Breeding ADHD

In class, which is now over as the semester ended, I read a book by Freire, in which he described the ‘Banking’ model of eductation. This is the current type of education we have across the coutnry. The teacher knows. The teacher teaches. He or She lectures, goes through problems, demonstrates a principal, and the student learns. While I’d likely agree that this trains students to be objectified, and at the very least fails to nurture autonomity in students, I have another point today.

It’s boring! This may be an obvious problem, but if it is so obvious and so often complained about, maybe it is a noteworthy point. For, if a student is bored, then their attention is not being captured; their abilities are not being used, and as we have a natural propensity to do, to be active and fulfilled, we then turn to whatever will entertain us. And as the entire class is slowed for the slowest to learn, the faster are left spending more and more time daydreaming, thinking about other stuff, talking durring class. Students are thus trained to do two things at once. We work on what needs to be done, and listen with one ear, and dream with the other. And as we wander, we wander. It’s boring, and there’s a reason why kids complain; because it’s painful, because it’s harmful.

a Case Against USF’s Filesharing Policy

I should be asleep, but I cannot with this on my mind.

The University of South Florida scans all internet usage for potential violations of file sharing law/policy/whatever the heck it wants. I assume that it is somewhere in the usage agreement which must be agreed to prior to use. Regardless, this is an unconstitutional violation of my protection against unreasonable and unwarranted searches as well as a violation of my right to use those services for which I’ve paid.

Specifically, the use of the internet is required for modern college education. Honestly, that point needs no explanation. From the required online research to the required use of Blackboard; denying use of the internet, while simultaneously requiring it, is the same thing as denying students an education.

I don’t mean to say that the school does not have the right to deny admissions for any number of reasons or specify rules for the use of included services, but the requirement that students forfeit the right to privacy is not one of those rights. The University of South Florida, is a state university. It is an agent of the State of Florida, and its requirement that searches be allowed is similarly, an action of the state.

This is, however, a false choice. While it appears a option exists to maintain your right to privacy, this option is plainly that you do not receive a college education. Public universities are THE mechanism for higher education. They are funded by state-wide and federal taxes. They are the only semi-affordable educational opportunity. And, they are not an option at all.

College education is a requirement in today’s society. It is a Right. Without at least a bachelor’s degree no reasonably good job may be had. The old option(or rather standard), of apprenticeship has not only died, but has been brutally killed by the systematic licensing of every possible profession. It has gotten to the point that the word profession, is defined by whether a license is required. If not, it is simply a job or career, but no profession. And if these reasonable professions cannot be reached without a college degree, imagine something like, god forbid, a lawyer. In that case, you can’t even get into college to qualify to take the licensing test to be admitted to the bar to practice law without first going to another college.

So the ‘options’ are simple: 1. Forfeit your right to privacy or 2. Forfeit your right to Education and to Pursue Happiness

PS. Doesn’t a College’s aliegence lie with its students? It is not their duty to protect the interests of their students? To protect their rights to the utmost allowed by law? To promote liberty? Democracy? Dare I say, Civil Disobenience?

Education has Failed.

I came to the realization just now that all that really matters is what you do. That life is about action, and there is an imperative to do. Yet our educational system does not promote this. It does, or at least in my experience say it, but it’s pointless for the teachers to tell students to do what they want and value entertainment over compensation,  but re-enforce whatever exactly it is the system we have does. We do no do anything in education. Even in the most liberal of settings it seems we democratize the classroom to the extent that the professor is no longer the dictator of knowledge, but simply the guy with the most information and experience. Yet still, the focus of school is education.

I guess if education is the goal of education then education would be the proper way to do it, but we can experience very clearly that it has many harmful effects. For,  what is the purpose of an educated person if his instinct to do has been drained from him? We study law, we study political theory and physics, and economics and all kinds of stuff, and yet we DO nothing. I guess in other areas such as engineering they have more of a hands on approach, but this is not just necessary in that field. It is necessary in all fields.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html