1. History of US Education
1.1. Reform Movement
1.1.1. The Post World II Era was the most influence to me because of the changes that came about to the field of education during this time period. The biggest reform was the desegregation, and the push to make schooling equal of any and all American citizen.
1.2. Historical Interpretation of U.S. Education
1.2.1. In the 1980's education was widely criticized by conservatives. They blame the failure of progressive education for trying to fill social goals without sacrificing quality. They view that US education has evolved academics have suffered.
2. Sociology of Education
2.1. Functionalism
2.1.1. from an educational point of view Functionalism should create curricula that encourages social unity. Everything in society is intertwined.
2.2. Conflict Theory
2.2.1. Conflict theory sees the motivation behind education as keeping up social separation, and the people in power remain in power . Conflict theorists see the same functions of education as functionalists do.
2.3. Interactional Theory
2.3.1. Communication between teachers and students lay out what is expected from the student both in their educational performance and in their behavior, too.
2.4. The Five effects of Schooling
2.4.1. 1. Knowledge and Attitudes-research has shown the more a student is in school the more they learn. It also shows that the more education they have, they are more likely to read other things outside the school, therefore leading to even more knowledge.
2.4.1.1. 2.Employment- desire of a future job can lead to a student seeking education. Higher education can lead to higher pay, which is attractive to students.
2.4.1.1.1. 3. Teacher Behavior-student more hours a with a teacher than they do with their own parents. A teacher behavior needs to be influential to the students that will help and grow them into model citizen.
2.4.2. 4. Tracking-is the placing of students in programs based their abilities and preferences.
2.4.2.1. 5. Student Peer groups and Alienation-Students that fall into certain "undesirable" peer groups can face alienation, therefor making school and unpleasant experience.
3. Philosophy of Education
3.1. Pragmatism is a philosophy that encourages people to find that Processes that work in order to achieve their desired end. The founders of Pragmatism are George Sanders Peirce, William James and John Dewey. The Genetic Notions of Dewey’s pragmatism was progress. They allowed students prepare their own courses and used learning by experience. The Goal of Education according to Dewey was to weave children into a democratic society. This would help change society into a more democratic one. The role of teacher in this view is to encourage, set in motion, and create courses of student. The teacher is not the only dispenser of knowledge in this system. They begin the teaching process and let the students teach themselves. The method of instruction in this system should start with students asking questions about what ever they want to know about. It teaches the students to more problem solving abilities. It steers learning away from memorization and more towards critical thinking. Curriculum in this style does not always stay fixed. It changes with the needs and desires of the students and the social order of the time.
4. Schools as Organizations and Teacher Professionalization
4.1. Stakeholders
4.1.1. State Senators-William Holtzclaw and Arthur Orr
4.1.2. House of Representatives- Mickey Hammon and Phil William
4.1.3. State Superintendent- Michael Sentance
4.1.4. State School Board Representative-Mary Scott Hunter
4.1.5. Local Superintendent-Dr. Tom Sisk
4.1.6. Local School Board Members-Mr. Earl Glaze, Mr. Bret McGill, Mr. Edward Winter, Mr. Charles Shoulders, Mr. Ronald Christ, and Mr. Bradley Young
4.2. School Processes and School Cultures
4.2.1. 1. Conflict is needed for change. Resources are used to resolve conflict.
4.2.2. 2. Learning new behaviors. When change occurs behaviors have to change.
4.2.3. 3. The whole school must use team building.
4.2.4. 4. The processes used are as important as the concept being changed.
5. Politics of Education
5.1. Intellectual purpose of schooling
5.1.1. To instruction students in basic reasoning skills in order to teach more specific skills. This helps students with higher level thinking skills.
5.2. Political purpose of schooling
5.2.1. To instill loyalty to the current political order; to get ready citizens who will take an interest in this political order; to help acclimatize various social groups into a typical political order, and to show children the basic laws of society.
5.3. Social purpose of schooling
5.3.1. To help tackle social issues; to fill in as one of many organizations, for example, the family and church to guarantee social attachment; and involve children into different parts, practices, and estimations of the public. This procedure alluded to by sociologists as socialization, is a key to fixing the steadiness of any general public
5.4. Economic purpose of schooling
5.4.1. To get students ready for their future jobs and to choose, prepare, and dispense people into the work force. Schools have an play an important, if hidden role in this.
5.5. The Role of the School
5.5.1. The role of the school can be seen from differing perspectives: the conservative and the liberal. The conservative approach sees the job of the school is to teach children in order for the best to benefit society. It sees the school as there to benefit the economic productivity and social stability. The liberal view sees the role of the school as to provide the education so that all students have the same chance in society. It sees the school as balancing the needs and individual equally.
6. Curriculum and Pedagogy
6.1. The Developmentalist theory focuses more on the needs of the students than on the needs of society. It is student centered and it follows their interests.
6.2. Traditions of Teaching
6.2.1. Mimetic Traditions- purpose of education is to transmit knowledge to students. This is done through the didactic method. This method uses lecture or presentation to transmit the knowledge.
6.2.2. Transformative Tradition-the purpose is to change the student in different ways. They also believe that teaching and learning are linked and there is no authoritarian relationship between the student and teacher.
7. Equality of Opportunity
7.1. Class- different social classes have different educational experiences. Upper Class, typically have a better education. They are excepted to stay in school more than lower class.
7.2. Race can impact how much education a person has. Minority students have less and lower educational opportunities than white students.
7.3. Gender- The gap between male and female have closed over years, yet women are still discriminated against. Women have a higher proficiency in all academic areas except for math.
7.4. Coleman Study from 1982
7.4.1. One Response-Private Schools are more conducive to learning than public schools are. Public schools expect more from their students.
7.4.2. Second Response- A person typically goes to school that is related to their race or class. The class and racial makeup of the school is more important than the race or class of the student.
8. Education Inequality
8.1. Cultural Deprivation
8.1.1. 1.Working class and minority families do not have the needed cultural resources for educations and go to school with a disadvantage.
8.1.2. 2. Policy amid at developmental programs that aim at the family and not necessarily the school. These are programs like the Head Start program and preschool programs.
8.2. Four School Centered
8.2.1. 1. School Financing- There is a difference between the funding of poor districts and poorer districts. The largest part of a school's funding comes form property taxes. If the area is poorer, there are lower property taxes, then there is less funding.
8.2.2. 2. Gender- Feminists believe that school can limit the opportunities in education and life for women. Curriculum can portray men and women's roles in traditional and non-traditional ways.It can paint women in a poor light and lift men up to a higher position.
8.2.3. 3. Curriculum and Ability Grouping- Students are grouped according to their grade levels and receive pretty close to the same curriculum. Students are further grouped by their individual abilities.
8.2.4. 4. Curriculum and Pedagogic Practices- Schools in higher socio-class areas are expected to have higher achievements. They are expected to work harder.They have higher standards than lower socio-economic class schools.
9. Education Reform
9.1. School Base Reforms
9.1.1. School-Business Partnership-Over the years, entrepreneurs have set up foundations that have given money to schools. This had helped with educational reform.
9.1.2. Privatization- Cities hire states to take over failing school systems. They can be failing academically or financially.
9.2. Societal, Community, Economic, and Political Reforms
9.2.1. 1. School Finance Reforms-More funding was needed for the poorer school districts. New programs were to be set up in order to minimize differences.
9.2.2. 2. Harlem Children Zone- Geoffrey Canada set up programs for parents before their children are born. It is a sort of "Baby College". It teaches parents how to converse with child, a good home environment, and discipline.