Philosophy: Connecting Education To The World

Schools should become nurturing facilities that provide educational and developmental preparation for students to function in the world and become model citizens in the global community. It is necessary for schools to establish and sustain that connection between the world and student. They should disseminate information honestly and accurately using customized curriculum catering to student cultural uniqueness and the natural ability to learn. Students should be able to verbalize understandings and utilize resources to explore ideas.



This freedom to express themselves and capture unique qualities of divers cultures builds an environment for students and teachers to value differences. The altered perspective is incorporated into the curriculum to establish lasting social bonds and form customized perspectives of possibilities and develop worth for eccentrics in the world.





Teachers aught to provide students with realistic views of their global community. Students should explore fundamental principles through classroom instruction and peer coaching to stimulate ideas and original concepts to cause positive impacts on society in becoming productive neighbors, equal in every aspect of living.

 

What Do We Want? Social Justice!!!

Social Justice is described as an analysis of morality in the distribution of economic resources and opportunities among different persons and class structures. Global supporters call for reformation in societies of inequality, exposing violations of human rights and denial of dignity for every human being. In the United States, it is the cry of the oppressed while fighting battles for adequate living conditions and equal educational opportunities in a land supposed to be brave and free.

As you read this blog, community schools in urban areas are being cannibalized, restructured and given a larger budget to become magnet schools. Some communities embrace the idea until realizing enrollment often requires the child to qualify for attendance or bus to school in another community. Other schools like Crenshaw High School have fought against the transition to maintain integrity established during the civil rights movement. The school provides community services, peer support programs and an English learning program. Despite low scores on No Child Left Behind assessments, Crenshaw was award for being one of the best urban schools and home of the first student to produce a student based application for cell phones. It is supported by parents, grassroots programs and alumni.

Recently, the LAUSD decided to divide the school into three separate magnet schools. The community was outraged. Protests were met with thirty-three layoffs and strategy meetings that diverted adversity. Fear of unemployment and retaliation towards students disbanded the opposition.

Instead of supporting Crenshaw by investing funds to continue student development in an environment appreciated by the community, LAUSD disregarded the pleading public and exercised tactics that negatively impacted students, teachers and discontinued beneficial programs. This agency is supposed to work on behalf of the community not become the hand of affliction while people strive to concur an oppressive situation. This school is a pillar of pride and resource worthy of saving, especially when its destruction would destabilize a community.

In a socially just environment, this would not be debated. I disbelieve it would be an issue. Social justice requires equal distribution of resources, wealth and opportunity. With proper allocation of funds, Crenshaw High School and others like it would be powerful forces. They would serve as beacons of light for other communities.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYH3jNkg8G8

http://www.unc.edu/~baerk/socialjustice/main.htm

http://www.globalresearch.ca/public-education-at-stake-the-battle-for-crenshaw-high-in-south-los-angeles/5340193

http://www.globalresearch.ca/public-education-at-stake-the-battle-for-crenshaw-high-in-south-los-angeles/5340193

What Do You Know About Montessori Education?

I choose to reasearch Montessori Education because the schools are common in the southern region. Many parents of the attendees claimed the schools offer a better educating method. Other than personal testimony and the name, I held little knowledge about the method and history.

Maria Montessori (1870-1952) did not conform to the traditional education for women. The daughter of a wealthy political figure pressed for an alternative. Rewarded by effort, she became the first woman to achieve a medical degree in Italy.

Although her work included psychiatry and anthropology, Dr. Montessori is most recognized in the U.S. for contributions in education. Her work designed to help children of poverty-stricken areas, nurture the curiosity, creativity and imagine which providing basic skills. Believing every child contain a contained unique ability that needed unveiling, she contributed a method that observed

children in an environment that supported life and help them excel to the greatest possible spiritual, physical and mental level. Accessing and nurturing child potential began with infancy assistance and continued through high school. Classes are the same standard curriculum as conventional school, but incorporate sensory learning to solidify newly introduce knowledge. Children follow their interests by conducting researches using resources pertaining to conventional subject matter and guided by the teacher. Students work independently and typically transcend expectations. Mixed age groups learn from and teach one another while mastering academic subjects. Progress tracking occur, but not through examination of general education skills.

The Montessori education develops a sense of unity. It fosters positive responses to difficult or overwhelming situations. There is criticism about the free development style and decreased emphasis on textbook homework. However, pupil performance paralleled that of conventional studies.

Montessori education could be a better way of educating as long as schools maintain the Dr. Montessori’s original aim to improve the education level in poor communities. If this give students a better opportunity to become successful people than children should be allowed the advantage.

http://www.nndb.com/people/189/000108862/

http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=q7a3Br6kPbU

Marxism and Education

            Marxism analyzes the relationship of humanity to the environment from a sociological and philosophical perspective. It questions the wealth of a society by examining the labor and resource system for producing goods. Historical, labor and resources often became imbalanced creating a free market. The inability to regulate economic development is identified as rapped upheaval. Characterized by mood of production, organized labor, it evolves into social economic classes. Each class has its own interests and experiences creating unique consciousness. Morality, politics, religion, other shared interests and resources are understood to be universally important. Lower class consciousness holds an interest contrary to its interest. Meaning pursuits toward progress lead nowhere. It is an antagonistic class with irreconcilable differences. Governing this arrangement are two chief classes, Capitalism (the Bourgeoisie) and Socialism (the Proletariat). The first rules resources and production devices. The other owns the labor classes. Both sides profit from a cycle of labor production and goods purchased by the laboring classes. Disagreements between the two result in class struggles.

            This means educational success is governed by class and class struggle. In the most ideal situation, the higher class receives the best possible educational, middle class, moderate options and lower class, the bottom of the barrel. This intentionally produce generational professionals and labor force of skilled and experienced workers sustaining wealth in the higher class. In the worst possible scenario, middle class population decrease as well as opportunities to receive that level of education. In turn, lower class increases and the level of education remain the same although seemingly below standard.

WHAT CAN BE DONE? If the Marxism is true and these issues derive from the systems then a logical response is "change the system." This appears to be a sold decision, but is it feasible? The statement in itself implies challenging the systems. It would be the equivalent of picking a fight with the Hatfield and McCoy family. Some leaders have walked down this road and accomplished change within the class, but not the system. Others have simply given up and chosen alternative living and education. Honestly, nothing can be done until people as a whole become tire and react.

What do you think?

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/karl_marx_education.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4295232.stm
https://www.marxists.org/subject/education/index.htm

 

How Do You Feel About Inclusion?

I understand the education system wanting to create an educational utopia. It sounds like a really good idea. Bring together diverse cultures and provide one curriculum with standards all students will aspire to reach by the teacher's guiding hand. I would like to see barrier removed for those with disabilities and inclusion applied successfully. At the same time, I continue to question if this really the best idea.

Three months ago in St. Louis, an 8-year-old girl was handcuffed and taken to jail for allegedly destroying two classrooms during a temper tantrum. This was not the first time she had a temper tantrum at school. According to the uncle/legal guardian, the little girl is a special needs student who exhibited this type of behavior on several occasions. The teacher restrained her then contacted the uncle without police involvement. The police stated it was necessary to restraint the 70 pound little girl. The uncle explained, she was handcuffed and shackled then taken to jail without a winter coat. While in custody her requests to use the restroom was denied. Police justified their actions by saying the little girl was taken to juvenile jail. The principle swallowed deep after explaining children are taken into protective custody when parent refuse to pick them up. A statement from the uncle indicated that was not the case.

This incident occurred at a special needs school with professionals trained to address behavioral issues. Clearly, the child’s behavior is not her fault. The school is responsible for providing the necessary mean and maintaining her safety as well as the other students. Whether or not the correct choices were made is questionable, but I was relieved the situation occurred in an environment that caters to special needs children.  I agree general education and special education should interact to remove fears and assumptions. Completely joining the two worlds do not appear to be a great idea.
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhVjxdkFOVg
http://www.kmov.com/news/local/8-year-old-girl-handcuffed-and-put-in-jail-for-two-hours-195485751.html

Teacher's Are You Ready?

            Autism affects more than half a million children in the United States. Contrary to common belief, it is a developmental disorder of brain function. Symptoms include a wide scope of behavioral and learning issues. While some cases render children unable to speak others experience the opposite effect, extremely talkative. This range of symptoms makes it difficult for non-specialized educators to help in the learning process. Traditional methods of discipline, such as time-out, are unsuccessful because it requires children to recognize and explain why the behavior was inappropriate. Children with autism find it hard to recognize poor social behavior.

 

           There is no cure for autism. Specific symptoms are alleviated through customized therapy or intervention programs consisting of educational, behavioral and medical treatment. This is typically achieved through private schools specializing in the development of exceptional children, costing about $75,000 per year for each child. Public schools are looking to curve this cost by integrating less severe cases into mainstream education.

            In the classroom, teachers are responsible for the safety and educational development of fifty to twenty students. The typical student can learn one skill and apply it to multiple situations. Depending on the case, an autistic child's learning process may require repeatedly learning one skill as it applies to new situation. This is an individual attention public school student’s do not receive outside of specialized programs.

             No Child Left Behind annually assesses student progress. Will this form of inclusion negatively affect school racking? If test score do not meet expectation could this produce a new situation causing more finger pointing towards teachers?

             While the education system is saving money, there is no mention of salary increases for teachers pursuing additional training to accommodate the special needs of these new students? The change could potentially result in job loss for special education teachers experiencing the decrease in student population.

I am not sure this will work towards the student's best interest. This is a major integration that could have serious social implications. Are teachers ready?

 

 

 

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/10/19/kids-with-autism-find-it-hard-to-describe-poor-behavior-study-finds

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12776434

http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-psychology/autism-aspergers/autism_fact_sheet.shtml

 

Will Blueprint Bailout NCLB?

            In 2002, Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) best known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was implemented as a data collection agent for states to assess problems in public schools. Usage of the information was to improving failures within the education system.  The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measured student knowledge in math, reading, science and critical thinking. Schools were rated pass or fail based upon the collective of student test scores. The results showed a majority of schools were failing. This inadvertently created another problem. Those schools with failing scores needed to hold someone accountable. Since teachers are responsible for student learning and development, they became the reason for failure. Teachers protested and in some case lost jobs. To improve test scores curriculum was geared toward passing the AYP.  Classrooms were micromanaged and teachers lost flexibility in teaching. States lowered achievement standards to meet AYP requirements. Over the years, many students were being dumb down for states to receive passing scores. Graduated students were not prepared for college and careers.

 

            Obama’s Blueprint Plan does not replace NCLB, but strives to correct core issues using a seven-point plan. Blueprint is a national effort to raise expectations and achievement of this counties most valuable resource.

1)      Raise education standards to prepare students for college and careers. Improve the progressive lowering of US education ranking that future generation competition in the global market.

2)      States are responsible for creating the measuring system of student growth and Reporting Results to the government, teachers, parents, local schools and students.

3)      Do away with one day testing using an arbitrary standard. Develop better assessments that include critical thinking and problem solving skills.

4)      Loosen Federal Regulation that limits teacher abilities and their use of other acquired knowledge in classrooms.

5)      Recognize And Reward Success of schools obtaining student growth. More flexibility with federal funds will be allowed to redirect focus from testing results to student progress.

6)      Provide a well-rounded education that offer all subjects needed to improve student lives.

7)      Focus on student growth by strengthening teaching using professionals with a wide set of skills and knowledge. Teaching effectiveness is measured through classroom observation, teacher portfolios, student and parent data, and achievement data.

            By forcing teachers to model curriculum around AYP test subjects, NCLB has created a testing culture within our school system. It has resulted in generations of students not prepared for college or the global workforce. The Blueprint Plan is attempting to restore elements of the education system vital to the positive development of this nation’s best resource. This plan called upon everyone in the education stream to help bridge the gap.

            I do not know how I feel about the plan. Everyone was excited about NCLB until the flaws became visible. Now there are ten generations of unprepared children. Some will struggle throughout life fixing problems they did not cause. Maybe that is the nature of the beast, to fix a few problems and develop one hundred more. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV7od-RU1Jw
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/index.html