Name one common practice in schools that you would like to change, and describe how you would change it.
9 thoughts on “What Is School For?”
Briana Pacheco
One common practice I would change in schools would be the requirements or strict instructions for assignments. Many teachers may not realize or overlook the fact that each student learns differently. I feel that almost every assignment given usually has one rubric or set of expectations. I think other students as well as myself would appreciate and benefit from broader prompts or a variety of options when it comes to demonstrating our understanding. For example, a teacher might ask the class the write an essay to discuss what they have learned about a specific topic. A student might be able to understand the topic and concept, but if they arenʻt a strong writer, it may be difficult for them to fully articulate their thoughts. Since students learn in different ways, they know their strengths and would probably prefer to demonstrate their understanding to their full ability. It may be through writing blogs, journals, or essays. It might also be through creating artwork, projects, using technology, or having verbal discussions. I understand that in life we wonʻt always have the choice to do what we want or what weʻre most comfortable with, but in school, I feel that it is important to have choices. School is where we are meant to find what works for ourselves and being creative and original is an important part of our development as students and people. We should be allowed to do things that will help us reach our full potential. It probably canʻt be done all the time, but I would try to incorporate a bit of freedom into assignments once in a while. Creativity shouldn’t be limited and when given the chance, students would most likely want to show what they are capable of. I feel that making a change like this would encourage students to be more engaged in school and also allow teachers to have a better understanding of how their students learn.
If I could change one thing within schools, it would have to do with the classrooms. With me, one of the biggest things is organization and having a classroom that is able to fit and function for a teacher is a very important part about having successful students. When the room is a mess the class is a mess and when everyone knows where everything is the room is able to function smoothly and easily. However, if I could my classroom would have a door that would lead outside. Not only does learning need to happen in the classroom but to be able to apply the knowledge of what was taught is vital in making sure students understand the different concepts that are being taught. Giving students different ways to express themselves as well as showcase their individuality is very important in an environment like a school. Having different option whether it be artistically, musically, hands on or sit down I feel those different options show that there are other ways to get things done. To create different cultures in the classroom I feel is very important in having diversity and teaching students respect that they can take out into the community. Everyone is different and we all may learn differently from the person next to us, so to be able to see their viewpoint and understand their different perspective is important in today’s world where we are pigeon holed into becoming molds that does not accept our individuality in our new modern culture. As a teacher I would be satisfied knowing that every single one of my students are unique and each of them have a purpose to contribute to the whole of our community. Even if it maybe small they hold a special talent that no one else may have. To be able to let them harness what they are good at and put them in an environment that they can excel at is important for me to change in our schools.
One common practice in schools, or actually this school in particular, is the requirement of a strict dress code. Although I understand the purpose of dress codes and uniforms, this is a practice that I would want to change. Schools put these guidelines in place so that students look appropriate and presentable for school. The uniforms make students look neat and in a sense professional. But I don’t necessarily agree with the strictness of certain parts of the dress code. For example, the rules concerning appropriate outer wear, shoes, socks, and even rubber bands (for hair) are excessive. Because I’ve been going to this school for so long I am used to wearing the uniform, and I’ll admit I do bend the rules from time to time. I would change this practice by first keeping the uniform requirement, second lowering the prices of these uniforms for students, and third I would change the dress code policy by revoking the strictness on the outerwear and accessories. In my opinion the color of our jackets or the amount of bracelets we wear or if we have our nails painted shouldn’t matter. I don’t understand why these things are such a big issue in schools if they do not interfere with a student’s learning.
One common practice that i would change in school is the way that things are thought. There are different types of learners and its difficult for students to grasp a lesson when its not the type of learning style they can learn from. If this were to change in todays schools I feel that there would be more student success. I also feel that students would be also more motivated to come to class and they would want to learn. A way that I would do this would be in the first month of school, I would teach 5 different lessons, using audio, videos, book reading , writing, and having body movement incorporated in the lesson. Then I would look back at each student grades on each lesson and see which type of learning style works best for them. After doing that I would create different activities with different learning style but end with the same outcome.
One common practice that I would change within the school system would be the very intense dress code. In some ways our dress code is heavily appreciated when it comes down to deciding what to wear in the mornings, because I know I have that problem. Even when given a limited amount of options to choose from, I still have a hard time. But in other ways, our dress code can be harsh at times. Like having to wear a belt, or not being able to hem your shorts because it completely prevents us from “learning”, or even the fact that we can only wear the colors ranging from white, grey, blue to black on our feet, to me, that is considered to be quite overwhelming.
In my defense, coming from a public school, our dress code was very flexible and I could practically wear whatever I wanted to, excluding spaghetti straps without a cover up because without one, our “dangerous” shoulders would be shown off and we wouldn’t want that to happen. Furthermore, my mornings were very long, especially because I am an indecisive person who takes a lot of pride when it comes to making fashion statements and mixing patterns. Yet we’re all different, so my personal opinion might differ from others. Overall, I’ve come to the conclusion that our school systems need to be less harsh about what our students can and cannot wear, while still maintaining a modest and school appropriate attire.
A common practice in school that I would change is the student to teacher ratio. In public schools the student teacher ratio averages roughly twenty-six students. This is a problem that should be fixed. The large classes can have negative effects on a students learning. With more students it becomes harder to personalize teaching. Without personalized teaching many of the students will find it harder to learn and eventually lose interest.
My solution to this problem is to increase the amount of teachers in a school to reduce the ratio. If there is a problem with funding then the school should advocate and push for more funding. If the problem is the lack of teachers then programs like our own are the solution to that problem. Introducing students to the teaching profession may create a interest that makes that student pursue a teaching career. Those teachers will could then be employed to help bring down the student to teacher ratio and better education.
One common practice I would change in school is the grade levels. As we discussed in the beginning of the Lamakū course, if a high school graduate were to attend college without any knowledge his/her teacher is the one to blame. Sometimes teachers will pass students to the next grade level even if he/she didn’t really learn anything in that school year. I feel like this is a problem that needs to be solved because high school is a place to gain skills and knowledge that will help us in life in some shape or form. One solution that came to mind is to take away the grade levels and replace them with skill levels. Each grade is filled with both low and high skilled students. The goal for high school is to send students off to college with the most knowledge given by teachers. High school is a place where you make your own decision if you really want to take in the information and make use of it or not.
By having 4 different skill levels in high school, I feel like it will be easier for students to grow at a faster pace next to students with the same amount of knowledge. You can be 15 years old and be almost done with high school because of how smart he/she is. It may seem like an unfair idea but in reality, it is up to the students if they want to learn or not. We can’t send seniors off to college with low scores. If we follow this idea of having the grade levels by your skills, we will be able to send the ones who are ready for life into college while trying to help those in need with their growth of knowledge.
If it were possible, Iʻd like to change up the classrooms. When we think of our school classrooms we most often envision the rows of wooden or plastic desks and their accompaning basic, hard chairs. We think of the unextroadinary carpet or the bland tile floors which cover the classes we walk. We think of the teachers desk lurking in a corner and adorned with the plies of papers they have yet to lay their eyes upon. We think of the often overwhelming whiteboard so consistenly covered with various notes and directions for the day and unfortunatley also the night. Iʻd like to change all of that, all of the common preconceptions of the classroom.
If I were in charge, Iʻd make my school somewhat like Hogwarts. I donʻt mean all magic and stuff, which I would totally support if it was realistically possible, but i mean in regards to their classrooms. Each class had rooms designed specifcally for the subject, and I believe this would enhance the learning. For example their herebology class was based in a greenhouse, their potions class was in a highly-equipted dark room, and divination was based in classroom at the top of a tower. Majority of the classrooms were set up to fully support their subjects and Iʻd like that to be the way classrooms are set up in regular schools. I know that not all subjects can get too wild with their set ups, like math which must be taught in an organized, straight-forward matter, but if there was small shifts made in all classrooms, educaiton would be more interesting.
In class we talked about the possiblity of having bouncy balls for chairs or adjustable desks with a varitey of height settings. These are two ideas which relate to what Iʻm trying to get at. Basically, I just want a change up in set up because weʻve all grown accustom to the basic symmetrical set up of classroom and itʻs just boring. Kids need to be engaged in their education, and althoguh itʻs a tall order to ask for everyone to be engaged, a new set up might be a healthy change.
One common practice in schools that I would change would be the requirements to graduate from school. Some would say that they are fair, versus others who would think otherwise. I myself agree with the fact that some requirements aren’t really necessary to succeed in their future occupation within society. An example of this would be a set amount of Math, Science, or English credits. If you look closely not all occupations require a high level of these, some occupations only require the basics. So instead of enforcing it upon students this should be made optional instead. A program/class that should be included within all schools of education should be Home ed or intro to life skills. An institution that doesn’t possess any of this would be the school that we attend, Kamehameha Schools Hawaii. Even though this school possess many resources and facilities there are still some kinks in the curriculum within it. In order to fix this kink, which would be requirements, I would need to do research on classes that still meet the social requirements of the school board but also address the students as individuals. On top of the research done I would also need to create a presentation for the school committee. During this time I would need to also address some classes/ requirements to uphold and make optional for students.
One common practice I would change in schools would be the requirements or strict instructions for assignments. Many teachers may not realize or overlook the fact that each student learns differently. I feel that almost every assignment given usually has one rubric or set of expectations. I think other students as well as myself would appreciate and benefit from broader prompts or a variety of options when it comes to demonstrating our understanding. For example, a teacher might ask the class the write an essay to discuss what they have learned about a specific topic. A student might be able to understand the topic and concept, but if they arenʻt a strong writer, it may be difficult for them to fully articulate their thoughts. Since students learn in different ways, they know their strengths and would probably prefer to demonstrate their understanding to their full ability. It may be through writing blogs, journals, or essays. It might also be through creating artwork, projects, using technology, or having verbal discussions. I understand that in life we wonʻt always have the choice to do what we want or what weʻre most comfortable with, but in school, I feel that it is important to have choices. School is where we are meant to find what works for ourselves and being creative and original is an important part of our development as students and people. We should be allowed to do things that will help us reach our full potential. It probably canʻt be done all the time, but I would try to incorporate a bit of freedom into assignments once in a while. Creativity shouldn’t be limited and when given the chance, students would most likely want to show what they are capable of. I feel that making a change like this would encourage students to be more engaged in school and also allow teachers to have a better understanding of how their students learn.
If I could change one thing within schools, it would have to do with the classrooms. With me, one of the biggest things is organization and having a classroom that is able to fit and function for a teacher is a very important part about having successful students. When the room is a mess the class is a mess and when everyone knows where everything is the room is able to function smoothly and easily. However, if I could my classroom would have a door that would lead outside. Not only does learning need to happen in the classroom but to be able to apply the knowledge of what was taught is vital in making sure students understand the different concepts that are being taught. Giving students different ways to express themselves as well as showcase their individuality is very important in an environment like a school. Having different option whether it be artistically, musically, hands on or sit down I feel those different options show that there are other ways to get things done. To create different cultures in the classroom I feel is very important in having diversity and teaching students respect that they can take out into the community. Everyone is different and we all may learn differently from the person next to us, so to be able to see their viewpoint and understand their different perspective is important in today’s world where we are pigeon holed into becoming molds that does not accept our individuality in our new modern culture. As a teacher I would be satisfied knowing that every single one of my students are unique and each of them have a purpose to contribute to the whole of our community. Even if it maybe small they hold a special talent that no one else may have. To be able to let them harness what they are good at and put them in an environment that they can excel at is important for me to change in our schools.
One common practice in schools, or actually this school in particular, is the requirement of a strict dress code. Although I understand the purpose of dress codes and uniforms, this is a practice that I would want to change. Schools put these guidelines in place so that students look appropriate and presentable for school. The uniforms make students look neat and in a sense professional. But I don’t necessarily agree with the strictness of certain parts of the dress code. For example, the rules concerning appropriate outer wear, shoes, socks, and even rubber bands (for hair) are excessive. Because I’ve been going to this school for so long I am used to wearing the uniform, and I’ll admit I do bend the rules from time to time. I would change this practice by first keeping the uniform requirement, second lowering the prices of these uniforms for students, and third I would change the dress code policy by revoking the strictness on the outerwear and accessories. In my opinion the color of our jackets or the amount of bracelets we wear or if we have our nails painted shouldn’t matter. I don’t understand why these things are such a big issue in schools if they do not interfere with a student’s learning.
One common practice that i would change in school is the way that things are thought. There are different types of learners and its difficult for students to grasp a lesson when its not the type of learning style they can learn from. If this were to change in todays schools I feel that there would be more student success. I also feel that students would be also more motivated to come to class and they would want to learn. A way that I would do this would be in the first month of school, I would teach 5 different lessons, using audio, videos, book reading , writing, and having body movement incorporated in the lesson. Then I would look back at each student grades on each lesson and see which type of learning style works best for them. After doing that I would create different activities with different learning style but end with the same outcome.
One common practice that I would change within the school system would be the very intense dress code. In some ways our dress code is heavily appreciated when it comes down to deciding what to wear in the mornings, because I know I have that problem. Even when given a limited amount of options to choose from, I still have a hard time. But in other ways, our dress code can be harsh at times. Like having to wear a belt, or not being able to hem your shorts because it completely prevents us from “learning”, or even the fact that we can only wear the colors ranging from white, grey, blue to black on our feet, to me, that is considered to be quite overwhelming.
In my defense, coming from a public school, our dress code was very flexible and I could practically wear whatever I wanted to, excluding spaghetti straps without a cover up because without one, our “dangerous” shoulders would be shown off and we wouldn’t want that to happen. Furthermore, my mornings were very long, especially because I am an indecisive person who takes a lot of pride when it comes to making fashion statements and mixing patterns. Yet we’re all different, so my personal opinion might differ from others. Overall, I’ve come to the conclusion that our school systems need to be less harsh about what our students can and cannot wear, while still maintaining a modest and school appropriate attire.
A common practice in school that I would change is the student to teacher ratio. In public schools the student teacher ratio averages roughly twenty-six students. This is a problem that should be fixed. The large classes can have negative effects on a students learning. With more students it becomes harder to personalize teaching. Without personalized teaching many of the students will find it harder to learn and eventually lose interest.
My solution to this problem is to increase the amount of teachers in a school to reduce the ratio. If there is a problem with funding then the school should advocate and push for more funding. If the problem is the lack of teachers then programs like our own are the solution to that problem. Introducing students to the teaching profession may create a interest that makes that student pursue a teaching career. Those teachers will could then be employed to help bring down the student to teacher ratio and better education.
One common practice I would change in school is the grade levels. As we discussed in the beginning of the Lamakū course, if a high school graduate were to attend college without any knowledge his/her teacher is the one to blame. Sometimes teachers will pass students to the next grade level even if he/she didn’t really learn anything in that school year. I feel like this is a problem that needs to be solved because high school is a place to gain skills and knowledge that will help us in life in some shape or form. One solution that came to mind is to take away the grade levels and replace them with skill levels. Each grade is filled with both low and high skilled students. The goal for high school is to send students off to college with the most knowledge given by teachers. High school is a place where you make your own decision if you really want to take in the information and make use of it or not.
By having 4 different skill levels in high school, I feel like it will be easier for students to grow at a faster pace next to students with the same amount of knowledge. You can be 15 years old and be almost done with high school because of how smart he/she is. It may seem like an unfair idea but in reality, it is up to the students if they want to learn or not. We can’t send seniors off to college with low scores. If we follow this idea of having the grade levels by your skills, we will be able to send the ones who are ready for life into college while trying to help those in need with their growth of knowledge.
If it were possible, Iʻd like to change up the classrooms. When we think of our school classrooms we most often envision the rows of wooden or plastic desks and their accompaning basic, hard chairs. We think of the unextroadinary carpet or the bland tile floors which cover the classes we walk. We think of the teachers desk lurking in a corner and adorned with the plies of papers they have yet to lay their eyes upon. We think of the often overwhelming whiteboard so consistenly covered with various notes and directions for the day and unfortunatley also the night. Iʻd like to change all of that, all of the common preconceptions of the classroom.
If I were in charge, Iʻd make my school somewhat like Hogwarts. I donʻt mean all magic and stuff, which I would totally support if it was realistically possible, but i mean in regards to their classrooms. Each class had rooms designed specifcally for the subject, and I believe this would enhance the learning. For example their herebology class was based in a greenhouse, their potions class was in a highly-equipted dark room, and divination was based in classroom at the top of a tower. Majority of the classrooms were set up to fully support their subjects and Iʻd like that to be the way classrooms are set up in regular schools. I know that not all subjects can get too wild with their set ups, like math which must be taught in an organized, straight-forward matter, but if there was small shifts made in all classrooms, educaiton would be more interesting.
In class we talked about the possiblity of having bouncy balls for chairs or adjustable desks with a varitey of height settings. These are two ideas which relate to what Iʻm trying to get at. Basically, I just want a change up in set up because weʻve all grown accustom to the basic symmetrical set up of classroom and itʻs just boring. Kids need to be engaged in their education, and althoguh itʻs a tall order to ask for everyone to be engaged, a new set up might be a healthy change.
One common practice in schools that I would change would be the requirements to graduate from school. Some would say that they are fair, versus others who would think otherwise. I myself agree with the fact that some requirements aren’t really necessary to succeed in their future occupation within society. An example of this would be a set amount of Math, Science, or English credits. If you look closely not all occupations require a high level of these, some occupations only require the basics. So instead of enforcing it upon students this should be made optional instead. A program/class that should be included within all schools of education should be Home ed or intro to life skills. An institution that doesn’t possess any of this would be the school that we attend, Kamehameha Schools Hawaii. Even though this school possess many resources and facilities there are still some kinks in the curriculum within it. In order to fix this kink, which would be requirements, I would need to do research on classes that still meet the social requirements of the school board but also address the students as individuals. On top of the research done I would also need to create a presentation for the school committee. During this time I would need to also address some classes/ requirements to uphold and make optional for students.