Joy in learning is such a tricky concept to create; indeed, possibly the best joy in learning comes when a student completes their education. A subject of much debate in politics is education, or rather, education reform. Methodologies is one category within this great debate, such as standardized testing. The opinions on the matter vary as greatly as the selections of wines throughout the world, each individual with their own thoughts. The author of a particular comic certainly has taken that freedom and carefully ingrained his ideas into a platform named "The Joy of Learning" with quite an irony as the frame does not portray such joy. The author portrays rather a lack of joy as well as a disconnect in levels of education. It's important to note the author is basing his comic off of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the single frame the reader sees a student quite panicked and sweating as he takes a SOL test. Behind him standing upon desks are three tiers of administration each in succession, male and female as well as multi-racial. Each is purposely positioned to appear at a lower hierarchy from left to right all panicked and sweating profusely as much rides on the student testing. In his frame the author is conveying message that there is little joy in our education system. There is a great disconnect between students and teachers as evidenced by the gap between student and teacher in the frame; we put a majority of stress and responsibility on the shoulders of students to test well and the results of standardized testing is a great factor in what happens to a school, regardless of how accurately the testing reflects the true abilities of a teacher or student. The author is showing a great error in the methodology of instruction that can be seen in varying levels of education and of all types. The Joy of Learning displays many obvious errors in our education system that need be addressed, showing a disconnect between student and administration and the over-reliance on students for the success of most in such a system as well as a flawed methodology of instruction.
