Learning and marginalizing

It’s often great theory that gets me to go do certain things.  The end result seems something attainable and desirable.  Often times, I’m not wrong.  But what I’m going against now is both desirable and exceptionally time consuming.  I know what I want.  I’ve wanted it since I first started learning to program back in 1997 or 1998.  Even though the end seems in sight, it’s still a long way to go.  Maybe that’s why I keep playing “it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll”.   As far as songs go, that one is incredibly accurate. 

I don’t think before I ever contemplated a path towards achievement.  I know I didn’t in my twenties.  Now, in my thirties I have an idea of where I want to go.  I guess the interesting thing is that despite all the technological changes that have taken place in the last 15 years or so, the process towards achievement hasn’t changed.  I suppose some things never do, despite all the achievements.

Really, what I learned out of going through the CCNA material is this: despite technological achievement in learning, it’s still a lot of work.  Despite being able to memorize more or learn more, learning is still a lot of work.  And if you want to learn a decent amount of material, you will be putting in a lot of work.  There is no other option.  There is no easy way.  I can’t remember if it was Star Wars or some version of Star Trek that had students standing in learning bubbles, practicing material and waving their hands like manic crazies.  That might be the future, but such a situation is years away.

I’ve heard frequently about the greatness of technological input and the “race to the top”.  It’s the idea that students are growing smarter and smarter every generation.  The last generation won’t be able to keep up with the learning achievement of the next generation.  But there’s something inherently missing from all of those discussions.  I don’t know what it is, but it’s probably the same thing inherently wrong with the “race to the bottom”.  I find the duality strange that people can discuss both possibilities (students getting dumber and dumber, and students getting smarter and smarter) in the same breath.  So which is it? 

Or are we simply dealing with outliers?  I think that is more likely scenario.  The seconds option is one that I like to think is true.  American society has marginalized male achievement, so after being told for years that our achievements don’t mean anything the average male has given up.  It’s not that female achievement is less or less desirable.  It’s that we’ve spent a lot of time marginalizing specific groups and telling them their work is useless.  So that group is leaving the race, and dropping into things that are easy for them. 

Once again, me talking about thing things I have no empirical research on.  But it makes sense to me.