Literacy With an Attitude

"Students also valued educational achievement without valuing the knowledge it brought." This quote really stood out to me. It makes me think about the education system, and what it really means to have an education. What it means to the student, and what it means to the teacher. It seems that both teacher and student, especially in the working-class classroom, are striving for one thing: An 'A' on the assignment. Kids in these environments are taught to do what will give them the best on paper results. But are they really learning anything? Students love when they do well on a test or assignment, but that's it. They are not truly grasping what they are learning. There seems to be no effort on the teachers side to really engage the students. They teach what they must, in one way, for everyone. In the more affluent classrooms, there is creativity, and there is a more education fostering environment. These students are taught how to learn, rather than being thrown into facts that they know for one week in order to get a good grade. I think that the most important thing that can be taught in a classroom is how to learn, and how to love learning. Learning goes beyond the classroom, and I believe that young students, ESPECIALLY in working-class settings need to be taught to value the experience of learning and the knowledge that they are gaining, rather than a letter on a paper.

I thought that the difference in classrooms between the socioeconomic backgrounds was appalling. I think that it is horrific that the more affluent communities have such better resources. I think that it is up to the government to make the same resources available to all children. By keeping the divide in the classrooms, we are keeping the divide in the world. By not allowing these children the same opportunities from the first day of kindergarten, we are practically committing them to a life of never being pushed to their full potential, and never allowing them to truly foster their own creativity to learn how to learn and lead a successful life.