The Importance of Education or, Writing for funsies.

A new thing that I have been doing with my Writing Center colleagues is 15-minute writing challenges. The rules are simple; take a basic essay prompt (we usually use Texas Success Initiative  prompts) and write an essay in fifteen minutes or less. A panel of three other Writing Specialists judge which essay is the best. Prizes range from candy and other snacks to pints of blood from defeated foes. It's a lot of fun, intellectual, and very nerdy. Things that more or less describe me and my co-workers. I've re-printed my winning essay below:

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

            Although many agree that education is an important, there is much debate on the details of that importance. Some argue that education plays a crucial role in the overall development and maturity of individuals in terms of bringing out the best of their native intelligence while others contend that education, of any kind, increases, expands and creates new native intelligence. Despite their differences, both sides of this argument agree that education is important because it cultivates a desire for knowledge, a natural curiosity and, most importantly, critical thinking skills.

            Knowledge is a never-ending desire that encourages people to learn more about topics this know as well as add information about new topics. Whenever a person is in the process of gaining knowledge there is a point where suddenly “it” clicks and understanding is reached. That initial moment of understanding is the driving force behind the never-ending desire for knowledge. That moment drives people forward as they attempt to learn more. This is a key aspect in education because it creates a craving for more knowledge. Ideally, this need becomes insatiable which allows for an open mind that is always receptive to being educated and the process of learning new things. This process also leads to another important part of education.

            The natural curiosity produced by the educational process is critical because it allows new information to be received and seeks out environments in which learning can take place. This is seen easiest in the formation of social groups that meet to partake in a specific activity. Social groups of this nature tap directly into peoples’ natural curiosity because they offer an opportunity to try something never done before while learning about the activity from those who have some level of mastery. This is important because education is not relegated to classrooms or formal settings. These social groups create a learning environment wherever they take place which solidifies the idea that education can take place anywhere, allowing for natural curiosity to flourish. While natural curiosity is important, it is not the most important aspect of education.

            The development of critical thinking is the most important aspect of education. Critical thinking is the ability to think deeply and directly about any subject by applying previously gained knowledge and experience to the subject. It is a skill that is developed through constant application and usage that enables a person to come to proper and well thought out conclusions by taking into account everything they know. It is the single most important aspect of education because it is a skill that transfers to every part of life. Critical thinking helps with decision-making which is the quintessential facet of life. The only way to increase critical thinking ability is through education which makes education of the utmost importance.

           In conclusion, a desire for knowledge, sparks a natural curiosity in all people. These two parts of education combine to form the basis of critical thinking, the most important part of education. With solid critical thinking ability, the various challenges of life are easy to overcome. Because of this, it doesn’t matter whether education develops native intelligence or increases it.

Writing & Educating: A study of Philosophy

My good friend, fellow educator, writer and partner in crime, Gage, wrote a piece for the Boston Teacher Residency blog recently. His writing got me thinking about writing and teaching... and teaching writing and I came to realize that even though it was unstated, I have a well developed philosophy on how to teach writing to others. Simply put, learn by doing. Because writing is a process, it must be done constantly and repetitively. Sure, there are rules to learn that guide writers and show them how to do it, but to really and truly write, one must engage in the process. Sometimes, however, as a teacher, we must show students the process so they understand it.

I work in a writing center at a Texas college. One of the core philosophies of the writing center is to make the students better by not editing their papers and essays, but showing them how to improve their work by focusing on a specific aspect that can be strengthened. By doing this, the writing center makes students better writers because we don't take their work and make it better ourselves, we show them how to make their own work better through focused lessons on singular topics.

While I agree with this teaching idea, I disagree with its implementation. We writing center Writing Specialists are not to write or mark up students' papers when we work with them. The thought here is that if we do that, then students will just make the corrections we highlight and not actually learn from their mistakes. Maybe in some cases this is true but it doesn't give our students very much credit for trying to learn. I have yet to meet a student who's only aim was to have a writing specialist quickly read their paper and make some cursory corrections. Every student I've worked with has asked me to help them with something specific that they can learn and apply to their current  writing as well as their writing in the future. These students are eager to learn from us to make themselves better. furthermore, this awkward implementation gives us educators even less credit.

None of us work in the writing center to just glance at students' papers, do some superficial corrections and send the student packing. We are passionate about writing and it shows when a specialist stays a little later than they have to to make sure a student understands a concept, or when faced with multiple students, a specialist attempts to help them all. Whether we write on a students' paper is irrelevant when compared to these gestures. Moreover, sometimes writing on their paper is the best and easiest way to illustrate a mistake and how to fix it moving forward. It is frustrating when a rule hampers the furthering of knowledge.

Overall, I very much enjoy working in this writing center. I don't agree with that particular policy but it hasn't stopped me from getting my message to students. Still, it would be nice if my philosophy on writing and teaching matched up with that of the place I work.

Jeff Bliss: Educational Martyr or Grandstanding Punk

Last week was pretty sweet for viral videos and auto-tuned quotes. Charles Ramsey generated enough content on his own to capitalize on a potential McDonald's spokesperson deal and he had not one, but two songs made from his explanation of what happened to him while eating a Big Mac. However, I think the rant by Jeff Bliss, sophomore at Duncanville HS here in TX, is just as interesting but for different reasons. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, check out the video below and the story on The Huffington Post. I'll wait... Yeah, so that went down. Bliss' rant begs the question: Is he an educational martyr, chaffing under the restraints and apparent laziness of his teacher who is so disengaged from her job that she refuses to interact with them? Or, is he a grandstanding punk who knows he will be filmed and put online with potential for viral stardom?

It's tricky. As an educator who has dealt with a fair share of lazy teachers, I understand his frustration. Handouts and packets should be supplemental material used to enhance a lesson plan. They shouldn't be the lesson plan. In this regard, Bliss is correct to call out his teacher. She is not teaching. As a student who dropped out of school but has returned, Bliss is in a position where he needs his classroom time to count and be as productive as possible. As a teacher, she has to facilitate that.

However, towards the end of the video it is obvious he is making a scene. It is difficult to tell when he realizes he's being filmed but there is a moment when his theatrics increase and his initial message becomes less important. Were his only concerns the lack of teaching taking place in the classroom he would have left after "This is my country's future and my education." As good a line as any as a finisher. But he doesn't stop there, he goes on because he has the attention of the class and the camera.

So, dear reader, what do you think? is Bliss taking a stand for what should be done or is he subverting the teacher's control of the class and learning environment just to shine a spotlight on himself? Let me know in the comments.

Substitute Stories pt. 2

"Nancy" has been a substitute teacher for three years. "I love the hours, and summers off" she says with a smirk. As a retired teacher, Nancy finds that "subbing," as she calls it, is a great way for her to stay connected to teaching and education. "I can set my own schedule and I don't have to worry about not working if I don't want to" she says.

When she worked as a teacher, Nancy taught freshmen English, both at level and pre-AP. Yet, when she substitutes, she enjoys branching away from her areas of expertise."Subbing can be fun and challenging if you're willing to step outside your comfort zone," she says.

This idea is illustrated best when she tells the story of one of her first substitute jobs. "I signed up for a job subbing in a high school English class" she says. "I figured I knew the material so it would be an easy day." When she got to the school, the administration threw her a curve ball.

"I found out that they [the school] didn't need an English sub, but a math sub," Nancy says chuckling. "I took the job because I didn't feel like driving all the way back home for nothing."

Even though it was a geometry class the morning periods were rough. "The teacher left a worksheet for the class but they didn't understand the information. I ended up having to explain Platonic forms and how to calculate volumes of solid objects with only a few minutes prep between each class" she says.

Luckily, substitute teaching tends to be repetitive. By the afternoon, Nancy knew the information and how best to relay it to her students. "I created a game where the students would get points for their team if they could correctly identify forms and tell me the formula for calculating its volume."

All in all, Nancy appreciated the experience. "Subbing in a class that wasn't in my area of study showed me that it's possible for a sub to step into almost any class room and still be affective" she says.

If nothing else, it demonstrates her versatility. A quality that should be a part of all good Substitute teachers.

All done! It was a good day. The kids were fairly attentive and I hope they learned something. Stepping up to the high school tomorrow.

Last class of the day, packing up, ready to leave.

 

Last class of the day. Home stretch, I think I'll make it!

The day is almost over. I'm starting to drag a bit. The kids are getting to me...!



Teaching students how to draft a five paragraph essay today. Right in my wheelhouse!

3rd period done. One of the kids says, "you don't sound like you're from TX." I say, "I'm not." She responds "If you're not from TX then why are you here?"

Ended up going over the info slide by slide. Sure, it's slower but the kids learned the info. That's a win in my book.

First period started poorly. I was supposed to run through a slide show but the students were confused and had questions.

I'm substituting in a 7th grade class today. I'll post periodically during the day. Stay tuned, it should be interesting...!

My friend, Veronica, posted this story in the Chicago Sun-Times on my Facebook timeline recently and I felt it necessary to share. Go ahead and take a quick read.

Teacher sues CPS after suspension for slur during ‘teachable moment’  

I know I did a post on (potential) racism, but I think this brings up some interesting issues surrounding race and the n-word. I have my response and I've called in a favor from my good friend, Gage Norris, as a second opinion to complete the forum. I'd like to hear what you think too. Leave your thoughts in the comment section under the post. FYI, if you leave a comment on Facebook or somewhere else I'll put it in the comment section on the post, so save me the time and effort!

 

Rick - As a teacher, and a white teacher in a minority environment, that he should have been more aware of how his use of the n-word would play out. The word is so emotionally charged that even though I think the principal's reaction was incorrect, it has to be expected. This reminds me of a debate that took place in one of my U of C classes. A white student used the n-word while quoting and discussing a specific assigned reading passage and I remember there was such an uproar by several black students in the class the original point (which was valid) was lost in the backlash. Obviously there is a double standard insofar as who is saying the word, but I think there is also space for other races to use the term "n-word" during teachable moments or in academic in discussion. Context is key. You can always refer to the word without using it and still make valid points and take advantage of teachable moments. 

Gage - As I write this, I’m trying to figure out if this is a case of a decent guy trying to do the right thing but going about it the wrong way – or if it’s case of a guy with a ton of white guilt that’s turned into white anger. Brown has a point when he says we can’t address issues of race if we don’t talk about them. But I don’t think it’s necessary to use the n-word explicitly. At this point I think it’s safe to assume people will know what you mean if you abbreviate out of a sense of respect for a word that carries centuries of racism – by white people against black people, and for a period of time, by white people against anyone who wasn’t white. If our goal is to phase this word out as much as possible (not ignore it, just limit its usage), continuing to use it explicitly can’t be moving us in the right direction. Ultimately, I feel like Brown deserves this suspension. Based on the discrepancies between his account and that of his principal, it’s clear at least one of them is lying about what really went down in that classroom. And my gut tells me it wasn’t a bunch of black students and a principal ganging up on a white teacher – rather, a white guy who let himself get out of line in a professional setting. 

On Education, or Getting back in the Saddle

Later this evening I will be sitting face to face with a high school student, attempting to explain why she can't do a compare and contrast on her college essay. Having read the essay in question I'm a little daunted by the task...

This student will be the first person I've tutored in several months, and honestly, I'm a little concerned as to whether I'll be able to communicate the issues in her essay so that she is able to understand what mistake she made, how to correct it and how to avoid it in the future. Less than a year ago, I used to complain and lament with my friend and fellow tutor, Gage, about how much I disliked dealing with the same students and errors day in and day out.

Now, I'd relish that consistency because it would mean that I was so much in the zone of teaching others about writing that I required a new challenge. Well, I've taken some time off. Sure, I've been using my writing skills in the time between but have my teaching skills gone to rot? I don't know, and I won't find out until tonight. Let us all hope that my student and her parents are patient with me. I'm assuming that the teaching skill is in the same set of those skills like bike riding. It'll come back to me as soon as I start doing it again.

In truth, I  suspect it will be like that. I was working with my one of cousin's children last week on a geography assignment. As he and I worked our way through a bunch of different world maps, filling in countries, rivers, and mountains, I felt a thrum in my pulse. It was the sense of excitement I get when working with a student and they begin to comprehend what I'm telling them.

It was that, or the beginning of a headache because he couldn't remember that the countries of Saudi Arabia,  Iraq, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Oman and some others were often referred to as the "Middle East."

Either way, I'm looking forward to doing it again, to sitting with a student and working through the written language to help them come to a better understanding. I'm looking forward to that thrum of excitement... Or maybe just the headache. Either one lets me know that I'm back in the field of education. That I'm teaching again.