Role Playing

I believe role playing is a great way to get ideas out there long as respect for the other parties' opinions is upheld. If this is not the case the whole thing would become just a big shouting match. The point of role playing is to think of things that have never been thought of or brought up in discussion before in a smaller setting. The only problem with this type of teaching is that some people might not get the whole overall point of the role playing. One person might find out the meaning of life while another person is left wondering why they didn't get a chance to speak. However, in a role playing situation the subject of voice is easier to explain. When someone is simply ignored it becomes an issue in role playing. In a lecture type of setting that would be thought of as listening and agreeing.

I also think there is a good point behind having all the kids learn the basics before moving on, but not all kids learn at the same pace. Even though some kids don't get the basics right away they could learn them with another concept later on. It's kind of like algebra. Some things just make more sense with other things. If you don't get the concept right away its okay. It will come back again later. I also think that by holding a child back until they pass a test is not a good thing. Then they are stuck in a grade with younger kids and that would either make the kid feel stupid or pressure him to pass. This puts unneeded stress on the child. This is a lot like threatening a child not to fail. They art going to fail sometimes and that is just a fact of life. Plus in real life are you held back from something just because you don't know something? If that is a fact then no one in this world is ever going to get a job for the first time unless they have schooling in it.

I am a firm proponent of the emotional side of learning. Emotions are the spice of life. If you can't feel good after passing a really hard test then there is no point in taking the test. Accomplishment and achievement are both academic standpoints and also emotional standpoints. If you don't feel like you have accomplished or achieved anything then there is no point.

I think there is a reason school boards listen to higher achieving people than non-achievers. I think that has to do with the sense of understanding we have for those people is greater. Because we are now from a higher part of learning we appreciate people who try to achieve as we did. This gives us an easy excuse for a bias. This we must watch out for though because there still could be great input from less educated or lower achieving people as from the other end. As we have read before in Santrock there are multiple levels of intelligence and achievement is only one of them. Also the money for projects and programs comes from community members so there is a good reason we listen to the more influential people in the community. Its because they are INFLUENTIAL! Duh! That is why they have that name.