TED Conversations

Colton Cutchens

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

How much of a right do students have to questioning and independent thinking?

What is your opinion on how much students should be allowed to question? Do they have the right to question if they may see a logical fallacy? If so, how far are they allowed to question it? Why?

In addition: I understand teachers try to allow students to question, but sometimes are limited by the administration (and/or bureaucracy). Why is this?

Related Talks:
Topics: education philosophy thinking
+5
Share:

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • thumb

    David Fuchs

    • +6
    Jan 5 2013: Silly people. The earth is flat, and all things revolve around it. How could you ever question that?

    If you are a teacher you are here to teach, not dictate doctrine. You are here to push people to learn, question, to explore, and to discover new things. If you have a problem with that find a new line of work.
    • thumb

      Mike Colera 10+

      • 0
      Jan 5 2013: Hi David,

      You missed my earlier post. School districts don't allow teachers to push young people to learn, question or explore... to discover new things. They are to instruct the student to get a good grade on the state tests. Everything else is superfluous. And a large percentage of teachers have a problem with that. Turnover rates at some districts in my home area are worse then Mc Donalds. No offense to Mc D.
      • thumb

        David Fuchs

        • 0
        Jan 6 2013: Actually, the federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, union influence in politics, funding based on the results of standardized tests, and shortsightedness on the parts of our leaders, all combine to cause the issues we see. They combine to create a system that pushes all students towards the LCD. Punishing those who can be come great, and rewarding those that are borderline Forrest Gump. A school voucher system, and allowing parents to choose the schools their children attend, would do a lot to alleviate these issues.
        • thumb

          Mike Colera 10+

          • 0
          Jan 6 2013: David, you got it right. I have heard of successful voucher programs and they do help.
          In my perfect world, all eduction would be private. Parents would pay for their children's eduction. Parents pay for Harvard for college, why not the 1st grade level. It's a mad dream, I know. But, I think the current Public School system has let us down for all the reasons you noted and a couple of my own.
          The initial concept for public schools came from the founding fathers who understood that the electorate in the new United States would need a clear understanding of the mechanics of a Constitution Republic to make it work. Today, civics is a high school senior snooze course. If you listened to the voters interviewed during the last election, I can honestly claim there has been a lot of sleeping going on.
      • thumb

        David Fuchs

        • 0
        Jan 6 2013: This whole 4 levels of comment stuff is horrible. It needs to be fixed.
      • thumb

        David Fuchs

        • +1
        Jan 6 2013: I wouldn't go as far as you and make parents to pay for all their children's education K-12. It would be a nightmare, where only the rich had educations and poor people got left behind. And government forcing people to pay a per child education Tax would be unworkable. In maybe 15-30 years we can get away with it as computer based education and course certifications become the norm. But now no way.
      • thumb

        Colton Cutchens

        • 0
        Jan 7 2013: To David and Mike- What do you think of all education, elementary to collegiate, being free to the public?
        • thumb

          David Fuchs

          • +3
          Jan 7 2013: Truth be told we are entering an age of abundance in education. You just need one person in a dorm room to pull together khan and other resources in a workable manner.

          So your point is moot, everyone with a cellphone or tablet will soon have education available for free.

    • Comment deleted

      • thumb

        David Fuchs

        • 0
        Jan 7 2013: I do think I answered both parts of the question. One with a snarky remark, the other later on with my response about. "Actually, the federal and state laws, rules .....etc".

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.