Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Bargains and Outliers

Haley Scholars Fall 2012 Reading Groups   

he “Marita’s Bargain” chapter focuses on a leading college-prep school, the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) in a struggling community in New York City. Gladwell gives special attention to one of the students, Marita, and the considerable effort and sacrifices she must make in order to do well at the school. She must rise early and study late into the night

Gladwell argues that KIPP “has succeeded by taking the idea of cultural legacies seriously.” That means that a tradition like summer vacation is replaced with year-round schooling, and the times that the school day begins and ends changes as well as how students are instructed to pay attention in class. And, a student like Marita is given more of a “chance” when someone brings “a little bit of the rice paddy to the South Bronx” and explains “the miracle of meaningful work.”

KIPP Academies seem to have tremendous success assisting young people from poor, neglected environments make it to college. What is one KIPP-like strategy do you think would be most important for a large group of us to adopt in order to ensure that larger numbers of students at the university attain academic and professional success? Why?

14 comments:

Jenee' B. said...

I think that college students should work to continue learning new things and adding to their knowledge even when they are not necessarily required to, like during summer break. They should also work to retain the knowledge they already have. I believe this could really improve students' grades and help them to stay ahead in the future professional world where things are constantly changing.

Jeremy H. said...

I believe that we all have the potential to recognize our potential but we must put it enough work for us to reap the benefits. This includes taking education into our hands and sacrificing extended periods of leisure time such as our beloved summer break. At the end of the day the choice is the individual's.

Jeremy H.

Kayleigh E. said...

I think just the aspect of hard work is something we need to adopt as a society. Yes, there are many Americans who are hard workers but not enough. Our generation needs to start practicing it and teach it to younger generations that follow. If a 12 year girl can do all of that work and still say it is not that bad, then we definitely should be able to.
We as a whole, are lazy people, myself included. We need to stop complaining about the school work we have and take advantage of it. We have the privilege of being in college and not everyone can say that.

Robert F said...

As a society we should learn to sacrifice for the goals you want to achieve. As a society we need to learn how to go that extra mile. This goes for college student as well as Alumni in the working force. We need to gain knowledge and continuously gain knowledge to stay ahead to better ourselves and our community.

Terry T said...

Sacrifice. Most college students are used to high school being easy and not having to put much effort into their studies. Sacrificing some fun time for more crucial studying could make the difference in passing and failing. The sacrifices shown by Marita should show students that if you are willing to put in the effort you can accomplish things.

Jamal Sims said...

Considering I had the opportunity of attending KIPP my fifth grade year in the Chicago Area, I can definitely say it was one of the best schools I've attended. I believe what really made KIPP stand out from the other schools I've attended was the time commitment the teachers put in with the students. Teachers would start their day of educating at 8am and would continue until 5pm. The teachers challenged their students to go that extra mile and would them by going on fun field trips once a month such as ice skating, the movies, and even a ten day trip to Michigan at the end of the year. They made students feel appreciated and I feel, in return, the students strived to do more.

Unknown said...

I believe that students should work hard to learn new material and expand their knowledge by continuing to learn and take classes throughout the year. This will benefit students because they will be ahead of their counter parts when competing for the same jobs and opportunities.

Ashley Bass said...

I believe that a way for students to strive in college is for them to be constantly learning. Students should make it a necessity to learn even when they are not required to.The extended learning that you get helps you not only in your academic success but also gives you an advantage to further your career.

Jhalia Barber said...

I believe that the dedication and time that teachers give to students at KIPP play a vital part in the overall success of the student. College professors should be willing and able to spend extra time with their students outside of class. It seems as though the more difficult schooling becomes, the less teachers and professors care about the students success. I have professors who I've tried reaching out to for extra assistance and it have gotten no response. Professors need to apply the same amount of effort as students in order to lead each student to success.

Joneshia Y. said...

I believe that students should adopt a more innovative way of thinking when it comes to school. That includes making more sacrifices and having a balance between school and a social life. Students should also be more willing to learn and take the initiative to obtain more knowledge outside of the classroom.

Malia Gamble said...

I think one of the KIPP-like strategies we should adopt is the concept of year round schooling. Student do loose much of what was taught over the three month summer break and extended christmas break. Small breaks of maybe a week or a week and a half throughout the year would help student to not stress out from to much school but also be able to retain much more information.

Charisma Bankston said...

If we all had a backbone to actually keep us together with that mindset then it'll be easy to obtain that mindset of success together. However, it seems once you get to college its more of a your on your own with the education decisions you make, but sometimes people don't always make the wisest decisions alone. They need a little push from someone who knows that they can do better. If we had more groups come together to show that the students can achieve collectively the graduation rate would be higher at all universities.

Unknown said...

As students, it is of utmost importance that we are able to prioritize our obligations. The program, or strategy presented in the text is a very good example of this.

Stelisa Johnson said...

I personally believe that the only way for students to achieve success is through drive and ambition. The best strategy would be for the university to enforce ideals of students taking the initiative in regards to their studies. They should be willing to sacrifice their free time to focus on furthering their education and career. As well, the university can continue to create opportunities for students to do well.