Brave New Week: Surgery scares and discontent with No Child Left Behind

This Week in Goals:

• Buy a knee brace with patella support so that I feel less damaged after running.
• Visit Papa at least twice.
• Figure out Pitchfork.
  
• Work. Actually work.
  

I went to visit my grandfather at the hospital on Saturday. He had knee replacement surgery on Friday and while I wasn't expecting full capacity, it was a bit unsettling going there. My grandfather has a very commanding presence and a very strong personality; therefore, it was very strange to see him in such a quiet, vulnerable situation. I don't know what I expected, but I left feeling rattled and concerned: how is he going to get around? How long is recovery going to take? Should he be this drowsy? I thought about my parents and I don't know how I would handle taking care of my parents in that situation. I like to think I can accept mortality fairly well, but that's a lie. It's pretty terrifying when it gets closer and I generally don't like to be reminded about the brevity of life, not in that way.

In other news, it looks like the No Child Left Behind Act is causing greater woe to schools across the nation. I'm not wholly against standardized testing, but I don't like the full emphasis on test scores. I was lucky enough to go to an alternative learning program in my district that really emphasized creative thinking and multivalent approaches to learning. We were able to do a lot of experiments, build mini-ecosystems, learn physics through marble and plastic tube "roller coasters", have a space simulation weekend, etc. Unfortunately, this type of program probably only exists in wealthy neighborhoods like mine. I believe that the ability for children to learn is in direct correlation with the ability for children to connect to the material, to engage the facts and the theories. Math worksheets and spelling lists are pretty fucking boring, regardless of how old your age. The NCLBA also encourages a blanket method of teaching, a single speed approach to learning. While there has been emphasis on those children who are "left behind", there are probably children in that group who are very intelligent and simply under-challenged. In high school, most notably, I probably learned the least in classes where I was not challenged because I never had to study or put in any effort whatsoever. During elementary school, I was in three split level classes with a companion class that swapped students for math and science. The more advanced students were allowed to progress into the next grade and work a more appropriate speed. Some of my friends advanced two to three grades in math during our third grade year and by the time they reached college, they were in DiffEQ as first semester freshman. Students learn the most when they have the option to do so.

Read it and think for yourself
Superintendent Deasy acknowledges the atmosphere at Arrowhead is more intense than at schools that aren't facing restructuring. He said lessons at schools missing testing goals have to be very targeted, and he says there often isn't time for electives and free play like at other schools.

Additionally...they are children. Let them play. America stifles individuality and creativity enough where you are a pseudo-emo, anorexic teenager, let's not kill the kids too.