I initially thought I was going to have an easy creative process when we were first given the assignment. In the first 10 minutes of staring at the computer I realized I needed to stop thinking about this as an assignment and make it personal. I wanted to create a school that would have given a student like me a safe , productive, and progressive learning environment. Throughout my time in the states I have yet to be taught about my own heritage in an academic setting. I was ignorant of the role I played in the cruel world of capitalist America. I grew up unaware that the societal barriers that are in place to hinder my success was not by accident or chance; it is wired into the mainframe of our society. It is for this reason I chose to focus on designing a school that focuses on Afrikan culture Pan Afrikan studies would set the foundation for students to learn not only their about their heritage through a higher academic lens but also to have a sense of belonging and brotherhood. Even though this is a fictional project, I have genuine intentions on pursuing this as an academic goal in the future.
Author: xaviergooding
“When Service Learning Doesn’t Really Serve”
I found this article to be particularly interesting as my opinion on the status on service learning has been accurately articulated. Critics of service learning are of the view that the educators are doing a disservice the general public and to the students by allowing the academic setting of service learning to be one similar to a classroom setting. An excerpt from the article reads “When the focus is on learning, students and professors operate as if they’re in a traditional learning environment — namely, one that allows for failure, experimentation and mistakes. Experimentation and room for failure in a community does not benefit the students nor the community as the results of the students performance deliver real results that may have negative externalities. Priority needs to be given to the results of the students performance students rather than the work that they accomplished. I am of the view that the issue within service learning lies in the fact that faculty do not prioritize the effectiveness of students work but rather focus on students completion of their work. Do you think that service learning should have room for failure or should their be modifications to the system to properly accommodate performance shortcomings by students?
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/05/16/new-book-argues-service-learning-doesn%E2%80%99t-prioritize-students
Defining Academic Freedom
As I was reading this Inside Higher Ed article titled “Defining Academic Freedom”, I began to realize a critical yet unfortunate fact. I realized that the majority of my educational experience in a classroom mirrored the list of what academic freedom does not entail. Looking back to freshman year of undergrad I’ve seen professors intentionally impose their political, religious, or social ideologies on the students. I can think back to high school experiences where there were questions on tests where the “correct” answer would go against their beliefs. There are moments now in college where I feel that students who are in the minority regarding political views, feel the need to keep their ideologies to themselves with the fear of being harassed, embarrassed, or shamed by other students.
I’ve had professors who’ve flaunted their tenure with the intent to make a clear authoritative distinction between their status as tenured faculty members and us, the young and ignorant students. This dynamic is most evident on the first few days of class as it is used as a way to set the tone for how the class will be conducted. As the class progresses, the students are waist deep in information that only reinforces the strong ideologies presented by the professor.
This article clearly illustrates academic freedom and its potential to allow students to have a holistic educational experience. Have you experienced academic freedom in your college experience? Has there been an instance in college where you felt stifled in a classroom as a result of the students classroom etiquette or the professors ideologies?
Chapter 1: The Great Credential Race
Despite the administrative/business aspect of the higher education system, should universities view students as customers, utilizing degree programs and on-campus amenities as marketing tools?
Do you believe there is a corporate-like system within higher-level institutions? If so does is play a positive or negative affect in your experience?
Given the decline in the bachelor’s degree’s significance in today’s society, should undergraduate degrees be accessible to everyone, regardless of academic performance?
Should colleges provide customizable curriculums to suit the convenience of the students? If so, would it enhance the overall educational experience?
Education today has become more competitive than it has ever been. Institutions constantly compete for prestige and financial capital. Many individuals are also unaware of the criteria utilized by academic news reporters to assess the quality of the institution. Could university rankings by media outlets such as U.S News be detrimental to the public’s general knowledge of a ‘good’ college?
