I recently talked with a friend of mine and he said something quite pessimistic, but critical nonetheless. He said that no student was really interested in learning anything, and that was the problem with us all. The topic was related to how incredible the findings of Newton and Galileo were, and the amount of work they dedicated to their discoveries. In his opinion, the ability to access such a vast amount of information at any time was degrading the average student's desire to learn. Although his claim may have some basic truth underlining it, I did not agree.
But that's not what I want to write about. I want to consider what students are being taught in school. Actually, if I wrote about everything I though about that broad of a subject, I may write my first novel. In this case, I'm limiting it to the ideas expressed by my friend.
When I was in elementary school, the world was perfectly clear and understandable. Science was fact, and my Bill Nye the science guy knew all there was to know about science. The same happened in middle school. I knew about how ignorant the world used to be about science, how things worked, disease, and basic indoor plumbing. The masses were ignorant and stupid. Nobody knew anything back then! The twenty-first century, however, was a glorious time in which all discoveries were made and all that was left for science was to patch in a few holes here and there.
What a fool I was.
When I hit high school, I became aware, for the first time in my life, about how little we actually know. There are so many unanswered questions in every field of learning, especially physics and astronomy, that I believe we have only begun to scratch the surface of the true mysteries of the universe. The world we live in is a mass of mystery and constant discovery. Discovery through research and investigation is so vital the continuation of making new improvements in medicine and so much more.
There is so much left to be uncovered. But if you asked me to name a few ideas to be yet explored, I would be left without a clue after a few measly suggestions.
In school, we learn facts. Of course the advancement of the courses and the type of school has a definite influence in the level of critical thinking taught and quality of a true education (and by true I mean to say an education that allows for not only facts but an understanding of the application and importance of basic concepts). However, much of education is lacking in the exploration of finding and solving problems that are current and relevant to the student. I've done quite a few "research" papers in my time as a student, but most resembled a collection of facts and quotes strung together by my own fluff. Original ideas are hard to find and hard to write. There is so little original thought coming from essays and papers designed to teach formulating and proving a new idea. I have heard teachers beg their classes not to write another paper about the hazardous influence of media on teenagers. I have bluffed my own papers and searched out other people's ideas so I wouldn't have to come up with and defend my own. To be honest, the prospect of creating a new idea and defending it in writing scared me. At the same time, I longed for the opportunity to exemplify my mental prowess and my contribution to the literary and scientific community.
Why should I be afraid to speak up and state my opinion? Am I scared of the grade that would ultimately doom my perfect GPA if I dared to suggest something new and clash with a preconceived norm? In fear of a teacher that would reject my philosophy?
In school we should learn how to find and defend our own ideas. If we are wrong, then let us change our hypothesis without the retribution that comes as a red slash and a failed paper. The only way to learn how to find what really works is to fail until perfection. In school, there is no room for that. We are graded on accuracy, not the strength of an argument. I knew a student who dared to suggest that Piggy was the Christ figure in Lord of the Flies. He presented his arguments and stood up to the teacher. He was shot down.
There are too little people wiling to state an argument and join in the great conversation of discovery, and there are too many people who will blindly accept what they are told in school and never seek out new learning. It isn't as though they are unable to create, either. Each individual has the ability and opportunity to do something new and great. Some of us take it. School is a guiding force towards success. How are we to achieve success by learning facts that can be easily found with a few key words typed into a search bar? We should really learn to find, present, and prove our own arguments.
One other thing school doesn't teach is how difficult it is to write a blog post on a smartphone.
