First Paper: Proposal

Everyone who has known me for a while ought to know by now that music is one of my ‘top 3 loves.’ I am a musician and have been for many years. My grandmother taught me my first song on piano at the age of 7 (it was Jingle Bells) and from that point on I began to develop a strong appreciation for music. I went on to learn the melodies of some classical compositions on piano playing by ear, in 4^th grade I took up violin and played it through 6^th grade. In 7^th grade I put down the fragile violin so that I may go on to hit round objects with sticks, which I happened to be better at. I have been a percussionist and very avid musician since then; my will to succeed and love of live performance makes me want to learn how to play every instrument known to man. I have achieved at least the status of mediocre on instruments such as the guitar, recorder, clarinet, and piano; however my level of percussive skill has provided opportunity for me to teach younger percussionists on some occasions. In case you haven’t already noticed, I am a bit cocky; at least I am aware enough to admit that; you can’t help it really when you are as passionate about something as I am.

            Anyway, let’s get back on the right path here. While I am a very avid musician, there are still some elements of the musical world that pique my interest more so than others. One of those things is rock and roll. I like the classics: Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, etc.; as a matter of fact I have the soundtrack to the movie Great Balls of Fire that I listen to quite frequently. The first time I heard Jason D. Williams (a very prominent Jerry Lee Lewis imitator) perform, I fell in love with rock and roll. The only things I had known about rock and roll were the fact that it existed and that I knew the songs of a few new-age rock groups. I was not nearly as aware of this genre’s history as I am now.

Here’s the thing: what used to be a highly frowned upon genre has made its way up to being one of the most appreciated forms of music in the course of history. Rock and Roll set new standards for how music should sound in many ways, from the lyrics all the way to how upbeat the music is. Some of music’s greatest names were discovered because of the uprising of this genre.  It’s also very important to know that the ruckus that has resulted from rock and roll music has helped to make music what it is today. Just think, if Jerry Lee Lewis hadn’t put out his chart-topping risqué song Whole Lotta Shakin’ in 1957, you may not be listening to Pitbull’s Give Me Everything on your iPod right now. Also, the racial/cultural harmony that lies within music might not have even come into existence like it has today.

            The best thing about rock and roll is its level of appeal. Everyone can relate to it in some way, because virtually everyone in today’s society has heard at least one rock and roll some in their lifetime. It doesn’t matter if the song is new-age rock and roll or the older 1950’s rock and roll like I enjoy, it appeals to nearly everyone.

           

Response #5: "Education and the Structural Crisis of Capital"

Having just come out of high school a little over a year ago, I understand what school is like in society today. Too many standardized tests, boring and repetitive lectures over a 12 year period, favoritism of sports over arts, etc. Something else I know quite well is the tight spending limit each state has for education; the money that the government expects all the schools to be able to furnish textbooks, staff, and other educational tools with. I agree wholeheartedly that the fact that capitalism is the cause for the downfall of education rather than the need for restructuring. Obviously, with the current economic situations we are undergoing, the government is cutting funding to programs that aren’t seen as a ‘high priority.’ Unfortunately, education is one of those elements that gets the short end of the stick because it supposedly cannot boost the economy out of its present state. I will argue with that belief; if anything, education should be a high priority in today’s society.

Education, though it doesn’t do this right now, has the potential to educate the future generations in ways the government obviously doesn’t see. A proactive solution to the current economy is to educate; this can help better the way that our future societies handle money, which may result in the decline in debt and possibly a boost in the state of our economy over the course of a few years. Of course, then comes the question “Well, if nobody knows how to properly handle money now, how are we supposed to teach our kids how to do so?” That’s where we look to experts with ideas that can be put into play. While this idea may not have an effect on the state of our present economy, it can help to better the outlook of our financial future as a country. It can educate our future politicians and Wall Street bankers so that they may be more able to turn things around a bit more easily, pending problems like this arise again.

Something schools do focus on is attempting to prepare future generations for their careers. Thing is, like the author said in the article, kids that graduate high school right now don’t necessarily end up on the financially stable end of the totem pole. Many of them don’t go to college because they don’t feel like it’s going to do them any good with the current state of the economy. They are right; a college degree has become nothing more than a fancy piece of paper. You can give the kids the knowledge to do a job, but unemployment rates and financial situations of some companies make it impossible to even get the job to start with. As a college student, this is one of the fears I have. Luckily I have a fairly decent backup plan, but nobody should have to have a backup plan. The sad part is that a lot of high school level students do now. These kids see the current financial situations at home, work, and school; they feel like a backup plan is a ‘must’ in today’s society. These kids know that they aren’t being educated in the right way because the schools get the shaft when it comes to funding.
           

 I, personally, am worried about the education of my future children. The fact that education is so ill-appreciated by the American government that it makes you wonder why education even still exists at all. Hopefully the capitalist society we live in won’t put a complete end to education. It won’t if we start acting now.

Response #4: Comparison of "Changing Education Paradigms" and "Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?"

In the case of many teachers, economic conditions are only making things worse. School funding is getting cut across the country, making a teaching career into what is basically a nightmare; thing is that the conditions are way beyond being just a nightmare.  Sir Ken Robinson’s ideas are pretty much dead on what the problem with reforming education in society today is. In the RSA video, Changing Education Paradigms, he is basically saying that the main problem with education today is that we are trying to meet a future with ways used in the past. In other words, the education systems we use today were designed to be used by schools about 20-30 years ago. They are trying to use what they successfully used on our parents on us, but they are failing miserably.

            In the article, Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?, written by New York Times journalist Trip Gabriel, sheds light on the fact that teachers usually do not last but 3 years. Gabriel writes, “Some experts question whether teaching, with its already high attrition rate — more than 25 percent leave in the first three years — will attract high-quality recruits in the future.” I don’t think it will. Soon enough it will be very hard to find a lot of good teachers, especially if conditions don’t change. When you get to college and start meeting new people, one of the first questions that comes out is “What are you majoring in?” Something I’ve noticed, while reflecting on people I’ve met and talked to about this, is that I hear very few of them say they are majoring in education. Something people don’t know about me (unless they went to high school with me) is that I was once attracted to the supposed ‘glory’ that came with being a teacher. I was only 12 or 13 when I thought about this and, as we all know, plans you develop at a younger age are least likely to be stuck to. As I went through high school I still wanted to be a teacher off and on, but it wasn’t until my junior year that I started to become aware of how bad the job actually is. I stuck to my plans to be a music education major, but changed my plans in the middle of my senior year. I had come to realize that the time and effort I was about to put into it was not going to be worth it in the long run because I wasn’t going to be making any money. I wasn’t going to be able to live the stable lifestyle I was hoping for. I’m sure that the things I thought about are exactly what is going to deter students from becoming teachers altogether.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand. My view on today’s current conditions for teachers is that the way these people are treated is unfair. They are verbally bashed in newspapers and on television, they are getting pay cuts or laid off, etc.; As a general rule, teachers in today’s society are highly underappreciated. This is because going to school has become so routine, or as Ken Robinson calls it: ‘industrialized,’ that kids and teachers alike would really rather be somewhere else. Having just escaped from the hell that is grade school only a year ago, I have to agree with Mr. Robinson on the fact that standardization isn’t the way to go. A big aspect of this ‘standardization’ is none other the dreaded yearly standardized tests that the schools force you to take. Those such as the ACT, SAT, in Kentucky the CAT tests, etc. Teachers teach the same stuff to you off and on until you graduate in order for you to pass these tests. Here is where teachers begin to worry. “Those who oppose the gathering momentum to evaluate teachers based in significant part on student test scores argue that it will drive good teachers from the neediest schools” (Gabriel). In other words, students’ test scores determine who is and isn’t a good teacher. I, for one, have always believed that there is no such thing as a ‘bad’ teacher. I find it more than unfair to judge by test scores because it is up to the students to make the grade; the student is only as good of a student at they want to be, so why scorn teachers for the students’ lack of attentiveness and will to succeed?

“Our children are living in the most intensive stimulating period in the history of the Earth” (Robinson). I agree that this is the cause of students’ lack of attentiveness. School is boring to them, so instead of focusing they think about the fun things they’re going to do when they get out of school at 4 pm. I am a strong supporter of the arts and think it a shame to cut funding for these programs. I am a musician and was in my high school’s band all four years, and as a student I always found a sort of relief when going to band class. I liked it because I knew I was going to have fun; it was going to provide an ‘asthetic experience’ that Mr. Robinson mentions. The reason for lack of focus in schools is because most routine classes severely lack this aspect. I am a huge fan of the movie Mr. Holland’s Opus. Mr. Holland is a high school music teacher who is frowned upon by the board of education because of his teaching methods and the fact that his methods make learning “fun.” My question is this: why shouldn’t teachers teach like Mr. Holland? Why should they have to stick to routine and make their jobs less enjoyable for both them and their students? Routine obviously is not making things any better, so why continue to do things that way?

Unfortunately, the teachers are talked down by media, government, and parents, so it’s particularly hard for them to enjoy their job when they are rewarded with nothing but grief over it.  In Gabriel’s article, he gives a quote from a real teacher on what they think should be done: “’What we need in these schools is stability,’ said Mr. Cody, 52, who writes a blog about teaching. ‘We need to convince people that if they invest their career in working with these challenging students, then we will reward them and appreciate them. We will not subject them to arbitrary humiliation in the newspaper. We will not require they be evaluated and paid based on test scores that often fluctuate greatly beyond the teacher’s control.’” I agree, the less humiliation there is, the more likely teachers will be to want to teach, the more they will enjoy their job. A little bit of a budget increase may help to resolve some issues there are with keeping teachers as well, but with taxpayers as stingy as the ones that exist today, I don’t see it happening. With the economic crisis it is understandable that people want to save their money, but it shouldn’t mean that teachers should have to suffer because of it.

Sources

Gabriel, Trip. “Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?” New York Times. New York Times, 2 Mar. 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.

Robinson, Ken. “Changing Education Paradigms.” RSA. Youtube, 14 Oct. 2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2011.



Response #3: "Someplace Like America" Introduction

The point of the book is to give a better glimpse into what our country has been like economically for the past 30 years; since the Great Depression. When first reading the introduction, it has the sort of feel of a fictional novel. Talking about stuff like homeless people being shunned in the cities they live in seems to be a bit far-fetched to be reality in today’s society. The sad thing is, it is a truth we really have to deal with and one of which becomes worse as the days go by.

I feel that our current economic situations in this country right now are ludicrous. How can the ‘greatest nation’ in the world possibly have so many problems? Easy, the corrupt bankers on Wall Street and the penny-pinching politicians that ‘run’ our country. Taxpayer bail outs and misuse of our country’s own resources are a huge problem too. Makes you wonder how our country even got out of the original Great Depression in the first place. To be quite honest, as I write this my brain is so frazzled with anger for our economic situation that I don’t even have a clear train of thought, so please bear with me.

I really enjoy the fact that the things that are wrong with America today are recognized in the introduction and will be better elaborated throughout the book. Stuff like hurricane Katrina, Wall Street bankers getting bailed out by taxpayer money, etc.; all sorts of stuff we can only hope will get better. Sad part is, it will take a long time for these things to even improve the slightest bit. This because it seems that our country is so busy fighting wars with other countries that they are too busy to fight the ones going on within our own nation.

I am very eager to hear the stories the book has that were gathered from real people. You always seem to hear the stories from the better off middle-class Americans who manage to get by all of the time; rarely do you hear about the people who are impoverished or are very close to becoming that way. These are the people that we NEED to hear from; these are the people that D.C. and Wall Street need to hear from. There is, however, no guarantee that anything will improve.

This book does seem like it is a good one, but it seems like it is one that will cause that little flame of anger and frustration to grow more and more. I know that the introduction has lit me up at least. This is a subject that many of us are all too familiar with. Personally, it makes me angry because I know there is nothing I can do to possibly make things better. There is nothing that the citizens can do as a whole. Unfortunately, it is up to the people who put us in this mess in the first place to get us out of it again. The way it’s looking, though, it won’t be for a long time.

Response #2: "For Richer or Poorer: Teachers and Wall Street"

Are you one of the millions of Americans that tunes in to your favorite late night talk show? If so, then you are probably familiar with the use of real news stories that these so-called ‘comedians’ use as their use as an axis for their poorly rehearsed comedy routines. This is one main reason that I choose not to watch late night comedy shows. Whether it is Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, etc., I still find their choice of subjects to joke about is rather tasteless. Of course, one of these ‘late night kings’ that I have come to absolutely loathe is none other than Jon Stewart. My choice of topic, which is stated in the title, appeared as a segment on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Trust me, I was not watching this video for entertainment value… and didn’t really find much in it anyway. However, while watching the video over and over I have found that Mr. Stewart actually makes a few valid points. I was actually highly shocked and very impressed with exactly how supportive he is toward teachers in this video. I must say, at first glance I thought he was criticizing teachers. However, I listened to it over and over and listened to all the details and I actually came to realize that, between his smart-alec sounding comments and his ‘jokes,’ he actually appeared to show a bit of sympathy toward teachers. This video is definitely a video that can rub you the wrong way the first time you see it, like most late-night television shows, because you don’t really understand what the host’s personal opinions are behind the sarcasm and ‘comedy.’             

            I, for one, believe that it is completely unjust and unfair to compare the salaries of teachers to the salaries of those on Wall Street. Let’s face it, teachers barely make enough money as it is, and most with families to care for are nowhere near scratching the surface of financial security. The people on Wall Street are, though. The people responsible for helping to slowly destroy our economy are the ones getting all of the money. The subject of teachers being paid by taxpayers was brought up in the video. However, teachers only get paid a small fraction of the federal tax money that goes towards education. Of course, education is on the low end of the totem pole in our country by only receiving 3% of federal taxpayer dollars (Cbpp.com), which is a sad truth we have to face. No wonder schools are cutting arts and music classes in schools country wide; but this is another touchy story for another time.  In Kentucky, the government is allotted close to $5.5 billion (Teacherportal.com) each year to go towards the schools across the state, which isn’t a lot. Only 1/3 of it goes toward paying the teachers, which is only a little over $1.6 billion a year (Teacherportal.com). I have had teachers in Jessamine County who have abandoned their teaching careers and have gone back to school to pursue something that pays much more. I honestly don’t blame them, but praise them. Get out from underneath all of this federal bull while you can. Sad part about it is, there are just as many people out there waiting to get a job as a teacher as there are piss-ons who already work for the schools. What gets me is the fact that some people don’t understand that teachers struggle the way all middle class Americans do right now as well, especially if they have families; whiners may make it sound like a teacher’s $50 thousand a year and health benefits are a luxury. It’s not like they’re sitting on a throne doing absolutely nothing all day. Jon Stewart picks fun at people implying teachers are rich in the video as well: “They’re not big shot teachers with their….. desks and seemingly endless supply of multicolored construction papers. Oh! And their number 2 pencils, I guess number 3 pencils aren’t good enough for ‘your majesty!’” I think this was a very good statement in the sense that it mocks the people who over-exaggerate what teachers really do have.

In the video they ran clips of news shows talking about this subject. In one segment of the clip a lady said that teachers don’t get paid as much as those on Wall Street, but she was interrupted by another person who said teachers don’t work as much either. Here’s where I stand on this: no, teachers don’t work as much, but they have just as important a job as the bankers on Wall Street do. A teacher’s job is to fill the minds of our young Americans with knowledge so that they may navigate the rough roads of life with as little trouble as possible. A Wall Street banker’s job is to attempt to get our economy out of the hole, but they obviously fail at that job: look at the economic crisis we’ve been facing! Jon Stewart agrees in his best joke I have ever heard out of the man: “See the difference? Regardless of the greed-based, almost slightly sociopathic job bankers did wrecking our economy, those people were there every single day twelve months a year.”

Now, tell me how being a teacher is even remotely comparable to being a banker on Wall Street? If anyone should have docked pay, it is the Wall Street bankers. They work more than teachers do in one year, so why would it hurt to pay them a little less and deserving teachers and other working middle-class citizens a little more? Someone in the video mentioned that Wall Street bankers are guaranteed bonuses under legal contract; while this may be true, most contracts are only good for so long and have to be renewed. Take advantage of expiring contracts and change benefits!  In my opinion, all of this is just 100% pure common sense that the government refuses to pay any attention to. In today’s society an average household income is a bit over $46 thousand. We all know that is not good, especially in today’s economy; the cost of living goes up little by little every day. $46 thousand (Mybudget360.com) is almost poverty level, if it isn’t already. Granted $250,000 isn’t necessarily comfortable for larger families, but it is a whole lot more for smaller families and single people.

In the description below the video, it says “When will America's teachers follow the lead of Wall Street and start making some sacrifices for the children?” America’s teachers already make sacrifices for their students. They teach them. They stay late at work to grade papers or attend meetings and sacrifice personal time with their own children to teach ours. In my opinion, they are already making enough sacrifices for some pretty sorry pay. Also, by asking teachers to make sacrifices, you lose good teachers who teach the people to run our country right. If anyone should be making monetary sacrifices, it’s the wealthy C.E.O.s and Wall Street bankers they talk about in the video. Jon jokes that they have to pay these people ‘top dollar’ to keep from screwing our economy up more, when in all actuality, money cannot necessarily buy better help. They can fire the dumb guy and hire someone without knowing that that person is twice as dumb. We definitely need to put more focus on asking for sacrifices from people who are much better off than the people they are already asking for sacrifices from.

Sources:

“How much does the Average American Make? Breaking Down the U.S. Household Income Numbers.” Mybudget360. MyBudget360, n.d. Web. 23 Aug. 2011.

Jon Stewart. “Crisis in Dairyland - For Richer and Poorer - Teachers and Wall Street.” Thedailyshow. Comedy Central. 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Aug. 2011.

“Kentucky Teacher Salary.” Chart. Teacherportal. Teacher Portal, 2004. Web. 23 Aug. 2011.

“Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go?” Chart. Cbpp. Cbpp, 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 23 Aug. 2011.

Response #1: "Hacker"

When I am asked what the word ‘hacker’ means, the first thing that usually comes to mind is a computer hacker. To further explain, the first definition that comes to mind is this: someone who can gain illegal access to computers and networks using specific programs and software. However, there are quite a few definitions as to what ‘hacker’ means. Allow me to give a couple of actual dictionary definitions. One definition of ‘hacker’ is an unskilled golfer (“Hacker”). This is a bit of information I didn’t know before and, in a sense, I find it quite amusing. As I imagine an amateur golfer attempting to play the game, I can see them swinging at the tee but instead striking the ground, or hacking at it. The definition most definitely suits the word. Another definition I found is close to my own definition of the word, but not dead on; a talented amateur user of computers (“Hacker”). As time has moved forward, however, the term has been adopted more so as a term relating to computers and computer users (hence why my first definition came to mind). For the most part, ‘hacker’ is mainly a slang term referring to computers in some way, shape, or form. When I first started searching the web for more information on what this is I expected exactly what I got: pages upon pages telling how to hack computers and websites, names of famous hackers, etc. This goes on to further exemplify exactly how frequently this term is related to computer technology.  However, I found that the word can relate to having an interest in something specific, being really good at something specific, or being horrible at certain things. While I was searching I saw a search suggestion: why hackers do what they do. I believe that most hackers just do it for the love of computer programming; it makes something click in that nerdy little brain of theirs. I also believe that some of them probably do it to seek out revenge against those that the ‘hacker’ feels has wronged them in some way. Most hackers have excessive knowledge about computer programming, giving them the ability to create viruses and software that will allow them to deface those who have wronged them.  While I was doing research, I started developing my own thoughts as to what a hacker could be and how people who do specific everyday things could in fact be a ‘hacker’ as well. Drummers may very well be ‘hackers’. I am a drummer and the word ‘hacking’ is a term used throughout the percussive world to describe excessive and unnecessary playing at inopportune times, such as during practice. So a drummer can very well be considered a hacker, making myself the same. Also, if you think about it, a hacker could also be a lumberjack. To hack at something usually means to strike something with a decent amount of force/power. To cut down a tree, you really do have to hack at it to cut the wood. So, in a sense, a lumberjack is also a hacker. Some people refer to excessive coughing as hacking. So, in a sense, someone who coughs excessively can be considered a hacker. Also, if you think about it, someone who constantly rants about a specific subject could also be a ‘hacker’ in the sense that they keep hacking at that specific subject as if it were a tree. Really, with enough thought and attentiveness, pretty much anyone or anything could be a hacker in some way, shape, or form. The term isn’t necessarily universal, but it is very close to being so. Thing is, the word is pretty much stuck with its adopted definition and constant relation to computer geniuses. It may take on different definitions or relation as time moves on, but I believe it is highly unlikely. As society develops, it becomes more routine and enhances in simplicity. May very well not develop in the near future.

Sources:
“Hacker.” Webster’s New World Dictionary. 4^th ed. 2003. Print.

Political Compass: Where I Stand.