In the article, Colleges Must Reconstruct The Unity of Knowledge by Varten Gregorian, I enjoyed the honesty about our education system, and I enjoyed the tone that was set. I believe our education system will continue to set expectations that cannot be met within the allotted time. It is a vicious cycle of paying absurd amounts of money for a piece of paper that says we are qualified, when in reality we may not be. That Diploma does not mean we are necessarily able to complete the task at hand, but that doesn’t matter to most professors and educators. I find when starting a new class the professor may not even want to be there. How is someone supposed to teach me valuable lessons if they hate what they’re doing? What does that say to the students? How are they supposed to care if the educator doesn’t? The article said it best, “The challenge for higher education is not the choice between pure research and practical application but, rather, the integration and synthesis of compartmentalized knowledge” (Gregorian, Pg. 4). Our success starts with the higher education. We are expected to memorize facts, formulas, history, politics, concepts, themes, and so much more in our time spent at school. With access to dozens, even hundreds of courses, how could we not enter the real world ready to set fire under our feet? The problem is we are looked at as cookie cutter robots that should know almost everything regarding anything, rather than individuals who all have something unique to offer. This article opened my eyes to what Interdisciplinary Studies will offer me. I will get the chance to learn what I feel is necessary to my personal success, while focusing on my future. I’m not just memorizing hundreds of random facts, as I am learning to separate knowledge from information. Or as Varten puts it, “ The fundamental problem underlying the disjointed curriculum is the fragmentation of knowledge itself” (Gregorian, Pg. 1). A number of students’ classes are “pre-registered,” meaning we are randomly placed into them for the semester. This sets a majority of students up for failure. I will be allowed to choose the courses I feel are fit for my future. I am, for example, not the cookie cutter, but the dough. Varten Gregorian mentions, “We have to re-evaluate our entire system of education for what it is: an 18- year learning continuum that prepares citizens for a life of learning. We must rid it of unnecessary and wasteful duplication, and create coherence and integrity in our curricula” (Pg. 3). Too often do I sit in class and think of it as an obstacle in my day, rather than an opportunity to grow and learn. Too often do I sit in classes that will not help my future path. I want to take classes that will help me flourish, not just because it was required by the school. Why can’t I carve that path in my own way?
1 Comment
2/10/2017 02:39:56 pm
Yes! This! "The problem is we are looked at as cookie cutter robots that should know almost everything regarding anything, rather than individuals who all have something unique to offer." Gosh, I love that so much! This post really inspired me!
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