What a great and accurate video!! I think I may have graduated from there!! I think so much of what Fr. Guido says rings true in education today - memorization, and ultimately, remembering very little. His description of Spanish and Economics is spot on! I was actually talking to one of my roommates today and I mentioned something about economics and I said 'that is the only thing I remember from economics.'
But as much as I feel that Fr. Guido's description is accurate, I also think that while we are in classes - and even memorization to a small extent, does exercise our brains where they otherwise wouldn't be. I was thinking about math the other day. In high school, I had to take through Pre-Calc. To this day, I believe I have really only used addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and a very very small amount of percentage figuring (mostly estimating) in my life. As I was teaching math to my students these past few years, I kept thinking about why they needed to know these advanced formulas or topics, and when they would even use them in real life. I feel like the reality is, most won't. Continuing in that line of thinking, I think that's where Montessori schools are really great because the children mainly focus on what they want, what they are drawn too. Chances are, those areas of interest are going to be what they end up doing in later life. However, I think that even the things we won't use help to stretch us and exercise our brain muscles. Even the things we struggle with. Do I use advanced math in my own life? No. Was it worth it to take all the way through Pre-Calc - I don't think so, I think I could have been exploring other things. But I think it helps students to be more well-rounded and stretch their abilities when they do things that they don't love, though I think that should be in moderation! However, I also think if a student is forced to do too much of something that they have no interest in or don't feel drawn too, school can become a turn-off and they may just shut down and disengage in all learning.
My question this week is should we require students to take advanced classes in topics they have no interest in? Is it valuable for them to learn things that they probably will not even use in their lives?
I think you made some excellent points. I too struggled with higher levels of math. I am not using them in my daily life or job, nor would I remember how to even go about some of the formulas. I am thankful for the people who do understand and use higher level math. I think that it is good for students to explore a little beyond their interests and be challenged because in doing so sometimes one discovers they have a new interest, talent or ability that they didn't know they had.
ReplyDeleteTrisha,
ReplyDeleteI think your question is very interesting; mostly because it made me think of the university and what was required of you to become an undergrad student here. I took four years of math in high school, also taking pre-calc and statistics; much of which I do not remember. But anyways my point is that WSU wanted you to have three maybe even four years in high school (I cant remember exactly). But that means that if you wanted to go to the university level, that means that you are forced to take things you don't want, or maybe don't need in your life.I know I defiantly could have used that time for better use because I remember the basics of those classes at best. Which is just like the Five Minute University video, I found it to be extremely relevant because I am still in that under grad process he is joking about. Luckily, I think that the teacher prep here at WSU will transfer greatly into my daily teaching, but I don't know about all of those GER classes I took!
I don't think we should require students to take so many classes they will never use. Instead of having so man required classes, there should be more choice. There still needs to be some requirements, so students aren't only taking art and pe classes and graduating. But, give them more of a choice on what to take so that heir interests are being considered.
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