Assignment will go here.

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1998

Answers

I chose to read the article, How I got my DIY Degree...at the University of Planet Earth by William Upski Wimsatt. Wimsatt writes about his perspective on education. During his time at Oberlin College he realized that the structured school setting didnt meet his needs. Wimsatt chose to quit college and enroll at the University of Planet Earth. This meant that he would be in charge of what path and method would be taken to get the education that was meaningful to him.

Wimsatt created his own curriculum along with a plan on how to achieve his goals. The plan included places that he lived, people he interacted with, and jobs that he had. Each project put him in a setting with people that he would learn something from. He was learning by living.

I admire Wimsatts self-motivation. Learning is not just what you get from teachers within the walls of a building, but its what you get from what life has to offer. Wimsatt chose to find those opportunities and learn from them. I have found myself wondering what it would be like to have a life like his. I joke with my 6th graders and tell them that if I wasnt a teacher, I would have either joined the circus or be a truck driver. I envy Wimsatts sense of adventure, but I find myself tied to responsibilities, family, career, etc. I wonder what our society would be like if everyone shared his perspective.

Although I admire some aspects of Wimsatts perspective, the teacher in me zeroes in on his comments like learning happens naturally and school mostly just gets in the way. He also comments that  the point of self-education is to abandon the feelings of inadequacy you picked up in school. Unfortunately he must not have had a positive experience in school, but I feel that school still serves and important function in our society. Not everyone has the drive, motivation, and ambition that he does. For many children, school is a safe haven from a dysfunctional family life and hopefully also provides a solid knowledge base and love of learning that will nurture the drive towards self-education.

How can Wimsatts philosophy merge within the structure of a school setting?

Dont many of us learn by doing, by experiencing?

How can teachers provide more meaningful experiences in the classroom?

How can we promote the motivation and desire for self-education?

-- Anonymous, November 29, 1998

Nicole-This sounds like an interesting article. I do admire his drive and self-motivation. He definitely took on the challenge of life! I hope that as teachers we can provide our students with the motivation and knowledge to become lifelong learners. This article seemed to emphasize that students ultimately hold the responsibility for their learning. I also agree with you that school provides an essential part of education. We hope to prepare students for academic challenges as well as life challenges. I do admire his sense of adventure and commitment to education. Let me know if you decide to join the circus!

-- Anonymous, November 29, 1998

For my second Utne article, I chose to read "The Art of Genius" by Michael Michalko. This article discussed what makes a genius a genius. I thought this article was like a breath of fresh air. It didn't talk about standardized test scores or graduation standards. The main link that people such as Einstein, Darwin, and Mozart share is that they think productively. Most people think reproductively, going in one direction towards one solution. Productive thinkers look at not only solving the problem, but look at how many ways that it can be solved. Instead of pushing students in one path to one correct answer on each test, shouldn't we challenge them to be diverse thinkers? Creativity tends to take a back seat when the answer is either a, b, c, or d. How would Einstein or Edison have done with the Minnesota Graduation requirements? Having taught lower and upper elementary, I've seen how the road of creativity tends to get narrower as the students get older. Is education going down the right road or should there be many ways to get there?

-- Anonymous, January 06, 1999

Hello Nicole: Both of your article responses pose some complex but challenging questions. Learning is driven by our willing response to discovery. Why do we block the opportunity for discovery by imposing artificial standards? What place do standards have? I would be interested in your thoughts. By the way, I'm the discussion facilitator and an instructor in the Communication Department at UMD. I ponder these questions daily,too. Best Wishes, John

-- Anonymous, March 03, 1999

UTNE READER ROUGH DRAFT

"The Stuff of Life" by Scott Russell Sanders tells us how the stuff of our lives tends to take over. I like the question he asks. "Do you own it, or does it own you?" His article starts out with a wonderful experience that he was having with his son in Rocky Mountain National Park. They were enjoying the peacefulness, the scenery, as well as each other's company. But when they returned to the city, the magic was broken and it was back to the fast pace of work, paying bills, and the multitude of other responsibilities. A majority of us fall into this cycle including myself.

This article really hit home for me, especially recently. My life feels like a whirlwind of responsibilities with work, family, and school. My weeks fly by so fast that my head is starting to spin, and I can count how little quality time I have spent at home. We recently bought a lake home with the purpose of relaxation and enjoyment, but you actually have to be home to do that. Then because of the lake home, we had to get a pontoon. And again, you have to be home to enjoy it, but you also have to work to pay those bills. I can answer Sander's question and say that my stuff is starting to own me. But like Sanders, once you are in that cycle, it seems very difficult to simplify your life. Although I do agree that it is the path that society needs to take. By thinking back and comparing stuff that I've had to experiences, the experiences have been far more meaningful. How can a materialistic society seek the needed simplicity? How can individuals start on the path to simplicity without being swallowed up by a materialistic society? One way that we can all start is to take time to look at the stars.

-- Anonymous, March 07, 1999

So Nicole, Is there a specific plan that we could share with our studentsand coworkers that would help them to simplify? I think you may be coming close to one in your response. Please e-mail me as you reflect more on this article and let me know what you discover. Thanks, John Hansen

-- Anonymous, April 10, 1999

Utne response #4 The article that caught my eye was titled "Mean People Suck - If you can read this you're too close," by Gail Mount. Gail makes a very accurate observation of the behavior of some people when they get behind the wheel of their car. She begins the article by stating "It's fine to love your enemies, but getting behind the wheel changes thattake no prisoners." This is so true. There is some kind of aggressive behavior that takes over as soon as that car door closes. Not letting people merge, cutting people off, "flipping off" people who cut you off are only a few of the behaviors that occur continuously out on the roadways. What has happened to change the nice leisurely Sunday drives of not too long ago to the cutthroat, driver beware attitudes of today?

Unfortunately, I see some of the behaviors that Gail mentions in my own driving experiences. I am not by far as ruthless as what she describes, but I have "flipped off" some people in my time and have felt that a certain car should not be allowed to merge in front of me. The anonymity of being in a car on the freeway makes it much easier to do or say what you want without having to confront that person face to face, or even ever see their face. Being aggressive towards an object seems different that towards an "actual person." What does this say about what's happening in our society, and about the increasing aggression that people are feeling? Is this something that's going to be a growing problem, and if so can something be done about it before it gets out of control?

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1999