ENTERING THE CONVERSATION

1. Read or reread the section from the Central Text of this chapter, “Shooting an Elephant” (p. 114), in which the narrator is standing in front of the crowd of Burmese who silently urge him to shoot the animal, even though he states clearly that he does not want to. Compare the social forces at work in that passage with those Alexandra Robbins describes in her piece. Are there any research studies that she cites that would be applicable to the actions of the narrator in “Shooting an Elephant”?

2. In the excerpt from The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth, Robbins describes the biological and social factors that often force high school students to conform. What visual and textual evidence shows these factors at work in the excerpt from Friends with Boys?

3. While Horace Mann clearly values universal education (p. 213), John Taylor Gatto suggests that compulsory education turns citizens into “servants” (p. 211, par. 15). How would Mann respond to Gatto’s arguments, and which position do you support? Why?

4. What is a problematic aspect of school on which Theodore Sizer and John Taylor Gatto might agree? What are the differences in their proposed solutions to the problem?

5. Based on your reading of Theodore Sizer’s Horace’s School, what would Sizer likely identify as being the strengths and weaknesses with the districtwide and specific-school culture described in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings? What solutions would Sizer probably suggest to address these concerns?

1. John Taylor Gatto, the author of “Against School” (p. 207), wonders if we really even need school anymore. With so much of the world’s knowledge accessible with a quick Google search, what is the purpose of school in the twenty-first century? Be sure to support your own ideas with those of the authors in this Conversation.

2. The great majority of American high school students are educated in a traditional learning environment: a group of a few hundred to a few thousand students move from class to class in one main building, studying subjects like English, math, science, and so on; they are taught by teachers who take attendance, give tests, grade papers, and assign homework. While there are students who are homeschooled or take high school classes online, the traditional learning structure has not significantly changed since the invention of the American high school in the nineteenth century. Propose a new model for high school that meets the needs of today’s learners, referring to at least two texts in this Conversation as support for your proposal.

3. Many of the texts in this Conversation include descriptions of both supportive and hostile school environments. Considering at least two of these texts along with your own personal experiences, what would you say are the most important qualities that make a supportive learning environment? Write your response in the form of a letter to your principal to inform him or her about the attributes that he or she should consider when making changes to the school.

4. One attribute that seems to run through many of these texts is the power that school—peers, teachers, the institution itself—has to enforce conformity among students. While we often think of “conformity” in a negative way, some of the texts point out that inculcating students with certain values and skills that society thinks are important can be a positive outcome of the educational process. A case could be made, however, that schools have no business indoctrinating their students and that students should resist all pressures to conform to a school’s or society’s intended outcomes. Referring to two or more texts in this Conversation, explain what role conformity ought to play in the educational process.

5. Imagine that an incoming ninth grader asked you for advice on how to handle high school. What suggestions would you offer? Why? What advice would one or more of the authors of texts in this Conversation offer?