Setting the Right Climate

I’ve been reflecting a lot today on the interview we heard on Thursday.  Specifically I keep think about the segment where the interviewer put forth the ubiquitous idea of the cashier that can’t make change as proof for the failure of our country’s schools.  It’s certainly not a new idea; I’ve heard my parents and others level similar accusations all the time.  While it’s very possible that individuals such as this might have a learning disability or be tired from working all day or be completely apathetic, I couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t another example of the misconceptions that are derailing quality education.

This generation is different than previous generations in that if you organize your life in a specific way, you don’t have to handle tangible money.  Debit cards, direct deposits, and automatic bill pays have made modern financial management a completely different experience.  When we talk about learning from life experiences, we have to realize that fewer and fewer students are going to be having the experiences of receiving change or saving coins in a jar.  Plus people make mistakes and get flustered all the time.  I’m not advocating that kids shouldn’t know how many dimes go into a dollar, but I think it’s important to realize that certain people’s knowledge-base is informed by more than their schooling, and that the idea of deceptively simple tasks is completely subjective.  

If we go back to my parents complaining about the cashier at the store, they see the next generation as severely behind.  But if they need help with anything involving computers, they automatically go to the youngest person in the room.  No matter how simple or intuitive some task might be, no matter how clear the instructions or how thorough the help functions, I know a lot of older people who just can never work a computer without assistance.  They might say that it’s because computers weren’t around when they were younger, but couldn’t I just come back and say that their educations weren’t good enough and that their generation has no motivation?

One of the problems with educating people is that they’re just as motivated (maybe more so) by embarrassment, shame, and fear.  Instead of helping the confused cashier, our society points at him for his deficiency, whereas the elder technophobe convinces himself that because he hasn’t acquired a skill, it is too complex or beyond learning.  High-stakes testing furthers this idea about learning; when a student fails, it’s not seen as a teachable moment or chance for growth—people just condemn them and blame them for everything wrong with the world.  If the climate of society were different…if there was less judgment and more patience, adults and students alike would be more open to school and learning.  For our culture to grow, we should make students safer from superiority, condescension, and humiliation.  Instead of just pointing and saying, “What’s wrong with you?” when people don't know things, wouldn’t it be more helpful to just try to fix the problem, making everybody better in the process.

How it should be:  http://xkcd.com/1053/