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Paul Hankins(Mar 08 2021 1:38PM):
Note on Language/Content (this note is related to the attached "update" to Malcolm London today and not the original TED Talks Education post to which you are responding for the homework).
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Malcolm presents with an authenticity that includes language we might not otherwise use in the classroom setting. This piece is not required for your homework but some of you might want to explore the work of the young poet today.
In the video London talks about how schools separate and label us. He uses the term of Regulars and honors however these aren’t the only classifications given in school. When London touched on the topic it made me think of school stereotypes and how kids are forced to fit into one in order to feel accepted by their peers. An example is if a kid plays a sport like basketball, football, track, ect… they are labeled a jock which has negative connotation of being dull and stupid. On the other hand you have the kids that get good grades they are labeled as nerds and have the negative connotation of being weak and timid. In reality these classes only restrict what kids believe they can do with their life as they are branded from a young age and told what they can and cannot do.
I agree with everything you are saying because Malcom says “one group is taught to lead and the other is taught to follow.” It doesn’t have to be like this and it shouldn’t be like this everyone can be a leader.
I completely agree with everything you said. I think London does a great job explaining how schools separate and label us. London gives his own personal story about his high school which helps give people a clearer perspective. He also refers to school as training multiple times which I really like.
Katie L. Bishop(Mar 09 2021 2:13PM):
"One group is taught to lead, and the other is made to follow."
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This message stuck out to me because of how true it is. When we are kids, depending on how we grow up, we are taught how to lead or follow. Now, those who follow are too scared to lead, and those who lead may not want to follow. For example, say you were always called quiet or shy as a kid. Many people could assume you did not enjoy talking to people, when really as a child you were taught to follow instead of leading. In school we are put into classes and told if we are “gifted” or not. This could change the way we see ourselves, which could make us too scared to lead or follow.
Austin Densmore(Mar 10 2021 1:32PM):
Why can't we all lead together
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That is a very good point, in school, we are taught that there are leaders and followers. Why does that have to be the case? Can we not be what we are usually described as a student body? I believe that there should not be only one leader or multiple, but all, every piece of knowledge or opinion is important to hear and articulate these thoughts together.
This connects well to the other two pieces we have read about education by Malcom X and Frederick Douglas. Knowledge is power and privilege, but it should be a right, a gift. The education system and our government have been accused of falling minorities. Much of these two systems were built either without minorities in mind, or to directly prohibit their growth and success. " I hear education systems are failing but I believe they are succeeding at what they’re built to do." “No wonder so many of my people spit bars because the truth is hard to swallow.” “But reading does not matter when you feel your story is already write, either dead or getting booked.” The system has failed us before, it is failing now, and will continue to fail us well into the future unless we change it. Ignorance fails to serve as an excuse when we willing put the blindfold on.
Hankins Lindsay Barnes(Mar 10 2021 8:10AM):
Social Lines are Barbed Wire
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Malcolm London expresses that “social lines are barbed wire.” The labels placed upon people, such as “honors,” “regular,” or " bully," are restrictions to society. These labels convince the person that is who they are and that will determine how much they succeed in life. This distraction wavers the true meaning of education. Everyone walks halls, attends classes,and walks through doors to acquire the same education as others, but these social lines create barriers.
The social barriers given through labels can often prevent an individual from reaching their full potential. Labels can be barring, whether intentional or not, and it can be extremely damaging upon adolescents.
I agree. Placing labels on people for their entire lives will inevitably lead to those people believing that they are those things and they will be cemented into that type of person.
Jacy Stricker(Mar 10 2021 8:24AM):
"Social Lines are barbed wire.."
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London mentions this line in his poem and it really stuck with me. Especially when we were a lot younger those “social lines are barbed wire” and we dared not to cross them for fear we would be hurt or put out of place. Those “social lines” can restrict you like a prison with barbed wire to keep us where we’re “meant to be.” To keep us within our social groups that, I, myself, had to learn the hard way, are superficial and unrealistic expectations put on by ourselves. Phrases like “they don’t like” or “they think I’m weird” don’t matter. Those “social lines” can restrict the creativity and friendliness schools preach they let flourish, yet get diminished at an early age. Only as you grow older do you learn it doesn’t matter on your own through your own experiences.
Hanna Brock(Mar 10 2021 10:54AM):
"Training ground"
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During Malcolm London’s TED Talk, he brings up how our education system has fallen, and is failing us. London talks about how school is segregated, to put us into certain groups, so we fall into where they believe we should be. If you are in certain classes, you are looked at in a specific way; if you play sports, you are looked at a specific way. We are put into categories to be separated, which then can affect who we hang out around that ends up with us in to their groups. If you play sports and are in honors classes, you receive a label for yourself that can make you “popular”. If you are involved in no sports, and are in standard classes, you are labeled “regular”. When we receive these labels in school, it can lead to being indecisive after graduation; we feel that our story has been planned for us, so we follow were they lead us. They train, and lead, us to our part they see us in on this Earth. We are their soldiers.
Austin Densmore(Mar 10 2021 1:24PM):
Separating the regulars from the honors
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This statement, is a message, the message that is being conveyed is that the separation of “regular” students and “honors” students is wrong. I think this ties in with a sort of favoritism seen within schools. The students who walk through school without a single care in the world and succeed tend to frustrate those who struggle. A lot of those times, the students who struggle, do not receive the proper help and support they need to make it just like the honors do. In fact personally, me being a student who does not have to much trouble in school I see these students that struggle, I understand the lives the live and the stress and the responsibility they put on themselves is astronomical. These students need our attention, not the honor role who breeze through. Punishment is not the answer for the students who struggle.
These social barriers resonate with students psychologically for as long as people are categorized by how well they can solve an algebraic equation. Those creative, artistic people are often barred from utilizing their intelligence and categorized as “different.” Some may lack literary prowess, so they do not make it into the “honors” programs. Students can excel in one subject more than another but are penalized for their so-called weaknesses.
Eli Hopkins(Mar 10 2021 7:38PM):
"Bubbling in Scantrons does not stop bullets from bursting"
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People often praise education as the one way to lift people out of poverty. While a quality education can give people opportunities they never thought possible, sometimes the advocates forget just how difficult it is for some communities to get that education and the barriers to it like violence and unsupportive households. Another aspect of the line is the harsh alliteration of the “b” sound.
Sydney Sierota(Mar 12 2021 1:05PM):
Stereotypes
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In Malcolm London’s TED talk, he discusses high school stereotypes and how it affects them. For example, Malcolm talks about the “regulars” of his high school. More examples are jocks and nerds. He also talks about how these labels mean nothing because majority of people’s inner personality is never shown.
I agree. I think, like Malcolm, that people will never show who their personality truly is because they do not want people to make fun of them or be non accepting.
Throughout the entire piece, London always goes back to the phrase “This is a training ground”. This is a strong rhetorical tool to use because it helps him to portray his ideas about school.
I agree with what you’re saying here. The way he repeatedly says “This is a training ground” really drives his point that this is a place where you are trained and not taught. This makes me wonder where school went wrong down the line. From a place that was meant to teach and educate to a place that many hate. It makes me wonder where it went wrong and how can it be fixed?
Branden Northern(Mar 12 2021 5:11AM):
Repetition
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I really like the use of repetition in this piece because he is really driving the audience to remember that this school system we have is more like training than actual learning.
Lucas Densford(Mar 08 2021 1:49PM):
"Oceans of Adolescents"
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He states one phrase which I found extremely powerful, as it also coordinates with a certain theme we have been looking at over the past few weeks. “Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons but never learn to swim.” This line resonated with me due to our recent work with the idea of education. On the heels of talking about the teachers, I cannot help but wonder if the inability of “learning how to swim” truly falls more on the student not bringing themselves into the work. We have seen with both Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass that without a set teacher or curriculum, one’s curiosity and determination fuels one to gain much more than an education. He also repeats “this is a training ground,” and he emphasizes that by employing repetition. True education comes when the student truly desires to want to “swim.”
I agree with Lucas, but I also think that it can be different in some cases. What I mean by this is where one student might thrive from being taught by a teacher, other students might benefit more from learning on their own. The “Ocean” is a big place to be, and there are lots of different ways to swim. Nowadays, or even back in the day, people have always differed in the ways that they learn and comprehend information. A big problem that I see in Educational Systems is only allowing certain methods of learning in the classroom. To take things back to the swimming analogy, there are 3 main ways I can think of to show how people learn differently. A Tactile or hands-on student would learn better by physically being immersed in the water. A Visually-oriented student could benefit from a video on how to swim or reading a paper about it. And last, but not least, an audio-oriented student might benefit from a podcast or just simply being told how to do it. Students aren’t given the academic freedom that is required for them to be the best student that they could be, and to fully thrive academically in a way that is well-suited to them. Placing labels on students who are “smart” or “dumb” can change the way a student feels about themselves and the way that they learn. What is smart, anyway? Smart is different for everyone. Smart for me could be cooking, but smart for Lucas could be Tennis. Yes, they’re completely different, but it doesn’t mean that either of us are dumb for not knowing how to do the other. I’m not good at Tennis, and Lucas might be bad at cooking. We’re not dumb, we’re just different from each other, and these differences are neither illuminated, nor celebrated in today’s education systems. So let the Tactile learn with their hands. Let the visual students learn from what they see. And let the audio students soak in what they hear, so that they can become the best “swimmers” they can in the “ocean of adolescence.”
Gavin Law(Mar 08 2021 1:53PM):
Homework Is Stressful
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London says in his poem,“Homework is stressful, but when you go home every day and your home is work, you don’t want to pick up any assignments.” This is an extremely true statement, and I’m sure that it is very relatable to most people.
I feel like that there has always been two sides to this argument, should students have homework or should they not. Malcolm hits on this topic and it seems like to me he understands why kids do not want it. You are school for 7 hours and then they want you to do a hour of homework too.
Sydney Sierota(Mar 12 2021 7:08PM):
Powerful statement
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This quote was very powerful and brought a new perspective that most people don’t think about. At school, you never know what a classmate is going through at home. This should teach us not to be so quick to judge if someone has bad grades because their struggling could e a result of something you have no idea about.
Lauren Trendel(Mar 12 2021 7:10PM):
Homework, vs Home Life
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I agree. I feel as if school work should be completed in school, other than studying. Students aren’t able to have a life outside of school because of the loads of work assigned to them for homework. People already have stress in their home lives whether it be mental or physically abusive house members, or house members who are ill who they have to aid in taking care of. All of this on top of mental health issues they may be struggling with, school stacking homework on students is stressful. Due dates quickly approaching having multiple assignments for each class, on top of the life you live at home.
Flora Clarke(Mar 08 2021 1:59PM):
"Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons, but never learn to swim."
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A great deal of people believe students are in fact learning the material and lessons being given, but are not being taught necessary information they can apply to every day life. However, this is not always the case. Teachers like Morrie and Mr. Hundert, who teacher their students how to “swim” and continue to effect their students lives for the better. Teaching them real life experiences instead of just lessons and labeling students as “regular” or “honors.”
Rosie Grady(Mar 08 2021 2:03PM):
The faults within our school system
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In the beginning of hist talk Malcolm London offers a quote concerning his high school life stating, “a building dedicated to building that only breaks me down.” This statement then leads to the rest of London’s talk discussing how the American education system is a “training ground” for our future. However, according to London, this is not a future of education, instead it is a future of judgements towards others and how others are valued based on title. London mentions the value of the education system for students,how it has failed multiple individuals, and the need for change in order for all students to have a training ground that will teach them correctly.
Malcolm London exposes the flaws within the education system around the country. He speaks from past experience and explains how his high school was segregated on purpose. He goes on to explain the diversity between “regulars” and “honors” within his Chicago high school.
Jordyn Hall(Mar 10 2021 1:52PM):
The faults within our school system
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I could not agree more, Rosie. The purposes set for the American school system are not what students need. They need to know that everyone is valuable, not just if you have all A’s and a 4.0. Kids need to know that not being perfect is okay. They need to be able to take off some of the constant pressure they put on themselves and be able to live life and their childhood happily. I’m not saying we have to get rid of the American school system altogether, but I am saying something needs to change.
Rosie:
I could not agree more with your mention of the school system putting a label upon certain individuals, which ultimately results in determining their own future. The stress to succeed is put heavily onto all students within the schooling system and if some do not come up to the bar they are thought as ‘regular’. This cycle needs to be put to rest and a change needs to occur to the frame work of the schooling system, since it had failed many individuals time and time again.
Austin Densmore(Mar 10 2021 7:28PM):
Absolutely Right
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These faults are usually ignored, which is just truly awful. We as the student body are not their lab rats, we want to be the future. Every single student deserves to succeed no matter what.
Brianna Balmer(Mar 08 2021 2:08PM):
"A building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down."
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London states the phrase, “I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.” This phrase resonates with so many students today. Students all come to school to learn, yet in return end up lost and broken. He goes on to state later, “Homework is stressful” and once you go home, “Your home is work.” Students are constantly stressed out with the work they are given, and go home to continue to “work”. They are attempting to process the new information learned, while trying to succeed socially as well. This is the reason this phrase has such an impact, because London brought to light what almost all students are feeling and currently struggling with.
Kinsey Holland(Mar 08 2021 2:09PM):
"One Group..."
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In this piece London used the phrase “One group is taught to lead, the other is made to follow.” (1:44) This line of the video stuck with me because of how this can apply to many things such as the education system, politics, and more. This is a big part of how a society functions. There are those who were made to lead and there are those who were made to follow. The leaders know how to take initiative. The followers fall closely behind doing what the leaders have done.
Colleen O'Hara(Mar 08 2021 7:08PM):
Response to Kinsey
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I agree with what you are saying. There are people who are made to take charge and know what to do. And there are people who know how to use the “template” that the ones who take charge have created.
Flora Clarke(Mar 08 2021 2:15PM):
"Dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down."
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As Malcolm London later uses repetition of the world “stressful” to describe the pressures school can have on a person, school ultimately can break us down and destroy us. He finds irony in the educations purpose to build students up, when in reality school is a prior reasons why many of us are breaking down. The pressure of becoming a “honors” student, numerous amounts of assignments, the dangerously armed bullies, etc. Stating, “This is a training ground to sort out the Regulars, from the Honors.” Comparing it to a training ground, not seeing the joy learning can have. Like when Malcolm X taught himself to read, stating he felt truly free, but for some students it feels as if school is breaking them.
Colleen O'Hara(Mar 08 2021 7:18PM):
Response to Flora
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I agree with what you are saying. From the moment classes begin to switch from everyone to honors and regular, it is already clear who’s the “Honors” and who aren’t. All the kids who become the “Honors” get swamped with twice the work as the “Regular” kids. I strongly agree with where you said “Comparing it to a training ground, not seeing the joy learning can have.” The standards and expectations of Honors oppress the spirit and enjoyment of learning things that they find to be interesting.
Paul Hankins(Mar 08 2021 7:34PM):
Remembering Too. . .
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That there are other English classes that one might take. The biggest problem I have found is that we DO NOT have a middle English program. We have ENG11 and AP ENGLANGANDCOMP. We have to follow the AP guidelines for the exam. And we have to follow IVY TECH’s guidelines for 111 and 215. The teacher AND the students get pinched in here, but we try to find ways to work into and around the rigidity to be sure that all can have success. My ENG 11 students always learned about Hero’s Journey and Archetypes and Symbols and Rhetoric too. I just don’t have those groups anymore. I’m proud of the work we are doing. It’s hard work. It’s good work.
Kinsey Holland(Mar 08 2021 2:17PM):
Endless Work
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In this piece by London, this phrase particularly stuck out to me “Teachers paid less than what it costs to be here.” In schools all across the country teachers are tirelessly working to teach the future leaders of the world the material they need to know before moving on to the next chapter in their lives. Teachers are not getting paid enough for the amount of work they are going through just to help educate the next generations.
Emily Weber(Mar 08 2021 2:39PM):
"To track down an American dream that has failed so many of us."
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I thought this quote where he says, “To keep you on track, to track down an American dream that has failed so many of us” was a very powerful quote that is not talked about as much as it should be. Schools push us and try to form us to be the same as everyone else. They encourage us to grow up and have a 9-5 job and this is just unrealistic because this is not the lifestyle that works for everyone and it has already failed so many people. People talk about the “American Dream”, but what even is it?
Jacy Stricker(Mar 10 2021 2:41PM):
the "American Dream" - Response to Emily
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I agree. Schools push us to fit in a box regulated by state standards. Encouraging that a 9-5 is the only way we’ll succeed in life. The teach for state standards but not for the standards we want to achieve. Only in college do we start to see that happen, but college isn’t for everyone. London even says “the need for degrees has left so many people frozen.” How are we supposed to reach the “American Dream” when it’s so different for everyone? How are we supposed to be successful when we’re told there’s only one way to do it? According to Dictionary.com, The American Dream is “the aspirational belief in the U.S. that all individuals are entitled to the opportunity for success and upward social mobility through hard work.” If we’re entitled to the success and opportunity, why aren’t we taught it?
Branden Northern(Mar 12 2021 5:14AM):
"American Dream"
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The phrase American dream was scripted a long time ago, meaning escaping a tough situation and fighting for freedom in America. But is that really a dream for people these days, do people really want to come to America, just to be poor, just to be discriminated against, or even to be pushed out by the corrupt government.
Grant Miller(Mar 08 2021 3:00PM):
"Teacher paid less than it cost them to be here"
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This is very disappointing that it will cost teacher more to get the degree than they will make for the years to come. I hope we find a way to increase the salary to create more increased in the job and for more passionate people to enter this field to teach the next generation.
Avery Post(Mar 12 2021 3:58PM):
"Teachers paid less than what it cost them to be here"
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Its such a depressing fact that people who want to teach and bring up the next generations to come are the ones being payed so little. They deserve more respect, they deserve more money and they shouldn’t have to buy things just to support their students. They take up so much of their time just to teach and give students the ability to learn new things.
Education is failing, there is not enough money for schools, there is not enough passionate people to lead the next generation. There might be passionate teachers out there, but the lack of good pay is discouraging them from going into education.
Emily Weber(Mar 08 2021 3:36PM):
The need for degrees
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When London says, “The need for degrees has left so many people frozen”, it really stuck with me. So much work is put on us no matter what is going on and it is so stressful. We are told that we need degrees to make a living in this world, so it starts to weigh very heavy on us. This unimaginable stress has left so many people lost and not knowing what to do. It is difficult to manage all of this especially with minimal guidance.
Lauren Trendel(Mar 12 2021 7:16PM):
Need for degrees
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I agree, we are so pressured as not just high school students but we have been pressured since we were kids. Pressured to go to college, pressured to become doctors or lawyers even though there are other jobs that are needed that people don’t realize are important. This places so much unnecessary stress that we don’t need and already have based on the amount of work we have to do along with our personal lives.
Jayden Robinson(Mar 08 2021 4:58PM):
Felt to the Core
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“Homework is stressful, but when you go home every day and your home is work, you don’t want to pick up any assignments.” This statement has been the anthem of all the people I have spoken to since my junior year started. I feel this statement deep in my bones. I’ve said things similar to this statement on several occasions.
R Shelton(Mar 08 2021 7:58PM):
Straight A's to Straight Failing
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Jayden,
I have also seen many people fall victim to the stresses of life. Escpecially since quarantine has began I have seen many of my friends, and even some myself, go from straight A’s to failing classes. As home life gets more and more difficult, the energy and drive to complete work drastically decreases. We are humans, we can only do so much.
Jayden Robinson(Mar 10 2021 4:57PM):
I miss the old feeling school gave me.
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School used to be somewhere where people looked forward to going to, now the thought of going to school is a dark angry cloud that rains on my mood. Being at school feels like pushing a boulder up a mountain just to have it roll back down for the next day. I love to learn and absorb, but covid has made it terrible, and home life has cut the bud off my flower of determination to succeed.
student Heather Purlee(Mar 08 2021 4:59PM):
Labels
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I feel like schools are defined by labels, whether that be labels for the students or the school its self. For example “The Snobs from the Knobs” and “Scribnerds”. I feel like people hide behind labels and try to mold themselves to fit that label instead of making their own. People are bullied for their label or praised for their label.
Katherine Hanover(Mar 08 2021 5:08PM):
Teacher's pay
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The quote “Teachers paid less than what it costs to be here”, really struck home with me. My mom was a teacher for five years and worked her butt off for her students to get the education they needed. As the years went on, they started cutting off funding to the point my mom did not have paper or markers or anything she needed for her classroom. She then was not given the raise she was given in her contract. My mom had to leave the job she loved because she could not afford to live off the small salary she was given. Teachers deserve better, they give us so much of their time and dedication. They deserve salaries they can live off of.
Emily Morrison(Mar 08 2021 5:22PM):
Message about school and education
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The message that Malcolm conveys about school is both interesting and much needed. He gives many different examples which seem to be contradicting. He is showing that school and education are to serve a purpose or are to be used in a certain way but with the current state of the way things are, this is not the case. He also often refers to school as a “training ground” implying that some people have more of an advantage than others and while there are those who succeed it is unfair to those who do not in regards to being prepared for society and life beyond high school.
Tavian Smith(Mar 08 2021 5:26PM):
"A building dedicated to building,yet it only breaks me down."
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When London says, “I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet it only breaks me down.” This quote stuck out to me the most in the TED talk. I think this can sort of relate to how school has been since COVID started , at least for me. Ever since Covid it has been difficult to find the motivation to get school work done or projects done. I have had the tendency to just put them off and procrastinate doing them. I walk into a building, being the school or even receiving homework. Dedicated to building, the school is meant to teach and the homework to teach. Yet it only breaks me down, I put off the assignments and get distracted in class sometimes so those opportunities of learning get subdued by other things. I think this is a quite relevant TED talk to be discussing on.
Zachary Zimmerman(Mar 09 2021 7:45PM):
About schooling
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Malcolm has a point school is supposed to be building us up but really all it it gives us is stress. People may argue and say you have to work for your things and it might get hard which I agree with. Overall though we are kids and I think there should be changes as well.
Ethan Nattermann(Mar 08 2021 5:26PM):
Regulars vs Honors
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This idea of the difference between “regulars” and “honors” students is repeated many times throughout the talk. This idea is very prevalent is most schools across the country, where students who are deemed as “honor students” are given more praise than those known as “regulars”. The “honors” are told to lead, while the “regulars” are shown to be followers. Yes, it is important to reward those students who show academic excellence, but it should not be at the expense of all the others.
The difference in the praise given to a “honors” student and a “regular” is pretty evident. Those that show academic excellence deserve rewards but the “regulars” shouldn’t be cast aside like all they have done is fall behind the ones that are sprinting forward.
Ethan makes a really good point. Growing up, we have been told that we could take honors classes if we passed certain tests or got certain grades. They started this in elementary school and have carried it all the way through high school. Sometimes there has been a clear divide between the two groups based off of the classes they choose to take. If you choose an AP class or a dual credit class, people think you are smarter and people understand why you might be struggling. They are even praised for taking harder classes. When someone is taking a regular class and they struggle, sometimes people do not understand why they are struggling because the class was deemed as easy. I think there should not be this divide between the two groups because both groups should be given praise and credit for the classes they take and the effort they put in.
Malcolm London says, “homework is stressful, but then you go home everyday and then home is work, and you don’t want to pick up any assignments.” This really stuck with me because sometimes I feel like at school it feels like teachers do not understand that we have a whole lot going on outside of school, weather that is a sport, or work, or just trouble with you family in your home.
I agree with Carter’s statement. Students sit at school for about 7 hours everyday, doing schoolwork and working hard on their assignments, only to go home to more. While some students might only have the responsibility of homework, others have work, practice, games, or even just responsibilities at home. There is so much stress on students that teachers and parents may not even know about.
Josiah French(Mar 08 2021 5:55PM):
Our school system
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Throughout the ted talk London makes it very clear that our school system has achieved its purpose. To fail so many people and “freeze them”. He also explains that schools pick the best out and leave the rest to fallow and pick up the leftovers from the “honors”. I see this a lot in school a kid who has good test scores and grades will get into college over the kid that is just average but the average kid might have more common sense than the honors kid which would make him smarter in the real world and give him a better chance to succeed but the school system is flawed and has destroyed so many peoples dreams.
Addyson Downs(Mar 08 2021 7:20PM):
Belittling
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I loved when Malcolm London said “clothes that cover their insecurities, but expose everything else”, because of its accuracy. It is accurate, especially in high school, that people will be talked bad about showing what they’re confident in. In reality, many cover what they do not like, and by showing what they aren’t self-conscious of, they gain confidence in themselves that they would not gain if they covered everything. They would also not gain it if they showed the things they worry about, but this narrative is not pushed. Instead, it is talked about negatively by people who do not want to hear this.
Avery Estephan(Mar 08 2021 7:25PM):
Hurt people hurt people.
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“Camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously harmed but need hugs” A lot of times they’ll say when someone becomes a bully it is often because they are hurting themselves. You will see in movies the “bully” in the film is having family problems at home or is insecure about their body image. It’s because people feel the need to bring people down to their level of insecurity so they can rise above and be superior. Power brings security.
Avery, I agree with you. Along with the people who sometimes bully others there are also the so called “class clowns”. By class clowns I mean the people who are loud and try to crack jokes, go beyond the teacher, just to get some attention and laughs from peers around them. I feel that sometimes these people are in “camouflage” as they are seeking the attention which they may not get from their home life. They may do something in the wrong to get some satisfaction of attention from others. I feel many people act out because of their home problems, honestly it is quite obvious in the school system.
Jackie Sweat(Mar 08 2021 7:50PM):
School system and my take
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Throughout his TED Talk, London hones in on the idea of separation in schools. The regulars are separated from honors to thin the heard. We are taught AP and honors are the way to college, but no one stops and asks what you want to do. He says “A recurring cycle built to recycle the trash of this system” which hit deep. Students learn about important people who really aren’t that important, but not how to live in the day-to-day. Our lives are controlled by the American Dream, but we are closer to poverty than we are to being millionaires. In America you can be anything you want to be, but not really. This is not saying you cannot start from the bottom and make it to the top, but that there is always someone standing in the way. “You have to step on someone else to get there” is shown everyday, capitalism is built on it. This is evident with most of the one percent and nepotism because you’ll always be stepping on someone else to advance whether malicious or not. It’s like the saying about glass ceilings for women in business, you can see everyone else, but can never get there. It is tiring and stressful with the homework, college, scholarships, and no one is helping. School and education are luxuries to have, however the current system is beyond flawed. Kids get left behind and test scores determine their worth, so what’s left? Obviously everyone has different experiences, but from reading these comments Malcolm London’s view seems pretty accurate.
R Shelton(Mar 08 2021 7:53PM):
Step on Someone Else
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One line from London states that, “Capitalism raises you but you have to step on someone else to get their.” Time and time again we are shown how true this is. In many portions of our life, economic, social, political, ect. we are shown how stepping on people and using them for personal gain will help you succeed in life. Why is this? Why are we almost groomed to believe that the only way to succeed is to tear others down? We can succeed while lifting others, while being a community and working together, as cliche as that sounds. So why is one path so much more prevalent? I believe it may be because it is easier to tear people down than to stick together. It is easier to destroy the bonds than to take the time to form them.
Daniel Miller(Mar 08 2021 7:55PM):
A building that only breaks me down
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I found it quite moving and unfortunately accurate that he described school as, a building meant for building that only breaks you down. This idea that school is meant to construct, but for many is actually detrimental to their health, be it mental or physical. I find it strange that a place we visit 5 days a week is not entirely beneficial to everyone all the time, and is majorly detrimental to many.
Emma Pfeifer(Mar 09 2021 1:09AM):
rhetorical mode
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Malcolm London uses repetition to get his point across. He says throughout the talk “This is a training ground.” He is saying this is a training ground because everything is staying the same; there is no change happening for the students.
Katie Bishop(Mar 09 2021 7:31PM):
Honors vs. Regulars
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Malcolm London explores the education system and the flaws within it based on the concept of “regulars” and “honors”. To emphasize, a specific quote stuck out, “This is a training ground where one group is taught to lead and the other is made to follow.” This quote explains the diversity between “honors” and “regulars” and how the education system already has a bias towards the “regular” group. London explains how putting a line of segregation between these groups causes turmoil within the classroom.
Jordyn Reas(Mar 09 2021 7:38PM):
The "Honors" and the "Regulars"
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Ever since I was little, there have always been groups of kids in school who were labeled as “gifted” or “high ability.” They were always separated from the rest of the class because they were supposedly smarter, but the schools never said that. Labeling kids like this, making them believe they are somehow above their class is so damaging to both the gifted kids and the “regulars.” As a younger kid, I never had to work for my grades; they’d always been handed to me. But now, in high school, I have to fight with everything I have just to stay afloat. I was raised with the ideology that no matter how much effort I put into my work, I would still get the A. I was not properly prepared for the constant war that is high school. We need to stop separating kids based on how well they learn in a school environment, which only provides for those who learn a certain way. Our system doesn’t cater to all types of learning, and it shows. Being “gifted” usually doesn’t mean anything in high school. By then, we all become “regulars.”
Yahir Velasco(Mar 09 2021 7:42PM):
separation
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Throughout the TED talk London mentions the separation of honors and regulars. It seems schools focus too much on putting students in these “High Ability” classes rather than putting the students where they believe they should be. I don’t think that being separated into these little pods are good because the students who are put in honors are flooded with work and constantly under stress. While if you are sorted into the regular classes you feel as if though you are not smart enough and were put in there as an almost last resort so you keep up. Personally being put in these honors classes has brought quite a lot of stress onto my life and really messes with my health sometimes. I cannot take a break because something is constantly due.
Emma Graves(Mar 09 2021 7:44PM):
"Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons, but never learn to swim."
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Many students can be taught the materials, but they are not learning. They copy the notes, turn in the homework, and complete tests but they are unable to tell you what they learned. They cram it into their brains, just so they can pass the test and get the grade. They might get a good grade on the test, but later when you ask them what they remember they can hardly say anything. This shows that students can receive and be taught the lessons, but can never really learn the materials.
Katie L. Bishop(Mar 09 2021 7:55PM):
Replying to Emma
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Emma, I love how you described this quote! I completely agree with you. Many students have a hard time studying, so when they do try to study, they memorize it. A lot of times when you memorize something in a short period of time, there is a good chance you will completely forget it in the future.
Ava Rippel(Mar 09 2021 7:50PM):
School is breaking students
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I thought it was interesting how Malcolm London said “I open the door to a building dedicated to building yet only breaks me down.” I think most students can agree that school has mentally and physically made us exhausted at one point or another. The pressure that is put on students to succeed in school has increased over the years and can be a very damaging thing to kids creativity and imagination.
student mia perronie(Mar 10 2021 3:19PM):
Pressure
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Ava I agree with you, I feel as school put so much pressure on us with test and trying to learn everything in a matter of time. School is very stressful for most people and it becomes hard o learn and focus
Ava Rippel(Mar 09 2021 8:02PM):
More than just teachers
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At one point of the Ted Talk Malcolm says, “Hallways cleaned up everyday by regular janitors but I never have had the decency to honor their names.” I think that this line was really powerful because students are all so caught up in the stresses of school we don’t recognize all the work and time that teachers, janitors, counselors, cafeteria workers, and secretaries put in, even on their own time. We should honor all the things they do for us, because some of them have affected and changed our lives outside of the classroom and made us into the student we are today.
I agree. I feel like we as students overlook the jobs of teachers and janitors. We forget to acknowledge and be thankful for the work the school faculty members put in. They have a big impact on the facilities and make schools a better place to learn.
Katie L. Bishop(Mar 09 2021 8:03PM):
"home is work"
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I feel like this specific quote could have a deeper meaning. When we go home with a heavy backpack, filled with homework that needs to be completed, a lot of the times students are already carrying worries, insecurities, family issues, and other problems on their backs. If you have a stressful life back at home, you are not going to want to do a lot of homework.
K Burris(Mar 09 2021 10:09PM):
"Capitalism raises you, but you have to step on someone else to get there"
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This line here I believe speaks about the emphasized need and want for competition in American schools. It’s never about working together, and on the occasion that it is, it’s about being the best group. We’re trained to be the best. Anyone who falls behind is left behind.
Aron Guerrero(Mar 09 2021 11:20PM):
Camouflage
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We all seem to camouflage into someone we are not, or we camouflage within a group. It’s a simple tactic used by many in this world in order to deceive others of something we are not.“…Camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously armed, but need hugs,” instead of teaching the same “swimming lessons” that we don’t learn how to swim of, why don’t guide them through pool until we see that they are ready for the ocean, and sail them off?
Ryan Spindler(Mar 10 2021 2:02PM):
"I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down."
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Malcolm London starts off with the statement “At 7:45 a.m., I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.” This powerful statement is one that many understand very well today. A place meant for learning and growth has become a haven for creating stress and anxiety over tasks that have no real value in measuring our intelligence. Throughout his discussion he uses the phrase " Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons but never learn to swim." This phrase coincides with the previous one very well. It discusses the fact that schools have failed in the task they were originally created to do. They are meant to teach us to swim, but most end up just drowning along the way.
Meredith Voigt(Mar 10 2021 2:05PM):
"This is a training ground"
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Malcolm says that school is a training ground for the real world. We are taught capitalism at a young age, starting in school. There is segregation in schools and some groups are taught to survive in this world by leading it, while the others just follow and fall.
Matteo De Maso(Mar 10 2021 2:55PM):
High School Training Ground
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London referring to high school as a training ground resonated with me. He points out that high school prepares students for society. He explains how our capitalistic economy rewards people who step over others. I feel this to be true because big business owners always make much more than the people they employ.
student mia perronie(Mar 10 2021 3:16PM):
Meaning
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Throughout the video London constantly goes back to “honors” and “regulars” and boy do we still use those today. London is trying to get across how schools are just teaching what they have t even though it is still not working for most people. He uses the phrase “This is a training ground” as portraying how schools just train us to learn but are we really? What also stood out to me was how he talked about students going home and having to work there. This is causing them to not do homework at home as they are already doing work.
Kali Moffett(Mar 10 2021 7:24PM):
"Homework is stressful but when you go home every day and your home is work, you don't want to pick up any assignments"
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Throughout the pandemic I feel that for every student all across America assignments have became more about finishing than learning. Homework used to be about expanding and gaining on knowledge we have learned. However, for me an assignment these days are about getting it submitted before the deadline. The deadline is what matters and it is not as much about learning the material anymore. This school year we are all just trying to survive, and as Malcolm says when we go home, we don’t want to pick up any assignments. For me sometimes home can be chaos and nothing but other busy activities. On some nights the last thing I want to do is pick up my assignments. I agree with Malcolm’s statement.
Devonny Wilkerson(Mar 10 2021 7:50PM):
the american dream that has failed so many of us"
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London is proving the point of haw square and cut and dry school is. he talks about getting there at 7:45 an confining to the basicality that school trains us to be a part of. He knows its importance of education but he also mention that when it comes down to it " filling out a scantron isn’t going to stop bullets flying
Malcolm London uses the word “regular” to describe his janitors. He brings this up again in the part where he mentioned segregation, which at the time made me think he was about to talk about race discrimination when actually he was saying that schools separate people based on their intelligence. He gives the audience two groups: “Regulars” and “Honors,” or followers and leaders. There are lots of ways to elaborate on this, such as the janitors literally following him or saying that the janitors are not smart. But my guess is that, according to this, anyone who is not their own boss is following something. Another thing that frequently pops up in the subject of education is the fact that teachers prepare the children for leading the future. It seems like a harder job than they are given credit for.
Madison Allen(Mar 11 2021 8:27AM):
Lessons but never learn to swim
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Malcolm London says lessons on lessons but never learn to swim. Students can’t learn that much just by looking at a lesson once or taking notes over it once and never looking back at it. You have to look over the material, maybe look over it a hundred times. You might even have to rewrite the notes but take your time rewriting them so you think about everything you have written down. You have to engage in school to really learn the information. You got to want it, you do not want to drowned.
Sometimes, things aren’t entirely set in stone. Things in human history as well as human present tend to be extremely malleable and I feel as thought that’s what London was hoping to convey
There are many labels that can be found in a high school. Even though they may not be said some people may already but you into the category. In Malcolm London’s TED Talk he talks about the regulars and the honors. If you were to play a sport someone that doesn’t know you may put you into the regulars category even though all they do is honor classes. If you don’t play a sport people may assume that you are in the honor category even though all you take is regular classes. Many people are going to stereotype you for what you do, what classes you take, or what you look like. People then try and fit the label that they were given. What people need to do is not worry about the label they are given and instead make their own label for them.
Malcolm says that homework is stressful especially when you feel like your home is work and tests are stressful. He was a kid once too and he knows how stressful these things are. As being a kid right now I can say these things are stressful especially with everything going on right now. People never know what others are going through and feeling forced to do assignments doesn’t help with less stress.
I make the connection with Lacey’s statements because the line between home and work is so blurred nowadays. I do not know whether to call my assignments homework or schoolwork anymore because when I am home, I work.
Emme Rooney(Mar 12 2021 4:47AM):
"The need for degrees has left so many people frozen." ECONOMIC
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College is often stressed upon those for whom it is not necessary. College can be strictly a financial investment but, without the right outcomes, it leaves so many in debt.
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Malcolm presents with an authenticity that includes language we might not otherwise use in the classroom setting. This piece is not required for your homework but some of you might want to explore the work of the young poet today.
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In the video London talks about how schools separate and label us. He uses the term of Regulars and honors however these aren’t the only classifications given in school. When London touched on the topic it made me think of school stereotypes and how kids are forced to fit into one in order to feel accepted by their peers. An example is if a kid plays a sport like basketball, football, track, ect… they are labeled a jock which has negative connotation of being dull and stupid. On the other hand you have the kids that get good grades they are labeled as nerds and have the negative connotation of being weak and timid. In reality these classes only restrict what kids believe they can do with their life as they are branded from a young age and told what they can and cannot do.
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I agree with everything you are saying because Malcom says “one group is taught to lead and the other is taught to follow.” It doesn’t have to be like this and it shouldn’t be like this everyone can be a leader.
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I completely agree with everything you said. I think London does a great job explaining how schools separate and label us. London gives his own personal story about his high school which helps give people a clearer perspective. He also refers to school as training multiple times which I really like.
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This message stuck out to me because of how true it is. When we are kids, depending on how we grow up, we are taught how to lead or follow. Now, those who follow are too scared to lead, and those who lead may not want to follow. For example, say you were always called quiet or shy as a kid. Many people could assume you did not enjoy talking to people, when really as a child you were taught to follow instead of leading. In school we are put into classes and told if we are “gifted” or not. This could change the way we see ourselves, which could make us too scared to lead or follow.
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That is a very good point, in school, we are taught that there are leaders and followers. Why does that have to be the case? Can we not be what we are usually described as a student body? I believe that there should not be only one leader or multiple, but all, every piece of knowledge or opinion is important to hear and articulate these thoughts together.
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This connects well to the other two pieces we have read about education by Malcom X and Frederick Douglas. Knowledge is power and privilege, but it should be a right, a gift. The education system and our government have been accused of falling minorities. Much of these two systems were built either without minorities in mind, or to directly prohibit their growth and success. " I hear education systems are failing but I believe they are succeeding at what they’re built to do." “No wonder so many of my people spit bars because the truth is hard to swallow.” “But reading does not matter when you feel your story is already write, either dead or getting booked.” The system has failed us before, it is failing now, and will continue to fail us well into the future unless we change it. Ignorance fails to serve as an excuse when we willing put the blindfold on.
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Malcolm London expresses that “social lines are barbed wire.” The labels placed upon people, such as “honors,” “regular,” or " bully," are restrictions to society. These labels convince the person that is who they are and that will determine how much they succeed in life. This distraction wavers the true meaning of education. Everyone walks halls, attends classes,and walks through doors to acquire the same education as others, but these social lines create barriers.
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The social barriers given through labels can often prevent an individual from reaching their full potential. Labels can be barring, whether intentional or not, and it can be extremely damaging upon adolescents.
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I agree. Placing labels on people for their entire lives will inevitably lead to those people believing that they are those things and they will be cemented into that type of person.
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London mentions this line in his poem and it really stuck with me. Especially when we were a lot younger those “social lines are barbed wire” and we dared not to cross them for fear we would be hurt or put out of place. Those “social lines” can restrict you like a prison with barbed wire to keep us where we’re “meant to be.” To keep us within our social groups that, I, myself, had to learn the hard way, are superficial and unrealistic expectations put on by ourselves. Phrases like “they don’t like” or “they think I’m weird” don’t matter. Those “social lines” can restrict the creativity and friendliness schools preach they let flourish, yet get diminished at an early age. Only as you grow older do you learn it doesn’t matter on your own through your own experiences.
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During Malcolm London’s TED Talk, he brings up how our education system has fallen, and is failing us. London talks about how school is segregated, to put us into certain groups, so we fall into where they believe we should be. If you are in certain classes, you are looked at in a specific way; if you play sports, you are looked at a specific way. We are put into categories to be separated, which then can affect who we hang out around that ends up with us in to their groups. If you play sports and are in honors classes, you receive a label for yourself that can make you “popular”. If you are involved in no sports, and are in standard classes, you are labeled “regular”. When we receive these labels in school, it can lead to being indecisive after graduation; we feel that our story has been planned for us, so we follow were they lead us. They train, and lead, us to our part they see us in on this Earth. We are their soldiers.
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This statement, is a message, the message that is being conveyed is that the separation of “regular” students and “honors” students is wrong. I think this ties in with a sort of favoritism seen within schools. The students who walk through school without a single care in the world and succeed tend to frustrate those who struggle. A lot of those times, the students who struggle, do not receive the proper help and support they need to make it just like the honors do. In fact personally, me being a student who does not have to much trouble in school I see these students that struggle, I understand the lives the live and the stress and the responsibility they put on themselves is astronomical. These students need our attention, not the honor role who breeze through. Punishment is not the answer for the students who struggle.
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These social barriers resonate with students psychologically for as long as people are categorized by how well they can solve an algebraic equation. Those creative, artistic people are often barred from utilizing their intelligence and categorized as “different.” Some may lack literary prowess, so they do not make it into the “honors” programs. Students can excel in one subject more than another but are penalized for their so-called weaknesses.
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People often praise education as the one way to lift people out of poverty. While a quality education can give people opportunities they never thought possible, sometimes the advocates forget just how difficult it is for some communities to get that education and the barriers to it like violence and unsupportive households. Another aspect of the line is the harsh alliteration of the “b” sound.
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In Malcolm London’s TED talk, he discusses high school stereotypes and how it affects them. For example, Malcolm talks about the “regulars” of his high school. More examples are jocks and nerds. He also talks about how these labels mean nothing because majority of people’s inner personality is never shown.
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I agree. I think, like Malcolm, that people will never show who their personality truly is because they do not want people to make fun of them or be non accepting.
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Throughout the entire piece, London always goes back to the phrase “This is a training ground”. This is a strong rhetorical tool to use because it helps him to portray his ideas about school.
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I agree with what you’re saying here. The way he repeatedly says “This is a training ground” really drives his point that this is a place where you are trained and not taught. This makes me wonder where school went wrong down the line. From a place that was meant to teach and educate to a place that many hate. It makes me wonder where it went wrong and how can it be fixed?
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I agree with what Gavin said. “This is a training ground” reinforces the idea that school is only training us and not teaching us.
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I really like the use of repetition in this piece because he is really driving the audience to remember that this school system we have is more like training than actual learning.
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He states one phrase which I found extremely powerful, as it also coordinates with a certain theme we have been looking at over the past few weeks. “Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons but never learn to swim.” This line resonated with me due to our recent work with the idea of education. On the heels of talking about the teachers, I cannot help but wonder if the inability of “learning how to swim” truly falls more on the student not bringing themselves into the work. We have seen with both Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass that without a set teacher or curriculum, one’s curiosity and determination fuels one to gain much more than an education. He also repeats “this is a training ground,” and he emphasizes that by employing repetition. True education comes when the student truly desires to want to “swim.”
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I agree with Lucas, but I also think that it can be different in some cases. What I mean by this is where one student might thrive from being taught by a teacher, other students might benefit more from learning on their own. The “Ocean” is a big place to be, and there are lots of different ways to swim. Nowadays, or even back in the day, people have always differed in the ways that they learn and comprehend information. A big problem that I see in Educational Systems is only allowing certain methods of learning in the classroom. To take things back to the swimming analogy, there are 3 main ways I can think of to show how people learn differently. A Tactile or hands-on student would learn better by physically being immersed in the water. A Visually-oriented student could benefit from a video on how to swim or reading a paper about it. And last, but not least, an audio-oriented student might benefit from a podcast or just simply being told how to do it. Students aren’t given the academic freedom that is required for them to be the best student that they could be, and to fully thrive academically in a way that is well-suited to them. Placing labels on students who are “smart” or “dumb” can change the way a student feels about themselves and the way that they learn. What is smart, anyway? Smart is different for everyone. Smart for me could be cooking, but smart for Lucas could be Tennis. Yes, they’re completely different, but it doesn’t mean that either of us are dumb for not knowing how to do the other. I’m not good at Tennis, and Lucas might be bad at cooking. We’re not dumb, we’re just different from each other, and these differences are neither illuminated, nor celebrated in today’s education systems. So let the Tactile learn with their hands. Let the visual students learn from what they see. And let the audio students soak in what they hear, so that they can become the best “swimmers” they can in the “ocean of adolescence.”
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London says in his poem,“Homework is stressful, but when you go home every day and your home is work, you don’t want to pick up any assignments.” This is an extremely true statement, and I’m sure that it is very relatable to most people.
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I feel like that there has always been two sides to this argument, should students have homework or should they not. Malcolm hits on this topic and it seems like to me he understands why kids do not want it. You are school for 7 hours and then they want you to do a hour of homework too.
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This quote was very powerful and brought a new perspective that most people don’t think about. At school, you never know what a classmate is going through at home. This should teach us not to be so quick to judge if someone has bad grades because their struggling could e a result of something you have no idea about.
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I agree. I feel as if school work should be completed in school, other than studying. Students aren’t able to have a life outside of school because of the loads of work assigned to them for homework. People already have stress in their home lives whether it be mental or physically abusive house members, or house members who are ill who they have to aid in taking care of. All of this on top of mental health issues they may be struggling with, school stacking homework on students is stressful. Due dates quickly approaching having multiple assignments for each class, on top of the life you live at home.
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A great deal of people believe students are in fact learning the material and lessons being given, but are not being taught necessary information they can apply to every day life. However, this is not always the case. Teachers like Morrie and Mr. Hundert, who teacher their students how to “swim” and continue to effect their students lives for the better. Teaching them real life experiences instead of just lessons and labeling students as “regular” or “honors.”
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In the beginning of hist talk Malcolm London offers a quote concerning his high school life stating, “a building dedicated to building that only breaks me down.” This statement then leads to the rest of London’s talk discussing how the American education system is a “training ground” for our future. However, according to London, this is not a future of education, instead it is a future of judgements towards others and how others are valued based on title. London mentions the value of the education system for students,how it has failed multiple individuals, and the need for change in order for all students to have a training ground that will teach them correctly.
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Malcolm London exposes the flaws within the education system around the country. He speaks from past experience and explains how his high school was segregated on purpose. He goes on to explain the diversity between “regulars” and “honors” within his Chicago high school.
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I could not agree more, Rosie. The purposes set for the American school system are not what students need. They need to know that everyone is valuable, not just if you have all A’s and a 4.0. Kids need to know that not being perfect is okay. They need to be able to take off some of the constant pressure they put on themselves and be able to live life and their childhood happily. I’m not saying we have to get rid of the American school system altogether, but I am saying something needs to change.
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Rosie:
I could not agree more with your mention of the school system putting a label upon certain individuals, which ultimately results in determining their own future. The stress to succeed is put heavily onto all students within the schooling system and if some do not come up to the bar they are thought as ‘regular’. This cycle needs to be put to rest and a change needs to occur to the frame work of the schooling system, since it had failed many individuals time and time again.
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These faults are usually ignored, which is just truly awful. We as the student body are not their lab rats, we want to be the future. Every single student deserves to succeed no matter what.
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London states the phrase, “I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.” This phrase resonates with so many students today. Students all come to school to learn, yet in return end up lost and broken. He goes on to state later, “Homework is stressful” and once you go home, “Your home is work.” Students are constantly stressed out with the work they are given, and go home to continue to “work”. They are attempting to process the new information learned, while trying to succeed socially as well. This is the reason this phrase has such an impact, because London brought to light what almost all students are feeling and currently struggling with.
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In this piece London used the phrase “One group is taught to lead, the other is made to follow.” (1:44) This line of the video stuck with me because of how this can apply to many things such as the education system, politics, and more. This is a big part of how a society functions. There are those who were made to lead and there are those who were made to follow. The leaders know how to take initiative. The followers fall closely behind doing what the leaders have done.
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I agree with what you are saying. There are people who are made to take charge and know what to do. And there are people who know how to use the “template” that the ones who take charge have created.
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As Malcolm London later uses repetition of the world “stressful” to describe the pressures school can have on a person, school ultimately can break us down and destroy us. He finds irony in the educations purpose to build students up, when in reality school is a prior reasons why many of us are breaking down. The pressure of becoming a “honors” student, numerous amounts of assignments, the dangerously armed bullies, etc. Stating, “This is a training ground to sort out the Regulars, from the Honors.” Comparing it to a training ground, not seeing the joy learning can have. Like when Malcolm X taught himself to read, stating he felt truly free, but for some students it feels as if school is breaking them.
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I agree with what you are saying. From the moment classes begin to switch from everyone to honors and regular, it is already clear who’s the “Honors” and who aren’t. All the kids who become the “Honors” get swamped with twice the work as the “Regular” kids. I strongly agree with where you said “Comparing it to a training ground, not seeing the joy learning can have.” The standards and expectations of Honors oppress the spirit and enjoyment of learning things that they find to be interesting.
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That there are other English classes that one might take. The biggest problem I have found is that we DO NOT have a middle English program. We have ENG11 and AP ENG LANG AND COMP. We have to follow the AP guidelines for the exam. And we have to follow IVY TECH’s guidelines for 111 and 215. The teacher AND the students get pinched in here, but we try to find ways to work into and around the rigidity to be sure that all can have success. My ENG 11 students always learned about Hero’s Journey and Archetypes and Symbols and Rhetoric too. I just don’t have those groups anymore. I’m proud of the work we are doing. It’s hard work. It’s good work.
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In this piece by London, this phrase particularly stuck out to me “Teachers paid less than what it costs to be here.” In schools all across the country teachers are tirelessly working to teach the future leaders of the world the material they need to know before moving on to the next chapter in their lives. Teachers are not getting paid enough for the amount of work they are going through just to help educate the next generations.
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I thought this quote where he says, “To keep you on track, to track down an American dream that has failed so many of us” was a very powerful quote that is not talked about as much as it should be. Schools push us and try to form us to be the same as everyone else. They encourage us to grow up and have a 9-5 job and this is just unrealistic because this is not the lifestyle that works for everyone and it has already failed so many people. People talk about the “American Dream”, but what even is it?
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I agree. Schools push us to fit in a box regulated by state standards. Encouraging that a 9-5 is the only way we’ll succeed in life. The teach for state standards but not for the standards we want to achieve. Only in college do we start to see that happen, but college isn’t for everyone. London even says “the need for degrees has left so many people frozen.” How are we supposed to reach the “American Dream” when it’s so different for everyone? How are we supposed to be successful when we’re told there’s only one way to do it? According to Dictionary.com, The American Dream is “the aspirational belief in the U.S. that all individuals are entitled to the opportunity for success and upward social mobility through hard work.” If we’re entitled to the success and opportunity, why aren’t we taught it?
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The phrase American dream was scripted a long time ago, meaning escaping a tough situation and fighting for freedom in America. But is that really a dream for people these days, do people really want to come to America, just to be poor, just to be discriminated against, or even to be pushed out by the corrupt government.
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This is very disappointing that it will cost teacher more to get the degree than they will make for the years to come. I hope we find a way to increase the salary to create more increased in the job and for more passionate people to enter this field to teach the next generation.
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Its such a depressing fact that people who want to teach and bring up the next generations to come are the ones being payed so little. They deserve more respect, they deserve more money and they shouldn’t have to buy things just to support their students. They take up so much of their time just to teach and give students the ability to learn new things.
Education is failing, there is not enough money for schools, there is not enough passionate people to lead the next generation. There might be passionate teachers out there, but the lack of good pay is discouraging them from going into education.
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When London says, “The need for degrees has left so many people frozen”, it really stuck with me. So much work is put on us no matter what is going on and it is so stressful. We are told that we need degrees to make a living in this world, so it starts to weigh very heavy on us. This unimaginable stress has left so many people lost and not knowing what to do. It is difficult to manage all of this especially with minimal guidance.
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I agree, we are so pressured as not just high school students but we have been pressured since we were kids. Pressured to go to college, pressured to become doctors or lawyers even though there are other jobs that are needed that people don’t realize are important. This places so much unnecessary stress that we don’t need and already have based on the amount of work we have to do along with our personal lives.
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“Homework is stressful, but when you go home every day and your home is work, you don’t want to pick up any assignments.” This statement has been the anthem of all the people I have spoken to since my junior year started. I feel this statement deep in my bones. I’ve said things similar to this statement on several occasions.
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Jayden,
I have also seen many people fall victim to the stresses of life. Escpecially since quarantine has began I have seen many of my friends, and even some myself, go from straight A’s to failing classes. As home life gets more and more difficult, the energy and drive to complete work drastically decreases. We are humans, we can only do so much.
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School used to be somewhere where people looked forward to going to, now the thought of going to school is a dark angry cloud that rains on my mood. Being at school feels like pushing a boulder up a mountain just to have it roll back down for the next day. I love to learn and absorb, but covid has made it terrible, and home life has cut the bud off my flower of determination to succeed.
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I feel like schools are defined by labels, whether that be labels for the students or the school its self. For example “The Snobs from the Knobs” and “Scribnerds”. I feel like people hide behind labels and try to mold themselves to fit that label instead of making their own. People are bullied for their label or praised for their label.
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The quote “Teachers paid less than what it costs to be here”, really struck home with me. My mom was a teacher for five years and worked her butt off for her students to get the education they needed. As the years went on, they started cutting off funding to the point my mom did not have paper or markers or anything she needed for her classroom. She then was not given the raise she was given in her contract. My mom had to leave the job she loved because she could not afford to live off the small salary she was given. Teachers deserve better, they give us so much of their time and dedication. They deserve salaries they can live off of.
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The message that Malcolm conveys about school is both interesting and much needed. He gives many different examples which seem to be contradicting. He is showing that school and education are to serve a purpose or are to be used in a certain way but with the current state of the way things are, this is not the case. He also often refers to school as a “training ground” implying that some people have more of an advantage than others and while there are those who succeed it is unfair to those who do not in regards to being prepared for society and life beyond high school.
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When London says, “I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet it only breaks me down.” This quote stuck out to me the most in the TED talk. I think this can sort of relate to how school has been since COVID started , at least for me. Ever since Covid it has been difficult to find the motivation to get school work done or projects done. I have had the tendency to just put them off and procrastinate doing them. I walk into a building, being the school or even receiving homework. Dedicated to building, the school is meant to teach and the homework to teach. Yet it only breaks me down, I put off the assignments and get distracted in class sometimes so those opportunities of learning get subdued by other things. I think this is a quite relevant TED talk to be discussing on.
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Malcolm has a point school is supposed to be building us up but really all it it gives us is stress. People may argue and say you have to work for your things and it might get hard which I agree with. Overall though we are kids and I think there should be changes as well.
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This idea of the difference between “regulars” and “honors” students is repeated many times throughout the talk. This idea is very prevalent is most schools across the country, where students who are deemed as “honor students” are given more praise than those known as “regulars”. The “honors” are told to lead, while the “regulars” are shown to be followers. Yes, it is important to reward those students who show academic excellence, but it should not be at the expense of all the others.
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The difference in the praise given to a “honors” student and a “regular” is pretty evident. Those that show academic excellence deserve rewards but the “regulars” shouldn’t be cast aside like all they have done is fall behind the ones that are sprinting forward.
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Ethan makes a really good point. Growing up, we have been told that we could take honors classes if we passed certain tests or got certain grades. They started this in elementary school and have carried it all the way through high school. Sometimes there has been a clear divide between the two groups based off of the classes they choose to take. If you choose an AP class or a dual credit class, people think you are smarter and people understand why you might be struggling. They are even praised for taking harder classes. When someone is taking a regular class and they struggle, sometimes people do not understand why they are struggling because the class was deemed as easy. I think there should not be this divide between the two groups because both groups should be given praise and credit for the classes they take and the effort they put in.
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Malcolm London says, “homework is stressful, but then you go home everyday and then home is work, and you don’t want to pick up any assignments.” This really stuck with me because sometimes I feel like at school it feels like teachers do not understand that we have a whole lot going on outside of school, weather that is a sport, or work, or just trouble with you family in your home.
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I agree with Carter’s statement. Students sit at school for about 7 hours everyday, doing schoolwork and working hard on their assignments, only to go home to more. While some students might only have the responsibility of homework, others have work, practice, games, or even just responsibilities at home. There is so much stress on students that teachers and parents may not even know about.
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Throughout the ted talk London makes it very clear that our school system has achieved its purpose. To fail so many people and “freeze them”. He also explains that schools pick the best out and leave the rest to fallow and pick up the leftovers from the “honors”. I see this a lot in school a kid who has good test scores and grades will get into college over the kid that is just average but the average kid might have more common sense than the honors kid which would make him smarter in the real world and give him a better chance to succeed but the school system is flawed and has destroyed so many peoples dreams.
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I loved when Malcolm London said “clothes that cover their insecurities, but expose everything else”, because of its accuracy. It is accurate, especially in high school, that people will be talked bad about showing what they’re confident in. In reality, many cover what they do not like, and by showing what they aren’t self-conscious of, they gain confidence in themselves that they would not gain if they covered everything. They would also not gain it if they showed the things they worry about, but this narrative is not pushed. Instead, it is talked about negatively by people who do not want to hear this.
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“Camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously harmed but need hugs” A lot of times they’ll say when someone becomes a bully it is often because they are hurting themselves. You will see in movies the “bully” in the film is having family problems at home or is insecure about their body image. It’s because people feel the need to bring people down to their level of insecurity so they can rise above and be superior. Power brings security.
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Avery, I agree with you. Along with the people who sometimes bully others there are also the so called “class clowns”. By class clowns I mean the people who are loud and try to crack jokes, go beyond the teacher, just to get some attention and laughs from peers around them. I feel that sometimes these people are in “camouflage” as they are seeking the attention which they may not get from their home life. They may do something in the wrong to get some satisfaction of attention from others. I feel many people act out because of their home problems, honestly it is quite obvious in the school system.
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https://malcolmlondon.com/
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Throughout his TED Talk, London hones in on the idea of separation in schools. The regulars are separated from honors to thin the heard. We are taught AP and honors are the way to college, but no one stops and asks what you want to do. He says “A recurring cycle built to recycle the trash of this system” which hit deep. Students learn about important people who really aren’t that important, but not how to live in the day-to-day. Our lives are controlled by the American Dream, but we are closer to poverty than we are to being millionaires. In America you can be anything you want to be, but not really. This is not saying you cannot start from the bottom and make it to the top, but that there is always someone standing in the way. “You have to step on someone else to get there” is shown everyday, capitalism is built on it. This is evident with most of the one percent and nepotism because you’ll always be stepping on someone else to advance whether malicious or not. It’s like the saying about glass ceilings for women in business, you can see everyone else, but can never get there. It is tiring and stressful with the homework, college, scholarships, and no one is helping. School and education are luxuries to have, however the current system is beyond flawed. Kids get left behind and test scores determine their worth, so what’s left? Obviously everyone has different experiences, but from reading these comments Malcolm London’s view seems pretty accurate.
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One line from London states that, “Capitalism raises you but you have to step on someone else to get their.” Time and time again we are shown how true this is. In many portions of our life, economic, social, political, ect. we are shown how stepping on people and using them for personal gain will help you succeed in life. Why is this? Why are we almost groomed to believe that the only way to succeed is to tear others down? We can succeed while lifting others, while being a community and working together, as cliche as that sounds. So why is one path so much more prevalent? I believe it may be because it is easier to tear people down than to stick together. It is easier to destroy the bonds than to take the time to form them.
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I found it quite moving and unfortunately accurate that he described school as, a building meant for building that only breaks you down. This idea that school is meant to construct, but for many is actually detrimental to their health, be it mental or physical. I find it strange that a place we visit 5 days a week is not entirely beneficial to everyone all the time, and is majorly detrimental to many.
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Malcolm London uses repetition to get his point across. He says throughout the talk “This is a training ground.” He is saying this is a training ground because everything is staying the same; there is no change happening for the students.
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He also used the Honors vs. Regulars statement a lot. This could be seen as repetition, it certainly emphasizes his point well.
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Malcolm London explores the education system and the flaws within it based on the concept of “regulars” and “honors”. To emphasize, a specific quote stuck out, “This is a training ground where one group is taught to lead and the other is made to follow.” This quote explains the diversity between “honors” and “regulars” and how the education system already has a bias towards the “regular” group. London explains how putting a line of segregation between these groups causes turmoil within the classroom.
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Ever since I was little, there have always been groups of kids in school who were labeled as “gifted” or “high ability.” They were always separated from the rest of the class because they were supposedly smarter, but the schools never said that. Labeling kids like this, making them believe they are somehow above their class is so damaging to both the gifted kids and the “regulars.” As a younger kid, I never had to work for my grades; they’d always been handed to me. But now, in high school, I have to fight with everything I have just to stay afloat. I was raised with the ideology that no matter how much effort I put into my work, I would still get the A. I was not properly prepared for the constant war that is high school. We need to stop separating kids based on how well they learn in a school environment, which only provides for those who learn a certain way. Our system doesn’t cater to all types of learning, and it shows. Being “gifted” usually doesn’t mean anything in high school. By then, we all become “regulars.”
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Throughout the TED talk London mentions the separation of honors and regulars. It seems schools focus too much on putting students in these “High Ability” classes rather than putting the students where they believe they should be. I don’t think that being separated into these little pods are good because the students who are put in honors are flooded with work and constantly under stress. While if you are sorted into the regular classes you feel as if though you are not smart enough and were put in there as an almost last resort so you keep up. Personally being put in these honors classes has brought quite a lot of stress onto my life and really messes with my health sometimes. I cannot take a break because something is constantly due.
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Many students can be taught the materials, but they are not learning. They copy the notes, turn in the homework, and complete tests but they are unable to tell you what they learned. They cram it into their brains, just so they can pass the test and get the grade. They might get a good grade on the test, but later when you ask them what they remember they can hardly say anything. This shows that students can receive and be taught the lessons, but can never really learn the materials.
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Emma, I love how you described this quote! I completely agree with you. Many students have a hard time studying, so when they do try to study, they memorize it. A lot of times when you memorize something in a short period of time, there is a good chance you will completely forget it in the future.
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I thought it was interesting how Malcolm London said “I open the door to a building dedicated to building yet only breaks me down.” I think most students can agree that school has mentally and physically made us exhausted at one point or another. The pressure that is put on students to succeed in school has increased over the years and can be a very damaging thing to kids creativity and imagination.
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Ava I agree with you, I feel as school put so much pressure on us with test and trying to learn everything in a matter of time. School is very stressful for most people and it becomes hard o learn and focus
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At one point of the Ted Talk Malcolm says, “Hallways cleaned up everyday by regular janitors but I never have had the decency to honor their names.” I think that this line was really powerful because students are all so caught up in the stresses of school we don’t recognize all the work and time that teachers, janitors, counselors, cafeteria workers, and secretaries put in, even on their own time. We should honor all the things they do for us, because some of them have affected and changed our lives outside of the classroom and made us into the student we are today.
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I agree. I feel like we as students overlook the jobs of teachers and janitors. We forget to acknowledge and be thankful for the work the school faculty members put in. They have a big impact on the facilities and make schools a better place to learn.
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I feel like this specific quote could have a deeper meaning. When we go home with a heavy backpack, filled with homework that needs to be completed, a lot of the times students are already carrying worries, insecurities, family issues, and other problems on their backs. If you have a stressful life back at home, you are not going to want to do a lot of homework.
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This line here I believe speaks about the emphasized need and want for competition in American schools. It’s never about working together, and on the occasion that it is, it’s about being the best group. We’re trained to be the best. Anyone who falls behind is left behind.
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We all seem to camouflage into someone we are not, or we camouflage within a group. It’s a simple tactic used by many in this world in order to deceive others of something we are not.“…Camouflage worn by bullies who are dangerously armed, but need hugs,” instead of teaching the same “swimming lessons” that we don’t learn how to swim of, why don’t guide them through pool until we see that they are ready for the ocean, and sail them off?
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Malcolm London starts off with the statement “At 7:45 a.m., I open the doors to a building dedicated to building, yet only breaks me down.” This powerful statement is one that many understand very well today. A place meant for learning and growth has become a haven for creating stress and anxiety over tasks that have no real value in measuring our intelligence. Throughout his discussion he uses the phrase " Oceans of adolescents come here to receive lessons but never learn to swim." This phrase coincides with the previous one very well. It discusses the fact that schools have failed in the task they were originally created to do. They are meant to teach us to swim, but most end up just drowning along the way.
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Malcolm says that school is a training ground for the real world. We are taught capitalism at a young age, starting in school. There is segregation in schools and some groups are taught to survive in this world by leading it, while the others just follow and fall.
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London referring to high school as a training ground resonated with me. He points out that high school prepares students for society. He explains how our capitalistic economy rewards people who step over others. I feel this to be true because big business owners always make much more than the people they employ.
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Throughout the video London constantly goes back to “honors” and “regulars” and boy do we still use those today. London is trying to get across how schools are just teaching what they have t even though it is still not working for most people. He uses the phrase “This is a training ground” as portraying how schools just train us to learn but are we really? What also stood out to me was how he talked about students going home and having to work there. This is causing them to not do homework at home as they are already doing work.
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Throughout the pandemic I feel that for every student all across America assignments have became more about finishing than learning. Homework used to be about expanding and gaining on knowledge we have learned. However, for me an assignment these days are about getting it submitted before the deadline. The deadline is what matters and it is not as much about learning the material anymore. This school year we are all just trying to survive, and as Malcolm says when we go home, we don’t want to pick up any assignments. For me sometimes home can be chaos and nothing but other busy activities. On some nights the last thing I want to do is pick up my assignments. I agree with Malcolm’s statement.
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London is proving the point of haw square and cut and dry school is. he talks about getting there at 7:45 an confining to the basicality that school trains us to be a part of. He knows its importance of education but he also mention that when it comes down to it " filling out a scantron isn’t going to stop bullets flying
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Malcolm London uses the word “regular” to describe his janitors. He brings this up again in the part where he mentioned segregation, which at the time made me think he was about to talk about race discrimination when actually he was saying that schools separate people based on their intelligence. He gives the audience two groups: “Regulars” and “Honors,” or followers and leaders. There are lots of ways to elaborate on this, such as the janitors literally following him or saying that the janitors are not smart. But my guess is that, according to this, anyone who is not their own boss is following something. Another thing that frequently pops up in the subject of education is the fact that teachers prepare the children for leading the future. It seems like a harder job than they are given credit for.
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Malcolm London says lessons on lessons but never learn to swim. Students can’t learn that much just by looking at a lesson once or taking notes over it once and never looking back at it. You have to look over the material, maybe look over it a hundred times. You might even have to rewrite the notes but take your time rewriting them so you think about everything you have written down. You have to engage in school to really learn the information. You got to want it, you do not want to drowned.
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Sometimes, things aren’t entirely set in stone. Things in human history as well as human present tend to be extremely malleable and I feel as thought that’s what London was hoping to convey
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There are many labels that can be found in a high school. Even though they may not be said some people may already but you into the category. In Malcolm London’s TED Talk he talks about the regulars and the honors. If you were to play a sport someone that doesn’t know you may put you into the regulars category even though all they do is honor classes. If you don’t play a sport people may assume that you are in the honor category even though all you take is regular classes. Many people are going to stereotype you for what you do, what classes you take, or what you look like. People then try and fit the label that they were given. What people need to do is not worry about the label they are given and instead make their own label for them.
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Malcolm says that homework is stressful especially when you feel like your home is work and tests are stressful. He was a kid once too and he knows how stressful these things are. As being a kid right now I can say these things are stressful especially with everything going on right now. People never know what others are going through and feeling forced to do assignments doesn’t help with less stress.
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I make the connection with Lacey’s statements because the line between home and work is so blurred nowadays. I do not know whether to call my assignments homework or schoolwork anymore because when I am home, I work.
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College is often stressed upon those for whom it is not necessary. College can be strictly a financial investment but, without the right outcomes, it leaves so many in debt.
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