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I don't think that this particular student will end up punching a time clock and sitting in a cubicle. I think that was the point of her speech. She's stressing that she's NOT just one in a mass of "the public." She's also, and most of all, an individual. She sees the current education system as a bunch of hoops to jump through, and she did so. While I learned to conjugate verbs, apply the quadratic formula, and read some literature that I would not have otherwise while in school, my real learning began after I graduated (and yes, I graduated in the top 10% of my class, was always on the honor roll, a National Honor Society member, etc.). I think that the same will happen for this young lady.
Actually its a lot like someone putting knowledge in our brain. I don't know how learning would occur otherwise without the support and prior knowledge of other humans. And of course this is a give and take, however, I think you're mistaking subservience with humility.
"It" works by a common old and time tested thought of being humble and absorbing knowledge from any source. That's it.
For example, all I see in this thread is a back and forth (as with most conversations online) with people whose experiences have been ingrained and therefore expounded because their ideology works swimmingly for them. People who stay in the background and watch can learn from these exchanges.
I can be 'active' and add to this static too (like I'm doing now) but if I don't keep my biases in check I'll just add to more meaningless points.
But if I keep quiet and read and DO keep those biases in check (a VERY active exercise) then I might learn a bit more.
In the end, I think this teen is smart. I was very much like her when I was her age (just without the balls), however I think a lot of people would benefit from some Socratic ignorance to not only figure out the external problems of the world, but rather and more importantly, the internal.
OK, I see what you are saying now. Thanks for clarifying. Give and take is very important to learning and in order to learn one has to be engaged in the proccess, that is what I meant when I said "learning is an active proccess".
I don't think that this particular student will end up punching a time clock and sitting in a cubicle. I think that was the point of her speech. She's stressing that she's NOT just one in a mass of "the public." She's also, and most of all, an individual. She sees the current education system as a bunch of hoops to jump through, and she did so. While I learned to conjugate verbs, apply the quadratic formula, and read some literature that I would not have otherwise while in school, my real learning began after I graduated (and yes, I graduated in the top 10% of my class, was always on the honor roll, a National Honor Society member, etc.). I think that the same will happen for this young lady.
I wouldn't bet on it. She's complaining that they didn't make her do what she failed to have the initiative to do on her own. She'll likely repeat the pattern in college and her career. She's complaining that the system needs to change to cater to kids like her instead of going after what she felt was missing. She's not showing innovation here. She's just laughing at the system for letting her win without learning BUT that is what she chose. I watch my dd choose to learn every day. I know kids are not limited to what the system teaches. For kids like my dd, that's just the foundation.
While she got the grades, all she's proven is that she can follow the rules to get the grades. I'd take her more seriously if she'd gone above and beyond what was taught. If she'd shown some initiative. Instead, she worked the system. My guess is she'll work the system in college too and in her career. My guess is this is the last we'll hear of her but time will tell.
I wouldn't bet on it. She's complaining that they didn't make her do what she failed to have the initiative to do on her own. She'll likely repeat the pattern in college and her career. She's complaining that the system needs to change to cater to kids like her instead of going after what she felt was missing. She's not showing innovation here. She's just laughing at the system for letting her win without learning BUT that is what she chose. I watch my dd choose to learn every day. I know kids are not limited to what the system teaches. For kids like my dd, that's just the foundation.
While she got the grades, all she's proven is that she can follow the rules to get the grades. I'd take her more seriously if she'd gone above and beyond what was taught. If she'd shown some initiative. Instead, she worked the system. My guess is she'll work the system in college too and in her career. My guess is this is the last we'll hear of her but time will tell.
Her speech shows that she is a very bright individual who (despite her schooling) is more then capable of critical thinking. It's clear that she's a very ambitious person who works hard in order to achieve her goals. Her goal as a student just happened to be getting good grades at the expense of actually learning other things that may have been more meaningful and interesting to her. It seems to me that she has only recently become aware of the fact that the best grades do not always equal the best education. In the future she may choose a different path.
College is a lot different then high school. She'll have more of an opportunity to pursue her own interests and spend less time taking tests. I think she will be just fine no matter what she chooses to do in life. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up somewhere in the field of education since it is something that she seems very passionate about.
It is not unusual for HS valedictorians to want to say all kinds of politically incorrect things. But generally, the principal or superintendent requires that the text of the speech be handed in beforehand, and they put the kabosh on anything that is not dogmatically orthodox.
Her speech shows that she is a very bright individual who (despite her schooling) is more then capable of critical thinking. It's clear that she's a very ambitious person who works hard in order to achieve her goals. Her goal as a student just happened to be getting good grades at the expense of actually learning other things that may have been more meaningful and interesting to her. It seems to me that she has only recently become aware of the fact that the best grades do not always equal the best education. In the future she may choose a different path.
College is a lot different then high school. She'll have more of an opportunity to pursue her own interests and spend less time taking tests. I think she will be just fine no matter what she chooses to do in life. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up somewhere in the field of education since it is something that she seems very passionate about.
I don't know. I spent a lot of time in college taking tests and she may find without that constant direction, she has no compass. All we know right now is she can whine about things not being to her liking but what did she do to fix it while she was in school? Or didn't that thought cross her mind?
I'd be more impressed with her critical thinking if she'd used it for something other than dissing the system she milked. I'm sorry but there was nothing stopping her from going after the education she wanted in high school. I have no reason to think she'll change her tune in college. She's already declared a college degree just a piece of paper that says you can do a job. Her opinions of the purpose of education are rather clear. Her only saving grace may be professors who demand more. She, certainly, doesn't deliver unless asked to do it. She's shown that she delivers only what she has to even when she finds it frustrating. People like her make me scratch my head. If you want more, go for it. Don't sit and whine about how no one made you do more. That's just stupid.
And no, her speech doesn't indicate she's bright. It indicates she can whine and that she only sees her own narrow view of education. She is, certainly, not seeing the big picture. She's like many 18 year olds who think they know everything and that everyone older than them is dumb. Give her about half a dozen years.
I would have been impressed if she'd given a speech on all the things she did to try and fix the system she milked instead of simply thumbing her nose at it. Yeah, that takes real intelligence, lol. Anyone can be an armchair referee and sit and point out what THEY SEE as wrong. Problem is, most don't see the whole picture and they're too ignorant to even know it.
I expect she'll do the same thing in college she did in high school. Whatever is required for the grade and then she'll use her piece of paper to get a job. You get what you bargain for when it comes to an education. If all you want is grades, that's all you'll get.
It is not unusual for HS valedictorians to want to say all kinds of politically incorrect things. But generally, the principal or superintendent requires that the text of the speech be handed in beforehand, and they put the kabosh on anything that is not dogmatically orthodox.
You can bet next year's validictorian will have her speech reviewed before she gives it.
I'd be so embarrassed if my child stood up there and claimed to have milked the system and thought they were something for having done so. If you're that smart, then do something besides just what you're told to do to get an A. She stood up there and proclaimed to the world that she followed directions to the T and nothing more. Wow, that's something to be proud of, lol. I'd be more impressed if she told me she worked for those grades or that she used her intellect to change things and not just a speech. Anyone can use a captive audience to vent and it changes little. All she did was humiliate people and declare that all she does is follow directions and everyone is a fool to think that is something. WOW, I'm impressed....NOT, lol.
What cracks me up is that she did what she needed to to get the grades. Why? if she thinks the system sucks. I can tell you my dd would be fighting the system not doing what it told her to do. She'd be trying to fix the system even if it cost her her GPA. (I, actually, live in fear of this. Dd's sense of right and wrong is very strong and she'll stand her ground.) I have to wonder how this girl got SOOOOO smart at the ripe old age of 18 coming up through a system where all she did is what she was told??? I guess the system worked???
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 08-17-2010 at 02:37 PM..
I'm not very impressed with her. And if she did, indeed, get top grades without ever having to think about things in school, I'm not very impressed with her school, either. I do think that there's too much reliance on testing, but the schools I'm most familiar with still require a great deal of independent thinking (as shown through research projects, essays, etc.), as well as classroom discussions and debate. If she's really such an independent thinker (or maybe she just became one now?) then what was stopping her doing so earlier? Did someone have to sit down and tell her what to do? I don't think it's the school's problem if she was focusing more on the tests than on the learning. I do think schools and teachers owe it to their students to actively encourage and make possible independent thinking and to provoke students into going above and beyond the test mentality.
Katiana, the reason this video is even linked here on CD, is because of its popularity over the internet. If you go to google and type in "Valedictorian speaks out" you'll see dozens and dozens of websites that are referencing this video. Some of those websites have had over 500,000 hits on them because other people referred friends to those sites, as a result of this video.
In internet terms, the video has "gone viral" which means, it has spread so vastly in popularity that anyone who makes a habit of browing the web, has heard of it - if not seen it themselves.
So, the end result, is that this kid spoke EXACTLY to the right people. If she had spoken at a Board of Education meeting, it isn't likely that the video would've gotten very far at all - IF there even was a video. Not every town video-tapes its public meetings afterall.
And if the student had asked for a private meeting with her Senator, there definitely would have been no internet interest, because there would have been no internet presence.
There are a lot of things that have gone "viral" on the internet. There are plenty of youtube videos purporting to prove that:
Obama was born in Kenya
A New World Order will take over the US government, and the Denver bicylcle rental program is a part of that. (I am not making this up.)
Gardasil vaccine causes a reaction such that one can only walk backwards.
And much more.
If this gal had wanted to get this speech on the web, she and her friends could have made a youtube video. She could even have worn her graduation gown. She could have dubbed in applause. She did not need to politicize a high school graduation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mathguy
That's where the gal giving the speech went wrong. She is seeing things from her (limited) point of view and mindset. This happens all the time and is one of the first steps toward a visit from the law of unintended consequences and his brother mr. harsh reality.
That is called the "ignorance of youth". It and its evil twin, the arrogance of youth, are at the heart of this speech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TouchOfWhimsy
I don't think that this particular student will end up punching a time clock and sitting in a cubicle. I think that was the point of her speech. She's stressing that she's NOT just one in a mass of "the public." She's also, and most of all, an individual. She sees the current education system as a bunch of hoops to jump through, and she did so. While I learned to conjugate verbs, apply the quadratic formula, and read some literature that I would not have otherwise while in school, my real learning began after I graduated (and yes, I graduated in the top 10% of my class, was always on the honor roll, a National Honor Society member, etc.). I think that the same will happen for this young lady.
You might be surprised. My high school valedictorian went to a fourth-tier college, got married and had kids. I did similar, but I went to a better college. There are people in our class who got PhDs. DH says he can't even remember who his class' valedictorian was. DH himself got a PhD.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dorthy
Her speech shows that she is a very bright individual who (despite her schooling) is more then capable of critical thinking.
And where did she learn these critical thinking skills, if not at her mediocre high school?
Haha, I also went to college (for a semester), got married, and had babies... and still managed to learn a lot.
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