“Failing Superman,” video by Marc-Andre Lalande
I really enjoyed this look at how the current educational system
is failing its students with its standardized curriculum by Marc-Andre Lalande.
He notes how despite decades of schooling, how so many of the skills that are
taught and tested are lost outside of the classroom setting. His noting that
school fails to accommodate the natural aptitudes and interests of an individual
learner, thus making their educational experience less invigorating than it
could be had it been designed to develop those unique passions. Lalande doesn’t
ignore the fact that educational reforms have attempted to address the
ever-changing landscape of our modern world to make sure that our students are
well-equipped for the future. He understands that understanding fundamentals,
like learning to make calculations by hand, is important to understand how calculators
and computers crunch numbers. How do teachers teach everything and anything to
keep up with the age of instant answers thanks to technology? Lalande says they
don’t, their importance lies in their ability to be a mentor, coach, or cheerleader
that helps you develop your curiosity and challenge you to develop your own
competencies. Essentially, the gist is that wisdom does not equate to regurgitation
of facts and figures. Maybe the ladder to success does not look the same for everyone.
Our current educational system is rigged to convince us that
we aren’t “smart” if we aren’t “proficient” in the topics that they
select. This proves that a High-School diploma, or any certificate of educational
achievement for that matter, is evidence only that one is willing to submit to
authority. Or maybe if nothing else that one is willing to “fake it till [they]
make it.” When I look at my own growth as a learner, I do think I gained some
valuable skills in school. However, like many, I am aware that it is selective
and has the ability to hold one back. It focuses on making one do formulas and
memorize figures when a bright student could be putting his/her attention on
things more personally fulfilling and productive given their passions and
interests. Supplementing the current curriculum with more practical information
(life skills like filing taxes, balancing a checkbook, or even developing moral
character) is probably not realistic since they aren’t in the realm of the “core”
subjects of math, science, literature, and history. However, I would like to
see an alternate universe where I grew up in a school system that developed individual
skills and passions. What would I be like today? Where would I be on the scale of success? How would it be measured in a world like that compared to how it is now? That is a very nurture/nature
thought-experiment that will keep me pondering the rest of the day.
(Image Source: Pixabay Stock Photos)
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