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I recognized much of the conversation as the YouTube video discussed the 20th-century decline. This moment in history is still ongoing. My peers and I are constantly talking about how college is a scam. Above, I've made a small collage of tweets in the past decade that support this claim. College was much cheaper in the past, and students were almost guaranteed a career upon graduation. Today, people under 25 have thousands of student loans without job opportunities. It's no wonder people have begun going to trade or beautician schools. Many even try their luck with being entrepreneurs before attempting college. The cost of college just outweighs the benefits now.

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The Importance of Learning ALL of History

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The Importance of Learning ALL of History

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As students became more independent in their studies around the 1960s, they learned a deeper history and became more socially and politically aware. This led to activism and a push to correct historical inequities. Without students learning and fighting, it could've taken years for women and people of color to be encouraged to attend university. Understanding the past made the present and future better for everyone. Unfortunately, today, teaching students the past is highly criticized. This video highlights the importance of learning the past and teaching inclusively. Learning about all aspects of history, even the bad, helps us not make the same mistakes and understand the society we live in.

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Learning about inclusive history is important

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Although the topic is different, Harker's ideas apply here. His writing argues that there are benefits to unpacking and learning about the past. Doing this may expose the inequalities and outdated theories behind current systems put in place. Understanding these forces is the only way we can enact change and do better. Learning radicalizes people better than any other method. This is exactly what happened during the 1960 Expansion.

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The assigned video, "The History of Higher Education in America," briefly touches on the beginning of historically black colleges and universities. It wasn't until Cheney University opened in 1837 that black people were able to earn degrees at universities. This was the beginning of HBCUs. These spaces allow black students to be unapologetically themselves without worrying about code-switching or stereotypes. As a black woman, I've been hearing praises about these schools since childhood. My community holds HBCUs near to its heart. The attached video further highlights the beauty and importance of these schools for black students and their communities.

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Tell Them We Are Rising - Official Teaser

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Unfortunately, Lounsbury doesn't discuss the communities left out of education during his time. However, I'd argue that some of his claims could still be relevant here. In his work, he advocates for student interest and choice, catering schools to natural abilities. HBCUs do precisely this. These schools offer a safe environment where students can receive an in-depth, inclusive education of the history they are interested in. To take the comparison even further, at these universities, students are free of compulsory, white-washed history courses. Instead, similar to the elective system Lounsbury discussed, they can choose classes they actually care about and will do well in.

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As each reading and "The History of Higher Education in America" video show, debates about schooling and education have persisted for decades. Over the years, professionals have argued about what to teach, how to teach, standards, course load, tenure protection, etc. Similar discourse is still present today with debates about divisive concepts, teaching philosophies, and the Department of Education. The attached article showcases how these debates can lead to legislation or change that directly impacts the classroom.

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The Chilling Effect of Georgia’s ‘Divisive Concepts’ Law - American Oversight

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Records obtained by American Oversight provide new details of how laws restricting classroom instruction on racism and other topics led to the removal of books from school libraries in Cobb County, Ga.

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Being reflective is crucial to living in the present. Many outdated methods, behaviors, and habits are carried out simply out of tradition. As Harker suggests, we should reject blindly conforming and instead be more inquisitive about the past and the beginning of things. Who knows how many educational debates are based on outdated stereotypes/ideas? For example, one of the first things I learned in an education class was that learning styles are a myth. For years, I believed I was a visual learner and had teachers who supported that. Classrooms and educators shouldn't subscribe to ineffective, limiting myths like this. We must question more instead of just believing. It would be a shame for legislation to pass off ideas or debates based on fallacies.

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"No progress worth speaking of is ever made in any study where the learner himself is not interested in the subject" (Lounsbury 5).

"A university which should set out to make all its students musicians or architects or engineers or painters without taking into consideration their several tastes or capacities would deservedly incur both censure and ridicule" (Lounsbury 13).

"Can we assert that a man is really educated who is unable to express himself clearly, to say nothing of forcibly" (Lounsbury 12)?

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, American universities and private schools began adopting a new European ethos. This climate encouraged free inquiry, faculty-determined curriculum, and student choice. As Lounsbury's work was written in 1911, it's unsurprising that he writes advocating for similar things. Lounsbury heavily criticized traditional, rigorous teaching. He thought a person's true ability and intelligence would emerge when genuinely interested in the topic. This is a major reason he called for abolishing compulsory composition courses. He also criticized these courses for not promoting critical thinking - another characteristic of the new European ethos. Today, these progressive ideas about education and teaching are more prominent than ever. People are finally starting to catch up with Lounsbury and the Europeans. In my education classes, we constantly discuss the importance of including the students' interests and encouraging deep thinking with EQs. This adoption of ideals has clearly had lasting effects on American education that's still relevant today.

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Although education has a long way to go, its progression is noteworthy. It is phenomenal to go from not accepting black students to teaching in a culturally responsive and inclusive way. As a future educator, these themes are essential for me to remember and bring into my classroom. I am committed to creating a safe environment that encourages students to be themselves, explore their interests, and learn from history's mistakes.

Harker's writing, along with this assignment, has highlighted the connection between the past and the present. Past debates, stereotypes, and myths affect our everyday lives. It is up to us as teachers and citizens to reveal these myths and debunk them. This allows for better education and communities.