Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Movnat
The first time I heard about Movnat was while I was living in Pittsburgh as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was in a Mens Health magazine.
Shortly after that experience I came home to Las Vegas from Pittsburgh and got into running, and weight lifting. I did however have some shoulder pain every time I ran. Soon after I got the money together and signed up for a week long Movnat Retreat in Summers-Ville West Virginia. Fate, or stupidity, would have it a different way however. Shortly before the event, I fractured my Transverse Process on C-7.
The Movnat team, recognizing my special situation refunded my course costs. After that, I stopped running, working out, or doing anything physical (doctors orders) for almost 2 months. After those 2 months were over, I found it hard to motivate myself and get back into the shape I needed and wanted to be in. It would be almost a year before I started training again, and now I was doing Movnat as I saw fit. When I ran, my shoulder pain was back. However, I noticed as I started doing more and more bare crawls and other crawling exercises that my shoulder pain got less and less. It would be almost another year before I went to my first one day workshop in Utah.
The workshop was enlightening! After it I continued to workout more and more, and use more and more of the Movnat philosophy in my training. When they announced the Movnat Certifications I signed up right away. Attending the first course in Sante Fe, NM.
Since then I've been here in Las Vegas, spreading the word of the Movnat Philosophy and starting my own training company.
Why do I love the Movnat system so much?
There is almost to much to explain. Let me start here...
1. Ever since I read that first article the idea made sense to me. Let me ask you a question, out side of the gym, how often do you do a bicep curl? How about Leg Extensions? Triceps pull down, or Skull crusher?
Well I can't really answer for you, but I know for me that answer is Never, None, ZERO.
Lets look at Movnat now, Being an active guy...(again)... Lets look at Crab walks, I use them just about every time I hike, I find myself at the top of steep hills often and want to find my way down safely. Crab walk = mission accomplished.
And this happens over and over in Movnat. This is actual useful practical exercise we are talking about. Whats better than that?
Look at our ancestors, and surprisingly you really don't have to look that far back. Look at your grandparents and you will probably see what I'm about to talk about. Ever wonder why not to many of them were overweight until they were in their 80's or 90's? Look at their childhoods, how they grew up. Again, I really can't speak for your grandparents. However, I know for a fact mine fit this. They played in the woods. They grew up moving, exploring, climbing, crawling. They grew up moving as a human moves. Being a part OF not apart FROM nature and their bodies.
That is one of the cores that Movnat speaks to me. We are a part of nature, and we should exist as such. To do so, we need to understand what our bodies are, what they do, how they work, and be connected and mindful of our entire selves. Mind, Body, and Spirit. Intellectual, Physical, Emotional.
Move like a person should, climb a tree for fun, explore the wilderness around your city. If you want help in learning how to move normal again, if you want to break out of your zoo human life. Find a Movnat session near you, in any city.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Diamond Body Training
For those of you who don't know, I started my own company this last week, Diamond Body Training. It is a fitness company that focuses on developing the human body into a tool. A tool for movement. Why would you want this you might ask, Well there are alot of reasons, the biggest being freedom. If you body is a tool as it was created to be, you can use it whenever, however, and where ever you please. Furthermore, you can always be sure that the greatest tool you have in your possession, that is your body, that is your self, is always sharp, strong, solid, reliable, and ready to go, at any time in any place.
I dont know what you are looking for, yet, but I can promise that Diamond Body Training can help you accomplish that. For this reason, I am holding a free all day training session on Saturday the 20th at All American Park on Buffalo Park in Las Vegas Nevada. Its free to come and I welcome anyone ten or above, so feel free to bring the whole family. The training will be low impact and beneficial for any fitness level.
The training will go from 10am-5pm. with an hour for lunch from 12-1pm. Be sure to bring water! See you Saturday at 10am. Be sure to check out my website at diamondbodytraining.com
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Factory
The United States public school system was established during a time in history usually referred to as the industrial revolution (Montagana, 2011). This was the age of mass production. This was also when Horrace Mann argued that to make better factory workers they needed to be educated (Mann, 1848). Schools at this time were built as a model of the factories that gave the era its name. Since that time the public school system has grown, influences millions of this nations children, and changed little. We are still using an outdated method from a bygone era to construct our most important resource, productive citizens. (Oliver, 2010).
Today, much like when the public school was first established we are put into classes by age. Sir Ken Robinson, a renowned proponent of educational reform as posed the question, “why do we think that the most important thing that two children have in common is their date of manufacture?” (Robinson, 2008). This is a major issue in the educational system. We even go so far as to bar students from entering school based on a the date they were born. From that time forward the grade you are, or at least “should be” is based on a number that started counting the day you were born. Children are generally able to develop at the same rate at for the first few years; however, it doesn’t take long for some to start to pull ahead and others to fall behind. This creates students that are pushed aside, left out, and neglected because they didn’t develop at the predetermined rate of age. Students that may very well be geniuses but were late bloomers, or are just not as advanced in one subject but excel in another. The fact of the matter is, children, like adults have a varying amount of interests, talents, and skills. Students should be allowed to progress in academics at a rate they determine. Not the speed that was decided for them by when they were born, but by the speed they are learning.
Another factor of the school system that models a factory line is a separation of subjects. Like the factors of old who used a division of labour to create products on a mass scale, yesterdays, and todays public schools divide the school day into subject of specialization. Is it any wonder that teachers have a hard time connecting with their students, or that students have a hard time paying attention to forty-five minutes of a boring subject. Children learn different things at different times, and are interested in different things at different times. Sir Ken Robinson says “Well, I know kids that are much better then other kids of the same age in different disciplines, or different times of the day. Or better in smaller groups then larger groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own.” (Robinson, 2008). The world isn’t separated into different subjects, you don’t go to work and use english, then go to the store and use math. You use math while your using english while you are demonstrating your understanding of social norms; at the store and at work. We separate our subjects and teach them in blocks piece by piece, constructing knowledge in a person as a factory would construct a car. However, people don’t always work that way, in truth I bet the rarely do. Humans are complex creatures from the function of our bodies, muscles and organs, to our thought patterns and brain chemistry. On a factory line people are put into separate areas of labour so that they my become specialized in one function. Today we do the same thing in schools, we separate people into different classes and subjects. In my experience this has created a system where people are pushed along from year to year without gaining a full understanding. A student might develop understanding and proficient say in english but because of a teacher, or misunderstanding, or inability, or absence, they missed a lesson in math. This happened from year to year, until one day the student was missing enough pieces that they couldn’t understand mathematics anymore. This is the reason many people end up being good at some subjects and terrible at others. Many people they are not given the same learning experience from one subject to the next.
There was a study done by Jean Anyon in 1979 examining the curriculum, pedagogy, and pupil evaluation practices in five elementary schools differentiated by social class. (Anyon, 1979). In this study Anyon finds a number of different startling facts about the differences in schools bases on the social class of the students. In working class schools when asked what was important for students to know said things like “What these children need is the basics.” and “They’re lazy. I hate to categorize them, but they’re lazy.” (Anyon, 1979). The study goes on to say that the curriculum in the working class schools was often restricted. The students were given lessons that helped them only to learn about simple tasks in a step by step manner. (Anyon, 1979). From this study we can see how teaching is sometimes even given in a factory like manner. That the students or workers need only to know what they need to pass the test. They are kept in schools like this from thinking critically or creatively and develop a dependent view of knowledge. It is conditioned to make them into good factory workers.
Another point to make is that of allowing team work, working together and collaboration. In schools if we try to work together, if we try get help from peers we call it cheating, anywhere else in the world we call it collaboration, but in schools, no thats cheating. (Robinson, 2008). It is not necessary to keep students on their own. When children are growing up they learn by experience, by collaboration with their loved ones and those around them. I child learns to speak and walk by watching others do it and practicing and trying to do it with help and encouragement from those around him or her. However, in todays school system we are constantly told to do things on our own, without talking to our peers. With the increase of class sizes in america, there is even less opportunity for collaboration or communication. The school system is focused on keeping each student focused on “their own work” and it is keeping them from learning from one another. This is hindering some students ability to learn. Again I quote Sir Ken Robinson, “Well, I know kids that are much better then other kids of the same age in different disciplines, or different times of the day. Or better in smaller groups then larger groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own.” (Robinson, 2008). Some people learn better in groups and from their peers. Sometimes when a teacher explains something it just does not click. Then when the student next to you explains it again in their own words, and talks you through it you can get a handle on the concepts. I have seen this time and time again in my own schooling experience.
There is study after study saying that the school system needs more teacher student interaction. That clearly show a direct correlation between students ability to talk to teachers personally and an increase in student success levels. I contend that a teacher isn’t the only one that is able to provide such a connection. That I feel is why some students with healthy home lives are able to still preform well in lower economic schools. They may not be able to get the personal relationship and help with assignments from their teachers but they get it from parents and siblings. They could also get it from peers in the school system if it was not looked down upon as cheating. Students should be allowed to teach students, they should be encouraged to answer questions they know, the should be encouraged to help other students understand concepts.
Schools also, as mentioned need to change the way they organize classes. Separation into subject is practical to a degree, however, I feel that you should not have to sit through forty five minutes of one subject alone. Divide it up, split it up. We could have math class for two hours here, then english for a hour, then back to math. We could let students teach different parts of the class, changing up the teachers. This would help students understand all the subjects of school and how they all fit together. One is not superior to another, one subject is not the most important and another the least. If presented together and intermingling students would realize they help and compliment one another. They are all important, and every person has that ability to understand each one, in his or her own way.
Each student should also be challenged by their teachers to reach just a little higher. In the Anyon study one teacher said that she was happy to teach at the working class school because it was easy. She stated that her friend taught at a more affluent school and she had to go in early every day and always had something special. (Anyon, 1979). Teachers should never say that they enjoy their job because it is easy and they do not have to challenge their students. That is a recipe for disaster. A study done by Civic Enterprises showed that seventy percent of high school dropouts left school even though they felt they could graduate. (Civic Enterprises, 2011). The study goes on to say that the primary reason nearly half of he young adults gave for dropping out was that classes were uninteresting. (Civic Enterprises, 2011). Classes should be compelling, interesting, and feel useful. Students should respect the information given them in schools and feel it is useful. They should respect their teachers and they should respect each other. As shown this is not happening. If students were allowed to teach one another, if they were able to speak with and understand their teachers it would. If teachers felt they could challenge their students, if the didn’t falsely believe they were inherently lazy and unable to reach a bar they set, students would improve.
In conclusion, schools are still set up on a production line mentality. As schools continue to stress “your work” and discourage collaboration, students will continue to fall behind in some subjects and be completely disinterested in others. Similarly if subjects continue to remain completely separate students will have the same reactions. Lastly, and most importantly is the age mandated grade systems of the school system. This does nothing to help any person and only hinders ones ability to learn what they need. There are many possible ways to change and update these school systems but to do so we need to forget this age old system of factor assembly lines.
Bibliography
Anyon, J. (1981). Social class and school knowledge. Retrieved from http://ereserve.library.utah.edu.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/Annual/ECS/4111/Margonis/socialclass1.pdf
2. Mann, H. (1848). End poverty through education. Retrieved from http://ereserve.library.utah.edu.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/Annual/ECS/4111/Margonis/endpoverty.pdf
Robinson, K. (2008, June). Changing paradigms. Retrieved from http://filmenglish.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/transcript-sir-ken-robinson.pdf
Civic Enterprises. (2011, January 01). Why do students drop out of school. Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=9279
Oliver, R. (2010, April 04). Assembly-line schools from a bygone era. Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10094/1047479-109.stm
Montagna, J. (2011, December 05). The industrial revolution . Retrieved from http://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/2/81.02.06.x.html
Today, much like when the public school was first established we are put into classes by age. Sir Ken Robinson, a renowned proponent of educational reform as posed the question, “why do we think that the most important thing that two children have in common is their date of manufacture?” (Robinson, 2008). This is a major issue in the educational system. We even go so far as to bar students from entering school based on a the date they were born. From that time forward the grade you are, or at least “should be” is based on a number that started counting the day you were born. Children are generally able to develop at the same rate at for the first few years; however, it doesn’t take long for some to start to pull ahead and others to fall behind. This creates students that are pushed aside, left out, and neglected because they didn’t develop at the predetermined rate of age. Students that may very well be geniuses but were late bloomers, or are just not as advanced in one subject but excel in another. The fact of the matter is, children, like adults have a varying amount of interests, talents, and skills. Students should be allowed to progress in academics at a rate they determine. Not the speed that was decided for them by when they were born, but by the speed they are learning.
Another factor of the school system that models a factory line is a separation of subjects. Like the factors of old who used a division of labour to create products on a mass scale, yesterdays, and todays public schools divide the school day into subject of specialization. Is it any wonder that teachers have a hard time connecting with their students, or that students have a hard time paying attention to forty-five minutes of a boring subject. Children learn different things at different times, and are interested in different things at different times. Sir Ken Robinson says “Well, I know kids that are much better then other kids of the same age in different disciplines, or different times of the day. Or better in smaller groups then larger groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own.” (Robinson, 2008). The world isn’t separated into different subjects, you don’t go to work and use english, then go to the store and use math. You use math while your using english while you are demonstrating your understanding of social norms; at the store and at work. We separate our subjects and teach them in blocks piece by piece, constructing knowledge in a person as a factory would construct a car. However, people don’t always work that way, in truth I bet the rarely do. Humans are complex creatures from the function of our bodies, muscles and organs, to our thought patterns and brain chemistry. On a factory line people are put into separate areas of labour so that they my become specialized in one function. Today we do the same thing in schools, we separate people into different classes and subjects. In my experience this has created a system where people are pushed along from year to year without gaining a full understanding. A student might develop understanding and proficient say in english but because of a teacher, or misunderstanding, or inability, or absence, they missed a lesson in math. This happened from year to year, until one day the student was missing enough pieces that they couldn’t understand mathematics anymore. This is the reason many people end up being good at some subjects and terrible at others. Many people they are not given the same learning experience from one subject to the next.
There was a study done by Jean Anyon in 1979 examining the curriculum, pedagogy, and pupil evaluation practices in five elementary schools differentiated by social class. (Anyon, 1979). In this study Anyon finds a number of different startling facts about the differences in schools bases on the social class of the students. In working class schools when asked what was important for students to know said things like “What these children need is the basics.” and “They’re lazy. I hate to categorize them, but they’re lazy.” (Anyon, 1979). The study goes on to say that the curriculum in the working class schools was often restricted. The students were given lessons that helped them only to learn about simple tasks in a step by step manner. (Anyon, 1979). From this study we can see how teaching is sometimes even given in a factory like manner. That the students or workers need only to know what they need to pass the test. They are kept in schools like this from thinking critically or creatively and develop a dependent view of knowledge. It is conditioned to make them into good factory workers.
Another point to make is that of allowing team work, working together and collaboration. In schools if we try to work together, if we try get help from peers we call it cheating, anywhere else in the world we call it collaboration, but in schools, no thats cheating. (Robinson, 2008). It is not necessary to keep students on their own. When children are growing up they learn by experience, by collaboration with their loved ones and those around them. I child learns to speak and walk by watching others do it and practicing and trying to do it with help and encouragement from those around him or her. However, in todays school system we are constantly told to do things on our own, without talking to our peers. With the increase of class sizes in america, there is even less opportunity for collaboration or communication. The school system is focused on keeping each student focused on “their own work” and it is keeping them from learning from one another. This is hindering some students ability to learn. Again I quote Sir Ken Robinson, “Well, I know kids that are much better then other kids of the same age in different disciplines, or different times of the day. Or better in smaller groups then larger groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own.” (Robinson, 2008). Some people learn better in groups and from their peers. Sometimes when a teacher explains something it just does not click. Then when the student next to you explains it again in their own words, and talks you through it you can get a handle on the concepts. I have seen this time and time again in my own schooling experience.
There is study after study saying that the school system needs more teacher student interaction. That clearly show a direct correlation between students ability to talk to teachers personally and an increase in student success levels. I contend that a teacher isn’t the only one that is able to provide such a connection. That I feel is why some students with healthy home lives are able to still preform well in lower economic schools. They may not be able to get the personal relationship and help with assignments from their teachers but they get it from parents and siblings. They could also get it from peers in the school system if it was not looked down upon as cheating. Students should be allowed to teach students, they should be encouraged to answer questions they know, the should be encouraged to help other students understand concepts.
Schools also, as mentioned need to change the way they organize classes. Separation into subject is practical to a degree, however, I feel that you should not have to sit through forty five minutes of one subject alone. Divide it up, split it up. We could have math class for two hours here, then english for a hour, then back to math. We could let students teach different parts of the class, changing up the teachers. This would help students understand all the subjects of school and how they all fit together. One is not superior to another, one subject is not the most important and another the least. If presented together and intermingling students would realize they help and compliment one another. They are all important, and every person has that ability to understand each one, in his or her own way.
Each student should also be challenged by their teachers to reach just a little higher. In the Anyon study one teacher said that she was happy to teach at the working class school because it was easy. She stated that her friend taught at a more affluent school and she had to go in early every day and always had something special. (Anyon, 1979). Teachers should never say that they enjoy their job because it is easy and they do not have to challenge their students. That is a recipe for disaster. A study done by Civic Enterprises showed that seventy percent of high school dropouts left school even though they felt they could graduate. (Civic Enterprises, 2011). The study goes on to say that the primary reason nearly half of he young adults gave for dropping out was that classes were uninteresting. (Civic Enterprises, 2011). Classes should be compelling, interesting, and feel useful. Students should respect the information given them in schools and feel it is useful. They should respect their teachers and they should respect each other. As shown this is not happening. If students were allowed to teach one another, if they were able to speak with and understand their teachers it would. If teachers felt they could challenge their students, if the didn’t falsely believe they were inherently lazy and unable to reach a bar they set, students would improve.
In conclusion, schools are still set up on a production line mentality. As schools continue to stress “your work” and discourage collaboration, students will continue to fall behind in some subjects and be completely disinterested in others. Similarly if subjects continue to remain completely separate students will have the same reactions. Lastly, and most importantly is the age mandated grade systems of the school system. This does nothing to help any person and only hinders ones ability to learn what they need. There are many possible ways to change and update these school systems but to do so we need to forget this age old system of factor assembly lines.
Bibliography
Anyon, J. (1981). Social class and school knowledge. Retrieved from http://ereserve.library.utah.edu.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/Annual/ECS/4111/Margonis/socialclass1.pdf
2. Mann, H. (1848). End poverty through education. Retrieved from http://ereserve.library.utah.edu.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/Annual/ECS/4111/Margonis/endpoverty.pdf
Robinson, K. (2008, June). Changing paradigms. Retrieved from http://filmenglish.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/transcript-sir-ken-robinson.pdf
Civic Enterprises. (2011, January 01). Why do students drop out of school. Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=9279
Oliver, R. (2010, April 04). Assembly-line schools from a bygone era. Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10094/1047479-109.stm
Montagna, J. (2011, December 05). The industrial revolution . Retrieved from http://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/2/81.02.06.x.html
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Social Class and School Knowledge.
The article by Jean Anyon reveled some compelling knowledge about the current U.S. Educational and Social Systems. She looked at four different schools in four different social classes and compared the curriculum and what the students thought about what knowledge was and capable of doing. The study showed that in lower class working schools the students were not taught about the working class in society and the curriculum focused on teaching mechanical and rote knowledge and tasks. in other words teaching the students how to do things in a rote many and not alloying for freedom of thought. The Middle class school students where taught that knowledge was a commodity to be traded for a job or for college admittance. The professional school was taught the most to be creative and to be free thinkers. lastly the elite school was taught the most "honest" view of society according to Jean.
Is it true that the school programs of todays society "program" us to stay and reproduce the same social classes that have existed since the beginning of time? I can see how it seems that way, and I can see that it is probably on the large scale mostly true. I do believe however that there is more class movement then any person with a social or political goal will lead you to believe. That being said, I do believe the public school system needs a revamp. The simple truth that the parents of the Elite school were so against the re-zoning talked about at the beginning of the article is reason to be skeptical. The fact that the upper class schools gave such a strong view towards critical thinking, problem solving, what I call true and open history, and creativity is enough of a reason to want to scrap the current school system and redraw it. Thats one reason I really like this video. Sir Robinson says that schools are increasingly standardizing our children and we need to go in the opposite direction. I feel that the Elite school is half of what we are looking for, pushing for critical thinking, creativity, and true, complete, and open history of all cultures and social classes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
I think one of the huge problems in our society is we are becoming increasingly a population of entertainment. That is all we care about and all we wish to see, we seek and only seek our own entertainment. I fear that we are all becoming dull and more or less zombies. We need something to wake us up and enjoy the world not just program everyone to produce and consume and live. We need to be thinking critically, we need to look at the world in more ways then the ways we always have. I also think we need to get out of the class room and change this paradigm of you go to school so you can make money, and instead start teaching and preaching you go to school to create new ideas, new opportunities, and to expand your own knowledge and ability. As Jean Anyon says in her study that the Elite out of any class where taught and understood knowledge as a tool for their using, not a commodity to be traded for money or a job. That i feel is what we have to be focused on and where we need to start. I know there has been this re-accruing theme of "funding" in our class. However, I think if you gave me a public library, a private outdoor location, and ten students I could teach them more and prepare them better for life then any public school in the same or less time. I don't think the problem is Funding alone. I think a person with the ambition and a tutor could gain more knowledge with a $1.80 in late fees at the public library then most kids get in school. Money yeah its nice, but I think its half an excuse and half reliance on a broken system that really makes it a factor in changing and fixing education.
Is it true that the school programs of todays society "program" us to stay and reproduce the same social classes that have existed since the beginning of time? I can see how it seems that way, and I can see that it is probably on the large scale mostly true. I do believe however that there is more class movement then any person with a social or political goal will lead you to believe. That being said, I do believe the public school system needs a revamp. The simple truth that the parents of the Elite school were so against the re-zoning talked about at the beginning of the article is reason to be skeptical. The fact that the upper class schools gave such a strong view towards critical thinking, problem solving, what I call true and open history, and creativity is enough of a reason to want to scrap the current school system and redraw it. Thats one reason I really like this video. Sir Robinson says that schools are increasingly standardizing our children and we need to go in the opposite direction. I feel that the Elite school is half of what we are looking for, pushing for critical thinking, creativity, and true, complete, and open history of all cultures and social classes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
I think one of the huge problems in our society is we are becoming increasingly a population of entertainment. That is all we care about and all we wish to see, we seek and only seek our own entertainment. I fear that we are all becoming dull and more or less zombies. We need something to wake us up and enjoy the world not just program everyone to produce and consume and live. We need to be thinking critically, we need to look at the world in more ways then the ways we always have. I also think we need to get out of the class room and change this paradigm of you go to school so you can make money, and instead start teaching and preaching you go to school to create new ideas, new opportunities, and to expand your own knowledge and ability. As Jean Anyon says in her study that the Elite out of any class where taught and understood knowledge as a tool for their using, not a commodity to be traded for money or a job. That i feel is what we have to be focused on and where we need to start. I know there has been this re-accruing theme of "funding" in our class. However, I think if you gave me a public library, a private outdoor location, and ten students I could teach them more and prepare them better for life then any public school in the same or less time. I don't think the problem is Funding alone. I think a person with the ambition and a tutor could gain more knowledge with a $1.80 in late fees at the public library then most kids get in school. Money yeah its nice, but I think its half an excuse and half reliance on a broken system that really makes it a factor in changing and fixing education.
Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness.
In the Chapter Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness by Kathleen she talks about the effects of teachers and students relationships with one another. It is really good cause she doesn't just speculate or talk about studies, she uses words stories from actual living students. She talks about how even being a teacher that students like isn't always the best for students learning. When you like a teacher to much you think of them as your friend and that can get in the way of your learning.
I really liked this article and I agree with what it says. Looking back at my own experiences I know that the teachers I didn't "like" all that much are the ones that I learned the most from. Some of them I did have better relationships with then others, however others I didn't like at all, I just respected them and felt respected by them. That is the key if you ask me. Teachers need to respect their students and students need to respect their teachers. There is no substitute for Respect and trust in a class room. Those are built on fairness and communication. Without these things school will fail in any and every form of education.
I really liked this article and I agree with what it says. Looking back at my own experiences I know that the teachers I didn't "like" all that much are the ones that I learned the most from. Some of them I did have better relationships with then others, however others I didn't like at all, I just respected them and felt respected by them. That is the key if you ask me. Teachers need to respect their students and students need to respect their teachers. There is no substitute for Respect and trust in a class room. Those are built on fairness and communication. Without these things school will fail in any and every form of education.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Supidification of America
The first chapter of Literacies of Power by Donald Macedo, the Author gives his argument about how the American Educational System is installed to indoctrinate persons, and to continue the cycle of upperclass dominance. He points out the fact that the united states as a world power has violated and disregarded its own Pledge of Allegiance. Macedo believes that these systems are set in place to produce desensitized persons who have lost the ability of free thought and critical analysis. In the final Paragraph he says this "I am increasingly convinced that the U.S. Educational system is not a failure. The failure that it generates represents its ultimate victory to the extent that large groups of people, including the so-called minorities, were never intended to be educated.
From this chapter I feel like Macedo feels that the entire public school system is truly a "white power" system of oppression. I will agree with current trends that is certainly what it looks like and maybe it even really is that. However, I don't really believe they were set up to do that way. I believe they have become a way for the government to try and create a unified country and they did and have tried to use European ideals as the foundation of that country. I don't believe that white power established the school systems to continue their ideals. I do believe, however, that the school system is now doing just that, continuing white power ideals, or ideals that allow the upperclass to stay and increase in power. I do believe that the government lies to meet its own ends on a daily basis. I strongly feel that government should never be allowed to govern, or predict, or control a large body educational system for its citizenship. I am becoming increasingly convinced that the U.S. educational system IS a Failure and is beyond the point of reformation. I believe that the Educational system should be destroyed and a new "public" school system be established as a Non-profit organization removed from government control. Schools should not be for the purpose of creating a united citizenship, they should be for the education of the populace to promote critical thinking, problem solving, and free thought. They should be for the exploration of the world, knowledge, and the application of such in the form of wisdom. Not mindless menial busy work to "reprogram" our brains for mindless menial work.
From this chapter I feel like Macedo feels that the entire public school system is truly a "white power" system of oppression. I will agree with current trends that is certainly what it looks like and maybe it even really is that. However, I don't really believe they were set up to do that way. I believe they have become a way for the government to try and create a unified country and they did and have tried to use European ideals as the foundation of that country. I don't believe that white power established the school systems to continue their ideals. I do believe, however, that the school system is now doing just that, continuing white power ideals, or ideals that allow the upperclass to stay and increase in power. I do believe that the government lies to meet its own ends on a daily basis. I strongly feel that government should never be allowed to govern, or predict, or control a large body educational system for its citizenship. I am becoming increasingly convinced that the U.S. educational system IS a Failure and is beyond the point of reformation. I believe that the Educational system should be destroyed and a new "public" school system be established as a Non-profit organization removed from government control. Schools should not be for the purpose of creating a united citizenship, they should be for the education of the populace to promote critical thinking, problem solving, and free thought. They should be for the exploration of the world, knowledge, and the application of such in the form of wisdom. Not mindless menial busy work to "reprogram" our brains for mindless menial work.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Why Western Civilization? William Bennett
In the chapter Why Western Civilization William Bennett explains why we should still study and defend Western Civilization. His three main points are that one Western Civilization is ours. It is where we live, it is what has produced the social structure in which we now live. Two, that Western Civilization is Good. It isn't always, and wasn't always good but, it has produced the most just and effective system of government. Lastly He states that we should study, live, and defend Western Civilization because it is under attack but is better then any alternative.
In reading this chapter I must say I fully agree with William Bennet. I believe he is correct that we need to defend and live Western Civilization. It is what is responsible for the creation of the United States, which as he states isn't always perfect and wasn't always "Good" but it has become such because of the social, political, and cultural freedoms that created it. Those same freedoms have the power of continuing to evolve and change Western Culture until it is good. All other systems of Government rely on the leaders and the leaders alone to develop goodness. It is true that the best and most effect form of government is a dictatorship, however, dictators are rarely ever good natured men. They do not care for their people, nor for minority groups. If we could always have good and righteous men be our Dictators it would be good, sadly that is no possible. Western Civilization is the answer to that problem. It allows for many to keep the government from growing to large. Large government restricts and reduces freedom no matter how you look at it. Less government means more freedom. More government means less freedom.
In reading this chapter I must say I fully agree with William Bennet. I believe he is correct that we need to defend and live Western Civilization. It is what is responsible for the creation of the United States, which as he states isn't always perfect and wasn't always "Good" but it has become such because of the social, political, and cultural freedoms that created it. Those same freedoms have the power of continuing to evolve and change Western Culture until it is good. All other systems of Government rely on the leaders and the leaders alone to develop goodness. It is true that the best and most effect form of government is a dictatorship, however, dictators are rarely ever good natured men. They do not care for their people, nor for minority groups. If we could always have good and righteous men be our Dictators it would be good, sadly that is no possible. Western Civilization is the answer to that problem. It allows for many to keep the government from growing to large. Large government restricts and reduces freedom no matter how you look at it. Less government means more freedom. More government means less freedom.
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