Beginning on pg. 241 of TSIS are several readings. Select one and critique it. Do you disagree, agree, agree with a difference, or do you think the issue should be reframed?

Post 1) Give a 1-2 paragraph analysis of your selection, briefly summarizing the argument being made while providing a critique.

Post 2) Comment on another student’s analysis as to whether your agree or disagree. Support your response with reasons.

For post 2 please comment on the following paragraph:
In Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff, he examines and compares between street smarts and academic smarts.  Graff raises interesting ideas, he explains that intellectualism exists beyond the classroom and college. Growing up in the city of Chicago, Graff realized not everyone in his school was on the same academic level but he also noticed that those same students possed other intellectual traits that were not normally taught in the classroom. He makes the claim, that it is important to let students explore non-academic interests and exploit them with an academic eye. This approach would make the learning environment richer for kids that are not so interested in school subjects and in return make better students in the long run.  The essence of Graff’s argument is that intellectualism is everywhere and topics like sports and music can also be debated and analyzed in an intellectual matter. Although I agree with Graff up to a point, I cannot accept his overriding assumptions that sports and street culture should serve as a substitute for literature and other academic subjects. I think both academic and street smarts should be fused together and to make students more engaged and informed. As Graff said, it’s better to let students explore their own interests and than to force them topics that won’t be beneficial for the students learning experience.