Posts
2/20/2020 - Remember This
Hello! My posts just seem to be taking longer and longer, don't they? Anyway, a while ago, one of my teachers showed my class a song called "Remember This", by NF. The instrumental is linked on the right. Before I continue, look up the lyrics. They're the most important part.
Now, just like any song, quite a bit of the lyrics are metaphorical. But some of the lyrics are extremely literal. For example, "Yeah, handouts create lazy people I'm not impressed with". This line relates directly to creative learning. Students aren't going to learn anything from filling out mindless worksheets that have them do the same exercises over and over again. But if we can use more learning methods that actually help students learn, we'll end up with a generation of hardworking, educated people. It's even better if we allow students to specialize in what they want to learn. "Think your own thoughts, don't let them do it for you". As students, adults are constantly telling us what to do. You could want to take French, but your parents insist you take Spanish because they think it's easier. Then you say that you want a challenge. But your parents don't think you're up for it. Believe it or not, sometimes students actually do know what's best for them. When people are allowed to choose what they want to do with their lives, they are much happier. And the happier people are, the more work starts to feel like play. And the more people work, the more can be accomplished. Next thing you know, letting your kid take French in 8th grade could allow them to communicate with the cancer researchers in France. Sure, this is all hypothetical, but it's possible. Maybe we should focus less on graded worksheets, and a little more on letting people pursue their passions.
Bye for now,
Lydia
12/18/2019 - Logic!
Hello, and Happy Holidays! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. This time of year is PACKED with family gatherings, concerts, you name it. I recently read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis. Now, the plot is amazing and the whole thing is mind-blowing. But, before I continue, take a moment to read the first paragraph or two of this summary of the book if you haven't read the book yourself.
My favorite character byfar is the professor that the children go to live with. He's full of great insight. Here's a quote from earlier in the book: "'Logic!' said the Professor half to himself. 'Why don't they teach logic at these schools?'" I ask the same question. Why isn't logic taught in modern schools? Do students simply not use logic anymore? The short answer probably has something to do with ease, money, curriculum, yada, yada, yada. The long answer is that of course students need to use logic, it's just that they have no concept of their thinking process. In the book, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", the professor asks that question, and then uses process of elimination to show Lucy's siblings that she is not lying about the magical land in the wardrobe. Sure, I and my fellow students understand how process of elimination works, but usually only in the context of multiple choice assesments. What we need to understand is how simple logic pertains to the real world. But, the strict confines of curriculum don't allow for this. If students were allowed to have a say in what they learned and how they learned, the whole world would have a much brighter future. So, how can logic improve your education?
Bye for now,
Lydia
11/19/2019 - Be the Jungle Tiger
Hello! Recently, my fellow students and I watched a video with the guidance of one of our teachers. Some of you reading this may have been in the room at the time. Go ahead and watch the video, and then I'll describe what my classmates and I disscussed afterwards.
Ok, so, there's a couple of questions I have for you. First of all, are you a zoo tiger, or a jungle tiger? Has anything in particular affected which one represents you the most? Be honest. Most of you are probably more of a zoo tiger. As for that second question, it's probably your teachers. Most of my classmates said they were zoo tigers, but they really wanted to be jungle tigers. Then we added to the anology by saying that some of our teachers were zookeepers, and others were zoologists. A zookeeper will keep you in the cage, the wonderful, comfortable cage. On the other hand, a zoologist will lean back and observe the tigers, only stepping in to help them when they are in trouble. Everyone should strive to be a jungle tiger, but the zookeeper style of teaching traps you in a cage. If you don't feel comfotable being a jungle tiger just yet, then slowly let yourself out of that cage step-by-step. If you visit the jungle often, it will feel more comfortable. Some zookeepers may bring you into the jungle on occasion, but will then bring you back into a cage. Some zoologists may keep you in a cage, but the cage will be almost indistinguishable from the jungle. There's a whole spectrum of teachers, students, and habitats. You are a tiger. A tiger is meant to live in the jungle, to thrive, to live. Encourage your teachers to take a zoologist approach to learning, and allow you to grow.
Bye for now,
Lydia
11/10/2019 - Most Likely to Succeed
Hey, there! In a recent comment, Helen (my mom) recommended a documentary about creative learning. It's called Most Likely to Succeed. I thought it was absolutely amazing, and I could really relate to some of the students featured. Before I dive too far into this topic, here's a trailer for the movie.
The film itself is available in a few places. I watched it on Google Play, but you can also watch it on Amazon Prime. Okay, now onto the content of the film. I don't want to give too much away, but the documentary is mostly about High Tech High School, which is a public high school that does things a bit differently. First of all, the interior of the building itself doesn't really look like your usual school. Many of the walls are transparent, so it's easy to observe what students are doing. Secondly, High Tech High structures the way they teach very differently. The day isn't divided into subjects, so the students work on projects that incorporate two or more subjects at a time. Teachers don't have any standards they are held to, so they are free to decide what particular groups of students should work on. And, there is one more major difference between High Tech High and your usual public school. (Fellow students, I think you'll like this one.) There are no tests or exams of any sort. Instead, the students make something, and a public exibition night is held at the end of the year so students can showcase their work. The film goes into much more detail about all of this, as well as explaining the origins of the modern school system, but this is what I thought was the most notable about High Tech High. I would highly suggest Most Likely to Succeed. But, before you go and watch it, I want to leave you with one final question. Why aren't there more schools like this?
Bye for now,
Lydia
10/29/2019 - Creative Care
Hey, everyone! While I was doing research to begin this blog, I found something interesting. When I simply typed in the words "creative learning" into google, this is the first thing that popped up:
A list of childcares. And I think that is exactly what the problem is. We are focusing too much on providing creative learning to young children. We pound it into them with creative craft projects almost every day. But, when a child progresses further into their education, we see a significantly less amount of creative learning. What we are doing is making strong skills stronger, but mediocre skills much, much weaker. Young children have lots of creative energy, and we still need to bring that out. But, that doesn't mean that as they naturally lose some of that creative energy that we should stop supporting it altogether. What we need to do is support creative skills equally throughout all age groups. This will create a generation of ready-to-learn students that have no problem understanding different concepts. Isn't that exactly what we need going into the future?
Bye for now,
Lydia