hw 45

sizer and hirsch beleive different things about schools. Sizer thinks that school is based on using the habits of mind as the main way to approach something and solve it thoughtfully. sizer thinks that this is a very effective method into turning the youth into more intelligent people, and by incorporating this habit of mind method, he thinks that students will grow as insightful thinkers.

Hirsch thinks differently from sizer in which hirsch thinks that school should be about teaching kids how to read and by doing this proficiently, he thinks that it will prepare us for college rading, andf beyond. This along with test taking, is beneficial for gaining knowledge. This is what hirsch beleives. something that i found interesting was in the wikipedia article that said, "Students at the University of Virginia were able to understand a passage on Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, while students at a community college struggled with it, apparently lacking basic understanding of the American Civil War." This was very interesting, I think he has a good point that we have to understand things like this and that what we learn can always be relavent later on in oour lives.

I would have to agree on both sizer and hirsch's views on education. Sizers views are stronger to me becuase they apply to me. I have been taught how to use the habits of mind to approach anything i do. I feel that it is very intimidating for some kids who are new to SOF. Most newcomers have not been taught how to use the habits of mind in their old schools and for them it is new. This is a critical way in getting kids to i think pay more attention and deepen their understanding of something. hirsch has a good opinion too because he thinks that basic knowledge is good to have. he makes a goodd point becuase i think that by college, knowing about the civil war should at least be half way in your mind rather than not in your mind at all. I judt dont agree with test taking as a way of gaining basic knowledge. Think that sizer's view would have to win though because his habits of mind method can be applied to everything we learn rather than hirsch's ideas, which seem mainly for reading.