Joy in School
Article 3 “Joy in School”
EDU 211: The Child and His/ Her World
Daveen Herley
For the past years, teachers all across America have been pressured to teach their students to perform well in test and state exams. With all this pressure put on students and teachers, they have lost the joy in school. In the article, “Joy in School,” by Steven Wolk, points out how joy has been lost and explains techniques teachers can use to bring it back in school. Within my paper I am going to summarize, point out five significant points, as well as my reactions: likes and dislikes about the article. The author opens up the article by introducing two quotes. The first quote is by John Deway’s Experience and Education (1938): “What avail is it to win prescribed amounts of information about geography and history, to win the ability to read and write, if in the process the individual loses his soul.” (p. 49) this quote means, by the students “doing school” the test, required knowledge placed to be learned by grade level in order to continue on to the next is destroying their spirit to learn, curiosity, and the willingness to care for human condition. (Wolk, 2008) Second quote, by John Goodlad’s A Place Called Schools, Goodlad wrote, “Boredom is a disease of epidemic propositions… Why are our schools not a place of joy? (pg. 242) Looking back into my early school life, I feel the same way Goodlad mentioned. It was not until my junior year of high school that I was able to choose my classes that I started feeling “joy in school.” All human beings have a desire to learn, how is it that school manages to turn learning into a joyless experience? According to the online dictionary in Merriam-Webster, joy is defined as: “a source or cause of delight.” We experience this sort of learning all the time but not usually in school. For instance, last week when I was in my assigned placement of internship, a student whom has a learning disability surprised us with his knowledge of
EDU 211: The Child and His/ Her World
Daveen Herley
For the past years, teachers all across America have been pressured to teach their students to perform well in test and state exams. With all this pressure put on students and teachers, they have lost the joy in school. In the article, “Joy in School,” by Steven Wolk, points out how joy has been lost and explains techniques teachers can use to bring it back in school. Within my paper I am going to summarize, point out five significant points, as well as my reactions: likes and dislikes about the article. The author opens up the article by introducing two quotes. The first quote is by John Deway’s Experience and Education (1938): “What avail is it to win prescribed amounts of information about geography and history, to win the ability to read and write, if in the process the individual loses his soul.” (p. 49) this quote means, by the students “doing school” the test, required knowledge placed to be learned by grade level in order to continue on to the next is destroying their spirit to learn, curiosity, and the willingness to care for human condition. (Wolk, 2008) Second quote, by John Goodlad’s A Place Called Schools, Goodlad wrote, “Boredom is a disease of epidemic propositions… Why are our schools not a place of joy? (pg. 242) Looking back into my early school life, I feel the same way Goodlad mentioned. It was not until my junior year of high school that I was able to choose my classes that I started feeling “joy in school.” All human beings have a desire to learn, how is it that school manages to turn learning into a joyless experience? According to the online dictionary in Merriam-Webster, joy is defined as: “a source or cause of delight.” We experience this sort of learning all the time but not usually in school. For instance, last week when I was in my assigned placement of internship, a student whom has a learning disability surprised us with his knowledge of
References: An Encyclopedia Britannica Company. (2012), definition of Joy Retrieved on February 13, 2012, [ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joy] Eliason, C. & Jenkins L. (2012) A Practical Guide to EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM. Ninth Ed. Pearson Education, Inc. Paciorek, K. M.(2011). Annual Editions: Early Childhood Education 10/11 (Thirty-First Ed.) Article 3: Joy in Learning. Author: Wolk, S. (2008). The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York, New York 10020.