Tuesday, September 23, 2008

"English Composition as a Happening" by Charles Deemer

Charles Deemer in this essay states very passionately his disagreements with education. He believes that students should be allowed more freedom of thought and that they should be provoked more to form their own opinions than forced to accept the opinions of the teacher. He thinks that there should be a lot more free thinking and discussing going on in the classrooms than regurgitation of the standardized opinions that students are forced into.

He supports his firm beliefs with many quotes that have sustenance, and are from several different authors, that proves to the reader that he is not alone in his thoughts. He starts his essay with a quote from Johny Dewey stating, "Our entire school system...is not designed for the maximum growth and future practial utility of the children. ...To mold, and weed out, for short-range extrinsic needs...cannot possibly suit the multitude of dispositions and conditions." It is a strong statement to begin with, and he backs this up throughout his essay with many thoughts and opinions as to why the school system is flawed, and also with more and more supportive quotes.

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