I agree with most of the points under Ideas for Innovation especially the first point, Spur greater parental involvement. In Taiwan's news, whenever you see a child broke the law the school and teachers are the ones to be blamed. Not a lot of people have realized how a better parenting could avoid it. Parents should not just be the ones to earn money for children’s education. They should be part of their education as well.
Like how the text explains, utilize community service to foster civic engagement can help students understand the reality. Doing community is something one could never learn from books or lectures. Having said that, perhaps it is more important to teach students the passion of doing community service first. A lot of time there will be students doing community only because it is a requirement. Students will do it when it is a requirement. The question is, is it a requirement after they graduate? Schools should not be doing things that will only keep the kids working in school.
I like the 6th idea, which is to model a high school on a community. However, once again, it depends how it is being done. Sometimes trying to make people to trust each other could end up the exact opposite. We used to have very cool concept here in H.I.S that helped students’ discipline in helping each other, which is the musical. By doing musical, we learned about how no matter what role one is playing, it has its own unique value there. A lot of improvement of closer relationship between the people that work in the musical happened during its process.
However, there are some points that I doubt could be helpful for a child’s growth. Make schools smaller does not go to everybody. Yes, I would agree that in a smaller school, each individual will be easily recognized and will have chances to do what they are confident in doing. But that does not necessary mean it will always help. There is not a lot of competition in small schools. Take myself for example, I could be one of the best artists here in H.I.S but as soon as I get into college, I will probably realize that I am just average. Because there is not too much competition here, it is harder to push ourselves and it has nothing to do with being lazy; it is just harder for us to realize how much more talent people are out there.
Teach civics effectively in schools is an interesting idea. I think it depends on how it will be taught. Both negative and positive value can be interpreted in anyway according to the teaching.
I also don’t like the idea of establish mentoring programs that work. It feels like switching a child’s mom or dad into someone else and then tell them that they have to love them.
Ask youth for solutions is an interesting idea. Though, I think it should be changed into “be open minded in any one’s idea” not just the youth’s.
The Ideas for Innovation has a lot of good points. The only thing it needs in order to help things to improve is the right way to instruct them.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I agree with you on the sixth strategy of modeling a high school on a community. Peer pressure is the most powerful force in teenage. However, the effects of peer presure could be both positive and negative. Therefore, the strategy should be well executed so that the effects of peer pressure would only be positive.
On the other hand, I disagree with the fourth strategy of teaching civic. I agree that civics could be taught in schools; however, I believe that civics should be learned by experience. Teachers should incorporate more activities in civics courses. Therefore, instead of teaching civis, it's more like providing opportunities to students to learn civics from experience.
I also disagree with the first strategy. I believe that spurring parental involvements will only raise acedemic achievement but not studying attitude. Once parents let go of their children, students will not be preprared to take the responsibilities to work alone without being pressured from parents. I believe that the key to foster academic learning and strengthen social capital is by letting students understand how important for them to study and make them study because they actually want to.
I agree with so many of your ideas, and I think that people often are blind from the truths, and push the responsibility to others.
People came up with these 9 innovation ideas for building a successful school, because they have realized the origins to these problems.
Just like what you mentioned about the role of parents, it should be more than providing money, but also the education itself.
What ideas do you have for helping students becoming intrinsically motivated to do community service?
Post a Comment