Sunday, September 9, 2012
Education
Our theme for the next three weeks will be education. During that time, we will be reading one of the most iconic novels about teenage angst, about the disillusionment and pessimism that sometimes surrounds students lost in the system. In this post, write about your opinion of the educational system as it exists today. Has your education so far been a positive or negative experience? What can the public school system do differently to engage students and make learning more relevant and authentic? Is furthering your education a passion for you or simply a means to an end? Don't forget to respond to at least one of your peers' posts.
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Everything has flaws, so it is only normal for the educational system to make mistakes sometimes. So far, my education has been a pretty positive experience. I believe going to school that is smaller, like Spring Lake, has also help with that though. Going to a larger school with a billion people in one class makes it hard for a person to adapt which might make the experience negative. It not exactly the system that needs to fix this but I feel when teachers have a passion for what they are doing and really are there to help, it makes the students want to be there. When they get involved with the education of the students, most students are willing to learn. For me, I am so excited to further my education. It means something to me to be educated and knowledgeable. Education is a passion of mine and can't wait to further it.
ReplyDeleteMadison Khem
4th hour
The part where you talk about a larger school. I can picture how that would be harder for a student to get involved with other students or activities. That could make it a negative experience for any student at a larger school or even a smaller school as well.
DeleteI agree that the teacher really needs to enjoy teaching. I I also agree that spring lake being small has its advantages in the classroom. We can actually create relationships with the teachers and learn with them, not just from them
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSo far my educational experience has been positive. There always positives a negatives towards everything but thats just a part of it. There have been times where I remember feeling like I was on a roller coaster ride but thats just part of life. When the teachers bring the energy to the classroom thats when the positive feed back shows. Students want to be in an environment that's fun and makes them want to further their education. To me education means building your knowledge and taking in new things everyday. Furthering my education is a passion of mine. Having that mind set that there's still more out there to learn makes me excited to start somewhere new after high school.
ReplyDeleteMikaela Ederer
2nd Hour
I like what you said about teachers bringing energy to the classroom. I definitely have noticed that I learn more and have more fun with classes in which the teachers are having fun as well and I can tell that they love what they're teaching. The mood of a class is set first by the teacher and how he or she interacts with the students.
DeleteI completely agree that when teachers make learning fun, that that is when students learn the most and are able to retain things better.
DeleteI really agree with the teahchers bringing positive energy into the class. Its more fun that way and I dont feel like I want to fall asleep listening to them. I also like what you said about education means building your knowledge and taking in new things every day because we do learn new things all the time you just have to be open to retaining them.
DeleteMegan Vandeweg
5th Hour
As of now my high school education has been positive for the most part. Sure there are days when I wish more than anything I could still be asleep in bed, but I really think with out school my brain would just shrivel up from bordom! I think the public school system I've been raised on is a good one in that we learn a wide range of subjects from kindergarden through tweleth grade, not just going extremely in depth in certain areas. It's helpful to learn a little of everything so you can decide better what you want to do for rest of your life. That's why decisions about college are so challenging- because everyone learns and values education differently and you have to pick just the right fit.
ReplyDeleteRachel Briegel
1st hour
I completely agree with your statement saying that without school your brain would shrivel from bordeom. I have days when I dont feel like waking up in the morning because I am so tired but at the same time I push myself to do so because I know that it will be beneficial for me even though I dont enjoy it.
DeleteI would disagree that we have a wide range of subjects. We barely have any. We have a couple art classes, only two languages, and very few AP classes.
DeleteConnor Galligan
1st
I feel the same way about not wanting to get up and go to school some days. If I did that to much though I know I would go insane from bordom. School is never really fun but it does help everyone so much and with out it most people couldnt really achieve anything. I do disagree about a wide range of classes though. I have always wished we had more options of classes at school. Other then that you did have some great points though.
DeleteMy education, especially in high school, has been a positive experience. Sure, there have been times when I just want to pull my hair out because of excessive homework or stress. But it's because of school that I've learned how to deal with problems like that. However, there are new teaching methods in school that I believe aren't the best approach to helping students learn. The most recent one that I've noticed is that several teachers at Spring Lake, primarily math teachers, are making videos from which students are supposed to learn their lessons, and then they do homework in class rather than learn and take notes. I've heard so many complaints from my peers about this method of teaching, and I agree with them. I understand that colleges are doing this for math classes, but that doesn't make it the best way to teach; students don't have the chance to ask questions when they're fresh in their minds after learning the lesson.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I've always thought was helpful for learning was to have your own experiences with what you're learning about. One example is experiments in science classes, or going out as a class for star gazing in astronomy. I always remember more information when I learn outside of a classroom setting, in a more memorable place. I believe that more opportunities for hands-on learning like this would be the best teaching method in public schools.
I love furthering my education, and that's why I want to do medical research as a career. I want to be able to learn and discover new things even after school.
Grace Peterson
2nd hour
You seem to have said you dislike some of the new math departments ways of teaching because you like to be in a classroom setting to ask questions but then stated you learn more information outside of a classroom setting, so I am confused.
DeleteNonetheless, I disagree and rather like the new style of math teaching, it allows for questions while actually doing the work, which are more pertinent to me.
While I understand your frustration with the new math style, I have to agree with Grant. the first time I had experience with the video method, I disliked it, but I have come understand its advantages. We are able to ask questions while we are working, and our homework time is reduced to a more manageable time than if we did work after school and were struggling with the concepts.
DeleteCaleb Blohm 1st
In my opinion the educational system has flaws but at the same time seems to have been a positive experience for most students. In my time being in school it has been a positive experience. For some of my classes it has been a struggle but now being a senior I have learned how to deal better with hard classes and work hard now that I know what I want to pursue in the future. Furthering my education is definetly something I plan on doing when schools ends because it will definetly be beneficial in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Danni, over the years classes have been a struggle, and now that we are seniors we have a little bit more of an idea on how to study and put hard work into the things we do.
DeleteI completely agree, senior year is challenging. However you will be more prepared for college, and less surprised with the more advanced courses. I also agree with the educational system having flaws, but still a positive experience for most students.
DeleteI like the point you made about being a senior and finally learning how to deal with the tougher curriculum. I definitely believe the more difficult classes I took last year and this year will help prepare me for the rigors of college.
DeleteIt is in my opinion that the curriculum exposed to students here at Spring Lake High School is very lacking. I feel as if our curriculum was designed only to prepare our students to take standardized tests. Because of this, our school is ranked extremely high, and all of the objectivists see our school as a success.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that students are ushered into a style of learning that depends way too heavily on memorizing and puts very little weight on actually understanding. For instance, very few math formulas I've been shown in my entire academic career up to this point have actually been explained to me. The way these formulas were derived will still a mystery to me unless I look up their origins. This is very irritating and also brings about an attitude of only objective thinking.
Due to their nature of their schooling, it seems as if the majority of students at our high school think that, in layman's terms, getting good grades means you're smart. I absolutely disagree. Most of the time, those who get good grades also subscribe to this philosophy, which, to me, is not a smart philosophy.
I find that most of the actual learning I do is done on my own or in conversations with peers or select teachers. I can't tell you many things I value as pertinent information that I have learned at any lecture in my lifetime at Spring Lake High School. I am taking an Ethics class at GVSU and I feel as if my learning experience there has been better than 90% of my High School experiences.
I love how you explained that our schooling system teaches us more to memorize than to actually understand and in that I would have to agree completely; especially in the math program. I also think you were right on with saying how we are stereotyped as having good grades, meaning that we are smart. You make very good points in your response.
DeleteI agree with this completely. I especially like the math example, because I can't tell you how many times I've thought along those exact same lines.
DeleteI agree that most of the teachers here base their methods on memorization for test taking. I have been in very few classes where the methods for obtaining formulas have been explained, and when it is, it seems much more useful and easy to understand. I also agree that the curriculum is lacking. Not everyone is going to end up using the same skills
DeleteI completely agree. I feel as though students are being programmed for standardized test in order to make the school look better. I believe that most of the information I have attained in school has been an assortment of random facts and memorization. I'd love to do more discussions and understand and make figure out how the information applies to my life.
DeleteMy educational experience thus far has been a very positive one! Although I do not especially like homework and tests I do really enjoy learning. I've found that what really makes the diffference In education is the teachers. You could have the best facility in the world with new computers and books, but it wouldn't mean anything if you didn't have exceptional teachers that actually want to make a difference. I think spring lake is blessed to have all of the dedicated teachers it currently has.
ReplyDeleteI think the school administration gets too caught up in test scores and doesn't take e time to actually do what is in the students best interest. I will continue learning because I enjoy it, not just to get through it.
I definitely think you're right when you talk about our teachers. Friends of mine that attend other schools have told me how their teachers appear to be ready to just be done with the day, and I've told them how the teachers at SLHS are the complete opposite. Positive attitudes from the teachers encourage positive attitudes in students about the class and about learning.
DeleteI totally agree with you that schools get too caught up in test scores and not enough on the students best interest in life.
DeleteMy educational experience has been fairly positive so far. Though the teachers at Spring Lake do a good job teaching, they can try to relate what their teaching about to real life events or possible occurrences in real life to help show the usefulness of it. I wouldn't say homework and such is fun, but it is interesting to pick up a new fact or two while in a class.
ReplyDeleteIf the teacher puts the students to sleep, as some teachers are known for, they could try to make their lessons more interesting, or throw stuff. I would like to use school to advance to other places, but it would be helpful to actually learn something along the way. Also, in classes with long and fast lectures, short breaks for questions will give some time to actually think about what is being written down.
Brandon Aho
2nd hour
I agree that the teachers at Spring Lake do a good job teaching. They try to relate what they are teaching ot real life so we can better understand what they are trying to say. I also believe that short breaks would give students the chancce to conprehend what they are learning.
DeleteI disagree. There are a few good teachers in the whole school system, but not many. I think if students like myself got to help in the hiring process we would have better teachers.
DeleteRyan Galligan
2nd Hour
I agree in a sense that teachers need to try and show us where the things we learn come into play in the real world. This could help a lot of kids understand schooling, and maybe even see which certain areas interest us, more so than others.
DeleteBen Keller
2ND
My educational experience is much different than a majority of my classmates. I attended Montessori school from Kindergarten through 8th grade before coming into the public school system freshman year. My experience in Montessori was very positive. For those of you that don't know what Montessori education is, its an approach to education characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and allowing a child learn at their own pace. While we don't read books like Stargirl and Lord of the Flies until 10th grade at SLHS, I studied them in 7th grade, along with other more advanced books. In math class, each student would be on a different section in the textbook. Once you had learned a section then you moved on. While in Montessori I learned more than just math and English, I learned how to study, how to create and give presentations, how to help those in need, and how to become the best I could be. I feel like this gave me a great base to build upon once I came to public school.
ReplyDeleteMy overall experience at Spring Lake has been very positive. There are a few certain teachers that I've had the pleasure of learning from that have inspired me; to learn, to be curious, to explore. The system isn't perfect, nothing ever is, but it is pretty good, and I think that my education up to this point has prepared me well for what's to come.
Libby Reeg
5th hour
That sounds better than my old school. in Lowell Public Schools, we learned the history of our town...and that's about it. We never really went outside our city lines and only learned about things, it seemed, that were near us.
DeleteMontessori is honestly the best form of education in my mind. I have been Montessori schooled all my life until SLHS and I agree it was very positive, especially being so hands on with everything.
DeleteMy education at SLHS has been pretty positive. I do think though that the teachers who are teaching the students are only teaching us to memorize things and that we aren't actually learning them. Not once have i had to use any of the things iv learned, say in math class, in the real world. That is what teachers tell you on the very first day."You'll need to know this because you'll use it all the time when you grow up." whereas in reality, you don't, its only used by those who are going into that specific field. Why would a firefighter want to know the Pythagorean theorem? Yes, I do know that its just a general education, but still. I think that teachers need to be more interactive and fun about students learning styles. You can just say " Here's a piece of paper, now copy the notes down and write a paragraph on it." I would love to further my education to the most that I can.
ReplyDeleteAmanda Schneider
2nd hour
It totally agree with you on this, I feel that if things were more interactive and had some real ties to the world that we would be able to learn them better, than just writing them down and memorizing them just for the test.
DeleteIn my opinion the educational system has done a fine job. But of course everything has it's flaws. My educational experience so far has been very positive. The teachers at Spring Lake High School do a great job teaching, and can relate the topics of our lessons into our lives, making it a bit easier to understand. There have been many teacher that I have had the pleasure to learn from and they have been a great influence on and in my life.
ReplyDeleteFurthering my education is definitely something I want to do. I don't know what I want to do, but whatever it is I want to do my best in it. I'm excited to learn new things and expand my knowledge.
Michaela De Jonge
5th
I agree with michaela, our teachers do a great job helping us understand more about subjects, and they give us all the knowledge they can share.
DeleteMy education to this point has been great at SLHS. I love this schooling system even though there may be downfalls at points. In my opinion I believe that the public school system should change the math videos from being online. that has been one of my pet peeves for the past two year in my math classes. I like the lesson in class better because then while the lesson is being taught, we have room to ask questions on the process. However, it can also be positive for having the whole hour the next day to ask questions during the work. So on that I guess that I could just say I'm not too sure about the whole process. Also I think each day should be less routine and more engaging to the students in certain areas of the class period.
ReplyDeletePursuing my education has always been a big dream of mine throughout my life. It is my biggest goal in life to go out to learn more and expand my knowledge as much as possible. I hope to be as successful as I am capable of.
Well to me education is fine at the k-12 level. It has been extremely easy for me to fly through my classes with almost no problem. I get thing more easily than others do. I am looking forward to college because the AP classes I have taken so far have been a challenge and i love a challenge. unfortunately i do not think the application process is all that fair, especially places like the University of Michigan which only accepts a certain number of people from different ethnic backrounds.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about the ethnic backgrounds in college applications. I believe a school should look at the quality of a student rather than the color of their skin or their religion. It's almost the equivalent of racism. Singling out one person because they believe and look different isn't looking at their TRUE qualities. While what you believe and what you look like is important and may have affected you at one point in your life, acceptance to a school should more be based upon how you applied that experience and how it molded you into the person you are.
DeleteWhile you make a valid point about Universities having to meet a status quo based on ethnicity I don't believe that this is necessarily a bad thing, and certainly not a reason to be discouraged from the application process. I've lived all around the country and some of the most valuable lessons I have learned have been centered around diversity, which in Spring Lake is in extremely short supply. Colleges don't look purely at test grades when considering admittance and from other students' comments this is okay because test grades aren't always indicators of intelligence. Experiences create strong character and strong character is a huge factor when it comes to success. I would honestly rather go to a college with diversity than a college with all super geniuses that have the same opinions as I do. My brother is also currently attending U of M and he's a white male, so it's definitely not impossible to get in if you have done all the work that you need to.
DeleteRoxane (2nd)
My education at Spring Lake has been wonderful. The amount we learn here is very wide-ranged. Regardless of how much or the amount a teacher may have to teach, they almost always find the time to hold discussions or add on to a conversation. To me, that's really important.
ReplyDeleteThe public system, can however, work on bullying. Nearly every one of us has been a victim of bullying, and probably can relate to the feeling of not belonging. That added angst and desire to leave isn't providing a healthy classroom experience. If students are comfortable in their surroundings, their capacity to learn is more likely to increase (in my opinion).
Education is extremely important to me. I have no reason not to learn and better myself, so I put forth the effort. Opening one's mind to learning will not only allow one to become a well-rounded person, but will also make it easier to be open to the thoughts of others. Learning is vital to get along in the human race. Listening, debating, and understanding is one thing, but to accept others--even if your ideas differ-- is another. A classroom setting is really the jump start to help provide acceptance in the future.
I completely agree with you about accepting others ideas and opinions. I think that that is very important in being successful in any career. I also agree with your statement about students learning more if they are more comfortable in a classroom. When students are more comfortable they don`t have to worry about presenting their own ideas.
DeleteI really like how you included bullying to your response. I did not even think about that when asked these questions. Bullying can ruin a high school experience for kid and make it so that he/she can not enjoy high school.
DeleteYes I totally agree with you Maddy on Bullying being a problem. Public schools should defintley work on bulling, it is a big issue nowadays. I too was a victim of bullying and I know for sure it can affect you big time.
DeleteI believe that the educational system today is pretty good. Nothing is perfect but for the most part the education system is pretty flawless. Overall my education has been a positive one. I have learned so many things over the years that will be useful in my everyday life, such as math and learning ot read. Though public schools can try to make learning a bit more fun for the students sake. If they did then may be the students would be more willing to learn. Teachers could use real life examples to illistrate what they are trying to explain to the class. That way kids know that what the teacher is trying to teach them is relevant to them. Furthuring my education has become a passion becuase I believe that you can never learn enough. Everyone learns new things everyday, no matter what age you may be. Different jobs take different knowledge, and one way to get that knowledege is by furthuring your education. So everyone should go out and further their education as much as they possible can, because some day it may be useful to them.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of the education system as it exists today is, public schools are so focused on things such as test scores and "being the best in the state" that they lose sight of the actual purpose of learning something just to learn and gain more knowledge. For example, I personally do not believe that because you may have scored higher than someone else on a test, that that makes you smarter or more knowledgeable in that subject. To be honest, I usually do well on tests because I cram the night before and usually a week or so after the test, the information is forgotten or not of any use to me after the test. The reason for this is because I simply do not apply my knowledge anywhere other than memorizing the information needed to take the test.
ReplyDeleteYes, furthering my education is a passion for me because I know it is needed in order to be successful in whatever future career I may choose to do. I believe your education is something that no one else can ever take away from you, and is needed to further yourself in life.
Laurie English
1st hour
I really like the point that you made. I do believe too that scoring high on tests has been taken a bit out of hand, especially with standardized tests. Some people are really smart, but they're just not good test takers. They don't do well under the pressure, or sometimes they don't even have enough time to finish. Tests are important, don't get me wrong, but scores don't mean absolutely everything. I think people who are able to retain information and put it forth in their everyday lives are the ones getting something out of their education and can be considered "smart".
DeleteMary Jo Koster
1st hour
I completely agree with the fact that tests are being taken as the only measure of our ability to learn a subject. There are times that I don't know as much as someone else is in a subject but get a better score on a test just because I happen to be a better test-taker than them. This doesn't mean I'm smarter than them or know more in a certain subject. All it does is prove I can take a test. Of course, I agree that tests are important on some occasions, but I wish our school systems would find another way to measure our knowledge on a subject.
Delete"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid." -Albert Einstein
ReplyDeleteI think that this quote is very relevant to the education at most public schools- the schools are so focused on standardized tests and GPAs, they forget that not everyone learns and develops in the exact same way. I've heard so many people-teachers and students alike-use the terms "intelligence" and "high ACT" scores as synonyms. They're really not. I have met people who are absolutely brilliant but score very low on tests simply because their brains don't process information in the exact way needed to succeed on the tests. It is so easy for someone to get written off as "dumb" and slip through the cracks of the public schooling system.
I spent eight years being homeschooled, and I believe that that has helped me much more than the public schools as far as academics go. There are benefits and drawbacks to both, of course, but overall I think that homeschooling allowed me to study in ways suited to me as an individual, which helped me to actually learn, and not just memorize and prepare for standardized tests. Public schools need to do less memorization and standardization and more individual learning and development.
Jennie DeBlanc
2nd Hour
I really like the quote Jennie, and I think its interesting that you found homeschooling more beneficial then public schools.
DeleteJake Chittenden
1st Hour
My education so far has been great for me. This is the first year that I am attending a public school and it is just as rigorous as private schools. I have been in private schools my whole life and that is really all I know about in the educational system. I need school even though we may not enjoy it at times but I always come to school and try my best to get good grades, because it`s what I need for my future. So far I think that public schools engage was pretty well. It seems very well run and there doesn`t seem to be any dropouts or anything. I think other schools could talk to the students more about their future and that may get them to be a little more motivated. It worked for me. Furthering my education is a passion to me. I want to learn more to reach my goals and have a good future without too much struggle.
ReplyDeleteAbby Dockery
2nd Hour
I feel the same way about school! I have always wondered what the differences (big and small) are between private and public schools when it comes to secondary education :)
DeleteI have been in the Spring Lake Public Schools system ever since I was in Young Fives. After all these years, I feel that my education experience has been a rather positive one. Spring Lake students are lucky; our school system has a lot of things that other schools do not. Classes are small enough to the point where each and every student could receive help if they needed it, and we have teachers who actually care about us and that don't just go through the motions of teaching. Just like many others have said, there's always going to be positives and negatives about everything in this world. That also includes school systems. One of those things is that most of the teachers I have had seem to stick to one specific way of teaching. Sometimes I think that they don't understand that everyone can learn from just writing down notes. Some people need to have hands on experience with things to understand the big idea, and some people need to be told stories about it and hear what happened. I think teachers should try to change the way they teach from time to time. That way, it's not only helping the students that learn in different ways, but it's also a way to keep students from getting bored in their classes. People almost always pay more attention and retain things better when it is presented to them in an interesting way. Lastly, furthering my education after high school is a goal for me, and not just because it is expected. I want to the best at whatever skill I choose to make my career. I want to make something of myself, and lay down the groundwork for a bright future.
ReplyDeleteMary Jo Koster
1st hour
My education has been fantastic so far. I love school except for homework and tests of course; however I love to learn and expand my horizon when it's possible.
ReplyDeleteSpring Lake is a very good school already, and I don't know what I would change.
I love my education; it is somewhat of a means to an end, but that end is to help people. In addition I have the pleasure of learning on the way.
Ronald Madrid 5th hour
In my opinion, based on my knowledge of the school system, I believe that truly no child has been left behind. My education at Spring Lake exemplifies this as I have found stable, honest, and safe environments to study in. Teachers' lessons are based on techniques proven that help students to learn...it is true, some teachers have different opinions on this matter but students get by just the same. Not everything is easy and nothing is perfect but I love education never-the-less.
ReplyDeleteI am excited about continuing my education next year at a University.... but im scared about the cost and independence... college life is not as cradling as public school life...
Alicia Ryke
1st
I think that education and the educational experience will end up being what you make of it. Like the essay we read in class, "The Pursuit of Just Getting By", there are tons of paths that you can take to earn your high school diploma. Sure, you can do the bare minimum and just scrape by with Cs, or you could even do the bare minimum and get As, but really the grade shouldn't be what matters in the end. If you're creating long-lasting study habits and more importantly expanding your mind to new horizons and perspectives that are introduced through the learning process, you're better off than a peer who has a 4.0 but also has their head under a rock. I am a firm believer that if you try your very hardest your effort will transfer into your grades, even though the grades aren't of paramount importance.
ReplyDeleteWhile I realize that schools feel the need to teach to standardized tests, I think that this is really letting some students, who have the potential to achieve very highly, down. My best educational experiences were when I was a student in Rhode Island and there was an enrichment program where a few students met with a teacher during class time and explored subjects that were engaging and challenging that differed from the basic state curriculum. I really appreciate this learning program because it didn't merely push you through to the next grade level curriculum, but instead allowed you to mix with like-minded peers and broaden your mind with more topics than just the cookie-cutter math and sciences. In fact, I still remember quite a few of my projects and how much I enjoyed them.
Combined with a strong individual effort and supportive programs from the school system you attend, getting an outstanding education is totally possible. I think that students need to challenge themselves more to study a little harder, go that extra mile and research the allusion in the novel they're reading, or take that class that looks a little scary where an "A" isn't guaranteed. At the same time, schools have to stop focusing exclusively on the middle and lower-achieving students. We can't always let the squeaky wheel get the grease, so to speak.
Roxane (2nd)
I too think that education is what you make of it. Resources are available for students to be successful and it is up to them how they will utilize those tools. No one can make you put forth effort, that something only you can control.
DeleteKathrine Marous
2nd Hour
My Education has been almost entirely positive, the only common negatives being the early start to the day, and the occasionally overwhelming homework load. I enjoy school and learning in general, even if I occasionally don't care for the subject we are studying. For me, school has been a place not only to learn subjects like biology and algebra, but also the source of most of my social interaction. I never did much in the way of playing with the neighborhood kids, and so school was where I made all of my friends that weren't my mother's friends children.
ReplyDeleteMy experience in school in school is biased, however, as i have always done well in school, scored high on tests, and the like. For those who's learning style is not as compatible with the standard school curriculum, it would most likely be a much more frustrating and negative experience.
Caleb Blohm 1st hour
My experiences at spring lake have been very schooly. I feel like the school system only cares about test scores, and keeping there top 2% status. SL thinks "We are top 2% so we are obviously better than everyone else." No, we are the just a public school in a very rich non-diverse area, of course we are top 2%. If anything SL is worse for kids, it gives them a misconstrued view of the world. Sl teaches students how to go to a prestigious college and get a high paying job but teaches them nothing about the real conditions that exist in this world.
ReplyDeleteConnor Galligan
1st hour
I see where Connor is coming from on this. I like Spring Lake but the lack of diversity is an issue that I think students face later on so I agree with this point of view.
DeleteTom Kordupel 1st Hour
I've never been a huge fan of school. Especially High school. I wish we had more history classes, and AP classes. Most of our classes don't seem very useful. When will anyone use trig, calc, or mythology? I cannot wait to get my senior year and college out of the way so that I can get into the real world.
ReplyDeleteRyan Galligan
2nd Hour
I am not a big fan of the educational system today. I believe that a lot of my time is being wasted taking classes that I am not interested in. I can not wait to be done with high school and move on with my life. College will be much better. There will not be a set routine day in and day out. I can not wait for the day that I am done with schooling altogether.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say you think it's a waste of your time taking classes your not interested.
DeleteMy experience has so far been a good one, changing from a small charter school to public schools, but I agree with many of my peers, it seems sometimes that the schools only care about test scores and keeping their image up, and if you do not meet their standards you are put in lower classes or put in different educational settings. But if you keep up on your homework and study for tests, its a pretty easy time. I am excited for the new experience that is college, and the difference in teaching styles between high school teachers at Spring Lake, and the college professors at the hundreds of schools around the nation we will be soon attending.
ReplyDeleteBut also, it's not always the schools fault. Some students feel that they are above the teachings of the school, and just don't try, or say its too hard for them. It's a mind set that is drilled into you at a young age these days, by having a spoiled childhood, and spoiled elementary/middle school years. So it's really just what you make it, and what it is on the surface.
I agree completely. Some students just don't try because they don't care or they're spoiled. You don't deserve an A: you earn it like everything else in the world.
DeleteRonald Madrid 5th hour
I have found my education to be fairly positive; however, I agree with many of the other students that we are just being taught to memorize in order to score highly on standardized tests. The school comes across like they think you are less important or valuable if you do not meet their standard which makes teaching less authentic. I understand that certain scores are needed for universities but the missions of universities are about leading students to serve communities through communicating, discovering, as well as gaining knowledge. They do not want the student just to be able to name off facts, they want him or her to make connections. Why not start at the high school level? At our school, students are more focused on getting the grade than actually gaining knowledge.We know the information for a moment and then it is just lost into the corners of our minds. High schools seem to be pushing the more important educational responsibilities away to the next level. I cannot wait further my education because knowledge and experience is the one thing that cannot be taken away from you.
ReplyDeleteKathrine Marous
2nd Hour
I agree 100% with Katie. Students seem to be where more focused on getting a good grade than actually learning the facts about the topics in which we are taught. I am a person who has fallen into that clump of people through out my high school experience.
DeleteIn my opinion it is a waste of time for students to be taking these classes they will never use. For example, I struggle with math, but I still have to tAke math classes even though I will never use it.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I couldn't be more excited for college. All other schooling has been basically pointless. I want to be able to pick courses with direction to what exactly I want my career to be. High school is full of students that do the minimum because that's all it takes. The least amount of work for an A is what everyone thrives for. Not so much the actual content of what they are trying to learn. I can't wait to spread my wings and get out of the bubble of Spring Lake and see what I have to offer. I love Connor's comment on how we are misconstrued to see the world from Spring Lake. We are a non-diverse town and we have no real connections to any diversity in the world.
ReplyDeleteErik Lukkari
1st Hour
Whether we like it or not, memorizing "useless" facts is going to help us succeed at this point in our lives. Standardized testing and getting good grades are important. That's just the way it is. But it is also extremely important that we don't let ourselves be satisfied with only knowing facts. I believe that this complacent attitude is the problem with education. An all A student is not necessarily the best student; a student who is genuinely trying to learn is.
ReplyDeleteI believe that my education thus far has been very benficial to me because I have learned to see through the pointless memorization to a useful comprehension of the subject. Select teachers at SLHS have really challenged students to do more than know the textbook. Having the skills to figure things out--and the desire to WANT to figure things out--is an invaluable skill that's importance has not been lost on me. Whether teachers specifically taught me to dig deeper or not, school as a whole has made me realize the importance of not just skimming the surface of a book, a scientific discovery, or a math equation, but to go learn all I can about things that interest me.
My opinion of the educational system as it exists today is that we shouldn't be learning out of a book in school. I think we should go out of the classroom to learn things so that we can actually apply skills. Personally I think its easier to when you're out of the school setting where its not the same thing every single day. That's not how its going to be once were out of school, unless you're a teacher. Overall I would have to say my educational experience has been a positive one but I haven't experienced any other type of education, like college classes yet. The public school system just has to get students out more. Furthering my education is not a means to an end. It is very important that we always further our education.
ReplyDeleteJake Chittenden
1st Hour
I'm with Jake on this one. I feel like that we don't apply the skills that we learn. I feel that most of the learning styles are repetitive, with the book work and all. Then after we have learned something it is put in the past and we on to the next section.
DeleteI also agree with Jake with the hands on learning aspect. How are the students going to deal with a real life situation when they've been stuck reading about them in story problems for their whole life?
DeleteIn my opinion education has had a positive influence on me. Yes sometimes it can be frustrating when you get lots of homework or when teachers plan test on the same day. Through school I have learned to deal with problems and develop different ways of studying through tests. I have learned to make the most out of time(being productive). I feel like nowadays kids are memorizing more than learning about the topic. Memorizing will only remain in your brain for a short period of time. I feel like kids learn a lot more when they discuss about the topic with their peers and teachers. I feel college is way better, it sets a good routine for kids on attending classes and doing homework. I dislike this 21st century learning , where we take notes at home and so homework in class its the total opposite . I like the iPads and stuff but it doesn't give children the option to ask question a while learning a new lesson. I think schools can do a better job at teaching rather than making their students memorize stuff. I feel like you spend your entire life on education than you should make the most out of it and make a better future. There is no end to education you will always be learning something new in life.
ReplyDeleteHarshjot Singh
5th hour
I would say that my schooling experience has been a positive one. Spring Lake does a pretty good job of teaching their students what they need to know as far as standardized tests, as proven by our school's excellent test scores. However, just because our test scores are high doesn't mean we are prepared for the "real world," that world where we choose our employment path what we want to do with our lives. I believe Spring Lake prepares its students to have good test scores and because of that gives them the good reputation of the school to help them get into the college they want. But other than that, I think our school could do so much more to further our education. We just bought iPads for some classes. I have never used them, as I have not had a class which uses them, but they seem very beneficial, and I appreciate the school's use of technology in everyday learning as our world is more and more being built upon technology. But could we not use some of that money to get out of the classroom and learn things as they occur in the "real world"? The year of school in which I learned the most was fourth grade. That year, our class went on about seven field trips. Getting out of our monotonous schedules and going out and seeing how things really happen can be extremely beneficial to students. It shows them instead of telling them, helping them remember it longer. Not to mention the fact that it engages them and keeps them involved. If we really want students to get the best out of their education, we need to change things up and show them how to learn!
ReplyDeleteI personally feel that the educational system that exists today isn't necessarily one that truly prepares us for a future of success, which is the ultimate goal of anyone's life. Not only a successful life but also a happy one is what everyone is looking for. The pressure that school puts on our minds today is outrageous with each teacher expecting you to devote your undivided attention and time to their class, while seemingly forgetting that any student that has a half-difficult schedule is asked to do that by other teachers in the same day. Memorizing and cramming have become the "study habits" that most kids rely on as they strive to achieve the prized goal of an A that seems to be harder and harder to reach as each year of education passes. An A shouldn't be that goal, but it is as the grades are what get kids into schools of their dreams. Just as many other kids have said on this post, education should be about learning and applying skills that you're going to need and use, not ones that won't ever been needed again.
ReplyDeleteMy educational experience so far has been one of figuring things out as I go, and learning a lot about myself along the way. I too am excited for the chance to narrow down my studies at college and focus more clearly on what direction I want to take, and not the directions my teachers are pulling me in. Life is a school, and to help kids out, schools should become more like life.
Ben Keller
2nd Hour
Ben, I can totally relate to the "study skills" you've seen kids use. I've found so much success with cramming even though I know that three days after the test, much of the information I "learned" escapes me. I'm seen as a good student but I'm learning far less true-to-life lessons than I should be. My schooling thus far has rewarded me for cramming. I know it's not the way I should learn material; but why would I stop when I'm getting good grades?
DeleteLeeann Latsch
2nd Hr.
The education system today is everything it should be, in my opinion. You get all your basic needs, such as your sciences and math. Those classes are the ones that are going to prepare each and every person to succeed and strive at the higher levels. One let down I see in the educational system is all the technology. The match teachers don't even teach anymore, they just have their students sit at home and watch videos on the topic. Beyond that though I feel that I will learn a lot and be prepared.
ReplyDeleteCole Conway
2nd Hour
I think schools are doing fine today. The education system is not perfect but I do not think it could be perfect. Most kids at least learn what they need to for life and while everyone does not become geniuses everyone is also different so I think the school system works. School has been a pretty positive experience so far at least for being school. I think school could make days a little longer so students can have a shorter year because I think the school year is a little long. Personally, I do not really care to further my education because I am not someone who just loves learning. I understand the importance of it, however, so I will continue on to college. Overall though I think school is important and am interested to see how schooling continues to adapt with all the new technology coming out for schools to use.
ReplyDeleteTom Kordupel
1st Hour
So far, my education experience has been posetive. I've been a Laker my whole life, and am so proud to say it. I think that with our education we need to do less memorizing for tests and quizzes and learn about the subject.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. We memorize things and as soon as we don't need it anymore we forget until we need to memorize it again. Focusing on interactive learning would be more effective.
DeleteI think that for the most part school systems are pretty good. Personally I think that it is a lot of memorizing just to get an A on a test, but still the school system does a pretty good job. My high school experience has been overall a positive experience. There have been some negative times, but there has been more good times. I think that we could maybe make school a little later in the day so that it's not so hard to get up in the morning. Also I think that if teachers try to make their lessons a little more fun and interactive instead of just lecture all the time it would help the kids retain more of the information. Personally I am not super excited about furthering my education, because I really don't like school. Still, I definitely think that it is important, so that I can get a good job someday. So, I will go to college next year. Overall I think that education is a good thing and that teachers and staff are doing a good job.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the "memorizing just to get an A" part. A lot of times, we study for ten minutes before a test, take the test, then a day later all of the info is gone.
DeleteI see our education system as being very decent. I have been to 6 different schools throughout my school career and I have to say Spring Lake high school has been one of the best I have been to. I have been to 4 private schools(Grey Gables, Northern Elementary Academy, Trinity, and Northern Montessori.) those schools were all very good. Then when we moved to Michigan I went to Walden Green and I loved that school it wasn’t the highest in educational rankings but it was the most hands on school I have been to. After Walden Green I choose to go to Spring Lake and I have to say I really like Spring Lake I don’t see any problems with it. However I don’t like the fact that we have to take 4 years of math but that’s a Michigan Law not Spring Lakes problem. Other than that I don’t see many problems with our education system. I think there should be some more classes that have more life skills in them and classes that take us out side of the class room to learn because that’s important.
ReplyDelete~Tristan Urry
1st hour
So far, my experience as a student in the public education system has been positive. Then again, I have never experienced anything BUT the public education system. Although I have enjoyed public school, I have come to question how well it actually prepares me for my future in the job force. We learn many subjects and a lot of useful material but how can others expect me to know what I want to major in right out of high school when I have not had nearly enough specialized classes to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life? Public education becomes more and more "cookie cutter" as time goes on. The United States Department of Education decides what we will learn and when we will learn it. I believe that it's important to make sure everyone is staying up to par and not slacking but something about a group of politicians sitting around in a meeting room deciding what I am required to learn seems backward.
ReplyDeleteLeeann Latsch
2nd Hour
I agree with Leeann 100%. The United States Department of Education deciding what we get to learn and when is not letting us as students be able to know all that we can about the special subject or career we decide to go into.
DeleteMy schooling thus far was successful in actually teaching me things until about sixth grade. At that point I realized how to get the grades without stressing out about not completely understanding certain things. If the school system didn't put so much stress on getting an " A" then maybe I would actually put in the effort to understand things that I don't understand.
ReplyDeleteRylie Leete
5th Hour
My education so far has been positive. I have learned many things but some of it I believe is pointless to know. I think we need to be taught what we are going to need to know in our future. Get the basic learning we need then focus on what us students want to know to get us ready for our future whether college is in it or not. Furthering my education is most definitely a passion of mine.
ReplyDeleteMy time in a public school has been fairly good. The size of our school fits me well because I have built relationships with most of my peers. I would not enjoy not knowing half of the students at a large school. It's also helpful being in a small school because you can get help from the teachers and the classes aren't huge so it's easy to participate. One thing that hasn't been positive for me has been when teachers speak of our grade's reputation in a negative way. When people talk about how bad our grade is, it doesn't help us improve. I don't feel that it is readying us well because we aren't being encouraged when we are grouped together and talked down to fairly often.
ReplyDeleteJonah Yoshonis
2nd hour
I believe that Jonah's comment is very truthful and very well thought out. our class has had a select few ruin an otherwise very talented class. And sadly they did it very early on, and by that point it was too late to turn back.
DeleteOur educational system today is many different things to many different people. I mean obviously, reading just a few of the opinions and responses above. I don't completely agree or disagree with most of the responses but agree in a little way with everyone's I read. I feel that sitting in a classroom everyday during the school year is not a good way to aquire the skills necessary in the workplace. I think we should focus more on hands on long-term memory persay, activity. Our school seems to focus too much on memorization and test scores than the actual aquirizating of knowledge. Don't get me wrong there are some teachers that focus on critical thinking application and opening up to different perspectives but it seems that most are focused on the high marks of their students. It is important to teach students to strive to succede but it is more important in my opionion to teach students to think out of the box and think critically. I personally want to better round and expand my circle of thought for as long as I'm able to.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think we should have more hands on learning and we need to learn not just the basics, but we need to broaden our knowledge and think "outside the box"
DeleteThe educational system today is much better than it use to be but still has some flaws. I feel that the educational system needs to provide classes that prepare students for the real world/ adult-hood. What I mean by that is dont let kids in high school take three p.e. classes or five art classes just so they can slack off. Let students take classes about how to fight poverty, discrimination, or drugs. When it comes down to it anyone can be taught math or english at anytime. When children are younger and you teach them how to communicate with people of all religions, race, and cultures peacefully that is the best lesson you can learn in life. Other then that my educational system experience has been pretty good and I feel very lucky to go to such a great school as Spring Lake.
ReplyDeleteSo far my education has been very good. I am thankful to have had teachers who care, parents who care, and other students who care. We live in a great community where people actually care about their education. I find it neccessary to know the basics, but I don't understand why we need to know Calculus if our chosen profession has nothing to do with mathmatical equations- to me that is pointless. I feel that we need to do more hands-on skills, and aquire information in a way that we will actually remember weeks from now.
ReplyDelete-Molly Miedema
1st hour
So far my school education has been positive. I like the fact that in our high school the classes are small enough that I can ask a question and get help if needed. I believe we have teahcers who care and actually want us to achieve later in life. I find that when learning from a teacher who loves teaching you actually pay more attention because they are so passionnant about what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I dont really enjoy going to school. I dont like waking up every day, having the same routine, going to class and learning things that I probabily will never need to know again. I want to start my college experience so that I can learn things that I am passionnant about.
So far, my education has been a good experience. I think that the school system could figure out ways to account for every student's way of learning, better. I think that sometimes the system is faced with change and our district has done a good job adjusting. For example, I believe that the Ipads in a few classes are a great idea because they respond to the changes in technology. I think that the learning system should be based more on what the student actually knows and not just what they can memorize and forget later on. I plan on furthering my education in college
ReplyDeleteMy education has been a very enjoyable experence in a whole. But right now it is being mared by my father who decided that he didn't want english to be the default language in google docs, so now I am stuck looking at a wall of text puncuated by red underneath every word that has more than three letters. Also I completly forgot about the blog, so now I am writing about the blog. And I am saying this now, sorry if anything is misspelled.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I actually have enjoyed my time spent in a public school. I feel like in Spring Lake, we have excelent teachers who are very passionate about what they teach, and how they teach it. granted there are some exceptions. But there are some teachers who are too passionate about what they believe in, almost to the point where they are constantly pushing their views onto students. And the sad part about that is that some of those students don't know any better to think for themselves. It's not that that person is a bad teacher/person or anything, it's just that this teacher/person is so biased he or she is unable to accept anything negative about his or her beliefs. Now obviously I am doing that exact same thing right now, and honestly don't have the time to continue on with that train of thought. So I will be moving on.
The use of technology in class rooms is a great thing, yet I am easily distracted. Technolgy good.
Torden Peek-Jensen
2nd hour
School has been a positive experience for me thus far. The public school system could make learning more relevant by finding ways for us to try what we've learned in real life experiences like taking us on field trips. It may be a stupid example but as a child I went on two field trips to a place where they made maple syrup and today, nine or ten years later, I could still tell you exactly how they make it because it was something someone did for a living and it was interesting and had more affect on me to see it for myself and be there to experience it. If we did that now or when I was a junior maybe I'd have a better idea of what I want to further my education in after high school. If I'd found what I want to be when I grow up then I'd be very passionate in furthering my education in college but instead I'm basically going so I can get smarter and not end up a bum on the street. So that's some passion, but just enough to not become a hobo.
ReplyDeleteI feel as though education has become more of a preporation for standarized tests rather than a preporation for life. Thankfully, Spring Lake is a school that seems to have pretty decent funding. I attended a school in Nashville, TN where funding, unfortunately, was a huge issue. Imagine taking a Chemistry class with only one class set of textbooks. Meaning, there is no taking the books home because there are 30 books for about 200+ chemistry students. Students down there are just another number, another statistic. I'm thankful now that I am in a better situation at Spring Lake, but I still face many issues. The difficulty of coping with a hard life, plus the pressure of making the grades can really get to me sometimes. And the environment in Spring Lake seems to be a little more friendly, but not as understanding. Furthering my education is just another step in this long journey and is definitely necessary to success, in my opinion. I just hope that when I get to college it won't become glorified high school all over again.
ReplyDelete