Neil Postman, author of End of Education,
describes public education as it not serving a public, but it, “…creates a
public” (Postman). Dr. Ravitch brings up an idea of how if “Little Eva” cannot
sleep, she will study Algebra instead. No child will do algebra instead of
watching TV, and thus, Postman says that Ravitch’s idea is, “…not a new
technology but a new species of child” (Postman 39). Public education today has
created “new species of children” because the higher value is placed on the
grade point rather than what the actual information means.
Children in school are taught that
they have to receive a certain score or have to do a certain event in order for
them to pass the class. So, their minds are solely concentrating on how they
can get that specific score so they can pass. After the exams are finished,
they do not record any of the information and instead are just reading for the
exam. There is a “new species of children” because of the emphasis placed on
getting the grade point average so no information is actually being remembered
and the students don’t know what some of it means.
Today, there is more information available outside
of school than inside because of the technological abilities students have.
However, technology has altered, “…the psychic, let alone the sleeping, habits
of our kids” (Postman 41). Technology
has allowed the students to learn more about the topic, but, they don’t know
what to do with that information afterwards. According to Postman, “schools are
not now and have never been chiefly about getting information to children”
(Postman 42). Students have moved away from the idea of knowing what the
information means and going towards how they can achieve that grade point,
which will help them in the future as well.
After finding out their grades, many of students go
around asking “what did you get?” But, rarely do some students ask why they got
that or how. Many of them support their answers with “because the teacher said
so” because they don’t know what the information actually means and they can’t
support their claim. Students have become “a new species of children” and care
only about achieving a high GPA, rather than trying to understand what it is
that is being taught to us.
Works Cited
Postman, Neil. The End of
Education: Redefining the Value of School. New York: Knopf, 1995. Print.
You definitely make a good case for the new "species" of student who only the end result. I don't think that's a super-new variety, but this type of outlook is certainly the natural product of our grade-driven school system. I think Postman's "new species of child" in the context of the Little Eva story was a more sarcastic observation...the Little Eva of Dr. Ravitch's example was doing algebra on her own, in her down time. Almost no child in the history of life behaves that way. Ravitch was painting a very unrealistic picture. I remember actually laughing out loud when I read that part--because that's when Morrell asked me what I was reading (and that's how she ended up reading the book too!)
ReplyDelete*who only VALUE the end result! ;)
ReplyDeleteNice work, Kulsoom! I think that your blog post was very convincing about the point that the purpose of education should be changed to teaching students topics and the reasoning for being taught those topics instead of only valuing the end result. Our motivation to work hard is being able to achieve the highest grade on the test. In other words, I feel that today’s public can be compared to a video game. Learning should not be for reasons to “win or get a high score.” The other day, Harvey told me that he does not check his grades because it stresses him out. His thought process is so true because we should be more focused on if we knew the material and why we learned the information after we are assessed. I really hate how numbers will determine my life, but a change regarding this issue is easier said than done.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, Kulsoom! I really like how you take Postman's idea of a "new species" and apply it to your argument. The claim that our school system is changing us is very thought provoking, and your thorough evidence really helps support your point. Great Post!
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