Analysis Of Hidden Intellectualism Graff

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed learning which is why for me it has never been a task to go to school. I recall that beginning on my first day of Kindergarten I made my mom drive me to school early because I wanted to be the first one in class. I was that kid - the one that was always on time, always answered questions ( maybe even more than I should have), and who could be considered a “nerd/geek.” But I never took offense to those names because I knew they stood for what I represented and quite frankly I was never shy about the enjoyment I took in learning. However, somewhere along my educational career in middle school, I began to lose the joy I took in learning or rather the methods through which I was made to learn. As …show more content…
Similar to Freire’s Graff seems to agree that the education system in America is in need of a revision. Throughout his essay Graff makes it clear he believes classes should be more adaptable to students needs in order to help students think critically as if they were in the real world. In “Hidden Intellectualism” Graff claims that schools and colleges alike are directing their students attention in the wrong direction. Rather than taking advantage of the opportunity to engage their students using their non academic interest they are forcing students to conform to a specific way of thinking believing it to be for the best. Graff makes note of the fact that in the education world, many believe there is really no room for street smarts although that is not the case as street smarts can be a stepping stone to succeeding in the academic world as they “satisfy an intellectual thirst more thoroughly than school culture” (Graff 21–36). While I concede that street smarts are typically seen as pointless, in the academic world they are no less able to satisfy an intellectual thirst than something taught in school. Like with all things I believe the effect something has on someone is dependent on their individual persona. So while it could be that for one person Shakespeare does not resonate with them, but Vogue magazine does the opposite could also be true. Consequently, I believe it is important to realize the potential of teaching students to relate the information they learn in class to their everyday lives in an effort to get them to have a clear understanding of it and for them to be able to retain the information they learn. I believe this could lead to a successful change in the banking model that the education system in America currently follows due to the increasing pressure to succeed on standardized tests. William