Poor poor Ms. L. That lovely lady who decides to head back to college after starting a family, lacking the knowledge of technology but knowing exactly how to make dinner, wash laundry, and pick everyone up from soccer practice and still get sleep at night. This is the perfect example of the newest trend: heading back to college. Professor X argues the issues with the middle-aged re turning to college. He has assigned a research paper and poor Ms. L doesn't even know what a link is, much less how to find articles and link them to her paper. I learned how to do this at the measly of sixteen, in high school just four years ago. Ms L went to high school long before you went to the Library for computers and not just books. So when Professor X grades her paper its comes as no shock to him that it barley deserves an F. He has a really hard time dealing with giving her that grade though. He says "her deficits dont make her a bad person, or even unintelligent or unusual. Many people cannot write a research and few have to do so in their workday life."
I believe Professor X is right. I think learning is just something thats more easily done when you are younger, and not to mention its a little confident killing when you sitting in a class with students who could be your children and they know exactly what the teacher means when he says "link." And it only backs up his argument more when he quotes Ms. L after she receives her F; "I cant believe it. I was so proud of myself for having written a college paper." But I am wondering what did he do to resolve the conflict with Ms. L? He just says "Everyone wants to triumph." Well yeah prof! But what did you do to help her? I feel like his constant pushing her to schedule a private session with the librarian kind of just threw Ms. L off a little.
I could agree with Professor X and his argument of the adults headed back to college. Every class I have thats scheduled after six is filled with half middle-aged, half still children. I just think it takes a different type of teacher to teach these people. They haven practiced school work in years, you know? I think maybe they need that little extra kind of help. Also as a student who pays her own bills and own rent and someone who took a year off, I look at school much differently than I did when I got out of high school. It is a privilege to learn and thrive and get a diploma. I understand the meaning of a hardworking dollar and what it takes to get there, so paying for college means I will excel to the best of my abilities. I believe that middle-aged students would do the same, but how do you teach someone who missed the kind of classes that I took. Maybe this calls for some classes that need to be taken prior to returning back to college english? Its something to think about.
I chose one line from this article that sets the tone of this new trend of "returning back to college" and why it is so exceptional. The golden line and the closing to this reading response is "America, ever-idealistic, seems wary of the vocational-education track. We are not comfortable limiting anyones options."
Like you, I wrote something about Prof X feeling kinda guilty for failing Ms.L, but the reality of it is as an educator, you can't sympathize or pity someone after the fact that you failed them. As he states, "I am the man who has to lower the hammer." If the paper truly deserved an F he shouldn't feel so much remorse that he can't fall asleep at night.
ReplyDeleteI agree that those who have been out of the game and are now coming back to school to better themselves do need a little more assistance however, they also need the ambition to strive for success. Otherwise they will fail. They should know that nothing comes on a silver platter. Did Ms.L try to learn more about computers on her own? Clearly the after class assistance she got from Prof X wasn't enough. It is the little things that actually counts.
Your messaage seems... inconsistant about Professor X helping Ms. L. You say that the professor does not help Ms. L., but then you mention Professor X pushing her toword the librarians for help. Perhaps, in that situation, that is the best thing he could have done. Afterall, the librarians have to give that sort of speech to anyone that asks. As such, they are probably far more experienced, not to mention capable, of providing help to someone getting used to the internet. The professor is an English teacher, not a computer instructor. He/she may not be capable of explaining technology in a way that Ms. L. could understand.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, Ms. L.'s paper lacked basic understanding of the structure of the English language, which she should have asked for help with or learned in high school. To quote Professor X, "Sentences broke off in the middle of a line and resumed on the next one, with the first word inappropriately capitalized." This is ignoring the fact Ms. L. couldn't keep her format straight ("There was some wavering between single- and double-spaced lines.") or that there was no thesis. Furthermore; even after being explicitly told not to turn in a paper about the pros and cons of gun control, she did it anyway. How can you help a student that wants to learn but doesn't listen to the teacher? What grade would you give a paper that breaks or ignores all the requirements?