1. Equality of Oppertunity
1.1. Race, gender, and class are all important things we as teachers need to take into consideration when in regards to our students. Those three things play a huge role in each of our student's lives. We as teachers must always be aware of how race, class and gender effect our classroom. Teachers need to make sure all students have equality in those areas and that no student feels left out or unloved because of their race, gender or class.
1.1.1. Race: Unfortunately race will always be an issue in our world. As much as I would love to say it isn't or it will not always be this way; I know it will. It most definitely plays a role in education. Kids are bullied everyday in schools.
1.1.2. Class: Class plays a role in education. When a student is ready to attend college they will have to pay for it, receive scholarships, or obtain student loans. One's class effects how they will pay for college.
1.1.3. Gender: There was a time when woman were not allowed to attend college. Clearly gender was the cause of that. I am thankful that has changed and we are able to attend college and earn degrees.
2. Politics of Education
2.1. Four Purposes of Education
2.1.1. Intellectual
2.1.1.1. Schools provide intellectual growth.
2.1.2. Political and Civic
2.1.2.1. Schools teach students that the U.S. is the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.
2.1.3. Economic
2.1.3.1. Prepares students for their desired occupations.
2.1.4. Social
2.1.4.1. Skills that are honed in the K12 classroom.
2.2. Conservative Perspective
2.2.1. Role of the school: to provide the student with the best education to ensure they reach their potential.
2.2.2. Unequal Performance: Groups and individuals do well or poorly based on their own intelligence, work ethic, and initiative.
2.2.3. Definition of Educational Problems: Decline of Standards
3. Sociological Perspectives
3.1. Theoretical perspective between school and society
3.1.1. Fuctionalism: The social needs they serve in our social system. (school-society)
3.1.2. Conflict: See schools as a tool of domination.
3.1.3. Interactionalism: Social interaction within the classroom and in other areas of the school.
3.2. Effects of Schooling on Individuals
3.2.1. Employment: Majority of students think they will have better job opportunities once they graduate from college
3.2.2. Education and Schooling: The more education a student has leads to education and social mobility.
3.2.3. Teacher Behavior: Teachers have a major impact on how students perform academically.
3.2.4. Tracking: has a major impact on student mobility
3.2.5. Gender: a way schools reproduce inequalities.
4. Philosophy of Education
4.1. Pragmatism
4.1.1. Encourages people to find processes that work in a way to accomplish their goals.
4.1.2. George Sanders Pierce, William James, John Dewey
4.1.3. Comes from the Greek word pragma, which means work.
4.1.4. Study the past
4.1.5. Action oriented and experientially grounded
4.1.6. Generic Notion: Children would learn experientially and from books as well as traditional information.
4.1.7. Function as preparation for life in a democratic society
4.1.8. The teacher becomes the peripheral position of facilitator according to page 189 of our text
4.1.9. Problem solving or inquiry method
4.1.10. Particular subject matter studied by students.
5. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Lawrence County, Alabama Educational Steakholders
5.1.1. School Board Members: Shannon Terry, Gary Bradford, Christine Garner, Reta Waldrep, and Dr. Beth Vinson
5.1.2. Superintendent: Jon Brett Smith
5.1.3. State Superintendent: Michael Sentance
5.1.4. House of Representatives: Robert Aderholt
5.1.5. Senators: Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions
5.1.6. State School Board Representative: Yvette Richardson-Vice President
5.2. Elements of change within school processes and school cultures
5.2.1. Conflict: Problems that were hidden before, issues and disagreements teachers had are allowed to be brought to the surface
5.2.2. New behaviors have to be learned. Communication and trust have to be built.
5.2.3. Team Building: All the staff must work together and reach decisions together in order to make change happen.
5.2.4. Process and Content: The way (process) a team of teachers goes about a plan effects the content. In order for students to learn the content teachers must do a great job of processing how they will teach it.
6. History of U.S. Education
6.1. Standards Movement
6.1.1. No Child Left Behind
6.1.2. Parents have the right to choose between public schools or private schools.
6.1.3. A Nation at Risk
6.1.4. Charter Schools
6.1.5. Standardized testing for the achievement of students.
6.1.6. Move toward setting academic goals and assessments.
6.2. Conservation Perspective
6.2.1. More culture influence needed
6.2.2. Equal opportunity for students to succeed.
6.2.3. Standardized testing has resulted in public schools taking over.
6.2.4. Diane Ravitch
6.2.5. Political and social objectives have hurt our education goals.
6.2.6. We have not achieved the ability to bridge the gap between poor and rich people.