In today's readings, I found Seigel’s section about verbocentrism in schools to be really interesting. The idea that we learn in schools based solely on talking and being talked at is kind of crazy. Now that I'm thinking about it, I remember being told to sit still and listen at school. When I was younger, I struggled in reading comprehension because it seemed like there was so much information at once, or if there was a question based on opinion, there could never be a right answer, but yet I was supposed to choose the right answer. This made me think that my entire K-12 experience was me having to sit still and listen to a teacher lecture me, not ask any questions, and memorize all of the important information for the test. When Seigel then goes on to say that a teacher made a class learn differently, like with drawing, dancing, or acting, it reminded me of when I figured out what the best way for me to learn and retain information was. It happened when I started dancing. It wasn’t until I had finally entered high school, but I found out that doing something physically, and walking through it while being instructed was the best way for me to learn. For example, when I learned a new dance step, I followed my teacher while she explained it to me. So when I learned that new step, I was not only hearing it, but also seeing it and doing it. I was making sense of the words, and making sense of what I was seeing by doing it while learning it. And I understand when it comes to learning history, I can't necessarily dance my way through the material, but I can do things like watch a video, draw something visual, or read the material out loud to retain the information. I think this is something that should really be addressed in schools, especially in higher education starting in high school all the way through college. Just because humans are able to learn and use an organized language doesn't mean that is our only way of learning and knowing.
Hey Katie, I went through the same formatting for school as well, especially in high school. I feel like for most school districts in America, education focuses on standardized testing. I remember having to study for hours so that I could “regurgitate” information on an ACT. I think this idea lines up with your comparisons to Verbocentrism. It always felt like a loop of constant cramming and forgetting a few weeks later. I honestly could not tell you the majority of the information I learned in high school. I just got better at taking tests. I agree that we would be better-equipped students if we were taught using a method other than Verocentrism. I also liked the idea that you mentioned of just being talked at. Even now, as a college student, I feel like some professors still are trapped in the process of just having students take notes then get tested. However, I feel like more classes are switching their modalities to systems similar to symbol-based learning. I’m curious to hear if you have had the same new experience in your higher education career. Do you have any classes that have transitioned, and do you think they make you a better student? Love to hear back, and great post!
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