HW # 47

- Both the teacher and the students have issues and they either aren't saved at all or develop together..

- Reverse roles... either of power (teacher student, race (black/ white, hispanic/asian), gender, or even all 3

- A truthful comedy. Something that can make you laugh but will also make you think. Realize how stupid the system can actually be.

-a teacher that has a creepy problem like sexual frustration/ pedophile status, obsessed with something like a sport or something

-A teacher that picks his noes and stuff

-or a teacher who is suicidal or something where the students save him

Hw # 45

Both Hirsch and Sizer have different views on what the best pedagogy is. While Hirsch focus more on elementary school, Sizer focuses more on high school. Hirsch argues that basic information is an important part of a child’s education; and that the facts and skills that children should be taught in school must be continually measured by "objective" tests, and that those who fail should receive remedial work and, if necessary, repeat the grade. Sizer on the other hand argues that “the ability to think deeply about the subjects that matter -- such as literacy, numeracy and civic understanding -- and connect that knowledge to students' lives.”(http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/24/local/me-ted-sizer24). This strategy is the considered “The Habits of Mind”. Although these views both stand individually, I believe of educational system is already a combination of both (at least if you look at School of the Future). School of the future in generally based on the habits of mind. Although this may have been enforced more before I started to attend this school, I feel that walking into Ms. DeRothschild’s class in 9th grade led us to follow Sizer’s theories in many ways. Our school is also into generalizing and proving the work that we have learned. We may not test as much as other schools or as much as Hirsch believes we should, but we do complete exhibitions each year that we attend high school. With our exhibitions, we are gathering information (mainly based on topics we learned about throughout the curriculum) and are expected to present a paper generalizing what we learn and an alternative visual presentation further explaining the paper. Our school in itself proves that both Sizer, and Hirsch’s theories can be adapted to work together.
I feel like my experience has been a combination of both theories. We have been programmed to use the habits of mind in almost everything, although it may not always make sense. For example; our “chemistry class's focus on molarity and ions and the periodic table of elements” (Andy) Recently we had to use the connection theory, meanwhile in real life we will not need to connect how molecular bonding resonates our prom…? This does not mean that knowing this information does not benefit us later in life but does include Hirsch’s theory of maintaining and memorizing basic information, and later being quizzed on it.
Looking at both of these views caused me to believe that possibly neither of these theories are correct. I believe this because I don’t think that either one of these theories can stand alone. As we saw in all of the super teacher films, without connecting the curriculum to the student’s life, the teacher will not be able to hold the classes attention as easily due to a lack of interest or understanding. As for Sizer’s theory, the habits of mind only cover a certain part of of a “good” education. Without somewhat of a test of knowledge, classes would mostly be based on opinion, and self connections.

Hw 30

Emptiness is an infinitely deep hole shaped like a mystery (whatever you may interpret that as). The hole is covered up with a door of our personal image. The door is sealed with about 20 different locks, that are each opened with different keys. When one comes close to opening the lock by finally finding the right key, the keyhole changes shape. They begin to look for another key that will now fit the new keyhole. When they do, it changes shape. No matter how fast they find that key, they will never be able to open the door, which covers the emptiness.

In this description of the emptiness we feel, I express that the hole is covered with a door of our personal image and by personal image I mean how people see us. Our friends, our family, our teachers… We are constantly trying to prove to others that we don’t feel the emptiness by following our given roles. Since we are constantly craving to fill the emptiness with coolness, the lock represents “cool”. This is because it’s always changing. For example. In order to be cool, one requirement may be fashion. In the 1960’s/1970’s, tie dye and being a hippie was cool but now, although some of the aspects of cool remain the same, being a hippie and wearing tie dye may be looked down upon a little more.

The door can never be opened be cause we are not authentic. We are not one person. We all follow multiple roles and that is the door which blocks us from filling the emptiness. Both us (the door) and the cool that we wish to use as a filling (the key) are constantly changing and developing in different ways making it so that the emptiness is forever there. We might as well accept it.