Thursday, July 11, 2013

Chapter 2 - Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matt Crawford

The Separation of Thinking from Doing....

Isn't this what virtual world is?  In essence I maintain 2 classrooms the real and the virtual.   I would point I am not advocating the extinction of either.  Each has a place....   as educators there is fear (especially among union members) of the teacher being replaced.  However,  I hope you found in your experience in my strand the virtual does not replace my teaching but allows me to enhance it, shape it, modify it, and isolate it for each student.  It gives the most valuable commodity of all in education... more time with my students.

The degradation of blue collar work or the alienation of the worker is what is happening is our current education systems.   Students currently work from test to test without clarification of what does that number mean?  NECAPPS, MEA, Fontus and Phinell... the test go on and on.   They are all abstract to the child.   The student because separated from the work and out come.  They don't know how the engine worked, but that it got them to school and back.  If it breaks they pay some one what ever they ask not knowing if they are being lied to or not.

Henry Ford realize "eventually it was learned the only way to get them to work harder was to play along with their imagination"

Haven't we all found this in our classes?  think of the most successful assignment, activity or lesson?
What made it work?  was it the test format? the typical lecture?  or some variation on a hands on activity.   Simple task to prove this point.  Stop think of your favorite teacher and the favorite thing you learned from them?  What did it do?

So as we read this chapter it took us through the demise of the blue and white collar leading us to the "creative economy" and the virtual economy.   Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple really actually produce very little as a real object.   Apple for example actually loses money on their iPods, iPads and iTouches.... they make millions from their content (apps, itunes)  Zing is one of the biggest gaming companies and never sells a console or game there.  (they are the makers of Facebook games like Farmville)

So....what advice would you give your student?   Go to college?  Get a trade? do both? go tech? go hands on?

9 comments:

  1. People are scared about the technological advances in education and in other jobs. Many fear that the computer will replace the person. Like Keith mentioned, technology is a way to enhance teaching and learning for students. There is absolutely still a need for a teacher even with the use of technology. That is true with many other trade jobs. There are some jobs that can be done by a computer, machine, or overseas. But, there are many jobs that cannot be replaced, such as contractors, plumbers, auto mechanics are just a few jobs that require you to be creative and problem solve.

    When talking about advice for young people, Crawford discusses how if you feel college is right for you, then go for it! He the goes on to say, “ …if the thought of four more years sitting in a classroom makes your skin crawl, the good news is that you don’t have to go through the motions and jump through the hoops for the sake of making a decent living. Even if you do go to college, learn a trade in the summers…” (pg. 53) This really jumped out at me for a couple reasons. One being that for years now kids have been pushed to college in order to “make a decent living”. Crawford is calling that bluff. He is not saying to just sit back and relax and work at a job that doesn’t require any high level creative thinking. He is saying that there are other jobs that require high-level thinking and creativity you can pursue where you don’t need a 4-year college degree. Another reason the quote jumped out at me is because I think there are many people, including myself, that could have taken his advice to learn a trade while going to college. I think when it comes to my students and what advice I would give them is to broaden your horizons. Learn a trade, learn about technology, and think about possible careers that you think you would be passionate about. Pick the route that is best for you, but really do your research. Don’t just go to college to go to college. Think about what you want to get out of college (what do you want to be doing when it is all said and done). Take every opportunity you can get. You never know what you’ll take a liking to…it may surprise you!

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  2. One issue has been how all our jobs are being "outsourced" to other countries. it is hard to compete with a person working for 1 dollar a week in a forced factory camp where they live where they work.... BUT you can't outsource a toilet. There is stuff that has to be done here. Also you can see how my 3d printer changes thing.... no matter how cheap the 1 dollar and hour person is... they can't do it the exact same way 24 hours a day... some one has to run the printer. And the $1 buck and hour person. is not going to do it.

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  3. This chapter gave me a personal "ah-ha" moment. My youngest brother just graduated high school last month. In the fall, he will be going to KVCC for a 2 year program in business management, he wants to own and operate a used car/boat/snowmobile business. He has always struggled in school and has a mild case of cerebral palsy. I've always thought that he could do more than what he plans to do and was frustrated that my parents didn't push him to go to a 4 year school and get his business degree. (My other 4 siblings and myself have all done bachelor's programs). But, this chapter made me question why that would position him any better in life then his current plan. I moved away from the thought that my parents were letting him settle because of his disability and had the realization that this is what he wants and in the end he will probably be much happier than if my parents would've forced him into doing something else.

    Why do we have this societal belief that everyone must go to college and have a formal degree to be successful in life? Some of the hardest working and people we need most in this world do not have a very expensive diploma. I would also argue that they are creative thinkers as well (more so than the "creative" Best Buy employees). Plumbers, mechanics, builders, etc. constantly need to come up with unique ideas to problem solve and perfect their craft to standout as one of the best.

    Keith, I also highlighted the quote "Eventually it was learned that the only way to get them to work harder was to play upon the imagination, stimulating new needs and wants" (Kindle page 42). Motivating our learners is a constant educational concern across various grade levels and content areas. So, I wonder how can I stimulate my learners imagination? As I ponder this, I can come up with many more ideas for sparking interest, curiosity, and imagination in science than math. Anyone else have any ideas?

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    1. The Government loan system seems to have become a death spiral. Students get loans then have to pay them off for jobs that do not pay the money needed. And currently 81% of new jobs created are part time. (not to get political but with health care changes in future this will become the norm not the exception) You brother would be better suited to learn how to do the business side then the manual welding, small engine repair.

      On motivation I would just recommend DO PROJECTS and try to make the REAL. Nothing for the sake of just doing it for school

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  4. I think society has really lost track of the fact that success is different for everyone. Right now we are all forced to follow the strict testing regiment of the federal government, state and district standards. We test kids over and over to make sure they aren't "falling behind" because our ultimate goal is for every student to graduate high school in 4 years (otherwise they count as a drop out) and then go onto college. In the end I think we're doing a disservice to many of our students. If college is the best path for a student, then we as teachers should help them achieve that, but if learning a trade is better for them, then we should help them realize that opportunity and let them know that, that is an extremely valuable thing.

    I have heard some friends (one who has 2 bachelors degrees and two who have their electricians licenses) discuss money and schooling. The person with 2 college degrees claimed it was "unfair" that the electricians make more than he does because they "didn't go to college". Well, sure the electricians didn't go to college for 4 (or more) years, but they did go to school, just through apprenticeships. They have learned a skill that allows them to earn more money because it is something that people need. This also makes me think of the first time we took our 5th graders to UTC a couple of years ago. One of the first things the tour guide said to the group was that there was a big need for female plumbers, with starting pay around $80/hour. Quickly the thought ran through my head that I definitely wasn't making $80/hour and I had more college loan debt than any plumber coming out of schooling would have. Just some food for thought!

    With a strong focus on testing, we lose valuable classroom time for meaningful activities (sure the "good" teachers figure out how to make it all work, but some just fall victim to the lecture/test routine). As we've all learned and figured out in our classrooms, students remember very little of what they hear, and much more of what they actually do and even teach others to do. It is a struggle to constantly find new and exciting ways for students to learn the material they need to "know to pass the test". There are times when I wish I could go further with a topic because it is interesting to the students, but then I remember just how much I'm expected to cover throughout the year, so my freedom is limited. It's tough to balance the curriculum and capitalize on those "teachable moments"

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    1. Your friend should be reminded that they have been working as apprentices all those years he was in college. Furthermore, they must continuously maintain their licenses.

      I wish we could just allow the kids who are done to move on and the ones who need more help to remain where they can get more help. We should promote by ability and completion not by age.

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  5. Sorry I'm late. We decided with the mini heat wave to head "Upta Camp" for a few days. An aha for me was when the author discussed that the elimination of craftsmen in designing and building products was a systematic strategy used by American factories and business in the early 20th Century. Until reading this chapter I never thought of that as a drawback of the assembly line. But to be sure, I have always preferred to purchase locally made, hand crafted items to Wal Mart assembly line products but sometimes the assembly line produced dresser is more feasible financially.

    As an aside, we talk about how kids are being pushed in certain directions based on what schools perceive them capable of and how the trades are being eliminated from many schools. In Japan, they track students as well only at a much younger age. When students leave junior high they need to decide which high school they would like to attend. In the small city I lived in there were 3 high schools - the academic school for college bound students, the marketing school(which also included fashion, beauticians and careers in that direction) and the industrial school where students worked to become electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc... There was also an agricultural school and a "behavior" school(where all the supposed lost causes ended up as a last resort)outside the city. These students had to decide at 12 or 13 years old what track they wanted to apply for and then had to take a test to gain entrance into the school of their choice. I always thought that was a such a young age to make a life decision as big as that. I worked at the academic school and once a month I got to drive an hour up into the mountains to Itsuki to the "behavior" school. The interesting thing is a few of the Itsuki kids had more ability and drive than my Academic kids but because they were labeled troubled so young, they ended up in a less challenging academic environment and had little chance at attaining a highly successful career after high school. Just thought I'd share a little about what goes on the rest of the world.

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  6. Sorry I'm late. We decided with the mini heat wave to head "Upta Camp" for a few days. An aha for me was when the author discussed that the elimination of craftsmen in designing and building products was a systematic strategy used by American factories and business in the early 20th Century. Until reading this chapter I never thought of that as a drawback of the assembly line. But to be sure, I have always preferred to purchase locally made, hand crafted items to Wal Mart assembly line products but sometimes the assembly line produced dresser is more feasible financially.

    As an aside, we talk about how kids are being pushed in certain directions based on what schools perceive them capable of and how the trades are being eliminated from many schools. In Japan, they track students as well only at a much younger age. When students leave junior high they need to decide which high school they would like to attend. In the small city I lived in there were 3 high schools - the academic school for college bound students, the marketing school(which also included fashion, beauticians and careers in that direction) and the industrial school where students worked to become electricians, plumbers, carpenters, etc... There was also an agricultural school and a "behavior" school(where all the supposed lost causes ended up as a last resort)outside the city. These students had to decide at 12 or 13 years old what track they wanted to apply for and then had to take a test to gain entrance into the school of their choice. I always thought that was a such a young age to make a life decision as big as that. I worked at the academic school and once a month I got to drive an hour up into the mountains to Itsuki to the "behavior" school. The interesting thing is a few of the Itsuki kids had more ability and drive than my Academic kids but because they were labeled troubled so young, they ended up in a less challenging academic environment and had little chance at attaining a highly successful career after high school. Just thought I'd share a little about what goes on the rest of the world.

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    1. That maybe why they have a "Creative" gap. They have higher academic achievement gap to US but by making them decide so you.

      I am still finding interests and areas I would like to do.

      Also... this is crazy in a way. They are making students at 12 decide on a career...

      yet in this new technology based world there are jobs/companies that don't exist.

      12 years ago Facebook and Google.... didn't really exist.

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