Have you ever felt like you were the outcast in a class? Everyone is answering the teacher's questions and you're just sitting there with a blank stare. Well you my friend, are not alone.
Growing up we all had subjects we didn't like. Either history, science, or what many people hate, word problems in math! You may have felt dumb because you didn't understand what the teacher was talking about, and because you felt dumb, you thought that maybe you are a little less smart than everyone else. The article "Hidden Intellectualism", proves otherwise. NONE of us are dumb. However we may be less educated than some of our peers in subjects that seem to not capture our attention.
In this article by Gerald Graff, I come to realize that being smart involves MANY subjects, not just the ones learned in school. Growing up I think our generation was taught that you had to be "book smart" in order to actually be smart. Sadly I believed it. But now we know that this isn't true.
I enjoyed this article because in a way it's going against the education system. Textbooks haven't really taught us how to survive in the world. Yeah it gives us tools to help us succeed like learning how to read, write, and calculate numbers, but is that really what the world is all about? We don't really talk about all the violence such as gangs, or even learn how to be a businesslike person. Maybe schools should offer more of a variety of learning that engages all of our minds. High school drop out rates would probably decrease as well as an increase in college enrollment. What do you think?
Danae, I agree with your opinion after reading the article, “Hidden Intellectualism”, and your comment above on how textbooks haven’t really taught us how to survive in the world. I know high school graduates that graduate from high school without knowing how to do their taxes, or even be businesslike for the job market. I mostly agree with the observation that if high schools offered a variety of learning material that its’ drop out rates would decrease. I also believe that students will go into college more prepared and their retention rates will also decrease. Also agreeing along with your opinion saying that, “None of us are dumb.” It is proven that in class there is always the student that comes prepared to learn and then the student that can barely stay awake. It’s not which student is the smartest; it is what sparks each of their interests. We are all different, and different things spark our imagination like math or an art class. On the other hand, being book smart” may be the gateway to college but it’s the “street smarts” that keep students enrolled in college. We should as students want to be success in any field we find interesting along with being inside and out the classroom. I agree with Graff on how he is going against the education system, as well as you think too. I have yet to come to realize that every classmate I have is the same. We are different and are all intellectuals.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that everyone is an intellectual whether it’s being educated in school or educated in something outside of school. There have been times when I have felt like an outcast because I hardly knew the answers to the questions that were asked, but I have learned not to worry about it because everyone learns different things at different levels. Even though I think that people don’t have to be “book smart” in order to be an intellectual, I don’t believe that textbooks haven’t taught us how to survive. Learning to read, write, and calculate may not be what the world is “all” about, but it is what the world is mostly about. Reading, writing, and calculating are three of the major things that are needed in order to survive in this world. Most people might not think so because they are so uninterested in the subject there learning that they aren't focusing on the things that actually can help them in life. I don’t believe that Graff is going against education; he’s just saying that you don’t have to be “highly” educated in order to be an intellectual, but you still need to know the basics. After all, if you don’t know how to read, write, and calculate, you can’t get very far in life.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Savannah, for mainly one reason that you stated in your comment. You mentioned that everyone is an intellectual whether it's in school or outside. There are math geniuses that tutor and teach students on an everyday basis. Then there are music artists in the studio that work on projects for the world. That is one example for your point but it is how the world is. I also don't believe a textbook in school can teach everyone what they need to know. Most people may or may not agree with us, but they should. Its thousands of examples why everyone can be an intellectual whether we believe it or not. This should give other students at Mayfair awareness to what they may be missing out on.
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