One High School Valedictorian "Gets It"

[Genx87]

She played the system and got good grades by cramming at the expense of retaining the knowledge. That was her choice. She could have sat in same class, listened to same instructor, and chose to learn and understand. For her to blame public education is simply shifting the blame.

No one stopped her from exercising some critical thinking and learning, except herself. You can take the horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

She gamed within the system we created. You graduate from a public school?

 

[soundforbjt]

You cant be this dense. Of course you are most likely a product of our school system. So I guess it makes sense you cant critcally think about what she is saying.

And you can't "get it" because of your conservative point of view (and hatred of public schools) gets in the way.

 

[ShawnD1]

Didn't you listen to the speech? She worked to get good grades (took notes, didextra credit, etc) she looked at it like a job and didn't remember after the test was over. She claimed she didn't learn anything more than how to study for a test and do assignments.

Then maybe she should stop smoking so much meth and start learning something. I graduated many years ago and I still remember a lot of the stuff we covered. Things like why high frequency light is more likely to cause cancer, why all the wires in my house are hooked in parallel, and why we deliver electricity across long distances at thousands of volts instead of 120v. Her brain damage and inability to remember things apply to her and nobody else.

 

[Genx87]

And you can't "get it" because of your conservative point of view (and hatred of public schools) gets in the way.

I got her point loud and clear. The system is setup not to create a generation of thinkers and innovators. But to churn out drones at the behest of the corporations and poiliticians.

 

[senseamp]

That was her point about the school system. They had her achieve it through memorization for the next test. Not critically thinking about what she was doing. She was making a point about how they achieved the results.

No one "had her" study that way. She chose to study like that and not think critically. That's how SHE chose to achieve the results she wanted, all A's, as opposed to results she should have wanted, which is learning.

 

[alkemyst]

Too bad she didn't learn some public speaking skills.

I grew up in Minneapolis, MN.
Our HS valedictorian got pregnant 3 months before graduation and dropped out.
My all time favorite quote from our assistant Principal was, "We're not here to educate you, we're here to keep you off the streets."
Our society was predominantly Scandinavian which held as a basic tenet, Children should be seen but, not heard.
People wondered why Minnesota had the highest rate of volunteers for Vietnam.
My generation was ready to kill something, anybody, just get us the hell out of here.

ummm it wasn't your generation, it was apparently whatever cesspool you grew up in.

 

[soundforbjt]

I got her point loud and clear. The system is setup not to create a generation of thinkers and innovators. But to churn out drones at the behest of the corporations and poiliticians.

No, her point was she failed to learn (but did pass the requirements) and is now scared of the prospect, that she may not "know" how to learn.

The school didn't "teach" her this, this is how she "chose" to make good grades.

Personal responsibility, isn't that something you conservatives love to preach?

 

[senseamp]

She gamed within the system we created. You graduate from a public school?

Yes, and I have no complains.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

LOL at those people going on about the young lady 'gaming the system' and how she chose to memorize and regurgitate. There isn't a person on these forums who didn't game the system in HS, College and, work.

It's pervasive in our attitudes. How Engineering is the ONLY worthwhile degree to have. The willingness to do and put up with anything to earn the big bucks so you can retire at 40 and start living. The total focus on employable skills instead of how to learn.

We behave in the very manner we castigate the Corporations for behaving. Game the hell out of the short term and fuck the future.

 

[DrPizza]

LOL at those people going on about the young lady 'gaming the system' and how she chose to memorize and regurgitate. There isn't a person on these forums who didn't game the system in HS, College and, work.

It's pervasive in our attitudes. How Engineering is the ONLY worthwhile degree to have. The willingness to do and put up with anything to earn the big bucks so you can retire at 40 and start living. The total focus on employable skills instead of how to learn.

We behave in the very manner we castigate the Corporations for behaving. Game the hell out of the short term and fuck the future.

It goes beyond gaming the system though. I listened to her message, although could only get through about 4 1/2 minutes of the boredom. As I listened, I reflected upon how grateful I am that our valedictory and salutatory speeches tend to be 5 minutes or less.

I'm going to overstate it, and there's a fault in doing that, but for the most part, here are the cliffnotes of her speech:

I'm book smart. I don't like learning for the sake of learning. I don't care about any subject in particular. Everyone else must apparently be just like me, except they didn't try as hard to be book smart.

Over the years, I've known a few people who that description fits perfectly - book smart (even valedictorian), but no common sense. They don't see school as providing opportunities for learning, but rather a place to provide a place where high grades are the only achievement.

And, if you look at how GPAs are calculated for students at many high schools, things like AP classes are weighted differently - a 100 average in an AP course is worth a lot more than a 100 in pottery, art, chorus, band, etc. A lot of the top students at some schools avoid such electives, because they don't want a 100 in an elective course to pull down their GPA. So, when she stated in the video that she didn't like the subjects that she found to be nothing more than a chore, she's probably referring to a very narrow set of subjects: math, history, science, language. And, it's a shame that her teachers didn't (apparently) do a lot to integrate these subjects together in a way that would have made learning more meaningful.

 

[senseamp]

LOL at those people going on about the young lady 'gaming the system' and how she chose to memorize and regurgitate. There isn't a person on these forums who didn't game the system in HS, College and, work.

The difference is we don't blame "public education" for it, we blame ourselves for choosing to memorize and regurgitate instead of taking the time to learn and practice. It's about taking personal responsibility as opposed to blaming the big bad government for everything.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

It goes beyond gaming the system though. I listened to her message, although could only get through about 4 1/2 minutes of the boredom. As I listened, I reflected upon how grateful I am that our valedictory and salutatory speeches tend to be 5 minutes or less.

I'm going to overstate it, and there's a fault in doing that, but for the most part, here are the cliffnotes of her speech:


Over the years, I've known a few people who that description fits perfectly - book smart (even valedictorian), but no common sense. They don't see school as providing opportunities for learning, but rather a place to provide a place where high grades are the only achievement.

And, if you look at how GPAs are calculated for students at many high schools, things like AP classes are weighted differently - a 100 average in an AP course is worth a lot more than a 100 in pottery, art, chorus, band, etc. A lot of the top students at some schools avoid such electives, because they don't want a 100 in an elective course to pull down their GPA. So, when she stated in the video that she didn't like the subjects that she found to be nothing more than a chore, she's probably referring to a very narrow set of subjects: math, history, science, language. And, it's a shame that her teachers didn't (apparently) do a lot to integrate these subjects together in a way that would have made learning more meaningful.

Well said. It is indeed unfortunate that there are many more poor teachers and schools out there than good ones. The deleterious effect of Government involvement can't be overlooked either. The 'no child left behind' debacle will be with us for a long time. As poor as the schools were where I grew up, I was fortunate in having a family that was keenly interested in education. They believed in teaching me how to learn and turning me loose to follow my interests.

 

[woolfe9999]

Well said. It is indeed unfortunate that there are many more poor teachers and schools out there than good ones. The deleterious effect of Government involvement can't be overlooked either. The 'no child left behind' debacle will be with us for a long time. As poor as the schools were where I grew up, I was fortunate in having a family that was keenly interested in education. They believed in teaching me how to learn and turning me loose to follow my interests.

You're correct in pointing out the importance family influence in a child's desire to learn. You're also correct in criticizing No Child Left Behind with its emphasis on a "teaching the test" style of education. I wouldn't generalize any further than that to "government is the problem." The truth is, there are a finite number of good teachers out there, and we need more teachers to teach the volume of students than the sum total of those who would be considered "good." There probably isn't a heck of a lot we can do about it, except try to imbue our children with a desire to learn. That right there does wonders to get a student past the rather uneven quality of instruction in most schools, be they public or private.

 

[Zeze]

God she sounds so annoying with her nasal ditsy voice. Why do people speak like this?

She sounds just like that Asian in the Library UCLA chick.

Jesus, fuck I love public speaking. I would've RAPED that crowd. Speak with some fucking conviction and passion.

Her whole tone is fucking sarcastic and shitty.

 

[JS80]

Is there a transcript?

 

[BoberFett]

This thread is funny. Listen to the "liberals" senseamp and soundforbj defending NCLB and teaching to the test. Blame the victim, typical for you "liberals."

 

[herm0016]

i agree with the point she is trying to make. public school systems give no incentive to think, only to do well on a test.

Though at my school AP and honers classes did not have higher weight than gym and low level classes. the top people in my class were a mix of idiots and really smart people. most of us pretty smart people were in near the top 20% line and would have been much nearer the top had our large number of high level classes been weighted more.

 

[senseamp]

This thread is funny. Listen to the "liberals" senseamp and soundforbj defending NCLB and teaching to the test. Blame the victim, typical for you "liberals."

Ah yes, another rightwinger plays victim. What else is new? You should go on Fox
Where did I even mention NCLB? Oh, that's right, nowhere, but keep on fighting that straw man.

 

[SpongeBob]

So basically she saw school as a game at which she wanted to win, instead of an opportunity to actually learn things. So rather than just admit she screwed up and didn't take advantage of a great opportunity, she's going to complain that the "system" screwed her because it didn't make it blatantly obvious to her idiot brain that aceing tests and doing extra credit don't really mean anything in the real world if you can't actually use the information you've acquired, a fact that 90% of the population realized at about 8 years old when we got our first "B" and the world didn't end...

 

[senseamp]

So basically she saw school as a game at which she wanted to win, instead of an opportunity to actually learn things. So rather than just admit she screwed up and didn't take advantage of a great opportunity, she's going to complain that the "system" screwed her because it didn't make it blatantly obvious to her idiot brain that aceing tests and doing extra credit don't really mean anything in the real world if you can't actually use the information you've acquired, a fact that 90% of the population realized at about 8 years old when we got our first "B" and the world didn't end...

That is one way to look it, the other way is that she still doesn't give two sh!ts about learning and is instead continuing to game the system by playing victim of "public education" to self-promote. Either way, it's a cheap shot at teachers who wasted their time trying to teach her.

 

[xj0hnx]

Yes, and I have no complains.

You really should because they did a number on you.

 

[soundforbjt]

This thread is funny. Listen to the "liberals" senseamp and soundforbj defending NCLB and teaching to the test. Blame the victim, typical for you "liberals."

I don't recall defending, nor have I ever praised NCLB.

Someone complaining about not "knowing how\wanting to learn in school, and blaming it on the school? That's like a huge stretch for you "personal responsibilty" conservatives.

 

[senseamp]

You really should because they did a number on you.

Yes, they sure did a number on me. Got me into an Ivy League school with enough AP credits and preparation to graduate with an engineering degree in 3 years, with honors. I really should complain all day about that.

 

[ShawnD1]

Yes, they sure did a number on me. Got me into an Ivy League school with enough AP credits and preparation to graduate with an engineering degree in 3 years, with honors. I really should complain all day about that.

BUT YOU DID NOT LEARN ANYTHING. ALL ENGINEERS DO IS REMEMBER THINGS!!!1

I wonder what it looks like when that girl tries to connect a TV to a VCR and DVD player in parallel. Does she understand the concept of inputs and outputs or does she just remember to match colors?

 

[Gimlis]

She formed that nearly 10 minute essay of a speech on the systems failure to teach beyond the test. She quoted comments from multiple sources supporting her critical assertion against the school system. research to find those quotes must have taken some time and at least a little effort & interest on her part.


Listening to what she had said the cynic in me would say it's self contradicting twaddle.
But I think it's more a case of being to young and lacking the experience to comprehend the value of what she has learned or skills she has developed through her years in high school and how they will or could serve her in the future.