Comments on: Common sense http://jwasserman.edublogs.org/2008/10/23/the-vision-2/ "A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." Lao Tzu. Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:10:39 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Ryan Haid http://jwasserman.edublogs.org/2008/10/23/the-vision-2/comment-page-1/#comment-1198 Ryan Haid Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:33:28 +0000 http://jwasserman.edublogs.org/?p=235#comment-1198 In an ideal world, students would naturally develop a throbbing intellectual curiosity, and would be constantly motivated in a classroom by a mere passion for learning. Pragmatically speaking, however, this is not the case, and this is why liberating the education system is such a complex matter. What would happen to the majority of students that lack this drive and curiosity if teachers truly began to disregard the factors that currently "rank" students? Wouldn' they be "left behind"? In my opinion, the attached societal importance to "grades" and other quantitative factors that establish a type of hierarchy create a "niche" for formal assessment, thereby motivating students in a competitive, slightly malicious way. Yes, it's a little sickening. Part of me wonders if we're not better off sticking with this traditional system, however. Perhaps that's just my inner cynic speaking. I do love that Ayers quote about teachers becoming students of students, though. What a fascinating thought--a world in which the nature of the student-teacher relationship is fundamentally modified only to become the very basis for classroom motivation and prosperity. If only our nation were ready for Ayers' idealized view of education. In an ideal world, students would naturally develop a throbbing intellectual curiosity, and would be constantly motivated in a classroom by a mere passion for learning. Pragmatically speaking, however, this is not the case, and this is why liberating the education system is such a complex matter. What would happen to the majority of students that lack this drive and curiosity if teachers truly began to disregard the factors that currently “rank” students? Wouldn’ they be “left behind”? In my opinion, the attached societal importance to “grades” and other quantitative factors that establish a type of hierarchy create a “niche” for formal assessment, thereby motivating students in a competitive, slightly malicious way.

Yes, it’s a little sickening. Part of me wonders if we’re not better off sticking with this traditional system, however. Perhaps that’s just my inner cynic speaking.

I do love that Ayers quote about teachers becoming students of students, though. What a fascinating thought–a world in which the nature of the student-teacher relationship is fundamentally modified only to become the very basis for classroom motivation and prosperity.

If only our nation were ready for Ayers’ idealized view of education.

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