KingReadingResponse4


 * Claiming an Education**

"Claiming an Education" by Adrienne Rich was an interesting read because in our society today I feel as though this movement is not a very prominent one. I feel as though the feminist attitude of this article is not one that is very actively practiced today because things have changed since this article was written. Personally, I feel as though my thoughts and my education are just as valued today as a man's thoughts and education. However, I believe that Rich has made a very great point when she states that we should "claim" our education instead of "receiving" it. I believe that it is our right to claim the education that we are entitled to. A professor and a student should have an understanding in which they should be able to be taught all sorts of things and be able to feel free to ask questions and want to know and the professor should be able to provide these things if the student has a willingness to learn. I think that Rich had very good and interesting points in this article and although it may have been hard to follow at points, she seemed very intelligent and on point with what she was saying.


 * Cultural Literacy**

The article called "What Johnny Should Read" I found very interesting as well. I have never personally thought of the term "cultural literacy" this way. When I first learned about this term I believed that it meant we should be more knowledgeable about different cultures where in fact it meant that we should be more knowledgeable about our own culture in America. E.D. Hirsch's book //Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know// has a very different approach to learning. Instead of teaching how to do something, children should be taught facts that every American should be able to know. The study in this article where it said that half of 17-year-olds could not tell you who Stalin or Churchill are was fascinating to me because I think that there is definitely certain knowledge involving America that students should know. However, I do not believe that children should be exposed to this type of knowledge out of context when they are not old enough to understand and think their own thoughts about those facts, as mentioned from the critics of this book. I think that these facts should be taught in context when kids are older so they have the capacity to understand how they relate to them.

In the video where Nathan Glazer speaks to Education Next about E.D Hirsch's new book brought a new light to Hirsch's ideas because instead of showing the critics point of views as the article did, the man spoke about how he believed that Hirsch's ideals were extremely intelligent and correct. I can see where he is coming from, but I still feel the way I stated above.One thing that I thought was cool about what the man said to Education Next was that the students should understand and know about what they're reading while they are learning to read. I do agree with this statement. I believe that would be very beneficial to the student. It was interesting to see both sides of this debate and understand why each side feels the way that they do.

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