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How Our Educational System Kills Our Creative Instincts

Tue, 07/12/2011 - 15:47
Submitted by Betty Dodson

Summerhill is a drama serial inspired by a true story - you can watch the four part series on vimeo (sorry but they didn't enable embedding so you have to click the link).

The film shows the problems with how we perceive education. It's all based on authoritarian rules, rules, rules and kills off our creative instincts.

When I look back at my own education, grade school was fairly painless as I got to draw on the black board for all the different teachers; geography maps, different birds and plants and I even illustrated a few of the characters from Ivanhoe. As an undiagnosed dyslexic, reading and memorizing was nearly impossible but I was very talented at drawing whatever I could see or imagine.

High school was mostly about socializing and getting low grades in math and science. Even my art teacher gave me a D because she felt I was not applying myself. Quite true, I had a tremendous crush on my favorite football hero when I learned how to have orgasms with someone else touching me. Up until that point, I was only masturbating myself. This kept me very happy. I worked every summer at different odd jobs from sales girl to Life Guard at pur local City Parks that had a poos.

My one and only year in college was dedicated to pledging a sorority, dating and working after school downtown. That's when I learned the most about advertising art as I was actually doing it. I clearly remember showing my instructor how my drawings were reproduced in the local newspaper. That's when I left formal schooling behind.

After I moved to NYC, I had four years of art school with night classes while working to pay my way plus scholarships. One year in Paris full time ended my formal art training. Art school was very much like Summerhill. I made all my own choices and learned by doing which fit my particular abilities. My love was drawing the classical nude. I now teach sexual skills and orgasm to women by monitoring her masturbation practice. They learn by doing under my watchful eye as a trained observer.

We should all take the time to watch this documentary. It's more or less how I learned. The freedom to chose what interests you instead of following rules and taking tests which has nearly destroyed Americas education system today.

No child left behind mostly means getting prepared for meaningless jobs that the upper class is not interested in doing. The idea that eduction needs to be based on democratic principals is revolutionary and very sound.

Liberating women one orgasm at a time

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I would be interested to know

Tue, 07/12/2011 - 18:41
josephusrex (not verified)

I would be interested to know what are the democratic principles to which you refer.
Thank you.

My idea of democratic principles

Tue, 07/12/2011 - 22:35
Betty Dodson

is having a choice in what  matters to each of us. Individuals making decisions as to what they want to persue, what they want to study and what they want to BE when they grow up! Democracy has always been a work in progress, not a fact of life. Somewhat like art, wouldn't you agree?

Steiner education is based on

Wed, 07/13/2011 - 09:32
Anonymousdad (not verified)

Steiner education is based on the premise that every child is an individual who develops at their own rate and learns in their own way. The curriculum is designed to allow each child to develop their own capacities to become the best person they can be, rather than teaching them skills to fit into some employment niche. Oh, and they don't test children by giving them written examinations, or rank them by using grades or any other comparative system. They also weight art, music and drama equally with math, science and more traditionally 'academic' subjects.

UNSCHOOLING!!

Thu, 07/14/2011 - 13:58
dolfun (not verified)

It is called Unschooling-Self Directed Learning, John Holt coined the phrase in 1970's our family has/is doing this for nearly 13 years..it is what is called follow your bliss! Although we did/have thrown in some Steiner/Waldorf principles, it was still done with Unschooling...
check it out here 
http://www.holtgws.com/

Mark Twain

mammal's picture
Fri, 07/15/2011 - 17:44
mammal

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education"- Mark Twain
I was tempted to put this as my quote in my high school yearbook ;-)
In retrospect I was far too much of a good girl.

Thanks dolfun

Fri, 07/15/2011 - 18:08
Betty Dodson

 Let me know when the Unschooling website is open and I'll blog about it on the website. I was just thinking how Carlin was basically home schooled. As was I in terms of remembering what my mother taught me by example and how quickly I forgot or ignored all that I tried to memorize. You might say I was saved from formal schooling thanks to my dyslexia. Three cheers for John Holt.

: )

Sat, 07/16/2011 - 02:39
dolfun (not verified)

Hi Betty, it seems to be up and running now?..was it not working for you?..I too was basically taught at home, most of what I learned my Mom would say you wanna know something kid pull out the Funk And Wagnells Encyclopedia, so we did and we would sit for hours sitting and reading about a number of things, there was never an interest that did not interest her or me! 
I have my oldest now in her 20's to thank for us finding Unschooling, she came to me and said "Mom can we school at home?" when I asked her why she wanted to so, she simply said with a tear in her eye "school is squashing my spirit" she was in the third grade, since that day forward we have followed our bliss and have never looked back!...

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