blog three homework two..

Weekly Theme:  Happiness in education

Mark Van Dorsen said, "our best chance for happiness is education."  In the article "Happiness in education" by Mark Van Dorsen and the video "Do Schools kill creativity" by Ken Robinson, this and how educators can stifle happiness is discussed in detail.  They discuss the drowning model and love-making model, and flow.  Also, the different ways for teachers to make learning better and more enjoyable for students.  They speak about "rat racing" and how hardships bring happiness, and how schools kill creativity.  All of these different opinions I think are true.  Through what is described in the video and article, and what I've experienced myself, I believe its true.

The drowning model and the love-making model are models for how we go about achieving things, made real by Mark Van Dorsen.  The drowning model says the desire to free ourselves of pain can be a strong motivator and that, once freed, we can easily mistake our relief for happiness.  I believe that this ties in to the whole "rat race" state of mine, and that through our childhood educations we are made to believe this is the only way to do things.  I, like many other students were conditioned to do things this way.  I forced my way drudgingly through my school work in hopes that once it was done, I'd be free.  When I finally graduated I threw myself into working full time in the city.  I was one of those people who 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, was squeezing myself into the four train like a sardine.  Miserably I worked my hardest to be done with it well so I'd be noticed and so that I could go home and enjoy my leisure time.  Despite doing my work well, I still was never able to enjoy myself out of work.  The thing was though, that I hadn't hated school, I had hated the way the work was being presented to me.  So, I assumed going straight to work was the most logical option.

Through the love-making model, Van Dorsen suggests we look at all the hours we spend working for our goal as wonderful, or even "foreplay".  Rather then for us to hate what were doing and just work for that end goal, to enjoy everything were doing along the way.  Of course if we view things this way we'd all be happier, but I think its all very true.  When I enjoy a class, or doing work for it, or working, I actually enjoy my leisure time more too.  Also doing things through the love-making method its easier to fall into what Mihaly Csikszentmihaly calls "flow".  Csikszentmihaly says flow is a state in which we feel we are one with the experience.  She also says that having a clear sense of purpose is necessary in order to achieve flow.  So through flow the love-making method becomes more substantial.  Through achieving flow we can enjoy the things we have to do to get us to our goal.  Thus making us happier all around, and making our time spent not working more enjoyable.

Children are molded to believe one way of doing things.  In school we are taught to just work hard to do better wether we like it or not.  Schools do brian wash you with the "rat race" mentality (the thought that emotions get in the way of success and should be second to your achievements).  Therefor I agree with both Mark Van Dorsen and Kevin Robinson.  Education is our best chance for happiness and through the love-making method, I believe we can achieve it.  But because of the way we are conditioned as children to perceive learning and our creativity is decreased, we are stopped from allowing ourselves happiness.  So yes, I agree with all the above stated and if education was taught differently, and more looked into the psychologist of happiness, everyone can one day be happy.