Issue 2- Should the Curriculum Be Standardized for All?

I agree with the threefold objective of basic schooling, that society provides opportunities for personal development, and that with these opportunities they should want to make the most of theirselves. That they will come out of school citizens who are able to function and be productive in society. Of course there will be some exceptions, but I believe that the main purpose of school in early years is to prepare students to make it in the real world. I learned in my history of education class that even when public school was in its primitive stages, they had lessons that would ensure that they were producinh well-off citizens. Even if there is not as much "hands on" type of learning going on (i.e. sewing for girls and woodshop for boys), students are still learning about what it takes to make it outside of school. While I also agree with Holt that chldren should have some control and choices in their education, I think only to a certain extent. They should get the general background they need to be well rounded individuals, and then use have some electives of their choice, similar to what we do in high school and college.

Case Study 1: Melinda Grant

Melinda Grant teaches in a manner that is fun and exciting for students. She keeps their intersts in mind when she plans lessons, and does not want to be a "boring" teacher. She has a lot of group work and activities and hands on work relating to different subjects. Another teacher in the school is somewhat opposite, because she focuses more on drilling students with basic skills and working on behavior. The second teacher tells Melinda that she needs to be more strict in her class, especially when it comes to working on practicing for the Iowa test. Melinda does not want to subject her students to making class harder for her students, mainly because it would lessen their interest in school. They live in a city where test scores mean a lot, however she does not seem to be concerned as other teachers and parents. I think Melinda needs to be a little more focused on the tests even thought I can understand why it's not her main priority. If i was in her situation I would try to keep lessons and activities interesting while also factoring the skills they need for the test. Students can learn and stil have a good time. I know school is not supposed to be all fun, but sometimes, especially for younger students, school has to have more of an appeal so students will work harder.

9/17 Class Discussion

Today in class we talked about effective ways of teaching. I think the 5th grade teacher did a good job by accomodating all levels of learning in her inclusion class by having different categories at various difficulty levels. Group work is good for young children because it teaches them how to work together. However, I think she should have modified it a little by allowing students to each have a turn giving the answers, instead of picking one representative for each group. Also, the teacher should not have said "you're all winners" because it gives students' a false sense of accomplishment. Although students need to learn how to work together, they also have to know how to lose. Overall her game was a good idea because she thought it out and was very organized.

The High School class that re-enacted the court case was interesting to me. I like when teachers find a way to get their students involved in what they're learning. If students are confined to just the textbook and lectures they're not going to be motivated to learn. I also liked the idea that the students did not know ahead of time what part of the case they were going to represent--this teaches them to learn all sides to an issue before they defend it. The only thing I didn't like about it was that some students were not involved, I think the teacher could have found a way to get them to interact with the case if they were not one of the principle roles.

These videos shows different methods of teaching/learning to get students involved and interested. It's good for students to have a variety in school, it keeps them motivated to show up and become involved in what they are being taught.

Issue 1: Should Schooling be Based on Social Experiences?

I agreed with Hutchins when he said "....the most important branch of education is the education of adults." Learning should not be emphasized only during childhood, but should take place throughout a person's entire life. And the more adults know and learn, the more willing younger children will be willing to take after their educational habits. I liked this quote: "Men are rational animals. They achieve their terrestrial felicity by the use of reason. And this means that they have to use it for their entire lives. To say that they should learn only in childhood would mean that they were human only in childhood." (14) This quote also stuck out: "You cannot expect the slave to show the virtues of a free man unless you first set him free." (12)

Questionable Assumptions About Schooling

While reading the article by Eisner, I found a few of his assumptions very interesting. The first one, that talks about getting all students to the same place at the same time, could be looked at in a few ways. At first I thought "not every student is equal, and it would be difficult to assume that every student has the same academic potential, so how can it be expected that every 18 year old is ready to graduate high school?" Sometimes I think schools make a mistake by promoting students who are not ready for the next grade level. I think if a student needs extra help, it should not be an issue retaining them in the same grade for another year if it's going to benefit them. Also, I am not a fan of standardized testing. I think a student's ability should be judged by their overall performance in school, and not by the GEPA or HSPA or SAT. Sometimes students do very well in school, but when put on the spot it becomes difficult for them to work to their full potential. I think a teacher who has students who are getting the best grades they are capable of is doing a good job, it should not depend on one big test. One point that got my attention was when he mentioned that "the primary content that students learn is what their teachers intend to teach them." I feel that the more interesting teachers make their lessons, the more students are willing to learn, and maybe go beyond the classroom and look elsewhere for even more information. I had a teacher in 8th grade who made history "fun." Even though I've always loved history (it's my major) there were students who were for the first time motivated to learn about WWII. Teachers who can get the attention of even the more uninteresting student are doing a good job, and are motivating their students to learn. Sometimes teachers will read straight out of the book and never give any extra facts or stories that might something them more relevant. They could be the reason students find certain subjects boring and therefore won't try to do any better than get a passing grade.