education

To summarize my reflection, our ESEM has taught me a lot about how to mature into a good writer so that I am more confident in my writing and more comfortable in doing so. It also taught me to not only to be actively aware of how education affects people, but the struggles that education currently faces. I feel that my classmates and I both believe this is the main purpose for our ESEM, and that for the most part, the class has been successful in pushing our thoughts and perceptions about education. Moreover, we use the class as a place to test our ideas which we then open for discussion. On the other hand, I also pointed out some things that could be added to the class, such as looking at education from a more global stand point, and trying to make the class more concrete by trying to come up with viable solutions to the problems we have discussed. By doing this I feel like the class would be even richer in content.

Hey Everyone!

This link is just food for thought, but it points out something I think pertains to the article by Edmundson we read earlier in the semester. Justin Fox, a Harvard Business School professor, talks about the value of a college degree and how the supply of college graduates is much greater than the demand, which ultimately allows for a really horrible job market in the United States. He talks about how the cost of a degree is far more expensive than its worth in most cases today, and the possibility that this will create an education bubble that will eventually burst. 

I think this can really help explain Edmundson's point about the mentality of college students today who feel tremendous pressure to perform to perfection rather than taking risks.

-"The Education Bubble, Tenure Envy, and Tuition"

Harvard Business Review

http://blogs.hbr.org/ideacast/2011/06/the-education-bubble-tenure-en.html

My reflection revolved around my ability to "edit" my ideas and rethink many opinions about our educational system that I once firmly believed in. Prior to being in this class, I had a strong belief that every student should go to college and those who didn't were destined to be failures. Even though I saw students who simply weren't raised to beleive college was even a remote possibility, I felt comfortable telling myself that these students simply weren't ambitious or motivated enough to reach college. Essentially, I was blaming these students for something that, in many aspects, was out of their control. Since being in this seminar, my views on the topic have changed tremendously; and I realize the adversity that disadvantaged students have in our educational system that promotes "fairness." My ability to really grapple with issues like these has been the area where I've seen the most growth in myself over the course of this seminar. 

For me, the upcoming trip will be a great opportunity to gain new understanding about the topics we covered during the class.  What I really want to learn about is the students’ expectations about education. What kind of education do they want to gain? Do they like the way teachers teach? Why do or why don’t? Is “school smart” more valuable or “streetwise”? What their dreams are? Do they believe access to education can lead them to where they want to go?  A lot of questions pooped in my head. But I feel quite unsure about how to start the conversation and make it both enjoyable for me and the high school student.  I want to talk to them, not just ask questions and make it like an interview between a college student researcher and a high school volunteer. I hope I can find a certain point to begin the conversation. But as an international student, I grew up in a totally different background as they did, which makes it harder to have enough common experiences to develop the sentences.  I understand that these differences, on the one hand, may make our conversations more interesting and beneficial for both sides, but on the other hand, I am worried about saying something that offensive or impolite. I don’t know whether I have enough chance to make a deep conversation, but at least I think I will try my best to bring something new to them.

Like many of the people who have previously posted, I'm not sure what to expect. I went a urban/suburban public high school so I'd like to see what it's like for students who go to a special admit public high school. I'd like to know more about how the selection process works. The pictures of the students that were shown during the presentation made them look like a fun bunch! I wonder if I'll be able to relate to them when we compare our high school experiences. I expect that they'll be open to talk about their experiences at their school and their interactions with their teachers and fellow students. I wonder if they'd be able to point out flaws about their school (if there are any) and if they have done anything to address any issues that they see. My high school was nice and all but I had no problems pointing out what could be changed. I also expect them to talk about college plans and possibly ranting about SATs and the Common App (it'll make me cringe) but it'll still be nice to reminisce about such a stressful time and know that I don't have to worry about it anymore...

I thought the slient board was a GREAT discussion tool. It really made me start thinking about the high school. I like to come into a new environment with out expectations except the expectation to learn from it. But when we were writing on the board someone put on the board 'I wonder how it would have been if we had gone to another school without the high school's resources.' I think that would be a very different experience. Even though we're going to a high school in Philadelphia, this specific school requires entrance exams and has a strong partnership with a Liberal Arts College. I wonder if our presence will make more of an impact at the high school or would it have made more of an impact on a more disadvantaged school?

Going to the high school, I want to expand my knowledge about different academic situations and the impact they have on students’ lives. Having gone to the same school for 12 years, I haven’t had much exposure to different academic cultures such as public and urban schools and thus, I am curious about the way the different backgrounds of the students in contrast to those that made up my class will have shaped the students’ expectations for their academic and vocational futures. Since I will be volunteering at the high school in the near future, I would also like to take this as an opportunity to observe the situations that the seniors I will be working with have faced in order to be able to understand them better and become the best help I can be for them. I would like to learn about the overall perspectives of the class, about how they see themselves in relation to their peers, the world around them and the authority figures that shape their lives; however, concurrently, I also expect that my questions won’t be definitively answered as the students may not open up as easily. I can’t just come into the school expecting that they will tell me everything about their lives, especially when I am a stranger asking about their personal academic and home life. I also can’t just make assumptions about aspects of their lives which may not be true. In any case, my main goal is to make a human connection, to have this be a learning experience that will not only benefit me but most importantly, benefit them. 

So after today's class I went to lunch and began to think what direction I want to go in for this week's paper. I think I have formed two thoughts on how to level the education's playing field. 

My first idea. 

In order to level the playing field of education the Community and School CANNOT be two separate entities they must become one.

I believe this because schools try to create their own culture without factoring in all of the cultures they're trying to assimilate. Communites begin to become distant from the schools and as their own educational tool. Most people like Ricardo Rodriquez had to choose between the two. If they because one big unit each one can work off from each other collaborating to create an even more broader well-rounded education for their students.

But this is not the only thing needed which leads me to my second idea.

While society has become more preoccupied with individual needs and wants such as customized cars, houses,  ideas, cable packages..etc. the istitutions of this society such as health, education, etc. remain generalized.

We have talked a lot in class about education , access, and so on. I wonder how going to the high school will change our thinking. So far in class all of our experiences so far have been based on either our own individual experiences or those we have found in the reading. Going to the high school is essentially the first educational experience that we are sharing together. I wonder if this communal experience will give us new or contrasting views and insights into education. I am really looking forward to the experince and having the chance to confer with everyone about the things we noticed and how they deeper (or in some cases confuse) what we know or should I say what we think we know about standard American education.

October 2-8 is Mental Health Awareness Week.  For more info on events and programs, check out their website  http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=mental_illness_awareness_week