Author: Sarah Veneziale

team – Sarah Veneziale and Cait Mangini

Education Outside of the Major (topic 1)

Millions of people attend college every year, hoping to gain a successful job in the field they are studying in. Yet, majors only actually require 40-60 credits, leaving the student to take most classes outside of their chosen field. These additional classes lead the student to become more successful in their major than they would be if they weren’t going to take any courses other than their major. In The Loss of the Creature, written by Walker Percy, he highlights two major problems. One of the difficulties is that students feel disempowered by learning, or what Percy terms as a loss of sovereignty; the other issue is the difficulty of understanding the information being taught, also known as the educational package by Percy. Education outside of one’s major will enable them to fight those problems. By taking other classes not necessary for one’s major, they will become successful in learning through learning, learning through recognizing the  difficulty of each course, learning through the expertise of a professor in their field, and learning through the possible failure of certain courses. 

The first advantage of taking classes outside one’s major is that the student will become an excellent learner. By taking a majority of courses besides the 40-60 credits in a major, it forces the student to sit in several classes. The student may not necessarily remember every detail they learn in every class, but they will know how they learned. With so many opportunities now given, the student will have the chance to truly learn how to learn. Walker Percy wrote, “It is only the hardiest and cleverest of students who can salvage the sonnet from this many-tissued package. It is only the rarest student who knows that the sonnet must be salvaged from the package” (Percy 4). The many-tissued package is also called the educational package, which is the information being taught to a student with several media involved. Medias such as surrounding noises, technology, and the teacher can all affect how one grasps the idea. Percy believes that if a student can remove all the media, then they are learning. This is a challenge and does not come easy.  Students must practice and through experience, will ultimately achieve it. The classes that may be deemed unnecessary or pointless, are potentially helping the students on becoming expert learners, and eventually experts in their field. A person never stops learning, no matter how old or experienced they are, and this is why becoming a learner is so critical. 

Several incoming college students know what they want to pursue. Their major is most likely something they were successful in in high school or a hobby they love. Yet, the difficulty that comes with each course is something that no student is prepared for. Courses that aren’t in a student’s major, in general, prove much more difficult than courses in the major. This difficulty comes from several factors.  One factor is that some students might not have the motivation to care about courses outside the major. This is because they will be busy focusing on classes that have to do with their major directly, which they think is more important. Most students pick majors that reflect their strongest abilities, leaving areas of weakness outside the major. Also, most students have little or no scaffolding in courses outside the major, meaning difficulty has little support or rationale for students. For example, an art major may have to obtain the highest concept of calculus, but the learned skill will never be useful after completing the course. Dealing with difficult classes that are not relevant to a student’s major is definitely a challenge, but students need to learn to buckle down and keep going, regardless of the reason for difficulty. Recognizing the difficulty of each course benefits the student by knowing they have to work hard at everything they do. Percy states “The great difficulty is that he is not aware that there is a difficulty; surely, he thinks, in such a fine classroom, with such a fine textbook, the sonnet must come across! What’s wrong with me?” (Percy 4). This quote shows that recognizing the difficulty in the classes that are specifically not for your major is important. Originally, the student may think that since they have all the needed materials, they will succeed in the class. Having the best professor or the best textbooks for the class sometimes doesn’t help, it’s all about the student and how they prepare themselves for the course. This is especially true for subjects not in a student’s major because if they can’t understand it, they need to use their resources to try and make sense of the material being taught. This makes them more well-rounded as a student and as a learner outside of their major.  

Taking multiple classes can, and most likely will, lead to failure in some. A student chooses a major because they are either interested or already good at that specific field or skill. However, when taking classes outside of one’s major, a student may be placed in a class they aren’t particularly good at or interested in. Failure in those courses brings a stronger sense of self. No one is an expert in everything, so by failing some classes, it only shows that the student can take the unnecessary course off their plate. There is no need for the stress that comes with trying to succeed in every class, and by overcoming that need, the student will become happier with their chosen major. The strength of not caring will ultimately lead to more success and focus on the student’s intended field of study. Walker Percy wrote, “ The loss of sovereignty takes this form: as a result of the science of botany, trees are not made available to every man” (Percy 6). This quote describes perfectly that not every course is made for everyone. A student has to be willing to focus on every subject in order to succeed in every field, but some fields aren’t made for them, just like Percy explains that not every tree is available to everyone. By taking extra classes, the student becomes more interested in their major, knowing that is the field of study for them. Failure in classes causes the student to love their major, gaining control of who they want to be. 

The loss of sovereignty is a huge part of Percy’s message in his essay. This can be described by a loss of power and control of your own self. In taking classes outside of a student’s major, they would have more control of their sovereignty than they do when taking classes in their major. This is because students give more of their trust in the professor in their major since they want to learn as much as they can from the “experts.” In a class not in their major, students may not care as much to know about that particular topic, so they have more power over their learning. The student will not lose their sovereignty in this case because they aren’t as worried about becoming an expert on something they know they aren’t interested in, so they give more attention to their major. The student is strongest when they are not giving in to all of one professor’s ideas and expertise. In that case, the student is becoming the professor, not themselves. Walker Percy wrote, “A sovereignty of the knower—instead of being a consumer of a prepared experience, I am a sovereign wayfarer, a wanderer in the neighborhood of being who stumbles into the garden”(Percy 5). Percy shows that sovereignty is not in the prepared experience like a student’s major, but in the student being a wanderer, meaning the classes outside of their major. Noticing that students lose their sovereignty in classes in their major makes the student know that they really care about the field of study they choose and that they really want to pursue it in the future.

Without much thought, it seems unnecessary for any student to have to take and, more importantly, pay for classes that aren’t included in a major. But, the advantage is clear. A student that takes the courses outside of a selected field will have a more successful education. The student will become an excellent learner, a skill needed for the rest of their lives. They will recognize that not every class is going to be easy and that they need to prepare for it accordingly. Students will learn that failure is a reality, and they will see they need to problem solve in order to succeed. Lastly, students will realize their loss of sovereignty in classes in their major and will focus on becoming themselves in their career choice. In classes outside the major, students will be in control of their learning and will be able to dictate their own accomplishments. Overall, it is clear that classes are beneficial in several ways and should never be taken away or taken for granted. The success is undeniable when taking unexpected classes. 

praise – your introduction sets up your essay nicely

constructive- make sure to differentiate your last two points being made because they can be similar

percy – find a quote that will help back up the statements being made

construction – expand on what you mean by change

praise – you did a good job explaining your idea for facilitated discussions

percy – further analyze the quotes you chose in the paragraph about student-centered learning

Education Outside of the Major

Thousands of people attend college every year, hoping to gain a successful job in the field they are studying in. Yet, majors only actually require 40-60 credits, leaving the student to take most classes outside of their chosen field. These additional classes lead the student to become more successful in their major, then they would if they weren’t going to take any courses other than their major. In The Loss of the Creature, written by Walker Percy, he highlights two major problems. One of them is that the student is at a loss of sovereignty and the other is that many courses are taught information with unnecessary factors involved. For the student to become the knower again can occur from the education outside of their major. By taking other classes not necessary for one’s major, they will become successful in learning how to learn, failing to succeed, trusting of the experts in their field. 

The first advantage of taking classes outside one’s major is that the student will become an excellent learner. By taking so many classes and not just the 40-60 credits, it forces the student to sit in several classes. The student may not necessarily remember every detail they learn in every class, but they will know how they learned. A person never stops learning, no matter how old or experienced they are, and this is why becoming a learner is so critical. Walker Percy wrote, “It is only the hardiest and cleverest of students who can salvage the sonnet from this many-tissued package. It is only the rarest student who knows that the sonnet must be salvaged from the package” (Percy 4). The many-tissued package is also called the educational package, which is the information being taught to a student with several media involved. Medias such as surrounding noises, technology, and the teacher can all affect how one grasps the idea. Percy believes that if a student can remove all the media, then they are learning. This is a challenge and does not come easy. Taking the classes not directly related to a major gives more opportunity for a student to learn how to learn.  Students must practice and through experience, will ultimately achieve it. The classes that may be deemed unnecessary or pointless, are potentially helping the students on becoming expert learners, and eventually experts in their field. 

Secondly, taking multiple classes can, and most likely will, lead to failure in some. A student chooses a major because they are either interested or already good at that specific field or skill. However, when taking classes outside of one’s major, a student may be placed in a class they aren’t particularly good at or interested in. Failure in those courses brings a stronger sense of self. No one is an expert in everything, so by failing some classes, it only shows that the student can take the unnecessary course off their plate. There is no need for the stress that comes with trying to succeed in every class, and by overcoming that need, the student will become happier with their chosen major. The strength of not caring will ultimately lead to more success and focus on the student’s intended field of study. Walker Percy wrote, “ The loss of sovereignty takes this form: as a result of the science of botany, trees are not made available to every man” (Percy 6). This quote describes perfectly that not every course is made for everyone. A student has to be willing to focus on every subject in order to succeed in every field, but some fields aren’t made for them, just like Percy explains that not every tree is available to everyone. By taking extra classes, the student becomes more interested in their major, knowing that is the field of study for them. Failure in classes causes the student to love their major, gaining control of who they want to be. 

The loss of sovereignty is a huge part of Percy’s message in his essay. This can be described by a loss of power and control of your own self. In taking classes outside of a student’s major, they would have more control of their sovereignty than they do when taking classes in their major. This is because students give more of their trust in the professor in their major since they want to learn as much as they can from the “experts.” In a class not in their major, students may not care as much to know about that particular topic, so they have more power over their learning. The student will not lose their sovereignty in this case because they aren’t as worried about becoming an expert on something they know they aren’t interested in, so they give more attention to their major. The student is strongest when they are not giving in to all of one professor’s ideas and expertise. In that case, the student is becoming the professor, not themselves. Walker Percy wrote, “A sovereignty of the knower—instead of being a consumer of a prepared experience, I am a sovereign wayfarer, a wanderer in the neighborhood of being who stumbles into the garden”(Percy 5). Percy shows that sovereignty is not in the prepared experience like a student’s major, but in the student being a wanderer, meaning the classes outside of their major. Noticing that students lose their sovereignty in classes in their major makes the student know that they really care about the field of study they choose and that they really want to pursue it in the future.

praise – the idea of failure in areas explains very well why students need to take extra classes

constructive – Expanding more on the idea of how the students will struggle outside of their major may help better understand the paragraph

percy – adding a direct quote may help better connect your idea to percy

praise – Your introduction sets up the reader well. Your thesis is clear and well understood

construction – expand more on how you use the word “practice”

Percy- Add more on how your Percy quotes directly relates to how discussion groups will allow the students to tear apart the educational package

praise – I liked all of the subpoints and think they were all well explained

constructive- try to write up one sentence for the thesis to tie all the ideas together and give a clear understanding to the reader

Percy – The first quote can be used for your tutors idea. Both selected quotes are strong.

praise – Thesis was strong and set up the reader to understand what you’re going to write about.

constructive – The subpoints made were strong, but make sure they back up your thesis and add a little bit more on how they connect to Percy.

Percy – The quotes are strong but make sure to connect them to your points.

Topic Selection : Topic 1 

Team: Sarah Veneziale and Cait Mangini

Working Thesis: The problem of the student is the loss of sovereignty and to become the knower again can occur from the education outside of their major. By taking other classes not necessary for one’s major, they will bring a sense of having back up plans, rekindle a love for learning, provide more chances to find happiness, and save time if having to switch career paths.

Two ideas with two supporting quotes:

1. Many students may have a preconceived idea of what their future job will be, like the tourist saw when he got to the grand canyon and compared it to the postcards. Preconceived ideas may ruin the job in the future, so having experience in other classes outside major can help them find other interests as backup plans. This can lead to a major change, will ultimately make the student more happy. 
   1. “It is almost impossible because the Grand Canyon, the thing as it is, has been appropriated by the symbolic complex which has already been formed in the sightseer’s mind.” (Percy 1)
2. For the love of learning. In Percy’s piece he talks about how a boy who found a dogfish compared to a student who has to dissect a dogfish for class is more likely to remember the situation. The boy is excited to dissect the fish and is doing it for fun, but the student has to do this. The boy although may not understand exactly what he is doing, he is enjoying and going to memorize this moment better than a student who is forced to do so. Taking classes outside of one’s major creates a non forced environment. Knowing they don’t have to take this class necessary for their major, they are not as pressured and can enjoy the experience. 
   1. “A young Falkland Islander walking along a beach and spying a dead dogfish and going to work on it with his jackknife has, in a fashion wholly unprovided in modern educational theory, a great advantage over the Scarsdale high-school pupil who finds the dogfish on his laboratory desk.” (Percy 4)

sarah veneziale, amanda, seamus, liv, nik

In this discussion group we discussed topic 2 for writing project 2. We first identified the problem and think that its students have too much time on their hands. Since we are only in class four about 15 hours a week, much less than what we are used to in high school, we are still adjusting on how to capitalize on the time we now have each day. Students here should start taking advantage of all the resources. Tutoring is a huge offer that is here at west chester and would be a good way to continue learning through peers, not the teacher. Another idea is to join a club, even if you already have a certain image or idea of it in your head. The library and student lounges are also another great resource that can continue student learning. There are several staff members at the library eager to assist. Student lounges also offer a new atmosphere for learning.

Team: Sarah Veneziale and Caitlin Mangini

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vkwyigqe_7qO–0RbyjLm9yAEFhkpgj-2fnbEDH9LIo/edit

Team: Cait Mangini and Sarah Veneziale

link to essay draft – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vkwyigqe_7qO–0RbyjLm9yAEFhkpgj-2fnbEDH9LIo/edit

Topic selection: topic 4, course based learning

Team Selection: Sarah Veneziale and Cait Mangini

Thesis: Geology 101 is a class that deprives a student from learning any bit of information. Students will only be able to gain knowledge for this course if changes are made such as switching the lectures to online courses, student led discussion groups, and decreasing the amount of students in each class.

Quotes: “Those truly committed to the cause of liberation can accept neither the mechanistic concept of consciousness as an empty vessel to be filled, nor the use of banking methods of domination (propaganda, slogans—deposits) in the name of liberation”

 “ Verbalistic lessons, reading requirements, the methods for evaluating “knowledge,” the distance between the teacher and the taught, the criteria for promotion: everything in this ready-to-wear approach serves to obviate thinking” (Freire 3)

Topic selection: topic 2, student power

Team Selection: Sarah Veneziale and Cait Mangini

Thesis: Students at West Chester University should display their power in freedom by taking the opportunity to teach their own classes, taking alternative online classes for each course, and being able to have better communication techniques between the student and the teacher.

Quotes:

“Yet only through communication can human life hold meaning. The teacher’s thinking is authenticated only by the authenticity of the students’ thinking. The teacher cannot think for her students, nor can she impose her thought on them. Authentic thinking, thinking that is concerned about reality, does not take place in ivory tower isolation, but only in communication. If it is true that thought has meaning only when generated by action upon the world, the subordination of students to teachers becomes impossible” (Freire 3)

“Liberation is a praxis: the action and reflection of men and women upon their world in order to transform it.” (Freire 4)

our group: sarah veneziale, cait mangini, seamus corkery, haley clark, sam livoreno, brandon vagal, gabe jasinski, sam weitzel, amanda, katherine

In our discussion group, we talked about Freire’s thoughts on how humans learn. He believes that the only way one can learn is by having another person with them but not talking as they say what they want to learn. This can be used for school or problems in life. I have done this many times when I read aloud an essay or talk about problems to someone and realize the solution or mistake as I am talking. We agreed that this can be a way to learn, but not the only way. Humans can learn through their mistakes and real life experiences as well. We are constantly learning about ourselves and our surroundings on our own. We can also learn through others. Unlike what Freire would say, teachers can actually teach students something and they will understand and use it as new information. Friends can give very helpful information to another, and teach them something new. There are several ways to learn, not only one.

Sarah Veneziale, Amanda Regan, Caitlin Mangini, Meghan Kidd, Seamus Corkery, Sabrina Lindley, Haley Clark, Olivia Vearling, Ava Hill

Our group had a lot of the same opinions on whether or not humans are told to consume information and spit out the answer, much like a robot. The majority agreed with this statement, saying teachers expect students to know information automatically right after they teach us. They give no room for us to comprehend what is being said. Also, students are expected to know information without explanation. Words and phrases are supposed to make sense and click without the teacher having to explain. Therefore it is up to the students to dictate their education. If teachers are not as helpful and resourceful as a student wishes, it is their job to find different ways in order to comprehend what will be taught in class. It is up to the student now to teach themselves, if the teacher is treating them as a robot or computer. Today, I feel as if some professor do treat me as if I should automatically know a certain word or process. It took time to adjust, but now I know that I will only succeed if I take further steps in educating myself prior or during a lesson when this situation occurs.