at school on a daily basis at home. At my dad's, on the other hand, it is entirely the opposite. I am bombarded from every angle by inquiry, ridicule, heated discussion, trivia, phrases, histories of everything and anything, and heavy expectations of self, grammar, and posture of attitude and physique. I live in a world where there is tension of opposites, and were it not for school, I would be less social, less normal, less...able to hold myself in public without breaking down. School has allowed me to break free and settle all at once. It is a force of GOOD and BAD because we all know how imperfect the education system is. But it's overall pretty interesting and enlightening. The variation of teachers, although sometimes annoying, can be very beneficial to our characters. Through school, we are exposed to people of every sort, from intellectuals to dingbats, from CARE NOT to CARE LOT. Some of us may complain, but overall, schooling for the public masses is a good thing indeed and we ought to take advantage of it, even if there are silly hoops here and there (:
DeleteHate to break it to you guys, but most likely the work we will do in the wrokforce won't be the most interesting, appealing, or exciting to us. So if school is to prepare us for work, then I believe that the work should be hard and tedious and, honestly, sometimes boring.
ReplyDelete"School is like this long mystery that you kinda forget about and become controlled by. You forget that you were the one who wanted to be there in the first place and know and find answers" This is assuming too much about me. I have never wanted to go to school, but i do know that it will prepare me for the meticulous life of the future.
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DeleteSadly, this is true for most people. I know it's cliche to wish to break the mold, to rise above mediocrity, but I cannot help but wish for more. It is but a dream, though, a dream I will WORK to make real, but given the depth of reality, it is just as you said, work will most likely be tedious and hard. There will be days of complete and utter boredom, and there will be days that are so long that there seems no end to them as the load piles high and formidable. "Day in, Day out" type stuff right? There is one thing I wish to add to what you said, though.
DeleteAlthough work is work and play is play, the two can sometimes exceptionally mix, and when they do, when a person does what they love when they can (poor folk have a bit of a disadvantage here eh), some great things can be made. I seek this. I know it is not likely that I will get what I think I want, but I will try all the same (:
truly, good luck.
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