So, this week, we had an interesting incident at school when the iPad cameras were mistakenly turned off for about ten minutes. What ensued after that was something I found pretty eye opening. Read this article about education. Sum up what the author's argument is and then speak to what you feel are the attitudes of the majority of students at ECCHS. Additionally, list what you consider your number one strength as a student and one thing on which you could improve.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-elmore/from-entitled-to-empowere_1_b_4855109.html
Part I
ReplyDeleteIn Tim Elmore’s rather straightforward article, he provides insight into minds of Millennials and Generation Z, who have come to be know as the “Snowflake Generation.” No, he does not fully come out and use this term, but he does speak to the sense of entitlement that has pervaded our culture. He speaks specifically of the current state of our educational system, and how students no longer feel they are required to work for their grades; they see teachers merely as individuals who are required to give them knowledge, but they, the students, do not wish to put in any effort to gain and build on that knowledge. And, then, he goes on to speak of ways in which to counter this ever-growing idea. However, just as a side note, do you really have to look that far to see why our youth feel this way? The word “free” certainly seems to be thrown around so often: “free” healthcare, “free” college — the list is endless. Sure, it sounds nice on paper, but in the end, someone pays for what is termed “free.” So, to try to instill this idea into our youth is dangerous, and it has clearly already proven itself to be just that with this mentality present within many, but I digress.
I personally feel that both the attitude detailed by Elmore, and another, are present in the students of Elk County Catholic currently. The first, expressed by Elmore, is perpetuated by teachers, who very rarely follow through on the late assignment policy and who, quite consistently, curve tests to appease students. Oftentimes, there is little difference between a student who gains a perfect score on an exam and one who would have nearly failed without the curve. In my own experience, I had points taken off of a grade for having a greater than perfect score in the class, while others received bonus points to boost their grade, leaving, in the end, very little room between my own grade and the grades of others. Absurd, isn’t it? How is it, that as a system, we have punished success, hard work, and a thirst for knowledge, and rewarded, oftentimes, laziness? This is the mentality being sowed into students by none other than ECCHS, and there are no other feelings I can express besides disappointment at the fact that our school is contributing to this mentality.
Part II
ReplyDeleteI would also like to express my disappointment regarding what we prioritize as a school. It appears to me that our athletics programs have become considered more important than education. (Before you tell me that being healthy and exercising are important, I know that; please notice I specifically referred to the programs, thank you). It is quite obvious just by looking at what each of our academic departments have done. Most of our underclassmen are no longer offered the opportunity to take as many accelerated courses. We no longer make accommodations for our students who want to learn and grow and are able to do this at a much faster pace. It is well-known that students learn at different rates, so what do we do? We take away great opportunities from tomorrow’s innovators. Makes sense, right? I think not. On the other hand, we are always making tremendous strides with our athletic department. What does this show? It shows we value almost anything above truly fostering the development of the mind and soul of our students. In addition, students complain about the workload we receive and often put forth much more effort towards sports than they do towards their education. Many have seemed to lose the desire to learn, and when this occurs, we become unable to grow and achieve greatness. Again, I’ll detail my own personal experience. I am not athletic in the slightest; from a young age, it has been instilled into me that education and hard work are incredibly important to attain success. This lesson has remained with me, even today. However, because of this love of learning, my work ethic, and my lack of athleticism, I have been labeled a “nerd,” a “bookworm,” a “try hard,” an “overachiever” — I could continue, but I’ll spare you the time. It seems that as a school, we no longer value those who love to learn and are different, which is sad, given that the fundamental purpose of education is to learn and to find the good in the differences between every individual.
As a student, I feel that my strongest qualities are my work ethic and my want to learn more (I couldn’t pick only one). However, I could probably work on being more understanding of others and the challenges they face.
Your discussion of Elmore's argument was great! I love how you also pointed out how the sense of entitlement that so many Generation Y and Z individuals have is creating a socialist culture that expects everything, including healthcare and college, to be provided for them at ZERO cost, which is a load of crap! And YES! I completely agree that the lackadaisical attitudes of some teachers is fostering the sense of entitlement in many of the students in our school. I also agree that recently, athletics seems to be ever-growing and ever-emphasized, while our academics are being scaled back, which is also complete crap. I argue all the time with people that how good of an athlete someone is in high school is no indication of how successful a person will be, which is something that far too many teachers, parents, and students cannot get through their thick skulls! It's pitiful! Anyway, great work, as always.
DeleteI’m so glad you included sports into your discussion. I definitely think people have seen this becoming more and more apparent, and they know exactly what is happening, but refuse to do anything about it. You made great points backing up your claim about athletics, and that was my favorite part of your argument.
DeleteI really liked your term “Snowflake Generation,” it was a great comparison. Snowflakes may appear strong and resilient, but they melt under any kind of pressure. I also really liked how you mentioned sports in your discussion. How many thousands or tens of thousands of dollars are poured into the athletics programs when students are still being lazy as students?
DeleteSimply put, what Tim Elmore is arguing in this Huffington Post article is that the sense of entitlement that so many students (and most children, anymore) have is digging them into a hole that they probably won’t be able to get out of if we keep trending downwards in work ethic. Basically, unless we students realize the value in getting to where we want to be through hard work and determination, we are screwed. Elmore goes on, though, to say that we, as a generation, CAN overcome this sense of entitlement and blossom into very successful, very smart, and very well-rounded adult if we sit down, shut up, quit whining, and just get to work. Elmore also mentions, in essence, that both sides of the situation are at fault for the rampant decline in work ethic among members of generations Y and Z, with parents and teachers sometimes fueling the fire. That being said, if parents, teachers, and current students learn to appreciate where hard work can get a person in life, we all can begin to foster a culture that no longer needs a sympathy award and will strive towards success through hard, hard work.
ReplyDeleteIn the wake of Thursday’s accidental camera deletion, I have gathered that most students at our school seem to have the sense of entitlement that Elmore talks about in his article. I will admit, I was a little mad when I saw that the camera was gone, as I feared it would affect my ability to, say, put together a presentation, but that’s what PowerPoint is for, and that’s why we still have access to the traditional desktop computers in the library and computer labs. But the absolute uproar over it in my Statistics class (which is fourth period, when all of this took place) was pitiful. Quite a few people in that class were complaining that they wouldn’t be able to take a picture of something a teacher wrote on the board. Oh no! They can’t make us write stuff down! That’s cruel! Still others were complaining that they (the tech team) “can’t do this to us.” But, according to the agreement we sign at the start of every year, they most certainly can. In short, this sense of entitlement we hear about is alive and well, as we saw on Thursday.
If I were to evaluate my strengths as a student, I’d say that my number-one strength as a student is my conscientiousness. Most of the time, with the exception of a few recent occasions, I’m on top of things and have my head on straight. I consider myself diligent and determined. If I were to pick a weakness, I’d say that my time management skills are subpar. I am very busy, as I am involved in sports and live at least 30 to 45 minutes away from damn near everything. Sometimes, I don’t account for the insanity in my life, and I don’t get things done ahead of time like I probably should, which leads to even more insanity.
Jarret, I think you did a great job detailing Elmore’s discussion of the sense of entitlement present within students today. It really is quite disappointing, maybe alarming would be a better word, that so many no longer see the value in working to attain success, and want everything given to them. This entitlement culture has clearly had so many effects on our students, which, as you say, were demonstrated by the camera deletion. Because of the lack of discipline in regards to our iPad policy, students now have the idea that they are a right, not just a privilege, which is certainly setting our students up for failure.
DeleteI really like how you put it so bluntly. If we don’t do this, we are screwed. You aren’t bothering with beating around the bush, you say what you think. That really brings a sense of genuineness to your writing. There’s no room to engage in sophistry if you say things exactly as they are.
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ReplyDeleteTim Elmore reveals all—today’s youth feel a great sense of entitlement because of the all-too-familiar culture of leisure and reward for “participating, not producing.” In his Huffington Post article, Tim Elmore explores new age entitlement in academia and various means of combating against it. He begins his work by addressing the clear and rather surface level issues with the current generation and its mindset. Elmore takes a bit of an analytical approach to the human condition to begin with by discussing matters of interest such as family, psychology, and instinct. It does not take long, however, for him to move on from the ‘human interest’ portion of his article to an area of far greater importance. Elmore breaks from his previous area of discussion to explore the real sources of entitlement in the classroom or lecture hall. He addresses this behavior by quoting the works of Tracey E. Zinn and Joanne Jacobs, both of whom were rather concerned with the root cause of such behavior as well. It is worth acknowledging that, startling as it is, each point raised here is observable in nearly every learning environment from grade school to grad school. What is even more disappointing, however, are the statistics on grade inflation presented in the article. Despite the dismal truth of each and every observation, Elmore is not discouraged. Instead, he goes on to describe signs of entitlement and ways to combat it as an educator. Of course none of these points raised throughout the article are written exclusively for educators. Instead, this article prompts introspection. Each point Elmore raises for educators can easily be applied to students seeking self-betterment of character and disposition. This, however, is not always so obvious. And while “checking yourself” is every bit important, it is also worth discussing how the perpetuation of this current culture makes it easy to fall into a place of complicity. In a reflection of this past week, it is quite simple to identify a rather embarrassing instance of school-wide entitlement in our own building. When tragedy struck in the form of a missing camera app, panic set in across the student body. Whole class periods were halted, lectures replaced by outraged student protests, simply because a measly app had vanished from the home screen, an act that must have been responsible for offsetting the digital balance so many students worked tirelessly to maintain. And despite how ridiculous it may sound, it was easy to get swept into the hysteria. Many students caved out of stress and concern for how their academic careers would persist because of the accidental deletion of an app. It should be clear by this instance alone that we, a Catholic school community meant to be built on principles of selflessness, humility, and service, were acting in an embarrassingly entitled and selfish manner unfit to our Catholic identity. Our students lost focus of the privileges granted to them. We let ourselves fall into the trap of our generation. We failed to defy the culture of leisure and reward.
ReplyDeleteI feel that my number one strength as a student is my inclination to seek knowledge beyond the classroom. Independent study is important to me as someone with varying interests that generally exist outside of our curriculum. I believe learning has to be self-motivated, and that means learning independent of an institution.
I do believe that something I could work to improve upon as a student would be moderation. I lack basic discipline necessary to be an excellent student, so I have a tendency to either overwhelm or underperform. I suppose it is sort of a strange thing to be exceedingly bothered by, but it is something I definitely feel I need to exercise in order to be a better student.
Anna, I feel you did a great job interpreting Elmore’s article and understanding the sense of entitlement at our school. I found your approach interesting in the sense that you address the fact that it can be easy to fall into this sense of entitlement, even when you are trying to better yourself. But I did read your blog prior to you deleting it: it would be a really good idea to compete the minutes. Haha.
DeleteThis summary is written very well. I feel like you definitely hit all of the main points to Tim Elmore’s article. I aspire to be like you because one of your strengths is that you seek knowledge beyond the classroom. That takes a lot of time and dedication so I applaud you for that. Also, do not stress about underperforming because I do not think I have ever seen you underperform.
DeleteGreat job explaining Tim's article! Your explanation heped me understand it more. I liked your connection to the situation at ECC with our entitlement at school.
DeleteIn Tim Elmore’s article of student entitlement, he describes the mentality of many student that are currently undergoing their educations. In short, it is now understood that everything is deserved even when nothing is earned. Some things truly are rights: everyone should have the ability to vote, religion should be a choice, etcetera. However, it now seems that “rights” are being handed out like candy at a parade. Everyone should not get a trophy. Everyone should not get a prize. Everyone should get an education, but no one should take it for granted. So many people around the world be incredulous in receiving an education. So, why are people in a nice, clean school with teachers who are there to help them taking it completely for granted? The students of Elk County Catholic have absolutely no idea just how lucky they are to attend the school that they do. I will absolutely admit that I complain about school often; I do understand, though, that ECC is a great show. We have a great faculty, energetic and involved student body, and a safe facility. When people talk, they often complain. If you were to leave a review for a restaurant, it is much more likely that you were compelled to do so based on a negative experience rather than a positive one. Students do not go to lunch and discuss how awesome that new theorem was in geometry. They talk about things that they did not like. But why? We have so much to be thankful. This is especially true due to our Catholic education that helps us to expand our faith and knowledge cohesively. If our students attended another school for a day, they would immediately understand their fortune. My sister, Alex, is currently a teacher in Florida. She often told me when she would visit classrooms in College for her Student Teaching program how privileged she felt to have attended ECC and wished that she had realized that while still there. We need to stop picking out little details to criticize and look at the big picture: we are all incredibly blessed to attend a school that cares so deeply about our education.
ReplyDeleteMy number one strength as a student is most likely promptness, whether it be for the bell or assignments. I could definitely work on my procrastination because it occasionally reaches a quite frankly unacceptable level.
I really enjoyed how you incorporated your sister into your blog. It really related to the topic of this blog. I think that visiting other high schools would be so eye opening to every student because we are actually very fortunate to have such a high learning center. Also, I can hardcore relate to procrastination as being my weakness.
DeleteI really like how you didn’t just summarize what Tim talked about (like I did) but you chose to write it based on your opinion. You also brought in your catholic views which is great.
DeleteAfter reading this article, it was very easy to depict what Tim Elmore is trying to say. I will come right out and say what I think Elmore is saying. Personally, I think he is trying to say that millennials are pretty much in trouble because they are not dependent. He is saying that in the day and age, nobody actually has a need for something, it is all based on a want. We want those new shoes, we want that new video game, we want to go hangout with friends. I do agree with all of what he is saying, but nobody can exactly decide what is a want verses a need these days. He then continues to say that students just think they deserve to have a good grade without working for it. However, they have this mindset because teachers will give them exactly what they want. This issue can not be completely blamed on the students because the teachers do have a big part in what is happening. Teachers are supposed to teach their students, but some do fail to do their job. This is all just one big ripple effect. In conclusion, parents, students, and teachers all need to work more diligently in order to help make a difference in the field of learning.
ReplyDeleteWhen the camera and FaceTime was deleted from our iPads in Thursday, I watched some people make a huge commotion. Honestly, I did not even know anything was deleted until a bunch of underclassmen came up to me and told me to check my iPad. I was astonished to see how many people were actually freaking out. Also at Elk County Catholic High School, we do fall under what Tim Elmore was talking about in his article. At our school, some teachers curve tests in order for all of the kids to pass the test. I think this has an effect as to why some are not studying— because they know that they will pass either way. The whole education system is just all a mess because of so many different factors.
If I was asked what my number one strength was at the beginning of the school year, I would have easily responded that I never ever procrastinate. However, that is now my weakness. I really need to stop procrastinating so much because I used to never wait until the last minute to do my work. As of now, I would say my strength is listening to what others have to say.
Your analysis of Elmore’s article was good, very straight forward. I also didn’t know the cameras were gone until everyone asked me about it, it definitely was an overreaction.
DeleteWhen the camera went away, and it was chaos. We took five minutes out of class because everyone was yelling so much. Our teacher did nothing about it. It definitely is a two-way problem.
DeleteI agree that we fall under that entitlement problem that Elmore was talking about. We need to stop taking everything for granted, and we can’t expect everything to be given to us. I agree that it is a ripple effect between both teachers and students. That was a good point! Great job
DeleteTim Elmore is very straightforward in this article, mainly highlighting on the fact the increasing amount of students with this attitude of entitlement and poor work ethic is growing out of control. Elmore feels that students now think that high grades and excellence in the classroom should just be handed out for all, no work required. They feel they have the right to this, rather than actually having to learn and know the material. Often times when a student does poorly on a test, they can come up with about 50 excuses about why they failed, rather than simply admitting that they did not know the information. They may blame the teacher, the way they teach, someone was distracting them, they missed a day when they covered the topic, the list could go on for a long time. However, no one wants to admit when they are at fault for not putting in the time necessary to master what they are learning. Elmore realizes that these upcoming generations can be in big trouble if they continue these values of a poor ethic and entitlement. However, he does have some hope for us, and then goes on to explain some methods to prevent these things from happening, or hinder it from happening further than it already has.
ReplyDeleteWhen the camera incident happened on Thursday, I was shocked to see the reaction of my peers. The hallways were pandemonium right after it happened, and heated discussions continued into the classrooms as well. The students here once again displayed this feeling of entitlement. People always talk about how iPads are a “privilege, not a right” and it seems nobody takes them seriously when they talk about it. The tech team has the ability to turn the camera off completely, but a large majority of the students feel they have the right to tell the tech team what to do and what’s the best. Which one of the two has a better understanding of technology and how to handle proper settings and discipline for it? But at the start of each year, we all sign the same iPad policy, giving the tech team the power to do this, yet people still complain. The same principles apply to students in the classroom at ECC as well. Many of them refuse to work hard enough to get the A’s they desire, but complain about their grades, saying it’s too hard and that our “teachers don’t actually teach”. If you put absolutely no effort into excelling, and rely on teachers to curve tests all the time, it’s no wonder you aren’t obtaining the grades you want. Teacher’s don’t just hand out A’s for everyone, they are earned, but their sense of entitlement ruins their ability to see that.
I think one of my best abilities as a student is listening to both teachers and other students. I always try to give my full attention because important things come from both groups, and if you don’t listen and pay attention to them, you’ll miss out. One think I need to work on is time management. Although I use my time well in school (for the most part generally, I’m not perfect) I need to do a better job of just sitting down and getting all my work done with no distractions.
I think you did a really good job analyzing Tim Elmore’s article, I also like how you mentioned the cameras were a privilege not a right. Good job!
DeleteErick, I think you put it perfectly in your discussion of rights over privileges. Students do not want to take the tech team seriously until they have something to blame them for. They disregard the position of authority the team has over them and continually challenge and disrespect that authority. As for the rest of your blog, it seems to be well thought out and articulated. You make a lot of good points I feel are worth discussing on a greater scale.
DeleteIn this article, Tim Elmore basically calls out literally everyone. He talks about entitlement, and how we are raising our youth with expectations to get whatever they want. I’m all honesty I agree with everything he says, I mean who wouldn’t, but the crazy part is that this is an unpopular opinion. Society is all about the mentality that “everyone’s a winner” nowadays. Take one of the examples Elmore used for instance, sports. In early sports, kids are taught that there are no winners and losers. Everyone gets the same trophy for participating. While this may make every adult feel warm and fuzzy inside, this is quite frankly completely idiotic. First of all, the whole point of sports is to teach our youth valuable skills that can’t be taught in a classroom. Teaching them teamwork, sportsmanship, and perseverance. Once everyone is a winner, nothing is learned. Take sportsmanship for example, people need to learn how to lose. Yes, losing sucks, I get that, but is teaching your kids that they will never lose in life really the answer? Of course not! Life is hard, it throws curveballs, and there is going to be many bumps in the road along the way. Giving every kid a trophy and declaring them all winners strips them from learning any sportsmanship. This goes for learning how to win as well. Take last nights basketball loss against ridgeway for example. After winning, all of ridgeway went nuts. Players, fans, and coaches alike were all doing disrespectful things that you should never do, just because they won. Grown parents were acting like children. A ridgeway player (who will remain unnamed) acted like he was Lebrun James out there, shoving our players and doing whatever he wanted. All of this because they were never taught how to win, and the pride and dignity that comes with that. I think that Tim Elmore is arguing that we are growing our youth up to be pompous, snobby brats. And quite frankly I agree with him.
ReplyDeleteI do think that this attitude discussed by Elmore can be found in our students here at ECC. Many of us, myself included, often get lazy. Once this laziness takes over, we feel like we don’t have to work at anything. We are given a hard assignment, and we procrastinate until the last minute. Then when we get a bad grade we complain about how it’s the teachers fault. However, sometimes it can be the teachers fault. I see examples all the time of my friends getting bad grades that they don’t deserve because the teacher feels as if they can do whatever they want. Teachers often get caught up in this “I’m the boss” attitude, and they forget that they can learn from their students too. I think we need to realize our own flaws more, and start to work on those flaws. This attitude needs to come from both teachers, and students alike. Once we realize this, only then can we step onto the path towards academic success.
As a student, I like to consider that my number one strength is that I’m a hard worker. I like to see myself as the type of person who will do what he needs to do until the task is finished. However, my biggest flaw would be procrastination. I often times wait until the last minute to get things done, which is a terrible habit of mine.
I completely agree with you that people don’t know how to act when they don’t know how to win. His behavior is further encouraged by parents that project themselves onto their kids and act like children. Great article!
DeleteEvan, you did a fantastic job explaining Tim Elmore’s blog post. I love how you pointed out how so many people procrastinate. Great job!
DeleteIn this article, the author, Tim Elmore, clearly calls out all members of society for screwing over our current generation of youngsters by making them think they deserve everything on a platter. He points out that entitlement is a one way street to Screwed City, and that if we don’t stop giving kids everything they want, the population thereof will skyrocket. Elmore highlights reasons why this sense of entitlement is happening and how to combat it from the side of both parents and teachers to combat this entitlement.
ReplyDeleteI do very much so think that this entitlement exists at ECC. I mean, we’re a private school after all. As much as people stereotype that we’re all rich snobs, they aren’t always wrong. The camera incident in a way proves that. Something so (at the end of the day) frivolous created a ruckus befitting an actual meaningful offense. Don’t get me wrong, the camera is surely convenient, but not having it isn’t gonna kill you.
Honestly, I can’t really pick out one strength for myself as a student, not sure why. I just can’t think of one. But I do know that my weakness is surely my procrastination habits. It greatly increases stress in my life and sometimes really screws me over with how much work piles up.
I really think you could have expanded on this and definitely you should have written more. You didn’t list any specifics about the article. You really didn’t give much information on it at all. It was bland and I definitely think you should include more.
DeleteThe world has been remodeled in the past few years. It was a world focused on need — I need to study, I need to eat, I need to drink. Now, it has become a world focused on want — I want a trophy, I want to succeed, I want my camera back, I want it now. A sense of entitlement has entered the minds of the youth and young adult population. They have become accustomed to receiving anything asked for. Tim Elmore highlights this difference in generation in his article.
ReplyDeleteElmore is quick to point out that this entitlement issue is not the fault of the new generations alone, blame also rests on the generation that raised them. The coaches who gave trophies out to the entire youth soccer team, the teachers who make sure that every student passes, and the parents who “baby” their children are just as responsible. I was reminded of this reality while I was visiting Saint Bonaventure on Friday. A professor I was speaking to informed me that, “You will have to show up to my classes, and you will have to try. We will help you, but we won’t do it for you.” That statement shocked me in a way the professor did not expect. He said it as a way of informing me that the lazy work ethic present in most high schoolers would not work in his classes. I was shocked that anyone would think skipping class and not trying are options that result in success. Elmore points out this strange “success for nothing” logic when he mentions the grade inflation epidemic. Students are receiving higher grades for less work.
Elmore also points out that the effort required to fix this will fall to both sides. It will not fall to just students, or just parents, or just teachers. The effort will fall on all people. Fixing this problem that has been instilled for years now will require years of corrective work, yet nobody is willing to take more than a few steps in the right direction. The effort needs to be full-fledged, from everyone. As the saying goes, “Many hands make for light work.”
I would say that my greatest strength in the classroom is my need to fix problems. This plays into what is likely my greatest weakness, my inability to pay attention. I will often put myself as close to the front of the room as I can, so that I can pay better attention. In classrooms where seats are assigned, or are regularly reshuffled, where I end up in the back of the classroom, I often find myself “tuning out.” I will just stare off into space, letting my mind wander wherever it goes. Not really being distracted so much as losing all focus. Putting myself at the front of the room is my way to combat this, I can better keep my focus when what is happening is right in front of me.
I really like your idea of a world focused on want and not need, as society is truly who is to blame here. Great job Dominic!
DeleteTim Elmore explains the mindset of most students in school today; they deserve what they want. He explains how it is common for children to get everything they want, not just what they need. Tim uses perfect examples of how entitlement is used in classroom such as the idea that education is a right and grades should be based purely on participation. He backs up his points with statistics that show the average percentage of kids having As and B has increased dramatically over 40 years. Tim transitions into how to spot entitlement in a child through the things they say. For example, “I don’t want to work for it” is a common statement said by kids who expect everything to be handed to them. Another popular saying that Tim mentions is that kids asking for parents help on everything. It is good to help your children, but there are times when they must learn for themselves in personal and social situations. Lastly, Tim sums up his article by providing ways to decrease this mindset on students and kids. In order to establish authority and respect from students, Tim suggests being honest and laying down the law but in a friendly and encouraging way for students. People react to positivity better than negativity.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the major points that Tim make in his article. Not everyone at ECC is stuck up, but a good majority are. In my one science class, students do not even study for the test because they can pass with just the curve. I think a curve is necessary sometimes but it can get excessive. Also, on the iPad issue, I did not know it was gone until another student told me, but I do understand the panic. Many use the camera for projects and for taking pictures of textbooks so they do not have to take them home. While the panic made sense to me, it does show how privileged we are to even have iPads and be allowed to use them inside and outside of school.
Personally, I believe my biggest strength as a student is my need to understand. In physics, I have to know how to do the problem and I will do it over and over to get it or ask a friend -Isaac and Anna are my saviors. This need to know drives me to work harder in my classes. One thing I can defiiemtly improve on is my laziness. I may want to know, but some days I could care less and I push it off for another time. Fixing my procrastination problem can only make me a better student.
I like how you pointed out that students will react to positivity better than negativity because it’s so true throughout every school. Also the whole curve on tests situations frustrates me because then students don’t even try to actually learn the information and in turn expect a good grade. Overall, great job!
DeleteTim Elmore is explaining a problem that occurs in just about every high school or college around the world. That problem is a false sense of entitlement. He points out that students think they should always get what they want, but without having to put any work in for it. Students believe that if they just show up they should get a good grade. Hard work students come in few numbers these day, as our society has become quite lazy. Elmore also shows that students do not respect their authoritative figures in any sense, making the teachers think that they should just give them what they want. Students do not even try to process the information they are given anymore. They just use it to try to pass the test and then forget about it the day after. What kind of knowledge is that even giving the students? They aren’t learning anything at all. Elmore is also trying to provide ways that can prevent this entitlement in students. He wants teachers to be more stern and try to give out harder assignments that will challenge students to actually think outside the box. Tim Elmore successfully points out many faults within the system of education today.
ReplyDeleteStudents at ECC often take what they get for granted. I believe that students at our school, of course not all of them, have the problem of entitlement that Elmore pointed out. The camera incident is a perfect example of this. The cameras were accidentally taken away during our 3rd and 4th period classes. There was an uproar throughout the school because students wouldn’t be able to use the camera for projects, but is that the real reason students were upset? In reality students would not longer be able to take selfies, pictures of someone else’s homework, or even snapchat after school. Our iPads are a privilege, our school does not even need to provide them to us. If we start using them for the right reasons and truly appreciate that our school buys them for us, it would definitely be a step in the right direction.
I think my biggest strength is the ability to learn information very quickly and understand and memorize it. Memorizing may not always be a great thing, but usually I can recall the information I learn at a later date. I think my weakness is my time management. I’m often very busy with sports and other activities during the week, and I think I need to take more time to do my homework better and be more focused on school. I also need to find more time to sleep so I am not consistently tired during the week.
I think you were very consistent in your blog this week. It hits on all of the major beats without negating personability. You are right in saying there is a dissonance between what students generally claim to use the tools provided for and the reality of their use and abuse. Also, I think your emphasis on our school’s sort of careless entitlement and privilege is really important. We DO take things for granted.
DeleteGreat job pointing out Tim's major topics in his article. I liked your question within your explanation because it really deives a point. I also agree that students take things for granted.
DeleteTim Elmore presents the idea of entitlement of the younger generation of America. I see this every day among our school and at home. He gives three main ideas of how there is entitlement within the classroom, they are: knowledge should be delivered with little effort on the students part, a high grade should come from not from matters of material, and if a student didn’t do good on a test it is the teacher’s fault. I can hear complaints about this almost every single day of my life. Sometimes there are exceptions to these complaints such as the teacher not teaching well and allowing an entire grade to fail a test or quiz. Tim also explain the statistics of how students are now getting higher gpa’s, but are the students actually getting smarter? Or are the teachers just giving them the grades? This could depend on the school, the student, or even the test subjects. Elmore points out that students want to come back home after college because they are not ready for the real world. In Elk County, this is major. All college students come home as often as they can whether it’s to be with their friends or family. My older sister comes home almost every weekend and cannot go a day without talking to my mom about her studies because she complains about them being hard. Life is hard, honey. On the other end of the article, Tim gives us many signs of entitlement, such as: I want it now, I don’t want to work for it, I don’t have to clean up my mess, etc. Now a days, these phrases are so common along with tantrums and backlashes from the children when they don’t get what they want. It’s crazy how society can change so quick. When I was younger I would have gotten the soap bar shoved in my mouth, but my little sister can do whatever she wants. It was mentioned in the assignment about how kids freaked out over the camera loss, and I’ll admit I was one of those people. I was livid. I use my school camera for so many assignments because it’s easy and available to use. Yes the iPads are a privilege, but they have been given to us for its entirety including the camera. I was upset because I use it for school work but other kids want to abuse their privilege and leave all of us in suffering.
ReplyDeleteI think my number one strength is getting my work done, I will stay up all night doing my work to get it done because it feels wrong to turn homework in late. One thing I struggle with is testing. I don’t study as much as I used to and I can see it, but I’m so busy doing homework that my time to study becomes very small. It honestly is hard to decide; go for the work points or test points?
Kristen, you did a great analyzing the blog post by Tim Elmore. I like how you added how most people in our county come home every weekend. Overall, you covered how so many people are privileged. Great job!
Delete(I accidentally posted this on last weeks blog and I just realized.)
ReplyDeleteTim Elmore’s blog was all about students in the education system receiving special treatment and feeling a sense of entitlement. He talks about how the grade level percentages for the C average have decreased, but he theorized that this is because the teachers are curving the Sydney’s grades to make them feel better about themselves. He also gives a list of statements that show a particular student feels entitled to something. A few of them include “I want it now,” and “I don’t want to work for it.” These are two perfect examples for our generation because many people are becoming lazier. People are refusing to study for tests because they know that certain teachers will just curve the test percentage or give them a better grade. Students are also not doing their homework because they know that they can copy off of someone else’s. Students are constantly given unnecessary help to boost their confidence such as a better grade when they do not need it. For example a teacher may give a smart student a retake on a test they failed because they “were not themselves” while taking the test. Elmore’s argument was that students are getting whatever they want and sometimes this is not what they need. He also makes the point that even though our generation is not putting in a good amount of effort, we expect great results and success. At the end of Elmore’s blog he talk about how to help children get over this entitlement phase. He says by saying phrases that will challenge and direct them, over time children will learn to be leaders and appreciate what is given to them and work hard to achieve their goals. I feel that the majority of the students at our school are grateful for every opportunity given to us by teachers and coaches. There are a few groups of students that I feel do not really care about their grades and accomplishments, but focus more on sports. I love all of the opportunities that our teachers and classes give to us. I feel that they will overall benefit my future and help me through the rest of high school. I could improve on showing my appreciation and thanking my teachers for all that they do.
Your summary was pretty good. It was nice to see you outline what Elmore talked about and talk about how they related to your own life. I particularly liked your tie-in about your sister, which proves how entitlement is causing terribly lackadaisical attitudes in multitudes of people, and that no one is immune. And, while I don’t see as much value in the iPad as you seem to, I get where you’re coming from in that the iPads were issued to us to be able to utilize it in its entirety. Solid work!
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