1. Chapter 6: School as Organizations
1.1. Major Stakeholders in My District
1.1.1. Federal AL Senator: Richard Shelby
1.1.2. Federal AL Representative: Mo Brooks
1.1.3. State Senator: Tim Nelson
1.1.4. State Representative: Danny Crawford
1.1.5. State Superintendent: Ed Richardson (interim)
1.1.6. State School Board Representative: Mary Scott Hunter
1.1.7. Local Superintendent: Dr. Tom Sisk
1.1.8. Local School Board: Earl Glaze, Charles Shoulders, Bret McGill, Ronald Christ, Edward Winter, Bradley Young, Anthony Hilliard
1.2. Elements of Change Within:
1.2.1. School Processes
1.2.2. School Cultures
2. Chapter 7: Curriculum & Pedagogy
2.1. Curriculum Theory I Advocate
2.2. Two Dominant Traditions of Teaching
3. Chapter 8: Equality of Opportunity
3.1. Impact on Educational Outcomes
3.1.1. Class
3.1.2. Race
3.1.3. Gender
3.2. Responses to the Coleman Study in 1982
3.2.1. 1.
3.2.2. 2.
4. Chapter 9: Educational Inequality
4.1. Cultural Differences Theories
4.1.1. 1.
4.1.2. 2.
4.2. School-Centered Explanations for Educational Inequality
4.2.1. !.
4.2.2. 2.
4.2.3. 3.
4.2.4. 4.
5. Chapter 10: Educational Reform
5.1. School Based Reforms
5.1.1. 1. School-Business Partnerships
5.1.1.1. U.S. businesses decided to partner with schools to help prepare students, after they graduate, to be productive citizens and contribute to the economy. These businesses have donated millions of dollars towards educational reform, yet it has not been shown to have made any substantial change in schools. (ex. "partners in education")
5.1.2. 2. School-to-Work Programs
5.1.2.1. Provides students who are not planning to go to college an opportunity to get some hands-on experience. It incorporates classroom and on-the-job learning. It also gives students more experience in their chosen career path. (ex. tech school)
5.2. Political and Community Reforms That Impact Education
5.2.1. 1. Political Reforms
5.2.1.1. In every level of government, making sure schools are being held accountable is of great importance. Some ways to hold schools accountable are by the state implementing rewards and sanctions. Two ways the national government holds states accountable is through the No Child Left Behind act and the Race to the Top initiative.
5.2.2. 2. Community Reforms
5.2.2.1. Community based reforms are full service and community schools. The basis of this reform movement is to educate both the student and the community they live in. Full service schools function as traditional schools but also provide the community extra resources like adult education and tutoring programs, drug/alcohol and mental health programs, and job training.
6. Chapter 4: Sociology of Education
6.1. Theoretical Perspectives: Relationship Between School and Society
6.1.1. Functionalism
6.1.1.1. Schools are one part of a machine that prepares students to be moral and active members of society. Everyone works together because schools have instilled the same values in the students.
6.1.2. Conflict Theory
6.1.2.1. Society is held together because more superior groups force their will on the lower groups. School is just another place for people in higher positions of authority to make decisions for those beneath them.
6.1.3. Interactionalism
6.1.3.1. Looks at school life and the interactions between students, their peers, and teachers more closely. Examines how these interactions and the structure of education play into our society.
6.2. 5 Effects of Schooling with the Greatest Impact on Students
6.2.1. Knowledge and Attitudes
6.2.1.1. If a person is more educated they will be smarter, more active in their society, and have a high self-esteem.
6.2.2. Education and Mobility
6.2.2.1. Education gives people the opportunity to advance economically. It also allows for the possibility of social advancement.
6.2.3. Teacher Behavior
6.2.3.1. A teacher's expectations for a student can have a direct impact on their achievement.
6.2.4. Student Peer Groups and Alienation
6.2.4.1. The social groups and labels students acquire during their school years can follow them and affect the way they participate in society as adults.
6.2.5. Gender
6.2.5.1. Schools can be a place to perpetuate the cycle of gender inequalities; however the gender gap has been closing due to more attention to the problem.
7. Chapter 2: Politics of Education
7.1. Four Purposes of Education
7.1.1. Intellectual
7.1.1.1. to teach students the basics (how to read, write, and do math); expose them to literature, history and science; and help develop higher-order thinking skills
7.1.2. Political
7.1.2.1. to instill patriotism in the students; create citizens who know basic laws and participate in the political community, no matter their background
7.1.3. Social
7.1.3.1. to work together with families, churches, etc. to help solve social problems and socialize children to create a stable society
7.1.4. Economic
7.1.4.1. to prepare students for college or entering the work force so they can be active participants in the economy
7.2. Political Perspectives
7.2.1. The Role of the School
7.2.1.1. The liberal perspective is that schools should give all students the same chance to succeed, prepare them to be active citizens who respect our nation's different cultures, and make sure they are confident individuals no matter their socio-economic background.
7.2.2. Explanations of Unequal Performance
7.2.2.1. The conservative perspective believes that unequal educational achievement is a result of students either not working hard enough or simply not being smart enough.
7.2.3. The Definition of Educational Problems
7.2.3.1. The liberal perspective identifies four major educational problems: 1) poor and minority students' opportunities are limited so they underachieve, 2) schools are too worried about discipline so the individual cannot blossom, 3) students who go to schools that have a low socioeconomic background aren't given the same opportunities as those from higher backgrounds, 4) traditional material and ways of teaching do not apply to our diverse society.
8. Chapter 3: History of U.S. Education
8.1. Most Influential Reform Movement
8.1.1. I believe the most influential reform movement in education would be integration. Integration allowed black students to attend all white schools. The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education was the starting point for many different reform movements based on equal opportunity. Movements, like integration, focused on the minority receiving an equal education and I believe without it, we wouldn't have other monumental reforms such as No Child Left Behind.
8.2. Historical Interpretation of U.S. Education
8.2.1. The democratic-liberal interpretation of education in the U.S. is that schools have strived to provide students with an equal opportunity. School today is not just a place for the rich. Also, the focus of education, over time, has broadened to include the socialization of students. Their view has been positive but also realistic.
9. Chapter 5: Philosophy of Education
9.1. Existentialism
9.1.1. Generic Notions
9.1.1.1. Existentialists believe that we are here on earth and must create meaning in our lives by making choices. Thus, if we make good decisions, our lives will have order but if we make bad decisions, our lives will be chaotic.
9.1.2. Key Researchers
9.1.2.1. In regards to education, philosopher Soren Kierkegaard was at the beginning of existentialism. Martin Buber, Karl Jaspers, Jean Paul Sartre, and Maxine Greene are more recent philosophers.
9.1.3. Goal of Education
9.1.3.1. The needs of the individual and individuality should be the main focus of education. Also, education should address the stress and anxiety that living in our world creates.
9.1.4. Role of Teacher
9.1.4.1. Teachers must be open to sharing their own experiences to help empower students when making choices.
9.1.5. Method of Instruction
9.1.5.1. Teachers and students must work together as learning is very personal. The teacher must figure out each individual's learning style and work as friends to discover knowledge together.
9.1.6. Curriculum
9.1.6.1. Curriculum should be centered around literature and the arts. This material exposes students to all the possibilities, both good and bad, that we can experience and the corresponding feelings that go along with them.