Response #4

Monday in class we watched on video on YouTube that was an RSAnimated video called changing education paradigms, spoken by Sir Ken Roberson.  He talked about reforming public education, as he talked and draw about the thoughts, debates, and views about the education system, he use the terms Economics, Cultural, standardized test, factory, and the use of drugs for the treatment of “ADHD”. I put ADHD in parentheses, because as Roberson mentioned, ADHD is a matter of debate about if there is such thing. Roberson focused on how he interpreted the education system to be, which I’m sure many others would agree. I can say I agree and understood majority of what he was explained.

       Roberson discussed how schools and doctors are always diagnosing kids with ADHD, then routinely medicating these children so they will stay still and pay attention. He also deliberated the fact that grown-ups have always told and still tell children to go to college and be somebody. For years, going to college and having a degree does not guarantee a permanent job in your field. Most of the young generations of the past decade witnessed that fact, during the recession as most people call it. Parents everywhere were getting laid off, mostly because the company they worked for could not afford to pay them for their work, and I know this from personal experience. Another reason why some parents were out of work is because there was simply no work in their field (such as real estate).  I learned that watching realty shows, and the news on television.

       Today I listened to the recording of an interview done on a radio station called The Point. “Should everyone go to college?” was the title of the show; it was hosted by Tom Ashbrook. He interviewed a dean/Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education, named Robert Schwartz. Furthermore; he is the leader of Pathway to Prosperity Project, which offers students the chance to get prepared with skills and training they will need for their career field. They are later joined by Mathew Crawford, a high school teacher.  

The professor says No, everyone should not go to college, because college is not for everybody. Not everyone can find a career that interest them and would love to do till they retire.  “90% of high school graduates say they are going off to college but 70% start off”( Professor Schwartz). He is implying that statistics say 9 out of 10 graduates say they are going to college, but 7 of those 9 actually start college. He also mentioned that students who go to a 4 year college, barely more than half of them graduate. It is suggested that more hands on schools and vocational education, will help people choose their career from experience.

Later in the interview, when Ashbrook and Schwartz were joined by Matthew Crawford, he told a story about the time he had to teach a Latin at high school. “I was wishing I had a Ritalin fogger, just so I can maintain order” (Crawford). He was saying that the students were acting so crazy, he could not control them and I wish he had some medication to calm them down. By him saying that, it backs up what Roberson was saying about over medicating students, just to get them to be calm and focus.

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/03/02/should-everybody-go-to-college