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Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Time
“...And time goes by so slowly”. The10th circle of hell is the never-ending class. It’s moments such as these when I take refuge in that bastion of technology: the laptop computer. Which leads me to voice my acclaim for technological evolution. I mean, 100 years ago I’d be wasting my time by doodling on paper. Meaningless little drawings of trees, Le Petit Prince, DNA and funny faces. Now I spend this same time doing something constructive: authoring a Blog.
Start rant about education:
Is this still a waste of time? No. It’s a waste of money, if you believe that the tuition you pay is supposed to grant you knowledge though your continued attention in class. However, I’ve come to believe this isn’t the case. More and more, the tuition I pay is an installment of a payment plan for a very expensive piece of paper.
I’m of the opinion that education is either a completely individual or completely interactive activity. Nothing in the middle, and my classes are all about the middle.
I read a book, an article, an opinion, an idea on my own. If I’m unsure about meaning, I ask questions. But this bullshit lecture style of teaching is less than useless. My professors are forced to re-digest and regurgitate ideas for me and blah them to me for hours. They aren’t answering my questions, they’re repeating what I already understand, they’re way beyond me, whatever the case: lectures are rarely on the money. [read: rarely. Sometimes they are. On the money. This is not unreserved criticism]
Why not do away with them? Why not assign the readings for three months, the assignments for three months, and set aside so many hours of individual time with my professors. It would be time well spent.
Of course, this might not be entirely rational, but my rants rarely are. I know there are holes in this argument, but that’s what makes it debatable.
End rant.
Anyway, as I was saying: this is a constructive activity. This is one of the few reasons I honestly think laptops are preferrable to paper. It’s a double-edged sword, of course. For every student writing a blog when they’re bored in class, there are 4 who play solitaire instead. Funner wastes of time.
At least I look industrious. And isn't that what being a student is all about?
Start rant about education:
Is this still a waste of time? No. It’s a waste of money, if you believe that the tuition you pay is supposed to grant you knowledge though your continued attention in class. However, I’ve come to believe this isn’t the case. More and more, the tuition I pay is an installment of a payment plan for a very expensive piece of paper.
I’m of the opinion that education is either a completely individual or completely interactive activity. Nothing in the middle, and my classes are all about the middle.
I read a book, an article, an opinion, an idea on my own. If I’m unsure about meaning, I ask questions. But this bullshit lecture style of teaching is less than useless. My professors are forced to re-digest and regurgitate ideas for me and blah them to me for hours. They aren’t answering my questions, they’re repeating what I already understand, they’re way beyond me, whatever the case: lectures are rarely on the money. [read: rarely. Sometimes they are. On the money. This is not unreserved criticism]
Why not do away with them? Why not assign the readings for three months, the assignments for three months, and set aside so many hours of individual time with my professors. It would be time well spent.
Of course, this might not be entirely rational, but my rants rarely are. I know there are holes in this argument, but that’s what makes it debatable.
End rant.
Anyway, as I was saying: this is a constructive activity. This is one of the few reasons I honestly think laptops are preferrable to paper. It’s a double-edged sword, of course. For every student writing a blog when they’re bored in class, there are 4 who play solitaire instead. Funner wastes of time.
At least I look industrious. And isn't that what being a student is all about?
# posted by Spot @ 8:40 p.m.
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