Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education Reaction
I value my non-Academic education at University because - due to the fact that there is a fairly strong focus on non-academic matters - I tend to learn more in academic areas as well. This statement may seem paradoxical at first glance, but it truly is not. Coming from almost 10 years of public school education, I have seen first hand the various approaches to education, and can vouch for the fact that this system works the best, at least for me. The linear academic focus one finds at public school is ultimately detrimental to a students academic growth. I never felt any kind of connection to the classes I was in, even in the subjects I liked. As such, I never applied myself in any manner, a decision which has had repercussions for me to this day - although in retrospect I do not see how I could have done anything any differently. The focus at UHS is much different, there is a much greater emphasis placed on non-academic functions. I feel I have gotten to know teachers here far better in my two and a half years than I did in 6 years at the Westfield school system. As such, I am much more inclined to apply myself in classes, and I have pushed myself in other areas as well, some of which include joining a school sport, auditioning for plays, and pursueing community service. All of these are things that I never felt comfortable attempting in my old environment, simply because the focus was so narrow, that any deviation was seen as incorrect. But not allowing any variation from the norm, we are ultimately hurting students, and limiting their academic and personal growth.
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2 comments:
I agree with what I think you're saying. Well done academic learning accentuates and amplifies non-academic learning. I don't know if this is such a successful aspect at University because we push nonacademic learning so strongly (i.e. the Mentoring program), or if because good education in general pushes students to expand their horizons. Nonetheless, I think UHS has the mixture down right. Well done education makes a student want to know, not just know.
Exactly, this is the point I was trying to get across. Like you, I cannot say exactly where the success of this institution lies, whether it be in the academic or the non-academic areas, obviously both are quite strong. For me personally, I find it lies in the non-academic areas, such as mentoring and other various activities, which help to exemplify my own academic progress. I am invested in the school, and am thus much more likely to make progress in academic areas. For one thing, I like the school, so I am not likely to want to flunk out. This is just my personal experience, and it may vary from person to person. As you said, I think it is hard to identify which of these areas is more the cause of our schools success
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