Yesterday, during Economics class, after showing us the Fear the Boom and Bust video (again), my teacher said something was surprisingly insightful. I couldn’t remember the exact quote, but it sounded something like this:
I feel that teachers often give assignments for students to do it for teachers, such as essays, which are actually not very helpful to students.
What an interesting idea I’ve never thought of. Relating back to myself, the assignments that I find most motivated to those that relate to us more, those that make us feel like we are not doing it just for a grade. When we grow up, we won’t be writing essays for teachers anymore, but real stuff without a “rubric” to be grade on: it’s either a thumbs up, or “pack up your stuff” thing.
Graphics Design has been one of my favorite courses, because it simulates an environment of fwhat real designing life is like – Mr. Meyer is a genius in the way that he set up all the competition and teamwork factors, etc. Because of this, I learn much more than just the skills, but also experiences of what real life feels like. The same goes for Media and Computer Science, where its assignments are not done for just the teacher and the grades, but for the students in the school and those around us.
And yes, our MAD Project also fits perfectly in this category. I don’t know about you guys, I actually enjoy MAD Project. It gives us an opportunity to show off ourselves and to demonstrate our true abilities. These kind of projects will be what we are working on when we grow up, so take advantage of this opportunity to really do what you want to do, and enjoy in the process.
I mean, this is the real point of education, isn’t it? It’s to prepare us for the real life, not for the teachers!
There are 9 Comments to Who are we doing the work for?. Feel free to leave a comment or trackback from your site. Get updates through the RSS Feeds
1
hopy amesjy
Posted at May 6, 2010 on 1:27pm.
But have u considered that without the homework that we can’t really relate to, it is through those that we were able to create and design our own concepts, which allows us to insert these ideas into our present and future work? For example: if it weren’t for the boring computer classes we took before to learn about codes, and forced to make apps or games according to the teacher’s book, we wouldn’t have been able to learn what these numbers and signs mean?
Yes, it is true that we can feel better about our work when we can actually relate to it. But i think works that doesn’t make us attached to it are those that allows us to learn the basics and set a solid foundation. Besides, if we continue on about putting ourselves’ into our homework’s shoes, would we really be able to learn what is true in the outside world? Where things DON’T go the way we want?
Jayp
2
James Pho
Posted at May 11, 2010 on 9:19am.
STOP SUCKING UP TO MEYER.
3
real james
Posted at May 11, 2010 on 11:32pm.
To the above comment:
WTH?? who’s this? why would i even suck up to meyer? i don’t even have his class? o god ur so smart man, ya man im sucking up to meyers so badly man, DANGGIT how’d u find out? omg ur a genius, ur name should be passed down to generation as the smartest man EVER. I bet ur ugly as heck because every “perfect” man has a flaw. or maybe u have several.
so ya. i have no reason to suck up. kthxbai.
i know ur reading this peter, n u better approve this comment cause if u cancel it under “not playing nice or being constructive”, the comment above isnt also.
P.S. unless tat person is you, n u cracked the pig latin.
P.S.S. im not actually pissed, but this is like my first time in a troll battle sorta thing so im excited!!!
4
HolyPhoenix
Posted at June 9, 2010 on 6:33am.
I found you Peter! :p How goes it?
5
Peter Zhang
Posted at June 14, 2010 on 4:19pm.
GASP. NO WAY. HP!? Damn man, such a long time no see. How’d you find me?
6
HolyPhoenix
Posted at June 14, 2010 on 11:59pm.
IDK, suddenly I got the feeling I wanted to visit axieblast so I visited. And of course it is down. :p So I said “I wonder what Peter is up to these days” so I went searching through google and eventually found your blog.” It didn’t take very long to really track this page down.
7
Peter Zhang
Posted at June 20, 2010 on 6:19pm.
Nice nice. What are YOU up to recently then? (And yes, this reply took a long time, I realized)
8
HolyPhoenix
Posted at June 28, 2010 on 11:24am.
Going to college. Trying to rebuild icebb from square one. (yay! it’s taking a while and I keep restarting. But I am getting better at php). Um… not much else. Living I suppose getting my computer science degree. Spendings lots of money for it.