In his TedTalk "Do schools kill creativity?," Ken Robinson emphasizes the importance of education defending, rather than undermining, creativity. He explains that globally, technical courses such as math and sciences, languages, and humanities are more heavily regarded than art courses, speaking about how fundamental arts are to society.
Having attended a predominantly STEM-oriented high school, Sacred Heart Academy, I have experienced this radical difference between the two subject areas firsthand. When I first applied to Sacred Heart, there was a significant emphasis on dance, art, and music capabilities, and all students were required to take a full credit hour of one of these tracks. Throughout my years there, however, more science and technology course were introduced into the school system, allowing for courses such as 3D Design to be an accepted substitute for a drawing or painting course. Sacred Heart still continues to advertise itself as a school with enhanced art programs, but the STEM programs have grown extensively and have gained more attention in recent years, and some of the art programs have gained less.
Although I understand where Robinson is coming from in saying that the education systems need to encourage more creativity, I am also inclined to argue that some of the subjects at the top of the hierarchy do encourage creative thinking, albeit in a less traditional way. As I just stated, my high school recently introduced the 3D Design course, and allows it to be taken rather than a more hands-on form of artistic expression. Nevertheless, I feel that technological courses like 3D Design are higher up in the education hierarchy, yet encourage a similar form of imaginative release.
Have artistic courses risen or fallen in the academic hierarchy since Robinson's speech in 2006? With the increase of innovative technology, such as smart pens, 3D printing, and art tablets in the past decade, have these courses benefited or suffered? Since I do not have extensive knowledge about worldwide education, Robinson's speech makes me interested in researching more about the current focus of and future expectations for education systems.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Responding to Hard Choices
When it comes to making difficult decisions, I always compile a list of the benefits and disadvantages of all possible choices, ultimately selecting the option whose benefits far outweigh those of its competitors. Should I ask for new clothes or new books for my birthday? Which wall calendar should I buy? Should I accept my admission to UNC Charlotte, Clemson, or another college? Creating a list to determine the best possible solution always seemed the most reasonable approach when stuck between choices. After listening to Ruth Chang's TedTalk, "How to make hard choices," however, introduced to me to a new perspective on decision-making.
Chang explains that "the reasons that govern our choices as correct or incorrect sometimes run out, and ... we have the power to create reasons for ourselves to become the distinctive people that we are." She supports that hard choices are hard because values cannot be quantified. In my earlier statement, I used terms such as "outweigh" and "solution," but Chang argues that at times, there is no way to determine which alternative is better than the other because aspects of some choices cannot be given a number. Rather than being rational about decision-making, she suggests finding reasons for choosing a decision. By allowing ourselves to take a stand behind one choice rather than the other, Chang explains that we are able to come up with our own reasons to make the choices we do, and this makes for a more effective decision, as there is no better alternative other than the one we make reasons for.
Although I had some difficulty comprehending what Chang meant, I can try to apply her reasoning method to everyday choices I make. I find it confusing that there is no way to quantify decisions. If I were to give an alternative some reason to choose it, I would still see this as a benefit. I do not understand how can be more options other than one alternative being better than the other and alternatives being equal, as Chang stated. Nevertheless, I will try to think about my personal reasons to make decisions in the future.
Chang explains that "the reasons that govern our choices as correct or incorrect sometimes run out, and ... we have the power to create reasons for ourselves to become the distinctive people that we are." She supports that hard choices are hard because values cannot be quantified. In my earlier statement, I used terms such as "outweigh" and "solution," but Chang argues that at times, there is no way to determine which alternative is better than the other because aspects of some choices cannot be given a number. Rather than being rational about decision-making, she suggests finding reasons for choosing a decision. By allowing ourselves to take a stand behind one choice rather than the other, Chang explains that we are able to come up with our own reasons to make the choices we do, and this makes for a more effective decision, as there is no better alternative other than the one we make reasons for.
Although I had some difficulty comprehending what Chang meant, I can try to apply her reasoning method to everyday choices I make. I find it confusing that there is no way to quantify decisions. If I were to give an alternative some reason to choose it, I would still see this as a benefit. I do not understand how can be more options other than one alternative being better than the other and alternatives being equal, as Chang stated. Nevertheless, I will try to think about my personal reasons to make decisions in the future.
On Writing and Procrastination
I recently read Megan Mcardle's article, "Why Writers are the Worst Procrastinators," published on the online news network The Atlantic. Before delving into the writing, I thought to myself, do I really have time to read this article? It's so long! Thinking about the four-page reflective memorandum due tomorrow that I have yet to start for my engineering course, I decided that I did have time and began to read.
For the majority of the article, I was stunned by how much I found myself relating to the poor mindsets explained by Mcardle. For years, I have nodded off my extreme procrastination habits to working better and more efficiently under pressure, however this article made me understand my true reasons for putting off writing assignments until the last possible minute: given an excess amount of time and in fear of writing badly, I would rather not write anything at all until the pressure of a looming deadline becomes too extreme, and the fear of not performing well is overtaken by the fear of not turning in the assignment. This article has made clear to me what I have been blind to all throughout high school and my first year of college. I see talent as an innate and engrained ability, rather than a skill that can be taught and developed.
Following along with the article's examples, I had always been the child who would finish readings and projects before my classmates in elementary school. I had always told myself that this was simply because I was good at reading, or good at the subject the project was for. Even now, as a college student, if I finish an exam earlier than the majority of the class, I tell myself it's because I am naturally good at solving differential equations. This article has allowed me to recognize my error in this perception. I now realize that, although I may be more inclined to easily remembering how to solve differential equations, my success in this course is not because of natural talent in math - it's because of the dedication and commitment I put into understanding how to evaluate solutions and learn equations.
I did not expect to undergo a paradigm shift by reading this article, but now that I have, I am going to try to change my working habits. Rather than put off writing assignments until several hours before the deadline, I will attempt to at least create an outline or introduction several days in advance. By acknowledging the error in my judgment of my own abilities, I hope to be able to make a change in my habits for the better.
For the majority of the article, I was stunned by how much I found myself relating to the poor mindsets explained by Mcardle. For years, I have nodded off my extreme procrastination habits to working better and more efficiently under pressure, however this article made me understand my true reasons for putting off writing assignments until the last possible minute: given an excess amount of time and in fear of writing badly, I would rather not write anything at all until the pressure of a looming deadline becomes too extreme, and the fear of not performing well is overtaken by the fear of not turning in the assignment. This article has made clear to me what I have been blind to all throughout high school and my first year of college. I see talent as an innate and engrained ability, rather than a skill that can be taught and developed.
Following along with the article's examples, I had always been the child who would finish readings and projects before my classmates in elementary school. I had always told myself that this was simply because I was good at reading, or good at the subject the project was for. Even now, as a college student, if I finish an exam earlier than the majority of the class, I tell myself it's because I am naturally good at solving differential equations. This article has allowed me to recognize my error in this perception. I now realize that, although I may be more inclined to easily remembering how to solve differential equations, my success in this course is not because of natural talent in math - it's because of the dedication and commitment I put into understanding how to evaluate solutions and learn equations.
I did not expect to undergo a paradigm shift by reading this article, but now that I have, I am going to try to change my working habits. Rather than put off writing assignments until several hours before the deadline, I will attempt to at least create an outline or introduction several days in advance. By acknowledging the error in my judgment of my own abilities, I hope to be able to make a change in my habits for the better.
Happiness
In his TedTalk "How to buy happiness," Michael Norton argues against the typical belief that money cannot buy happiness, articulating that way in which people spend their money influences their happiness. Norton produced several results from experiments he instigated worldwide that ultimately revealed the same trend: people who spend money on others rather than themselves tend to be happier, as doing something for others makes people feel that they have made a positive impact on someone else.
I thoroughly agree with Norton's statements, and have experienced this personally. When I worked at Target as a cashier, one of my coworkers, Barb, would always offer to buy the other cashiers a drink after she ended her shift. She did this every day, not limiting the number of people she bought drinks for. I felt bad saying yes to her because I didn't feel that she needed to, so I always refused her offer. One of the last days before leaving my hometown and my job for college, Barb talked me into accepting her offer, explaining to me that doing little things for others, like buying something to drink, honestly made her day. The joy that she caused others by giving them a drink in turn made her feel good about her influence in our own lives.
Between having a person in my life like Barb and listening to Norton's speech, I am encouraged to do the same. Although I cannot relate specifically because I haven't spent money on others except for birthday and holiday gifts for my family, there are some things that I do for others that make me happy. Recently, I bought an abundance of holiday cards for my friends back in my hometown, and plan to send them in the mail to wish them the best in their end-of-semester exams and a happy holiday. I enjoy doing small acts of kindness for others, and will continue to look for opportunities to do so.
I thoroughly agree with Norton's statements, and have experienced this personally. When I worked at Target as a cashier, one of my coworkers, Barb, would always offer to buy the other cashiers a drink after she ended her shift. She did this every day, not limiting the number of people she bought drinks for. I felt bad saying yes to her because I didn't feel that she needed to, so I always refused her offer. One of the last days before leaving my hometown and my job for college, Barb talked me into accepting her offer, explaining to me that doing little things for others, like buying something to drink, honestly made her day. The joy that she caused others by giving them a drink in turn made her feel good about her influence in our own lives.
Between having a person in my life like Barb and listening to Norton's speech, I am encouraged to do the same. Although I cannot relate specifically because I haven't spent money on others except for birthday and holiday gifts for my family, there are some things that I do for others that make me happy. Recently, I bought an abundance of holiday cards for my friends back in my hometown, and plan to send them in the mail to wish them the best in their end-of-semester exams and a happy holiday. I enjoy doing small acts of kindness for others, and will continue to look for opportunities to do so.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Who is a Scholar, Really?
The experiences that Ed Dante explained in his story "The Shadow Scholar," published by The Chronicle, made me extremely worried, as I have several contradicting opinions about his work. Dante retells several correspondences he has had while working for his individually owned custom-writing company. Although he makes a living by writing an extensive amount of papers, Dante's name cannot be found on any published work. Commissioned by hundreds of students a year, he formulates essays for high school students and college graduates alike, who would rather pay Dante to write their graduate thesis or college application essays a ludicrous amount of money rather than take the time and energy to create a report in their own words. Needless to say, the name 'Ed Dante' is simply a pseudonym this writer has used to share his stories about his aboriginal career without bringing his identity to public knowledge.
Dante's business goes against everything I had learned growing up about honesty and success. In high school, I was familiar with the idea that some of my classmates had tutors who practically worked on their homework or wrote essays for them, but the business explained in this story takes this enterprise to an entirely new level. I knew that companies similar to Dante's had to have existed, the amount of students unwilling to dedicate their time to writing with their own words being fairly large, but I had no idea that this type of company could be so engrained into the education system.
Dante takes a significant portion of his retelling to explain how he had written an entire graduate thesis essay, totaling over 130 pages in length, by simply using capricious sources found online, even mentioning how he often relies on Amazon previews and corresponding reviews for information. Several aspects of this worries me. Firstly, the fact that a graduate student had chosen to rely on the efforts of an uncredible stranger to gain a degree is terrifying to me. What does this say about our education system? How can a person with so little motivation so as to not even be willing to attempt to write their own thesis statement have been able to earn the title of 'graduate student', and potentially 'graduate'? Also, how does this falsification impact me as a current student? Does this make my efforts matter more or less valuable in the future job world, if some of my future coworkers had been this student? The idea that a company like Dante's and many more exist, and have a reliable number of customers, makes me question the legitimacy of today's education.
Dante's business goes against everything I had learned growing up about honesty and success. In high school, I was familiar with the idea that some of my classmates had tutors who practically worked on their homework or wrote essays for them, but the business explained in this story takes this enterprise to an entirely new level. I knew that companies similar to Dante's had to have existed, the amount of students unwilling to dedicate their time to writing with their own words being fairly large, but I had no idea that this type of company could be so engrained into the education system.
Dante takes a significant portion of his retelling to explain how he had written an entire graduate thesis essay, totaling over 130 pages in length, by simply using capricious sources found online, even mentioning how he often relies on Amazon previews and corresponding reviews for information. Several aspects of this worries me. Firstly, the fact that a graduate student had chosen to rely on the efforts of an uncredible stranger to gain a degree is terrifying to me. What does this say about our education system? How can a person with so little motivation so as to not even be willing to attempt to write their own thesis statement have been able to earn the title of 'graduate student', and potentially 'graduate'? Also, how does this falsification impact me as a current student? Does this make my efforts matter more or less valuable in the future job world, if some of my future coworkers had been this student? The idea that a company like Dante's and many more exist, and have a reliable number of customers, makes me question the legitimacy of today's education.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Taking Claim of Your 20s
In her TedTalk "Why 30 is not the new 20", clinical psychologist Meg Jay uses her clientele experience to encourage emerging adults to take charge of life sooner rather than later. She explains to her audience a reoccurring similarity she had noticed in her younger clients: many see their twenties as their "extended adolescence," and fail to expand their career and relationships. She uses an example of a client, Emma, who had felt that she had lost control of her life in all aspects, primarily family and work. She had faced the full front of a mid-life crisis by her mid-twenties. Jay explains how through dedication to develop an "identity capitol," Emma was able to find a job of interest, and build a family of her own.
With next year being my twentieth birthday, now is the exact moment I needed to hear this advice. Several of courses in this semester, especially my introduction to engineering course, have helped me to define a career plan and determine my true passion. Having established this, I feel prepared to take advantage of the opportunities ahead of me.
Jay's speech although daunting, is encouraged and makes me understand the importance of networking. She mentioned that nearly half of available jobs are not posted anywhere, relying on human connection rather than online advertisements to draw in reliable applicants. This explanation makes me more motivated to talk with professionals in my designated career and build these connections early, to ensure that I do not waste my time and find myself in a crisis situation.
With next year being my twentieth birthday, now is the exact moment I needed to hear this advice. Several of courses in this semester, especially my introduction to engineering course, have helped me to define a career plan and determine my true passion. Having established this, I feel prepared to take advantage of the opportunities ahead of me.
Jay's speech although daunting, is encouraged and makes me understand the importance of networking. She mentioned that nearly half of available jobs are not posted anywhere, relying on human connection rather than online advertisements to draw in reliable applicants. This explanation makes me more motivated to talk with professionals in my designated career and build these connections early, to ensure that I do not waste my time and find myself in a crisis situation.
On Walking to Improve Performance
Within my first semester in college, I have developed a new habit to help my memorization and thinking: walking. The day before or morning of an exam, I will write down several key facts I will need for the test on index cards, then proceed to either walk around my dorm room, repeating the information, or go for a walk around campus with the deck of cards in my hand. I hadn't done this during my high school years because I had not felt the need to, however, with needing to know a significantly greater amount of information for my college courses, I have developed this new study strategy, and it has proven effective. The motion of walking around stimulates my mind and encourages me to think more productively than I would by sitting at a desk and memorizing information in my partially unorganized notebooks.
An article published in The New Yorker by Ferris Jabr, entitled "Why Walking Helps Us Think," reiterates and supports my realization that walking around encourages the mind to think more erratically, allowing for a greater attention span and better memorization. I found it interesting that this article assigned to me for my english course related so similarly to my study habits. Not only did the article explain how walking is a more productive method to stimulate the brain to think than remaining immobile, it also mentioned that spending time in green spaces tends to rejuvenate one's mental capacity from exhaustion and fatigue. Last year, I read an article claiming that green highlighters are more effective than the typical yellow or orange-pigmented markers because the brain is more inclined to have a heightened memory retention under green hues. At the time, I doubted the legitimacy of this claim, but nevertheless switched to writing in green pens, and have felt that this change improved my memorization. The fact that this article discusses the advantages of walking in a green space further supports what I had read last year, and I found this connection interesting.
After reading this article, I am encouraged to continue my newfound study habit, and possibly walk around UNC Charlotte's botanical gardens to see if the green scenery can help my memorization even more.
An article published in The New Yorker by Ferris Jabr, entitled "Why Walking Helps Us Think," reiterates and supports my realization that walking around encourages the mind to think more erratically, allowing for a greater attention span and better memorization. I found it interesting that this article assigned to me for my english course related so similarly to my study habits. Not only did the article explain how walking is a more productive method to stimulate the brain to think than remaining immobile, it also mentioned that spending time in green spaces tends to rejuvenate one's mental capacity from exhaustion and fatigue. Last year, I read an article claiming that green highlighters are more effective than the typical yellow or orange-pigmented markers because the brain is more inclined to have a heightened memory retention under green hues. At the time, I doubted the legitimacy of this claim, but nevertheless switched to writing in green pens, and have felt that this change improved my memorization. The fact that this article discusses the advantages of walking in a green space further supports what I had read last year, and I found this connection interesting.
After reading this article, I am encouraged to continue my newfound study habit, and possibly walk around UNC Charlotte's botanical gardens to see if the green scenery can help my memorization even more.
On Gaining New Perceptions Through Peer Review
As I tend to fear judgment of my writing capabilities, I have refrained from opportunities to engage in peer review in the past, however, as peer review is implemented into my freshman course, it was unavoidable. I was worried at first, and was nervous to share my assignment drafts with my group, however after having fully experienced this form of critiquing, I am glad that my english course pushed me out of my comfort zone. Both gaining feedback about my writing skills from my peers and providing advice to my peers to strength their ideas have ultimately benefitted me. Allowing my peers to comment on my drafts without me defending my work has given me insight into new writing perspectives.
The most influential advice I received thus far regarded my Extended Inquiry Project, in which I chose to research and write about the infringement of privacy rights via the usage of modern technology. Initially, my topic had been much too vague, and would not have formulated an in-depth paper. My peers talked to me about this, as asked me several key questions to encourage me to specify my topic further. "Are you going to focus on multiple types of technology, or a specific kind?" "How are you going to talk about such a vague term like privacy?" Comments like these influenced me to ultimately discuss how the Fourth Amendment protects consumer privacy in relation to surveillance technology. Likewise, the questions I posed to my peers also served as a means of self-reflection for my own paper. On multiple occasions, I had asked, "Is this phrase really necessary?," and "Is there a way to make these sentences more concise?" Asking these questions influenced me to ask myself the same questions when finalizing assignments.
MIT Tech's video, entitled "No One Writes Alone: Peer Review in the Classroom, A Guide for Students," reinforces all of the aspects I mentioned about my own experience with peer review. Not only do the instructors in the video discuss the importance of sharing perspectives, but they also explain how peer review comes into play in the professional workplace. Many stated that in jobs, peer review is no longer limited to others of equal levels; rather, peers can be new employees or experts at the same job. I had not considered how critiquing in the workplace is different than in a classroom setting, and this video provided good information for me to keep in consideration for my future.
The most influential advice I received thus far regarded my Extended Inquiry Project, in which I chose to research and write about the infringement of privacy rights via the usage of modern technology. Initially, my topic had been much too vague, and would not have formulated an in-depth paper. My peers talked to me about this, as asked me several key questions to encourage me to specify my topic further. "Are you going to focus on multiple types of technology, or a specific kind?" "How are you going to talk about such a vague term like privacy?" Comments like these influenced me to ultimately discuss how the Fourth Amendment protects consumer privacy in relation to surveillance technology. Likewise, the questions I posed to my peers also served as a means of self-reflection for my own paper. On multiple occasions, I had asked, "Is this phrase really necessary?," and "Is there a way to make these sentences more concise?" Asking these questions influenced me to ask myself the same questions when finalizing assignments.
MIT Tech's video, entitled "No One Writes Alone: Peer Review in the Classroom, A Guide for Students," reinforces all of the aspects I mentioned about my own experience with peer review. Not only do the instructors in the video discuss the importance of sharing perspectives, but they also explain how peer review comes into play in the professional workplace. Many stated that in jobs, peer review is no longer limited to others of equal levels; rather, peers can be new employees or experts at the same job. I had not considered how critiquing in the workplace is different than in a classroom setting, and this video provided good information for me to keep in consideration for my future.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Thoughts on "From Degrading to De-Grading"
So far in the semester, I have had difficulty with maintaining my blog posts. Although the idea of keeping a blog and responding to assigned articles seeming exciting to me at first, I have begun to consider the reflective writing as more of a burden than an expression of thought. In the past, I have had a blog and published regularly with little difficulty, and had expected the same for this blog. The fact that up keeping this blog had been in a course syllabus and the readings assigned, however, seems to have discouraged me to write freely about my thoughts. Even though this blog is not evaluated according to a rubric, I still have had difficulty encouraging myself to voice my opinion on the assigned articles.
The article "From Degrading to De-Grading," by Alfie Kohn, discusses the negative implications of grading systems on student motivation, a topic that I found myself relating to. The publication discusses the difference between the "grading orientation" and "learning orientation", claiming that the former is the root cause for students to have less interest in learning. By enforcing a grading policy on assignments, students tend to focus more on the numbers that will define their grade rather than the quality of their work. This article has made me realize that I need to reevaluate the way I think about my assignments, not only for my freshman writing course, but also for all of the other courses I am taking this semester. Despite not having a solid grading system for my blog posts, I have been stuck thinking about the fact that maintaining a blog counts for a portion of 100 points for my writing course, and this quantitative value has negatively impacted how I perform in my blogging efforts. Having had successfully maintained a blog in the past in my personal time and had no difficulty then, I feel that thinking of my posts as assignments, not just as grades, has dissuaded me from succeeding in maintaining blog posts thus far.
After reading this article, I am going to focus my efforts on transforming my perspective to a "learning orientation" rather than a "grade/assignment orientation." I feel that if I am able to successfully make this change, I will be more motivated to perform my best in all of my assignments this semester.
The article "From Degrading to De-Grading," by Alfie Kohn, discusses the negative implications of grading systems on student motivation, a topic that I found myself relating to. The publication discusses the difference between the "grading orientation" and "learning orientation", claiming that the former is the root cause for students to have less interest in learning. By enforcing a grading policy on assignments, students tend to focus more on the numbers that will define their grade rather than the quality of their work. This article has made me realize that I need to reevaluate the way I think about my assignments, not only for my freshman writing course, but also for all of the other courses I am taking this semester. Despite not having a solid grading system for my blog posts, I have been stuck thinking about the fact that maintaining a blog counts for a portion of 100 points for my writing course, and this quantitative value has negatively impacted how I perform in my blogging efforts. Having had successfully maintained a blog in the past in my personal time and had no difficulty then, I feel that thinking of my posts as assignments, not just as grades, has dissuaded me from succeeding in maintaining blog posts thus far.
After reading this article, I am going to focus my efforts on transforming my perspective to a "learning orientation" rather than a "grade/assignment orientation." I feel that if I am able to successfully make this change, I will be more motivated to perform my best in all of my assignments this semester.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Thoughts on "Shitty First Drafts"
In a selection from her novel Birds by Birds entitled "Shitty First Drafts," Anne Lamott shares an anecdote about how her struggle with beginning writing assignments for her job, specifically a restaurant review. She explains the panic that enveloped her when she sat down to formulate drafts of her commentaries, thinking that she "would not be able to get the magic to work this time," and calling herself a failure. Ultimately, however, Lamott had been able to overcome her fear of failure. After taking time to walk away from her work and calm down, she revisited her computer and began to write without censoring her thoughts. Instead of debating whether or not her sentences were worthy of being included in her final review, she simply focused on getting her ideas out on a tangible piece of paper. Not worrying about judgment, Lamott was able to successfully formulate a (very rough) draft of her review and begin her writing process.
Reading this except made me relieved; I often find difficulty with beginning writing assignments for the same reason Lamott did: the fear of judgment and not creating decent writing right away causes me to worry about formulating my ideas on paper. I feel that I can take away a big lesson from this selection. If I try to focus simply on getting my ideas written down, and not on the quality of my work, I will not only be able to develop a start, albeit how poorly written, but I will also be able to express my thoughts more clearly than if I try to hard to make my wiring sound professional.
I have time to attempt to integrate this lesson into my writing habits, and intend to practice it in my writing this semester. If I can focus on getting my ideas down first, and look towards proper grammar and formatting later, I feel that I can successfully expand my current writing habits.
Reading this except made me relieved; I often find difficulty with beginning writing assignments for the same reason Lamott did: the fear of judgment and not creating decent writing right away causes me to worry about formulating my ideas on paper. I feel that I can take away a big lesson from this selection. If I try to focus simply on getting my ideas written down, and not on the quality of my work, I will not only be able to develop a start, albeit how poorly written, but I will also be able to express my thoughts more clearly than if I try to hard to make my wiring sound professional.
I have time to attempt to integrate this lesson into my writing habits, and intend to practice it in my writing this semester. If I can focus on getting my ideas down first, and look towards proper grammar and formatting later, I feel that I can successfully expand my current writing habits.
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