Do Schools Kill Creativity? Response

    I do think that school is killing creativity because they do not let students express their creativity and they hinder their imagination.The example that the guys uses about Jillian is a good way to show that any sign of being "different" or not following society's standards is looked at as wrong and should be changed. I personally agree with the fact that students are forced out of their creativity and  their right-brain tendencies because of what the future holds in store for them. The students who want to be musicians and dancers cannot make careers out of these because they can't make a living off of these jobs.So therefore, they have to change to something they are less interested in just so they can be accepted in society and end up losing their creativity in the process.
    When he says that education creates certain types of people, I agree with this as well because, like he said, they educate students for university admission and so that they can become professors. Professors are supposed to be the top. Before education revolved, you were able to get a job with just a Bachelor's degree but, now you will need a more higher education level to be considered for such positions. As a person, school made me so paranoid about my future. I am in college now and I have changed my aspirations so many times just to fit into society. When I was growing up, I wanted to be a carpenter because that was what my father did but then I changed it to being an artist once I realized that there is no "real jobs" for artists. So what I did was combine the two and decided I wanted to be an architect. I researched this career and they make a lot of money and there will always be jobs for architects. As far as school affecting my writing and me being a student, I have grown in my thinking skills and how i handle situations that have arisen or will arise in the future.
    His solution of just letting kids be creative is great but since we do live in a society where education is dominant and is somewhat required to succeed, we should at least incorporate ways for students to learn in a creative way or be creative while learning. For example, ask the students what they are interested in or try different learning styles in a classroom and see which ones the students find the most effective.
I define intelligence by knowing what something is and being able to add your own input and findings into context. I also believe intelligence is asking questions after you already found the answers. It's kinda like taking what's inside the box and bringing it outside the box and breaking it down even further than it already is. In the video, he defines intelligence as being diverse, dynamic, and distinct.
    This TEDtalks video relates to standardized testing because all throughout school, they only teach you things that you need to know for the test. They educate you so that you become citizens who conformed to the needs and wants of society. After students take these standardized tests, there is not really any use for the information so they don't use it and end up forgetting it. Then, the next year the teachers have to go over the same information they just spent all last year teaching. So teaching for standardized tests is pointless;they should just teach for life beyond school and maybe students will retain the information better if they see use for it.

Why Is It Important? Taking "Extra" Courses

One thing that I found interesting was the pressure that they put on students to get a good education but the things that they are teaching us will not be used in our chosen career path.What are we gonna do with that education once we receive it? On one side, I can understand that they prepare you for anything by teaching you general concepts: Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (Math) but these subjects are starting to get outrageous. Why do I have to learn about astrology in Science if I want to build cars for a living? Who makes up the curricula for the schools and how do they determine what we should learn in school and why should we learn it? I think they teach us to prepare us for the tests that we take. My thing is that after we take these tests, what are we supposed to do with this information afterwards? Do we use it again for more tests later on in life? Do we use them in real-life applications? Do we just forget about it all together? Do the things we learn prove anything? I really think they do it to make us become better citizens in society. But where does learning about quantum physics apply in the everyday world? In the grocery store? Or maybe in the local mall? Unless you are specializing in something specific, then you should not be forced to learn "extra" material. I remember the YouTube video we watched in class, TedTalks about Education. I agree with almost everything he was talking about in his segment. Then not only did I hear it from him, I have experienced this first hand. Some of the classes I'm taking this Spring semester have nothing do with what I want to do as my major which is Architecture. I "have" to take these classes because they are "required" for my "General Education" credits. Why should I take a class on Motherhood when I am only 19? Don't get me wrong, I plan on having kids later on in life but why should I focus on that instead of learning about "green" structures and sustainability? I just don"t understand. Why is it important?

"My 54-Year Love With The SAT" Reading Response

In the beginning of the reading they start by introducing Stanley Kaplan and how he was introduced to the SAT and how it has impacted his life. He starts by showing us how he first became introduced to the SAT when he was tutoring a student at her home. She presented the SAT to him and asked him for help and he was stumped because he did not think that the SAT was a test you could "prepare" for. Kaplan tried the best that he could to help her study for the SAT but as he said in the reading, "I could see that the questions were designed to test students' knowledge and application of basic concepts, not their ability to regurgitate memorized facts." (Kaplan 2) After several hours of looking over the test he finally comes up with a way to help her and in fact, it was similar to the way he teaches in his regular tutoring sessions. He challenged the students to "think harder and apply a broader range of math and verbal skills." Kaplan goes into further detail about how the SAT is structured and why they administer these test nationwide. He also talks about how the SAT is expecting students to put importance of the "how and why" when trying to place decently n the test to show their academic excellence. Kaplan explains how the SAT evens the academic playing field when discussing college admissions considering the fact that not every high school has the same grading process.

The author argued his points very well. He was clear in what he thought the problem was with prepping for the SAT and he researched different ways to help students prepare for the SAT. He encouraged Elizabeth to think things out and to think about the hows and the whys. Even with these general, broad test-taking strategies, I believe that if you don't know the concepts then you will struggle. It helps to have reading comprehension skills, problem solving, math concepts, and vocabulary skills, but if you do not know how to apply them on a test like the SAT then you will not do well.

I agree with the author when he says that the SAT is a test that you can't really study for. He supports this statement by saying that, "... the questions were designed to test students' knowledge and application of basic concepts, not their ability to regurgitate memorized facts." He then goes on to say that it was "an innovative test based on problem solving, not rote memorization."(Kaplan 2) I have taken the SAT twice and no matter how much I "study" the results are still the same. It's either you know the answer or you don't. It seems like it's a compilation of all the concepts you have learned or were supposed to have learned when you were growing up from grade school until high school. Since it was so long ago since you have learned this material you are being tested on, I agree with Stanley when  he says that some students need to either learn this new information or just simply review it. (Kaplan 3) Kaplan also did a good job of illustrating the  purpose of the SAT in retrospect to the college admissions process. There are a number of different grading scales and ways of assessing a student's performance throughout school. In order to be fair to every student applying to college or other post-secondary education institutions, they came up with a generic test to assess one's academic ability. Kaplan writes, "The College Board was promoting the SAT... to measure students' academic abilities regardless of where in the nation they attended high school." In my opinion, this makes sense but each school has different curricula so one student may be more "prepared" than the other and may be getting graded differently. It is certainly something that should be taken into consideration when admitting students for college.

The line(s) that stood out to me were, "Acquiring test-taking skills is the same as learning to play the piano or ride a bicycle. It requires practice, practice, practice. Repetition breeds familiarity. Familiarity breeds confidence. Confidence breeds success."(Kaplan 3) I picked this because it is short, concise and it flows. Most importantly, it is true. I believe that the only way to be familiar with something is deal with it repeatedly. Once you are comfortable with it, you are more confident. When you become confident, you know what you are doing and you have success at it. I also believe that repetition with application also helps on to be successful. It doesn't help you to just remember things but remember "how" to use them in context.

Writing History Response

All throughout my schooling, I never really liked writing. I always dreaded every writing assignment that was assigned unless it was something that let me express myself and my creativity. I don't even think I remember any writing assignments from elementary or from middle school so the most recent writings I did remember had to be in high school.

Now that I think about it, there is one instance that I recall from elementary school, it was writing BCR’s. They were called brief constructed responses. I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mr. Byrd, telling me that these responses were 4 sentences minimum (this was the length of a paragraph back then.) He told me that in order to answer the writing prompt, you must first use four steps when writing a BCR. The first step was to restate the question. Next, he said find evidence in the text. Then explain how this example supports your answer. Finally, conclude by restating the first sentence of the BCR. I’m surprised I even remember this method because nowadays BCR’s don’t exist. They have evolved to papers and essays and paragraphs are not 4 sentences, not even five sentences long anymore. Either way, I still have to write regardless of the length. Ughhh!!!

On the first day of school, in my freshman year of high school, I was so excited that I finally got some freedom and some space from the constant baby-ing that took place in elementary through middle school. They made us walk in straight lines to and from places and they pretty much did everything for us). But, of course, what I didn't realize that with that freedom and space come responsibility and more writing! I think that the reason I became a decent writer now is because I remember certain “keys to writing.” Similar to mnemonic devices, there is always something to help me improve my writing or to help me start or continue writing. In fourth grade, it was the 4 steps to help me write a BCR. In 9^th and 10^th grade, I had the same English teacher so he came up with this acronym to help students like me format and outline my paragraphs to answer writing prompts. It was called TICECEC. Each letter stands for a piece of information that you will need to include in order to write a lengthy and thorough response. I felt like it was way easier to organize what I was going to write if I had an outline or something to help me remember key components of my writing. However, this was not the only thing that helped me get over my dislike for writing.

Over the years, I figured out that some teachers know that writing is a tedious and sometimes non-stimulating process so they try to come up with ways to make writing fun. Here’s where the creativity comes in. They give assignments that involve music, television, social media or anything that deals with pop culture or something else that interests the students. I listen to a lot of music so when I combine writing and music, I find a lot of inspiration. It also motivates me to write in the same sense that music motivates people who jog or lift weights. My senior English teacher participated in these actions.

In my senior English Literature class, my teacher, Ms. Woods pushed me and my writing to the next level in my opinion. Every time I would write an essay or a simple response to the writing prompt, she would always ask this question, “why is it important?” By asking this question, she pushed me to think more critically and it opened my eyes to more to write  more into depth. Not only did she help me with my writing in class, she helped with my writing outside of class. I was the Salutatorian of my class and I wrote a speech. Ms. Woods helped me get my message across to my fellow classmates and it was a success. Overall, my experiences throughout school and in my personal life have helped me become the writer that I am today.

Writing Timeline and Schooling Trajectory

As a writer and as a student, my creative side influences my writing and the way I portray myself as a student. Also, my determination to strive to better myself as I progress through school and in my personal life helps me move forward. Below is a timeline describing my journey as a writer and as a student.

Elementary/Junior High School
All throughout my schooling, education has been my number one priority. In  elementary school, I started getting straight A's and continued to do so until 8th grade. When I'm not dealing with school-related activities, I like to listen to music and I would write my own lyrics to popular songs that came on the radio.I was also the Mistress of Ceremonies for concerts that the music department held. This also involved me writing and proofreading dialogue and the order of events for the Chorus and Band concert programs. With this experience, I was able to transition into writing for audiences.

High School
Since I focused a lot on my schoolwork, my social life was at a standstill. To overcome this issue, I started playing sports. With playing sports, I had to manage my time more wisely. It was hard to write papers when I was thinking about the next game I was about to play. The good thing about playing sports was that they put the pressure on me to complete my schoolwork'; it prevented me from procrastinating. It was especially hard to procrastinate with 10 page papers due and several essay preparation for my Advanced Placement classes in almost every class period. Even though it was hard at first, the more I wrote, the easier it became and the more I was able to compile my thoughts into a work or art.

Miscellaneous
Since I had a lot of stress and pressure on me, I would get into my feelings sometimes. To deal with that, I listen to music and I would write down my feelings into a poem, spoken word, or in the form of a song. I felt like this was helping me to relieve myself of stress and it helped me as a writer because I learned how be vivid in my description as well as my rhetoric. But all of my hard work has paid off because I was the Salutatorian of my graduating class. With being Salutatorian, I had to write an introduction and a speech to read at graduation. This challenged me as a writer and as a student because this is the time that I used all of the things I learned throughout school and in English class into one work.

Writing Timeline

How did you get started writing?

I got started writing mostly through school. I really don't like to write unless it is recreational writing such as writing my feelings down in a poem or spoken word or in a daily journal about the things that I did during the day. If I write, it's only because I'm writing for a purpose. I don't like to write because I want to but only because I have to.

Look over your timeline and determine your favorite environment for writing. What materials do you need? When do you write? What conditions help you do your writing?
My favorite environment to write is in a private area whether it is in my bedroom or in a quiet room. Sometimes I write whenever I am going through a tough time in my life or if I experience something that I would like to document without actually "writing" it out.Whenever I do decide to write, I always, and this is a must, have my iPod with me. I love music so whenever I am writing, I may have a beat or a certain song that inspires me to write. As far as writing for school assignments, I prefer a library or a classroom. I still have to have my music or I will hum the music in my head. It helps me block outside noises and distractions.

Who most influenced you as a writer now? How did this person (these people) affect you?
The person that influenced me as a writer the most was my A.P. English Literature and Composition teacher, Ms. Woods. She pushed me and my writing further than i thought it could go. Every time I thought I was done writing, she always would ask me this same question over and over again, "Why is this important?" hearing this question made me think critically and influenced me to write more on the subject.

What generalizations or discoveries can you make that might apply to other writers?
Most writers have a place where they like to write and things that make themselves comfortable while they write. Also,most writers have someone who has influenced their writing or helped them to be a better writer.

Schooling Trajectory

What did you discover about your path through school?

As I progressed throughout my schooling, I have discovered that I am really good at retaining information if I am demonstrating the techniques used to do such activity. I learn by doing and by visually seeing the processes.

Who, if anyone, affected you on your path?

I think that my parents have greatly impacted my path through school up until now. They have always encouraged me to do well in school and it soon became my own will to do so as well.

Who most influenced you? How did this person (these people) affect you?

My parents have influenced me, but my mother had the most influence. They would give incentives and when it became a habit for me to do well, the incentives were not as pressing because it turned into something that I should do whether I was being rewarded or not.

What generalizations or discoveries can you make?

My support system is my parents and if I have determination and drive then I can succeed in anything that I put my mind to.