My Foundations of Education
von Samantha Scanlon
1. Educational Inequality
1.1. Explanation of Unequal Educational Achievement: Functionalist Theory:
1.2. 1.) Concerned about the existence of profound and persistent inequalities.
1.3. 2.) Believe that the role of schools is to provide a fair and meritocratic selection process for sorting out the best and brightest individuals, regardless of family background.
1.4. Vision of a just society is one where individual talent and hard work based on universal principles of evaluation are more important than ascriptive characteristics based on particularistic methods of evaluation.
1.5. Expect that the schooling process will produce unequal results, but these results ought to be based on individual differences between students, not on group differences.
1.6. Unequal educational outcomes are the result of unequal educational inequality.
2. Politics of Education
2.1. Perspective
2.1.1. 1.) Conservative
2.2. Vision
2.2.1. Traditional
3. Philosophy of Education
3.1. Progressivism
3.2. To teach students alternative and fundamental ways of learning that encourage growth.
3.3. Key Researchers: John Dewey
3.4. Goal of Education: Children are encouraged to develop and map their own course of study.
3.5. Role of the Teacher: More of a facilitator rather than authoritative, autocratic figure in the classroom. The progressive teacher encourages critical thinking skills in order to allow students to become independent learners.
3.6. Method of Instruction: Suggests that children can learn both individually and in groups. Problem-solving methods, hands-on activities, and group-based learning are incorporated.
3.7. Nature of Curriculum: Field Trips, outdoor classrooms, etc., are implemented to encourage a more organic way of learning.
4. History of U.S. Education
4.1. The Emergence of the Public High School:
4.1.1. Was not just voluntary anymore
4.1.2. Main Goals: 1.) Health 2.) Command of fundamental processes 3.) Worthy home-membership 4.) Vocation 5.) Citizenship 6.) Worthy use of leisure 7.) Ethical Character
4.1.3. Historical Interpretation: Conservative Perspective