1. United States Educational System vs Germany Educational System
1.1. College
1.1.1. United States
1.1.1.1. College is not free
1.1.1.2. Not many breaks throughout the day
1.1.1.3. Heavily focused on sports and school spirit
1.1.1.4. Curriculum based with standardized tests
1.1.2. Germany
1.1.2.1. College is free, with the exception of private colleges.
1.1.2.2. Numerous breaks
1.1.2.3. Not focused on school spirit or sports
1.1.2.4. Do not have standardized tests but do have students separated by the grades they make in the classroom.
2. Politics of Education
2.1. Radical
2.2. Traditional
2.2.1. Within the traditional method of teaching comes the idea that education is needed for life. Education is important to succeed in society.
2.2.2. Teachers play an important role of authority and giving out information needed to succeed.
2.2.3. Students are taught with books, worksheets, and lectures.
3. Curriculum and Pedagogy
3.1. Behaviorism
3.1.1. Education in the 20th century was dominated by behaviorism.
3.2. Cognitivism
3.2.1. Cognitive theorists focus on how individuals process information, monitor and manage their thinking.
3.3. Humanism
3.3.1. In this theory curriculum is after the process, not the product; focuses on personal needs, not on the subject matter.
3.4. Sociological Curriculum
3.4.1. Based on the problems and needs of society.
3.5. Techniques: Projects and group methods.
4. Equality of Opportunity
4.1. The “achievement gap” in education refers to the disparity in academic performance between groups of students.
4.1.1. This shows up in grades, standardized-test scores, course selection, dropout rates, and college-completion rates
4.2. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 ended the gaps between various student gaps.
4.3. Education for African Americans during slavery was forbidden.
4.3.1. Slaves risk their lives to educate themselves.
4.4. Howard and Fisk Universities and Hampton College were the first black colleges.
4.4.1. Opposition to African Americans being educated led to burning of schools and beating students and teachers.
4.5. The Coleman Study found that school funding levels do not significantly affect student achievement, but student background and teacher effectiveness do.
4.6. James Coleman found that black students perform better in racially-integrated classrooms, which led to desegregated busing programs. Later, Coleman found that white flight undermined the advantages of busing. (“Coleman's Study of Between-School Effects in American Education.” Boundless Sociology. Boundless, 26 May. 2016. Retrieved 21 Jul. 2016)
5. Educational Inequailty
5.1. Functionalists
5.1.1. Believe that the schooling process will produce unequal results., but the results should be produced from individuals not groups.
5.1.2. The role of the school is to provide a fair and meritocratic selection process for sorting out the "best" students regardless of family backgrounds.
5.2. Conflict theorists
5.2.1. Believe the role of schooling is to reproduce rather than eliminate inequality.
5.2.2. Concerned with both equality of opportunity and results.
5.3. Both Functionalists and Conflict theorists agree that understanding educational inequality is a difficult task.
5.4. Whereas much of the research on education and inequality focuses on the cognitive outcomes of schooling and concentrates on education attainment and achievement, research on gender and education also focuses on the non-cognitive outcomes of schooling.
6. Educational Reform
6.1. School-business partnerships
6.1.1. School-business partnerships are very important.
6.1.2. Schools and businesses work together to benefit students, teachers, and the entire community.
6.1.3. Schools need to work with businesses for many reasons but one reason is because businesses will support and fund schools.
6.2. School-to-work programs
6.2.1. These programs were made for students who were not college-bound.
6.2.2. Students could be enrolled in school and work at the same time.
6.2.3. Allowed students to explore different careers.
6.2.4. Students received valued credentials and training standards that ensured proper education was received for each career.
7. History of U.S. Education
7.1. Jean Piaget's research is the base of child development.
7.1.1. Focuses on the childs thinking, not just product.
7.1.2. Keep children active and involved.
7.1.3. Do not expect children to think adult-like.
7.1.4. Acceptance of individual differences.
7.2. Horace Mann led the movement to make education available for more students.
7.3. Public schools were believed to help children who were living in poverty.
7.4. Teachers were underpaid and most were uneducated. Many people did not want their children to attend public schools because of this reason.
7.5. The wealthy sent their children to private schools or hired tutors to come into their home.
8. Sociological Perspectives
8.1. The sociology of education is the study of how public institutions and individual experiences affect education and its outcomes.
8.2. Functional Theories
8.2.1. Functionalists view society as a kind of machine, where one part works with another part to make society work.
8.3. Knowledge and attitude plays a large role in the effects of schooling on individuals. Without proper knowledge or the desire to learn, a student will never succeed throughout school.
8.4. Most mainstream thoughts for improving education in the United States assume that our society is fundamentally sound, but that for some reason, our schools are failing.
8.5. Employment also plays a large role in the effects of schooling on individuals. When a student begins choosing a degree he/she will look at the employment options for that particular degree. The obvious, if there is little to no employment opportunities, you would probably choose a different path.
9. Philosophy of Education
9.1. Unlike traditional philosophers, existentialists focus on how their concerns impact other people.
9.2. Existentialists believe education should focus on individuals. Phenomenologists emphasize possibility.
9.3. The teacher is the role model of their classroom. Teachers set the mood and tone for the class.
9.4. Progressivism refers to the philosophy that education should be based on interactions with other people in real-life activities
9.5. Progressivism allows student-centered teaching.
9.6. Students come from many different backgrounds and it is our job, as the teachers, not to pick and choose which student is more “deserving” of an education or to decide which students’ opinion may be the “right” one. By using Progressivism, it opens a window for students to express their thoughts and ideas in the classroom with no boundaries and no restrictions.
10. Schools as Organizations
10.1. Major Stakeholders in Lamar County, AL
10.1.1. State Senators
10.1.1.1. Richard Shelby
10.1.1.2. Jeff Sessions
10.1.2. House of Representative
10.1.2.1. Robert Aderholt
10.1.3. State Superintendent
10.1.3.1. Phillip Cleveland
10.1.4. Representative on State board
10.1.5. Local Superintendent
10.1.5.1. Garth Moss
10.1.6. Local School Board
10.1.6.1. Carl Northington
10.1.6.2. Lee Mosley
10.1.6.3. Jonathan Beasley
10.1.6.4. Banks Hattaway
10.1.6.5. Terry Goodin