my thoughts on school

Ice Cream Sandwich

4 Apr 202307:10

Summary

TLDRThe speaker shares a personal anecdote about avoiding frog dissection in junior high due to discomfort with gore, reflecting on the irrelevance of such experiences to their personal growth. They advocate for changes in education, suggesting the reintroduction of recess and the use of technology to enhance learning. The speaker also humorously critiques a money class project, where they felt their group was unfairly penalized. They propose the idea of media literacy classes to combat misinformation and concludes with a thought-provoking suggestion to transform the traditional classroom into a mentorship model, where students could pursue individual interests with guidance from educators.

Takeaways

😷 The speaker is opposed to dissecting animals, especially in junior high school science classes where they had to dissect a frog.
🎓 The speaker reflects on the irrelevance of certain educational experiences, such as frog dissection, to their personal growth and life skills.
🤔 The speaker questions the priorities in education, suggesting that the pursuit of good grades might sometimes overlook the practicality and enjoyment of learning.
🛌 The speaker advocates for more breaks, like bringing back recess, to allow for relaxation and better information absorption for both students and teachers.
💻 The speaker highlights the potential of technology to assist in the teaching process, suggesting it could be used to create more relaxed learning environments.
🧲 The speaker humorously mentions a sponsored segment about NordVPN, a virtual private network service, emphasizing its benefits for online protection.
🏫 The speaker recounts a positive experience in a junior high business class where students were tasked with creating and selling a product, highlighting the value of real-world application in education.
💸 The speaker expresses frustration over a teacher's unfair decision to take a portion of their class's earnings from a school project, indicating the importance of fairness in educational settings.
🤓 The speaker suggests that media literacy should be taught in schools, given the prevalence of media consumption and the need for critical thinking skills.
🌐 The speaker playfully tests the audience's gullibility with a fabricated story about a grocery store incident, then admits the deception to emphasize the need for skepticism and media literacy.
💡 The speaker proposes unconventional ideas for education, such as having no set classes and allowing students to choose their own topics of study with teacher mentorship, to foster creativity and self-directed learning.

Q & A

Why was the narrator opposed to dissecting animals in their junior high school science class?
-The narrator was opposed to dissecting animals because they found the process of cutting open and examining the insides of animals, specifically frogs, to be very gross and unpleasant.
How did the narrator avoid dissecting the frog in their science class?
-The narrator avoided dissecting the frog by pretending to be sick when the teacher noticed them stretching and preparing to dissect. The teacher offered them the option to sit down and not dissect the frog, which they gladly accepted.
What was the narrator's group's reaction to them not dissecting the frog?
-The narrator's group was a little 'salty' or upset because they felt they had to do all the work while the narrator was able to skip out on the task.
What realization did the narrator come to about the impact of not dissecting a frog on their life?
-The narrator realized that not dissecting a frog had affected them zero percent in life, meaning it had no significant impact on their personal growth or understanding of biology.
What is the narrator's opinion on the importance of education and its current state?
-The narrator believes that while education is very important, the pursuit of good grades sometimes misses the point of going to school. They suggest that there are many things that could be changed to improve the educational experience.
What changes does the narrator suggest for schools to improve the educational experience?
-The narrator suggests bringing back recess for more breaks, using technology to aid the teaching process, and getting rid of certain activities like frog dissecting. They also propose adding classes with real-world applications.
What was the purpose of the junior high school business class mentioned in the script?
-The purpose of the business class was to have students start a business, split into groups, make a product to sell, and learn about the process of creating, promoting, and selling a product for profit.
What product did the narrator's group decide to make in the business class, and how did it perform?
-The narrator's group decided to make magnets. Their product performed the best among the groups, making a profit of over a hundred dollars.
What issue did the narrator's group face with a teacher regarding the money they made from selling magnets?
-A teacher from a different shop class claimed that since they used school equipment to make the magnets, the group had to pay for the materials. The teacher took $50 from their earnings, which the narrator felt was unfair and an arbitrary rule.
What is the narrator's view on the importance of media literacy and critical thinking skills?
-The narrator believes that media literacy and critical thinking skills are essential, especially in the age of consuming vast amounts of media. They suggest that a class on media literacy could be beneficial.
What alternative educational model does the narrator propose at the end of the script?
-The narrator proposes a model where there are no set classes, and students can pick something to study. Teachers would act as mentors, providing direction and resources for students to learn what they need to achieve their goals.

Outlines

00:00

🤢 Dissection Dilemma and the Importance of Education

The script begins with a personal anecdote about the narrator's aversion to dissecting animals, particularly frogs in a junior high science class. The narrator describes feeling repulsed by the activity and trying to avoid it, only to have the teacher offer an out by suggesting they might be feeling sick and should sit out. This leads to a broader reflection on education, questioning the necessity of certain activities like frog dissection and advocating for a more balanced approach to learning that includes breaks and technology use to aid in the teaching process. The narrator also humorously suggests getting rid of certain classes like frog dissection and replacing them with more practical ones, while keeping the exciting and engaging lessons, like the one where potassium was dropped in water. The paragraph concludes with a sponsored message for NordVPN, a virtual private network service, which is woven into the narrative as a tool for online protection.

05:00

😡 Observations on Media Literacy and Alternative Education Models

In the second paragraph, the narrator recounts a story about a woman who falsely claimed victimhood in a grocery store altercation, which sparked the narrator's frustration and reflection on the importance of critical thinking skills. The script then transitions to the topic of media literacy, suggesting that a class on this subject could be beneficial given the prevalence of media consumption. The narrator admits to being tricked online, which reinforces the need for such education. The narrative takes a creative turn by proposing an alternative educational model where students could choose their own subjects of study and teachers would act as mentors, providing direction and resources. This idea is presented as a way to potentially foster more innovation and personal growth among students. The paragraph ends with a playful challenge to viewers to share their own ideas for classes that should be included in school, inviting engagement and further discussion on the topic.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Dissection

Dissection refers to the process of cutting open a body, often a dead animal, to study its internal structures. In the context of the video, the speaker expresses a strong aversion to dissecting animals, particularly frogs in a junior high school science class. This highlights the theme of personal discomfort with certain educational activities and raises the question of the relevance and necessity of such practices in modern education.

💡Education

Education is the process of acquiring knowledge, skills, values, and habits. The video discusses the importance of education but also critiques certain aspects of traditional schooling, such as the dissection of animals, suggesting that the pursuit of good grades might sometimes overshadow the true purpose of education, which is to foster critical thinking and a well-rounded understanding of the world.

💡Recess

Recess is a scheduled break during the school day, allowing students to relax and engage in physical activity. The speaker advocates for the reintroduction of recess, emphasizing the need for breaks and the importance of downtime in the learning process. This keyword underscores the theme of balancing academic rigor with the well-being of students.

💡Technology

Technology in the context of the video refers to the tools and systems that could potentially aid the teaching process. The speaker suggests that with the advancement of technology, there could be a shift towards more efficient and less labor-intensive methods of education, allowing for more relaxed learning environments and the possibility of integrating more practical and enjoyable activities into the curriculum.

💡NordVPN

NordVPN is a virtual private network service mentioned in the video as a means of protecting oneself online. It is used as an example of a product that can help block malware and intrusive tracking, illustrating the importance of digital safety and privacy in the modern world. The mention of NordVPN also serves as a humorous anecdote, showing how even educational content can be intertwined with commercial interests.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching, and running a new business. The video recounts an experience from a junior high school class where students were tasked with starting a business, making and selling products. This activity is highlighted as being fun and having real-world application, suggesting that practical, hands-on experiences can be valuable components of education.

💡Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas. The video speaker reflects on being tricked by false stories online and emphasizes the importance of critical thinking skills, especially in the age of abundant and often misleading media content. This keyword ties into the broader theme of the need for media literacy in education.

💡Media Literacy

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in a variety of forms. The video suggests that a class on media literacy could be beneficial, given that a significant part of modern life involves consuming media. This concept is linked to the overarching message of the video, which is the need for education to adapt to contemporary realities and equip students with relevant skills.

💡Mentorship

Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or knowledgeable person guides a less experienced one. The video proposes an alternative educational model where teachers act as mentors, providing direction and resources for students to learn about topics of their choosing. This keyword reflects the theme of personalized and student-driven education.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value. The video ends with a hypothetical scenario where students are encouraged to invent and create, suggesting that education should foster an environment where innovation and creativity are nurtured and celebrated.

Highlights

Disliking guts and gore made the speaker opposed to dissecting animals.

A junior high school science class required frog dissection, which the speaker found gross.

The speaker avoided frog dissection by pretending to be sick, leading to a misunderstanding with the teacher.

The teacher offered the speaker an out from dissecting, which was gladly accepted.

The speaker's group was upset they had to do the dissection work without the speaker's help.

Reflecting on the story, the speaker realized that not dissecting a frog had no impact on their life.

The speaker questions the importance of certain educational activities, suggesting they miss the point of education.

A call to bring back recess for breaks in the school day is made by the speaker.

The speaker suggests using technology to aid the teaching process and allow for more downtime.

The speaker humorously proposes getting rid of frog dissection and other disliked activities in school.

A memorable science class where students created a product to sell is fondly remembered.

The speaker's group made magnets and won the sales competition, but had money taken away by a teacher.

The speaker believes the class had real-world application and was very useful.

A suggestion to improve the class by teaching budgeting and avoiding scams is made.

The speaker discusses the importance of media literacy and being critical of what is consumed.

A story about a woman falsely claiming victimhood at a grocery store is shared.

The speaker admits to being tricked online and suggests a class on media literacy.

A radical idea of having no set classes and allowing students to choose their mentors is proposed.

The speaker concludes by asking viewers for their ideas on classes that should be in school.