January 8, 2010
“Dehumanized,” by Mark Slouka out of Harper’s Magazine.
I haven’t come across a more comprehensive and articulate piece of writing that captures my concerns on the current direction of American education– a direction most notably demonstrated through the current draft of the National E/LA Standards. Even Slouka’s argument against the tyranny of math and science, which I think is faulty, still holds provocative bell tones of truth.
It’s long (and as Tom points out in the comments, rambles just a touch at times from K-12 education.) Who cares. Skim it. Take thirty seconds and skip to the end. Whatever. Read it. And then tell me what you think.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
I had exactly the same thought when I started reading the article, although in the long run he does wander off in directions less relevant to K-12.
January 8th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Agreed, but I thought he wound up the unraveling with his use of Marcus Eure (E/LA high school teacher) towards the end, as a summarization of what we should be doing with the humanities in school.
January 8th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
I’m a (college) math teacher, and I like it. It seems to be addressing both high school and college level studies. And I’ve always agreed with sentiments like these.
>[College humanities profs,] in a pathetic attempt to ape their more successful colleagues in the sciences, have developed over time their own faux-scientific, isolating jargon, robbing themselves of their greatest virtue, their ability to influence (or infect) the general population.
At one time (1990s), I wanted to critique the field of ‘Literature’ for just this. I wanted to write something on the value of plain speaking. But if everyone can understand you, how’s your PhD special, eh? (I’m not much used to using sarcasm. I feel a need to disavow my previous comment…)
Thank you for pointing to this. I love mathematics, but I don’t like how it’s used as a filter, and I don’t care for its ‘utility value’.
January 9th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
I don’t vilify Math and Science. As a Humanities teacher, I wrap my arms around all content areas, baking casseroles and having block parties for all to join.
Here’s a thought, though: in the day-to-day moments, every time a parent is asked to help with math homework, or participate in a science fair project, and cannot or will not help, because of lack of resources (time, money, and knowledge) we throw the ball back to the SCHOOL. The SCHOOL cannot adequately do all it’s asked to do either. Just as reading was the big war cry for many years, (parents don’t read to young children enough, language acquisition skills are declining, etc.) it was the same issues: time, money, and knowledge. Bill Gates can’t hire our children because they don’t have math skills? I call shenanigans. Is it justification for hiring H1B1 visa workers? I am suspicious.
Until the issues of time, money, and knowledge are addressed, the classes will divide further, the jobs will continue to go to more qualified workers elsewhere, and the bosses will continue to justify the profits along the way.