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Enriching our learning experiences by tapping into our passions | Rafael Swerdlin | TEDxLFHS


hello this is my guitar I made it in

hello this is my guitar I made it in school because I learned so much along

school because I learned so much along

school because I learned so much along the way I’ve come to wonder why high

the way I’ve come to wonder why high

the way I’ve come to wonder why high school education in general it’s a bit

school education in general it’s a bit

school education in general it’s a bit more like guitar making class before I

more like guitar making class before I

more like guitar making class before I elaborate on this though I like to tell

elaborate on this though I like to tell

elaborate on this though I like to tell you a little bit more about myself so

you a little bit more about myself so

you a little bit more about myself so you can better understand how I’ve come

you can better understand how I’ve come

you can better understand how I’ve come to such an outrageous proposal

to such an outrageous proposal

to such an outrageous proposal I wasn’t always used to the public

I wasn’t always used to the public

I wasn’t always used to the public school method of Education up until

school method of Education up until

school method of Education up until fourth grade I was enrolled in the

fourth grade I was enrolled in the

fourth grade I was enrolled in the Montessori School which was cool in many

Montessori School which was cool in many

Montessori School which was cool in many ways the learning was very self-directed

ways the learning was very self-directed

ways the learning was very self-directed meaning that each of us could focus on

meaning that each of us could focus on

meaning that each of us could focus on doing whatever interested us all of this

doing whatever interested us all of this

doing whatever interested us all of this sounds incredible on paper it’s a lot

sounds incredible on paper it’s a lot

sounds incredible on paper it’s a lot harder to successfully implement in

harder to successfully implement in

harder to successfully implement in actuality so fourth grade I made the

actuality so fourth grade I made the

actuality so fourth grade I made the switch to public school in the beginning

switch to public school in the beginning

switch to public school in the beginning it was a difficult transition from an

it was a difficult transition from an

it was a difficult transition from an academic perspective I remember on the

academic perspective I remember on the

academic perspective I remember on the first day I was pulled aside to take a

first day I was pulled aside to take a

first day I was pulled aside to take a placement test

placement test

placement test I remember having no idea what I was

I remember having no idea what I was

I remember having no idea what I was doing problem that I had never been

doing problem that I had never been

doing problem that I had never been really exposed to testing the Montessori

really exposed to testing the Montessori

really exposed to testing the Montessori educational system was so focused on

educational system was so focused on

educational system was so focused on conceptual learning

conceptual learning

conceptual learning I had this drastic transition to test

I had this drastic transition to test

I had this drastic transition to test fortunately though I adjusted quickly

fortunately though I adjusted quickly

fortunately though I adjusted quickly the problem was that my fate had already

the problem was that my fate had already

the problem was that my fate had already been decided by my poor performance on

been decided by my poor performance on

been decided by my poor performance on that first placement test so what did I

that first placement test so what did I

that first placement test so what did I learn from that experience that grades

learn from that experience that grades

learn from that experience that grades are extremely important in this new

are extremely important in this new

are extremely important in this new system of learning they monitor how

system of learning they monitor how

system of learning they monitor how smart you are how hard-working you are

smart you are how hard-working you are

smart you are how hard-working you are and judge whether or not you’ll be

and judge whether or not you’ll be

and judge whether or not you’ll be successful later on in life so that’s

successful later on in life so that’s

successful later on in life so that’s why grades are many times our only

why grades are many times our only

why grades are many times our only incentive to try in a class I’m gonna go

incentive to try in a class I’m gonna go

incentive to try in a class I’m gonna go back to the beginning of my talk do you

back to the beginning of my talk do you

back to the beginning of my talk do you remember when I mentioned briefly guitar

remember when I mentioned briefly guitar

remember when I mentioned briefly guitar making class if you don’t I don’t blame

making class if you don’t I don’t blame

making class if you don’t I don’t blame you it probably seems like ages ago haha

so that class is an exception because

so that class is an exception because from the first day it was made known to

from the first day it was made known to

from the first day it was made known to us that as long as we finished our

us that as long as we finished our

us that as long as we finished our guitar by the end of the semester we

guitar by the end of the semester we

guitar by the end of the semester we would get an A+ in the class now that

would get an A+ in the class now that

would get an A+ in the class now that seems like a difficult task

seems like a difficult task

seems like a difficult task it really isn’t if you make the guitar

it really isn’t if you make the guitar

it really isn’t if you make the guitar as basic as possible you can easily

as basic as possible you can easily

as basic as possible you can easily finish it in the span of a semester

finish it in the span of a semester

finish it in the span of a semester however as you can see none of us tried

however as you can see none of us tried

however as you can see none of us tried to make our guitars as basic as possible

to make our guitars as basic as possible

to make our guitars as basic as possible because we knew the more effort we put

because we knew the more effort we put

because we knew the more effort we put into them the more special they’d be at

into them the more special they’d be at

into them the more special they’d be at the end in any other class though if a

the end in any other class though if a

the end in any other class though if a teacher were to tell us listen this is

teacher were to tell us listen this is

teacher were to tell us listen this is the easiest way to get an A+ in my class

the easiest way to get an A+ in my class

the easiest way to get an A+ in my class the least amount of effort you’d

the least amount of effort you’d

the least amount of effort you’d probably do exactly as they say because

probably do exactly as they say because

probably do exactly as they say because that’s really the main incentive to get

that’s really the main incentive to get

that’s really the main incentive to get the highest grade possible with the

the highest grade possible with the

the highest grade possible with the least amount of effort I don’t feel that

least amount of effort I don’t feel that

least amount of effort I don’t feel that that’s the best learning experience I

that’s the best learning experience I

that’s the best learning experience I think that in order to have the most

think that in order to have the most

think that in order to have the most enriching learning experience must have

enriching learning experience must have

enriching learning experience must have a combination of passion with core

a combination of passion with core

a combination of passion with core curriculum in essence my proposal is

curriculum in essence my proposal is

curriculum in essence my proposal is blending the passion oriented Montessori

blending the passion oriented Montessori

blending the passion oriented Montessori school system with the structure of

school system with the structure of

school system with the structure of public school system you’re probably

public school system you’re probably

public school system you’re probably thinking yeah that sounds great

thinking yeah that sounds great

thinking yeah that sounds great how can you incorporate your passions

how can you incorporate your passions

how can you incorporate your passions into core classes such as history math

into core classes such as history math

into core classes such as history math English science I’ll show you it’s

English science I’ll show you it’s

English science I’ll show you it’s really not that hard I’m passionate

really not that hard I’m passionate

really not that hard I’m passionate about music for example I can apply

about music for example I can apply

about music for example I can apply music to math by studying time

music to math by studying time

music to math by studying time signatures I can apply it to science by

signatures I can apply it to science by

signatures I can apply it to science by studying instruments and how they’re

studying instruments and how they’re

studying instruments and how they’re able to produce the sounds that they

able to produce the sounds that they

able to produce the sounds that they produce I can apply it to history by

produce I can apply it to history by

produce I can apply it to history by studying composers and how events from

studying composers and how events from

studying composers and how events from their respective time periods may have

their respective time periods may have

their respective time periods may have shaped their pieces lastly I can compare

shaped their pieces lastly I can compare

shaped their pieces lastly I can compare it to English I can apply it to English

it to English I can apply it to English

it to English I can apply it to English by writing a song and I did end up

by writing a song and I did end up

by writing a song and I did end up writing a song for the writing workshop

writing a song for the writing workshop

writing a song for the writing workshop project with two friends of mine George

project with two friends of mine George

project with two friends of mine George important because the three of us have a

important because the three of us have a

important because the three of us have a passion for music so we decided

passion for music so we decided

passion for music so we decided why not apply that to English class

why not apply that to English class

why not apply that to English class those of you familiar with rhetorical

those of you familiar with rhetorical

those of you familiar with rhetorical devices pay close attention to the

devices pay close attention to the

devices pay close attention to the lyrics which will also be posted on the

lyrics which will also be posted on the

lyrics which will also be posted on the screen you’ll find examples of

screen you’ll find examples of

screen you’ll find examples of juxtaposition parallelism illusion so

juxtaposition parallelism illusion so

juxtaposition parallelism illusion so I’m going to finish by playing the song

I’m going to finish by playing the song

I’m going to finish by playing the song here are the lyrics let me plug in

refused to find letting industry destroy

refused to find letting industry destroy everything

they don’t know how fast it may go they

they don’t know how fast it may go they can see they don’t know they can’t see

[Music]

[Music] it’s time yes it’s time CP to the KKK no

it’s time yes it’s time CP to the KKK no

it’s time yes it’s time CP to the KKK no more play today can afford more delay

more play today can afford more delay

more play today can afford more delay years of growth years of growth how long

years of growth years of growth how long

years of growth years of growth how long wages grow money flows we inch closer to

wages grow money flows we inch closer to

wages grow money flows we inch closer to the nonsense

”

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