tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37894952.post6707545212430618499..comments2023-09-06T03:55:53.012-07:00Comments on Nowhere to go but everywhere: Is Gatto being unrealistic?Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17198921079835614264noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37894952.post-67377565579791341412011-05-10T20:45:01.792-07:002011-05-10T20:45:01.792-07:00I appreciate the full-post-as-response. You hit t...I appreciate the full-post-as-response. You hit the RSS nail on the head.<br /><br />I tend to agree with everything Jeff said. No matter how amazing, or shitty, a school is, it is on the students to get the most out of it. It is also on the teachers to inspire the students to achieve. The system may suck, but a good teacher can make up for just about anything.<br /><br />In my opinion, it is basically pointless to talk about radically changing the education system, because that isn't going to happen, let alone the societal changes that need to accompany that, no matter how necessary they may be. Schools could certainly be improved, but we should talk about how we can slowly evolve education. I think it starts with getting great teachers, however, I have no idea how to do that.<br /><br />I've depressed myself with this. I can't believe I'm arguing our shitty way of life and education system can't be changed and we just need to accept that. Apparently I've just about lost hope.Andynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37894952.post-49368745081719534262011-05-10T09:45:58.819-07:002011-05-10T09:45:58.819-07:00Awesome response, mikdeats. Very thoughtful and we...Awesome response, mikdeats. Very thoughtful and well-stated. <br /><br />It's totally true that we come from a privileged vantage point that makes it easy for us to say, "Hey, I turned out alright." You raise a good question about whether we did because of the system or in spite of it. I would argue the former.<br /><br />The system CAN work. I was fortunate to have excellent teachers growing up, particularly in my very formative years (say from grades 3 - 10, when most "learning" begins to occur). Each had the same standard tests/curriculum books to go by that the other teachers did, yet somehow they were able to get their students to perform "better" than others.<br /><br />This makes me think that it's not necessarily the system itself that's broken. Gatto seems to want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I believe there's serious work that needs to be done within the school system, namely figuring out how to attract/keep better teachers, and realizing that teachers need a degree of freedom to deviate from said standards in order to tailor their teachings to individual students. <br /><br />Does Gatto propose a solution of any sort?jefenoreply@blogger.com