Louis Menand’s article, “Live and
Learn” is about the education system and the way college sorts students. He
presents three theories. The first states that college is for those with the
best grades and is a kind of sorting mechanism. It is a way to tell who is
smart. The second theory states that college is about learning and not about
grades. The third theory is about college honing specific skills and splitting
kids into these tracks at young ages.
There is a video on YouTube that I
actually found out from friends sharing it on Facebook, where someone discusses
why he hates school but loves education. I found it very engaging and it made
me think of Menand’s article.
In this clip, it states many ideas
about learning and schooling that seem to contradict each other. It was said,
at 2:10 in the clip, that “As long as you follow the rules and pass the exams,
you’re cool…and if you’re answer is something outside the box, the automatic
response is a cross. And then they claim that school expands your horizons and
visions.” This really made me think about how I am graded in classes and it
makes sense. Even Professor La Vaque-Manty says a similar thing when he asks us
questions in lecture. He says that we shouldn’t answer with something that we
think he is looking for, but rather think deeper and give our own opinions and
answers. We aren’t really learning if we are focused on answering with a
one-track mind, then it’s just memorizing someone else’s beliefs.
The man, Suli Breaks, says at 1:53,
“If there was a family tree, hard work and education would be related, but
school would probably be a distant cousin.” This got me thinking about what he
meant. I actually agree with him on this because to me learning is about
wanting to understand ideas and concepts that interest me. It’s about
broadening my mind on different concepts and putting in worthwhile time for a
worthwhile result. School is kind of like a distant cousin because in some
cases we have to take certain classes we don’t like. Then it becomes something
where we don’t want to learn but have to, so we don’t put in the hard work. It
also seems distant because learning doesn’t have to happen just through school.
Many people are self-learners because it can be more motivating. So this would
be most like the second theory. Those that put in the most work, who want to
learn, are being educated. We may all be in school, but the ones that are
focused on learning are gaining the most from an education.
In the beginning of the video he
tells the viewer what society and our parents would tell us about why we get
degrees. He says it’s because we are told, “it increases your chances of
getting a job, it provides you an opportunity to be successful, your life will
be a lot less stressful; education is the key.” All these reasons are why we
are all in school. I honestly don’t think there are many, if at all any, people
out there that don’t think about college and getting a degree as he stated. The
way society is focused, we are stuck on getting a degree that will help us make
money and be successful. It’s a shame because we are losing out on learning
about different things and doing things we enjoy. Many of people get a degree
in a field they don’t even enjoy because it’ll make more money than something
they do enjoy. Money seems to be an obnoxious driving factor of our motives.
With regards to Menand, though,
this video really made me question why I’m in college. Do I like how we are
graded? Do I like that I’m forced to take certain classes, like natural
science, which I don’t like? What does it mean to get an education? Are grades
really demonstrative of a student’s learning? I don’t really know. I do know
that I have always liked learning. When I find something I like that I don’t
understand, I automatically search online to find answers. I teach myself
different things every day and I get more encouraged when I’m not strangled by
the fear of a bad grade. Bad grades, especially when I put in effort, make
learning less enticing for me, which I’m sure happens to others as well. So
this first theory of Menand’s seems like a failure of a system. Why are we
discouraging learning, even if it's unintentionally?
I know we can’t really change the
way the college system works (at least not quickly), but wouldn’t it be great
if we could? It would be nice to be able to learn and not be worried about
grades. Not be worried about being the top of the class for a degree you care
or don’t care about. To me, education is about knowing something you didn’t
before and wanting to learn more. It’s about knowing things you like to know,
having different perspectives to give, and being open to different ideas that
intrigue you. This quote from the video is sticking with me and makes a great
point about what education is (at least to Suli): “Education is about inspiring
one’s mind, not just filling their head.” So, what do you think education is?
Sources:
-Video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI
-Image 1: http://corecouncil.nd.edu/
-Image 2: http://en.paperblog.com/knowledge-learning-why-learn-more-67600/
-Menand's theories: From class reading and lecture
Sasha I think your post is great and I respect your opinion. I understand that it is annoying to have to fulfill requirements that don't pertain to you. I mean why would I want to take science?? However I think the requirements because it broadens kids horizons to topics they may have never experienced. Lots of kids come to Michigan saying they'll be in Ross. Then they take Econ and hate it. I think the second theory is the best. We may take hard classes and not do so well but at least we learn.
ReplyDeleteSasha,
ReplyDeleteI think that if Suli Breaks would respond to Menand’s article, he would want to agree with Menand’s second theory of education, however, he would have to say that the first theory is unfortunately more realistic. Like Suli said, school has become an institution where it is important to memorize facts to pass the test, not necessarily remember them in the long-run. Suli might even agree with the third theory as well because it focuses on preparing students for work and essentially making money. The title of the video is perfect. I think it really shows that school and education are words that cannot always be used in the same way anymore.
Menand states, “Society wants to identify intelligent people early on so that it can funnel them into careers that maximize their talents.” This is definitely something to think about. Academically speaking, throughout high school, students are extremely eager to get to college because they envision it as a place where they can focus on what truly interests them instead of taking unnecessary classes. Menand also says, “As an added service, college also sorts people according to aptitude. It separates the math types from the poetry types.” While I do not agree with the fact that the system works like this, I feel that this is a common reason for why students look forward to college. Those who do not perform as well in math and science as in their other classes are given the opportunity to not take such classes in college. Instead, they are able to take classes in a range of subjects that interest them, which Suli would probably be in favor of.
ReplyDeleteIf I found a class to be relevant to my interests, I probably would not ask "why do I have to buy this book?" After considering Suli's position and reading different blog posts about Menand's 'Live and Learn,' I feel as if the point he brings up is just the start to a larger conversation.