Final Essay

Lucas Leydon
English 1A
Williams
20 December 2013
                                           Student Loans and How They Keep Us Down

      In the United States today, there is a societal narrative that imposes the need to go to college and get a degree in order to be successful. With this concept of  "College = Success" in every young persons mind, there is a huge urgency to work towards and get accepted to a "name-brand" university, which in turn creates a huge demand for students to take out loans. We are seeing countless students taking out loans while they do not know the full extent of their actions. Books like The Rich and the Rest of Us and documentaries like "The College Conspiracy" are pulling the curtains on the true workings of aspects of the U.S. economy and are giving us information that enable us to form an educated opinion on how navigate our way in it. We must strive to understand and overcome the injustices that stare us directly in the face. The current student loan crisis is creating a society of indentured servants, corrupt loan agencies, and an economic bubble that is soon to pop.

      Students today are naively taking out student loans and unknowingly signing up to become indentured servants to banks and loan agencies. For those enrolling in college, the need for student loans are such a common place thing that many people do not even second guess weather taking out a loan works in their best interest; they feel they have to. In the 2009-2010 school year alone there was $106 billion dollars worth of student loans taken out (The College Conspiracy). With interest rates continually on the rise, we are setting our future graduates up for a life of never ending student loan debt. Just as the lady in the documentary "The College Conspiracy" has been paying off her dental school loans for the past 30 years, and is still no where close to paying them off (she owes almost twice as much as her initial loan due to interest rates), students every day are being lured into the trap of student loans that are virtually impossible to pay off. "Poverty is 21st-century-style slavery" (The Rich and the Rest of Us). I feel that students are being taken advantage of with the high costs of tuition in schools today. There are other countries who's educational systems are completely free, while we are struggling just to pay for tuition, let alone the rest of our everyday needs such as food, rent, and bills. While tuition goes up, our economy  remains stagnant, or on the decline, which drags us further into a state of poverty. With the need of a "good education" ingrained in our society's disposition, we are left vulnerable to banks and other loan organizations who sugar coat loan contracts that initially sound like a good deal but later turn out to work against our favor. This is a new form of slavery, entrapping us in a system that keeps us on a leash (debt) with no practical means of becoming financially stable. When big businesses and corporations catch wind of this Achilles heel in the people of society, they viciously begin to plot ways in which they can turn this into a money making scheme in their favor.

      The student loan market is becoming increasingly overrun with corrupt loan policies, impossible interest rates, and flat out scams that encourage young people to take out student loans. With cases such as the "pharmacist shortage hoax", we are seeing loan agencies take advantage of the impressionable future generation by finding ways to manipulate them into thinking they are getting a good deal and doing the right thing to ensure their future, but in reality are blindly signing up for a life time of debt. These loan companies are able to lure prospect college students in by giving them interest rates that sound "good" on the surface, but really only benefit themselves in the long run. The college education system has been said to be the "biggest scam in American history" (The College Conspiracy).  "There has been something crude, heartless, and unfeeling in our haste too succeed and be great" (The Rich and the Rest of Us). I feel college students are the perfect target for these banks and loan agencies to take advantage of because the average young person is too blinded by the glorified ideal of what it means to be successful in today's society that they don't do the research that is necessary and are all to willing to sign up for "quick money" if someone is willing to give it to them. In "The College Conspiracy", we heard of the epidemic of people using student loan money for non-educational purposes, and even cases of people taking out student loans without even being enrolled in school! I feel our society's high values we place on materialism negatively affects the issue of student loans and the people's eagerness to sign up for "quick money" not knowing the full extent of their actions. Ultimately, the student loan crisis will reach a breaking point where loan agencies will not be able to sustain the amount of money being "loaned" with the lack of return, which will result in a very negative affect on the U.S. economy.

      Our economy is on a direct course to experiencing the pop of the student loan bubble. With the federal reserve continuing to print out more and more money, the value of the American dollar is diminishing from the status as the world's reserve currency. When people are buried so far into debt to the point of no return, a bail out from the government is the only thing that can provide hope for financial stability. The problem with a bail out is that the money comes from the average American's tax dollars, which further hampers the economy and economic growth. We are in the midst of a hyper inflationary great depression where prices for food, energy and other common goods will skyrocket leaving the average citizen unable to afford the basic necessities.  "Although the government and media would like you to believe the U.S. economy is going through a recovery, the truth is the U.S. economy is on life support" (The College Conspiracy). The average person may not be aware of the implications how their everyday involvement with certain aspects of society can have negative consequences. Issues such as a bail out may sound like a good solution to the person who is in debt, but to the average person whos tax dollars are being spent, this could feel like robbery. It is our job as a society to find ways to educate and assist our fellow citizens in ways that positively affect society as a whole.  I feel that the use of social media can play one of the biggest roles in spreading awareness of the current issue of trapping students into life time student loans and the harmful effects it has on our economy.

      Student loans are becoming a great obstacle in the path of those who wish to receive a quality education in the United States today. With the luring accessibility of student loans, we are experiencing an epidemic of students making bad decisions for their financial future by volunteering a life time of debt in order to be granted access to quick money. The current student loan crisis is creating a society of indentured servants, corrupt loan agencies, and an economic bubble that is soon to pop. An educated poverty class? Hmm... Something doesn't sound right about that...

Rule of 3 on "Poorly Funded Schools"

Lucas Leydon

Williams

English 1A

8 September 2013

        It is important that teachers have the ability to adapt their teaching methods to the needs of the individual students.  If teachers have only one way of teaching, it will prevent a number of students from receiving a quality education. Teachers must constantly be finding ways to refine their teaching methods and find ways to reach out to a variety of learning styles. This could be accomplished by conducting regular meetings between teachers to discuss how to incorporate certain ways of teaching they have found to be successful. Teachers with more experience should be able to pass along useful tools they have come across to assist newer teachers in relating with students. Teachers should never be static in their methods and should posses the desire to always be improving their teaching style.

       Teachers must have a passion for what they teach. If passion is not present in a teacher, it makes for a dull learning experience. Passion is what inspires the student to want to learn and excel in the class. I have had teachers who just sit there, robotically going through power points, making it an extremely difficult lecture to sit through. I feel the performance of the student relies greatly on the abilities of the teacher, and passion plays a major role in this outcome. If passion is never sparked in students from a teacher, this will have a negative affect not only on the teacher, but on the generations to come, having the students of today as the teachers of the future. 

       If an education system's pedagogy is one influenced heavily by big business, they will adopt a model that values quantity over quality. This can affect our students in a very negative way. It is a quality education that is needed, not a quick and "efficient" one. Education systems have a role in molding the future generations, and an education system focused on quality should be the foundation of its focus. Schools must whip out the microscope and integrate a system that stimulates and refines the talents and abilities of the students on an individual level. If a student shows potential in a certain area of study, the schools goal should be to focus in and cultivate these abilities. Schools should also display flexibility in adjusting the students academic curriculum to aid in the field of study they plan to pursue. A student interested in engineering should be given an "engineering dominant" academic progression; a student interested in music, a "music dominant" academic progression, and so on. I feel this approach would allow the student to get the most out of their educational experience and better prepare them for their future. "Detailed focus on an individual level" should be the model that academic systems strive for. 

       Big business focuses on getting the highest amount of output from the least amount of input. This means education would be focused solely on numbers, such as test scores, rather than a thorough understanding and comprehension of what is taught. Just because someone can memorize facts, and regurgitate them for a test, does not necessarily mean they have fully grasped what is being taught. If anything, this serves merely as a memory test. Students must be given attention in detail to make sure they understand what is being taught on a critical level. I feel standardized testing is a form of taking the easy way out for education systems rather than putting effort forth to ensure students not only understand what is being taught, but to instill the ability to inherently go beyond the standards imposed upon them. It is analogous to the phrase," Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime." Likewise, 'Teach a student some facts, you prepare them for a test; Teach a student how to learn, you prepare them for life'. 

       A "big business" model for education will produce an extremely negative effect on future generations. Because big business is focused on quantity rather than quality, this would mean quality educators' focus would be shifted to "quantity", or putting out the highest amount of students possible. Quality can put out quantity, but can quantity put out quality? I don't think so, and this is the problem the next generation would face. Being a product of a "quantity" educational system, future teachers would not have the skills necessary to produce a quality education for future students. At the time, it may sound very promising for teachers to focus on and be able to put out the highest amount of students possible, but this will create a snowball effect for the future of society, not possessing competent individuals needed to meet challenges that humanity will inevitably face. This is analogous to someone who favors "quantity" when buying food (fast food) rather than "quality" (healthy food) because it is more convenient at the time to save money, when further down the line is faced with health issues due to their eating habits. Our "educational habits" should be fully embraced and placed on a "quality" diet before things get out of hand and go beyond the possibility of repair.

       One reason bad teachers exist is due to a lack of passion for teaching. Teachers who are not passionate about what they teach create the atmosphere of learning to be felt like a chore. This will not spark an interest in the student which is needed for them to succeed in the class. I have experienced this first hand having taken a class with a teacher who lacked passion for the subject, making it a very dull and un-motivating experience, to taking the same subject with another teacher who was totally passionate about what they teach, giving me the interest needed to succeed and also the desire to want to learn what was being taught. It is amazing how the difference in attitude of the teacher can make in the outcome of a students learning experience. Passion should be the foundation every teacher thrives on. 

       Ten year plans may also be contributing to the development of bad teachers. When a teacher no longer has to worry about whether the quality of their teaching affects their pay or job security, they can become very un-motivated to teach above the minimum standard. This is a major issue that must be revised. Schools must create an incentive for teachers to want to teach beyond standard levels. Ten year plans counter act this incentive and adversely gives them incentive to slack off. Of course, not all teachers take this negative advantage of the ten year plan, but for those who do, they waste a good amount of time and money that could be spent on teachers worth employing. I was unaware of the ten year plan until recently and find it to be a flaw in the system, which explains how certain schools can come to be "bad schools". Previously I was under the impression that teachers were under the microscope of the administration as much as the students were of the teachers, and would be subject to losing their job had they not been expressing their full potential of their teaching abilities. Maybe my naive supposition wouldn't be a bad ideal to strive for!

       

Lucas Leydon
Williams
English 1A
2 October 2013

What standards should we hold our teachers to?

Teachers must have a deep and technical understanding of the subject matter being taught. Teachers who have been educated in "just enough", or the minimum requirements to teach will not leave the student with a quality education. This is important, especially in today's society, when people are trying to get in and out of school as quickly as possible and to get any job possible in their field of study. It is the schools job to set standards and evaluations of the competence of the teachers abilities to thoroughly teach their subject at the level that is necessary. I have personally witnessed a situation where the teacher, in my eyes, was not qualified to be teaching the subject at hand. I was at Ohlone a couple semesters back taking a guitar class and all the teacher did was hand out a worksheet at the beginning of each class and left us to our self to figure out the exercise. Not only that, but it seemed like he could barely play the pieces of music he handed out to us! I feel I could have done a way better job at teaching the class, which shouldn't be the case when I am the student. Schools should display a competitive attitude when seeking new teachers, putting much effort into finding the right one for the job. This is in the best interest of the student, and also the future of education.

        It is important that teachers have the ability to adapt their teaching methods to the needs of the individual student. If teachers only have one way of teaching, it will prevent a number of students from receiving a quality education. Teachers must be constantly be finding ways to refine their teaching methods and find ways to reach out to a variety of learning styles. this could be accomplished by conducting regular meetings between teachers to discuss ways to incorporate different ways of teaching they have found to be successful. Teachers with more experience should be able to pass along useful tools they have come across to assist newer teachers to relate with students. Teachers should never be static in their methods and should posses the desire to always improve their teaching style.

       Teachers must have a passion for what they teach. If passion is not present in a teacher, it makes for a dull learning experience. Passion is what inspires the student to want to learn and also to excel in the class. I have had teachers who just sat there, robotically clicking through power-points in the most mono tone voice, making it very difficult to sit through an hour and a half lecture without pulling out my phone or homework from another class. I feel the performance of the student relies greatly on the abilities of the teacher, and passion plays a major role in this scenario. If passion is never sparked in the student, this will have a negative affect on not only the student, but the generations to come, being that the students of today become the teachers of the future.

Lucas Leydon
Williams
English 1A
25 September 2013

"When the student has a quality education from a teacher, they then have creative control towards their future endeavors'"
A quality education will open doors to endless possibilities for students. With a quality education, students will have critical thinking skills that allow them to take control of their future. Instead of relying on getting any job that is hiring, they will be able to pursue a career in the field of their choice. This gives them freedom and flexibility in finding a job, and also security knowing they are qualified for similar positions in their field. Having the luxury of a quality education can also allow students to make a career out of doing what they love. Personally, the ability to go to school for music has been a blessing. This will allow me to study music in detail and gain experience and qualifications to build a career out of. As Ken Robinson said in his Ted Talk, "Doing something you love (as a career) will make an hour feel like 5 minutes, doing something that does not resonate with you spirit will make 5 minutes feel like an hour." I feel this is tru for anybody and a quality education can assist in pursuing a career that "resonates with your spirit".

Ted Talk: Ken Robinson

I enjoyed Ken Robinsons Ted Talk on education very much. I was surprised to see that his topics of discussion match my essay ideas almost exactly. I am writing about the importance of focusing on students natural talents and subjects they are inclined to succeed at rather than the "linear" approach that schools take in "manufacturing" out the typically educated person that is not prepared for life upon graduation. I also mention how teachers play a major role in being flexible and creative in catering to the needs of the individual. I like Ken's reference of "fast food" and "industrialized" education systems that treat schools like an assembly line, sending every single person through the same routine expecting a successful out come. I agree strongly that everyone has that one (or many) thing(s) they are born to do, and these tendencies should not go overlooked at a young age in school just to satisfy the conformist's idea of what education should be. Stripping people of their passions to fill their head with trivial information just to pass a test is a disgrace to human society. As Ken mentions, those who do what they love for a living wouldn't even consider work "work", yet the vast majority conforms to the standards of what society tells you to be. This was a topic mentioned in "The Passion Project" as well. I agree with Ken completely that schools need a complete revolution and shift to an, as Ken mentions, "organic" mode of operation. Personally, I am completely relieved that schools offer degrees in music because I have no idea what I would be doing if that wasn't an option; And that is scary to think that a great number of people don't even have the chance to pursue the career of their dreams if it is not accepted by society. This is something that definitely needs to change for the betterment of the future generations to come. Schools need to have more flexibility and offer more variety in what is taught, and have the resources necessary to blossom individuals in the direction of their own temperament. Great video.

Lucas Leydon
Williams
English 1A
12 September 2013

Rule of Three: Part 3

The future of education lies in teachers who are passionate about what they teach. Teachers must grab the students attention by stimulating an interest in the subject and a desire for further learning. It is the teachers job to instill an optimistic outlook in the students and make them excited about learning. Teachers must have the ability to be creative in their teaching methods and reach out to students on a personal level. The encounter of just one passionate teacher can change a students whole outlook on education. The more involved and enthusiastic a teacher is, the more responsiveness will be reflected in the student. Great teachers are those who can inspire students to go above and beyond their potential and make learning an experience of joy. These types of teachers are what is needed to stimulate successful educational systems that prepare the generations to come. Good teachers have the ability to be flexible and adjust to the individual needs of the student.
Schools should have a system that caters to the individuals potential and interests. Certain learning styles may not work for every student, therefore teachers must be flexible and creative in their approach. It is important for students who are struggling stay motivated to continue learning and to avoid the feeling of failure. Students must be engaged in the subject being taught and understand why it is important in a wider sense. This creates a sense of purpose. Having the feeling of learning something just to pass a test will not suffice for successful learning. The teachers must spark interest in the student and be creative with their methods such as using games or watching videos that compliment their lessons. I also feel that students should be allowed to focus on subjects in which they are most inclined to succeed and plan to pursue for a career. This will give them more motivation to learn and more experience in their field. Personally, I feel much time in high school was spent learning about trivial information that was quickly forgotten, when that time could have been used to focus on my desired field of study or on practical knowledge that would help outside of the academic walls.
Schools must integrate courses that provide preparation for practical life situations that students are sure to face. This is important so students know what to expect in the "real world" and aren't caught off guard. I feel people can learn through other peoples experiences and it would be helpful to have lecture speakers or mentors to guide students through the mistakes they have made and overcame throughout their life. This can aid in keeping students focused on what is important in life and prevent them from taking part in certain actions or situations that would not benefit them in the long run. It is important to know essential information about the practical aspects of society such as how banking systems work and building credit, money management techniques for buying a house or starting a family, and also an understanding of common laws and how to deal with certain situations such as car accidents, being the victim of robbery, or dealing with a death in the family. This could be accomplished by creating courses that are aimed at discussing how to deal with these types of situations and better prepare students for life beyond graduation.

Blog 2 - Mirror Neurons

Lucas Leydon

Eng 1

9/2/13

Williams

Mirror Neurons

In “The Passion Project” I enjoyed hearing about mirror neurons and I feel they connect to the area of my writing assignment where I mention how teachers need to be passionate about what they are teaching and grab the students attention by stimulating an interest for the subject and a desire for further learning. Students who have a teacher that is dynamic and excited about what they teach feel much more engaged and involved in the subject rather than a teacher who gives a boring lecture through power-point slides or teaches word-for-word out of a textbook. I’m sure everyone has come across a teacher who has left an inspiring, lasting impression in them that they can recall to this day because of their unique and passionate personality, rather than just a grade received on a report card. It is teachers like these that strengthen, or spark new, interests in students and give them the motivation to follow through in the subject of study, and maybe even inspire them to become a teacher themselves. It is quite obvious that the more the teacher is involved and excited, that responsiveness and willingness to learn will be reflected in the student. It is said that with the development of mirror neurons in human beings, the possibility to learn from others was birthed. This supports why good teachers make for good students. “(The mirror neuron system) is thought to play an important role in the understanding of actions made by others and may be responsible for our ability to learn by observing and imitating others (Educ Psychol Rev 2009).” In my personal experience, being a music major , I feel mirror neurons are constantly in use while I am engaged in guitar lessons and also while watching others perform. Even if it is music I have never heard before, just by watching someone play something on guitar, I am able to feel what it would be like to play myself, and feel I have gained if even the smallest amount of experience just by the exposure. This is a major factor in my area of study, having a guitar performance focus, by allowing me to recognize my own mistakes while watching my guitar teacher play a piece that I am learning. By observing the position of his hands and minor finger adjustments throughout the piece I am able to mimic his actions and refine my own technique in perfecting my performance of the piece. I am also taking music theory classes which explain how and why certain situations in music work or do not work in a given context. This theoretical knowledge goes very deep and can be compared to learning a new language. And just in language, by learning certain words you can begin to formulate ideas and sentences in your mind, so too in music you are able to come up with musical movements and ideas of how a song will sound without even using an instrument! This technique composers use when beginning to write a piece of music with a certain feeling or emotion in mind; and it is also how Beethoven was able to continue to compose music even when he lost his hearing and went completely deaf! By witnessing how my teachers use and apply the theoretical aspect of writing music, I have been able to apply those concepts myself and am not only engaged in critical thinking, but also in critical learning. “Interestingly, there are indications that the same brain areas involved in in the execution and observation of motor actions also become active when people listen to sentences that describe the performance of human actions using hands, mouths, or legs, or when people imagine performing an action without actual movement (Educ Psychol Rev 2009).”