An American Education

I like this essay a lot. I never really thought much about how our educational system does involve so much debate and that is what we are trained to do. It is interesting to me that we are also taught to debate subjects we dont even agree with. The example of the student who wrote a paper trying to make another writer look bad when the student agreed with the writer in the first place but knew if he wanted to get recognized he would have to attack someone famous. After reading it I began to pay more attention on how I would react in certain situation and found that most of my reactions where the form of a debate, whether it was reading a story, or talking with someone I found myself trying to prove them wrong.
I wonder where we would be if our society would, instead of debate, encourage and agree more. Where would we be. Would we be more advanced or not as intelligent as we are. Does all this debating really affect the students ability to learn. I know that there are many times where I am not really willing to ask a question or make a statement in class because I feel that it is a dumb question or comment. I thought the research and conclusion about females in the learning environment was awing. As I look back on all of my educational years it dosent seem to be that way with females in the classroom. They always seem to participate in the discussions, and always seem to have a great point of view. I will be paying more attention now to see if it is true in all cases.
The last thing I found interesting was how competitive schools outside the U.S. are. Living in the U.S. really has put me in a bubble to the outside world. I never really stop to consider how things are different outside of the U.S. and after reading about the educational systems in other countries, I am glade to get my education here.