Response to Bryan Acton: Importance of Reading

Bryan asked, What do you find to be the biggest problem with reading in today’s formal education system?

I think the biggest problem with reading in today’s schools is that students are not free to choose what they read. In the majority of high school English classes, the curriculum consists of a list of books that the class reads and discusses one by one. This ensures that the students study a wide range of literature. The thought behind this is a good one. After all, many students would stick to reading modern teenage dramas or fantasies instead of reading older classics or exploring European authors.

On the other hand, when students have absolutely no say in what they read, they can often have trouble getting invested in the text. They may not take any interest in it or might resent being assigned the book. I know that happened to me when I was in high school. It’s hard to appreciate something you’re being forced to analyze.

What I think would be a good solution is if curriculums were opened up into more of a book report style. For every unit, students receive a short list of different texts they can choose to read and analyze that all surround a certain theme. For instance, in the first three weeks, the students would be given a list of Romantic works to choose from. The next three weeks, they would pick from a list of classic plays. Etc.

My question in response is this: Do you think it is more beneficial to read aloud in class as a group, or to read silently to yourselves?

Gifted and Talented Programs

In my elementary school in Texas, there was a “Gifted and Talented” program. Basically, students who tested highly on state exams were taken out of their normal classrooms twice a few for a few hours and put in a room together. We were given puzzles to do and extra lessons on top of our regular work.

I often wonder how other students felt about the special treatment awarded to the “gifted and talented” kids. Did they feel resentment? Did they even care? I often resented being given more work than my fellow students, but understand that it was meant to keep me working to my full capabilities.

My question is this: Do you think these sorts of programs are more helpful or hindering in the educational system?

Gender Discrimination in Schools

We often see in the public education system a clear division between males and females. This happens from a very young age. In elementary schools, boys and girls tend to participate in separate activities. The exception to this rule would be in cases of role-playing—such as when children play house together—and even then there are very distinct gender roles that the children tend to stick to.

This trend continues through the grades. At middle school dances, the boys and girls stand on opposite walls, trying to figure out what to do with themselves and each other. In high school, boys and girls play on separates sports teams. In cases such as baseball and softball, the males and females don’t even play the same sport. Rules for females are different than those for males. There are different expectations of how males should dress versus how females should dress, and how each gender should behave.

These societal norms are partly present because they are reinforced by teachers and the school system; little girls and little boys are treated differently from the time they first enter school.

My question to you all is this: Do you think that this division between the sexes in schools is a positive thing or a negative thing?

Response to Mary Marcil: Can You??

Mary Marcil posed the question, Is it rational to think critically about things that may not happen? Or is that using your imagination?

I believe that when people are faced with a problem and begin projecting the possible outcomes in their minds, for instance, it is both critical thinking and using imagination. I don't think the two have to be separated, like it is either one or the other. You are imagining what could happen, but are using your critical thinking skills to make a decision about what to do in the present based on your knowledge of what the consequences might be in the future.

You can't use your imagination to make decisions. It's a simple scientific fact that imagination cannot be used for this function. However, if one is only thinking critically about the situation at hand without considering the consequences, one might make a bad decision.

My question in response is this: Why do you think it is that children are more likely/capable of using their imaginations than most adults?