http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/storyviewarchive.cgi?151+2008220.Opinion.2008215-3226-151-151029.archive+Opinion
This is a link to my hometown's local newspaper. Lancaster county is considering offering single gender classes to its students. About 90 school districts in our state are experimenting with the single gender classrooms and have found the results to be positive for learning. I think that it is interesting that schools are trying this method for teaching and that the results have found that boys and girls respond so differently to types of learning. I am not exactly sure I agree with it for all subjects but if it helps children learn better than I support it.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Aesthetics
I thought that this article was interesting. It's about the value of art education and how it can be interperted. I wonder how a Marxist would reply to the ending statement that, "art is the lie that is made true". The book says that Marxists believe that, "truth is dependent on the concepts that one's culture makes available" (47). Is our value of art controlled by the dominate culture or are our views on art and beauty of our own conception?
http://www.vusst.hr/ENCYCLOPAEDIA/aesthetic.htm
http://www.vusst.hr/ENCYCLOPAEDIA/aesthetic.htm
Replacement of the PACT?
Here is a link discussing the replacement of the PACT test in South Carolina by the approval of a bill by the S.C. House:
http://www.thestate.com/education/story/329931.html
This should offer some relief to those of us concerned about standadrized testing in this state.
http://www.thestate.com/education/story/329931.html
This should offer some relief to those of us concerned about standadrized testing in this state.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Education Lotteries
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/lotteries_and_schools/2008/01/18/65614.html
Here is an interesting article about where the money from Education Lotteries actually goes and how it is spent. Many of these lotteries are built with the promise of providing extra money to the public school system without having to raise taxes. However, the truth is that less than 5 percent of public school funding actually comes from these state lotteries. If the money isn’t going to the school systems, then where is it going? Why do we still have to pay more taxes when the lottery was built to help stop a raise in taxes? According to a study done by the New York Times, a vast majority of the money spent on lottery tickets is used to support lottery administration and help fund prizes. The more players a state receives to play the lottery, the more funding that is used to increase prizes. This therefore results in a lesser amount of money that is actually given to the school systems. If the Education Lottery actually backed up its promise to provide extra money to the public school system, then maybe we wouldn’t have to get rid of sports and extracurricular activities due to money problems. I wonder if people would stop playing the lottery if they knew that the money they were spending was not being used for the promised cause of helping the public school system.
Here is an interesting article about where the money from Education Lotteries actually goes and how it is spent. Many of these lotteries are built with the promise of providing extra money to the public school system without having to raise taxes. However, the truth is that less than 5 percent of public school funding actually comes from these state lotteries. If the money isn’t going to the school systems, then where is it going? Why do we still have to pay more taxes when the lottery was built to help stop a raise in taxes? According to a study done by the New York Times, a vast majority of the money spent on lottery tickets is used to support lottery administration and help fund prizes. The more players a state receives to play the lottery, the more funding that is used to increase prizes. This therefore results in a lesser amount of money that is actually given to the school systems. If the Education Lottery actually backed up its promise to provide extra money to the public school system, then maybe we wouldn’t have to get rid of sports and extracurricular activities due to money problems. I wonder if people would stop playing the lottery if they knew that the money they were spending was not being used for the promised cause of helping the public school system.
Professional Athletes and Teachers
This is an extension of what we were talking about in class last week concerning professional athletes and the pay they recieve. I find it especially ironic that many of the PE teachers who contribute in so many ways to the fundamentals, sportsmanship and cognitive aspects for all athletes remain underappreciated by society, yet have the respect and admiration of the athletes themselves. In addition, all PE teachers receive the same benefits as most teachers, low income salary for the work put in. We live in a money driven society, where it's not everything by any means but how far can the rewards of teaching motivate all educators to continue working hard to make things better for themselves and others? The average teacher drop out rate after the first 5 years of teaching in South Carolina is around 30%. This may be for a variety of reasons, but one would have to consider the job toughness and salary with which the job encompasses. We all take responsibilty for the jobs we choose, however, when you have a passion to do something, and understand the job which best suits you does not pay well, should money then be the foundation for which we live? Professional athletes are overpaid, but just as we discussed in class, it is a media issue. Most families want to come home, relax and enjoy television even though there views of professional athletes are altered.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Class tomorrow (or lack thereof)
There has been no progress on my kidney stone, so I have to have surgery and they found a way to work me in at the last minute for tomorrow. I doubt I will be in any condition to teach, so please use tomorrow to work on your law projects and paper.
Please email me with any questions; I will hopefully be coherent enough by tomorrow night to answer them.
Please email me with any questions; I will hopefully be coherent enough by tomorrow night to answer them.
Loss Of A Great Teacher
Last week a fellow teacher passed away unexpectedly. Eric Robinson worked on his Masters here a Winthrop and was in the same cohort as my husband. Mr. Robinson was a well respected colleague, teacher, friend and husband. I was reading the article that the Herald posted about him in today's issue (attached) and I began to think about the effect that we can all have on our students if we are anything like him. As teachers we are going to be stretched to the maximum limit, especially our first year, to reach out to the students. Mr. Robinson's involvement in his school and community are an inspiration to us all. He did not want bragging rights; he just wanted to help people. It is sad that we had to lose a wonderful mentor.
http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/382853.html
http://www.heraldonline.com/109/story/382853.html
What is the societal function of school?
February 19 notes -- Joe and Lily
We will look at how micro-activities of schooling fit into a macro-functional picture.
The text gives three basic understandings, each with a correspondent research component:
1. Functionalism -- heavy quantitative emphasis
2. Marxism -- blending of quantitative and qualitative
3. Interpretivism -- qualitative/interpretivist research
Different research theories operate from different theories of knowledge (epistemologies).
Functionalism: any societal practice can be understood by what social need it serves and the way in which it serves that need.
A good metaphor would be that society is like an organism. All organisms have to reproduce.
All societies have certain basic needs. How do they work to meet those needs?
2 basic needs emerge, according to functionalism:
1. Role differentiation -- each member has a role; this is needed for a group to maintain its existence.
2. Solidarity -- everyone understands that they are part of a group and "we're all in this together".
There is friction between these two basic needs, so other things have to occur to maintain solidarity.
As society becomes more complex, roles become more specialized; therefore, solidarity becomes more difficult.
According to functionalists, schools serve to differentiate people into roles and bind people together into solidarity. (Class gave examples of role differentiation in the tracking of different students into academic and athletic tracks; and solidarity, which involves grades, standards we have to tach and school spirit)
The family can be understood as a relatively small, simple social unit. They used to be the primary social unit a hundred years ago, when ties to family were always strong and societal ties were always mediated by family (Dr. Pope's example of Pope-Martin Road). This tie becomes weakerthe more complex society becomes. Schools have taken over this. They facilitate and are the transition from role differentiation and solidarity of society. They do this by giving children 4 norms which are necessary for children to internalize for society to function properly:
1. Independence -- being responsible for your actions. You do this by grades, homework, specific tasks and holding him/her responsible for it, doing your own work.
2. Achievement -- how you perform on assessments. Intent and effort don't matter as much; you're judged strictly on results.
3. Universalism -- a set of rules that applies to everyone regardless of anything. Who you are as an individual is not relevant as the group. You are judged based on how you behave as a member or how you deviate from that group.
4. Specificity -- there are legitimate individual exceptions to universalism, such as learning disabilities.
All of these norms are imparted by the implicit curriculum.
In addition to these 4 norms is particularism, which are exceptions made for illegitimate reasons.
In determining legitimate exceptions, it is necessary to determine what is relevant to the societal need, e.g., tall kids should be picked for the basketball team.
Each of those norms relate to equal opportunity because with equal opportunity, roles and rewards of society have to be distributed fairly; based on achievement rather than ascribed characteristics.
As society becomes more complex, we move toward equal opportunity, which is better for society and contributes to solidarity.
Equal opportunity is necessary for political stability, e.g., you are less likely to have discontent if you end up with a low paying job because you were given equal opportunity to achieve. By ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential, the more likely society's needs will be met. if the skill set is rare and difficult to achieve, the job comes with more status and reward.
Schools may serve these 3 functions that are essential for modern industrial capitalist society:
1. Assimilation -- groups become indistinguishable from the larger group, e.g., teaching immigrants to become Americans.
2. Political socialization -- recognizing that general government in society is one that should be followed; coming out of family into society. With this comes a widening of loyalty, e.g., student government.
3. Modernization -- the process of moving toward a more rationally planned market economy and the individual internalizing that as normal.
This all leads to capitalism, a liberal government where individual rights are prominent, but overseen by a bureaucracy.
Functionalists believe you will succeed in a modernized industrial state if you have all 3 of these and these are what schools do. Functionalists would believe that Iraq needs all of these.
Functionalists have had significant impact on U.S. schools over the last 50 years, particularly because of their belief in equal opportunity. Schools are the best place to see that students are given opportunity to achieve, but they also provide a sorting function.
Given the commitment to equal opportunity that the functionalistsmandate, how do we deal with inequality? There are 3 explanations:
Historical impediments: lack of opportunity is due to historical impediments that have had a cumulative effect and should be rectified with compensatory programs to enable those who have been disadvantaged to catch up, e.g., Head Start, Affirmation Action. (Liberal position)
Intellectual impediments: certain segments don't perform as well because they are intellectually inferior: therefore, these inequalities can't be overcome. (Conservative positions)
Cultural impediments: certain groups aren't as capable, but its due to their internal group culture which makes members of this group stand at odds with the dominant societal groups, e.g., poor people view money as a commodity for enjoyment, therefore if they get extra money they immediately spent it. The middle class would save it; the upper class would invest it. culture is highly resistant to change. The more schools try to accomodate these cultural differences, the less they can do their job, and regardless, they can't change the culture.
We will look at how micro-activities of schooling fit into a macro-functional picture.
The text gives three basic understandings, each with a correspondent research component:
1. Functionalism -- heavy quantitative emphasis
2. Marxism -- blending of quantitative and qualitative
3. Interpretivism -- qualitative/interpretivist research
Different research theories operate from different theories of knowledge (epistemologies).
Functionalism: any societal practice can be understood by what social need it serves and the way in which it serves that need.
A good metaphor would be that society is like an organism. All organisms have to reproduce.
All societies have certain basic needs. How do they work to meet those needs?
2 basic needs emerge, according to functionalism:
1. Role differentiation -- each member has a role; this is needed for a group to maintain its existence.
2. Solidarity -- everyone understands that they are part of a group and "we're all in this together".
There is friction between these two basic needs, so other things have to occur to maintain solidarity.
As society becomes more complex, roles become more specialized; therefore, solidarity becomes more difficult.
According to functionalists, schools serve to differentiate people into roles and bind people together into solidarity. (Class gave examples of role differentiation in the tracking of different students into academic and athletic tracks; and solidarity, which involves grades, standards we have to tach and school spirit)
The family can be understood as a relatively small, simple social unit. They used to be the primary social unit a hundred years ago, when ties to family were always strong and societal ties were always mediated by family (Dr. Pope's example of Pope-Martin Road). This tie becomes weakerthe more complex society becomes. Schools have taken over this. They facilitate and are the transition from role differentiation and solidarity of society. They do this by giving children 4 norms which are necessary for children to internalize for society to function properly:
1. Independence -- being responsible for your actions. You do this by grades, homework, specific tasks and holding him/her responsible for it, doing your own work.
2. Achievement -- how you perform on assessments. Intent and effort don't matter as much; you're judged strictly on results.
3. Universalism -- a set of rules that applies to everyone regardless of anything. Who you are as an individual is not relevant as the group. You are judged based on how you behave as a member or how you deviate from that group.
4. Specificity -- there are legitimate individual exceptions to universalism, such as learning disabilities.
All of these norms are imparted by the implicit curriculum.
In addition to these 4 norms is particularism, which are exceptions made for illegitimate reasons.
In determining legitimate exceptions, it is necessary to determine what is relevant to the societal need, e.g., tall kids should be picked for the basketball team.
Each of those norms relate to equal opportunity because with equal opportunity, roles and rewards of society have to be distributed fairly; based on achievement rather than ascribed characteristics.
As society becomes more complex, we move toward equal opportunity, which is better for society and contributes to solidarity.
Equal opportunity is necessary for political stability, e.g., you are less likely to have discontent if you end up with a low paying job because you were given equal opportunity to achieve. By ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential, the more likely society's needs will be met. if the skill set is rare and difficult to achieve, the job comes with more status and reward.
Schools may serve these 3 functions that are essential for modern industrial capitalist society:
1. Assimilation -- groups become indistinguishable from the larger group, e.g., teaching immigrants to become Americans.
2. Political socialization -- recognizing that general government in society is one that should be followed; coming out of family into society. With this comes a widening of loyalty, e.g., student government.
3. Modernization -- the process of moving toward a more rationally planned market economy and the individual internalizing that as normal.
This all leads to capitalism, a liberal government where individual rights are prominent, but overseen by a bureaucracy.
Functionalists believe you will succeed in a modernized industrial state if you have all 3 of these and these are what schools do. Functionalists would believe that Iraq needs all of these.
Functionalists have had significant impact on U.S. schools over the last 50 years, particularly because of their belief in equal opportunity. Schools are the best place to see that students are given opportunity to achieve, but they also provide a sorting function.
Given the commitment to equal opportunity that the functionalistsmandate, how do we deal with inequality? There are 3 explanations:
Historical impediments: lack of opportunity is due to historical impediments that have had a cumulative effect and should be rectified with compensatory programs to enable those who have been disadvantaged to catch up, e.g., Head Start, Affirmation Action. (Liberal position)
Intellectual impediments: certain segments don't perform as well because they are intellectually inferior: therefore, these inequalities can't be overcome. (Conservative positions)
Cultural impediments: certain groups aren't as capable, but its due to their internal group culture which makes members of this group stand at odds with the dominant societal groups, e.g., poor people view money as a commodity for enjoyment, therefore if they get extra money they immediately spent it. The middle class would save it; the upper class would invest it. culture is highly resistant to change. The more schools try to accomodate these cultural differences, the less they can do their job, and regardless, they can't change the culture.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Functionalism and Education
Here is an interesting article shedding some light on functionalism:
http://uwp.edu/~goldsmip/education/Functism.pdf
I like this article because even though it is short, it paints a good picture of structural functionalism. The author here states that structural functionalism is essential for schools to operate in accordance with their intended purposes. In my opinion, this is how schools would operate under a perfect society with no obstacles. I say this because this article does not discuss any potential obstacles that may hinder success. Success comes based on merit under structural functionalism: "Society needs the best and the brightest to function at the highest levels, therefore it gives its highest rewards to this same group of people. They will work harder than the average person to get into such a high position therefore they deserve the highest rewards." However, at the end, it discusses problems that may arise from this, like the actual degree you earn meaning more than the grades you make and those coming from a high socio-economic
background doing better than those from a low socio-economic background. This would cancel out the fact that in meritocracy, everyone has the same opportunities regardless of where they come from.
http://uwp.edu/~goldsmip/education/Functism.pdf
I like this article because even though it is short, it paints a good picture of structural functionalism. The author here states that structural functionalism is essential for schools to operate in accordance with their intended purposes. In my opinion, this is how schools would operate under a perfect society with no obstacles. I say this because this article does not discuss any potential obstacles that may hinder success. Success comes based on merit under structural functionalism: "Society needs the best and the brightest to function at the highest levels, therefore it gives its highest rewards to this same group of people. They will work harder than the average person to get into such a high position therefore they deserve the highest rewards." However, at the end, it discusses problems that may arise from this, like the actual degree you earn meaning more than the grades you make and those coming from a high socio-economic
background doing better than those from a low socio-economic background. This would cancel out the fact that in meritocracy, everyone has the same opportunities regardless of where they come from.
PE teachers vs. professional athletes
In addition to class discussion about comparing/contrasting teachers and athletes, I would like to continue the emphasis about the irony between these two specifically concerning money. Many of today's PE teachers in university's, high schools and elementary schools around the nation are developing criteria to hold students accountable for learning progress. Assessments such as rubrics, journals and port-folios. These assessments are used to give feedback and enhance the level of learning in all activities. Many staff during an interview will ask you how you plan on grading your students. These are positive changes within the PE department nationwide.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Sacrifice for Change
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/they-schools/index.html?ref=opinion
I believe this article shares some views we will be discussing in class soon. The author, with the help of lyrics from a rap group, share’s his opinion about the apparent failure of inner city schools. He believes that the curriculum is irrelevant and that the skills and knowledge students are getting are doing not much more than preparing them for the “menial labor force”. To be honest I was quite emotional after reading this article and you will probably have to read it to make much sense of my comments. At first I wanted to say a lot of the problems mentioned in the article are not the schools or the teachers’ fault nor necessarily their responsibility, but after taking some time to think it over I feel both the school and society have a part to play in the solution.
First of all, I think control of the classrooms and halls is necessary. No teacher can teach or student can learn in an environment that is chaotic and unsafe. However we do need to explain the purpose of the rules better to students even if they seem pretty clear. The goal we should desire is to have a controlled class environment due to students that are interested and engaged in class instruction and not because they are afraid of the consequences of breaking the rules.
In response to school not being relevant because, according to the rap lyrics, it does not teach “how to get crack out the ghetto”, “how to get our rent paid”, or not “teaching our families how to interact better with each other”, I first thought that although these are problems that need to be addressed they are social problems that are not necessarily the schools responsibility. After continuing to think about this I came to the realization that in many of these inner city schools teachers may spend more time with these students then anyone else. If we truly want to see changes in the lives of these students as well as their education, the teachers and the school administrators need to be involved not only with the students but with their families and the community as well. To achieve this change it will require personal and probably some professional sacrifices as well. I’m not sure many teachers are aware of the sacrifices required or willing to take them. I’m also not sure that those teachers willing to make these sacrifices will find the support they need from administration and society.
I think if society truly desires a change, and I am becoming more aware that some members do not, then drastic changes may be required. The school systems may need to take a step back from standardizing curriculum and test and reach out to the local community to find what the real needs are and how they can meet them.
I believe this article shares some views we will be discussing in class soon. The author, with the help of lyrics from a rap group, share’s his opinion about the apparent failure of inner city schools. He believes that the curriculum is irrelevant and that the skills and knowledge students are getting are doing not much more than preparing them for the “menial labor force”. To be honest I was quite emotional after reading this article and you will probably have to read it to make much sense of my comments. At first I wanted to say a lot of the problems mentioned in the article are not the schools or the teachers’ fault nor necessarily their responsibility, but after taking some time to think it over I feel both the school and society have a part to play in the solution.
First of all, I think control of the classrooms and halls is necessary. No teacher can teach or student can learn in an environment that is chaotic and unsafe. However we do need to explain the purpose of the rules better to students even if they seem pretty clear. The goal we should desire is to have a controlled class environment due to students that are interested and engaged in class instruction and not because they are afraid of the consequences of breaking the rules.
In response to school not being relevant because, according to the rap lyrics, it does not teach “how to get crack out the ghetto”, “how to get our rent paid”, or not “teaching our families how to interact better with each other”, I first thought that although these are problems that need to be addressed they are social problems that are not necessarily the schools responsibility. After continuing to think about this I came to the realization that in many of these inner city schools teachers may spend more time with these students then anyone else. If we truly want to see changes in the lives of these students as well as their education, the teachers and the school administrators need to be involved not only with the students but with their families and the community as well. To achieve this change it will require personal and probably some professional sacrifices as well. I’m not sure many teachers are aware of the sacrifices required or willing to take them. I’m also not sure that those teachers willing to make these sacrifices will find the support they need from administration and society.
I think if society truly desires a change, and I am becoming more aware that some members do not, then drastic changes may be required. The school systems may need to take a step back from standardizing curriculum and test and reach out to the local community to find what the real needs are and how they can meet them.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
How To Make Good Teachers
This article is Time Magazine's current cover story, and it is an examination of the state of teaching and teachers in America, and it examines a great deal of the topics that we covered towards the end of class on Tuesday evening. The collaborative work of the authors on this article uncovers and explores reasons for the teacher shortage, as well as, a very poor retention rates throughout the country.
From this framework the authors then examine various plans that have been proposed to attempt stem the tide of an education system that seems to be heading in the wrong direction. How can/do you truly reward those brilliant educators for a job well done? Though it gives it great consideration, the article moves beyond the merit pay option and begins exploring alternative avenues to reward. I was especially interested in the TAP system discussed towards the latter half of the article, because I feel that it is going to take this type of (teacher included) thinking to come to a viable and sustainable solution for the future.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1713174,00.html
From this framework the authors then examine various plans that have been proposed to attempt stem the tide of an education system that seems to be heading in the wrong direction. How can/do you truly reward those brilliant educators for a job well done? Though it gives it great consideration, the article moves beyond the merit pay option and begins exploring alternative avenues to reward. I was especially interested in the TAP system discussed towards the latter half of the article, because I feel that it is going to take this type of (teacher included) thinking to come to a viable and sustainable solution for the future.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1713174,00.html
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
American Students Struggle to Compete
I'm posting an article and its coinciding video about a documentary that follows 2 American public school students, 2 Indian students and 2 Chinese students throughout high school. The documentary is titled 2 million minutes which is how many minutes students spend in 4 years of high school. The article and video is about how the students in each country spend those 2 million minutes and why based on that American students are not able to compete with students from India and China. The filmmaker goes on to say that the differences have to do with culture rather than academics. Students in India and China have higher expectations. The schools in both countries have a stronger foundation on Math, Science and Technology which are where most jobs are in the 21st century which is why the film asks can American students compete with their foreign counterparts. American schools provide a more diverse education which not only encourages math and science but also language arts and other subjects. In some of our earlier classes we discussed why people no longer have faith in the school system and why there is such a great deal of importance placed on testing. It has as much to do with our school systems rank in the world and its competitiveness with the world. Whether that is a good reason or not is really up to the individual.
I am an American born Indian thankful that I'm wasn't educated in India because my math and science skills would be an embarrassment to the nation. :)
Here are the links: They work this time
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=4313028&page=1
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/251.7/popup/index.php?cl=6523002
http://www.2mminutes.com/
I am an American born Indian thankful that I'm wasn't educated in India because my math and science skills would be an embarrassment to the nation. :)
Here are the links: They work this time
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=4313028&page=1
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/251.7/popup/index.php?cl=6523002
http://www.2mminutes.com/
Single Gender Schools in the News
The Green County, Georgia schools have mandated that the schools throughout the district will go to a single gender format starting next Fall. This has caused many pro and con opinions to be expressed on the subject of single gender instruction. The first two links concern the Green County schools and the last link addresses single gender schooling here in South Carolina.
I applaud Green County for trying a new, to their schools, approach for education as their current school performance has been deemed by the school's superintendent asless than adequate. He states that teachers will be trained on maximizing the teaching and learning benefits of single gender education. Reseach has shown that single gender school format they are moving to benefits the students, and the top levels of school administration support the change as well as teacher education and development. These factors will help support the success of the move to single gender education. As a mother of a middle school age child, I support the separation of children by gender, especially for the middle grades. Note that the children will not be isolated from each other as bussing and extracurricular activities will still be inclusive of boys and girls. My concern for this change in Green County is about the public opposition, in light of Tyack and Cuban's grammar of schooling principle. It will be exciting to watch how this change is implemented in Georgia, the success or failure of the change, and the length of time the program is continued. It will be interesting to note if any unintended consequences of this change are experienced by the school district and how those events are dealt with.
I was surprised to learn how many schools in SC offer single gender education - about 70 just now. I'll be looking them up to see if any are in our Rock Hill vicinity.
Green County Schools: Atlanta Journal article 14 Feb
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/02/14/gaschools_0215.html
Green County Schools: ABC News coverage 18 Feb
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Story?id=4306768&page=1
ABC News coverage of SC public single gender schools
Teachers in Functionalism
I am going to attempt to put my thoughts together in regards to our class discussion about how teachers fit into the functionalist school of thought. I have gathered that based on functionalist thought, school is a much needed part of society as it builds a bridge from family to the general society with an emphasis on "the hidden curriculum" in education; therefore we can establish that good teachers are essential participants in a complex technological society and we can safely say that teachers make a substantial contribution to the "economic, political, and social institutions of that society". To establish this point even further, we have mentioned in past classes that good teachers have not been able to be replaced by modern technologies and other reform movements through American education history.
Where teachers and society seem to struggle with is the way that teachers are rewarded and on what basis. Although I am not a teacher yet, this has been a topic that keeps grabbing my attention as it is highly discussed among the teacher/student community that I am beginning to get acquainted with. The fact that functionalist school of thought does not acknowledge good intentions and hard work but rather achievement is in my opinion one of the reasons that we have such struggle. Achievement has to be defined and functionalism fails to do so in terms of hard work and good intentions which are qualities that a good teacher must possess to be successful in their field.
Functionalism also argues that different people posses different qualities that place them in different levels of jobs (role differentiation). Feinberg and Soltis give an example of this when they explain based on the functionalist view, why a doctor makes more money than a teacher. Once again, in my opinion, this view also creates conflict among the teacher and society in regards to how the former is compensated. But the conflict doesn't seem to be based on teachers believing that they should make as much money as other professions such as a doctor; although some may think so. We all know that bad doctors kill people right (I had to do it)? There seems to be a general decadence in the qualities that society believes a good teacher should have; a general sense of being under valued. Functionalists react to society and how each individual group contributes to it, but we have to remember that society itself and its complexity will set the general environment in which we are to contribute. As mentioned yesterday in class: Right now for the teacher profession, we are dealing with a shortage that is inevitably bringing the quality of teachers down by opening up the field of education to people who may not be suited for the field. This environment falsely, inaccurately, and sometimes unconsciously makes the teacher profession and its characteristics less valuable and unappreciated by our society.
I would have to add that functionalists would probably be pro merit pay for teachers but they would have a very hard time deciphering how to evaluate that merit. Right now, accountability tests are mainly measuring the "manifest functions" of school and we do not all agree that they do it well. Furthermore, these tests do not measure the "latent" function of schools which the functionalists seem to be very concerned with. A functionalist and I would have to agree on the fact that standardized tests are not enough to measure teacher achievement. I can also see how a "hard-core" functionalist would go as far as viewing schools as a small society where different teachers at different grade levels and subject matters are rewarded accordingly.
Where teachers and society seem to struggle with is the way that teachers are rewarded and on what basis. Although I am not a teacher yet, this has been a topic that keeps grabbing my attention as it is highly discussed among the teacher/student community that I am beginning to get acquainted with. The fact that functionalist school of thought does not acknowledge good intentions and hard work but rather achievement is in my opinion one of the reasons that we have such struggle. Achievement has to be defined and functionalism fails to do so in terms of hard work and good intentions which are qualities that a good teacher must possess to be successful in their field.
Functionalism also argues that different people posses different qualities that place them in different levels of jobs (role differentiation). Feinberg and Soltis give an example of this when they explain based on the functionalist view, why a doctor makes more money than a teacher. Once again, in my opinion, this view also creates conflict among the teacher and society in regards to how the former is compensated. But the conflict doesn't seem to be based on teachers believing that they should make as much money as other professions such as a doctor; although some may think so. We all know that bad doctors kill people right (I had to do it)? There seems to be a general decadence in the qualities that society believes a good teacher should have; a general sense of being under valued. Functionalists react to society and how each individual group contributes to it, but we have to remember that society itself and its complexity will set the general environment in which we are to contribute. As mentioned yesterday in class: Right now for the teacher profession, we are dealing with a shortage that is inevitably bringing the quality of teachers down by opening up the field of education to people who may not be suited for the field. This environment falsely, inaccurately, and sometimes unconsciously makes the teacher profession and its characteristics less valuable and unappreciated by our society.
I would have to add that functionalists would probably be pro merit pay for teachers but they would have a very hard time deciphering how to evaluate that merit. Right now, accountability tests are mainly measuring the "manifest functions" of school and we do not all agree that they do it well. Furthermore, these tests do not measure the "latent" function of schools which the functionalists seem to be very concerned with. A functionalist and I would have to agree on the fact that standardized tests are not enough to measure teacher achievement. I can also see how a "hard-core" functionalist would go as far as viewing schools as a small society where different teachers at different grade levels and subject matters are rewarded accordingly.
Why I Disagree with Functionalism
I believe functionalism is fundamentally flawed. Standing on capitalistic ideologies this paradigm presents two problems. First, it creates an unequal starting ground for students and thus destroys a tenant on which it stands. Secondly, the functionalistic mindset undermines the society as a whole.
Every student is subject to different strengths and weakness due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. An effort should be made for everyone to receive and equal education. Functionalism believes that once equal education is granted, personal attributes such as merit, skill and motivation will determine whether or not a job with high reward will be achieved. School would then function to sort individuals into specific job areas and society would improve. I disagree on the basis that educational opportunities are not equal, and will never be, if functionalism operates on a nationalistic level. Functionalism at a nationalistic level would dictate that monetary rewards should be given to those of a particular skill set which society, justifiably or not, has deemed important. Such a system will inevitably create poverty. Poverty, in turn, will effect equal education as low economic standing has proven to be detrimental to learning. Children born into homes of low economic status are subject to issues such as poor medical attention and malnutrition which effect (even at a biological level) ability in several areas. This creates an unequal starting ground meaning that functionalism will never properly operate.
Functionalism undermines the nation it is operating. Specifying students into particular fields they are especially skilled in will kill what is left of a liberal education. If a society needs great economists, molecular biologists, and political scientists, and rewards are only comprehended as monetary gain, fields of expertise will become narrow-minded and the “organism” of society will become dismantled as solidarity is not compatible with competition. Here is an example. A great agricultural businessman may come up with an idea that will benefit his company. This idea is to create a corn seed that will self-terminate after one year. This would mean consumers of his product (farmers) would have to buy his product yearly and would increase his profits. To achieve his ends, he hires a great molecular biologist that designs such a seed. Now both have done a great job in their particular field and are rewarded monetarily because they are skilled at what they do. Farmers are now required to buy more seed, which they are not compensated for, because the business men and women who own the distribution companies will not pay more for corn. Now farmers are going out of business and the nation as a whole suffers. This story, as well as many like it, have been playing out in the US. How can we solve such problems? One solution would be to take a larger approach, outside functionalism, by incorporating more holistic ideologies and education. If molecular biologists or business men and women viewed their actions on a whole, seeing how their decisions effect other professions and national well being, problems like the story above would start to resolve. As it is, monetary gain, the reward for filling a particular societal need, is the only drive for education. (This is a functional mindset.) A liberal education would not be pursued because direct relevance to societal needs is not as easily perceived.
Functionalism can now be seen self-defeating at the level of the school and nation. I also disagree with it as it only serves the needs of particular nation and has no regard in serving the needs of other countries. What do we want to teach our students? As teachers we cannot commit to purely training our students to narrow areas that will only benefit particular sects of a particular society.
Every student is subject to different strengths and weakness due to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. An effort should be made for everyone to receive and equal education. Functionalism believes that once equal education is granted, personal attributes such as merit, skill and motivation will determine whether or not a job with high reward will be achieved. School would then function to sort individuals into specific job areas and society would improve. I disagree on the basis that educational opportunities are not equal, and will never be, if functionalism operates on a nationalistic level. Functionalism at a nationalistic level would dictate that monetary rewards should be given to those of a particular skill set which society, justifiably or not, has deemed important. Such a system will inevitably create poverty. Poverty, in turn, will effect equal education as low economic standing has proven to be detrimental to learning. Children born into homes of low economic status are subject to issues such as poor medical attention and malnutrition which effect (even at a biological level) ability in several areas. This creates an unequal starting ground meaning that functionalism will never properly operate.
Functionalism undermines the nation it is operating. Specifying students into particular fields they are especially skilled in will kill what is left of a liberal education. If a society needs great economists, molecular biologists, and political scientists, and rewards are only comprehended as monetary gain, fields of expertise will become narrow-minded and the “organism” of society will become dismantled as solidarity is not compatible with competition. Here is an example. A great agricultural businessman may come up with an idea that will benefit his company. This idea is to create a corn seed that will self-terminate after one year. This would mean consumers of his product (farmers) would have to buy his product yearly and would increase his profits. To achieve his ends, he hires a great molecular biologist that designs such a seed. Now both have done a great job in their particular field and are rewarded monetarily because they are skilled at what they do. Farmers are now required to buy more seed, which they are not compensated for, because the business men and women who own the distribution companies will not pay more for corn. Now farmers are going out of business and the nation as a whole suffers. This story, as well as many like it, have been playing out in the US. How can we solve such problems? One solution would be to take a larger approach, outside functionalism, by incorporating more holistic ideologies and education. If molecular biologists or business men and women viewed their actions on a whole, seeing how their decisions effect other professions and national well being, problems like the story above would start to resolve. As it is, monetary gain, the reward for filling a particular societal need, is the only drive for education. (This is a functional mindset.) A liberal education would not be pursued because direct relevance to societal needs is not as easily perceived.
Functionalism can now be seen self-defeating at the level of the school and nation. I also disagree with it as it only serves the needs of particular nation and has no regard in serving the needs of other countries. What do we want to teach our students? As teachers we cannot commit to purely training our students to narrow areas that will only benefit particular sects of a particular society.
Teachers vs. Docs
http://www.mcat-bookstore.com/complete-mcat-courses.html
http://gradschool.about.com/od/medicalschool/f/MedSchoolCost.htm
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/TiffanyYam.shtml
I agree with the class that teachers should be paid more than they are, but I stick with my statement last night that we are all aware of the lack of salaries that teachers get paid, and we are sticking with it. Yes, in the long run, doctors may make more money, but starting out, residents, interns, and even young doctors receive a great lack of respect from patients and even other doctors. My roommate is pre-med and last night we had a discussion continuing the class's discussion. She brought up a few valid points (though I don't know if it still validates the pay gap for myself yet...the debates still out...):
http://gradschool.about.com/od/medicalschool/f/MedSchoolCost.htm
http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/TiffanyYam.shtml
I agree with the class that teachers should be paid more than they are, but I stick with my statement last night that we are all aware of the lack of salaries that teachers get paid, and we are sticking with it. Yes, in the long run, doctors may make more money, but starting out, residents, interns, and even young doctors receive a great lack of respect from patients and even other doctors. My roommate is pre-med and last night we had a discussion continuing the class's discussion. She brought up a few valid points (though I don't know if it still validates the pay gap for myself yet...the debates still out...):
- Once pre-med students go on to Medical School, they are no longer taught by "teachers" but by actually doctors, in a hospital setting.
- The cost of schooling for the pre-med student is double, triple, quadruple, or more, than the cost of schooling for that of teachers; every state varies. (2nd link)
- The test that pre-med students have to take, the MCAT, starts out in the hundreds for a PRACTICE test. The cost is upward in the thousands depending on other cities/ universities that offer it--for a PRACTICE test, not even the final one. This supercedes the cost of the GRE and Praxis combined. (1st link)
- The shows on tv, "ER", "Scrubs", "Gray's Anatomy" are not real life. It's not that fun (or so my roommate says...).
- When interning and in their residency, doctors make little to no money.
- Looking at that last link made me sad; as teachers starting out in some states, we make the same amount today that doctors made in the Great Depression. That's the sad reality.
- Final point, I know we are all highly educated, so here is my personal opinion: I am not becoming a teacher for the money, I am becoming a teacher for the kids I will teach. I don't know if the Fundamentalists, Radicals, Marxists, or any other group would agree with me, but if that's the case, I am okay with not being grouped with any of them.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Home Schooling expands
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/321150.html
This is an article about home schooling on the rise for African American kids. One of this particular family’s concerns is the gap in achievement on standardized tests that is currently between black and white students. I found it interesting to know that only about 5% of home schooled children are from African American families; the thought that this was predominately a “white thing” as the article put it has never really crossed my mind. It was also interesting to read about some of the issues that the mother of the home schooled children deals with on a regular basis; her being questioned about her choice to home school her children when her ancestors fought so hard for equality blew my mind. I think that this relates somewhat to the topic we covered in class dealing with historical impediments; minorities, as well as women, are often seen as having handicaps. Since minority students tend to have difficulty with standardized tests, testing may be something that compensatory education could help improve. I think that it is any families right to choose to home school their children, no matter the race I think the reasons that this particular family chose to do so are great; they are doing what is best for them and their children.
This is an article about home schooling on the rise for African American kids. One of this particular family’s concerns is the gap in achievement on standardized tests that is currently between black and white students. I found it interesting to know that only about 5% of home schooled children are from African American families; the thought that this was predominately a “white thing” as the article put it has never really crossed my mind. It was also interesting to read about some of the issues that the mother of the home schooled children deals with on a regular basis; her being questioned about her choice to home school her children when her ancestors fought so hard for equality blew my mind. I think that this relates somewhat to the topic we covered in class dealing with historical impediments; minorities, as well as women, are often seen as having handicaps. Since minority students tend to have difficulty with standardized tests, testing may be something that compensatory education could help improve. I think that it is any families right to choose to home school their children, no matter the race I think the reasons that this particular family chose to do so are great; they are doing what is best for them and their children.
Despite the facts, I still want to teach!
The more and more I thought about tonight’s discussion on teachers and their salaries and respect, the more it made me disagree with functionalists. I agree with some of the ideas of functionalism to a certain degree; I do think that a person is responsible for his or her own actions and make or break their own achievements the majority of the time. However, the justification for doctors making more than teachers does not seem quite fair. Yes, doctors can save lives but so can teachers. The point brought up in class about not being able to tangibly measure exactly what a teacher does was probably the best way I could think to put it. A doctor’s contribution is one of the greatest in the world but I don’t think that teacher’s should be thrown to the bottom of the barrel when it comes to pay and respect, which with my experience happens to be the case about 8 out of 10 times. I think that it is harder to measure just how great teachers actually are but at the same time, I think most of them deserve more credit than they are given. It was refreshing to hear that in other states teachers are thought of more highly; this is something that I was unaware of being from the state that doesn’t appear so great on the charts when it comes to education and testing scores. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that doctors shouldn’t earn more than teachers but the way the functionalists puts it bothered me. The fact that more people can teach and less can be doctors should result in doctors being rewarded a higher salary seems unjust; there are starting doctors that don’t really know what they are doing that make twice as much as teachers who are great and have been teaching for 20 years-does that really make sense?
The Wire and Education
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDg4U2jYXgw
I don't watch a lot of television. I have, within this past year, been turned on to the HBO series, "The Wire". It is on it's last season, with only three episodes left, so to try and tune in this Sunday evening, you probably wouldn't be able to know what is going on. Last season was all about the school system in Baltimore. This show is blunt and brutal, but it tells it like it is. It doesn't hide behind commercial breaks, and it doesn't spare feelings. David Simon has created an amazing masterpiece in the last few years, but because society doesn't want to admit to it's rapidly decreasing inner city school systems, not much positive press will be and has been given to this series.
I was wondering this past week how Allan Bloom (and others who believe that all music, cinema, film, etc. haven't produced anything good in the last few decades) would react to this. This you tube segment shows how the series delves into social promotion, lack of student care, and the fact that school and state only want to achieve numbers, and the students get swept under the rug and passed on without the blink if an eye. The one thing I was disappointed with was that the clip didn't show was how the season also goes into the political aspect of the schools and how money is dispersed and taken away from schools in a matter of seconds.
One would not have to watch seasons 1-3 to watch season 4, but I recommend them all. From the dialogue to the immense detail that goes into every character, Simon leaves no rock unturned to bring to light the sides of society that people, that educators, the school administrations, the government, and sadly, society don't want to admit exist.
(***In the clip, there are a few curse words, but as it is a show from a realistic standpoint, my apologies for offending anyone.***)
I don't watch a lot of television. I have, within this past year, been turned on to the HBO series, "The Wire". It is on it's last season, with only three episodes left, so to try and tune in this Sunday evening, you probably wouldn't be able to know what is going on. Last season was all about the school system in Baltimore. This show is blunt and brutal, but it tells it like it is. It doesn't hide behind commercial breaks, and it doesn't spare feelings. David Simon has created an amazing masterpiece in the last few years, but because society doesn't want to admit to it's rapidly decreasing inner city school systems, not much positive press will be and has been given to this series.
I was wondering this past week how Allan Bloom (and others who believe that all music, cinema, film, etc. haven't produced anything good in the last few decades) would react to this. This you tube segment shows how the series delves into social promotion, lack of student care, and the fact that school and state only want to achieve numbers, and the students get swept under the rug and passed on without the blink if an eye. The one thing I was disappointed with was that the clip didn't show was how the season also goes into the political aspect of the schools and how money is dispersed and taken away from schools in a matter of seconds.
One would not have to watch seasons 1-3 to watch season 4, but I recommend them all. From the dialogue to the immense detail that goes into every character, Simon leaves no rock unturned to bring to light the sides of society that people, that educators, the school administrations, the government, and sadly, society don't want to admit exist.
(***In the clip, there are a few curse words, but as it is a show from a realistic standpoint, my apologies for offending anyone.***)
Paying sports stars
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080219
To start out, I am a huge sports fan. I just wanted to post a quick article I found on ESPN.com earlier today. It is in response to the class discussion of how overpaid professional sports players are and the media attention that surrounds them. I do believe that on the whole, even though these men are excellent at what they do, I think they are paid too much. But I also know that I would be swayed differently if my boyfriend/husband, uncle, cousin, brother, father (you get the picture) were in these high money situations. The media focuses on the bad and too little is focused on the good. This article focuses on the great.
Being from New Orleans, I know bad media attention, a bad education system, a corrupt political system.... you name the bad and I can give you ten people that can respond with twenty of the good about that city. To digress from an educational topic for this blog, I wanted everyone to see what good the NBA All-Stars did this past weekend. More positive press needs to be seen, but surprisingly, the "warm-fuzzies" don't sell papers. Bill Simmons reflects on this in the article as well when he states that sports on the whole sometimes leave you with a less that desirable taste and that many "stars" of the league are/were overpaid.
I just wanted everyone to see what good these guys are doing. They aren't just making millions and sitting on their laurels. They are in the community, doing great things for schools and families. I would love to be able to do what they have done, and if I had their monies, I hope I'd be as generous as they were this past weekend as well.
To start out, I am a huge sports fan. I just wanted to post a quick article I found on ESPN.com earlier today. It is in response to the class discussion of how overpaid professional sports players are and the media attention that surrounds them. I do believe that on the whole, even though these men are excellent at what they do, I think they are paid too much. But I also know that I would be swayed differently if my boyfriend/husband, uncle, cousin, brother, father (you get the picture) were in these high money situations. The media focuses on the bad and too little is focused on the good. This article focuses on the great.
Being from New Orleans, I know bad media attention, a bad education system, a corrupt political system.... you name the bad and I can give you ten people that can respond with twenty of the good about that city. To digress from an educational topic for this blog, I wanted everyone to see what good the NBA All-Stars did this past weekend. More positive press needs to be seen, but surprisingly, the "warm-fuzzies" don't sell papers. Bill Simmons reflects on this in the article as well when he states that sports on the whole sometimes leave you with a less that desirable taste and that many "stars" of the league are/were overpaid.
I just wanted everyone to see what good these guys are doing. They aren't just making millions and sitting on their laurels. They are in the community, doing great things for schools and families. I would love to be able to do what they have done, and if I had their monies, I hope I'd be as generous as they were this past weekend as well.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Allan Bloom and America
http://www.claremont.org/publications/pubid.664/pub_detail.asp
This article is written by a former student of Bloom’s who was inspired to follow political philosophy. The author finds several flaws with the way that Bloom addresses the American foundation and founder’s mission. His explanations of some of the points that Bloom makes helped me clear up some of my confusion between the variations of philosophy in his book. There is a definite assertion that Bloom is an elitist and how his misconceptions are due to his own “snobbishness”. This article argues that though America has been modernized, it is not bad and our evolution has not necessarily been destructive.
This article is written by a former student of Bloom’s who was inspired to follow political philosophy. The author finds several flaws with the way that Bloom addresses the American foundation and founder’s mission. His explanations of some of the points that Bloom makes helped me clear up some of my confusion between the variations of philosophy in his book. There is a definite assertion that Bloom is an elitist and how his misconceptions are due to his own “snobbishness”. This article argues that though America has been modernized, it is not bad and our evolution has not necessarily been destructive.
Closing, Still Open
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=MGRkNTViMjQzYzhlNGRiMTQwZDY2MDVkNWY5YWM5MWY=
This article is a speech given at Princeton University during a 2007 conference honoring the 20th anniversary of Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind. The main focus of this article is the effects that Rock, Rap, and Hip Hop music has had on American culture. The speaker makes note of the 40th year edition of Rolling Stones and talks about how the Rock artists from the sixties have altered their perspectives. The changing views of these artists seem to have evolved with the emergence of Rap. Within this article, there is a definite lack of respect for many art forms. Martha Bayles, the author of a similar book focused on popular music, addresses modern art forms as being perverse. Her reference to Dada and Surrealism struck a nerve because both of which I would argue as having extreme value. An explanation of Bloom’s background at Cornell is given which helps define his traditionalist vision. Not having a full understanding of what had happened with the Affirmative Action, the additional reference was beneficial. It is obvious that the speaker sides with Bloom and his conservative platform as his last comment does nothing less than place him on a pedestal.
This article is a speech given at Princeton University during a 2007 conference honoring the 20th anniversary of Allan Bloom’s The Closing of the American Mind. The main focus of this article is the effects that Rock, Rap, and Hip Hop music has had on American culture. The speaker makes note of the 40th year edition of Rolling Stones and talks about how the Rock artists from the sixties have altered their perspectives. The changing views of these artists seem to have evolved with the emergence of Rap. Within this article, there is a definite lack of respect for many art forms. Martha Bayles, the author of a similar book focused on popular music, addresses modern art forms as being perverse. Her reference to Dada and Surrealism struck a nerve because both of which I would argue as having extreme value. An explanation of Bloom’s background at Cornell is given which helps define his traditionalist vision. Not having a full understanding of what had happened with the Affirmative Action, the additional reference was beneficial. It is obvious that the speaker sides with Bloom and his conservative platform as his last comment does nothing less than place him on a pedestal.
Time Magazine Article: How to Make Great Teachers
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1713174,00.html
I posted the link to this article that I think is pretty interesting. Its about the importance of hiring great teachers. The author goes into detail about how to hire teachers, how to motivate teachers, how to reward good teachers, how to attract teachers, and how to lower turnover. Many schools are using the business corporate ladder approach in which schools provide incentives, signing bonuses and housing allowances. Congress has considered adding merit pay to the No Child Left Behind Act but teacher unions are opposed to government involvement on how teachers are paid and evaluated. Due to the high emphasis of test scores, on school report cards and being competitive globally teachers have more pressure on them now than ever before. This article has some suggestions and even solutions on how to regain faith in the eduction system.
I think merit pay is a great way to reward teachers. I also think that it implies that teachers aren't trying hard enough or working hard enough currently. I think that teachers, whether their schools have merit pay or not are all trying hard to raise test scores. While merit pay will be a nice bonus it only emphasizes the importance of test scores and not on learning. Since only math and English are the only areas that are tested it does not offer teachers in other subject areas the opportunity to earn bonuses. If they were some sort of compromise on the requirements of merit pay then I think it would not only be fair but it would be welcomed by all parties involved. Other factors that should be included are grades, attendance and behavior. Test scores are only a small part of the education that takes place in schools.
I posted the link to this article that I think is pretty interesting. Its about the importance of hiring great teachers. The author goes into detail about how to hire teachers, how to motivate teachers, how to reward good teachers, how to attract teachers, and how to lower turnover. Many schools are using the business corporate ladder approach in which schools provide incentives, signing bonuses and housing allowances. Congress has considered adding merit pay to the No Child Left Behind Act but teacher unions are opposed to government involvement on how teachers are paid and evaluated. Due to the high emphasis of test scores, on school report cards and being competitive globally teachers have more pressure on them now than ever before. This article has some suggestions and even solutions on how to regain faith in the eduction system.
I think merit pay is a great way to reward teachers. I also think that it implies that teachers aren't trying hard enough or working hard enough currently. I think that teachers, whether their schools have merit pay or not are all trying hard to raise test scores. While merit pay will be a nice bonus it only emphasizes the importance of test scores and not on learning. Since only math and English are the only areas that are tested it does not offer teachers in other subject areas the opportunity to earn bonuses. If they were some sort of compromise on the requirements of merit pay then I think it would not only be fair but it would be welcomed by all parties involved. Other factors that should be included are grades, attendance and behavior. Test scores are only a small part of the education that takes place in schools.
Dr. Pope Update
I do not know if I am stone free, but at least I am not doubled over in pain or engaging in some drug induced babbling -- both of which have alternatively characterized my general state of affairs since Friday morning -- any longer. I've caught up with all the posts; everything should have a comment now. If I missed your post or you have questions about my comments, let me know. There were some very good posts related to Bloom; I hope that trend continues with the Feinberg and Soltis text.
I will see everyone tomorrow night.
I will see everyone tomorrow night.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
School reform law changes in the works?
This article is a couple of weeks old, but it touches on something we should all be concerned about, proposed educational reforms. To see this article, click on:
http://www.thestate.com/education/story/300556.html
http://www.thestate.com/education/story/300556.html
Friday, February 15, 2008
Dr. Pope Update
Hello everyone,
I know I am behind in my comments and blog feedback. I turned in my Third Year Review Thursday, with full intent to spend today catching up with the blog. But then I woke up this morning at 4:30 with serious abdominal pain -- it turns out I have a kidney stone. Thus I will likely be laid up this weekend as I try to get thing out of me.
Hopefully, by Monday I will be better and my top priority will be catching up here. If things change, I will let you know.
Thanks to everyone for your patience.
I know I am behind in my comments and blog feedback. I turned in my Third Year Review Thursday, with full intent to spend today catching up with the blog. But then I woke up this morning at 4:30 with serious abdominal pain -- it turns out I have a kidney stone. Thus I will likely be laid up this weekend as I try to get thing out of me.
Hopefully, by Monday I will be better and my top priority will be catching up here. If things change, I will let you know.
Thanks to everyone for your patience.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Class Notes 2.12.08
Howdy, Allan Bloom
Hey guys, reminder: keep blogging. Although, if you aren’t, you probably won’t get this reminder.
What would Bloom say about an education like St. Johns?
It’s truly a higher education.
Specialization isn’t important.
Graduating with a liberal arts degree doesn’t mean you’ll end up working at McDonald’s.
Even with a specialized degree your options may be limited/non-existent. (Then we chatted about how hard it is to get a job, even with a good education.)
Different Philosophies of Education
IdealismBloom, Plato
Essentially the idea that the good and true things in the universe are not material, they are ideals
Focused on texts and conversation (dialogue) to get at the important things in life.
The people who are read (like Plato, Shakespeare) deal in concepts and ideas.
In the classroom you read texts and talk about them. Methodology of question and answer (Socratic method). Everyone has the potential to access these ideas. Teaching is what helps people to access these ideas.
Realism Aristotle; fundamentally science
The real and good and true ARE material, and the material things are important.
We should investigate these things through the scientific theory.
Classrooms are more lecture-focused.
The goal of the realist teacher is to get students to understand the world.
Pragmatism Peirce, William James, Dewey
American contribution to Western philosophy
Education is at its center.
In certain ways very realist: very concerned with the material world, but not in the way realism is. Concerned with consequences and problem solving.
Ideas have physical consequences. It matters what you think about something because it determines what your actions are.
Existentialism Camus, Sartre
20th century philosophy that denies that there is meaning apart from human beings.
Concerned with making meaning in a world that is meaningless.
Student choice and the arts—all very important in making meaning for ourselves.
Marxism Marx (!)
Sees the fundamental and defining feature as our relationship to economics, our relationship to material things.
Some people are involved in the production of material things, other people work for them
Schools are institutions set up by producers to train the workers. (Which is why Marxism is critical of schools.)
Post-Modernism
Rejects blanket statements (i.e. post-modernists resist totalizing narratives: narratives that explain everything via a few simple things).
Multiple versions and multiple stories of things that are going on, cannot accept an overwhelming idea.
Has gone from a philosophy to a literary style.
Conscious of itself.
Critical self-awareness and irony built on the idea that there is nothing real.
How does post-modernism influence education?
It’s influenced educational theory, not really practice.
People are more aware of and critical of the way schools prioritize certain groups to the exclusion of other people.
Emphasis on difference—in a classroom each student is different with unique standards, goals, etc., different groups (racial, gender, ethnic, etc.).
Everything has political dimensions—personal is political
e.g. Queer Theory—heterosexuality had become the default; others were ignored/discriminated against.
e.g. Feminism
Normal is a function of the majority of the environment.
In case you aren’t sure about post-modernism, think about reality TV (i.e. The Real World, esp. season six, Boston), or go here.
And Kyle, in case you need more information about modernism, this is for you.
Bloom and Religion, Bloom and Travel, Bloom and Moral Distinction
What is Bloom’s take on religion?
It causes you to think about your actions; it gives you depth.
The focus isn’t so much on religion as on the benefits of religion.
The Bible as a representation as truth.
Open interpretation would be relativism.
Against this idea of a relative truth.
Should we take this as a literal interpretation of the world?
The Bible is a good example of what Bloom is talking about.
Literature read as the author intended it to be read; authorial intent is very important.
Bible gives common perception of what is good and what is bad; provides a common moral framework.
Reference point in what to strive toward. There is a goal/reward.
The Bible is serious and we ought to read it, if we’re going to read it, as a serious text that deals with serious issues and seeks to answer questions that all humans have. We must interrogate it, as we would do with any text, in order to delve into the search for answers.
Bloom would probably have a problem with the “wishy-washy Christians,” claiming a belief set without associating the obligations of inquiry and discipline that such a belief set requires of you.
Everyone should be interested in the Bible because it contains answers to the search for meaning. They may not be the right answers, but there are answers. Discovering them is part of the inquiry process that leads toward truth. If you engage in an open conversation regarding the answers revealed by the Bible, you are participating in that inquiry and therefore Bloom approving of the Bible as a component in the search for truth.
Bloom and Travel
Don’t be a tourist, be a scholar
We don’t invest in the culture; we bring our culture to theirs and do the compare and contrast.
Ethnocentrism and travel: we aren’t ethnocentric enough, we don’t have a good basis of love and appreciation for our culture/heritage.
Fundamentally impossible to immerse ourselves into other cultures, and we should leverage that heritage to learn what we can when we’re abroad. That involves more than just trying food; it involves figuring out what makes these people tick.
People are going to go about their search for “the good life” their own way, and if they use travel to help supplement their quest for “the good life” it can be worthwhile, but if we do other things, it can be another exercise in meaningless consumerism.
Fundamentally the point of travel is learning about other places, you learn more about yourself because you’re forced to encounter different versions of things you know.
Bloom and Moral Distinction
Does schooling need morality? Does Bloom agree with the teaching/inclusion of morality in school?
Equivocation of religion and morality—they often go along together, but they don’t have to. A moral education can be found in the canon.
We don’t read the canon to find clear moral lesson. Moral issues can be raised by the text, but the evaluation and implementation of these morals is our own. The struggles are consistent human themes, and good education addresses these themes and how they make us human.
Natural science:
Rules the university
Based on things that deal in truth/proof.
The social sciences try really hard to be like natural sciences.
The problem is that most of those things deal with human beings, which are harder to predict than animals and nature.
The humanities aren’t taken seriously enough and are being marginalized by the universities.
When the humanities became relativistic, they lost their power, because what people are really after is truth.
This makes Bloom angry, because the natural sciences are limited in their truth, what it means to be a human, which is what the humanities originally addressed.
A college of education doesn’t even show up on Bloom’s radar, because it’s basically a vocational school.
The problem is that education isn’t doing a good job of answering the fundamental question every human being is trying to figure out, which is how to be a human being.
The goal of education ought to be to encourage the search for the good life in every human being, and we’re not serious about finding it because we’re too open to any and all possibilities (no drive).
Allan Bloom: Relationships
Bloom's chapter Relationships really sparked my attention in this book. I looked at some of comments that Bloom was stating and I looked at my experiences growing up and I believe there is some truth to what he is saying. In the section on Self-Centeredness, Bloom talks about students today and their attitude toward the things of the past. I apprieciated his one statement that said "a modern parent willing to believe in the superiority of the younger generation to her own, especieally when the former is most disrespecteful of the latter's standards". I can see this is evident by looking at the students that I have worked with. Kids today seem to think that because they are recieving a higher education than what their parents did then they are at liberity to have no respect toward their parents opinion. And yet the parents are disillusioned with this because they feel that their offspring are superior to them because of the education they recieve. Another opinion of Bloom is that students today do not care about the world around them, partly because they haven't experienced it and partly because they are working on their own careers to care. Bloom has it right when he says "Starvation in Ethiopia, mass murder in Cambodia, as well as nuclear war, are all real calamities worthy of attention. But they are not immediate, not organically connected to students' lives." I think that we are all somewhat quilty of this. Even today when I think about the war in Iraq, I know that there is fighting but becuase it does not affect my day to day life sometimes I forget. We all forget.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Bloom and Lifelong Learning
Bloom implies that the wisdom from the great books can only be obtained if it is translated by a professor in a classroom, but at the same time he laments that there are no professors left who are schooled in the great books, nor students who have a desire to learn from the classics. But Bloom doesn’t mention anything about lifelong learning and the need to have a frame of reference in order to learn from the great classics. One needs to have a question before wanting to seek an answer. Bloom mentions that his students giggled when asked if they were afraid of nuclear war. Maybe they found the question funny because the threat of nuclear war was the farthest concern from their mind because they didn’t have a frame of reference. Most of the classics deal with adult themes, like war and divorce. Not that today’s youth hasn’t been exposed to violence or sexually explicit themes -one need only watch the commercials to get a sense of the adult themes that are so prevalent in the media - but at the same time, I would make the case that a person needs a frame of reference to appreciate the message. This frame of reference can be negative, or – as Diana suggested in today’s blog posting – positive.
Unfortunately, today’s youth have a frame of reference for war. My son was in second grade when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center. At school on September 11th 2001, he watched and wondered as most of his classmates were pulled out of school one by one to leave with a parent for some unexplained absence. I chose not to take my son out of school that day because I didn’t want him to think school wasn’t a safe place. I tried my best to shield him from the news following 911, but the fourth and fifth grade “upperclassmen” were more than willing to share their take on what was happening in the world during the bus rides to and from school. My son had difficulty getting to sleep at night for a year after 911. He constantly wanted reassurance that he would be safe. I shared my concern with other parents who expressed that their children too were fearful at night. Unfortunately, my son and other Americans his age have a frame of reference for war. War has been a fact of life for most of their childhood. If these now eighth graders were asked if they are afraid of nuclear war, they wouldn’t find the question funny. In fact, they’d probably react with fear and suspect something had happened. They’d want to know why the question had been asked. They’d want to know what happened and if everything was okay.
Another reason that I don’t share Bloom’s pessimism about America’s youth and the state of education today is because learning is now recognized as a lifelong process. Over the past decade, the concept of lifelong learning has gained popularity. The core concept is that individuals learn from cradle to grave and that each individual progresses from one learning level to the next throughout his lifetime (www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Comp-De/Continuing-Education-and-Lifelong-Learning-Trends.html). This trend, coupled with a better frame of reference for adult themes as youth enter adulthood, leads me to wonder if the university is not just a stepping stone in our search for the good life.
Unfortunately, today’s youth have a frame of reference for war. My son was in second grade when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center. At school on September 11th 2001, he watched and wondered as most of his classmates were pulled out of school one by one to leave with a parent for some unexplained absence. I chose not to take my son out of school that day because I didn’t want him to think school wasn’t a safe place. I tried my best to shield him from the news following 911, but the fourth and fifth grade “upperclassmen” were more than willing to share their take on what was happening in the world during the bus rides to and from school. My son had difficulty getting to sleep at night for a year after 911. He constantly wanted reassurance that he would be safe. I shared my concern with other parents who expressed that their children too were fearful at night. Unfortunately, my son and other Americans his age have a frame of reference for war. War has been a fact of life for most of their childhood. If these now eighth graders were asked if they are afraid of nuclear war, they wouldn’t find the question funny. In fact, they’d probably react with fear and suspect something had happened. They’d want to know why the question had been asked. They’d want to know what happened and if everything was okay.
Another reason that I don’t share Bloom’s pessimism about America’s youth and the state of education today is because learning is now recognized as a lifelong process. Over the past decade, the concept of lifelong learning has gained popularity. The core concept is that individuals learn from cradle to grave and that each individual progresses from one learning level to the next throughout his lifetime (www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Comp-De/Continuing-Education-and-Lifelong-Learning-Trends.html). This trend, coupled with a better frame of reference for adult themes as youth enter adulthood, leads me to wonder if the university is not just a stepping stone in our search for the good life.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Bloom and Music
In his book, The Closing of the American Mind, Allan Bloom makes the statement that classics ( e.g., music and literature) are good, all else, not so much. He condemns the entire film genre and we can assume television as well, as not good. I agree that classic works have a theme and complexity to them that is lacking in many modern artistic works, however I disagree with the assumption that what is not classic is not good. I recognize that these modern works are not going to go away until they are replaced by something that in Bloom's view would be even worse. As future teachers, it will be important for us to relate the classic works to our students in ways that are relevant and engaging. So as bad as Bloom says these modern works are, they can be used as a portal for teachers to bring the classics to their students. I think this gets to the heart of Bloom's statement in the Preface of the book that "No real teacher can doubt that his task is to assist his pupil to fulfill human nature against all the deforming forces of convention and prejudice".
As teachers we can bring our students to recognize the classics they know through pop culture. By revealing the classics in the movies, television shows and cartoons watched by students, teachers can draw students into study and discussion of classic works. Consider the final movement, the Ode to Joy, in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D Minor. This music can be appreciated on its own by some, or through the revelation that it is used in the movies A Clockwork Orange and Die Hard. Perhaps film clips can be shared in class to see if students could identify the music. Who among us can hear Rossini's The Barber of Seville Overture without picturing Bugs Bunny massaging the scalp of Elmer Fudd in that famous cartoon? This draws us into the fond rememberance of time spent at the movies with friends or perhaps of time spent in front of the television in our youth while our mothers were busy in the kitchen frying up bacon and eggs for the family breakfast. By drawing our senses and emotions into the discussion of the classics, students can develop a more passionate relationship and appreciation for the classic arts.
There are several websites devoted to helping folks make these connections - here are just a few entertaining sites:
For classical music in movies, see: http://classicalmusic.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=classicalmusic&cdn=entertainment&tm=29&gps=60_469_935_635&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.classicalarchives.com/movies/
For classical music in television, see: http://classicalmusic.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=classicalmusic&cdn=entertainment&tm=256&gps=84_523_935_635&f=00&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.geocities.com/musiclassical/themes.html
To learn all about the most popular classical music used in pop culture, see: http://www.kickassclassical.com/
As effective teachers we need to be open to use all the tools at our disposal in the education of our students, and pop culture can certainly be one of those tools. Teachers can use modern music and films to elicit emotion and experiences that our students can relate to, allowing us to create a bridge to the classics. So while Bloom may say modern works are not good, I maintain that they serve a good purpose and are therefore worthwhile.
Social Science
After today's reading assignment, I had some personal memories brought forward because my bachelor's degree is in Sociology with a focus in Women's Studies. The coverage in the section about the humanities and social sciences was personal to me because I studied all of them. The attempt to make social science more like the natural sciences is fraught with difficulties because of the constantly changing nature of the Human psyche. The social sciences, in my experiences, have been softened and edited to fit the newer more politically correct persona of the university. Taking the history of sexism and racism out of the picture. These harsh facts are a part of our history, and must be dealt with in a reasonable fashion. These ills are part of our history they are in our past we must be able to move on and face our past objectively. It is difficult to wipe the slate clean and ignore these facts, these things must be looked at because we have moved past them and have grown as people. I feel that we must learn about the evils and ills in society so that we never repeat these atrocities. I hope that my reaction was clear and succinct.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Class Notes from February 5, 2008
Posted by Lane Wallace and Jose Figuero
Final Paper - Information now on Livetext.
2 Elements of Plato's "The Republic"
I. The Cave (most influential paragraph in Western Civilization)
-At the deepest part of the cave, there are people chained who are only able to look at the back of the cave.
-A wall divides these people from another group of people with sticks carrying shadow puppets.
-There is fire behind this second group of people with sticks.
-The sticks and the fire are used to create shadows and a fake reality for those chained at the deepest part of the cave. These chained people represent us and we believe that these shadows are real or (All that is real). We do not know our limits because of this.
-Plato's goal is to get us from the depths fo the cave to the outside of the cave.
- Reason is what eventually gets us out of the cave and into the Sun.
- It takes us a while to realize or reason that we are being manipulated but eventually we do and we begin to get out of the cave. The fire and the sun will blind us at first but our eyes soon adjust and we can see the good.
- The Sun is what gives light to everything and allows us to see the world as it is: What is TRUE, REAL, and GOOD. Plato has a hierarchy of forms with the Sun (The form of the Good) illuminating everything below it and making it intelligible or possible.
- Reason also is what makes us go back in the cave to rescue others who are still chained up. We see this as an obligation, but they will laugh at us because they will not believe that our findings are real. Through reason, we can leave the physical reason behind and focus on the metaphysical, the essence, fundamentals. All physical things eventually cease to be.
-As teachers, we are going back in the cave to free students from the chains and the cave as a whole and bringing them out to the light.
II. 3 parts of the soul
1. Reason - The highest and noblest part of the soul but we do not use it very often.
2. Passion or Spirit - enthusiasm, courage, etc...
3. Appetite - desires and wants, base part of the soul.
- Metaphor of The Chariot - Reason Drives Passion and Appetite.
Bloom and Plato
-Bloom is obviously a philosopher and feeds on Plato (The Republic)
-Bloom believes in nature a great deal, the nature of "things", the proper order of the world. Very largely based in Plato's philosophies. The laws and categories of how things truly operate. Contrasts nature (outside of the cave) to culture (inside of the cave). Emphasizing nature, demonstrates his Platonic ideology.
-Liberation in education mentioned by Bloom represents the cave.
Reading Discussion
-Argument against relativism (Bloom is concerned about openness and the rejection of traditional views without any right or wrong)
-Over openness can create too closed subjects. Ex: Religion (too open and tolerant that we are unable to discuss it.
-Bloom is uncomfortable with our mentality and attitude (We are tolerant of everyone except for the people who think they are right.
-Can't seriously investigate ideas because we can't talk about them.
-Student Comment - Contradiction (Relativity is absolute which means that there is no relativity).
-ethnocentrism- Essential for preservation on one's culture. (Presumption about the way of life that is best). We understand other cultures in terms of our own and ethnocentrism is almost unavoidable in some ways.
-Bloom may not consider different types of ethnocentrism (Good teachers take students out of their ethnocentrism and expose them to other points of views and other cultures).
-Bloom gives reasons to his thoughts - Our society has changed and what was important has changed. There is nothing that all of us have in common now. Bloom's base is "the best". It is important to attempt to have a common cultural base that all of the students should have available to them.
Dr. Pope's Question - Are there things that every American student should know?
Students' answers:
1. American History
2. World History
3. Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
4. Governmental structure
5. Current events
6. Certain set of morals
7. Socially accepted behaviors
8. Civic participation
9. Religion
Bloom's answer: Culture is less important than nature (all student answers were based on culture).
-Every Student should be able to articulate and defend a version of a good life. This requires a certain level of intolerance and ethnocentrism.
- Bloom looks down on those who do not make an opinion and defend it.
Bloom on Books
-Bloom dismisses books that are not "Classic Books".
-Bloom believes that the classic books are better than other books because their content is better.
-Today, we are too engaged in entertainment.
-Relativism is also a part of non classic literature.
-see page 62-63.
Bloom on Music
-Music should harness the passion to reason, rock simply feeds the appetite.
-Music constructs the chariot between reason and passion.
-see pg 75 of book.
Final Class Thoghts
- Student thought-Americans are settling for the light bulb and not pursuing the sun.(Not all light
bulbs are equal).
-Increase in apathy towards learning but not because of relativism
Some reasons:
-Fear of aloneness
-Desire for approval
- Bloom wants for students to think long and hard about who they are and how they relate to others.
Challenge ourselves and others. Good teachers cause us to explore what is essential.
- Bloom is very much a conservative but also differentiates himself in that he is against education serving market interest. School should not be market oriented.
Topics to be discussed next class period
1. Role of Religion
2. Travel and experiencing of other cultures
3. Who is to say what is the good life?
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
The Cave and The Stable
Our discussion tonight about Plato's description of The Cave reminded me of a scene in C. S. Lewis's The Last Battle, one of the books in The Chronicles of Narnia. There is a great deal of back-story that I will not get into, but I will attempt to set the scene up properly. The Narnians are in the midst of the last battle, fighting the Calormenes and the Dwarfs (who are on neither side). The Calormenes have set up a stable next to a great bonfire, which they originally purported to house the god Tashlan (a composite of the Narnian god Aslan and the Calormene god Tash). During the fight, the Calormenes decide to toss the Dwarfs and the Narnians into the stable, close it up, and burn it as a sacrifice to Tash. Both the Narnians and the Dwarfs fight hard but in the end find themselves in the stable.
At this point I feel it is necessary to point out the difference in the beliefs and attitudes of the Narnians, the Dwarfs, and the few Calormenes who end up in the stable as well. The Narnians are true believers in Right, Good, and Aslan. There is one Calormene who ends up in the stable who is a true believer in Right, Good, and Tash. Several Calormenes give lip service to Tash, but really only serve themselves. The Dwarfs express their attitude in the statement, "The Dwarfs are for the Dwarfs". They believe in nothing but themselves and think everyone else is just out to trick them.
Once inside the stable, the Narnians look around blinking their eyes because of the "strong light". One would think that "they were inside a little thatched stable, about twelve feet long and six feet wide. In reality they stood on grass, the deep blue sky was overhead, and the air which blew gently on their faces was that of a day in summer." In other words, they were not in a cave or a stable, but outside with the Sun. After basking in the sun and conversing with old friends in this new place, the Narnians notice that the Dwarfs are still sitting near the door of the stable, unmoving, sitting as though still bound (which they were when they were tossed in). The Dwarfs are convinced they are tied up in a dark, smelly stable. The Narnians beg them to open their eyes, look around, feel the sunshine, and eat the fruit growing from the trees. The Dwarfs ridicule these attempts, and believe that the Narnians are trying to make them believe a lie. When Aslan arrives he says, "They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their own minds, yet they are in that prison; and so afraid of being taken in that they cannot be taken out."
After discussing Plato this evening I see a definite parallel between The Cave and The Stable. The Dwarfs are the chained people who sit and stare at the back of the cave. With a few exceptions the Calormenes (along with a few others in the story) use their power and the beliefs of others to cast shadows on the walls. The Narnians are those who have escaped from the cave and bask in the Sun, Good, and Reason. They feel a need to help the Dwarfs see and understand that they are not bound after all, but free and surrounded by Sunshine and Good things. The Dwarfs, like the chained ones in the cave, laugh at these attempts to free them.
Bloom and Television's influence
When I was in the fourth grade, my dad announced, somewhat out of the blue, that he was going to, as he put it, “Throw out all the damn TVs.” My brother and sisters and I took this as just another one of his many empty threats, until the Goodwill truck appeared and an evil looking man with big, sausage arms carried the color TVs out of our house and onto his truck and drove away. My mom said we cried more that day than the time they told us they were getting rid of the cat. Maybe my parents had hopes that we would fill our leisure with loftier pursuits, like reading great works of literature and listening to classical music. That was not the case. One might argue, as Bloom suggests, that it was too late; pop culture had already burled its way through our brains causing extensive and irreparable damage.
Four years after the TVs were banished from our home, my brother, Marty, was born. Marty was never exposed to T.V. in the home. I remember the day he came home from my grandparents’ house and with big, round toddler eyes filled with innocence and wonder asked my parents if they could buy one of those boxes with the moving pictures inside. Poor kid. As Bloom would expect, without the distraction of television, Marty turned out to be a voracious reader. He was crazy about books. He coveted them and collected them and carried them everywhere. But his book collection didn’t include Plato, Shakespeare, and Balzac. He read Tom Clancy, and Raymond Chandler, and Ken Follett, that is, after my mother had ripped out the two or three pages in the middle of the book – the requisite steamy sex scene – that she claimed had nothing to do with the book and everything to do with book sales. Perhaps Marty preferred these modern writers because these were the authors my parents were reading. Maybe he would have chosen the “great” writers if he had been more exposed to them. From my own experience, after having been forced to read Beowulf, anything touted as a “great work of literature” made me highly suspicious; that is, until I took a Russian History class in high school. We were told to select a book by one of the Russian authors. It was our choice. I researched several books before choosing Anna Karenina. I can truthfully say that I really enjoyed most of the book.
Maybe it’s the way great works of literature and classical music is typically presented to us that makes most of us recoil. Maybe it’s the way guys like Bloom make us feel vulgar and stupid for not having an immediate appreciation for classical literature and music that turns us off. I agree that children should be exposed to literature and classical music, but it should be presented in a positive manner. Children should feel free to express their opinions about the works, both positive and negative. A more open approach to the classics might encourage children to pursue reading, classical, and other types of music for both enlightenment and pleasure. After all, it ultimately is the reader or listener who determines what is or what is not to be a classic.
Four years after the TVs were banished from our home, my brother, Marty, was born. Marty was never exposed to T.V. in the home. I remember the day he came home from my grandparents’ house and with big, round toddler eyes filled with innocence and wonder asked my parents if they could buy one of those boxes with the moving pictures inside. Poor kid. As Bloom would expect, without the distraction of television, Marty turned out to be a voracious reader. He was crazy about books. He coveted them and collected them and carried them everywhere. But his book collection didn’t include Plato, Shakespeare, and Balzac. He read Tom Clancy, and Raymond Chandler, and Ken Follett, that is, after my mother had ripped out the two or three pages in the middle of the book – the requisite steamy sex scene – that she claimed had nothing to do with the book and everything to do with book sales. Perhaps Marty preferred these modern writers because these were the authors my parents were reading. Maybe he would have chosen the “great” writers if he had been more exposed to them. From my own experience, after having been forced to read Beowulf, anything touted as a “great work of literature” made me highly suspicious; that is, until I took a Russian History class in high school. We were told to select a book by one of the Russian authors. It was our choice. I researched several books before choosing Anna Karenina. I can truthfully say that I really enjoyed most of the book.
Maybe it’s the way great works of literature and classical music is typically presented to us that makes most of us recoil. Maybe it’s the way guys like Bloom make us feel vulgar and stupid for not having an immediate appreciation for classical literature and music that turns us off. I agree that children should be exposed to literature and classical music, but it should be presented in a positive manner. Children should feel free to express their opinions about the works, both positive and negative. A more open approach to the classics might encourage children to pursue reading, classical, and other types of music for both enlightenment and pleasure. After all, it ultimately is the reader or listener who determines what is or what is not to be a classic.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Athletics and Economy
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/06/23/stoneham_cuts_all_sports_at_high_school/
http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2007/09/02/more_high_school_athletes_have_to_pay_to_play/
This is an interesting article that I found regarding a public school in Massachusetts that decided to cut all sports from their program due to financial reasons. Will North and South Carolina eventually implement a similar idea to rid our financial problems?
It is shocking to me that the athletic program is the first thing to go when financial problems arise. I understand that having various athletic teams in the school system does put a financial burden on the school board as well as the community. However, the impact of taking sports out of schools could cause a controversy that may outweigh the benefits of cutting sports. In a community of 23,000 people, Stoneham’s residents have problems paying the taxes to keep their public high school operating as well as pay for sport programs to stay up and running. The sports program alone at Stoneham requires $600,000 of the school’s total budget. If schools start to get rid of athletics, then how many students will actually stay? Will this decision increase the amount of drop outs each year and put a damper on the amount of athletes that pursue a college education? The increasing popularity of athletics in the public school system has kept many students in school as well as pushed other students to strive hard to make necessary grades in order to stay on their team. Athletics promote students to socialize and forces them to attend classes. If they do not attend classes, they cannot play in the games. Some students that cannot afford to attend college have the chance of receiving a full ride for athletics. If the athletic programs are taken out of the school system then how will these individuals showcase their talent in order to receive a scholarship? Could this keep athletes from attending college and bettering themselves as well as their future? Athletics are a huge part of today’s public school system and the idea to dismiss them from the school system will not be taken lightly.
This article is continued in a more recent one published in September. Stoneham as well as other public schools in the area of Boston decided on raising taxes by implementing a trash fee to all residents of the community. This tax increase on top of a participation fee, to be paid by the athletes, has helped to reinstate athletics back into local schools. The only problem that has been seen so far is that those who are less fortunate do not have the money to participate and this may cause these particular students to leave the school or to drop out all together. Will this controversy continue to the point of excluding sports from public education all together and if it does will the number of students attending college decrease? Will college and professional sports go downhill as well?
Kill All the School Boards
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Relatively Egocentric Revised
Bloom writes of relativism and ethnocentrism in the reading for this week. I was especially struck by his discussion on pages 34-37 about why he feels, "relativism has extinguished the real motive of education." (p.34), and why ethnocentrism is not the evil beast we as students are at times led to believe it is. I have an ongoing argument with my boss who is a young 76 years of age, and can not understand why people, such as terrorist, want to destroy us. She also can not believe that the cells of terrorists who have lived in this country for years before raising their little heads, would not embrace our ideals as their own after seeing how "wonderful" our way of life is. I try to tell her that one cannot impart their way of thinking on another culture. When people are raised to hate, it takes a great deal to change their minds. We saw that in our own country during the Civil Rights Movement. Israel and Palestine are prime examples that we really cannot seem to just get along with each other. Our ethnocentrism always seems to get the best of us. It does seem to make sense that ethnocentrism is almost a survival mechanism as Bloom somewhat refers to it. He states, "Men must be loyal to their families and their peoples in order to preserve them." (p.37) We have laws, a government, a judicial system, and a military force to ensure that our way of life is preserved both locally and globally.
I do not feel that Bloom views ethnocentrism as a bad thing. I think from the quote in the first paragraph, he might view it as innate and necessary to our very being. Perhaps his problem with people and the educational system is our willingness to settle for what we get, and not seek our own worldly education. When he says that the American mind is closed, I feel that his anger is that we seem to have chosen to close our minds to outside experiences because we already believe that what we have is good enough. Thus we have "The Cave!"
"There are no absolutes, freedom is absolute," is one of the many jewels of this book. (p.28) A contradiction in and of itself, yet it still has meaning. The limitlessness of our freedom being limited by our own doing perhaps. Freedom by definition is without limits, but I am not sure that there is such a thing. Therefore how can it be absolute? I really do not feel that Bloom sees us as a civilized people as he seems to see the Europeans, because he raves about their intellectualism. I feel that Bloom views us as being in what might be similar to the Dark Ages in Europe, and he is trying to push us toward Enlightenment.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Class notes 1/30/08
Class notes EDUC 600
Kyle and Jimmy
1/30/08
Recap:
- Reviewed political perspectives
- Conservative
- Liberal
- Radical
- Discussion of Tinkering with Utopia
- Public education and democracy
- Myth of
- Grammar of Schooling
- Myth of Progress and the Myth of Merit
Modern Organization of Schools
- The organization of the schooling process is referred to as the Grammar of Schooling
- Over the history of this country, this organization has been attempted to be reformed to meet the needs of contemporary society. Some events which have spurred reform are:
- The great depression, economic downturn in the 1980’s, possibly today if trends continue
- Sputnik and the red scare
- A historical survey of these reforms has revealed that the major changes to the organization of the school system are cyclical in their nature.
- Changes that have been proposed in the past are being recycled and reused in the present.
- The authors of the book said that the primary reason for this is that there is a lack of knowledge that such reforms had ever been tried before.
- Policy talk cycles but changes are evolutionary, which creates a situation of great expectations.
- Reforms can only go so far… the more radical they are in their nature (i.e. to the extent they challenge the grammar of schooling) the less likely they are to be successful in the changes they are attempting to implement.
What should schools be there for?
- There are to major competing thoughts on the idea of what the primary duty of high school should be. The ideals at play in this discussion are of freedom and equality in the school systems and the two organizations behind them. The Committee of Ten and the CPOSE saw the purpose of schooling in very different terms, and thus devised very different strategies for schools. These plans covered everything from what and how classes were taught to how the schools were organized.
- In the late 19th Century (1893), the Committee of Ten was formed to answer this very question. The Committee was headed by Charles W. Elliott and consisted of like minded “Ivy League College Folks.”
- As a result of their occupations, the Committee had a conservative view of the purpose of schooling, which was the school system’s job was to ensure that all students received an academic education (i.e. the focus of education should be on the core subjects of science, math, english, and social studies.)
- Believed everyone would benefit from high academic standards regardless of intentions after school (vocational, higher education, etc.)
- `The Committee was formed in response to the growing number of people at the turn of the century entering the school system, and as a result the realm of higher education.
- They wanted to ensure that students were prepared for college upon arrival. The Committee was their vehicle to separate the “wheat from the chaff,” so that they were able to allow the best and brightest into the college ranks. They proposed a standardization of high schools across the country so that colleges would be able to predict the likelihood a student would succeed in college
- This was also the vehicle they utilized to keep the affluent status quo (who were already proficient students) attending college and the poor immigrants (who may struggle through this new system) out.
- Ideologies and reform can be seen in present day schools with the division of classes from general to advanced in the same subject field.
- The Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education was organized in 1917 to offer an alternative to the perspective proposed by the Committee of Ten.
- They believed that high schools should be for all people and not just those who are bound for college, and as a result, they made proposals that made schools for everyone.
- In their opinion, schools had to be places that were for everyone so that they would stay in school and be a viable member of society.
- The CPOSE desired a vocational element be added to the school system so that those students who were not going to college could learn a skill and be a viable member of the workforce upon their completion of high school.
- They also proposed a system of “tracking” in which students’ academic progress would be monitored and would then be used to place them on an education path that would be more attune to their individual needs. For example, if a student is not performing very well in his or her academic classes and have no desire to go to college they would be placed on a track that would enable them to take a variety of vocational classes.
- Standardize Testing was created in this time period to serve as the Cardinal principles’ vehicle for track placement.
- 1957 is an incredibly important date in the history of the public education system in the country. It is the year that the
- This was all but the death nail in the coffin of the CPOSE, because the policy-makers saw this defeat as the fault of a school system that had gone away from focusing on the important academic subjects, which had been the central theme of the conservative Committee of Ten.
- In the aftermath of this event, policy-makers chose to revert to the older philosophy of schooling and began pouring funding into science and math in hopes of trying to make up the ground they felt they lost to the soviets.
The Learning Factory
- One of the leading metaphors in education and schooling is the school is a factory, because of many characteristics the two share in common. Most people did not at one time go to college, so school was the environment that readied this new population for the workforce. Factories were also seen as institutions that effectively managed large amounts of people and therefore a good model to apply to school settings.
- Hierarchy: The organization of public schools and factories both center around a stratified structure
- Principle = plant manager
- Teachers = worker
- Students = product
- The Day: In both the school and the factory all the goings-on is controlled by the bell. A bell rings to start the day, start and stop activities, and to end the day.
- Repetitive tasks: Both environments seek to make the workers as efficient as possible by creating an environment that seeks them to repeat tasks over and over until mastery is achieved.
Tinkering Towards Utopia Chapter Review, very brief outline of our class discussion
Chapter three
- What is meant by the success or failure of school reform?
- Fidelity, Effectiveness and Longevity.
- Don't take in effect in unintended reform.
- Kindergarten - child saving, transition into wider social world.
- Junior High - taking children at risk and keeping them in school, catered to age.
- Created smaller community of learners
- Governing
- Nation at risk -
Chapter 4
- Why does the grammar of school persist?
- The grammar of school has been widely excepted for years, as a result it is seen as legitimate
- Created the grammar of school institution
- The Graded School
- The Carnegie Unit
- Challenged the grammar of schooling standards
- The
- Eight Year Study
- High Schools of Tomorrow
Chapter 5
- How and why schools have been reinvented?
- The business of schooling
- Managing education
- Contracting for performance
- Teaching by machine
- The business of teaching
- Where is education today and how did it get there? What is the purpose of reform?
- Reform is a slow evolutionary process
- Reform has been cyclic in nature
- Reform must have teacher input
- Its purpose should be to improve learning, not just test scores
- Learning can take place at
- Intellectual level
- Civic
- And social development
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