Enough is enough and its time for a change. The educational system is in dire need of formal reformation.
RIGHT NOW, there are several faceless ENEMIES working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to DESTROY YOU, YOUR LOVED ONES, and YOUR HOME- many different types of pollution, overpopulation, recession, militarism on the part of foreign governments, poverty, diseases, high national debt, a growing population of baby boomers who will need to be supported by social security, the sea's becoming a desert, polar icecaps are melting, we're running out of farmland, were losing the ozone, and 1/6th of the world cannot read or write.
We do not react to them because our emotional circuitry is designed through evolution to respond most effectively to something we can see with our own eyes and attach a face to. If we assigned a face to each problem, you would see the equivalent to Saddam, Osama, Mussolini, Hitler, Castro, and Mao. With the exception that these people combined haven't destroyed nearly the amount of lives that these problems have. Unlike these very bad men, these problems are alive and well, living RIGHT NOW, and working around the clock toward your demise. They affect everyone in the world.
However, I am here to tell you that there is hope. We can destroy these enemies before they destroy us. But we are powerless against them if we do not call upon our best weapon. Our greatest resource we ave always had is our people. We need people to realize (1) We have the power to make a change (2) Take action to do what is necessary.
Harvard Psychology Professor Dr. Dan Gilbert tells us- "We are the only species on the planet holding its fate in its own hands. We have no significant predators. We are masters of our physical environment. Things that normally make a species go extinct are no threat to us. The only thing that can destroy us are our decisions.
Christopher Langan, the man with the world's highest IQ, speaks about this topic and agrees that there must be a change.
Langan states- "We are living in a feeding frenzy. Everyone is trying to ring as much of of the world as possible, we can't have that...or humanity will perish. We'll end up using up all we have and killing each other over the resources...We need to create a new kind of person. You cannot run a democracy without a citizenry that does not know how to make decisions. Future generations are being settled through what we do or don't do."
What do we do about this?
How does the revolution begin?
We rebuild things from the bottom-up. We make changes in our education systems.
We need to have a clear purpose for education. We need to establish a philosophy for education. It is the belief of many that societies deficiencies reflect the deficiencies of knowledge of the citizens. ie. How can politically apathetic people make contributions to politics? Around election time we tell everyone to get out and vote. However, what is the use in ignorant people play a role in decision making? Won't that only lead to worse decisions? Now I am not saying not to vote. But let us first teach children about the topics in which they will one day vote for.
We need an education system that will breed an informed citizenry. One that is: self-aware, politically informed, financially savvy, morally responsible, environmentally concerned, and research based.
Education must be based on logic and research, NOT on tradition, gut instincts, or hunches.
That is one of the first major changes we need to make. We need to make statistics and research the backbone of our philosophy. We should not do things one way when a better, more efficient way is available. We must find a way to bridge the gap between research and application. What good is it if researchers and academics know the latest findings and ideas and the masses do not?
We must focus on the bottom line. What material is applicable to our lives and the world right now and in the future? I do not believe we should teach subjects simply because "that's how it's always been." We need to eliminate subjects that are not directly relevant to all (we do not have to eliminate them, but we could make them electives for those interested in them). We should teach directly about money, budgeting, consumerism, decision making theory, social psychology, financing, entrepreneurship, sexual education, first aid, the science of memetics among other things.
We need to spend more school time on identifying individual strengths, talents, and passions. This cannot, I repeat, cannot be left to chance. Society loses when people go into careers that they are not suited for or because of stereotype ie. men go into business or women go into teaching. Uninspired and untalented people give a worse effort and produce less results than people who are matched up properly with careers that fit them. I am not saying we should force people to do what they do not want. But, we should definitely guide people in the direction of their passions and talents. This is the only way the world wins. I will give an example of how the world loses. A women becomes an English teacher because she thinks this is a good thing for a woman to do (not because she loves mentoring children or not because she is any good with people). She goes through the motions and lives with an unhappy and unfufillng career, working manly for her paycheck (this is what we need to avoid as much as possible). What this woman loses out on is infinitely smaller on what all of her students lose out on year in and year out. They are not being taught by someone who cares too much or is very talented as a teacher and thus the students receive a lower interest in the material and less understanding of key principles that they should have learned in that class. We cannot afford this. We need to spend time and effort on locating and encouraging talent and passion in each child. Sounds tough? What are the costs of not doing so? Look around. There's sub par workers everywhere, that hate their job and just want the money. Every time you see that remember it is not just them losing, but everyone who they serve directly and indirectly. Think about that.
I think we need to open up communication around the world. People would benefit if everyone in the world could communicate. Everyone needs to get on the same page. The world should be required to be proficient in (1)English language (2)the Metric System. This makes the most sense. Worldwide communication would sky rocket and people would be far more informed. I am not saying we should ditch our native languages or the English system of measurements, since much of different cultures are enriched by native languages. Simply, English should be an addition.
Other changes in the school system will be needed as well. We should turn to research to guide us in our initiatives. We should look at other countries and see what they are doing and the successes and failures of their education systems. We should not be close minded in our approach.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
School House Rock
Fun ways to learn important things. Don't laugh, that's how I learned the Preamble, in 8th grade.
The Preamble of the Constitution
How A Bill Becomes A Law
The Shot Heard Around the World- Revolutionary War
Conjunction Junction
The Preamble of the Constitution
How A Bill Becomes A Law
The Shot Heard Around the World- Revolutionary War
Conjunction Junction
Get Anyone to Understand Anything (How to Teach)
2 Points to Explaining Anything Complex to someone:
(1) Before going into detail, give an overview. This helps people understand the context (what you're talking about and where you're going with the material) of your topic.
[Giving details without making sure the audience knows the concept is the equivalent to putting together a puzzle without first showing them what the picture looks like]
(2) Let the audience know that you expect them to grasp the material quickly and easily.
[Our expectations and that of other people play a key role in how we grasp information.]
(3!) Offering positive encouragement along the way. [I heard before that the most effective teachers, coaches, and leaders have an encouragement to critique ratio of 3 to 1; others have reported the ratio as high as 5 to 1.]
This information was taken from the Book Get Anyone to do Anything, by New York Times Best Selling Author Dr. David Lieberman. This is easily one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. It covers how to handle so many different situations. I would recommend it to anyone.
(1) Before going into detail, give an overview. This helps people understand the context (what you're talking about and where you're going with the material) of your topic.
[Giving details without making sure the audience knows the concept is the equivalent to putting together a puzzle without first showing them what the picture looks like]
(2) Let the audience know that you expect them to grasp the material quickly and easily.
[Our expectations and that of other people play a key role in how we grasp information.]
(3!) Offering positive encouragement along the way. [I heard before that the most effective teachers, coaches, and leaders have an encouragement to critique ratio of 3 to 1; others have reported the ratio as high as 5 to 1.]
This information was taken from the Book Get Anyone to do Anything, by New York Times Best Selling Author Dr. David Lieberman. This is easily one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. It covers how to handle so many different situations. I would recommend it to anyone.
Where To Sit In The Classroom
Where you sit in a classroom has a lot to do with your ability to pay attention. This becomes even more crucial as class size increases, which is very likely in college.
Visualize a capital T. That is where you are most likely to pay attention. In the front row, or front few rows. And if not, sit in the middle rows. You are more likely to pay attention while sitting in the middle of a room.
Also, visualize a capital U, which fits nicely around a capital T. People sitting in the "U" are more likely to be have their attention drift.
T = Attentive
U = Inattentive
Go into a large college lecture hall and scan the room looking at individuals in the T and U. You will see the people who are messing around in class and talking to friends usually sit in the U.
Forget about where your friends are sitting in class. You can walk with them to class and walk back from class with them. But while your in the classroom, you need to be there for yourself.
Remember, your classmates and your friends will eventually be competing with you for a job one day. Do what you need to do to learn your best.
If you are in a class with assigned seating, it may not be a bad idea to talk to your teacher in private one day and request to have you seat changed into a part of the T.
Visualize a capital T. That is where you are most likely to pay attention. In the front row, or front few rows. And if not, sit in the middle rows. You are more likely to pay attention while sitting in the middle of a room.
Also, visualize a capital U, which fits nicely around a capital T. People sitting in the "U" are more likely to be have their attention drift.
T = Attentive
U = Inattentive
Go into a large college lecture hall and scan the room looking at individuals in the T and U. You will see the people who are messing around in class and talking to friends usually sit in the U.
Forget about where your friends are sitting in class. You can walk with them to class and walk back from class with them. But while your in the classroom, you need to be there for yourself.
Remember, your classmates and your friends will eventually be competing with you for a job one day. Do what you need to do to learn your best.
If you are in a class with assigned seating, it may not be a bad idea to talk to your teacher in private one day and request to have you seat changed into a part of the T.
A Tip on Studying: Empty the Tank on the Right Things
Later in my academic career I realized I was studying inefficiently. After talking to many friends about this topic, I found that I was not alone in making this common mistake.
I would review the different chapters or notes as I studied, paying equal amounts of attention to all the material. This is a major mistake.
If you do not know all the material the same, then you should not study each piece of material for the same length of time. I would always find myself reading through the topic I knew that I already knew (almost as a sense of security, to remind myself that I do know some of the material).
However, comfort does not always equate with results. What's worse, I would take up so much mental energy reviewing the thing I already knew, when it came time to the material I did not already know, I had already depleted most of my focusing energy (and rationalizing to myself, this probably won't be on the test). Any student will tell you that anytime they take this attitude during studying, they usually find that more often than not, that material IS on the test.
Why do we huddle around a security blanket like this?
Why not instead briefly scan the stuff we know, and then empty the tank (energy and focus) on the stuff we do not know already? Think about that the next time you hit the books.
This relates to quality vs. quantity of studying. I truly believe a half hour of intense studying (total concentration) will help you learn more than 4 hours of half-hearted studying (TV on, listening to music, being around other people, chatting with friends on AIM, every so often refreshing your facebook page, etc)
I would review the different chapters or notes as I studied, paying equal amounts of attention to all the material. This is a major mistake.
If you do not know all the material the same, then you should not study each piece of material for the same length of time. I would always find myself reading through the topic I knew that I already knew (almost as a sense of security, to remind myself that I do know some of the material).
However, comfort does not always equate with results. What's worse, I would take up so much mental energy reviewing the thing I already knew, when it came time to the material I did not already know, I had already depleted most of my focusing energy (and rationalizing to myself, this probably won't be on the test). Any student will tell you that anytime they take this attitude during studying, they usually find that more often than not, that material IS on the test.
Why do we huddle around a security blanket like this?
Why not instead briefly scan the stuff we know, and then empty the tank (energy and focus) on the stuff we do not know already? Think about that the next time you hit the books.
This relates to quality vs. quantity of studying. I truly believe a half hour of intense studying (total concentration) will help you learn more than 4 hours of half-hearted studying (TV on, listening to music, being around other people, chatting with friends on AIM, every so often refreshing your facebook page, etc)
The 14 Laws of Learning
Developed by Neil Strauss (Style) - New York Times Best Selling Author & World Class Pick-up Artist
(1) Acquire & apply knowledge in small chunks.
(2) There's no such thing as failure, only feedback.
(3) Always hold yourself accountable for your outcomes.*
(4) Learn actively, not passively.
(5) Don't mentally rehearse negative outcomes.
(6) Understand how your mind works: (a) Unconscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & don't know what it is (b) Conscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & you know what it is (c) Conscious Competence- you do something right with focused attention (d) Unconscious Competence- you do things right automatically.
(7) No pain, no gain.
(8) Don't look for approval from anyone, including family or friends.
(9) Be willing to test new ideas and approaches, even if they don't seem logical.
(10) Once something works, figure out how and why it works.
(11) If you don't know what to do, don't stop, ask someone for help.
(12) Surround yourself with people who know the material more than you do.
(13) Make sure that your ratio of effort to results is increasing.
(14) Finish what you start.
This list is slightly improvised by me to better relate to everyone. This list can be found in Neil Strauss' book The Stylelife Challenge- Master the Game in 30 Days. This is an absolutely incredible book not only about Venusian Arts, but overall self-improvement.
(1) Acquire & apply knowledge in small chunks.
(2) There's no such thing as failure, only feedback.
(3) Always hold yourself accountable for your outcomes.*
(4) Learn actively, not passively.
(5) Don't mentally rehearse negative outcomes.
(6) Understand how your mind works: (a) Unconscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & don't know what it is (b) Conscious Incompetence- you do something wrong & you know what it is (c) Conscious Competence- you do something right with focused attention (d) Unconscious Competence- you do things right automatically.
(7) No pain, no gain.
(8) Don't look for approval from anyone, including family or friends.
(9) Be willing to test new ideas and approaches, even if they don't seem logical.
(10) Once something works, figure out how and why it works.
(11) If you don't know what to do, don't stop, ask someone for help.
(12) Surround yourself with people who know the material more than you do.
(13) Make sure that your ratio of effort to results is increasing.
(14) Finish what you start.
This list is slightly improvised by me to better relate to everyone. This list can be found in Neil Strauss' book The Stylelife Challenge- Master the Game in 30 Days. This is an absolutely incredible book not only about Venusian Arts, but overall self-improvement.
The Real Learning Predictor
This article was featured in The Daily Pennsylvania (school newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania)
Answers the question why Americans are falling behind foreign students and boys are falling behind girls-
Self-Discipline May Be The Key
Answers the question why Americans are falling behind foreign students and boys are falling behind girls-
Self-Discipline May Be The Key
Learn the Basics Grammar of a Foreign Language by translating 6 sentences!
I was watching Tim Ferriss on http://www.ted.com/ (an excellent website to get lots of great information) and he gives a great tip on learning a foreign language.
He approaches language learning with a "Material over Method Approach." Which illustrates that sometimes it's what you do, not how you do it.
To begin learning grammar for any foreign language, first translate these 6 sentences:
1. The apple is red.
2. It is John's apple.
3. I give John the apple.
4. We want to give him the apple.
5. He gives it to John.
6. She gives it to him.
Note- Do not use the websites below to translate these sentences. Ask your language teacher or professor.
He approaches language learning with a "Material over Method Approach." Which illustrates that sometimes it's what you do, not how you do it.
To begin learning grammar for any foreign language, first translate these 6 sentences:
1. The apple is red.
2. It is John's apple.
3. I give John the apple.
4. We want to give him the apple.
5. He gives it to John.
6. She gives it to him.
Note- Do not use the websites below to translate these sentences. Ask your language teacher or professor.
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