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 Plato, Disobediance, and What's Wrong with Teachers 
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Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:46 pm
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Location: Boone, NC
I really enjoyed the relationship between The Allegory of the Cave, Why Johnny Can't Disobey, and Bitter Lessons: What's Wrong with American Teachers. Plato shows us that when people in a society have been "enlightened", it is their duty to the rest of society to teach and lead them. However, society's minds are hard to change and as a result, those with this new way of doing things and new knowlege tend to be thought of as radical and then put out to pasture. This is paralled in Gatto's article when he discusses how teachers who want to buck the system are usually fired. The teachers who are willing to be disobediant when they feel as though it will better society as a whole through their students are pushed aside for those who will continue to do things the same old way. I think its really unfortunate.


Wed Jan 19, 2005 10:31 pm
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:x This is my second reply. I forgot to log in before I typed the first one. So I hope I remember everything I said!!

In regards to Gatto's article, I disagreed with him. I work with several teachers who teach to the state mandated curriculum but also make it fun. They use a variety of activites to accomplish this. How you approach the task is what will make the difference. Most administrators will support you as long as your test scores are high. The main goal for teachers is to take the state's idea of what you should teach and make it fun. Their guidelines do not tell you how but what. Be creative.

Plato's article really gave me a lot to ponder. There are several ways to interpret his meaning. To me, he was saying that once we achieve a certain knowledge we should share it with those who have not achieved that understanding.


Thu Jan 20, 2005 3:27 pm
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I think Gatto was trying to say, that teachers now a days teach to the test instead of what everyday problems we may face. (I.E. balancing a check book, doing one's taxes) Instead they are given guidelines of what has to be accomplished in the school year, and then are graded themselves on how the students perform on one test. This itself is an out rage to the teaching proffession. Learning is aquired through access and use of knowledge that is then repeated. One test should is not going to show how a student has learned or adapted to a subject. This is also a short coming to students thrown out into the real world. I myself have aced tests I never studied for, and flunked tests that I had.


Thu Jan 20, 2005 4:21 pm
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