1. What is Pragmatism: Generic notions: Pragmatism was founded on the new psychology, behaviorism, and philosophy. The attainment for a better society was through education. John Dewey believed in a "embryonic community"in which students could learn skills from both books and from experimentation. Key Researcher: The Pragmatism's roots can be traced back to the English philosopher and scientist, Francis Bacon. Bacon thought that persuasion to abandon traditional ways and idols to pick up a more experimental approach. John Locke believed that people could obtain ideas through their senses ,but could not verify them through the material of the natural world. John Dewey formulated his own philosophy, which introduced terms such as instrumentalism, and experimentalism. Dewey's philosophy of education was the most influential on what is progressive education. Goal of Education: Dewey believed that philosophy had a responsibility to society and that ideas required laboratory testing. (Schools were a place where ideas could be implanted). This method was not just to integrate children into any type of society, but a democratic one. Role the of Teacher: In this type of philosophy, the teacher holds a peripheral position in the classroom. The teacher is to encourage, give suggestion, help plan course of study, and to write curriculum. The Method of Instruction: Children learn both individually and together in groups. This method left an open window where one could study, problem solve, and imply an experimental method with or without classmates. Curriculum: This follows Dewey's notion of core curriculum or an integrated curriculum. Teachers can use lessons which acquire 'expanding environments', where students are able to use and find reasonings within multiple subjects, not just one in particular.
2. 5 Effects of Schooling of Individuals: 1. Education and Mobility: There is an important difference between educational amount and educational route, it is known that the more schooling one has, the more likely they are to succeed, but the other measures is where people go to school, this also can affect one's mobility. A Private diploma acts as a "mobility escalator" compared to a regular public school diploma. 2. Inside the Schools: School structure, the larger the school, the more availability in facilities, but may strain initiative. With smaller schools, there is more student and teacher freedom, but often lack proper resources. 3. Teacher Behavior: It is very important and crucial to have the most appropriate and friendly behavior as a teacher, it is a huge impact on student learning. Even though teachers are very busy and do in fact where many different hats throughout the day, it is vital to ensure that these hats do not crash and burn into one another. Also, it is stated that the more a teacher demands or expects from students and the give the praise they deserve, students learn more and feel better about themselves. 4. Student Peer Groups and Alienation: Student culture is solely based on looks and style. When teacher/administration comes into conflict with students, this type of conflict can lead to alienation and sometimes even negative behavior. It is very evident that student cultures do play an important role in shaping students' educational experiences. 5. Education in Inequality: It is power, income, and property in which distributes society. This highly effects students' in society by blocking mobility because of the structural inequalities which can have little or much to do with an individuals capabilities through all stages of life.
3. Functionalism: Functionalist view society as a machine where one part articulates with another to produce energy which is required to make society function; Social Order. Conflict Theory: Conflict Sociologist emphasize on struggle, where schools are compared to a battlefield. (student vs. teacher, teacher vs. administration). Interactionalism: Interactionalism is the process by which students are labeled as gifted or learning disabled. These are from an interactional point of view.
4. Politics of Education
4.1. 1. Intellectual: to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, mathematics, and writing; to transmit specific knowledge. 2. Political: to inculate allegiances to the existing political order; to prepare citizens who will participate in the political order; to help assimilate diverse cultural groups into a common political order. 3. Social: to help solve social problems to work as one of many institutions such as the family and the church to ensure social cohesion. 4. Economic: to prepare students for their later occupational roles into the division of labor; a degree to which schools directly prepare students for work.
4.1.1. 1. The Role of School: The Liberal Perspective - Liberals place a heavy emphasis on issues of equality, especially equality of opportunity because there is an ensure that equality of opportunity exist, and to minimize exceedingly great differences in life changes and outcomes. 2. Explanations of Unequal Performance: The Radical Perspective - believe that students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds begin school with unequal opportunities. Such conditions result in educational failure by the economic system, not the educational system. Only change in the political- economic structure can cause better equality. 3. Definition of Educational Problems: The Conservative Perspective - Schools have lost their traditional role of teaching moral standards and values. Schools have lost their traditional disciplinary function and often become chaotic. (refer to this problem as the decline of authority)
5. History of U.S. Education
5.1. 1918: The NEA's Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education argues for the broadening of the functions of the high school to include civic, vocational, and social responsibilities ushering in the life-adjustment period of U.S. Education.
6. Sociology of Education
7. Philosophy of Education
8. Schools as Organizations
8.1. * the major stakeholders in YOUR district by name (state senators, House of Representatives, state superintendent, representative on state school board, local superintendent, and local school board)
8.1.1. Senator: Ricahard Shelby , 105 House of Representatives, State Superintendent: Michael Sentance, since 2016. Local Superintendent: Scottsboro, Dr. Sandra Spivey. Local School Board Members: President: Mrs. Hollie Thompson, Vice President: Mr. John Esslinger, Members: Mrs. Julie Gentry, Mrs. Patricia Stewart, Mr. Jason Williams
8.2. * identify and describe the elements of change within school processes and school cultures
8.2.1. There are four elements of change that apply to all schools: Conflict- It is previously hidden problems, issues, and disagreements that surface among a school’s atmosphere and only with staff involvement in reconstruction can grasp and manage that leads to resolved conflict. New Behaviors- It is new behaviors that must be learned in order to establish new relationships, which leads to better communication and collaboration. Team Building- This must extend for the entire school, Shared decision making is key in order to maintain proper and open relationships. If not, this may lead to a “resistance to change”. Process and Content- These are both interrelated. In the substance of a project, this depends on the degree of trust openness that is built up between the team and also with the school itself.
9. Curriculum & Pedagogy
9.1. 1. Explain a curriculum theory which you advocate (humanist, social efficiency, developmentalist, or social meliorist).
9.2. 2. Identify and describe the two dominant traditions of teaching.
10. Equality of Opportunity
10.1. Describe how class, race, and gender each impact educational outcomes.
10.1.1. Schools and their societies are highly stratified. Educational and social mobility play a major role in an individuals life experience. (Social Stratification) CLASS- students who are in different social classes have different types of educational experiences, such as, the longer a student attends school, the more likely it is he/she needs parental financial support. Class is directly related to achievement and to educational attainment. RACE- A students race has a direct impact on how much education one can or will receive. Within the U.S. nature in society, it is extremely difficult to separate race from class. GENDER- With the opposite of the past, today, females are less likely to drop out of school than males and have a higher level of reading proficiency . Surprisingly, it is males who will more likely test higher on the SAT’s than females because of their higher proficiency in math.
10.2. What were the two responses to the Coleman Study from 1982?
10.2.1. Response to the Coleman Study, 1982: *Public vs. Catholic Schools- differences do exists that were statistically significant, but in terms of significant differences in learning, the results were negligible. *Where an individual goes to school is often related to her race an socioeconomic background, but the racial and socioeconomic composition of a school has a greater effect on student achievement than an individual’s race and class.
11. Education Inequality
11.1. Explain the two types of cultural deprivation theory.
11.1.1. 1. African-American children do less well in school because they adapt to their oppressed position in the class and caste structure. ( John Ogbu suggest that school success requires that African-American student deny their own cultural identities and accept the dominant culture of the schools). 2. See working-class and nonwhite students as resisting the dominant culture of the schools. From this point of view, these individual students reject the white middle-class culture of academic success and embrace a different, often anti school culture—one which is opposed to the culture of schooling as it currently exists.
11.2. Describe at least four school-centered explanations for educational inequality.
11.2.1. #1 Effective School Research— In attempt to explain differences in academic performance among all groups of students in the same school? (This leads to the result of individual differences in intelligence or initiative. #2 Curriculum & Pedagogic Practices— “School Climates” affect academic performances. Schools in Middle-class communities are more likely to have less authoritarian and more student-centered Pedagogic practices. #3 Curriculum & Ability Grouping— The fact that different groups of students in the same schools preform very differently suggest that there may be school characteristics that affect these outcomes. (At Elementary School level, students are automatically divided into reading groups and separate classes based on teacher recommendation, state test scores, and even sometimes characteristics such as race, gender, or class. #4 Gender & Schooling— Feminists agree that schooling often limits the educational opportunities and life chances of women in many of ways. ( Boys and girls are socialized differently through a type of variety of school processes such as curriculum materials portray men’s and women’s roles often in stereotypical and traditional ways ).
12. Educational Reform
12.1. Describe two school-based reforms (school-based, school-business partnerships, privatization, school-to-work programs, teacher education or teacher quality)
12.1.1. School-based Partnerships—It was in the 1980’s that business leaders became unceasingly concerned that the nation’s schools weren’t producing the type of graduates that would become necessary for a type of revitalization for the U.S. economy, this is when many school-business partnerships were formed. ( EX: Boston Compact ) Privatization— Within the years of the 1990’s, private education companies slowly increased and becoming involved in public education in a handful of ways, such as for-profit companies such as Edison Company, who took over the management of failing schools and districts.
12.2. Describe at two societal, economic, community, or political reforms
12.2.1. School-based Partnerships—It was in the 1980’s that business leaders became unceasingly concerned that the nation’s schools weren’t producing the type of graduates that would become necessary for a type of revitalization for the U.S. economy, this is when many school-business partnerships were formed. ( EX: Boston Compact ) Privatization— Within the years of the 1990’s, private education companies slowly increased and becoming involved in public education in a handful of ways, such as for-profit companies such as Edison Company, who took over the management of failing schools and districts.