My Foundations of Education
by Libby Brunson
1. Politics of Education
1.1. 1. Intellectual purposes of schooling are to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, writing and mathematics; to transmit specific knowledge. 2. Political purposes of schooling are to inculcate allegiance to the existing political order; to prepare citizens who will participate in this political order; to help assimilate diverse cultural groups into a common political order ; and to teach children the basic laws of the society. 3.Social purposes of schooling are to help solve social problems; to work as one of many institutions, such as the family and the church to ensure cohesion; and to socialize children into the various roles, behaviors, and values of the society. 4. Economic purposes of schooling are to prepare students for their later occupational roles and to select, train, and allocate individuals into the division of labor.
1.2. 1. The Role of the School- the conservative view basically see the school as providing a necessary educational training to ensure that the most talented and hard-working individuals receive the tools to be successful. 2.Explainations of Unequal Performance- the liberal view is basically believes the individual students or groups of students begin school with different life chances and therefore some have advantages. 3.Definition of Educational Problems - the radical perspective basically states educational systems have failed poor minorities though policies, promote conformity, and the curriculum is racist and outdated. Basically the education system promotes inequality of both opportunity and results.
2. Philosophy of Education
2.1. Pragmatism had many philosophers such as Frances Bacon, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Generic notions include instrumentalism and experimentalism where children could learn skills both experientially as well as from books, in addition to traditional information, which would enable them to work cooperatively in a democratic society. Goal of education was to integrate children into not just any type of society; but a democratic one. the school being an embryonic democratic society where cooperation and community are desired ends. Role of teachers in a progressive setting, the role is no longer the authoritarian figured for which all knowledge flows; but rather, the teacher assumes the peripheral position of facilitator. The teacher encourages, offers suggestions, questions, and helps plan and implement courses of study.
3. Schools as Organizations
3.1. Alabama State Senators are Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions. To name a few people from Alabama in the House of Representatives, Robert Aderholt, Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne, and Gary Palmer are in office. Michael Sentence is the new Alabama superintendent and was the former secretary of education in Massachusetts. The Alabama state school board president is Governor Robert J. Bentley. Limestone District School Board Superintendent is Paul Babin and others on the board include David Jackson and Debra Rantz.
3.2. Most elements of change within school process and cultures are so deeply political, effecting change within them is very difficult. Schools as they are now, are shaped by a series of inherent contradictions that can develop cultures that are conflictual and even stagnant. Change requires patience. Teachers are trying to implement change but it takes time and creativity.h
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4. History of U.S. Education
4.1. The Common School Era had a lot of influence on education in the early 1800s. This was the first movement that recognized the large population of illiterate people and provide a way for disadvantaged children to obtain an education. Mann, a lawyer that lobbied for the state board of education, argued for common school or free publicly funded elementary schools. This was a ground breaking start to educational reform.
4.1.1. Project specifications
4.1.2. End User requirements
4.1.3. Action points sign-off
4.2. Education was once viewed as biologically harmful or too stressful for Women in the 1820s and southerners believed more than ever that literacy bred both insubordination and revolutions, thus they forbade slaves being taught to read and write. It was something only privileged white males has access to.
5. Sociological Perspectives
5.1. The Relationship Between School and Society; Functionalism stresses the interdependence of the social system; these researchers often examine how well the parts integrated with each other. Viewed kind of as a machine where all parts are important. Conflict Theory states social order is based on the ability of dominant groups to impose their will on subordinate groups through force, cooptation, and manipulation. the glue of society is economic, political, cultural, and military power. Interactional theories are primarily critiques and extensions of the functional and conflict perspectives. Basically they mean to make evaluations more personal rather than based off a certain criteria.
5.2. 1. Employment- students have greater opportunities for employment with higher education. 2.Student Peer Groups and Alienation- provides an environment to help students progress socially but can also do the opposite and allow someone to be alienated. 3. Gender- somewhere in the high school years, it is proven that women graduate with less self-esteem and lower opportunity than men. 4.Teacher Behavior- plays a big role in the individuals lives through education. The teacher has the opportunity to make a positive or negative impact in many lives. 5.Time- it is found that the actual amount of time students spend in their schools is directly related to how much they learn. Consistent environment for learning pays off.
6. Curriculum and Pedagogy
6.1. Developmentalist concentrates more on the needs and interests of the student rather than society. This is a more individualistic approach to education. Emphasizing a student- centered classroom is important, in my opinion, because every student learns differently. Especially working with special needs, as I hope to be doing, playing towards the students strengths gets them engaged and wanting to learn and then strengthening their weaknesses will be easier because they feel successful in other areas giving them motivation. This approach gives meaning to what they are learning rather than saying, sit down and learn this because you have to. Developmental curriculum stresses the importance of relating school to life experiences of the students so the teacher becomes more of facilitator rather than a transmitter of knowledge.
6.2. Two dominant traditions of teaching include the practice of putting the importance on the science of the curriculum rather than why it is important and also putting importance on the social efficiency curriculum in public education. An example to my understanding would be grouping the children together in gifted, average, and below average groups and adjusting your curriculum accordingly.
7. Equality of Opportunity
7.1. Class
7.1.1. Upper and middle class usually can afford to keep their child in school longer. They generally have higher standards when it comes to their child and education. Lower and working class put less importance on education because over time they can not afford to keep their child in school. This generalization also led to labeling students in the classroom therefore setting them up to fail!
7.2. Race
7.2.1. In the book, it says that a students race has a direct impact on their achievement in education. The statistics are significantly higher for the drop out rates for people of color! Minorities are not given the same educational opportunities as whites, and their rewards are much less when they do. Historically, minorities have always had less opportunity and as much as we work to get out of that, it still exists today and much like class, race has everything to do with a students educational success.
7.3. Gender
7.3.1. Historically, gender was directly related to educational success. But, today, the studies show that women have higher success rates in the classroom and males have a higher drop out rate. However, males to pass females in the mathematics department while females succeed more in the reading and writing departments.