School used to teach obedience, now it teaches us how to ready ourselves what is next in our lives, like college or a job. I just think that it used to be about obedience, and that was something that we needed to be taught.
If we are taught at a young age to always hold a little bit back, how are we going to learn how to reach our potential. Schools should teach us to get us out of our comfort zones and to excel.
To really be successful you have to create art in your work. But the older we get the more we do not know how to do this because we forget what it is really like to artistic.
I really like how he showed the audience how people always hold a little back. Why were we taught to always hold a little back? Shouldn't we always be given our best? If we give something all our effort we did the best we can. That should be good enough.
Observations: 1. School was supposed to teach obedience. . . Honestly, it seems more like we were taught to answer as expected while holding back our real energy and attention. 2. From a psychological standpoint, Godin is right about people doing more when a task is 'art' rather than work. Children who were given felt-tipped pens were more likely to continue to use them when they WEREN'T given a reward for doing it. Apparently, when rewarded, it turned the task into work, and made it less fun (Some Example in My Psych Textbook). 3. I'm not sure the 'flipped' teaching idea is all that good. When present in a classroom, a teacher can guide you towards the 'right' answers. With computers and an online teaching, you have to wait for a response. 4. Memorization IS important. If a repeated task requires information that takes more time to look up than to maintain a memory, than you lose time. I suppose that reinforces the old industrial stereotypes, but it is still true. 5. Godin's idea about inviting questions and experimentation in the school is a great one. In a programming class, I learned more from working with the language and finding out what wouldn't work than by hearing a teacher tell me. Also, his comment about students asking questions that the teachers don't know the answer to reminded me of this http://xkcd.com/803/
Excellent points. I actually agree with #4. Memorization is, obviously, important. However, I think that - as we looked at in the class on Wednesday - schools often focus too much on that and just turn class into test prep and factual recall. But in order to innovate and problem solve, memorization of key skills and facts is, of course, vital.
I like the idea of the flipped classroom then this way everyone can go at his or her own pace. And with you learning how to do things by yourself you learn from that 10x more then what you would by just someone telling you the answer.
1. The fact that Fredrick J Kelly lost his job at a university because he dared to speak up against a system that was working is very scary. We are being taught that we have to stick to the "status quo" and not rebel.
2. He said textbooks do not teach someone to be interested or a fan of a subject. All they are good for is the facts and history, and that's not how to get someone interested in something, it will turn them away.
3. In regards of work, we will all try to do as little as we can. This applies to school as well, because they aren't teaching us to do art. And in art, we are motivated to do more and more. Because we want to, and there are no limits.
4. He says we should measure experience instead of test scores. This is interesting because a lot of jobs require a college degree which is a piece of paper saying you have passed a bunch of tests. But the real jobs we should be looking for are the ones that require experience, because we can begin to master it and be the best in the world.
5. Collect or connect the dots? Connecting the dots is way more important than collecting the dots. If all we do is collect the dots, we are just cramming our minds with useless information. But, if we connect the dots, we can make those important connections and keep the useful things in our minds for later.
Two great points: bring the art idea up in class on Friday. It's a key point. Also, connecting the dots is vital. And you're well on your way. If you're familiar with the work of Kawasaki and Godin, you'll have a step up on many of your peers in business school.
I agree that memorizing is a waste for the most part, unless you are going to need that information over and over. Say you're a doctor. Then you will need to know things right off the top of your head.
Why do teachers/parents make such a big emphasis on collecting dots rather then connecting them? If you do not learn anything along the way but just are achieving goals where are you headed?
Why do we always have to stick to the status quo? Isn't thinking outside of the box and against the usual the thing that gets up to bigger better things?
1. I like how he says, "If its work people try and figure out how to do less, but its art we try and figure out how to do more." 2. I agree with him when he says that we should have open book and open notes all the time. If the information is really worth memorizing we should be able to look it up. 3. "Measure experience instead of test scores and cooperation instead of isolation." 4. The thing I liked the most from this video is the question he asks towards the end, "Are we asking our kids to collect dots or connect dots?" 5."Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you no where, standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results."
More workers for less pay, and workers that are robots may work out good in theory, but when you run into a rival business that has well-paid employees who are passionate about their work, where do you think the customer is going to go? A better question is where would you go?
Teaching kids to be passionate about your subject means that you can't always go out of the textbook. Pages with text and footnotes and pictures thrown all over the place don't appeal to kids. We want to apply it, or see how it works, instead of reading from pages 210-215.
And this is what your remarkable project can be all about. It can be something new that you create. It doesn't have to be something old. So get out of the text book and apply what you have learned. I can't wait to see what you come up with.
If we do something that we love and are passionate about, we never have to work. I'm sure we've all heard it before, but when you do something you love, you'll constantly want to improve it and make it better. You won't even think of doing less
Observations: 1) School teaches us obedience, this is true. We are taught that grades are the most important. Who cares if we don't learn anything as long as we get an A. Which is so wrong. 2) "Their sole purpose was not to train people to be tomorrows scholars, it was to train people to work in the factories, to comply." I think it is a little weird that they had this mindset. We should be trained to become the best in the world in something we love, not to all do the same thing. 3) I think that instead of automatically firing him, they should've looked at why he was challenging the standardized test. Even though the standardized tests were "working" they were blocking something more important. 4) I LOVE when he talks about textbooks and when he gives the baseball fan example. If you are interested in a subject and want to learn about it, then why would you give them a textbook? The only thing that a textbook will do is teach them how that particular subject is boring. A textbook takes the creativeness out of it. Why, if you want to become a athletic trainer do you need to know how a athletic trainer worked in 1920?? Those questions are the types of questions that are answered in textbooks. We need to start learning how to thrive as an athletic trainer in today's world. 5) "If it's work then people will find a way to do more, but if it's art, then they will find a way to do more." <---- This is great.
Observations: 1. I like how Godin says that nobody is even asking the question 'what is school for?' I think that a lot of people just go through the motions of school and never really think about why they are going to school. 2. I thought it was interesting when he told everyone to raise their hands as high as they could, and then raise it a little higher. I agree that people never really go all out right away. They always hold back, because they don't want to have to do extra. 3. It seems kind of scary to think of school as trying to process us into interchangeable parts, but that's really what it does. It should be teaching us how to be creative and individual. 4. I liked his analogy with baseball and textbooks. Personally, I think reading textbooks is one of the most boring things in the world, and textbooks never make me excited about something. Doing hands on learning where you learn what you're doing from experience seems like a better way to become passionate about something and learn at the same time. 5. "Will this be on the test?" There is no reason a student should actually be asking this because they should be trying to learn things so that they can gain more knowledge. However, because doing well in school is all based on testing well, students are bound to ask this question. Why wouldn't they? If the only way they can succeed is the test, naturally they will only focus on the test.
1. I love everything Godin says about art in this video and in Linchpin. I have never thought of art as anything other than music, painting, sculpting, ect. He says art is about coming up with new ideas and being creative and innovating.
2. His block example is so interesting. Give those four blocks to a kindergartener and the possibilities are endless; give those blocks to an adults and it frustrates them. I'm guilty of googling or looking on Pinterest for ideas on things to draw, create, ect., when I'm in a "crafty mood." How sad is it that I can't come up with my own ideas?
3. Part of me likes the idea of no multiple choice question tests. Of course, it'd be a lot more work for both students and teachers, but we'd learn so much more. I can't tell you how many multiple choice questions I've read throughout high school and thought "couldn't any of these choices be correct if you backed up your answer?" I hate the idea of choosing the "best answer." Why is there a best answer? Who decides that answer is the best? Last U.S. Gov't test I scored 37% on true and false and 100% on essay questions. I didn't memorize all the little facts I needed to know, but I understood the concepts enough to write three 2-page essays.
4. What he says about textbooks is so true, especially history textbooks. Nothing is more dry to read than a 50 page chapter on the Revolutionary War. Give me a soldier's journal or something I can relate to to read if you want me to be interested in history.
5. What he said about artists wanting to do more and workers wanting to do less is true. I get excited when I get to write a paper or post a blog entry because I get to create it. I'm not so excited about reading text books and filling out study guides.
1. He says that no one asks what school is for, but I think the reason is that we have become accustom to just going through the stages of school, so very few people want to know. 2. We aren’t going to be able to reach our full potential if our whole lives teachers have taught us to hold something back. Go all in and when you have to do more, dig deep and do it. 3. School has taught us how to do less, while art has taught us how to do more. In a job were going to try and find the easiest way out because that is all we have been taught; we haven’t been taught how to do more without being told. 4. As students we memorize a lot of different topics, but how much of it do we actually remember? Most students who memorize things they will forget in a short period of time. They might remember a couple of things but what good was memorizing all of it when you don’t remember it a month or two later. 5. "Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you no where, standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results." Challenge the status quo and give everything you have because holding back and fitting in gets you nowhere; challenge yourself and you will have a better chance at reaching your full potential.
1. Godin believes that the days of working in factories are over. So why are schools still teaching us to work in factories, if we need to be irreplaceable to be truly be successful? 2. Why do we still learn from textbooks? No one learns well, or truly enjoys learning using a textbook? Also, shouldn't we be inspired somehow to learn more, not just be forced to memorize facts and forget them immediately after the test. 3. Why do schools hold us back from doing what we are passionate about or exploring new things, just like we did an elementary school. How innovative could the world be if schools helped us explore our passions and not just to memorize and retain information. 4. I agree with Godin when he says we should be able to take a class about anything we want and from the best teachers possible. I think teachers could use something like khan academy for the students to learn material and the teachers should be used to help them understand and apply what they have learned. 5. Why do we always hold back and try to fit in? Shouldn't schools help us find our passions and pursue them whole heartedly? Why are we taught to not give our best effort?
Good point with #1. But 100 years ago many schools were still one room school houses. Then we went to a large school format. Change will happen; it just happens slowly. But it's still exciting to be in that moment and that shift. Could you imagine going from a one room school house where you walked to school from your farm to having a bus come to your house and pick you up and transport you to a school where it was just other kids your same age in the same class? In the one room school house, there were grades K-8 all jammed into one room.
Everything from the straight order of the desks to doing exactly what you're told only prepared them for a life in the factories. It sucks that that life was shoved upon them at such an early age. They still enforce rules like that even though we are no longer in the industrial era.
The whole idea that helping someone find their passion isn't going to work by giving them a gigantic textbook is 100 percent agreeable. Unless you like reading 50 page chapters on history or the like, it's not going to get most people fired up about a subject.
His take on art is really important. I can agree that when I'm working on anything that I don't enjoy, I'm going to try and do less and less or put less of an effort in because I'm not enjoying it. Art, however, is like play and people can't seem to get enough of it. They put forth more of themselves because it's their passion.
I laughed at this part because I'm sure many teachers would disagree with it, but I agree with the part about memorizing and how it's not that important. Our generation is considered dumb because we don't remember minute questions that were taught a long time ago. When we have the internet and such at our disposal, we can look stuff up. Obviously, things like Independence day and the like should be remembered.
They all want us to comply and be processed. We aren't allowed to be interesting, therefore we are not taught to be interesting. We need to be put in positions where we can figure things out and actually learn rather than focusing on grades to be measured. When we are thrown out into the world, we won't be able to think outside of the box to solve a problem because we were taught not too. Okay, maybe this isn't true for all teachers, but for most, they are too scared to embrace the future.
1. School trains us to fit in and become interchangeable, but in my opinion I don't really see another way that school can function.
2. I think something people need to be better at is making a decision on their own and thinking for themselves, instead of just getting instruction all the time.
3. I don't agree that there is zero value in memorizing material. That's just being ignorant. Just having common knowledge from memorizing is something you can use to make connections with other people.
4. I do like that he says things should be measured in experience rather than test scores. If you have experience by having done something, made a project, or have done anything showing what you can do in my opinion is more important than test scores. Test scores aren't a great measurement.
5. I agree with Godin in that school is teaching us to answer the wrong questions, and unimportant ones. I think we should be answering the more important questions like "what's next?" and "Why does this happen?"
1. We have been taught to hold back allitle is very true we have to be reserved 2.We are trained to behave. So true we always obeyed in elementary school. Without that there would be no need for a vice principle . 3.We are made to be interchangeable. That makes us all the same. Cheaper labor 4.We were trained to buy. So true we live in a consumer driven world.
5.If you want to be passionate about something dont just read a textbook you need to do more e
1. Schools taught us to be interchangeable pieces. 2. Textbooks teach us to memorize , but I want my doctor to have memorized each part of the body. 3. I don't understand when people ask what will be on the test. You should be learning the material and understanding what they are learning. 4. we shouldn't hold back, we need to throw ourselves into everything. 5. I don't know if having lessons at night would really work
1. "If it's work we try to figure out how to do less, but if it's art, we try to figure how to do more." This is so true, especially for me. I tend to get done what I enjoy most first, and then the things I struggle with or don't have any passion for I end up putting off.
2. "School is about obedience." . . . Yes? No? The answer should be no, but in a lot of circumstances school is about obedience. Teachers have been teaching us what do to and how to do it, but not necessarily in a way that the information will stick with us and provide a strong educational base.
3. "Open book, open note." I strongly agree with this. Why test our memories when we have the internet to now look up any information at anytime?
4. "Grades are an illusion." Exactly. School is so grade focused that students aren't sometimes given the credit they deserve. An example of this could be how some kids have test anxiety and don't perform to their best ability.
5. "Great parents make great students" I believe this is true in most cases. I mean, if you are raised well and keep your priorities straight you will most likely be a better student. Although it does depend a lot on how the student is individually.
1. I liked the part about how that we hold back a little effort because we know somebody is going to ask a little more of us.
2. It was kind of creepy that school for kids wasn't to make them smarter, it's to make them obedient. It was intended to make us tools for factories.
3. If it's work, we try and do less. If it is art, people try and do more. That saying is so true. If we are attached then we will work hard at it and do extra. For work we do the minimum.
4. I disagree with him on the no memorization needed. I wouldn't want my surgeon looking up what to do on me in the middle of surgery, I want him to know already.
5. I love the point that we are being taught to do things by ourselves, but in the real world, we need to cooperate. There should be more people interaction and less focus on the individual focus.
Observations 1. So the inventor of the standardize test didn't even think that it worked. Yet we still use it today? Why if the creator doesn't even think it works? 2. Public education's purpose was to train people to work in the factory. And we expect people to become scholars from it. 3 No one becomes passionate from a text book. If you want people to enjoy a subject in school, stop the notes, stop the text book reading, and engage with them. 4 "Work we try to figure out how to do less. Art we try to figure out how to do less." This is so true. People don't like to work, they like to do something that is fun and engaging. 5. The idea of lecturing at night about anything we want to know, and homework during the day is a great idea. I would love this if it were implemented.
1.Today companies thrive on being different than one another offering all of their different qualities to those who want or need them. 2. We should no longer be schooled in our own little bubbles, but be taught how the world really works. 3.Text books are just facts and figures that give information with no interesting connection with life today. We are taught how to do math out of a textbook but half of the time it does not relate to life in the real world after the schooling is over. 4. I like the idea of learning the things that we are interested in in the evening and than applying them to a class the next day. 5. We are taught to hold back when we are young, because we are always asked to give more even if we have just given our all. This is because people have always held back a little bit for when they are asked for more. It is just a never ending circle that would only end if everybody gave their all all of the time.
1. “We’re not gonna make anything happen until we all agree about how we got here and where we’re going.” Yes, this is true. I had to listen to it a few times, and it has more truth than I first thought. If you asked 10 people what school is for, you’d probably get at least 5 different answers. So how are we supposed to be productive and have successful schools when there’s no clear-cut purpose?
2. “School was about teaching obedience.” Ok so I understand respecting and obeying your teachers and each other is important, but I don’t believe that’s the whole point of school. I’m thinking of becoming an elementary teacher, and if I do my main goal is not going to be to make the kids listen to me; I would focus more on helping the kids learn as much material as they can.
3. “You’ve been taught since you were 3 years old to hold back.” This is really interesting, and I’ve never even thought about it actually. Like if you’re in a group of people and the speaker or someone says close your eyes, I kind of hesitate. But why? It’s not like it matters if you close your eyes? I just don’t understand.
4. “Why would you give them this? (textbook)” YES. Textbooks do not make anyone passionate about anything. They sort of make me hate everything I read about actually. Like Godin says, if you want people to become passionate and big supporters of things, you do not go hand them a textbook; you go to an event or read a real book or blog about it. Textbooks = death of learning. In my opinion.
5. “If it’s work, people tend to to figure out how to do less.” I definitely agree with this. So I love swimming, but if someone said memorize every race Michael Phelps swam and the time and medal he got, you have a test on it tomorrow, I wouldn’t be too thrilled. But if I was simply reading about him and all he did because I was interested, and someone asked me about him the next day I would be much more likely to recall more information.
1. The system of work is changing but the system of school is behind. We need to be taught to be artists instead of factory workers because that is what the key to success is these days. Unfortunately our school system and the people in charge of it are behind on this. 2.School is one of the least engaging things with this old system. Our artist is being compressed, textbooks are boring, memorization and standardized tests measure success. 3. We have been taught to obey and have compressed our creativeness in the process, which is a shame. We have been taught to follow rules and answer the right way instead of innovate and be creative. 4. Our system teaches us to connect dots of knowledge instead of connecting those dots and integrating them. 5. He mentioned lectures at night and homework during the day. He also mentioned lifelong learning and working either. Both of these completely contradict todays system and scare people, but would be interesting and potentially better alternatives. The sad thing is that everyone is too afraid to change the system and try something new. 6. "Grades are allusion. Passion and insight are reality." School puts an emphasis on the wrong things. I've earned all As but received little lasting insight in our system.
1. School WAS about teaching obedience. But in todays generation, we can't focus specifically on obedience and following rules. It doesn't allow students to be creative . . . which is a trait that people will need to have in their workforce in order to be a linchpin.
2. His point on textbooks -- how you can't get someone to be passionate by just reading a textbook. It's true . . .what people do is they try to figure out how to do less, especially work (textbooks). If it's art, we try to figure out how to do more. If schools allow students to be creative, then they will be more driven to becoming a linchpin, instead of taking the easy way out from only memorizing the things that they will need to know.
3. Open book- open note, all the time. Anything that is worth memorizing is worth looking up. -- I agree with this statement. Why should we memorize all of the answers to tests when we can easily look them up? Memorizing isn't the same as actually learning and absorbing the material.
4. Precise focused education. -- I think that this is something that the school should think about when creating a curriculum. Why do we have to focus on such broad things and memorize much more information when we will only need to know a few of those specific things in the future? Seems like a waste of time to me!
5. "Are we telling our kids to collect the dots or to connect the dots?" I feel like school are telling us to collect the dots. They give us so much information that we are expected to just take in, but when it really crunches down, a majority of the students are just memorizing the work. When they really should be focusing on smaller aspects and connecting the dots, and actually being able to apply their knowledge to learn something.
1. It is so true that everyone holds back just a little bit because we are scared. It happens in everything because we are afraid to put ourselves out there and be judged. Also, we don't know what we are capable of and do not want to be pushed to be even greater.
2. People who are trained to be obedient to their boss and just show up and do their job. They are stuck in a cul-de-sac. They are going nowhere because they are not expected to.
3. I totally agree with how he talks about the textbook. No one likes them. They are extremely boring and turn student off to subjects. I like how he related it to baseball, something that we enjoy, and explains how we do not learn the things we enjoy from a text book.
4. "There is zero value in memorizing anything ever again"- love this. We memorize information for tests, and it's gone right after. Especially with our generation, we can look everything up that we need to know in one second.
5. "Great parents produce kids that do great in school"- I half way disagree with this. I know for the most part it is up to the student, but when you have a great support system at home, it helps so much. My parent have helped motivate me from a young age to put a ton of effort into everything I do, but what do students who don't have that support system do? Most kids are not self motivated.
School used to teach obedience, now it teaches us how to ready ourselves what is next in our lives, like college or a job. I just think that it used to be about obedience, and that was something that we needed to be taught.
ReplyDeleteIf we are taught at a young age to always hold a little bit back, how are we going to learn how to reach our potential. Schools should teach us to get us out of our comfort zones and to excel.
ReplyDeleteObedience was something we needed to be taught when we were in kindergarten. But that was a long time ago. School needs to grow with us, and it does.
ReplyDeleteTo really be successful you have to create art in your work. But the older we get the more we do not know how to do this because we forget what it is really like to artistic.
ReplyDeleteCreating art is an interesting aspect of being a Linchpin. Be sure to bring this up in class on Friday.
DeleteI really like how he showed the audience how people always hold a little back. Why were we taught to always hold a little back? Shouldn't we always be given our best? If we give something all our effort we did the best we can. That should be good enough.
ReplyDeleteObservations:
ReplyDelete1. School was supposed to teach obedience. . . Honestly, it seems more like we were taught to answer as expected while holding back our real energy and attention.
2. From a psychological standpoint, Godin is right about people doing more when a task is 'art' rather than work. Children who were given felt-tipped pens were more likely to continue to use them when they WEREN'T given a reward for doing it. Apparently, when rewarded, it turned the task into work, and made it less fun (Some Example in My Psych Textbook).
3. I'm not sure the 'flipped' teaching idea is all that good. When present in a classroom, a teacher can guide you towards the 'right' answers. With computers and an online teaching, you have to wait for a response.
4. Memorization IS important. If a repeated task requires information that takes more time to look up than to maintain a memory, than you lose time. I suppose that reinforces the old industrial stereotypes, but it is still true.
5. Godin's idea about inviting questions and experimentation in the school is a great one. In a programming class, I learned more from working with the language and finding out what wouldn't work than by hearing a teacher tell me. Also, his comment about students asking questions that the teachers don't know the answer to reminded me of this http://xkcd.com/803/
Excellent points. I actually agree with #4. Memorization is, obviously, important. However, I think that - as we looked at in the class on Wednesday - schools often focus too much on that and just turn class into test prep and factual recall. But in order to innovate and problem solve, memorization of key skills and facts is, of course, vital.
DeleteI like the idea of the flipped classroom then this way everyone can go at his or her own pace. And with you learning how to do things by yourself you learn from that 10x more then what you would by just someone telling you the answer.
ReplyDelete1. The fact that Fredrick J Kelly lost his job at a university because he dared to speak up against a system that was working is very scary. We are being taught that we have to stick to the "status quo" and not rebel.
ReplyDelete2. He said textbooks do not teach someone to be interested or a fan of a subject. All they are good for is the facts and history, and that's not how to get someone interested in something, it will turn them away.
3. In regards of work, we will all try to do as little as we can. This applies to school as well, because they aren't teaching us to do art.
And in art, we are motivated to do more and more. Because we want to, and there are no limits.
4. He says we should measure experience instead of test scores. This is interesting because a lot of jobs require a college degree which is a piece of paper saying you have passed a bunch of tests. But the real jobs we should be looking for are the ones that require experience, because we can begin to master it and be the best in the world.
5. Collect or connect the dots? Connecting the dots is way more important than collecting the dots. If all we do is collect the dots, we are just cramming our minds with useless information. But, if we connect the dots, we can make those important connections and keep the useful things in our minds for later.
Two great points: bring the art idea up in class on Friday. It's a key point. Also, connecting the dots is vital. And you're well on your way. If you're familiar with the work of Kawasaki and Godin, you'll have a step up on many of your peers in business school.
DeleteI agree that memorizing is a waste for the most part, unless you are going to need that information over and over. Say you're a doctor. Then you will need to know things right off the top of your head.
ReplyDeleteWhy do teachers/parents make such a big emphasis on collecting dots rather then connecting them? If you do not learn anything along the way but just are achieving goals where are you headed?
ReplyDeleteWhy do we always have to stick to the status quo? Isn't thinking outside of the box and against the usual the thing that gets up to bigger better things?
ReplyDeleteIf our coaches/bosses/etc. are always going to be asking for more, why don't we give them more? If we don't hold back, our potential is limitless.
ReplyDeleteSo why do you hold back? Okay. Maybe not YOU personally, but why do most people hold back?
Delete1. I like how he says, "If its work people try and figure out how to do less, but its art we try and figure out how to do more."
ReplyDelete2. I agree with him when he says that we should have open book and open notes all the time. If the information is really worth memorizing we should be able to look it up.
3. "Measure experience instead of test scores and cooperation instead of isolation."
4. The thing I liked the most from this video is the question he asks towards the end, "Are we asking our kids to collect dots or connect dots?"
5."Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you no where, standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results."
Talk more about point #5 in class on Friday. That's a good point.
DeleteMore workers for less pay, and workers that are robots may work out good in theory, but when you run into a rival business that has well-paid employees who are passionate about their work, where do you think the customer is going to go? A better question is where would you go?
ReplyDeleteTeaching kids to be passionate about your subject means that you can't always go out of the textbook. Pages with text and footnotes and pictures thrown all over the place don't appeal to kids. We want to apply it, or see how it works, instead of reading from pages 210-215.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is what your remarkable project can be all about. It can be something new that you create. It doesn't have to be something old. So get out of the text book and apply what you have learned. I can't wait to see what you come up with.
DeleteIf we do something that we love and are passionate about, we never have to work. I'm sure we've all heard it before, but when you do something you love, you'll constantly want to improve it and make it better. You won't even think of doing less
ReplyDeleteEducation isn't all about test scores and GPA's. It's about connecting the dots, not collecting them.
ReplyDeleteObservations:
ReplyDelete1) School teaches us obedience, this is true. We are taught that grades are the most important. Who cares if we don't learn anything as long as we get an A. Which is so wrong.
2) "Their sole purpose was not to train people to be tomorrows scholars, it was to train people to work in the factories, to comply." I think it is a little weird that they had this mindset. We should be trained to become the best in the world in something we love, not to all do the same thing.
3) I think that instead of automatically firing him, they should've looked at why he was challenging the standardized test. Even though the standardized tests were "working" they were blocking something more important.
4) I LOVE when he talks about textbooks and when he gives the baseball fan example. If you are interested in a subject and want to learn about it, then why would you give them a textbook? The only thing that a textbook will do is teach them how that particular subject is boring. A textbook takes the creativeness out of it. Why, if you want to become a athletic trainer do you need to know how a athletic trainer worked in 1920?? Those questions are the types of questions that are answered in textbooks. We need to start learning how to thrive as an athletic trainer in today's world.
5) "If it's work then people will find a way to do more, but if it's art, then they will find a way to do more." <---- This is great.
I think points #4 and #5 are excellent raise those in class on Friday.
DeleteObservations:
ReplyDelete1. I like how Godin says that nobody is even asking the question 'what is school for?' I think that a lot of people just go through the motions of school and never really think about why they are going to school.
2. I thought it was interesting when he told everyone to raise their hands as high as they could, and then raise it a little higher. I agree that people never really go all out right away. They always hold back, because they don't want to have to do extra.
3. It seems kind of scary to think of school as trying to process us into interchangeable parts, but that's really what it does. It should be teaching us how to be creative and individual.
4. I liked his analogy with baseball and textbooks. Personally, I think reading textbooks is one of the most boring things in the world, and textbooks never make me excited about something. Doing hands on learning where you learn what you're doing from experience seems like a better way to become passionate about something and learn at the same time.
5. "Will this be on the test?" There is no reason a student should actually be asking this because they should be trying to learn things so that they can gain more knowledge. However, because doing well in school is all based on testing well, students are bound to ask this question. Why wouldn't they? If the only way they can succeed is the test, naturally they will only focus on the test.
1. I love everything Godin says about art in this video and in Linchpin. I have never thought of art as anything other than music, painting, sculpting, ect. He says art is about coming up with new ideas and being creative and innovating.
ReplyDelete2. His block example is so interesting. Give those four blocks to a kindergartener and the possibilities are endless; give those blocks to an adults and it frustrates them. I'm guilty of googling or looking on Pinterest for ideas on things to draw, create, ect., when I'm in a "crafty mood." How sad is it that I can't come up with my own ideas?
3. Part of me likes the idea of no multiple choice question tests. Of course, it'd be a lot more work for both students and teachers, but we'd learn so much more. I can't tell you how many multiple choice questions I've read throughout high school and thought "couldn't any of these choices be correct if you backed up your answer?" I hate the idea of choosing the "best answer." Why is there a best answer? Who decides that answer is the best? Last U.S. Gov't test I scored 37% on true and false and 100% on essay questions. I didn't memorize all the little facts I needed to know, but I understood the concepts enough to write three 2-page essays.
4. What he says about textbooks is so true, especially history textbooks. Nothing is more dry to read than a 50 page chapter on the Revolutionary War. Give me a soldier's journal or something I can relate to to read if you want me to be interested in history.
5. What he said about artists wanting to do more and workers wanting to do less is true. I get excited when I get to write a paper or post a blog entry because I get to create it. I'm not so excited about reading text books and filling out study guides.
Great points #1 and #5. Discuss those in class on Friday.
Delete1. He says that no one asks what school is for, but I think the reason is that we have become accustom to just going through the stages of school, so very few people want to know.
ReplyDelete2. We aren’t going to be able to reach our full potential if our whole lives teachers have taught us to hold something back. Go all in and when you have to do more, dig deep and do it.
3. School has taught us how to do less, while art has taught us how to do more. In a job were going to try and find the easiest way out because that is all we have been taught; we haven’t been taught how to do more without being told.
4. As students we memorize a lot of different topics, but how much of it do we actually remember? Most students who memorize things they will forget in a short period of time. They might remember a couple of things but what good was memorizing all of it when you don’t remember it a month or two later.
5. "Fitting in is a short term strategy that gets you no where, standing out is a long term strategy that takes guts and produces results." Challenge the status quo and give everything you have because holding back and fitting in gets you nowhere; challenge yourself and you will have a better chance at reaching your full potential.
1. Godin believes that the days of working in factories are over. So why are schools still teaching us to work in factories, if we need to be irreplaceable to be truly be successful?
ReplyDelete2. Why do we still learn from textbooks? No one learns well, or truly enjoys learning using a textbook? Also, shouldn't we be inspired somehow to learn more, not just be forced to memorize facts and forget them immediately after the test.
3. Why do schools hold us back from doing what we are passionate about or exploring new things, just like we did an elementary school. How innovative could the world be if schools helped us explore our passions and not just to memorize and retain information.
4. I agree with Godin when he says we should be able to take a class about anything we want and from the best teachers possible. I think teachers could use something like khan academy for the students to learn material and the teachers should be used to help them understand and apply what they have learned.
5. Why do we always hold back and try to fit in? Shouldn't schools help us find our passions and pursue them whole heartedly? Why are we taught to not give our best effort?
Good point with #1. But 100 years ago many schools were still one room school houses. Then we went to a large school format. Change will happen; it just happens slowly. But it's still exciting to be in that moment and that shift. Could you imagine going from a one room school house where you walked to school from your farm to having a bus come to your house and pick you up and transport you to a school where it was just other kids your same age in the same class? In the one room school house, there were grades K-8 all jammed into one room.
DeleteEverything from the straight order of the desks to doing exactly what you're told only prepared them for a life in the factories. It sucks that that life was shoved upon them at such an early age. They still enforce rules like that even though we are no longer in the industrial era.
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea that helping someone find their passion isn't going to work by giving them a gigantic textbook is 100 percent agreeable. Unless you like reading 50 page chapters on history or the like, it's not going to get most people fired up about a subject.
ReplyDeleteHis take on art is really important. I can agree that when I'm working on anything that I don't enjoy, I'm going to try and do less and less or put less of an effort in because I'm not enjoying it. Art, however, is like play and people can't seem to get enough of it. They put forth more of themselves because it's their passion.
ReplyDeleteI laughed at this part because I'm sure many teachers would disagree with it, but I agree with the part about memorizing and how it's not that important. Our generation is considered dumb because we don't remember minute questions that were taught a long time ago. When we have the internet and such at our disposal, we can look stuff up. Obviously, things like Independence day and the like should be remembered.
ReplyDeleteThey all want us to comply and be processed. We aren't allowed to be interesting, therefore we are not taught to be interesting. We need to be put in positions where we can figure things out and actually learn rather than focusing on grades to be measured. When we are thrown out into the world, we won't be able to think outside of the box to solve a problem because we were taught not too. Okay, maybe this isn't true for all teachers, but for most, they are too scared to embrace the future.
ReplyDeleteGood points. Bring these up in class and we will discuss them in greater detail.
Delete1. School trains us to fit in and become interchangeable, but in my opinion I don't really see another way that school can function.
ReplyDelete2. I think something people need to be better at is making a decision on their own and thinking for themselves, instead of just getting instruction all the time.
3. I don't agree that there is zero value in memorizing material. That's just being ignorant. Just having common knowledge from memorizing is something you can use to make connections with other people.
4. I do like that he says things should be measured in experience rather than test scores. If you have experience by having done something, made a project, or have done anything showing what you can do in my opinion is more important than test scores. Test scores aren't a great measurement.
5. I agree with Godin in that school is teaching us to answer the wrong questions, and unimportant ones. I think we should be answering the more important questions like "what's next?" and "Why does this happen?"
1. We have been taught to hold back allitle is very true we have to be reserved
ReplyDelete2.We are trained to behave. So true we always obeyed in elementary school. Without that there would be no need for a vice principle .
3.We are made to be interchangeable. That makes us all the same. Cheaper labor
4.We were trained to buy. So true we live in a consumer driven world.
5.If you want to be passionate about something dont just read a textbook you need to do more e
1. Schools taught us to be interchangeable pieces.
ReplyDelete2. Textbooks teach us to memorize , but I want my doctor to have memorized each part of the body.
3. I don't understand when people ask what will be on the test. You should be learning the material and understanding what they are learning.
4. we shouldn't hold back, we need to throw ourselves into everything.
5. I don't know if having lessons at night would really work
Points #3 and #4 are very key. Bring those up in class.
DeleteObservations.
ReplyDelete1. "If it's work we try to figure out how to do less, but if it's art, we try to figure how to do more." This is so true, especially for me. I tend to get done what I enjoy most first, and then the things I struggle with or don't have any passion for I end up putting off.
2. "School is about obedience." . . . Yes? No?
The answer should be no, but in a lot of circumstances school is about obedience. Teachers have been teaching us what do to and how to do it, but not necessarily in a way that the information will stick with us and provide a strong educational base.
3. "Open book, open note." I strongly agree with this. Why test our memories when we have the internet to now look up any information at anytime?
4. "Grades are an illusion." Exactly. School is so grade focused that students aren't sometimes given the credit they deserve. An example of this could be how some kids have test anxiety and don't perform to their best ability.
5. "Great parents make great students" I believe this is true in most cases. I mean, if you are raised well and keep your priorities straight you will most likely be a better student. Although it does depend a lot on how the student is individually.
1. I liked the part about how that we hold back a little effort because we know somebody is going to ask a little more of us.
ReplyDelete2. It was kind of creepy that school for kids wasn't to make them smarter, it's to make them obedient. It was intended to make us tools for factories.
3. If it's work, we try and do less. If it is art, people try and do more. That saying is so true. If we are attached then we will work hard at it and do extra. For work we do the minimum.
4. I disagree with him on the no memorization needed. I wouldn't want my surgeon looking up what to do on me in the middle of surgery, I want him to know already.
5. I love the point that we are being taught to do things by ourselves, but in the real world, we need to cooperate. There should be more people interaction and less focus on the individual focus.
Observations
ReplyDelete1. So the inventor of the standardize test didn't even think that it worked. Yet we still use it today? Why if the creator doesn't even think it works?
2. Public education's purpose was to train people to work in the factory. And we expect people to become scholars from it.
3 No one becomes passionate from a text book. If you want people to enjoy a subject in school, stop the notes, stop the text book reading, and engage with them.
4 "Work we try to figure out how to do less. Art we try to figure out how to do less." This is so true. People don't like to work, they like to do something that is fun and engaging.
5. The idea of lecturing at night about anything we want to know, and homework during the day is a great idea. I would love this if it were implemented.
Your fourth point is intriguing. What if you find your work fun and engaging? How can you possibly home to accomplish that?
Delete1.Today companies thrive on being different than one another offering all of their different qualities to those who want or need them.
ReplyDelete2. We should no longer be schooled in our own little bubbles, but be taught how the world really works.
3.Text books are just facts and figures that give information with no interesting connection with life today. We are taught how to do math out of a textbook but half of the time it does not relate to life in the real world after the schooling is over.
4. I like the idea of learning the things that we are interested in in the evening and than applying them to a class the next day.
5. We are taught to hold back when we are young, because we are always asked to give more even if we have just given our all. This is because people have always held back a little bit for when they are asked for more. It is just a never ending circle that would only end if everybody gave their all all of the time.
Talk more about your fourth point. Bring that up in class please.
Delete1. “We’re not gonna make anything happen until we all agree about how we got here and where we’re going.”
ReplyDeleteYes, this is true. I had to listen to it a few times, and it has more truth than I first thought. If you asked 10 people what school is for, you’d probably get at least 5 different answers. So how are we supposed to be productive and have successful schools when there’s no clear-cut purpose?
2. “School was about teaching obedience.”
Ok so I understand respecting and obeying your teachers and each other is important, but I don’t believe that’s the whole point of school. I’m thinking of becoming an elementary teacher, and if I do my main goal is not going to be to make the kids listen to me; I would focus more on helping the kids learn as much material as they can.
3. “You’ve been taught since you were 3 years old to hold back.”
This is really interesting, and I’ve never even thought about it actually. Like if you’re in a group of people and the speaker or someone says close your eyes, I kind of hesitate. But why? It’s not like it matters if you close your eyes? I just don’t understand.
4. “Why would you give them this? (textbook)”
YES. Textbooks do not make anyone passionate about anything. They sort of make me hate everything I read about actually. Like Godin says, if you want people to become passionate and big supporters of things, you do not go hand them a textbook; you go to an event or read a real book or blog about it. Textbooks = death of learning. In my opinion.
5. “If it’s work, people tend to to figure out how to do less.”
I definitely agree with this. So I love swimming, but if someone said memorize every race Michael Phelps swam and the time and medal he got, you have a test on it tomorrow, I wouldn’t be too thrilled. But if I was simply reading about him and all he did because I was interested, and someone asked me about him the next day I would be much more likely to recall more information.
All great points. Bring them up in class!!!
Delete1. The system of work is changing but the system of school is behind. We need to be taught to be artists instead of factory workers because that is what the key to success is these days. Unfortunately our school system and the people in charge of it are behind on this.
ReplyDelete2.School is one of the least engaging things with this old system. Our artist is being compressed, textbooks are boring, memorization and standardized tests measure success.
3. We have been taught to obey and have compressed our creativeness in the process, which is a shame. We have been taught to follow rules and answer the right way instead of innovate and be creative.
4. Our system teaches us to connect dots of knowledge instead of connecting those dots and integrating them.
5. He mentioned lectures at night and homework during the day. He also mentioned lifelong learning and working either. Both of these completely contradict todays system and scare people, but would be interesting and potentially better alternatives. The sad thing is that everyone is too afraid to change the system and try something new.
6. "Grades are allusion. Passion and insight are reality." School puts an emphasis on the wrong things. I've earned all As but received little lasting insight in our system.
Your fifth point is great. Let's discuss that in greater depth in class.
Delete1. School WAS about teaching obedience. But in todays generation, we can't focus specifically on obedience and following rules. It doesn't allow students to be creative . . . which is a trait that people will need to have in their workforce in order to be a linchpin.
ReplyDelete2. His point on textbooks -- how you can't get someone to be passionate by just reading a textbook. It's true . . .what people do is they try to figure out how to do less, especially work (textbooks). If it's art, we try to figure out how to do more. If schools allow students to be creative, then they will be more driven to becoming a linchpin, instead of taking the easy way out from only memorizing the things that they will need to know.
3. Open book- open note, all the time. Anything that is worth memorizing is worth looking up. -- I agree with this statement. Why should we memorize all of the answers to tests when we can easily look them up? Memorizing isn't the same as actually learning and absorbing the material.
4. Precise focused education. -- I think that this is something that the school should think about when creating a curriculum. Why do we have to focus on such broad things and memorize much more information when we will only need to know a few of those specific things in the future? Seems like a waste of time to me!
5. "Are we telling our kids to collect the dots or to connect the dots?" I feel like school are telling us to collect the dots. They give us so much information that we are expected to just take in, but when it really crunches down, a majority of the students are just memorizing the work. When they really should be focusing on smaller aspects and connecting the dots, and actually being able to apply their knowledge to learn something.
Your third point is very interesting. Let's talk more about that in class and how it relates to Linchpin.
Delete1. It is so true that everyone holds back just a little bit because we are scared. It happens in everything because we are afraid to put ourselves out there and be judged. Also, we don't know what we are capable of and do not want to be pushed to be even greater.
ReplyDelete2. People who are trained to be obedient to their boss and just show up and do their job. They are stuck in a cul-de-sac. They are going nowhere because they are not expected to.
3. I totally agree with how he talks about the textbook. No one likes them. They are extremely boring and turn student off to subjects. I like how he related it to baseball, something that we enjoy, and explains how we do not learn the things we enjoy from a text book.
4. "There is zero value in memorizing anything ever again"- love this. We memorize information for tests, and it's gone right after. Especially with our generation, we can look everything up that we need to know in one second.
5. "Great parents produce kids that do great in school"- I half way disagree with this. I know for the most part it is up to the student, but when you have a great support system at home, it helps so much. My parent have helped motivate me from a young age to put a ton of effort into everything I do, but what do students who don't have that support system do? Most kids are not self motivated.