Each year as I moved from grade to grade I always thought to myself that I had grown, if even in some small way. That in getting to say that I was now a third grader, sixth grader, ninth grader, college freshman, or college senior I was now going to be judged by a higher standard and would now have to prove myself to be a better person than I had before. So naturally I approached my classes this semester expecting to be challenged in new ways. I only worried that my Anthropology 101 class would have such a rigid structure that it would bore me, instead I found just enough wiggle room to make the class my own and actually enjoy the experience. What I didn't expect was what came at me from my 300-level religion class on the Pearl of Great Price. In that class I found a rigidity, structure, and total commitment archaic teaching methods that I had feared from my Anthropology class.
I can deal with most of that. I understand that there is a large group of teachers who believe that students only learn through thoroughly reading the dictated material and then having an in-class discussion. I completely disagree, but I understand that this is the method they were taught, and they aren't the type of people to question the methods and knowledge handed down to them from on high (or the past). The part of this class that completely caught me by surprise and absolutely blew me away was one assignment in particular. The "Gospel Scholarship Assignment" (seems innocuous, yes?) essentially requires the student to find, read and report on two scholarly articles related to the Pearl of Great Price. GREAT! THAT assignment I can do, what can't I do?
I can't sit idly by and let the above assignment, which might actually teach me something and let me develop a personal connection to a topic I find interesting in the book of scripture I am currently studying, turn into something I last saw in the second grade...a worksheet. Go back, read that sentence again. Yes, I really said that a WORKSHEET! When was the last time you filled out a worksheet? I am going to hazard a guess that it was in about the second grade. And then, after filling out said worksheet you took the information found there and turned it into the higher form of academic synthesis more commonly known as an "essay". But no, this assignment is to simply fill out the worksheet.
All of the times over the last week or so as I have attempted to complete this assignment, I have been reduced to a helpless wordless rage that mostly resulted in copious consumption of Dr. P and Psych episodes. (Well, the rage wasn't that wordless, but I try to not use those words...I try to carefully articulate my opinions...) But now that the deadline has come I have finally sat down and just filled out the ______ (choose the adjective of your choice that means "a waste of my precious time") worksheet. However, I got part of the way through (to the question that asks why I choose that particular article to read) when I realized the worst part of this assignment: THERE ARE POINTS ASSIGNED FOR TAKING THE ASSIGNMENT SERIOUSLY. At that point I faced a serious dilemma, one of my most frequently employed tactics for dealing with the things I decide are a waste of time is sarcasm, (Just ask my capstone coach Jim, but that's a story for another time.) but clearly that wasn't going to fly here if I wanted all of the points...and I am hardwired to want ALL of the points. After about an hour of deliberation I eventually conceded to the part of me that wants all of the points, with the caveat that I was going to write this blog post to expose the lunacy of this assignment.
So here I am, writing this post solely to help myself feel better. I don't expect anyone in the Brigham Young University Religion Department to be paying enough attention to a lone student to sit this professor down and explain that this kind of assignment it to up to par. That this kind of assignment is not in line with the BYU mission statement which says that my time at this institution should be
At any rate if you are curious to read the actual assignment (and how I would have liked to fulfill the assignment, because that's how passionate I am about this) stay tuned. I'll be posting these in between my regularly scheduled posts. (So don't worry if you come back tomorrow and there is a post about Peru or something...I'm significantly more stubborn than someone who would let it drop like that.)
I can deal with most of that. I understand that there is a large group of teachers who believe that students only learn through thoroughly reading the dictated material and then having an in-class discussion. I completely disagree, but I understand that this is the method they were taught, and they aren't the type of people to question the methods and knowledge handed down to them from on high (or the past). The part of this class that completely caught me by surprise and absolutely blew me away was one assignment in particular. The "Gospel Scholarship Assignment" (seems innocuous, yes?) essentially requires the student to find, read and report on two scholarly articles related to the Pearl of Great Price. GREAT! THAT assignment I can do, what can't I do?
I can't sit idly by and let the above assignment, which might actually teach me something and let me develop a personal connection to a topic I find interesting in the book of scripture I am currently studying, turn into something I last saw in the second grade...a worksheet. Go back, read that sentence again. Yes, I really said that a WORKSHEET! When was the last time you filled out a worksheet? I am going to hazard a guess that it was in about the second grade. And then, after filling out said worksheet you took the information found there and turned it into the higher form of academic synthesis more commonly known as an "essay". But no, this assignment is to simply fill out the worksheet.
All of the times over the last week or so as I have attempted to complete this assignment, I have been reduced to a helpless wordless rage that mostly resulted in copious consumption of Dr. P and Psych episodes. (Well, the rage wasn't that wordless, but I try to not use those words...I try to carefully articulate my opinions...) But now that the deadline has come I have finally sat down and just filled out the ______ (choose the adjective of your choice that means "a waste of my precious time") worksheet. However, I got part of the way through (to the question that asks why I choose that particular article to read) when I realized the worst part of this assignment: THERE ARE POINTS ASSIGNED FOR TAKING THE ASSIGNMENT SERIOUSLY. At that point I faced a serious dilemma, one of my most frequently employed tactics for dealing with the things I decide are a waste of time is sarcasm, (Just ask my capstone coach Jim, but that's a story for another time.) but clearly that wasn't going to fly here if I wanted all of the points...and I am hardwired to want ALL of the points. After about an hour of deliberation I eventually conceded to the part of me that wants all of the points, with the caveat that I was going to write this blog post to expose the lunacy of this assignment.
So here I am, writing this post solely to help myself feel better. I don't expect anyone in the Brigham Young University Religion Department to be paying enough attention to a lone student to sit this professor down and explain that this kind of assignment it to up to par. That this kind of assignment is not in line with the BYU mission statement which says that my time at this institution should be
"a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued".(See BYU's mission statement here.)
At any rate if you are curious to read the actual assignment (and how I would have liked to fulfill the assignment, because that's how passionate I am about this) stay tuned. I'll be posting these in between my regularly scheduled posts. (So don't worry if you come back tomorrow and there is a post about Peru or something...I'm significantly more stubborn than someone who would let it drop like that.)
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