Bird Droppings April 11, 2012

Paradoxes and bewilderment

 

I received the following in an email just before the 2008 elections, a friend of mine sent it out and as I read the first time it was humorous. However as a teacher I read deeper into what was being said. I listened by coincidence to a few words from a former Georgia Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives in Washington, DC and his words were again this same message again just before the 2008 election. I heard this by chance as I moved my wife’s car, she was parked behind me. It was obviously a conservative broadcast on a country station my wife likes to listen too. So in close proximity I heard this line twice and the comment was:

 

“If a Democratic Congress gets in they will spend the first two years investigating the last two years of the current administration and then raise taxes and…”

 

The speaker went into more detail as I turned off the radio. It interested me that is he was saying something has been done wrong that needs investigating from the previous administration and the news stories daily seem to imply that or was he just trying to stir up conservatives to get out and protect their money. Anyhow the following is another email forward from a friend:

 

“Why do I tell you this? Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s: Teaching Math in 1950’s – a logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit? Teaching Math in 1960’s a logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit? Teaching Math in 1970’s a logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit? Teaching Math in 1980’s a logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20. Teaching Math In 1990’s a logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers.) Teaching Math in 2005-6 un hachero vende una carretada de madera para $100. El costo de la producción es $80” Unknown Author

 

As I read this I wondered if this is really how the general public thinks. If you walk through most books stores there are books out on the dumbing down of education in America and many authors having written about the ills of public education. Sadly no one ever mentions we are one of the few countries with free public education to all children regardless of race, sex, disability and or income and in turn one of the few trying to hold accountable educational systems for getting everyone to the same level. I ended a short visit in this discussion in a doctor’s office yesterday about issues in our school systems.

In the paragraph above each of the eras has issues. However let me add I took a general biology course in my second year of college and the current general biology text for ninth graders at our high school is significantly more in depth and has numerous subjects and information not even conceived of in 1968. So I laugh sadly as I look at the above email. According to the email they see 1950 as all was well, 1960 we are concerned about fractions, and in 1970 we are concerned about semantics. As we move into the 1980’s we are now worried about  correct underlining for there is far too much Christmas treeing of answers  on standardized tests. Leaping into the 1990’s we are concerned about the environment and each other and asking why and how come and questioning and wanting to perceive this as wrong. I was amused at math in 2000’s and how ethnic issues pop out.

In 1919 John Dewey was using the concept of reflection as a teaching tool and very successfully. He was considerably ahead of his time but reflection and discussion take time away from memorizing however and with teaching to the test as we are now doing it seems we have gone backwards. Kids have to memorize volumes of material in every subject and many teachers do not have the time or they at least think they do not.

Looking back at the whimsical paragraph on math and  then into 2005-2006 comments and inferences to diversification it was not too many years ago women could not go to school hold positions in many companies and such. Even today woman are stereotyped into certain positions. A good friend is writing a doctoral thesis on gender biases in administration in public schools with all the public hoopla about immigration I still recall a parent conference eight years ago when a good old boy in scruffy shorts, no socks, boots untied and a dirty white T-Shirt explain it so eloquently to me.

It seems he was out of work and he was a construction worker in a booming construction time in our area at that time. He was essentially a gofer, toting boards and bricks whatever. I was filling in forms and found he did not read or write and his son was fixin to end up in the alternative school. I ask what he did for a living and he informed me he couldn’t get work “The Mexicans work too hard”. For this man it could have been Afro Americans, Native Americans, Eastern Europeans, and Hispanics anyone who was actually willing to work and that was not like him. Did I mention he did not smell very good sort of like a few old beers and cigarette stale smoke a paradox of sorts?

So why am I bewildered? We so often complain and whine and criticize and often only because we do not understand or have a lack of information. It is ignorance or one of so many other wonderful reasons. Parents expect wonders from teachers and many times we do deliver. It was eleven years ago I wrote about the sixteen hour syndrome. Teachers have kids for eight hours and are expected to work miracles only for the kids to go home to their parents, and misc. other guardians and they have sixteen hours to undo what we did. It is sort of a losing battle in many situations. But in the end it is the teachers and not the parents who are at fault.

 

“Grown men can learn from very little children for the hearts of the little children are pure. Therefore, the Great Spirit may show to them many things which older people miss.” Black Elk

 

As I read this thought from Black Elk a Lakota Sioux holy man some years ago I was intrigued that we take these innocents and make them adults losing all of their innocence. I watch the four year olds around school from our demo school they are inquisitive and wondering and yet in a few years they will be blank eyed and listless stripped of all of their joy and purity by our cultural efforts to make automatons and provide vehicles for the productivity of our manufacturing and consumers for our corporate greed. I am bewildered that we have come to this in a free society and in reality are more imprisoned than many so called third world countries. We are imprisoned by our self-serving and self-centeredness watching calmly as monopolies are forming and the big three oil companies are the only oil companies and ma bell is in charge again with a new name. Perhaps the most concern is borrowing from a song from many years ago with a little paraphrase. Where have all the steel mills gone? Where have all the textile jobs gone? And the response gone to countries everywhere oh when will we ever learn, oh when will we ever learn. Paradoxes and complexities bewilderment and wonderment I look at Black Elks words and wonder why can we not learn from children and maybe get back some of our lost innocence. Sitting with my granddaughter on my knee I promise to never let her love of learning dwindle. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your hearts and let us always give thanks.

namaste

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