Re: An Open Letter to Educators

...because I like to juxtapose dense subject matter with oddly catchy and bouncy music.

The video I'm discussing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2PGGeTOA4

I wrote the background music, silly copyright protector! I also got permission for my theme song from this guy http://www.youtube.com/jbdazen

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• pogobat
• open letter to educators
• university system
• reform
• revolution
• internet
• youtube

[storygurl05]

Also (sorry for the ridiculously long comment) I work at my university library. In the past 3 years the library has undergone some huge changes. More space is being allocated to computers and fancy technology like that. Also there has been a push from the upper admin to have ebooks and other online resources when possible.

(very unpopular with the librarians)

Personally I would rather be able to go grab a book with what I need instead of wading though the deluge of information on the internet

[fizzylimon]

I couldn't agree with you more! And don't worry about long comments. Long comments are the best kind! If you ever feel like there's not enough room for your comment, just leave another one! I really, honestly, enjoy them when they are full of ideas.

[WhatTravisSays]

I watched Dan's Re: Re: video before yours and I agree with both of you on a lot of points. He did say, explicitly, that he felt that he was in the right position to be able to do this, and I'm sure a lot of other people feel the same way. I am completely on your side about the whole motivation argument though. I know I wouldn't have learned as much as I did if I didn't gain motivation from institutionalized instructors. Well said, overall.

[fizzylimon]

Yeah that jerk. Having thousands of times more subscribers than we little folk XD

[streetlighthalos]

I think this is a really well thought out response to Dan's video (which I watched yesterday and thought about a lot).

The point that I really strongly agree with is you point about students needing to actively engage and use the resources presented to them at universities. As a tutor in a university (as well as a PhD student) I find the best students are the ones actively seeking out more information and understanding. So Dan's point stands, but I agree with you also!

Well said all round!

[fizzylimon]

I think a lot of students forget the fact that at universities, we are adults responsible for our own education!

[peetred]

The question is... WHY do most people learn that way? Why do they have to be "taught"? Maybe because they have been trained by public school to learn that way? Their self motivative learning abilities were squashed.

[elgostine]

and anyone who thinks its all lectures seems to have forgotten assignments, tutorials which are like the classroom sizes of highschool and are often for the PRECISE reason of getting some appicable context to the lecture material. and for science and other such subjects. practical classes like laboratory sessions, computer room work and design workshops etc

in design courses your not just told about techniques and such. you often have to MAKE things with thse principles in mind.

[xLG7526x]

Something I really liked about my old school were the debates we would have once every week in history class. It allowed all of the students to share what they learned, and be able to learn from the other students, and discuss points of the lesson.

[Lollipoppization]

Education and skill-learning are two very dissimilar entities, though universities in the west in the last century started to provide degrees in skills (e.g. engineering, medicine, accounting). This is not education! Furthermore, education is not about “inspiring creativity” and teaching “critical thinking”—that is a big, fuzzy, but very popular concept among the middle class westerners too. Ever since the ancient Greeks, education has meant only one thing: access to human culture.

[feitocomfruta]

I think the point of this whole discussion is that with the free sharing of information comes the need to protect its existence. I'd go so far as to say that this is one of the reasons that we need to support Net Neutrality; if ISPs are going to be allowed to limit how much information is transmitted, then what could stop them from deciding WHAT info is transmitted?

[aebarco]

lol i thought you were gunna say that the system isn't failure, you're a failure dude lol

[genericfirstname]

@fizzylimon I agree, as one of my lecturers once pointed out, "you are paying for every word coming out of my mouth so pay attention."