We, Generation Z, have lived ALL our lives permanently plugged into a network of digital devices. We’ve been raised around e-mail, texting, tweeting and sharing. We’re a cultural phenomenon to those of previous generations. The following explains my point: As I continued reading the book, "Free to Learn" by Peter Gray, I came up with a sentence which said, “think of a cat preying on a mouse…” I had to actually stop and reread the sentence twice, if not more, in order to understand Gray wasn’t speaking of a computer mouse, but of the actual animal.
We, children are naturally motivated to play, not just using the skills, which are more praised and prominent among adults, but also, using new skills that lay at the culture’s cutting edge. Because of this, we, kids, learn to use technology a lot faster than do our parents. I can’t even count with my fingers and toes, the amount of times I’ve mocked my mom for struggling with such basic technological concepts or skills—there was this time, she got so incredibly frustrated because “the computer screen wouldn’t get bigger” and made me sprint downstairs, making it seem like a life crisis, when all she had to do was tap the full screen button right next to her mouse! Children know how to recognise the skills which will be of most relevance and use in the future; the skills of OUR own generation. Sugata Mitra, at the time a science director, made an experiment on children’s capacity for self-education. He illustrated the three main aspects of our human nature— curiosity, playfulness, and sociability— all which can combine beautifully to serve the purpose of education. Human educative instincts can provide a foundation for education in our present-day culture as they did in hunter-gatherer cultures. Just as we are born into the world with instinctive drives to eat and drink what we must in order to survive, we were also born with instincts to educate ourselves. The real onus for education has always laid within children ourselves; by taking away our freedom, you’re taking away opportunities we need to learn. After thoroughly analysing every criminal, I can confidently say the most wanted thief for stealing children’s freedom is probably school. Somehow, over the years, its gained such power, it now interferes in every aspect of a child’s life. Childhood is now viewed through the lens of schooling either directly or indirectly; correct me if I’m wrong, but when you meet someone new, a typical question you’ll ask is “what grade are you in?” Isn't it? We are taught not to go beyond what was taught. How often is it that you see a student looking for alternative methods to solve, for example, an arithmetic problem the teacher has already shown how to solve? Not something you see everyday...or week huh? I can recall at least fifteen times at school when students showed a spark of curiosity or interest in class and the teacher cut them off, so as not to “waste precious time where we could be working”. School is an expert in suppressing curiosity and enthusiasm. I can’t speak for others, but before reading this book, when I thought of “play”, I thought of the behaviour itself, not of the motivation and mental attitude that come with it. The thing is, the same way schooling is viewed of as a synonym for education, play is the current synonym for “messing around” or “entertaining oneself”. Perhaps, like Gray said, play would be taken seriously if it were called something like “self-motivated practice of life skills”. We have allowed the schooling system to blind us to the natural ways of children. Adults with the most freedom on when and how to do their work, commonly experience it as play. When one chooses instead of being compelled to perform some task the person is way more likely to complete it more fully and effectively, rather than doing the minimum to meet necessary requirements. This is probably no surprise to you as it wasn’t for me, however, what does amazes me, is how easily people forget these obvious points when dealing with children! There’ll come a point in the distant not-too-distant future, where we’ll reach a tipping point when people will demand changes in the laws which make schooling compulsory. There will be a major shift in beliefs about what is “normal”. Eventually, the coercive system will fade away and voluntary educational opportunities will rise. Change is difficult. No one wants to be constantly questioned and bothered upon his/her decisions; no one is willing to admit that coercive schooling doesn't work. Doing something so different from the norm takes courage— like Gray said, “it can be difficult to swim against the current”. Someone’s got to take the lead for the others to follow. I’m optimistic someone will. I’m optimistic about the future of education. I’m optimistic that people, like I did, will come to their senses and restore to children their freedom.
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With the passing of each page the debate going on in my head heated up. Yes, Peter Gray made a strong case in his book, Free to Learn, as to why we must entrust children to steer up their own learning and development instead of incarcerating them in a “curiosity-killing institution”.
But just when I thought I’d struck my gavel and give the case to Gray, there came the opposition with a counter argument: “Excuse me, but that’s not quite correct. Children need school. Each subject is essential for the complete development of a student’s mind and criteria-- without history one is more prone to repeat mistakes of the past; without math how is one supposed to know how to later on manage his or her personal finances? And without science, how would one explain how the world works? Is one supposed to remain ignorant to this knowledge?” After finishing chapter three, I turned my kindle off for a while to think about this always-present concept of balance. How one must learn to manage his or her time wisely between both social and academic activities; how neither one is more important than the other. These thoughts left me with a feeling of déjà vu. It suddenly hit me: July 2014 at Mancora, Peru. Me laying at the beach while engrossed in a conversation with Pablo, my uncle, a successful business manager, about the myths of success. It was an eye opening ten-minute chat for me. I don't remember exactly how we got to this point in the conversation, but I do recall him saying "Ser inteligente y sacarse buenas notas no es suficiente". He then told me a story about "el mas chancon" of his class in university and how his lack of practice on social interaction and his inability to apply his knowledge in the real world impeded him from being outstanding at his job. Now a day there is less stress on children developing social and motor skills and more on cognitive skills. 21st century learning should involve more critical thinking and application skills. How many times have you heard someone say, “I have to memorize so and so pages for tomorrow’s test”? The majority of school classes involve memorizing the words of Shakespeare so to speak, instead of understanding their concept and complexity. Students are forced to learn numerous things, which most probably won’t be relevant for their future; but since everything in the current system is standardized and intelligence is measured by one specific level, grades, there’s no other choice but to study anyways. According to Gray, lessons, lectures, assignments, tests, grades, segregation by age into classes and any other trapping of the standard system of schooling, are unnecessary. In fact, they’re interfering with children's natural ways of learning. When you think of it this way, it’s true. Only in school will someone be tested on countless completely unrelated topics on the same day. This brings us back to the prepositions statement, anti-play attitude relates to the ever-increasing focus on children’s performance rather than on one’s true learning. Here returns the opposition, “At such young age a child doesn’t yet have the capacity to handle the responsibility of a self directed program. Besides, if this new system my opponent is suggesting, were to be applied, how could one ensure his or her kid would be prepared for college and its expectations?” As I continue reading chapter five, Gray makes a counter case in response to this question: “Three words, one name, Sudbury Valley School. Prove that a school where students are ‘free to learn’ and that puts into practice this new system, works. In fact most students who’ve attended have been successful and claim they’ve never regretted this educational system. The opposition is running out of arguments, while Gray still has five chapters left to cover. After analyzing each side, with still some reluctance, I can agree that by making students attend school as well as other adult directed activities, we are taking their opportunities to practice self-direction and responsibility. I also agree that learning has been turned into work and work can be miserable. By giving students freedom they’d look forward to accomplishing their task and like Richard Bach said, “The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.” By enforcing play children would develop such desire to get their work done that it’d seem more like a game. Depriving children from free play may not physically kill the body, however it does give a death sentence to spirit and stunts mental growth. |
Daniela Ontaneda16 year old Junior at Colegio Franklin Delano Roosevelt who's taking the IB diploma program. Archives
August 2017
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Future Blog Posts:
-Free to Learn by Peter Gray reflection
- If you could change someone's life - If you could change one thing about yourself - Should students be allowed to grade their teacher - What happens after death? - Are precognitions and deja vu different? - Mysteries of the mind - Mentalism - The positive of experiencing pain - What is existentialism -Impact of media on society |