Schwartz

As I struggled to make it through this stressful and emotionally draining week, the last thing I really wanted to do was read a 20-plus page essay in my IS reader. However when I finally forced myself to start reading the Schwartz piece, I felt myself being drawn into it and really thinking about what Schwartz was trying to say. I found that I really liked what he thought about the education system and how school was going from play to work. Everything made so much sense, and I felt it was really relevent to me, which always makes things easier to read. It's crazy how much emphasis society puts on getting good grades and systems of punishments and rewards. Ask any kid in school today and I bet they would tell you that if they don't see a value or reward for doing something, they won't do it. Who wants to learn just to learn anymore? It's all about getting more step ahead, and sometimes it's easy to lose sight of what the point of an education is. People don't want to learn to understand the world better; they want to learn so that they can go to college and get a good job that makes a lot of money. And I'm definitely not saying that those aren't my goals either. I felt like I related very well to the performace goal types. I think I have some characteristics of both because I'm the type of kid that read books on astronomy, geography, and Greek mythology because I found them interesting. However, I strive for good grades, and I like the praise and acceptance that comes with those good grades. Why should I take a more challenging path when I can take an easier route with the same results? I definitely see myself as someone with performace goals, and I really felt disappointed in myself. The problem is that it's been so ingrained in me that I don't see how I'm ever going to change that about myself. All in all it was a very interesting piece that really made me think about my education and reasons for studying and striving for good grades. After a rough week, I definitely hope that next week is a lot better. I'm sure it will be and I get to see some of my best friends next weekend, which I'm super pumped for!!