Thursday, November 8, 2007

Kate Shindle - Miss America: More Than a Beauty Queen?

This article discusses the many factors of being a beauty queen. Many seem to think that the only thing you have to do to become miss USA is be pretty and look good in a swimsuit. Shindle points out that image is a definite part of obtaining and holding a title, but it is not the only thing that is important. "As Miss America in 1998, I helped raise an estimated $20 million to $30 million for HIV/AIDS organizations worldwide, lobbied legislators for more funding and better health-education programs for those who were infected, and served as a moderator at the 12th World AIDS Conferene in Geneva." Obviously, Shindle did more that just sit there and look pretty. She made a difference by raising money for an issue that effects many people today. What Shindle is concerned about is that Miss America's image does not include that today. She notes that many people think of Miss America as unintelligent, and that the only reason why she is Miss America is because of her image. "Administrators at one highly ranked university canceled an appearance, claiming that Miss America couldn't possibly have anything in common with their students." If I were Shindle, I would be very offended by this statement. Yes, being Miss USA includes looking good. But that is not the entire package. I think what Shindle is trying to get across is that the organization does not represent what it is supposed to represent. It sort of disregaurds the education and intelligence that the woman has, and puts forth the image. Shindle seems ashamed that the organization represents such a shallow image, and she beleives that it has changed since she was Miss USA. I think that if I had held a title and accomplished all of the things Shindle has accomplished, then I would be frustrated in seeing that the organization does not recognize these accomplishments as much as they should. She states that "I will be even prouder when the Miss America Organization defines its mission and lives up to its potential." I think that Shindle really just wants the organization to be recognized as it should be - not superficial, but something that benefits others and includes women who are valued not just for their looks, but for their intelligence and accomplishments as well. Something that proves that "the pagenat is the nation's largest provider of women's scholarships, and encourages thousands of young women to take leadership roles in their communities."

Stephanie Coontz - The Way We Wish We Were

This article discusses the way in which families strive to be. We look back at the families in the olden days and wonder why we cannot be like them. Although families today definitely have their issues, we cannot idealize families from the past. Just because our families are not perfect, it does not mean that other families that we compare ourselves with are. We refer back to the 1950's, wondering how the women balanced tending to their children and home along with keeping their relationship with their husband alive. The image that we interpret from the 50's tells us that the women were able to do just that - they could balance everything and still keep a smile on their face. But our interpretation is incorrect. "The hybrid idea that a woman can be fully absorbed with her youngsters while simultaneously maintaining passionate sexual excitement with her husband was a 1950's invention that drove thousands of women to therapists, tranquilizers, or alcohol when they actually tried to live up to it." Our impression of the 1950's lady was far from correct - as families striving to become better today we look at only the good in families from the past. If you look deeper past the image of the happy-go-lucky family, we see that there are problems such as alcoholism in these families. Those families seem have traits that are similar to our families - traits that are definitely not perfect. Coontz goes on to demonstrate other families from different eras such as the nineteenth century. We thought that they were the ideal family, until we looked further and realized that "there was a significant increase in child labor during the last third of the nineteenth century". Not only did children have to work every day, but they did so in grueling conditions. So when we look past the portrayal of a family that abides by strict rules and seemed to be epitome of a substantial household, we see the flaws that they had. This article taught me that no family is perfect. No matter what era we are in, where we live, or what kind of people we are, a family cannot be absolutely ideal. When I read this article, I compared it to my family. I saw connections between the stories of families and my own family. I realized that even if we are living in a different day and age, we still suffer from the same struggles that any family does. Families will always have obstacles to overcome, and whether or not they depends solely on the changes they make.

David Brooks - One Nation, Slightly Divisible

This article talks about the difference between red and blue America. Blue America refers to the people that live near cities and have a fast paced life. Red America refers to rural areas where life is much more calm than the city. The two are named by colors because of the elections - red refers to republicans and blue refers to democrats. The fact that the Unites States of America has been split into these two types of parties shows that we are not as "united" as we say we are. There are certain states and people in them that believe ideas that clash with people from other states. Although their ideas seperate them, this is what makes America a place that is free. People in America are free to express their own ideas, and believe their own beliefs. Although this freedom brings a negative seperation between people, it is what our nation stands for. People in America appreciate the fact that they can voice their own opinion and be heard. Sure, there might be opposition to their opinion, but that doesn't mean that their argument is not valid. Although our nation is split between our differences in ideas, there are times when we come together no matter what our oppositions are. When our country is in need, the people are able to disregaurd every difference that we have, and work together to provide necessary help. These times include tragedies such as 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina. Although the country has its differences in beleifs, we were able to put that aside and work towards what was necessary - recovering from the disaster. Even though the entire nation was effected by these disasters, not everyone was directly effected. People on the East coast were much more effected by 9/11 because their family and friends had a higher risk of being involved in the tragedy. People across America may not have been effected by the attack as much as people on the East coast, but they helped out anyway. This is one example of our nation coming together and disregaurding our differences. I believe that our nation will always have our differences and opposition in opinions, but that does not mean that we will not be there for each other when it is necessary.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Margaret Atwood - A Letter to America

This article discusses America and its faults from a Candian point of view. Atwood, who was born in Canada and moved to America to attend school at Harvard University, basically discusses the negative aspects of America and how it has changed over the years. The article is set in a negative tone, with Atwood bashing many of the situations in our society. SHe states that we're "gutting the Constitution", "running up a record level of debt", and "torching the American economy". She states that we are gutting our Constitution by allowing "your mail to be spied on , your private records to be searched" etc. Although she makes a good point that we have become a scared nation, I believe that we have reason to be. We have experienced so much with 9/11 and the invasion of our lives, that there is justification in our terror and therefore some of our freedoms must be taken away. I agree with her when she says that we are "running up a record level of debt". Increasing our debt is something that could be prevented by our government, and has not been implemented. I also agree with the fact that we rely on other countries to provide the production of goods,l and that this could lead to "a few megarich King Midases, with the rest being serfs, oth inside and outside your country." Atwoods concerns about America are definitely valid, although she was not born in America. She takes ideas about American culture that she never actually experienced, and compares to present day America. Her opinions are some what devalued because of the fact that she did not grow up in America. Although this needs to be taken into consideration, I still believe that Atwood has firm arguement that proves a point even if her facts did not come from personal experiences.

Ward Churchill - Crimes Against Humanity

This article discusses the descrimintation against Native Americans. Churchill compares descrimination against Native Americans to extreme imaginary cases of descrimination against other races / nationalities. He says that naming a sports team after a certain race is discriminatory, even if it is not recognized by society. One of the many teams that provides a reference to Native Americans includes the RedSkins. Although Native Americans might recognize this name as discriminatory, others do not recognize that. My interpretation of the name is not descriminatory - to me it conveys and strong and conquering image. But, as Churchill suggests, I would definitely interpret a name such as the "Fresno Fags" or the "Wisconsin Wetbacks" as descriminatory. There would be no doubt in my mind that those names were insulting to the people pertaining to that group. This article made me wonder why I would recognize names such as these as descriminatory, but not the Red Skins. Maybe it's because the subject of Native Americans and our kicking them out of their homelands has long since passed, and there are new issues of today such as sexual orientation. But on the other hand, race is still something that is very controversial today. So why is the race of Native Americans not considered when recognizing descriminatory terms? It should be. This article definitely made me conclude that our society should be more attentive to descriminatory terms, and not disregaurd them under any circumstance.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Maxine Hong Kingston - No Name Woman

This article discusses a girl whose mother tells her a terrible story about her aunt. Up until the tim that her mother informed her, she had no idea that she had even had an aunt. Her mother tells her how her aunt had gotten pregnant, and was tortured by the village because of it. This led to her suicide, along with the child. I found this story to be very disturbing. Although I don't think suicide is right or necessary, I do understand her aunt's reasons for doing so. She was ready to give birth at a time where the men had been working for a long time, and the people were not at peace. She was tortured for becoming pregnant with a man other than her husband, and this was looked down upon in her culture. I feel that her aunt may have felt trapped, and did not have an option with her pregnancy. She had most likely been forced to have sex, and in the Chinese culture women did what men said to do. If I were her, i would have been terrified of the men and the way society ran. Being put in such a situation is unfortunate. Kingston goes on to describe her vision of her aunt, and how she must have been beautiful and outgoing. She sort of gives two sides of her aunt - a beautiful woman who obeyed rules, and a woman who put herself out there sexually. Although Kingston did not know any details about her aunt other than her suicide, she probably had a decent guess. The fact that her father denied ever having a sister must have made Kingston feel low. Her mother told her the story to inform her how to not act, but I think this story would discourage me. I would feel negative about women in general, and this would make me feel like less of a woman. Although the moral behind telling her daughter about the story may have been wrong, it ended up informing Kingston about her long lost aunt. If I were her, I would be terrified by the story, but glad to know everything about my family, rather than hearing a lie my entire life.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Anne Roiphe - A Tale of Two Divorces

This article discusses two cases in which a divorce was necessary. One of the cases was in need of a divorce, but it never occurred - this case was about Roiphe's parents. She talks about how her mother was treated terribly by her father - he cheated on her, told her he wasn't beautiful, and asked how anyone could love her. Anne watched her mother in misery as she grew up, wondering why her mother didn't divorce. Her mother asked her for advice about whether or not she should leave her father, but Anne's word wasn't enough. Her mother died before she got a chance to liberate herself from the negative relationship. I feel that this is unfortunate situation. I have sympathy for Anne's mother, because I watched my mother go through a divorce and i know how hard it was for her. She felt depressed and lonely, and that is probably what Anna's mother was afriad of feeling. But it seemed to me that she may have felt more lonely when she was married than if she left her husband. She probably reasoned that leaving her husband would cause further grief, but I think that it would have liberated her and effected her positively. The second case of divorce involved Roiphe herself. She had believed that she married a man the complete opposite of her father. She ended up realizing that her husband was more like her father than not, and that she had turned into her mother to a certain degree. Anne made the choice to divorce her husband - a choice she claimed to have bettered her chilren's lives. I believe that divorce, when necessary, may not be as negative as it seems. Of course it is heartbreaking, especially to the kids, but in the future it usually is something that becomes beneficial to the family. I know that if my parents had stayed together, my life may have been more negative. When a relationship gets to the point where fighting occurs on a daily basis, being seperate from that person is necessary for the well being of yourself, and your children. As a child that experienced their parents divorcing, I definitely did not enjoy the experience, but I know that the choice my parents made was for the better of all of our lives.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Underhill - Shop Like a Man

This article discusses the different ways in which each gender shops. It talks about how women leisurely shop and enjoy inspecting every item available to them. Men, on the other hand, are quick about it. They go into the store, find something they want, and buy it. There is no analyzation of the product, or even a glance at the price tag. I find this to be humerously true because I have witnessed my dad doing exactly this. He is the kind of shopper who gets what he needs and leaves. I remember my sister and I asked him if he would take us shopping. We browsed through clothes at a leisurely pace, enjoying our time. When I looked over, my dad was pacing around, with an anxious look on his face. He obviously would have preferred giving us money and leting us shop on our own. I find it interesting when Underhill says that men feel a thrill by paying. Working at a retail store, I noticed as well that when men and women are shopping together, the man always insists to pay for the items. He is always stubborn about it and wips out his wallet before the woman can state an argument. I agree with Underhill's conclusion that this is because it makes the man feel like the providor. Even if he is not the one bringing in the most money between the couple, he will still feel proud by paying for his wife. That is the only part of the shopping experience that he enjoys. I like that idea that Underhill suggests about making shopping fun for both genders. If there were a section in a store that was labeled in a male manner, I believe the man would enjoy the shopping experience much more. I know my dad would get all fired up about a grill and lighter fluid.

Sunday, October 14, 2007

Comparing the Mary Pipher article to the Deborah Tannen article

When studying the similarities between the article by Mary Pipher and the article by Deborah Tannen, I realized that they both discussed education and the different approaches used. Tannen refers back to when she lived in China, and how the approach of debate was much more laid back. The Chinese approach involved integration and understanding of other people's view points. She compared this to the American approach, where debate is much more intense and barbaric. This is somewhat like the Pipher article because it discusses the different approaches of education. Pipher discusses how genders are treated differently in education. She states that boys are expected to be role models and that they receive more attention than a girl. This relates to the Tannen article because weather it involves cultures or genders, education has many approaches. Being in a certain culture or being a certain gender defines how you will be educated. If you are in a Chinese culture, you will be treated with a laid back approach. If you are of a female gender, you will be treated with less expectations. Each culture and gender have pros and cons to them. Being a boy might seem like the better gender in an education, but it might put more pressure on them to succeed. Girls, on the other hand, will not have such pressure - which might lead to an even greater success. People in China may be more considerate of other people's opinions than people from America. This may be an advantage, because it can create a further understanding of every point of view. Americans may also have an advantage because they know how to defend themselves in an argument. Each culture and/or gender can be seen as a positive in the educational system. It depends on how you look at the situation, and weather or not you can utilize the educational tactics to the fullest extent.

Dave Barry - Guys vs. Men

While reading this article, I found many aspects to be humorous. Barry talks about the difference between a guy and a man. The guy is someone who finds interest in "neat stuff". A guy will buy a computer that is at the highest level of technology, even if he will not use it. Guys are obsessed with cars, electronics, and "neat stuff". When Barry compares guys' fixation with technology to women's' fixation with moving furniture, he makes a good point. Women have a completely different idea of things that are "neat" than guys do. A woman might be obsessed with decorating a house, while a man is obsessed with a truck. This draws a specific line between the two genders. Another aspect of this article that intrigued me was the use of the term "guy" when comparing of guys to men. When you look at the female, there is no equivalent to "guy". There are the words gal or chick. These are not equivalent to guy. I noticed that there is a clear line between a man and a guy. In contrast, there is not definite difference between a chick and a woman. A girl may become more mature with age, but the characteristics that Barry states about guys are much more defined than the characteristics of chicks. This article did a very good job of differentiating guys and men. I was impressed with the amount of characteristics that define a guy, and separate them from men.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Learning to Read - Malcom X

This article talks about the learning experiences of Malcom X. He was only educated up until the 8th grade, so when he tried to read as an adult, he was not able to. He attempted to read, but only understood a couple words out of the whole context. He became angry when he could not write letters and express what he felt, so he decided to do something about it. "I became increasingly frustrated at not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters that I worte, especially those to Mr. Elijah Muhammad." During his time in jail, Malcom studied the dictionary. I feel that this is a great tactic in homemade education. Understanding every single word in the english language is the first step to reading. I also think that the fact the he wrote out the entire dictionary is what helped his writing to improve. Witht Malcom's new understanding of reading, he was able to explore the many books offered in the prison's library. He explored black history, forcing him to cope with the harsh realities of the treatment of his own race. I think that if I were Malcom, I would be dissappointed to know such a terrible history, but at the same time I would be happy that I was informed. Malcom must have felt so awakened, realizing that if he had never learned how to read, he would never have known the history of his own people. I know that I am amazed every time I read something new, because it increases my knowledge of so many subjects. The power of reading and writing is what educates the people of today. Because Malcom taught himself to read and write, he is - in my eyes - an educator. He was able to teach himself everything there is to know about reading and writing, and this allowed him to further his own knowledge.

Academic Selves - Mary Pipher

This article discusses the difference in treatment towards different genders. Pipher addresses that "In classes, boys are twice as likely to be seen as role models, five times as likely to receive teachers' attention and twelve times as likely to speak up in class." This fact shows that boys dominate the classroom in the average school. Although Pipher's facts seem valid, I disagree. In my school, girls are the ones who speak up in class and participate. The boys may receive more attention from the teachers, but that is because they are disruptive. It is necessary for teachers to pay more attention to boys because they often disorganize the classroom by saying comments and remarks that rile up the kids. But for the most part, the girls were the ones who competed against one another for the best grades. The girls were always very excited for the group projects, and the boys would expect the girls to do all the work. Although this is how my school was, many other schools differ. In Pipher's case, she states that the boys are the the main role models. She says that "boys tend to be portrayed as clever, brave, creative, and resourceful, while girls are depicted as kind, dependent and docile." The qualities that Pipher says that girls portray are definitely positive, but they are somewhat derogatory. These qualities perpetuate the stereotype of women - that women are passive and very dependent on men. I say the portrayal of women cannot be changed at once, but can in time. As long as women stay independent, tough, and brave, then we can break the stereotype that we are meek, little women who need men to survive.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

English 99: Literacy Among the Ruins

Gannon was offered a job at a small college where he thought he would be teaching a non-fiction creative writing class. Instead, he ended up teaching an English 99 class, which was basically the lower division class for kids who weren't ready for English 101. This class didn't even count as credit towards a degree for a student. I think that Gannon may have felt like he had been underestimated by the college. He mentions that he knows they had him teach English 99 because it was a profitable course, but even so if I were him I would feel a bit dishonored. Gannon obviously doesn't feel underestimated because he talks in a positive way about the course. He displays his humerous attitude towards teaching the course by saying, "Of course, I was an imposter. But so was the class I taught. I was posing as a professor and English 99 was posing as a college course." Gannon goes on to talk about how there were three categories in the class. There were the bored looking girls, the jocks, and the Bosnian refugees. He said that the girls talked about how life is hard, how they can't do anything, and about how tired they are. The jocks talked about how they have fun, they need freedom, and their talents. Then he said that the refugees talked only about life and the war they had experienced. If I were Gannon, I would be so rediculously bored with the concepts that the kids were writing about. He said that he started to dread the days he had to teach English 99. I think that I would definitely feel the same way if I were to be teaching English 99.

Jon Spayde: Learning in the Key of Life

Spayde refers to education as training for competition. He does not believe that in class education is the only means in understanding the many concepts in life. He talks about slow knowledge and fast knowledge, and how some things in life are common sense. People usually can tell what "ought to be". "It is knowledge 'shaped and calibrated to fit a particular ecological and cultural context,' he writes, distinguishing it from the 'fast knowledge' that zips through the terminals of the informatin society." I think what Spayde is saying is that slow knowledge is something you acquire and learn as you go. You pick up on facts about cultures and genres, and you are not taught in one single class session. Fast knowledge, on the other hand, is something that can be taught in as little as an hour. Sitting down and writing out the facts is fast knowledge, because it does not have to be learned and tested out through everyday experiences. It is a solidified fact, and therefore it can be instilled in a person's head in a quick manner. "School helps, but it's just the beginning of the engagement between ideas and reality - as Abel Lomas can attest." I believe that life experiences are what can further an education in a person's life. School informs a person all of the basics as far as specific subjects such as math and english, but it does not inform a person on cultures and ideas of different types of people.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Kyoko Mori - School

Mori compares the educational system in Japan to America. She says that in America adults are able to return to college even at the age of 40. On the other hand, in Japan adults are only given one chance to get a degree in college. They are not able to return to college and get a second degree like an adult in America might be able to. In Japan, the only way to get into college is to take entry level exams directly out of high school. If they don't get in, they have to wait for a year and are considered ronin, which means they are floating around. If they don't get in after a year, they usually just settle for a low-paying job. In America, we're able to work for a couple years and then apply to colleges. Japanese adults don't have this priveledge. Mori says that the fact that it is so easy to get into college for people in America makes it seem as if "they are not real or substantial enough." Americans idealize Japan's education for its toughness. Mori says that it may be tough, but she didn't learn very much in her years in Japanese education. She still does not know how to write Japanese, so she cannot translate her novels. Mori talks about her how she didn't understand why she got the grades she did in school. Her teachers didn't tell her or her friends ways to improve. "Over and over again, our Japanese education offered this sort of harsh judgement combined with vague exhortation." Experiencing this must have made her feel helpless. When I was in my earlier education, I always seeked my teacher's approval and comments, and tried my hardest to improve. I would feel frustrated not knowing what to do in order to improve my work. Mori says that when she began learning English, the assignments she got back had detailed comments. She was happy to finally get feedback from her teachers. She was able to go on and learn the many methods of writing. Mori talks about Zen, and how it teaches the overall concepts and does not describe specifics. Many of Mori's friends liked this kind of teaching because it did not require much description. American teaching talks about specifics rather than the overall subject. I believe this method of teaching is better because it specifically lets the student know what they need to do to improve. The method of Zen is so ambiguous and leaves the student confused. If I were to test out both methods of education, I would prefer the method that informs me with the details that are necessary for improvement.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Michael Sokolove - Football Is a Sucker's Game

This article talks about the positives and the negatives of football. Although there are many postives to sports, the negatives definitely outweigh them. It mentions that "to build the U.S.F. athletic complex will cost as much as $15 million. To furnish it - starting with $425,000 in weight-training equipment, a $65,000 hydrotherapy tub, portable X-ray machines, satellite uplinks and downlinks, trophy cases for a U.S.F. sports hall of fame in the atrium entrance - will cost up to $5 million more." From this fact, we can see that football is definitely not a cheap sport. In fact, a dozen athletic departments have a budget of $40 million and up. Even with such a large budget, some schools "face the choice of spending themselves into oblivion or being embarrassed on the field." With the rediculous amount of pads and equipment needed for a football team, the costs can rack up quickly. Only schools with an average attendance that exceeds 100,000 are guaranteed a reimbursement of the spending. In many cases such as these, schools are paid to lose. College sports have escalated in expenses to such an extent that some of the largest schools end up losing money. "The University of Michigan, which averages more than 110,000 fans for home football games, lost an estimated $7 million on athletics over the course of two seasons. Sokolove's use of evidence proves that football costs more than some may think. With the cost of equipment and coaches, many teams are not guaranteed revenues. I think that Sokolove's point in writing this article is that even though many think that football is worth the cost, they don't realize how much the cost actually is. He says that football is a sucker's game, and I agree. We are wasting money on sports, when the funds could be put towards departments such as nursing. Yes, the people love their football and will support it until they die. But is the cost of entertainment too much when put into the grand scheme of things? I believe so. The loss is much more than the gain, and this is proven through the facts that Sokolove uses to prove his point. I think that this is a good peice of writing because it shows evidence that football is soaking up a large amount of funds, and it proves the point that football is a sucker's game.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Lynne V. Cheney - Politics in the Schoolroom

The article talks about how 40 years ago classrooms were filled with white male teachers teaching white male students. The civil rights movement changed all of that, creating a more broad educational program everywhere. Now, education includes a "more ethnically and racially diverse group of students as well as their ideas, experiences, and perspectives." Cheney doesn't believe that "classroom innovations that feature multicultural or feminist perspectives" are a necessary "diversion from more important academic concerns." She disagrees that this integration of a diverse culture is necessary, because it may distract from concentration. She thinks that the classrooms should concentrate on teaching important aspects of subjects, and that they should teach the version that doesn't hide anything. Cheney speaks about how kids are taught the positive aspects of Christopher Colombus. She believes that kids should know that he wasn't really the founder of America, but more a man who stole it. She feels that the government has control of what we learn and what we become. The media is able to distort this information, and make things look better than they are. She forces the idea to question the media and the so called "facts" that they state. She feels that the "truth" may be sugar coated, and that people should know the real facts. Her problem with what the government teaches is that it is not truthfull. One example of a misrepresentation of a subject is the slave trades. She talks about how they mention the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but not the slave trade conducted by African kings or Arab traders that happened after the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This is just one subject that back up her opinion. Kids are being taught a small portion of the truth. I agree with Cheney, because she proves a good point. People should know everything, not just a small sugar-coated version of a subject. Maybe kids don't want to hear it or don't understand that things may be worse than they thought, but it is necessary for them to understand the evils in the world. Informing people the entire truth may be the answer to preparation for the future. Cheney's point is valid and usefull. If the everyone knew the entire truth, they would be able to get farther in life.

Deborah Tannen - The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue

Tannen talks about a classroom full of debate and opinions. When she looks further into the situation, she sees that not all of the students are involved in the debate. She assumes that the reason why they aren't involved is because they don't have an argument against another person's point. Although debate is a large part of education in the west, Ong talks about how the Chinese culture approaches debates. "The aim was to 'enlighten an inquirer' not to 'overwhelm an opponent.' " The tactic seems a lot less attacking and invasive. It focuses on "integrating ideas and exploring relations among them than on opposing ideas and fighting over them." This may very well be the answer to all conflict in the West. Instead of debating in a barbairac manner, we can integrate ideas and get a better understanding of another person's point of view. This article is a peice of good writing because it portrays numerous ways of debate. There is the Western debate, that allows people to become feirce and angry, and there is the Chinese approach, which is a lot more laid back and integrated. There are numerous subjects in which you can have a debate. Subjects such as English allow for a broadened debate because of the room for interpretation. Subjects such as math and science do not allow much of debate room. There may be numerous ways to solve the equation, but the answer will always be the same. When utilizing debate tactics in the classroom, I will remember this article and reference back to the different types of debate. I will try to use the Chinese approach, and integrate ideas rather than attack.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Donald Kagan - What is a Liberal Education?

In this article, Kagan argues that a liberal education varies depending on what era a person is in. In the era of Aristotle, a liberal education meant preparing a man for the world so that he can fit in with society. The people of the Middle Ages beleived that God was the source of all truth, and "to comprehend truth was to come closer to divinity."In the Middle Ages, they obviously studied in order to become closer to God. In the Renaissance, "their idea of a liberal education, the studia humanitatis, continued to include grammar and rhetoric from the old curriculum but added the study of canon of classical poets, historians, and political and moral philosophers." They enjoyed encorporating these studies, but they also included them because they would help a person to speak in a benevolent manner, and to become smarter. Kagan talks about how a liberal education wasn't always strictly for a career in those days. It was more for a well-rounded person who was able to fit in with the rest of the people. These days, a liberal education serves as a background for a career choice, as well as an aid to become a well-rounded person. I think this peice of writing is great because Kagan states his point and then references to the many different eras as his background. He states that a liberal education is different according to each era, and this is supported through the evidence in eras such as the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and Aristotle's time. Kagan's point and support was clear and straight forward.

Monday, September 10, 2007

John Henry Newman: The Idea of a University

Newman talks about how one branch of education is not the same without the influences of another. His simile referring to colors allowed me to understand his point further. He stated that the many combinations of colors give a different effect to each picture. Without the combination of colors and shades, the picture would not be as intricate. This can apply to education as well. When learning a certain subject such as English, one may be more knowledgeable if they had studied History as well. Linking the two subjects can create a clearer picture in the mind of a student. Knowing the background of a subject may come in handy while studying another. Newman states that being exposed to an array of subjects will benefit the students, even if they don't utilize every one of them. He states, "They learn to respect, to consult, to aid each other." He goes on to talk about the purpose of the university, saying "Its art is the art of social life and its end is fitness for the world." I believe this statement to be very true. Not only does a university teach you subject matter, but it also introduced you to a social arena. It mentally and socially prepares you for the world, and the many obstacles ahead. The university "aims at raising the intellectual tone of society" and provides a clear interpretation of life without judgement or opinion. Universities allow people to think on a more mature and logical level. Attending a university can definitely change a person and their outlook towards the world. I feel that this article was great because it allowed me to look beyond just the educational program in a university. I was able to see that a university not only provides education courses, but it also prepares one for the many social conflicts in life. This article made me think about the changes that I will be going through in the next four years, and how my perspective may change in the future.