Part 1: Reflection
In “Schools Kill Curiosity,” Berliner argues that customary training doesn’t support interest in understudies. I agree with her idea because it’s common for schools to put memorizing facts and passing tests ahead of instilling a love of learning and exploration. I can make a connection with Berliner’s point because as young kid, there always questions pop up in my mind wanting to know and want to expand my understanding by asking questions related to the subject if I feel I don’t understand anything or I wanted to know more if the subject is my favorite. In 2014, attending school at Manhattan, I would go to lunch and eat first then head to the classroom of the subject to ask questions that I don’t understand or wanted to know more and practice questions. When reading this article, it made me realize that we can be curious at school but school isn’t allowing students to get deeper understanding of the circumstance of the classes.
Part 2: Rhetorical Analysis
Berliner uses writing that is both instructive and persuasive to make her point. While criticizing conventional education, she proposes a solution.
Berliner believes that students’ growth is dependent on their curiosity, which is why she has a passionate and urgent attitude. The intended audience consists of individuals eager to advance education. Overall, the author’s persuasive and informative writing style and passionate and urgent tone effectively convey the argument to their intended audience.
Part 3: Notable Quotable
“Curious children call out and point, but the teacher draws their attention back – that is not how the lesson target says they are going to learn about the weather.”
“The researchers gauged levels of curiosity when the children were babies, toddlers and preschoolers, using parent visits and questionnaires. Reading, maths and behaviour were then checked in kindergarten (the first year of school), where they found that the most curious children performed best.”
“In one lesson she observed, a ninth grader raised her hand to ask if there were any places in the world where no one made art. The teacher stopped her mid-sentence with, “Zoe, no questions now, please; it’s time for learning.””
