Hello Sasha
Really nice to read your thoughts. And I didn't know that you took part in a college student exchange program...
I had three different literature professors at college, which I entered at the age of 13 and got my degree at 18 1/2 years.
For the last two years our professor was challenging us. One of his tricks was to bring up a question. After that he waited for a moment looking for raised hands - and then said: First of all you, followed by the name of the student, then you right afterwards, you're the third to response, and so on.
So the first student started. At the end of his or her answer, our professor gave the word to the next student without interfering or saying something. And the tricky point was: while you listened to what the students before you had to say, you sort of had to constantly revise your own answer so as not to repeat what was said before. Or to put the focus on another detail, or challenge one of your students' argument.

I have to say: this made an interesting and really challenging discussion and teached you how to think fast and better listen to arguments.

He had been a professor for didactings at university too, teaching how to become a teacher. And had studied the piano. And was not afraid of shouting out in class if he wanted to emphasize something.
I still remember one of those exclames:
"... and not always potatoes for breakfast!!!" when we discussed a book which discribed a period in European history when the farmers were in war because of their new religious beliefs. The title was: "Goetz von Berlichingen" written by Goethe. The man had been a knight in the years around 1480, led the farmers in this war. Most people who had read the book can remember at least one sentence: "He can lick my arse!" At the time when Goethe brought this theater peace to the theatre in 1774, this was outrageous...

It is a pitty, I agree, when teachers don't think outside the box. This might have to do with the fact that there are too many main stream oppinions and too little people not really capable or willing to think outside their box.

Personally, I don't think that the invention of all the new technologies have really changed things to the better - or not yet. Too many blogs are a rude exchange and frighten away decent thinking people from taking part in such discussions...

But when we think back to the events in history after the invention of mass printing of books by Gutenberg: many shit storms had happened back then, leavelets hung everywhere with crude and unsettling ideas whatsoever - and nobody could really control that...

What would society be nowadays had books not been printed and allowed everyone to learn to read and write on their own. OK, this has been ages before and does not help to improve anything in teaching nowadays, right?

What I try to say: in society's, some changes, backslashes, troubles as a reaction to developments take their time. It's quite often, that there are waves, or sort of a pendulum swinging to one side, then again back again. So it will take time till the people learn to handle the social platforms, avoid being part of a mob, checking the meaningfulness of an online statement, and make their own minds up whenever someone comes up with claims or strange thoughts which cannot be or become true...

So, we should teach our children in class more about how to check out and handle information - is it trustworthy, helpful or the opposite of it, what lies behind the message or between the lines etc.

Let us not forget: The new technologies brought about a real change too! You can search the internet far and wide and find good information about whatever you are interested in...

On the other hand: There are tons of misunderstandings and worse things floating around the globe, and it's hard to tell apart and know which is which for many people nowadays.

Many get confused and focus on one "brand" / belief / side etc... In my view we should rather open up our minds and listen to different opinions so as to make up our own minds about things. We may still keep some of our basic beliefs and principls. Which does not mean that we should stick to every bit of it for the rest of our lives but should adapt constantly and ask ourselves if one particular topic can still be seen as we did in the past or should be revised, for good reasons...

The only constant thing in life is that it is constantly changing - even much faster nowadays than it used to, that's right.

But even so, let us not forget about what our ancestors went through in terms of changes. You only have to go back in time to see that.
And therefore we should not fuss about petty things but see the big picture and think of ways to form the future instead of lamenting about now or before...

I hope I was not coming across as too much of a preacher writing down these lines...

Thinking for yourself is essential! So you are invited to do so when reading my post:)

Very Kindly,

Urs