Going in no particular order: "The Joy of Living Dangerously"

To begin with, I really love the TV Guide Channel. It makes the gap between 3:00 and 3:30 seem so much longer. Also, is this size good to read? I suppose I like the smaller sizes, they make me feel less visible... (That doesn't make much sense, I know.)

But, to business: "The Joy of Living Dangerously"

I believed that the anecdote of Sanderson and his famous academy was truly beautiful. Sanderson's perspective on teaching, the way it should be done, the importance that should be placed upont it--I believe he must have been an amazing man, and a brilliant teacher. Like "[disliking] competition and "posessiveness" as a motive for anything in education." Who, in our modern school system, lives by that system? There would be two types of people: those that don't "play to win," and therefore don't win at all, or those rare geniuses that don't even have to work at succeeding because it merely comes naturally. And since the latter are extremely rare I have to say that a school system where an individual is not the most highly-prized commodity is refreshing, and so idealistic it hurts. (But obviously not too idealistic, as at least one passionate man managed to make it a true system.) I know in my school, however, people were singled out as special, brilliant, worthy of our attention, if they made it big on some standardized test or won a contest. I thought it was nice, of course, seeing my classmates be praised for their own achievements. For the most part they deserved it (ja, that is to say some people could have done without it o_o.) I mean, our school was so desperate for funding our principal would "award" the kids who scored "advanced" on the MAP test fifty dollars (it was one-hundred dollars the first MAP test, but once everyone figured out they could be winning and started doing better, it was lowered to fifty...) It could be considered despearte by some, a dirty trick by others.
I just wondered, about all the people who were "normal," and who rarely or never brought up their ideas because they were bever used, or never taken seriously because one of the "bright" kids shot out theirs. I spent plenty of time being "normal" even in the technically "bright" kid group, so i have a pretty good idea of how it feels to be ignored. What if people don't grow because no one cares enough about them to grow? I always wondered that. So what if we were forced to do things as a group, to not receive noteriety--would we still do it? Would it seem worth the thinking? I think, though, if you're passionate enough about something you do it just because you can. Not because you have to...

*Ahem*, on to my next topic. Sanderson put trust in his students. That's so amazing!! Can you imagine any school but a private one placing so much faith in their students? I got in trouble if there was a sticker on my I.D. badge, or if I took it off at the end of the day and hadn't yet exited the building. It got to the point that when I was driving I'd feel for it around my neck, my own safeguard against the terrors of authority figures. But it wasn't an unfounded one. I once tried to skip out on a "Beginning of Winter Break" speach before we were allowed to leave for home early and was chased down the hall by the assistant principal. Luckily, though, he couldn't recognize me from behind. The point is, in a society where we put high school students through metal detectors (and close the library directly after school hours--what's the point of that? You don't have much opportunity to leave class for the library when you only have so many "passes" in your schedule book. Grr...) I don't see anything like Sanderson's ideas being put into place. No free reign for your (academic) passions, kids, you could scratch the floor varnish. Thanks. Love you, too.

And last on the Sanderson portion, he worked hardest for the boys without a passion. No one does that now, unless your teachers happen to be your parents, or really care about you (which, in a class of thirty students, is sometimes hard to do.) Now, at least in public schools, I can't speak for private, you have to fit into certain niches if you want to be able to pursue your true passion. And if you can't find it in school, tough luck. We're paying for standardized education....

Now, onto the evolution bit, and how angry it makes me. I see no reason to not teach a completely valid theory of the development of every living being! I wouldn't even say theory, but I don't think it's been proved as a complete fact (not that anything is :/ ) so I don't want to jump the gun. I can't stand the rigidness our school systems have been placed into if they want to continue educating children. At least, those who truly reap the benifits of that education, not those who "the system fails." This seems like such a sad blog entry. But the next will be worse...