Thursday, March 15, 2018
Education and YOU!
Minority education is something we have been discussing in regards to Baldwin's "A Talk to Teachers". Compare this discussion of minority education with Alexie's discussion of the same topic in "Superman and Me". Both pieces touch on similar themes, and comparing the two essays should lead to complex thinking about the purpose and value of education in America. So, first write about how the two essays are similar and why, and then, write a paragraph about the purpose and value of education in America, according to YOU!
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After reading, “A Talk to Teachers” and “Superman and Me,” it was quit obvious that these two stories relate to each other. Even though they are not exactly about the same topics, they both focus on the importance of education; however, education can be a very big challenge. Discussing education can be such a touchy subject because in the past, many people were unable to receive an equal education. Speaker James Baldwin wanted to depict how society treated African Americans during his speech called “A Talk to Teachers.” During 1963, the year this speech was given, African Americans were treated as if they were not even human. They had to ride in the back of a bus, they could not use the same bathroom as whites, they were forbidden to drink from the same water fountain, and the list goes on and on. Also, there are unequal education opportunities for African Americans. A teacher’s goal should be to teach students to the point where they actually understand the material. Baldwin believes that in school, the students are not becoming individual thinkers because everything that they do is because they are forced to do it. Since the day you were born, you learn the rights and wrongs in life. During this time period, it was different. Before an African American is even to explore their society, they are taught right away how they are unable to do what whites are able to do. Thus, preventing them from self teaching — which is essential in the field of education. “Superman and Me,” by Sherman Alexie, focuses on the importance of being self taught. The Native American lived on a reservation. He could have chose to not educate himself like the other Indians on the reservation, but he took matters into his own hands. Every single chance he got, he read literally everything. By the time he was in kindergarten, Sherman was able to read “Grapes of Wrath.” This just proves how successful one can be if he/she puts the hard work and dedication into the task. Education really does lie in the hands of ourselves. We all have an equal chance to be successful, but only those who actually want to succeed will.
ReplyDeleteAs an American, I feel as if we are a very fortunate country. Thankfully, now, every single person has an equal opportunity to receive an education. In many other countries, not everyone is able to receive an education. We truly do take our education for granted. Education is widely offered in America because as a society, we want to be more advanced than other countries. Honestly, of course I am grateful for how much we actually are able to learn at school; however, some of the material we learn is literally pointless. I do not understand why we have to learn things in math that will never ever be used in real life. I understand why it is mandatory to take an English, science, and social studies class, but many of the classes we are required to take are just a waste of time an money. I really do value education, but not when I am forced to sit through a class that I have no interest in. Overall, I am very grateful that I am able to attend a high school that values education, and the teachers main goal is to help a student truly understand all new material that is taught.
Bethany, I thought your approach to this comparison was interesting! It did a great job of detailing the effort that is required by the individual in education, which I do think was expressed in both pieces.
DeleteHowever, in regards to your paragraph about your thoughts on education in America, I do take issue with a couple of things. You state that “every single person has an equal opportunity to receive an education.” Now, although the situation is not as bad as it was in 1963, many in our inner cities are still not provided with an education that allows them to reach their fullest potential (or anywhere even close to that potential). So, I don’t think America as a whole really values education all that much.
Additionally, when you state that “some of the material we learn is literally pointless” and it will “never ever be used in real life,” I think you’re missing the entire point of education. Sure, you might never have to find a limit or a derivative ever again, but your calculus class or any other math class does require you to think critically, remain focused, and explore concepts beyond the classroom — each of which are important skills to have and can be difficult to find in other classes that expect you to fill in a blank or choose one of four options on a multiple choice test.
Also, if you view education as something that is forced simply because you have a lack of interest in something or it’s difficult, then education is not really valued. Education, in my view, is to make you feel vulnerable. It’s supposed to be challenging. It’s supposed to make you more disciplined (especially in those times when you have no interest, but make the best of the opportunity anyway). If you don’t see education in this way — as something that will teach you valuable life lessons — then you’re missing out on so much.
Bethany, I think you approached the comparison in a unique way. You discussed the equality of education, rather than the specific situations Alexie and Baldwin faced. You focused more on the concept than the details. As for everyone having an equal education today, not quite. Most people in America have access to a standard public education, but that standard shifts from school to school. A high school in the middle of a poor section of a city will not have the same standards as a private school in the upper-class areas of the same city. Although the situation is better in America, it is still not ideal.
DeleteWhen analyzing and comparing “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie and Baldwin's "A Talk to Teachers", many similarities are apparent. Although James Baldwin and Sherman Alexie were in different situations, they had one main theme: the importance of education and the process of becoming educated. Education is such a heavily debated topic, and cases like Alexie and Baldwin are part of the reason why. In both cases, they experienced the effects of unfortunate situations for having a good education being given to them. Baldwin produced “A Talk to Teachers” in 1963, a time when there was a high amount of civil inequality. Although African Americans were supposed to have the same rights just like everybody else, often times they were denied their rights, including some of the most basic things, such as drinking from the same water fountain or using the same bathroom as white people. This struggle with liberties branched all the way to their education where they faced problems as well. Baldwin highlights the importance of individuality with regards to education and how, at the time, African American students were under unable to do this because any decision making power available was taken away due to the civil rights they had. Individuality with education is also important in “Superman and Me”. Since he was living on an Indian reservation, he too was not in an ideal situation. Alexie quickly grew attached to reading and learning, as he was able to read “Grape of Wrath” by the time he was in kindergarten. He knew that if he pursued his own education, he would be different than the rest of the boys on the reservation. None of them valued learning and put no effort into school, and for them, it was just okay. It was not a big deal at all. Alexie took matters into his own hands, and pushed himself to be different from the rest.
ReplyDeleteAs for us in America now, I think we do not value the opportunities available for us, let alone the opportunities we have at our own school. If we look at what other countries have with their education systems, we are doing pretty good for ourselves. Some kids in other countries could not be happier if they could enroll at a school in the United States. Look at our colleges and job fields too. Getting into college has become increasingly competitive, especially with the prestigious Ivy League colleges. Then after graduating college, the hiring process for getting a job is just as competitive, even more sometimes depending on where you want to work. The schooling, colleges, jobs, they’re all there available for us, we just need to take the initiative to go out and get it.
Erick, I think your analysis of these two pieces and the subsequent discussion of their similarities, specifically in regards to the importance of individuality required for a successful education, was great! I also thought that it was extremely important to point out how often we do not seek out opportunities. We are provided with so many of them, but few us have the initiative to actually seek them out.. Great job!
DeleteI like your analysis of the two essays because I can really see the main points of the two. Also, the background behind the essays was a very important to point out. Also, I really agree with your view and how we need to seek them out if we want them.
DeleteYour discussions of the essays and education in America were both very pertinent. You really connected the points of the essays with your view of American education, that a good education can be had if one takes matters into their own hands. Good work!
DeleteWithin Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” and James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers,” many common themes are present. Both detail in their writings the state of minority education by these themes (although they do convey them with different tones). Take, for example, the point at which Baldwin states, “The whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society.” He then proceeds to state that “what societies really, ideally, want is citizenry which will simply obey the rules of society.” Essentially, what Baldwin is saying here is that education’s intention is to impose upon a certain group the “ideal” mentality by which they want this group to operate. If this mentality is successfully imposed, that certain group is unable to grow, unable to defy the norms of society. In much the same way, Alexie speaks specifically to the plight of the Native American people. He says that the mentality imposed upon them is that they are supposed to be “stupid,” and due to its success, many never break from that mindset.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Baldwin says that “the obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it....” Again, in Alexie’s piece, this same exact sentiment is expressed when he speaks of his experience back at the reservation, both as a child and an adult. First of all, as a child, he notices the mentality imposed upon his people and fights it by not acting in the way that he is expected, defying these standards. As an adult, he tries to change it by being a part of the lives of students on that reservation. He instructs them. He tries to “break down the door” which holds these students back. He tries to change the society based on his examination of it.
And, the third common theme shared between these two works is that of identity. Baldwin states, “Because I am not what I’ve been told I am, then it means you’re not what you thought you were either.” Much of what we think about ourselves is that which we are told about ourselves. If someone calls another “intelligent,” that individual thinks they are intelligent and capable. On the other hand, if someone calls another “stupid,” that individual thinks they are stupid and incapable. Because of this, we do become who we are told we are, but that is not who we TRULY are. Once this standard is disregarded, we establish our identities. This same idea is expressed by Alexie when he speaks of his childhood, and how he, unlike his peers, refuses to sink to the level at which he is regarded by others. Instead, he demands more of himself. He knows he can achieve something greater than what he is told he can.
Now, in terms of education today, I feel that, as Erick and Bethany have already stated, most do not value it as much as they should. So many other things are placed above education; few see it as a privilege; most see it as a right. In terms of education’s purpose in American society, I still see it in much the same way that Baldwin and Alexie see it — as a way to impose a certain mentality upon all. This idea is quite apparent at high schools and college campuses across the nation. Everyone wants to live in a safe space, conservatives and liberals alike. No one wants to have a civil discussion about the differences we all have and instead prefer to shout over each other. This is extremely dangerous, and much of this lies at the hands of our educational institutions. We are taught what to think, not how to think. We are not expected to search out answers and be life-long learners; we are expected to demand. We tune out what we don’t want to hear. We are not curious. We are not focused. We procrastinate. We are apathetic, as we show a clear lack of enthusiasm day in and day out. So, it’s quite obvious that while not every individual exhibits these characteristics, most do. In this way, it seems that the current purpose of education is to produce individuals with the same identity, people who think in the same exact way as all others.
This is amazing. You did a great analysis and an awesome job at describing American education in today’s society. I agree that people are becoming less curious about education and how we lack focus and procrastinate. You perfectly described everything wrong about students. It is some,thing we need to work on and fix.
DeleteIn the two excerpts of the educational essays, both authors describe their ideas of education in their own personal lives. With, “A Talk to Teachers,” Baldwin describes how an African American, himself, entered the American educational system differently than white Americans. He shows many examples such as how an African American child does not learn anything about his actual history because the teachers change the material. In Superman and Me, Alexie describes the educational system much like Baldwin described his. In Alexie’s case, he was a Native American versus an African American. He uses the ideas of how he taught himself how to read because Native Americans were not offered the same education as normal Americans. In both essays, white Americans are shown as the superior compared to any other American. As a citizen of the United States, I deem this incorrect even though people might just say this because I am white. According to the Constitution, ALL people of the United States are equal. People have mistaken for white, male Americans especially when the country was initially forming. In modern times, people are standing up for their equality rights and the government is listening. Even people who think they are transgender get rights because they are citizens of the U.S.
ReplyDeleteEducation plays a valuable role in today’s society. Most people who are not educated end up working as a waitress or some fast food restaurant cashier. Normally those jobs are reserved for people going through school who need money to pay for school, but they are being filled by uneducated people. Education has helped everyone around us, whether it be from parents, friends, or teachers. It has been there for everyone in the world since the day they were born. When a baby was hungry, it learned to cry for food. When a sibling hit another sibling, they were punished. When Kristen fails a test, she knows to study more next time. All these are examples of education in different forms. Moving beyond basics, college and graduate schools teach in a speciality to further educate someone. If doctors were not educated, would you want them operating in your body? No. Education means everything to the world because it could result in a life or death situation to anyone. I think the education in America can improve by a 100%. All schools should change their system for a better future because so many kids do not take school seriously and should, it affects the rest of their lives. From pre-school to college graduation is the most important time in a person’s life.
The last four sentences in your first paragraph was a very bold move incorporating; however, I am glad you did. They perfectly describe the main point of “A Talk to Teachers” and “Superman and Me.” Also, you did a great job discussing the importance of education in your point of view.
DeleteKristen, I am going to be honest and say that I have a few grievances with a few of the things you say here. While I wouldn’t call them criticisms, I would say they are some things I would like you to think about. To start with, you make a distinction between Native Americans and non-Native Americans by calling those who do not belong to the First Nations “normal” Americans. While I do understand the point you are trying to make, that term isn’t very precise and could be potentially offensive in a different context with fewer understanding and sympathetic classmates. Second, you talk about equality and there I also have a few issues. You say that we are all equal because the Constitution says so. To begin with, the Constitution was not written with Native Americans or gay black men in mind, but your point still stands. We do all have an inherent equal dignity, but that in the past was often denied. You have to consider the context for both of these essays. Alexie lived on a reservation, a plot of land his people had been designated to live on after years of oppression. Native Americans didn’t even have citizenship until 1924. Baldwin delivered “A Talk to Teachers” in 1963. Jim Crow Laws were still in effect in many part of the country until they were repealed by the federal government in 1964 and 1965. Looking at the time and places as well as the situational context of these pieces is the only was to look at them. Anything less is a disservice to their messages and their authors. That is not to say that you did not make some good points. I think you did an excellent job.
DeletePart 1
ReplyDelete“A Talk to Teachers” and “Superman and Me” are two very powerful and influential essays that discuss education. These two essays are both extremely similar, as they both preach the same message. They both seem to be longing for change in the field of education, specifically among young ages. “Superman and Me” discusses a young Indian boy, teaching himself how to read, and going against the grain to educate himself when nobody else would. “A Talk to Teachers” also deals with the mind of a young child. There is a big focus on what must run through a child’s mind in the midst of segregation. These stories are also similar in the fact that they talk about education specifically outside the classroom. The Indian boy does this through teaching himself how to read, and ten African American boy does this through discovering an unjust world through his own eyes. In both of these essays, education is stressed as something that is not just found in a classroom, but rather can be found anywhere if it is sought after.
Education today is an extremely touchy subject, after all it is not something that is written in fine print. The unpopular truth is that education is a strange thing. You have some people who are naturally smart and others who must work day and night to keep up with them. Some who learn through being told, and others who learn through just doing it. If it were all so easy, there would be no problems with our education system today. Sadly, however, it’s not so easy. The most controversial point on the issue is who the blame lies upon. Do we blame teachers, students, society? Rather than putting all of the blame on one group, I would say that the blame belongs to all three of those categories. Let’s start with teachers. We all know the certain teachers who are to blame here, after all some could say we could blame some of the ones even in our own school. I’m not going to name any names, however this band aid just needs to be ripped off. The truth might hurt a little, but in the end it will set you free. The teachers who are to blame are the ones who do not educate. I should leave a classroom everyday, at least knowing that I have learned something. If I ask questions, they should not be shot down. If a teacher teacher gives their lesson only to let their students pass the test, but have them learn nothing in the end, they are by no means doing their job. A teachers job is to educate, not give them some number in some system that somehow represents that persons worth. Now, I’m not saying that good grades don’t matter, because they really do, but that grade must be deserved, not just thrown in there because a student learned something they will forget next week. What I am saying is that it is about more than a grade, it’s about life, and learning to live. This needs to be stressed more often.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteNext up is students. We are to blame just as much as our teachers. We act so entitled, we groan and complain, we procrastinate. Yes, this could partially fall on the fact that teachers need to engage their students more, but I say that students need to put forth that effort to be engaged. We all give in to that temptation of, “I’ll just do it tomorrow.” This is a terrible habit. We need to break those bad habits. I believe that we all can better ourselves, and this is how the students will do it. We all want it to come easy, but nothing worth it in life ever will come easy. This is a lesson that teachers give us and we don’t even notice. Society also has a partial blame. It teaches us that the only thing that matters is that number in our grade books. It also teaches that the we absolutely need to learn things that are barely important at all. I was never thought any important life lessons, instead I can tell you equation after equation that I have burned into my head. What will happen when these equations have no use anymore? Was it all just wasted time? I think that society needs to focus on the fact that it is about more than just some numbers in a grade book. Ralph Waldo Emerson brings up a great point when he talks about how a student should be guided by their own nature. Society seems to be putting these thoughts in our minds that it isn’t about actually achieving knowledge but just about getting a good grade. This is a scary thought.
Evan, I really enjoyed reading your second and third paragraph. I think they were written very well, and the material that you wrote reallly needed to be said. Also, your comparison of “A Talk to Teachers” and “Superman and Me” was very interesting because I did not look at it the way you did. Well done!
DeleteFirstly, bless. Our educational takeaway is often far different than what our report cards say. There are some things that cannot be measured by a percentage or a letter. We definitely need to stop expecting things to come easily, and we need to work hard to improve ourselves. Great work!
DeleteI agree. What we get out of education is far more important than the letters we are assigned. It can’t just be routine memorization. There is more to life than the Pythagorean Theorum or the first sixty-four digits of pi. The blame is not for one person or group of people alone. We all need to contribute to making education better.
DeleteSherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” and James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers,” are both similar in how they talk about education. “Superman and Me” Is about a little boy on an Indian Reservation who does not have a great education. He soon finds his love of reading and becomes extremely smart. He was told all of his life to act dumb during school because he was an Indian. He was not treated fairly and did not receive the education he deserved. This is similar to “A Talk to Teachers” where James Baldwin is talking about how African American children do not get educated like white people do. He talks about discrimination and how the black children know that they cannot do certain things like sit in the front of the bus. Baldwin emphasizes that the way white people treat people of color is horrible and needs to be changed. He uses words like the “n word” to really show what type of, dare I say, abuse black people are given. It is horrible to think that these people were treated so badly and I think Baldwin’s speech made people see that a change was needed. Baldwin really established his ethos at the beginning of his speech when he said that he was not a teacher, he was just talking from experience with the education system. This, I believe, would really have made the teachers he was talking to upset because the things he talks about later on are so deep, extreme, and true that the teachers have to accept what he is saying. Education is extremely important and should not be excluded from minorities. Change, we all know, cannot happen over night, but it should be something to work towards.
ReplyDeleteToday, the education system does not usually exclude minorities all that much from where we are from, but it does still exist. In both of these stories, I feel like the white people thought that education was a right that only certain people should be able to receive. This is not true. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to receive education. To me, Education is extremely important and it is a deciding factor in people’s future. Most jobs in America require at least a high school degree, and the high paying jobs require more than that. Education is not something you should despise when we are young, it is something that we should appreciate and learn to love. Teachers all over, and especially at our school, do not receive enough appreciation or credit for what they have to deal with. Many students sleep during class and do not give a bother about their education. Teachers can see this and may try to help the student. But our education is not all up to the teachers. We as students should want to learn more, respect our teachers, and even attempt to go further on our own by reading our textbooks and doing things to improve our education. When I go on social media, there is so much crap about education such as people saying they hate school or they do not want to go. They make fun of their teachers and classes. These people do not understand how important education is and how people back then and sometimes now do not even get any sort of education. Teenage Americans need to change their opinion on education and learn the importance of it.
While I personally don’t sleep in class, I definitely agree that it happens way too often. I zone out constantly, which is probably just as bad. I totally agree with what you said about social media, and it really is ridiculous. Good job!
DeleteYou could not have worded that any better at the end. You perfectly described what is going on, and change needs to happen soon.
DeleteI certainly agree that one’s education is made by how they approach it. As Alexie showed in particular, when people get lackadaisical about their education, they set themselves up for failure. If we just give a damn, we’ll go far. Good work!
DeleteAfter reading both works, I feel it’s plain to see that both stories convey a feeling that minority education is lacking in quality and fairness. Both Baldwin and Alexie feel that blacks and Native Americans, respectively, are undermined in their education as they are expected to not be as smart as their white counterparts. Both Baldwin and Alexie are calling for wholesale changes in the education system to remedy this divide.
ReplyDeleteTo me, education is supposed to spur a learning desire in a person. However, many schools get sucked into mere repetition to learn instead of making the material interesting. One of my main pet peeves is how poorly history is taught. Tell me about heroes from that time. Inventions. Inspire in me a desire to learn more about the time period or subject.
It seems you have the idea but you really could elaborate on this more.
DeleteYou definitely brought out the main similarities between the two but I believe you could have went more in depth and backed yourself up more. Give some more evidence.
DeleteBoth Baldwin and Alexie have relatively similar experiences in their respective educations. They both faced difficulties as minorities that struggled in obtaining the education that they desired. Baldwin’s piece takes more of an offensive approach. He is trying to create anger in the reader by showing just how much oppression affected his life and others lives. He uses somewhat crass language in delivering his point to snap the reader back to attention. Using language like this is often very unexpected, so people then start listening more actively. Baldwin uses this to show how another race has decided to determine what is and is not available and acceptable to something that is has no right to define. Alexie, on the other hand, more emphasizes how his own race essentially turned against itself by creating limits with no purpose other than setting it back. He shows how it is not another race that is contributing to the severe lack of education on his reservation, but how his own tribe fails to recognize the importance of a thorough education. Alexie emphasizes that he succeeded in growth and learning because he wanted to; he had to work extremely hard to fulfill his want for knowledge. Baldwin was the same way. Neither of these men simply gave up because they faced adversity and lacked support. Therefore, they made it their missions to help others have a better educational experience than they had been given. Both stories were set up to be less than extraordinary, but the men who experienced them made them phenomenal.
ReplyDeleteI get really feisty when I talk about education in America, so I made this next part kind of satirical. Thanks for understanding.
Oh, America: what the heck. I’m not trying to be rude when I say this, but Americans take so many things for granted that it is honestly unbelievable that we get anything done. We have the funds to give thorough educations that put great leaders out into the world. Why don’t we just emphasize that popularity and other completely arbitrary things are more important though, k? In places like China, they do a full school day and then come home to study with a tutor until maybe ten o’clock at night. Most of us go to bed around midnight because we’re watching Netflix (aka me). We have so many resources, and we fail to use them to their full extents. There are people who fight tooth and nail to get out of the projects by teaching themselves and going on to achieve greatness. They have no resources, and yet they succeed more than most of us. This is not at all to say there aren’t exceptions (hi Isaac), but we need to do better. Maybe the Explorer I would’ve beaten Sputnik if the Americans stopped playing checkers for a second (not actually factual information, I’m just trying to make a point here). Also, we preach that you can’t get a job without going to college (which really isn’t true), but you can’t go to college without having a job to support it. How does that work? Well, it doesn’t without a degree (see what I did there?). Overall, America needs to kick it into gear and shape up.
Your analysis on both works is phenomenal. I also think you did a great job talking about American education. Netflix is a huge distraction towards education(even though I constantly watch it). We as Americans are pretty lazy and I agree, we do need to get our act together.
DeleteYour comparison of the two pieces is very well written, and it really shows me the similarities. Also, I like how your wrote you view on the education in America because it calls people out on their laziness.
DeleteYou did a great job analyzing the two pieces, and I think you did an even better job in your final paragraph. Your satirical approach made everything relatable, and even humorous. Great job Emma!
DeleteInjustice is more than a word. It is experience, and it is conversation. It is ignorance, and it is aggression. It is debated, and it is debated, and it is debated. Debate leads to prominence, putting possibly heated, uncomfortable, and disagreeable conversations at the forefront. Prominence, however, does not necessarily ensure exposure or change. That is the topic most obvious when analyzing the intersection of such important pieces as Sherman Alexie’s “Superman and Me” and James Baldwin’s “A Talk to Teachers” also known as “The Negro Child—His Self-Image”. Both pieces explore the complex themes of education and its purpose, society and its relationship to education, identity as it is referential of society, and systematic failure to provide given a collective identity. Both essays make significant points about injustice in education and society. In “Superman and Me”, Alexie takes a bit of a romantic approach to the purpose of education. He sees it as a means to grow and develop intellectually as well as personally/socially. Baldwin, however, believes education to have a different purpose. He sees education as paradoxically bound to society. He believes education serves to simultaneously (1) enforce concepts inherent or subliminal in a society and (2) liberate individuals from the indoctrination of their society. Both Alexie and Baldwin understand that education in America is meant to help individuals realize their potential and rise above their situations. They also recognize that their identities have also put them at a disadvantage in that respect. It is a paradox in its own right not dissimilar to the one presented by Baldwin himself. That being said, I do believe that the words of each man speak for themselves. The writings of both Baldwin and Alexie are borne of experience and analysis. Despite these pieces having been written three to four decades apart on matters of injustice that would seem to lack pertinence to the other, they do share common themes.
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DeleteTo preface, I have read a few of the blogs before posting myself, and I honestly found something both disturbing and disheartening in the content of the posts. It seems that there is a bit of a disconnect from the realities of poverty among my classmates, one that is understandable given the privileges we have been granted as a part of this local and educational community. I must be frank, however, when I say that it seems that many of us have a tendency to blame the impoverished for poverty. I understand that many of us, having gone to Catholic school for most of our lives, may not understand public education, so I will take this opportunity to give a bit of a hypothetical explanation. School districts require tax payer dollars for funding. When a poor family lives in a poor school district, their children must go to a school with the funding provided by the liminal taxes of the residents of that district. Those children go to a school without the funding or resources to give them a proper education, and as such, test scores will, in general, fall below the national average. In some cases, those students will go on to college and amass a debt they cannot repay, in other cases they will not be able to continue with higher education (be it because of the cost, test score requirements, etc.). If they cannot continue with their education, they will more likely than not remain where they were raised. They will work at a minimum wage job. They will live where they can afford. They will do what they have to to survive and support themselves and any dependents. The cycle continues. Now obviously, this is an over simplification, but it serves to enforce a point—you cannot blame someone for failure when the system works in such a way that they are to fail. No amount of American “rugged individualism” can account for all of those lost to poverty. I must say, I agree with Baldwin in many of his views on education. It is supportive and deconstructive. It would be a farce to say we have all been given the same opportunities regarding education. Yes, we are all made equal, but keep in mind, equality is not equity.
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DeleteBoth Baldwin’s A Talk to Teachers and Alexie’s Superman and Me are similar in that they capture the essence of what minority children have to go through to get an education. Alexie discussed what it was like to have gotten an education in the underperforming, low-achieving learning environment found on the Indian Reservation, while Baldwin talked about how education was denied to blacks because they were deemed to be inferior to whites. But the two essays deviate sharply after this point. As Sherman Alexie points out, the reason that the Indians were poorly educated and stuck in a low position in society was because they had a poor work ethic. Alexie pointed out that, even if an Indian was to be presented with an opportunity to get a fantastic education that would help him get out of his position at the bottom of the social pyramid, he would not, because it would be too much work. Alexie pointed out that because Indians would not put forth the slightest bit of effort, their education was geared toward their work ethic. They were only taught the basics because the basics were all they were willing to understand. As a result of being forced to only learn the basics, Alexie realized that he would have to take it upon himself to expand his education if he wanted to make it outside the reservation. And he did. Because he put forth the effort to tech himself, Alexie was able to make it in the real world. Baldwin’s essay was different in that, no matter how hard a Negro tried, he would not be able to make it in society. Unlike a Native American, who could escape the confines of the low-achieving environment of the reservation with some effort, a Negro in the 1960s is still stuck in a low position in society. Even a smart Negro would still be considered, in Baldwin’s words, an animal, and nothing more. But Baldwin does bring up how education was geared toward this societal position. Because the Indians were lazy and the Negroes were put in a low position, their education was only made to get them the basics they needed to maintain their low statuses.
ReplyDeleteTo me, education in America needs to be able to get a student to where he or she wants to be. If a student wants to work at a plant for his whole life, then he should be able to follow a path that will take him there. But if another student wants to be an astrophysicist, for example, he also needs to have a path available. Schools in America offer little to no variation in course. Sure, we have Accelerated, AP, and regular versions of a course, but in the end, everyone who graduates from our school, and most American schools, needs to have accumulated x amount of credits of each type of course. To me, that’s where our education system has no value. The aspiring astrophysicist should be able to take a low number of English and History courses while loading up on Math and Science. The plant worker, who would just need the basics, should not have to meet a quota of course credits. If he is only going to need basic math skills, he should be able to stop taking math classes after he has mastered the basics. In some European countries, they have entire high schools dedicated to a certain career path. Doctors in Europe are able to start practicing after only 6 years because they were able to attend high schools geared towards a career in healthcare. We need the ability to take matters into our own hands, like Alexie did, and attend a school geared towards what we want to do with our lives, whether we pursue careers in business, healthcare, research, or labor.
“A Talk to Teachers” and “Superman and Me” are both essays that focus on the subject of education in the face of inequality. James Baldwin, the author of “A Talk to Teachers”, expresses his view of the best education and how it will help the world. His essay was printed during the peak of discrimination and the civil rights movement. He explains that the person who is educated correctly will realize the wrongs and strive to fix them. James then switches his essay to the discrimination he has faced. He states that the young African American is taught the liberties he is suppose to have but is never given them. This angers him, and he continues on how the morals being taught are not being carried out. James also states that the black community is not believed in from the beginning, and they are sent to the back of the bus to be ignored. In “Superman and Me,” Sherman expresses the same frustration. He is in a similar situation as he is an Indian boy who experiences the same discrimination. Sherman says how the Indians are taught that they are not able to go far in their education and should stay where they live. He does not like this and tells of the story of how he pursued his education as far as he could. He knows there is more to his race, just as James, and does the most to break this discrimination. He tells how he became a writer and has made it his life goal to teach children, especially those who are not believed in, that they can and should fully invest their time into their education so they can pursue anything they want. Sherman took and more hands on approach, and Baldwin used his situation and experience to express his frustration and feelings on education at the time.
ReplyDeleteEducation, to me, is a very important thing that everyone should have the right to take advantage of. It’s very fortunate that kids in America are greatly encouraged to participate and go to school in order to have a great life. My education is not just a history lesson or a math test, it is where I learn about myself. School has opened my eyes to who I want to be and the things I want to be able to do. My favorite topics of school are those from first hand experience because I learn ways to tackle many situations. I think this is the purpose, to prepare me for the various situations in life. These lessons can be learned in the classics such as Shakespeare or newer works. The education system is a place where students should be encouraged to pursue their dreams and how to get them.
I lik your view on education. Most times I honestly would have thought of it differently. Also you brought up very good points in the comparison of “Superman and Me” and “A Talk to Teachers.” Good job overall!
DeleteYour view on education was extremely eye opening, as it brought a lot of things up that I haven’t really thought about before. Good job!
Delete“Superman and Me” and “A Talk to Teachers” are amazing works that exploit the wrongs of education. These two works show how students can work for education while facing inequality. Sherman Alexie is a Native American man who has perservered through the obstacles in his life. He takes his education very seriously and proves that anyone can obtain an education with their own effort. He is showing that everyone deserves to be educated no matter what their race may be. Sherman hopes to have a lasting effect on the future generations of Native American boys and girls that think they are not good enough. On the other hand, James Baldwin is an African American standing in front of a room full of most likely all white teachers. He is not a teacher himself but he gives a great insight on education. Even through his tough upbringing he was able to become educated. The whites did everything in their power to hold back his education, but he ended up being very successful through his efforts. No one deserves the mistreatment that Alexie and Baldwin went through, but their stories provide inspiration to those who are still discriminated against. Both of these works show perseverance through a difficult situation. These two men know the true meaning of education, and it is a gift that they never would take for granted.
ReplyDeleteTo me, education is the greatest gift we can receive. Though, the success of our educational journey depends largely upon ourselves. There has to be something inside each of us that makes us want to go learn and become more knowledgable. We should seek out our teachers instead of just sitting during class dozing off the majority of the time. A curious nature will bring upon a great education. Asking questions and having the hunger to learn is important in having a successful education. Also, I believe everyone has the right to be educated, but the level our education reaches depends solely on whether we ourselves want it or not.
“A Talk to Teachers” and “Superman and Me” are two very different accounts from two people in very similar situations. The two writers, Baldwin and Alexie, both had tough upbringings, but managed to make a relatively good life out of it. James Baldwin, being an African American man in the 1960s, faced persecution at every turn. He lived in a time when not all people were truly equal in all fronts. He could not enjoy many of the amenities offered to other people, including a high-quality education. Despite the discrimination, he managed to become a talented speaker who valued education. Baldwin highlighted the poor education system in his speech “A Talk to Teachers.” He had to fight for his education, just as writer Sherman Alexie. Alexie grew up on a Native American reserve, and did not receive a good education or good values from his school. Instead, he had to fight for them. Both Alexie and Baldwin wanted to improve the quality and standards of education for all people, particularly those who do not have the best life imaginable, who do not have a high-quality education. They fight for them, just as they fought for themselves.
ReplyDeleteEducation in America is meant to prepare students for their future career. That is what education is meant to do in America. It is not always successful, but that is its purpose. My own personal opinion is that education should have two primary goals: creating smart people and creating well-informed people. Education must prepare students for the outside world. The entire world past college is more complicated than a career. Right now, the education system in America fails to create well-informed, educated individuals. Being well-informed is different than being educated. One who is well-informed can make good decisions without being told what to do, can stay morally good, and can act maturely and responsibly, despite any troubles they may face. Taking a look at the average person leaving college in America today, one thing is very clear — education does not create well-informed people. Thousands of protesters march in cities across the country, just out of college, advocating for an end to everything from governmental surveillance to capitalism. These people are not well-informed, as they would know that governmental surveillance is keeping them alive, and that a capitalist-based economy is what separates us from communism. These are the concepts brushed over in favor of creating smart individuals. A smart individual who is not well-informed is not a benefit to society. Creating someone who is smart, but not well-informed is a failure of education, a failure that must be corrected.
Dang. Your ideal goals for education are honestly really important. You’re right—being well-informed is not the same thing as being well-educated. There is definitely a need for education on both fronts. I think it would do you well to watch Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom. The entire focus of that show is about the importance of being informed. It is a really interesting show that I would describe as right-of-center, which I think you would appreciate. Going back to your blog, though, I would like to congratulate you on a job well done.
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