Throughout my time in school, I always believed that most of the work I did was busywork. Work should not be this way as a whole and it should not be boring to the students that are trying their hardest to find interest in the things being taught in public schools. The work itself should be interesting, hands-on, meaningful, and essential to life skills to what the student wants to make of themselves after graduation so that learning is no longer a chore and speed bump in life, but an essential and meaningful thing that guides them on the path that they most want to pursue. This was covered in EL Education’s video as shown with the students of multiple public schools coming together and creating works of literature that affected not only themselves but the societies and culture that was important to their communities.
Ultimately, education has fallen to the wayside of many things, to include budgets, quality, and essentialness to the life of the individual, and for many people is seen as nothing more than a burden keeping them from starting their life and making their own way in the world. Schools, teachers, and the student’s work should not enforce this wholesale like much does today, but instead try to push the students onwards and raise them up to see that education is essential to their success in whatever career path they choose. With the implementation of hands-on, life-essential skills students will be more engaged and more apt to pursue further education in many college and university level institutions after they finish their required high school education.
I totally agree with this. I think that more hands on education would allow students to not only learn better but it would also allow them to do more hands on jobs rather than just prepare for college.
Your comment of school being a burden and a form of busy work is important to recognize because many people across the country have this same mindset which hinders their academic growth.
I think you initiate an interesting discussion about education that each person as a student has to confront.
I would like to read more of your thoughts if you compared what you say here about education with Article I in the Dewey selections that discusses What Education Is.
Ultimately I believe your thoughts on how education in Public schools could be improved by more hands on or “practical learning” have some credence, especially based on what we read in the article about expeditionary learning.
Mason,
Your educational complaints have been echoed in many circles, especially as American education struggles to keep up with the technical tools and cultural developments our society has created. I’d like to hear specifically how your readings about the core principles of Expeditionary Learning, as well as Dewey’s theories concerning educating for a democracy might respond to your concerns for engaging “life-essential skills” that can make learning experiences matter.
MAJ Hodde