My Foundation of Education
by Britney Davis
1. Curriculum and Pedagogy
1.1. Historical Curriculum Theory: DEVELOPMENTAL CURRICULUM- related to the needs and interests of the student rather than the needs of society.
1.2. Develop Curriculum- Student-centered and concerned with relating the curriculum to the needs and interests of each child at particular developmental stages.
1.3. Sociological curriculum theory: MODERN FUNCTIONALIST THEORY: developed in the U.S. by Talcott Parsons and Robert Dreeben. Stressed the roles of schools in preparing students for the increasingly complex roles required in a modern society.
1.3.1. Modern Society
1.4. 20th century functionalist believed that the curriculum had to change to meet the new requirements of the modern world.
1.5. The specific content of the curriculum, such as history or literature, is less important than the role of schools in teaching students how to learn a skill vital in an increasingly technocratic society.
1.6. According to Dewey a Developmental curriculum is writings related to the relationship between the child and the curriculum.
2. Equality of Opportunity
2.1. Achievement: Females achieve at higher levels at the ages of 9, 13, and 17. They are slightly higher in mathematics an the age nine and lower in mathematics at the age 13 and 17. The also achieve at lower levels in science at age 9,13, and 17.
2.2. Attainment: Both sexes 25 years and older (92%) of whites graduated from high school and 33% received a bachelors degree.
2.2.1. These data's indicate that despite improvements by minority students, African American and Hispanic-American students still lag behind white students in educational achievement and attainment. (Very sad, but I believe that has change in 2016).
2.3. Female students, however outperform male students in most categories with the exception of mathematics and science. You can even see this with male teachers. There are more male math teachers than female.
2.4. The ideal of equal opportunity is somewhat tarnished by the reality that an individuals origin has a significant impact on his or her destination.
2.5. The Coleman Study: what was his motivation? To demonstrate that African American students and white students had fundamentally different schooling experiences.
2.5.1. Conclusion: Differences among schools DO make a difference.
3. Educational Inequality
3.1. Both sociological theories are concerned about the general problem and the existence of profound and persistent inequalities.
3.2. Functionalist believed that the role of schools is to provide a fair and meritocratic selection process for sorting out the best and brightest individuals, regardless of family background.
3.3. Functionalist expect that the schooling process will produce unequal results, but these results ought to be based on individual differences between students, not group differences.
3.4. School-centered research focused on both between- and within- school processes.
3.4.1. Between-school differences: Curriculum and pedagogic practices p.433
3.4.2. within- school differences: curriculum and ability grouping p.434
3.5. school-centered explanations however, suggest that school processes are central to understanding unequal educational performance.
4. Educational Reform
4.1. School-Based Reforms: school choice charter schools, and tuition vouchers. During the 1980s and 1990s many educational researchers and policy analysts indicated that most public schools were failing in terms of students achievement, discipline, and morality.
4.2. Charter Schools: Public schools that are free from many of the regulations applied to traditional public schools and in return are held accountable for student performance.
4.3. Charter school advocates have long argued that they provide a more effective and efficient alternative for low-income children, especially in urban areas.
4.4. Full service and community schools: Another way to attack education inequality is to examine and plan to educate not only the whole child, but also the whole ocmminnity.
4.5. MODELS OF COMMUNITY-BASED REFORMS: 1. Drufoo's model of full service schools. 2. Canada's Harlem Children's Zone 3. Newark's Broader Bolder Approach.
4.5.1. Full service schools focus on meeting students' and their families educational, physical, and psychological, and school needs. They extended hours to provide a multitude of services.
5. Politics of Education
5.1. At first, I would have to lean more toward the Conservative perspective. Even though I would want the government to help those who can't work, way too many people abuse the liberal perspective.
5.2. The Reagan philosophy- individuals are the only ones capable of solving his or her own problems.
5.3. After I kept reading I realized that I couldn't help but agree with the liberal perspective for school. All students DESERVE an EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to succeed.
5.4. "To believe in education is to believe in the future, to believe in what may be accomplished through the disciplined use of intelligence, allied with cooperation, and good will." -Diane Ravitch
5.5. Liberal Argues: schools place too much emphasis on discipline and authority, limiting roles in helping students become individuals.
5.6. liberal supports: programs (ex: head start) should enhance equality of opportunity for disadvantaged groups.
6. History of Education
6.1. I may be biased when thinking that the Reform Age Movement as the most influential movement. (What makes me biased? I am a white female who is also married to an African American male.)
6.2. 1820s: Movement for education for women in the U.S. was making important inroads.
6.3. 1856: The University of Iowa became the first State University to admit women.
6.4. 1868: Freedman's Bureau helped to establish historically black colleges.
6.5. Though segregation was still a big issue (even after both women and blacks were able to attend school), the Reform Age helped both women and African Americans get the education they needed.
6.6. Historical Interpretation: The democratic-liberal school believed that a school system should provide equal opportunity for all. I have to keep with my theme and say that I think there should be equal opportunity for education.
6.6.1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Progressive+evolutio
7. Sociological Perspective
7.1. Theory- an integration of all known principles, laws, and information pertaining to specific area of study.
7.2. Theoretical Perspective- FUNCTIONAL THEORY- Society depends on each other. One can not function without the other.
7.3. Functionalism- Equilibrium of social facts and institution.
7.3.1. Functionalism- How a society functions.
7.4. Conflict theory- (Carl Marx) Thesis/Anti-thesis coming together = Synthesis
7.5. Interactions are based on meaning.
8. Philosophy of Education
8.1. Generic Notion- Dewey: Instrumentalism and experimentalism. "Embryonic community"- Students could learn skills both experimentally and from books, which would then enable them to work cooperatively in a democratic society. Progressive notion- that children were active, organic beings, growing and changing, and thus required a course of study that would reflect their particular stages of development.
8.2. Goal of Education- Dewey believed that education should provide "communicated experience"- Preparation for a democratic society. According to Dewey schools should balance the needs of society and community on one hand and the needs of the individual on the other.
8.3. Role of the Teacher- Progressive setting- teacher is no longer the authoritarian figure fro which all knowledge flows; rather the teacher assumes the peripheral position of facilitator. The teacher guides students into their own thinking.
8.4. Key researchers: John Dewey, progressivism, student-centered philosophy, and social order.
8.5. Methods of instruction- problem-solving or inquiry method. Dewey: student should learn both individually and in groups.
8.6. Curriculum- core or integrated curriculum. Progressive educators are not wedded to a fixed curriculum, curriculum changes as the social order changes and as children's interest and needs change.
8.6.1. All subjects can be tied into a lesson.
9. Schools as Organizations
9.1. Structure of U.S. Education: Complex; if one was to paint a landscape of elementary and secondary education in the U.S., it would require a picture of almost infinite complexity and subtlety.
9.2. Size and Degree of Centralization: Estimated: More than 55 million youngsters are enrolled in k-12 . Cost: $650 billion annually.
9.3. Students composition: student composition of U.S. schools is becoming more diverse at the same time there has been a trend toward increasingly residential segregation.
9.4. Degree of "Openness": U.S. school system is quite open. All youngsters are entitles to enroll into public schools and to remain in school until they graduate.
9.5. Private Schools: tend to attract high class families, religious organization, and are usually east or west coast.
9.6. International Comparison: Japan- exemplary compared to the educational system in the United States. Japan parents have a high regard for the importance of education.
9.6.1. Double- Schooling Strategy