“What I Learned”
Part 1: Educated Intro Questions
Directions: Answer these questions THOUGHTFULLY. Each will require a thorough explanation.
Take the first 15 mins to write your answers and the next 15 to discuss in groups.
1.What does it mean to be educated?
To have a knowledge and understanding of a certain subject or craft.
2. What responsibility do parents have in educating their children?
I think parents need to make sure that their kids can make it through the world. They have to
have a basic knowledge of survival and safety. I think it's very important that they make sure
their child can read and communicate with others appropriately. They also are in charge of
providing their children with an outside source of education if it is available.
3. How important is it to have an understanding of the world around you (street smarts), or is it
important to have formal or informal (learning from family, friends, experiences, etc.)
education?
I think that they are both equally important. Street smarts will oftentimes keep you alive and
out of trouble. Formal education will help you succeed in life, get a job. And in today's society,
people who have high levels of formal education are often valued more than those without it.
When you have both of them together your knowledge will give you social understanding as
well as logical thinking. Just having as much knowledge possible in every aspect of the world is
going to be the most beneficial to you. I think it's very unique to each person
4. How much of what you believe is influenced by your parents? What beliefs/values have you
inherited from your family?
Growing up, I was taught by my parents. Because I was not capable or responsible for making
some of my own decisions when I was younger, I just learned and assumed that the way my
parents did things were true. For example, both my parents are LDS, I grew up in an LDS
household, and I still am LDS. My parents also valued education and wanted me to fully
participate in it so I've been enrolled in school since I was 5, and plan on receiving some
financial aid my first year in college. My parents also value good character and service. I've
learned that serving others blesses them as well as yourself and being kind and reasonable is
the best way to deal with people.
5. Should family values and beliefs go unquestioned or be accepted at face value?
I think that family values are very important. Having good things that your whole family believes
in can be the center of a home. However, I also believe that an individual should be allowed to
figure out what they value and disagree with some family beliefs. There should be respect
coming from both sides. However I also think that kids shouldn't be allowed to do whatever
they want. There has to be some level of discipline. I just think that families should keep
eachother safe and make sure everyone is being a good human.
Part 2: “What I Learned”
Directions: Use the cartoon linked on the canvas page for the following questions. Be sure to
read the context information on the first page.
1.Identify one part of this cartoon, a single frame or several, that you find to be an especially
effective synergy of written and visual text. Why do you think the section you chose works so
well?
(The panel with the picture collage and list of all the things learned in school). I think that the
images are a really good representation of the explosion of info placed on students very quickly.
It easily shows the confusion and jumbledness of all the different subjects you have to take and
events you have to learn. They all begin meshing together, like the list with no explanation of
what the subject is.
2. On the second page, the middle frame is a large one with a whole list of what Roz Chast
learned “Up through sixth grade.” Is she suggesting that all these things are foolish or
worthless? Explain your response.
She isn't saying that they are all necessarily worthless, it's just so much information at one time
that you have to process. A lot of it is stuff that you probably will forget or never use based on
personal interest. However the purpose of the panel I think is mainly to just show the weight,
boldness, and loudness that all these things create. Everything just jumps out at you on the
page and it's overwhelming and honestly kind of hard to think about.
3. The three-page cartoon presents a narrative, a story. Discuss the extent to which Chast uses
the techniques of a fiction writer, such as plot, character, and setting.
The story takes place from nursery school to twelfth grade. This creates an arc to display how
education affects a person over time and how feelings are developed based on age. The main
girl goes to a normal school, isn't great at sports, and has a hard time paying attention. A lot of
these qualities are easily relatable. It creates a strong connection between her and the
audience. Something I think is really fascinating is how the rules change overtime. They start
out as being totally respectful of the teacher and then transfer to more "taking care of yourself",
independent monitoring type rules. It shows a growth in maturity.
4. Chast subtitles her cartoon “A Sentimental Education…,” which is a reference to a French
novel of that title written by Gustave Flaubert in 1869. The American writer Henry James
described Sentimental Education as far inferior to Flaubert’s earlier and more successful novel
Madame Bovary; in fact, he characterized the 1869 work as “elaborately and massively dreary.”
Why do you think Chast uses this reference to Flaubert’s novel? Or do you think that she is not
specifically alluding to Flaubert but, rather, to more generalized “sentimental” notions of
education? Consider her audience as you respond to these questions.
Well, her cartoon certainly demonstrates a kind of "dreary”school life. Nothing really exciting is
happening, the writing seems almost monotone and mournful. So that could be a direct link.
However I also think it's just generalized sentimental notions. Reading this was definitely
nostalgic and made me think back to my previous schooling. It made me realize that I also went
through that period of when learning was magical in elementary school, and now like the girl in
the cartoon, I find it hard to care about certain subjects.
5. What, ultimately, is Chast’s critique? What is the relationship she sees among learning, K-12
school, and education?
I think Chast does a really good job of showing how overtime, the excitement of school has
become very limited. Students quickly figure out what subjects pertain to them and what they
are ultimately interested in. However, students still are being forced to participate in a plethora
of subjects that they have no passion for. Going to school can quickly become a difficult place
for people to be. When talking about if education grows or limits creativity, I think this shows
that it limits creativity. There's constant rules, requirements, and adults interpreting your
creations.
