Hw#45-More Big Thoughts on School

After reading about Hirsch he's arguing that "He concluded that schools should not be neutral about what is taught but should teach a highly specific curriculum that would allow children to understand things writers take for granted". I think that Hirsch is trying to say that before you learn something you should have background on it such as war and other things before going on and reading other texts. In the text where it said "Students at the University of Virginia were able to understand a passage on Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, while students at a community college struggled with it, apparently lacking basic understanding of the American Civil War" i found this kind of interesting because compared to the community college they did not know the background of the topic they are learning about which is Hirsche is point of how concept of cultural literacy, which is understanding the back ground information.

Reading about Sizer he talked about how kids should be thinking more instead of looking at books and taking standarized test more on trying to make students use their brain instead of a piece of paper. "Schools, he argued, should abandon one-size-fits-all educational methods like standardized tests, grading and even the grouping of students into classes by age." What i found interesting is how he said that the teachers were the mentor/coach and the kids were the workers which i find to be true and that the teachers should motivate the students.

Looking at both views i think they both make valid points Hirsch believes in background knowledge and cultural literacy while Sizer on the other hand allows the students to think more and use the habits of mind rather than whats on a piece of paper. I lean towards Sizer views because i believe they are better and im used t0 what he is talking about rather than test-taking and other things. Just as Sizer said the teachers in SOF actually do play the part of the mentor which has helped and allowed students to think out of the box.