12 - Annie Leonard, Chris Jordan, Lake Onondaga

Annie Leonard

Through discussing world processes by system, this video illustrates how everything is interconnected. Because natural systems are exploited by man-made or industrialized processes, there is no way to separate the different worlds systems. As a result of all this exploitation, our health is most definitely affected by pollution. Discussing the paradoxical nature of the world we live in, Ms. Leonard remarks, “That’s one of the ‘beauties’ of this system. The erosion of local environments and economies here ensures a constant supply of people with no other options.” This system is based on “the golden arrow of consumption” which is “the heart of the system, the engine that drives it.” Ultimately, we must keep the awareness that what we do in one system affects all the others at the forefront of our minds. Although we might be told otherwise, our actions aren’t limited to one tiny, inconsequential area.   

When reflecting back onto education, this video illustrates the importance of looking at issues from different angles. Now, this video has both practical and theoretical implications for the educational system. As the video states, processes like the exploitation of natural resources, consumption, and pollution are a part of our day to day lives. Because the world systems affect us on such a personal level, shouldn’t it be one that is openly discussed in education? If we are slowly being poisoned from toxic chemicals, what good is knowledge about math or literature or art? On a more theoretical level, this video demonstrates the importance of looking at an issue from many various lenses. Before she began her research, Ms. Leonard wanted to know where her stuff came from and where it eventually went. Just as this required analysis from many different levels, educational subjects should also be considered from different lenses.  

Chris Jordan Photography

While the photography is admittedly visually stunning, it serves the larger purpose of shedding light on issues that are common to all of mankind. Like the earlier discussion of awareness of global problems, Chris Jordan’s art implies a need that the academic community has yet to address on a wide scale. Although the finished products might seem complete and shiny, they need a closer look. When it comes to global warming or pollution or resource depletion, there are certain global issues that not only transcend specific academic disciplines but can also be presented in a way that is integral to the actual course material. The fact that students can go the entire time at college without hearing of these worldwide problems is utterly absurd. If these global issues are the most serious problems facing us today, how can we – in good conscience – neglect them?  

Lake Onondaga

Although Lake Onondaga is a Superfund site, pollution still remains a big problem. The lake, which is considered sacred by the Haudenosaunee people and used to belong to them, was illegally obtained in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Even though a treaty was draw up between the ethnic people and the U.S. government, the state of New York obtained the lake without federal authority. Because of this, the Haudenosaunee people tried to reclaim the lake but were unfortunately held back by U.S. courts. This is a ruling that hardly seems fair because New York is responsible for letting the lake “become some of the most polluted waters.” As Lake Onondaga’s original owners, the Haudenosaunee people simply want to reclaim the lake so that they can supervise clean-up efforts. Although the road to repossessing the lake will undoubtedly be a long and exhausting one, the Haudenosaunee are determined not to give up. <http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/11/the_native_land_claim_case_thats_too_disruptive_to_be_heard_in_the_supreme_court.html>

Blog Post 11 - Why School?

Chapter 1

Since I have already been researching and writing on the topic of why we need education reform, I was inspired to look at this chapter through a different lens. When it comes to education, “the economic motive looms large.” (Chapter 1, pg. 25). We say that students should not simply focus on the economic value of their education and instead pursue something that that incites a passion in them – but how are they going to do this in a world that already seems so predisposed against professions like artistry, philosophy, and poetry. In many ways, education in the United States has become formulized; this stems largely from the fact that “there’s not much public discussion of achievement that include curiosity, reflectiveness, uncertainty, or a willingness to take a chance.” (Chapter 1, pg. 27). Because of this, education reform is necessary – but how is it going to come about in concrete ways?  The answer is that real, workable solutions are based on incremental changes. Ultimately, we really do need education reform but I think that the solution has to start on individual level. Before we can change this unhealthy system, we have to raise awareness that it is, in fact, broken.

Chapter 2

In America, education shapes the lives of most people; indeed, “the question ‘why go to school’” (Chapter 2, pg. 31) is one that all students should think about. Whether we make the choice not to go to school or not to apply our best effort on the academic front, it is still a question that should be considered. The main thing that I got from this chapter was that students must have personalized academic experiences in order to become enlightened individuals, capable of making a positive change in the world. Education is the key to unlocking a door that leads to so many different opportunities and it gives “the competence and confidence to independently seek out information and make decisions” (Chapter 2, pg. 38). After reading this chapter and writing the long essay, I feel a renewed sense of sympathy for those who are unable to pursue higher education. Whether they are unable to go to college or actively chose not to do so, I think it stands to reason that those people are going to be at a disadvantage in life. If we lived in a perfect world, we would all be able to a decent standard of education.

Chapter 3                                                           

While I acknowledge that are some modest benefits to the No Child Left Behind Act, I believe that it has left some decidedly bad impacts. Because a lot of pressure falls on teachers to teach students how to pass the standardized tests and not to focus so much on the actual material, it is taking away schools’ abilities to actual impart lasting, useful knowledge to their students. On a broader level, however, the NCLB has not benefitted American students because it makes academic success one dimensional and flat. I get that test scores are an easy way to judge academic success – but can we really reduce real, flesh-and-blood people – our families, friends, and neighbors – into cold numbers? Educational success simply cannot be reduced to facts and figures. Although the law has done a fair amount of good for the country, it takes away the personal element from school and forgets “how far removed standardized tests are from the cognitive give-and-take of the classroom” (Chapter 3, pg. 48). Because testing specialists are not even sure “whether a test score … is an accurate measure of learning” (Chapter 3, pg. 48), how can the NCLB be a true representation of American students?

Chapter 4

Although I definitely do not find the intersection of business and education all bad, I can understand the points that Mike Rose makes against it. Yes, we will “need more than the one-directional reforms symbolized by a billionaire standing before a blackboard” (Chapter 4, pg. 63) but this is no reason to discount all the honest good that individuals like Bill Gates have done for many schools of many different backgrounds. While the status quo is at a decent place, there are some viable changes which can improve the current system. If philanthropists and business people want to accomplish more than a photo-op that makes them feel good about themselves and sparks some positive public opinion, they need to examine their individual motives. Ultimately, “if business is to help … it will have to understand school failure within a socioeconomic context” (Chapter 4, pg. 60). For real change to take place, they have to examine “their apparent willingness to create virtually any product and marketing campaign that will turn a profit; they will have to look beyond what is good for them and instead approach what they do for schools and the community as a whole from a higher level.

Chapter 5

While I could make a strong argument that many of my friends without college degrees are right on par with my friends who did pursue higher learning, I do believe that the world has already dictated a standard. Although it is not necessarily the case, we expect college graduates to be smart, well-cultured, and highly-productive members of society. For a majority of these people, others will be much more willing to open doors for them because most highly esteemed positions require degrees of some sort and, like Mike Rose states, “school knowledge … is respected and desired” (Chapter 5, pg. 69). Though they might not garner quite the same level of respect in the professional world, jobs that don’t require degrees – such as construction – can require a lot of expertise and can be reasonably well paying.  For many of these people, working requires a good deal of natural skill and “there is a deep respect for knowledge, know-how expertise” (Chapter 5, pg. 69). Ultimately, it takes both types for the world to be a well-functioning place. It is because of our differences, not in spite of them, that we live in a society that values the individual over the collective.