GothamSchools — daily independent reporting on NYC public schools

Maxwell Ericson, an 8th grader at a demanding Manhattan middle school, effortlessly argues in a fashion fit for a president, has ample knowledge of the Roman art of war, and believes that Dante’s “Inferno” would be the best horror movie yet. Almost every aspect of Maxwell’s demeanor screams, “I am a smart and interesting person.” And yet his report card is screaming in mediocrity. 

Maxwell’s case is not uncommon. Many of those whose intelligence is not reflected perfectly in the way schools grade students go unrecognized, at least in school. Historians say that Einstein was a moderate student, with the average mark on his report cards corresponding to the grade “good,” not excellent. This makes an appealing story for all misunderstood geniuses, but not every Einstein gets acknowledged eventually. 

We automatically assume that gifted students will eventually find their way, on their own — they’re smart, right? But unrefined intelligence is like a muscle. If it’s not used often, it will have trouble emerging to its full power. So when schools don’t sufficiently encourage personal curiosity, students lose out in the long run, because they will be less able to start using their potential later. (more…)

Angelica is one of two students who are writing occasional columns for GothamSchools on their experiences attending a New York City public school. Read her previous post.

Roland Fryer, a Harvard economist who is set to change schools as we know them in NYC, claims that every student could be an A-student. That is, as long the right incentive is applied.

Fryer plans to pay students for every A they get. He thinks they would work more diligently if they were paid for good performance. He is presently testing the idea in some schools in New York City.

Honestly, would I work harder at school if I were getting paid? Duh.

That basically goes unsaid. When I asked my classmate at NYCiSchool, Kyjah Coryat, if she would put more effort into her grades if given money, she was quick to say she would. “Obviously. That would give me something more to strive for,” she said. Realistically, few teenagers would refuse the money given the chance; it’s common logic.

Undoubtedly, Fryer’s method could be effective. However, whether it is ethical is another issue. (more…)

Angelica is one of two students who will be writing occasional columns for GothamSchools on their experiences attending a New York City public school.

I’m Angelica Modabber, a freshman at NYCiSchool. Unlike most schools, the iSchool is very technology-based, and students take many online courses.  Visitors to the iSchool often question this initiative, since at many other schools, lessons are still taught with a chalkboard and a teacher at the front of the room. Here’s how I came to embrace this style of learning.

When first presented with the “moodle,” (the website on which the courses are found) I was asked to sign in to my personal account and enroll myself in all the classes I would be taking that quarter. Once enrolled, I had access to all the exams, information, questionnaire sheets, and overall assignments.  I was bewildered by all the links, texts, and videos the site possessed.  I shrugged off the confusion; after all, how difficult could it be to sit in a classroom and simply read all the passages and paste them to memory?

In reality, though, like the other students, I was blown away by all the music playlists, YouTube videos, and infinite other distractions. The possibilities were endless. Although the school had done its best to block these diversions, there was always a distracting website left unguarded. (more…)