With Midterms looming in two weeks, I can say the past few weeks have been very academically busy. I am very happy that my classes are varied and I find myself enjoying each of them for different reasons
My night communications course has been very interesting and has stretched me in my return to SEMO. It is the highest level communications course, so there are a lot of long presentations and papers involved. It has really whipped me back into shape coming from a lot of language courses in Korea.
I have also really enjoyed my literature class especially these past few weeks where we have been reading creation myths. I think you can learn a lot about the foundations of a civilization from how they view their formation. We have had a lot of good discussions and will soon be analyzing the Odyssey.
My Oboe lessons have been a lot of fun. Laura my teacher has been pushing me to internalize the fundamentals in order to improve my artistic expression of the instrument. I am also making a lot of reeds which has been a new challenge that I readily accept!
I have also connected with a few Korean students on campus and have spent a few evenings with them eating Korean food (oh how I miss home made Kimchi) and chatting with them about Korea. It has been great to connect with Koreans here in Cape and maintain a piece of Korea from our discussions and meals.
I also went to my first live Gymnastics meet cheering on SEMO's team. It was amazing to see so much athleticism and grace in a sport. While SEMO didn't go home with a win, it was incredible to see the dedication of the team. I also saw the show "The Pajama Game" for the first time put on by SEMO's theater department. I was so happy to see some of the theater students I had as classmates two years ago in my fine arts class performing in the leads of this show. It is so nice to see that every person in their college journey finding their place and setting future goals.
I am still adjusting to this feeling that I have been in a coma of sorts in my study in Korea. What I mean is that while I feel my life at SEMO was paused during my travel, everyone else moved along. It has been strange reconnecting with old classmates, seeing what they have been up to these past three semesters and trying to describe a piece of my experiences.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Where are you going, where have you been
This title is the title of a short story I read in my Literature class. While the story was quite shocking and uncomfortable to read (although I do recommend it, very well written, gripping, and will leave you questioning in its conclusion), the title of the story brought about a set of emotions as well.
"Where are you going, where have you been?"
I think we each have these questions looming in our minds quite constantly. How has your past shaped you to this point and how will it drive your future decisions? For me, this experience of being back at SEMO has brought these questions to the forefront of my thoughts constantly.
Looking back to where I have been, I can answer that, but the answer to the first question remains a mystery. While I had hoped that as more is added to that "where have you been" aspect, the first portion would become more clear, I remain wondering. While I enjoy not knowing exactly how my future will play out, I still wish that I could be at peace about it more. I enjoy the adventure of the mystery, but sometimes I wish I had more clues.
Coming back to SEMO with less than a year of school remaining, I am constantly asked the first question: "Where are you going?" While I see some paths that I would love to pursue, I am not sure which path I am meant to travel.
I believe that prayer and time will bring the answer to this first question.
"Where are you going, where have you been?"
I think we each have these questions looming in our minds quite constantly. How has your past shaped you to this point and how will it drive your future decisions? For me, this experience of being back at SEMO has brought these questions to the forefront of my thoughts constantly.
Looking back to where I have been, I can answer that, but the answer to the first question remains a mystery. While I had hoped that as more is added to that "where have you been" aspect, the first portion would become more clear, I remain wondering. While I enjoy not knowing exactly how my future will play out, I still wish that I could be at peace about it more. I enjoy the adventure of the mystery, but sometimes I wish I had more clues.
Coming back to SEMO with less than a year of school remaining, I am constantly asked the first question: "Where are you going?" While I see some paths that I would love to pursue, I am not sure which path I am meant to travel.
I believe that prayer and time will bring the answer to this first question.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Goal of Education
Alright, before I start this post, there is one fact about me you must know in order to understand where I'm coming from in my comments on this topic
I was Homeschooled.
When people first learn this fact about me, they are usually surprised and intrigued. I usually tell a friend after asked about my education background. Like most of my traditional schooling counterparts, I do not introduce myself as "Hi I am Rebecca, I was Homeschooled, I'm from Missouri..." While most people would believe that Homeschooling is this all encompassing aspect that defines an individual before all other traits, this is not the case. Homeschooling is a part of who I am, but it does not define me and place me in a status that cannot be determined by any other fact of my life.
The reason that I am posting a piece about education and the philosophy behind learning is the amount of shock I have felt about the attitudes of some of my fellow students at my university towards their education. Now I am not grouping every student into this reflection, I have been surprised and challenged by some of my classmates who remind me why I love learning. I just want to bring a few observations to light and the attitude students should conduct especially at this level of education.
One of the aspects that have shocked me is the fact that students live on this internal time clock. With this clock, students will only sit half attentively for a lecture for 50 minutes. Once that 50 minutes has passed, an automatic response of shuffling papers and packing bags commences. I had a teacher today yell over the rustling saying that she still had twenty minutes of lecture time left (it was a 70 minute class). Somehow, this shook them out of their state, and they half listened once again. Once that twenty minutes passed, the rustling began again. I was quite frankly disgusted by this behavior. It was disrespectful towards the teacher to disregard the fact she was in mid sentence when the packing began. Regardless of the length of the class, if a teacher is still talking YOU LISTEN!
Every teacher at this school has devoted years of their lives to learning and to passing their knowledge of their passion to the next generation. To disrespect them by refusing to give them your full attention is abhorrent. In addition, each student is investing a considerable amount of money in this higher education. With such an investment, wouldn't you want to be attentive to every minute you are paying for?
I think a part of this behavior comes from the conditioning of learning in 50 minute blocks that is a fundamental part of Public Education. Students are told to sit for 50 minute classes, when that time is up, you go to the next 50 minutes.
I can't even describe how contrary this is to the way children learn naturally. Think about it: When you are a toddler and you are learning how to walk, there is no time determination of blocs in which you must learn how to walk. Learning this is a fluid concept: You try to stand up, you fall. You try again, you succeed. Now you try to take a few steps, you fall. You try again, you take two steps. The curve of learning is not divided in time segments. This is universal throughout your life. To implement this method of learning that for a certain span of time, you must focus on one concept and once that time is up, you do not think of it until the next time bloc is absurd
Another issue that I have with the attitudes of students (gosh this culture shock just won't leave) is belief they hold that the things they are learning will have no part in their life out of college. This idea that education is only relevant to being able to pass and get out is completely contrary to the philosophy I was taught in my Homeschool education.
With this idea of learning being a fluid concept, my parents taught me that you are continually learning throughout your life. Education prepares you for your life by giving you the tools you will need to solve any question you will be faced with or any lesson you must learn. With this idea in place, math no longer becomes the "dreaded subject" but an opportunity to look at a problem and logically find a solution. History no longer becomes "nap time" but a chance to learn from the triumphs and tragedies of the past in order not to repeat them in the future. Because my parents viewed education in this light, results weren't as important as the individuals ability to grasp a concept. Learning was not a one size fits all manufactured phase of your life, but a individual driven search for finding the application of these concepts.
I read an article today in Newsweek that was discussing the "Modern Day Homeschooler" talking about how it is no longer just the Christian farm families teaching Bible at the kitchen table that makes up the Homeschool body. There are a lot of highly educated individuals teaching their philosophy of learning to their children. I was very pleased to see that they are removing some of the misconceptions of Homeschoolers. Only then did I continue the article where the misconceptions of Homeschooling came about: "How can a kid go to college when they have depended on their parents? What about attachment issues, it's not healthy for a kid to learn everything from their parents."
Sigh
There is still a lot people need to learn about Homeschooling. I wish people focus all their concern on the social side of Homeschooling, but look at the motivations and values in regards to education that drives these students. If people weren't constantly looking at Homeschooling with concern, but rather the issues facing public educated children, I think we could learn a lot from both sides of education. I hope someday the stigma towards Homeschooling would move past the misconceptions and people would appreciate the selfless parents who choose to provide their children with the best education possible. I also wish people would see the results of what a Homeschooled education brings: A well rounded individual who loves to learn.
I was Homeschooled.
When people first learn this fact about me, they are usually surprised and intrigued. I usually tell a friend after asked about my education background. Like most of my traditional schooling counterparts, I do not introduce myself as "Hi I am Rebecca, I was Homeschooled, I'm from Missouri..." While most people would believe that Homeschooling is this all encompassing aspect that defines an individual before all other traits, this is not the case. Homeschooling is a part of who I am, but it does not define me and place me in a status that cannot be determined by any other fact of my life.
The reason that I am posting a piece about education and the philosophy behind learning is the amount of shock I have felt about the attitudes of some of my fellow students at my university towards their education. Now I am not grouping every student into this reflection, I have been surprised and challenged by some of my classmates who remind me why I love learning. I just want to bring a few observations to light and the attitude students should conduct especially at this level of education.
One of the aspects that have shocked me is the fact that students live on this internal time clock. With this clock, students will only sit half attentively for a lecture for 50 minutes. Once that 50 minutes has passed, an automatic response of shuffling papers and packing bags commences. I had a teacher today yell over the rustling saying that she still had twenty minutes of lecture time left (it was a 70 minute class). Somehow, this shook them out of their state, and they half listened once again. Once that twenty minutes passed, the rustling began again. I was quite frankly disgusted by this behavior. It was disrespectful towards the teacher to disregard the fact she was in mid sentence when the packing began. Regardless of the length of the class, if a teacher is still talking YOU LISTEN!
Every teacher at this school has devoted years of their lives to learning and to passing their knowledge of their passion to the next generation. To disrespect them by refusing to give them your full attention is abhorrent. In addition, each student is investing a considerable amount of money in this higher education. With such an investment, wouldn't you want to be attentive to every minute you are paying for?
I think a part of this behavior comes from the conditioning of learning in 50 minute blocks that is a fundamental part of Public Education. Students are told to sit for 50 minute classes, when that time is up, you go to the next 50 minutes.
I can't even describe how contrary this is to the way children learn naturally. Think about it: When you are a toddler and you are learning how to walk, there is no time determination of blocs in which you must learn how to walk. Learning this is a fluid concept: You try to stand up, you fall. You try again, you succeed. Now you try to take a few steps, you fall. You try again, you take two steps. The curve of learning is not divided in time segments. This is universal throughout your life. To implement this method of learning that for a certain span of time, you must focus on one concept and once that time is up, you do not think of it until the next time bloc is absurd
Another issue that I have with the attitudes of students (gosh this culture shock just won't leave) is belief they hold that the things they are learning will have no part in their life out of college. This idea that education is only relevant to being able to pass and get out is completely contrary to the philosophy I was taught in my Homeschool education.
With this idea of learning being a fluid concept, my parents taught me that you are continually learning throughout your life. Education prepares you for your life by giving you the tools you will need to solve any question you will be faced with or any lesson you must learn. With this idea in place, math no longer becomes the "dreaded subject" but an opportunity to look at a problem and logically find a solution. History no longer becomes "nap time" but a chance to learn from the triumphs and tragedies of the past in order not to repeat them in the future. Because my parents viewed education in this light, results weren't as important as the individuals ability to grasp a concept. Learning was not a one size fits all manufactured phase of your life, but a individual driven search for finding the application of these concepts.
I read an article today in Newsweek that was discussing the "Modern Day Homeschooler" talking about how it is no longer just the Christian farm families teaching Bible at the kitchen table that makes up the Homeschool body. There are a lot of highly educated individuals teaching their philosophy of learning to their children. I was very pleased to see that they are removing some of the misconceptions of Homeschoolers. Only then did I continue the article where the misconceptions of Homeschooling came about: "How can a kid go to college when they have depended on their parents? What about attachment issues, it's not healthy for a kid to learn everything from their parents."
Sigh
There is still a lot people need to learn about Homeschooling. I wish people focus all their concern on the social side of Homeschooling, but look at the motivations and values in regards to education that drives these students. If people weren't constantly looking at Homeschooling with concern, but rather the issues facing public educated children, I think we could learn a lot from both sides of education. I hope someday the stigma towards Homeschooling would move past the misconceptions and people would appreciate the selfless parents who choose to provide their children with the best education possible. I also wish people would see the results of what a Homeschooled education brings: A well rounded individual who loves to learn.
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