Humanities Electives
Peter Irwin
Covering the electives Contemporary Literature, Mythology, Speech and Forensics, and Writer's Workshop
Why take a humanities elective as the signs of success or academic achievement point towards loading a class schedule with STEM classes? Students view humanities electives as classes aimed at second semester seniors, easy grades, little work, and almost no academic gain, yet the students and teachers of these classes may argue otherwise. Obviously these electives do contain many students looking for an easier class to take, but, not with a lack of trying, the students come out of the classes with some form of knowledge applicable to any other field.
"References to myth abound in every area of study, including STEM fields no less than humanities."
- Mr. Kamibayashi on Mythology
"In order to do what I’m really asking people to do, it's a way of critical thinking, and it does really enhance the movie going experience and people start thinking about things differently; instead of sitting there and just being entertained, they are also learning something." |
The electives covered develop necessary skills for success in any field, skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, and writing. One of the most recognizable issues for today’s students is public speaking; seen in boring, basic speeches given by students forced to a podium, the graduation speeches the speaker’s fellow peers cease listening to halfway through. Public speaking shines through media coverage nowadays, the coverage of school walkouts always featuring articulate, passionate, and well-developed speeches given by students, these confident students providing a stronger voice to their cause. In her class, Speech and Forensics, Ms. Kohanim, understands the issues of speech anxiety and helps students overcome this through confidence from practice and developing skills like “reading a room” and "vocal inflections and intonations to emphasize important points and concepts". Critical thinking is another necessary and applicable skill students should develop; Mr. Jordan, when teaching Contemporary Literature, believes directors create with intention and purpose through their film, their form of art, and applying critical thinking to understand and appreciate their choices enhances the movie-watching experience while fulfilling the audience’s responsibility. This in-depth analysis of film techniques creates within students the ability to understand the purpose of actions and develop their critical thinking to be applied to other fields. |
Although many classes attempt to provide students with some form of creative license within the occasional project, they still follow a structured rubric, a box for students to develop their creativity within. These electives, on the other hand, provide the opportunity for students to explore their creativity within assignments whose rubrics shape themselves around the produced work. Mr. Kamibayashi says Writer’s Workshop allows “students to explore their experiences through their own eyes”, the act of creative writing a rare opportunity for expression with no boundaries; a similar form of limitless creativity available in his other elective, Mythology, where students are given the opportunity to create their own myth. In a class like Speech and Forensics Ms. Kohanim allows the speeches to follow the TED Talks model which lets the students discuss or teach about topics they are passionate about. Mr. Jordan aims to encourage his students to have intelligent conversations about films, for example through their latest assignment of a film review, however, the way they reach their conversations or conduct their review is entirely up to them. |
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"I believe that when a director, well not all directors, but some directors, when they are creating something it's their form of art, it’s like an author's book, or a poet’s poem, or an artist’s painting, whatever . . ."
- Mr. Jordan on Contemporary Lit.
Electives which may seem pointless to future career ambitions or personal interests hold a hidden value to them. The electives covered all contain valuable skills which can be applied to other fields and present some of the few opportunities for true creativity. In this way, these electives encourage creativity, while allowing the students to apply skills into their work.