What is a trigger point? Trigger point is usually a reference to some sort of physical reaction to pain. In this case I am using it to describe something, usually a word, that sets off a reaction with you. This reaction may be either positive or negative, but it sets off some sort of response from you. For example, the author J. A. Jance recently wrote that the word “prolific” sets off her trigger point.
Jance, as an author, was often introduced as a prolific author. A prolific author is one who writes a lot of books, maybe a new one coming out every year. Maybe of poor quality. She said there is nothing “prolific” about writing books. They are a lot of work. They don’t just pop out. However, in addition to writing a lot of books, Jance also comes from a very large family. She has six siblings, so her mother was once called prolific. So the word “prolific” was a double trigger point for her, setting off a rather negative reaction.
So, What is My Trigger Point?
I recently read an article about high school students, which set off a bit of a “trigger point” for me. The article cited students grumbling because they had a homework assignment to write five sentences. Five whole sentences. How difficult is that? One noun, one verb, one object. Example, The book is blue.
Our recent election included an amendment for a tax supplement for school funding. Why should we be taxed more to build more schools and hire more teachers if students don’t want to go to school? I had also read that the school absentee rate was about 30 percent . Again, why should we be taxed more if the students don’t even attend school 30 percent of the time?
Another recent news article mentioned that the scholastic test scores were very low. More proof that there is a problem with our education system.
I guess my trigger point is education, or teens’ attitude toward it. Or on further reflection, perhaps a need for a total change to the way we are teaching, and perhaps even what we are teaching.
This current situation in schools is creating frustration for me. I have always loved learning. But what can I possibly do now at age 90 about this situation? About the only thing I can do is to do some writing here and hopefully trigger some younger educators to step up with new curriculum or new methods.
If the kids don’t want to go to school, then, with modern technology, we should make learning easier maybe right from their smart phones. Send them quick short text messages that subtly plant a new word or idea into their brain. A new challenge for a math exercise with a reward. I saw an ad for a game app yesterday that does that.
The rewards have to be proportional to their age and not necessarily money. Maybe game points that can be accumulated for sports or concert admissions or sports equipment. Or even toward a down payment for a car. They have to spend the time working (playing) the educational app to get the prize.
Now that I have started thinking about this, really, what is the incentive today for a teenager to sit in a classroom for 4-5 hours a day? Yes, they need to learn stuff to get into college, but if they are bored silly, are they learning anything?
Let’s put technology to work for us! Let’s redo how we teach! At age 90, I have seen so many awesome innovations. Whoever thought we would be able to see pictures on a television back in 1940? Not me. I was hooked on hearing the programs on the radio.