Diversity theory of education - Part 1, the goal of education

No one has ever had a clear answer when I asked them why we should educate, but the most thoughts centered around having people understand enough to make informed political decisions. These decisions require a set of basic facts, logic, and skills, and so we should teach the them. Clear and easy enough.

But the idea is no longer possible to achieve. Some political decisions are easy to be informed of. For example, I know enough to decide on say medical marijuana or teaching evolution. Some decisions are easy to reason through even without enough information. I can reason that making the immigration process clearer and simpler would actually decrease illegal immigrants. But some decisions are both hard to be informed of and hard to reason through. Take health care. I have a vague idea of what could work. But I am no way near informed or am I able to reason through the complexities. I might eventually get there but it would take time. And it's time that we don't have.

Few of the pressing problems facing US right now are health care, the economy, the war(s), and global warming. I don't think I understand these issues enough to make informed decisions on any of them. And I don't think I have the time to learn enough to be informed decision maker. How can I vote on these issues (or the candidates who campaign based on them) informatively? I would be making a guess, maybe an semi-educated guess, but not an informed decision. Using the goal of education above, I must say the school system has failed me. Good thing I can't vote.

The new "how are you?"

I say just slap each others' butts and get it over with. We all know that's what we are really asking for when we say "how are you".

How are you?

Why do we bother to ask each other how the other is doing if we really do not intending on hearing the answer? Case in point:

Imagine two acquaintances or strangers walking in opposite directions, about to pass one another:

Person 1: Hey
Person 2: Hi
Person 1: How’s it going?
Person 2: Good. And you?
Person 1: Good.

The exchange happens while neither stops walking. I don’t know how many times I’ve had this exchange while walking by someone and I wonder, why do we even bother? If neither of us is going to stop walking on our merry ways, then why do we ask questions about our emotional state after the hellos?

I was told once by a British man that this is something people do in the states. He told me that it was something he wasn’t accustomed to while he was here, as when people asked him how he was back at home, it was because they genuinely wanted to know and expected more than a two word answer. Now, I can’t say that this is completely true, as he was just speaking from his experience, but it wasn’t until he brought this up that I actually thought about it and realized that, for me and for what I see around me, it happens quite often.

I know much of this is custom and politeness. You say hello, they say hi. Out of politeness you then ask the other how they are. The words come out of your mouth before you’ve realized it. They answer a short answer, return the question, and expect a similar short answer. It’s almost automatic. It almost seems rude sometimes not to ask how the other person is. And it doesn’t even have to be two people walking in opposite directions. It can be an exchange between a cashier and a customer, a bus driver to a bus rider. It happens all the time. And each time most people are not looking for the real answer, they are just waiting for the short “I’m ok,” “I’m fine,” “I’m good,” “Alright, and you?” These words are heavy with routine. I think in these casual greetings among strangers or acquaintances, if someone actually responded with more than a few words and really told me how they were doing I would be completely caught off guard. I have been caught off guard. But pleasantly surprised. It’s as if in that moment that person has snapped out of the routine back into real life, and regardless of what they say, I am happy they said it and I am more likely to give more than a word or two in response (to a point, that is).

Now, why it is always the other person to break the routine and not me, I can’t say. With strangers, I have my reasons. With acquaintances, it depends. But, I’ll admit to be one-sided and say that’s not the point. The point is that in that moment when the other person gives a genuine response, I am reminded that we are two people who have the ability to communicate with one another.

Things I hate for Clark Nova

"Research" in research undergrad. The undergrads might be bright and hard working. They might have really good ideas. They might even turn out to be an excellent researcher in the future. But what they are doing in research undergrad programs are not research.

Shampoo bottles that won't stand upside down. Why does shampoo have to come out of the top of the bottle? For that matter, why does a shampoo bottle have to have a top and a bottom?

Ft Lauderdale International Airport. It's way too small to be serving as an international airport. It only had 1 fast food store, 1 food stand, and a bar in a terminal with 12 gates. Lines everywhere. Lines for the immigration, lines for customs, lines for food, and lines to just seat at the airport. And the air conditioning was way too cold.


Immigration agents. They get high on petty authority. Enough said.

Lakers letting Ariza go. I really enjoyed him on the team. I don't know if Clark Nova hates this one though.

Edumacation

I pretended to hate all of my teachers when I was growing up. Really, teachers were not cool, and I couldn't afford to be seen as a teachers pet. But I secretly loved most of them. For reasons unknown, I enjoyed being around them (but I hated school, going classes, and being taught in general). And now, and again for reasons unknown, I find my self enjoying teaching and thinking about education. I could focus on figuring out the reasons but I see it secondary to the fact that I like education. And that I want to get something going. So here is my attempt at it.

Let's create a program.
Let's just see if we can because I really don't see why we should not. That being said, there are many things to figure out to get a program going. Money, location, target kids, subject, etc.. to name a few. So why don't we start by creating a mission statement. I'm hoping this will lead to us thinking about what's an effective program, what needs does it serve, how big should it be, and so on. Then we will talk about money.

I'm going to throw one out: This program aims to have kids take pride in their progress and success through effort and intelligence by studying biology intimately but with a global view.

This mission statement is for a small program in a foreign country (central/south American?) exposing them to hands on biology with environmental stewardship in mind. What do you think? Anything better?

Things that I hate at the moment

I read a study that says expressing your feelings, even if to no one, can actually keep you healthier (mentally and physically), which is evidently applies to the blog craze. (this is good because no one reads this thing) Anyway, since I haven't written anything for a while, I don't want to get sick this summer, I am going to mention a few things that are bothering me at the moment.

Americans who feel compelled to mention how much better the British version of The Office is whenever anyone even passingly mentions the show. I understand that British people need to do such things. I mean, could you imagine a proper British person claiming that a foreign version of anything British is superior? Look, I have seen both versions, and I may even prefer the British one, but there's no reason for an American to interrupt someone with this bullshit every time they want to talk about Jim and Pam's marriage. Just don't do it.

Baseball. I just really hate baseball. Is it the fact that each game lasts three hours and includes a grand total of five minutes of exciting action? Or is it the fact that there are 160 meaningless games in a season, each including at least nine innings, each of which include at least six at bats, each consisting of one to 20 meaningless pitches. Or is it the fact that it at any given time, 80% of the players on the field are basically superfluous (you like how I slipped the name of the blog in there) and are adjusting their overly tight pants. You decide.

People who walk in front your moving car, and once they notice that they've done so, move out of your way at an ever slower more relaxing pace. I just hate this one. It's as if these people believe that either I was sent to this planet to watch their sluggish rear ends slink across pavement OR one meter per minute is their maximum ground velocity. In either case, I hate it. Get a Segway or something.

Commercials that are an order of magnitude louder than the actual program on at that time. I think this one is pretty self explanatory. And annoying.

Voicemails. I apologize to those that have left them to me in the past, but mentally I just can't navigate the "You. have. five. new. voice. messages. The. first. message...received. on. June. fifteenth..." gauntlet anymore. That process should be the entire iPhone ad.

Dropped!

I dropped the thermometer from 100 ft up in the tower. As it fell, I had a hopeful vision of it just sticking into the mud down below and being fine. But it shattered with the thermometer upon impact. The sad part about this incident is that the thermometer had a leash on it. I put it on so that the undergrad that came up with me won't drop it. Bad karma. And nature threw us signs not to go out to the field. First, it rained. Then a fallen tree blocked the trail we use to get to the site. How could it get more obvious than a tree blocking your way? But we sure didn't see the sign and climbed over the tree with our bikes and a cart with equipment in it. From now on, I will turn around when there is a fallen tree blocking my path. And be nicer to undergrads.