I can not help but wonder have we made any progress in the field of education or are we just going in circles?
It makes me very uneasy when we talk about treating everyone the same, when every student is not the same. Or when we talk about "promoting a national culture" (Spring 455). To me I flashback to the Anglo Americans and how it had to be done their way and their culture was the one being promoted. I had a hard time reading this chapter because I can see change, but for as much time that has passed I would have thought our educational system would be much better than what it is today.
Spring, Joel H. (2011) The American School New York
Oh, Lizz! I agree! It’s been hundreds of years! How is it that we don’t have this education-thing right yet? And how many young people’s lives have been impacted along the way? Your quote from Spring is such a noble one, and yet it’s never come true. In fact, I have recently heard American schools referred to as Apartheid schools*, after that oppressive, segregated form of government that was in South Africa. What happened to all those equal opportunities?
ReplyDeleteAnother thing jumps out at me from your post: “are we just going in circles?” I’ve been teaching long enough to see that there are new fads or trends that blow in. The district leadership jumps on it and makes the staff do a bunch of busy work on professional days, and then the trend passes and we do it again when the next fad hits. It makes me crazy, but I can’t see it changing. All I can conclude is that the American education system will never be right. It’s up to us to make our own interaction with students the best it will be. We are the ones who can make the difference for kids.
*Foley, Douglas. "Introduction to Theme
Issue: White Privilege and Schooling."
Anthropology & Education Quarterly 39.3
(2008): 225-226. Education
Research Complete. Web. 11 July 2011.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1400052459/ref=pe_113430_20481790_pd_re_dt_lm7
or see more on my July 12 post.
Goodness, this topic will never get old to me. Aaron actually made a really great point in our small discussion groups today, where he commented on if this is really "No Child Left Behind" or "No Child Push Forward" in our educational systems. Are we focusing too much of our attention on those who cannot grasp material at a regular or average pace? Are we inhibiting the growth of those who are accelerated learners? Should we do anything to intervene? What can we do to limit that gap? Gosh. I have no idea. I just don't really like the idea of catering to those that fall behind to the point where we are stunting the growth of the advanced students.
ReplyDeleteLizz, I agree with your statement that all children are not the same. Each child should have a quality education but, not at the expense of others.
ReplyDeleteIdeally, each child should have an individualized instructional program that was tailored to his/her academic needs.