My Foundations of Education
Plan your projects and define important tasks and actions
My Foundations of Education
by Skylar Painter
1. Politics of Education Chapter 2
1.1. Purposes of education
1.2. 1. Intellectual purposes of schooling are to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics; to transmit specific knowledge (e.g., in literature, history, the sciences, etc.); and to help students acquire higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis.
1.3. 2. The political purposes of schooling are to inculcate allegiance to the existing political order (patriotism); to prepare citizens who will participate in this political order (e.g., in political democracies); to help assimilate diverse cultural groups into a common political order; and to teach children the basic laws of the society.
1.4. 3. The social purposes of schooling are to help solve social problems; to work as one of many institutions, such as the family and the church (or synagogue) to ensure social cohesion; and to socialize children into the various roles, behaviors, and values of the society. This process is referred to as socialization by sociologists. It is a key ingredient to the stability of any society.
1.5. 4. The economic purposes of schooling are to prepare students for their occupational roles and to select, train, and allocate individuals into the division of labor. The degree to which schools directly prepare students for work varies from society to society, but most schools have at least an indirect role in this process.
1.6. The Role of the School: The Conservative perspective. The conservative perspective sees the role of the school as providing the necessary educational training to ensure that the most talented, hard-working individuals receive the tools necessary to maximize economic and social productivity.
1.7. Definition of Educational Problems: The Radical Perspective. The radical perspective argues that the educational system has failed the poor, minorities, and women through classist, racist, sexist, and homophobic policies. The schools have stifled critical understanding of the problem of the American society through a curriculum and teaching practices that promote conformity. The traditional curriculum is classist, racist, sexist and homophobic and leaves out the cultures, histories, and voice of the oppressed. The educational system promotes inequality of both opportunity and results.
1.8. Explanations of Unequal Educational Performance: The Liberal Perspective. The liberal perspective argues that individual students or groups of students begin school with different life chances and therefore some groups have significantly more advantages than others. Therefore, society must attempt through policies and programs to equalize the playing field so that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have a better chance.
2. History of Education Chapter 3
2.1. I believe one of the most important reform movements that has influenced education is education for African-Americans. Education for African-Americans after the Civil War was severely limited. After the Roberts v. City of Boston trial, African-Americans were encouraged to establish their own segregated schools. The unequal and separate education of African-Americans in the South became a focal point of the civil rights movements of the early to mid 1900s. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision supported both separate and equal schooling. Even though they "supported" it, the civil rights advocates knew the schools were not equal at all. The advocates finally won their major victory on May 17,1954 after the decision of the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education trial. The Supreme Court ruled that state-imposed segregation of schools was unconstitutional. Several other trials happened regarding education for African-Americans. I believe this reform was so important. I cannot imagine a world with segregation in the schools.
2.1.1. The radical-revisionist historians revised the history of education in a more critical direction. The historians argue that U.S. education is the story of expanded success for different reasons with different results. They do not deny that the educational systems has expanded, but they believe it expanded to meet the needs of the elites in society for the control of the working class and immigrants, and for economic efficiency and productivity. Radical historians agree that the results of educational expansion rarely met their putative democratic aspirations. They think that each new expansion increased stratification of working-class and disadvantaged students within the system. Radical interpretation of U.S. educational history is pessimistic. While they acknowledging educational expansion, they also suggest that this process has benefited the elites more than the masses, and has not produced either equality of opportunity or results.
3. The Sociology of Education Chapter 4
3.1. 1. Functionalists- view society as a type of machine, where one part articulates with another to produce the dynamic energy required to make society work. Emile Durkheim invented sociology of education in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Functionalists assume that consensus is the normal state in society and that conflict represents breakdowns of shared values. Educational reform, from a functionalists view point, is supposed to create structures, programs, and curricula that are technically advanced, rational, and encourage social unity.
3.2. 2. Conflict Theory- Karl Marx is the founder of the conflict school in the sociology of education. He believed that the class system , separated owners from workers and workers from the benefits of their own labor, made class struggle inevitable. He then believed that the proletariat would rise and overthrow the capitalists, and establish a new society where men and women would no longer be alienated from their labor. In the conflict theory view, the glue of society is political, cultural, and military power. Another conflict sociologist, Max Weber, believed that power relations between dominant and subordinate groups structured societies, and believed class differences alone could not capture the complex ways humans form hierarchies and belief systems that make these hierarchies seem just and inevitable. In the 1960s, U.S. sociologists believed the cultural and social capital concepts are important because they suggest that, in understanding the transmission of inequalities, one ought to recognize that the cultural and social characteristics of individuals and groups are significant indicators of status and class position.
3.3. 3. Interactionalism- are critiques and extensions of the functional and conflict perspectives. Interactional theories attempt to make the commonplace strange by turning on their heads everyday taken-for-granted behaviors and interactions between students and students, and between students and teachers. In this theory, children labeled gifted or learning disabled are important to analyze, because these processes carry implicit assumptions about learning and children.
3.4. 5 Effects of Schooling on Individuals: 1. Employment- In 1986 54% of 8 million college graduates entered professional and technical jobs. It has been shown that large corporations or white collar jobs require higher levels of education. However, most research has shown that the amount of education is only weakly related to job performance. People learn how to do their jobs by doing them, not by receiving higher education. Higher education credentials, however, help you obtain higher-status jobs, that bring in more income. 2. Inadequate schools- research shows that students obtain a better education from suburban or private schools, instead of public urban schools. Urban education has failed to educate minority and poor children. 3. Teacher Behavior- Teachers have a huge impact on students and should always be good role models. Research shows that when teachers demanded more from their students, but praised and encouraged them more, the students learned more and felt better about themselves. 4. Gender- schools produce inequalities by gender discrimination. Schools should not be held accountable for this problem because it is rooted in values and organizations of society, schools seem to reflect these social problems. 5. De Facto Segregation- Research indicates that racially mixed schools benefit minorities and do not suppress white achievement. African-American students that attend racially mixed schools are more likely to graduate high school and college, unlike other African-American students that attend segregated schools.
4. The Philosophy of Education Chapter 5
4.1. Existentialism- is a modern, individualistic philosophy dated at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
4.2. 1. Generic Notions: Existentialism is considered as a particular philosophy movement that has important implications for education. Existentialists pose questions as to how their concerns impact on the lives of individuals. They believe that individuals are placed on this earth alone and must make some sense out of the chaos they encounter. Individuals are in a constant state of becoming, creating chaos and order, creating good and evil.
4.3. 2. Key Researchers: Sartre believed that "existence precedes essence" which means that people must create themselves and create their own meaning. Sartre rejected the idea of the existence of God, however, the founder of existentialism Soren Kierkergaard, was a devout Christian. He, along with other existentialists proposed "a great leap to faith" in which people might accept the existence of God.
4.4. 3. Goal of Education: Existentialists believe that education should focus on the needs of individuals, cognitively and affectively. They believe that education should stress individuality, should include discussion of the non-rational and rational world, and that the tensions of living in the world, like anxiety generated from conflict, should be addressed.
4.5. 4. Role of the Teacher: They believe teachers should understand their own "lived worlds" as well as their students in order to help their students achieve the best "lived worlds" they can. Teachers should take risks, expose themselves to resistant students, and work constantly to enable their students to become "wide awake." The role of the teacher is a personal one that carries a tremendous responsibility.
4.6. 5. Methods of Instruction: Existentialists view learning as intensely personal. They believe that each child has a different learning style and the teacher should discover what works for each child. The role of the teacher is to help students understand the world through posing questions, generating activities, and working together.
4.7. 6. Curriculum: Existentialists would choose curriculum biased toward the humanities. Literature also has meaning to them because literature is able to evoke responses in readers that might move them to new levels of awareness. Art, drama, and music is also in their curriculum because it encourages personal interaction. Existentialists believe in exposing students at early ages to problems and possibilities, and to the horrors and accomplishments humankind is capable of producing.
5. Schools as Organizations Chapter 6
5.1. Federal Alabama Senators: Richard Shelby and Luther Strange
5.2. Federal House of Representatives: Robert Aderholt
5.3. State Senators: Richard Shelby and Luther Strange
5.4. State House of Representatives: Robert Aderholt
5.5. State Superintendent: Ed Richardson
5.6. Representative on State School Board: Yvette M. Richardson
5.7. Local Superintendent: Dekalb County: Jason Barnett.
5.8. Local School Board Members: Dekalb County: Jeff Williams, Randy Peppers, Matt G. Sharp, Mark Richards, Robert Elliot.
6. Curriculum, Pedagogy, and the Transmission of Knowledge Chapter 7
6.1. Developmentalist curriculum: I chose this theory because it is student centered, and I believe this is very important. This curriculum relates to the needs and interests of the students instead of societies needs. I love how it relates the curriculum to the needs and interests of the students at certain developmental stages. Developmental curriculum stressed the importance of relating school to real life experiences of each student, that would make education come alive in a meaningful manner. Students would enjoy this curriculum more because it is personal. The developmental curriculum has also been very influential in the teacher education programs.
6.2. Two dominant traditions of teaching: mimetic tradition and transformative tradition. Mimetic tradition is based on the viewpoint that the main purpose of education is to transmit specific knowledge to the students. The best method for doing this is the didactic method. It relies on lecture or presentation as the main form of communication. This tradition assumes that the educational process involves the relationship between the teacher and the student, and that education is the transferring of information from one to another. The mimetic model stresses the importance of rational sequencing in the teaching process, and assessment of the learning process. It is a central component of the teacher education program.
6.3. Transformative tradition: believes that the purpose of education is to change the students in some meaningful way. This includes intellectually, creatively, spiritually, and emotionally. They do not see the transmission of knowledge as the only component of education. The core of this methodology is the dialectical method. Transformative educators believe that all teaching begins with the active participation of the student and results in some form of growth. This tradition rejects the scientific model of teaching and instead views teaching as and artistic endeavor.
7. Equality of Opportunity and Educational Outcomes Chapter 8
7.1. Class: Social classes can effect the educational outcomes of students. Upper and middle class families can expect their child to finish school. They can afford to pay for an education. However, the working-class would most likely have lower expectations for their children. Upper and middle class students more than likely can speak the "standard" English. Teachers think higher of these students, unlike the working-class where students do not speak the proper middle or upper class English. Students from the working-class are more likely to dropout of school.
7.2. Race: The race of an individual does have an impact on the type of education they receive. Hispanic and African-American students have a higher drop out percentage than white students. 89% of white students are able to read an an intermediate level, while Hispanic and African-American students percentage is lower. Minorities do not receive the same educational opportunities as white students. They are also rewarded less for educational attainment.
7.3. Gender: Even though women have a lower dropout rate than men today, in the past they were less likely to achieve the same educational level as a man. Men outperform women in mathematics, they score higher on the SATs, and they attend colleges that are less academically and socially prestigious than the ones men attend. Over the past 20 years, women have "caught up" with men on academic achievement.
7.4. Response 1: This response discusses the differences between a public or private Catholic school. Research has shown that private schools "do it better" than public schools. They say this because they are helping less fortunate students. The debate has not been resolved, but Baker and Riordan argued that Catholic schools have become more elite. There is evidence to support both viewpoints. Catholic schools do advantage income minority students, however, they are also becoming more elite and like other suburban public schools.
7.5. Response 2: The response from Borman and Dowling states that wherever an individual goes to school is related to his or her race and socioeconomic background. However, they believe that the racial and socioeconomic composition of the school has a greater effect on student achievement. They believe that the segregation in school based on race and socioeconomic status, and school interactions dominated by middle class play a big role in the responsibility for gaps in students achievement. They believe the education reform should focus on removing the segregation that is still in the U.S. school systems.
8. Explanations of Educational Inequality Chapter 9
8.1. Cultural Difference Theory: John Ogbu believes African-American children do not do as well in school because they have adapted to their oppressed position in the class and caste structure. He believes African-American families and schools socialize their children to deal, and stick, with their inferior life chances instead of encouraging them to use their values and skills for positions open to them. This results in lower educational attainment and performance.
8.2. Cultural Difference Theory: Working-class and nonwhite students resist the dominant cultures of the schools. These students form and embrace an anti-school culture because they ignore and reject the white middle-class culture that features academic success. The anti-school formed is one that is opposed to the culture of schooling. This results in students dropping out of school and going into the world of work.
8.3. School-Centered Explanations:
8.3.1. School Financing: The majority of public school funds come from local and property taxes. Property taxes are higher in more affluent communities , so they are able to raise larger amounts of money for schools than the poorer communities. The more affluent communities are able to provide more spending per-pupil than the poorer schools. Several researchers want to equalize school financing.
8.3.2. Effective School Research: This suggests that school-centered processes are available to help explain the unequal educational achievement by different groups of students. Coleman and his colleagues believe Catholic schools produce better academic achievement levels because of their rigorous academic curriculum and higher academic expectations. However, the effective school researchers do not provide answers on how to create effective schools.
8.3.3. Within-School Differences: Curriculum and Ability Grouping: In elementary school, students are divided into different reading groups based on standardized tests, teacher recommendations, and even race, class or gender. These students receive similar curriculum taught at different paces. Albert Shanker believes that education in the U.S. assumes that students in lower tracks are not capable of doing academic work, so the schools do not offer the students academically challenging curriculum. These expectations are confirmed when students do poorly on examinations measuring their knowledge. Shanker believes students cannot learn what they haven't been taught. He also believes these students are capable of more than teachers realize. Students would meet more expectations if the teachers demanded and expected more.
8.3.4. Gender and Schooling: Feminists agree that schools limit the educational opportunities and life chances of women in several ways. Men's and women's roles in curriculum are stereotyped. The traditional curriculum also silences women by omitting important aspects of women's history and lives from discussion. This forces feminists to call for more gender-fair curriculum. Research show that teachers are more likely to assist males with a task, but actually do the task for female students. Research also shows that schooling limits educational opportunities and life chances because the organization of schools reinforces gender roles and inequalities. An example is that men are more likely to teach secondary grades, while women are more likely to teach elementary grades. Feminists believe that school curriculum, organizations, and pedagogic practices need to be changed to address the needs of women.