As a future teacher, the article “Teachers’ Cost of Living Matters More” really intrigued me. I can remember I was in the third grade when I wanted to be a teacher. Because of what I witnessed my high school classmates put my teachers through, I decided teaching was not for me. When I was considering what I wanted to major in my undergraduate studies, I thought about teaching, but the amount of pay deterred me from pursuing it as a career at that time. This article compares teacher salaries in a specific region or city to the national average of other cities in the United States. What I found particularly interesting is “officials may want to consider the cost of living-the quantity of goods teachers can actually purchase with their salaries - rather than simply comparing pay” (Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., 2005). I never took into consideration the cost of living. I was looking at what the yearly salary is. The salary is important, but the cost of living really determines how the salary compares to other professions and other regions. “The local cost of living is determined by prices for a basket of consumer goods and services. Prices for housing, groceries, utilities, health care and so forth vary from city to city and region to region” (Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., 2005). These factors are very important because the cost of living determines how competitive salary of a job is. The average teacher salaries for elementary and secondary teachers were determined by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates report. 50 metropolitan areas were evaluated and included the largest 20 areas in the United States. New York City elementary teachers get the highest salary in the nation $59,514, but when the cost of living is factored in the number drops to $42,662, making it 25th among major cities. The second highest salary is San Francisco at $59,284, but it plummets to 49th amongst metropolitan cities. There are similar results in secondary school teachers. Secondary teachers in Los Angeles earn as salary of $56, 384, well above the average of $47,120, but when the cost of living is adjusted, it slips to 45th. In Houston the salaries for secondary teachers rank 30th, but when the cost of living is factored in it jumps up to 15th ((Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., 2005). This research was appealing to me because the perceived low salary initially kept me from wanting to teach. Reading New York City teachers average almost $60,000 a year is very appealing, but to find it’s only $42,662 is an eye opener. The Houston example is also amusing in that it has an lower salary, but ranks higher due to the cost of living. I have experienced the corporate world and have come to realize the amount of money you make is not as important as the impact you can have on the lives of others. Yes I want to make a decent living and after researching this topic, I know that I can. I found an interesting article that compared a teacher’s average hourly pay to other professions. I discovered a teacher’s hourly pay is very competitive. It is more than an accountant, police office, registered nurse, and construction worker (The teacher salary). Prior to reading this article, I would’ve thought it was the other way around. I’m pursuing teaching as a profession because I want to make a positive influence on the youth of this country. In my readings I discovered, “teachers around the country are making a good living doing something they love” and this is fantastic news (The teacher salary).
References
Georgiou, D., Moore, M., & Villarreal, P., October 25, 2005, Teachers‘ cost of living matters more. Retrieved from
http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba535
The teacher salary. Retrieved November 10, 2011 from
http://www.teacherportal.com/salary
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
New Immigration/ Multiculturalism In Education
When I began reading “Multiculturalism in School Curriculum”, I did not agree with it at all. The author began with, “I disagree with the many teachers today who are pushing the notion that in order to teach multiculturalism in school curriculum, teachers must actually move away from the traditional curriculum” (Waxler, A. (n.d.). This did not sit well with me because the traditional curriculum does not teach multiculturalism. The definition of curriculum is “a course of study in one subject at a school or college”(curriculum). In order to teach multiculturalism the curriculum will have to be changed. With our country becoming more and more multicultural, it is only appropriate that the curriculum incorporate the contributions all cultures have made. When I was in grade and high school, there was a major focus on the contributions Anglo-American made to our country. Yes there was a mention of the contributions African Americans made, but it was greatly minimized. It was mentioned during a part of one lesson. I learned of the many inventions and contributions African Americans made that we enjoy today through my own personal research. Every student doesn’t have the ability or desire to learn outside the classroom so this should be included in each school’s curriculum.
The author also said it’s fine to include different cultures in teaching, but to pull out individual cultures is “intellectual segregation” (Waxler, A. (n.d.). I can see the author’s point, but he fails to mention or possibly understand the reason and history of Black History Month. Dr. Carter G. Woodson noticed a lack of the black population represented in textbooks and began to write about it. He established Negro History Week in 1926, which became Black History Month in 1976 (History of black history month). Information like this is very vital in education. If the author knew the history and meaning of Black History Month he might view it differently. I really like how the author teaches World War II. He provides information to the students and divides them into separate groups with each group focusing on a particular group of Americans. He allows the students to develop their own impression of what happened. This is a great way to approach this and if my history teachers had taught history this way, I probably would have enjoyed history and retained more information. History was not taught to me in this manner. It was recitation and memorization of dates and dead people that I could not relate to so I had a strong dislike for history. After reading the method in which he teaches history, I understand why he feels curriculum doesn't have to be changed in order to teach multiculturalism. The truth is all teachers do not teach with multiculturalism in mind and in order to include it for all students the curriculum must be changed.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Toward A Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School”. The Core Knowledge Foundation is an organization that believes students should be taught basic functions and share common points of reference that will enable further learning. This shared knowledge should take up only 50% of classroom time (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). There is a belief this shared knowledge should be much more multicultural. I agree there should be some core fundamental things that all students should be taught. The article goes on to explain there are two types of multiculturalism, “cosmopolitanism” and “ethnic loyalism” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.).
Cosmopolitanism is being a citizen of the world. In this way of thinking “ethnicity is not one’s essence, but an accident of history”
(Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). Ethnic loyalism is the belief that acclimating to a larger cosmopolitan culture is losing one’s identity. In contrast to cosmopolitanism, “the very idea of ethnicity defines the essence of a person” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). I see now, but I didn’t know there are two kinds of multiculturalism. I would consider myself to have what the author explains as “dual citizenship”. I’m a part of my particular ethnos and the larger cosmopolis. In other words, I’m apart of and identity with my culture, also consider myself a citizen of the world. The article shifts from the intellectual history of multiculturalism to its place in education. I completely agree with this statement regarding the unfairness in schools, “we adults have failed to set clear knowledge-goals for each grade of elementary school.” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). When I think back on my elementary education, I can think of one grade where I knew I was going to learn a particular skill. I knew in the third grade I would learn the multiplication table and how to write in cursive. Other than that, I really didn’t know what was expected of me prior to entering the grade. This is a very valid point made. In the younger grades, especially kindergarten thorough second students probably will not completely understand if the expectations were explained to them, but I’m certain the older student would understand. Even if the students don’t understand it’s important that parents and guardians know what to expect so they can help their child succeed. This understanding, I believe, will result in some students performing better. To further support this thinking the article says “ The obvious antidote to the thinness and incoherence of American early education is for us adults to reach agreement, as is done in other countries, on a core of content for each grade of elementary school” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). In order for the education system to improve all educators need to be on the same page figuratively and literally. The Core Knowledge Foundation came up with the Core Knowledge Sequence that includes the three characteristics of an ideal multicultural curriculum. The characteristics are “it encourages knowledge of and sympathy towards the diverse cultures of the world, it fosters respect for every child’s home culture as well as for the cosmopolitan school-based culture, and it gives all children competence in the current system of language and allusion that is dominant in the nations economic and intellectual discourse. The civil rights movement is what led to the idea of multiculturalism in education. This affects the curriculum for history and literature would have to change in order for this to occur (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). This is fantastic and I completely agree with it. The Core Knowledge Foundation created a specialized core curriculum for the early grades called the Core Knowledge Sequence. The plan is for the Core Knowledge Sequence “to constitute about 50% of a school’s curriculum, thereby allowing for local variation, including integration with more ethnically-centered curricula” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). This is a brilliant idea, because all students will have the same basic knowledge, but the schools have flexibility to adapt to the cultures of the students attending the school. The quote that impacted me the most is “It will do black American children little good to learn a lot about their African and African-American past if they still cannot read and write effectively, do not understand natural science, and cannot solve basic mathematical problems” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). This really made perfect sense to me. It appears that some are so focused on changing the curriculum to be multicultural, that the main reason for education is lost. I believe multiculturalism is needed in education, but as the article points out students need to know fundamental information and then incorporate multiculturalism. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article.
The final article is “Organizers See “New Civil Rights Movement” in Immigration Protests”. After reading the title, I immediately thought I would read this article and be frustrated. My frustration comes from the way the government handles immigrants. The United States is a country of immigrants, so I am not against immigration. I’m not a supporter of letting illegal immigrants stay without going through the proper procedures to become legalized. The article tells of a three week nationwide protest in March of 2006 hoping to convince the Senate Judiciary Committee to pass a more immigrant friendly Bill (Kyriakou, N (March 29, 2006). The Bill protesters are trying to change is the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The House of Representatives passed this bill in December of 2006. Here is an explanation of the legislation,
“Would increase penalties for violating immigration laws, make some civil violations of immigration law into criminal offenses, step up enforcement of immigration law and expand the list of violations that render a non-citizen deportable. Unauthorized entry and presence in the United States, currently civil violations, would become felony crimes, punishable by more than a year in jail. It would also become a felony for anyone to provide any type of assistance to an undocumented immigrant. The bill imposes mandatory minimum sentences for immigrants convicted of re-entering the country after deportation, requires mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants for an indefinite period of time, and increases the expedited removal of immigrants without judicial review. Mandatory employer verification of immigration status of every employee in the country – including U.S. citizens – would be required after six years. The bill also increases enforcement along the United States border and provides for increased use of military surveillance equipment.
I am in complete support of this bill because the immigration policies in the United States need to be stepped up. We have been far too lenient in allowing illegal immigrants to stay. The event that comes to mind are the horrific events of 911. Although it is nearly impossible to keep track of every single illegal immigrant, if laws such as this were passed, I believe the likelihood of 911 would have been vastly decreased. The article goes on to compare this protest to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. I do not see the correlation at all. The civil rights movement involved legal American citizens protesting to make end segregation legislation.African-Americans who were already living in America for multiple generatons. This situation is regarding illegal immigrants being allowed to stay without proper documentation. I understand people from other countries escaping life there for the hope of a better life in American, but that is not the same as the civil rights movement. Basically it “would legalize undocumented immigrants if they pay their back taxes, learn English, and follow a number of other requirements” (Border Protection). I have no problem with immigrants wanting to payback taxes and learn English. My problem is with them arriving here illegally and gaining employment and not going through the proper procedures to legally stay in the country. What if some illegal immigrants start the process but don’t complete it? What happens to them? Are they allowed to stay because they paid some taxes, but for example didn’t learn English or follow other requirements? This is quite vague and needs to be thoroughly explained so those who arrive here know what is expected in order for them to stay here. The article mentions some consider this legislation anti-immigrant. In a way see where people could feel that way, but there is an immigration process in place and everyone should follow the law or face the penalties. Again, I am not anti-immigrants; I just want them to go through the legal way of remaining in the United States. I truly enjoyed reading and researching about all three articles.
Two kinds of multiculturalism “Children will become adults who cooperate and sustain one anther only if the school-based culture they gain makes them feel that they truly belong to the larger society”
(Hirsch, Jr, E.D.).
References
Border Protection Antiterrorism, And Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (n.d.). themiddleclass.org. Retrieved from
http://themiddleclass.org/bill/border-protection-antiterrorism-and-illegal-immigration-control-act-2005
Curriculum. Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/curriculum
Hirsch, Jr. E.D. (1992). Toward a centrist curriculum: Two kinds of multiculturalism in elementary school. Retrieved from
http://teachingcontent.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/documents/4/CentCurr.pdf
History of black history month. January 30, 2006. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2006-01-30/politics/extra.black.history.month_1_black-history-month-history-week-woodson?_s=PM:EDUCATION
Kyriakou, N (March 29, 2006). Organizers see “new civil rights movement” in immigration protests”. Retrieved from
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0329-03.htm
Waxler, A. (n.d.). Multiculturalism in school curriculum. Retrieved from
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/articles/index.pl?page=7;read=1621
The author also said it’s fine to include different cultures in teaching, but to pull out individual cultures is “intellectual segregation” (Waxler, A. (n.d.). I can see the author’s point, but he fails to mention or possibly understand the reason and history of Black History Month. Dr. Carter G. Woodson noticed a lack of the black population represented in textbooks and began to write about it. He established Negro History Week in 1926, which became Black History Month in 1976 (History of black history month). Information like this is very vital in education. If the author knew the history and meaning of Black History Month he might view it differently. I really like how the author teaches World War II. He provides information to the students and divides them into separate groups with each group focusing on a particular group of Americans. He allows the students to develop their own impression of what happened. This is a great way to approach this and if my history teachers had taught history this way, I probably would have enjoyed history and retained more information. History was not taught to me in this manner. It was recitation and memorization of dates and dead people that I could not relate to so I had a strong dislike for history. After reading the method in which he teaches history, I understand why he feels curriculum doesn't have to be changed in order to teach multiculturalism. The truth is all teachers do not teach with multiculturalism in mind and in order to include it for all students the curriculum must be changed.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Toward A Centrist Curriculum: Two Kinds of Multiculturalism in Elementary School”. The Core Knowledge Foundation is an organization that believes students should be taught basic functions and share common points of reference that will enable further learning. This shared knowledge should take up only 50% of classroom time (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). There is a belief this shared knowledge should be much more multicultural. I agree there should be some core fundamental things that all students should be taught. The article goes on to explain there are two types of multiculturalism, “cosmopolitanism” and “ethnic loyalism” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.).
Cosmopolitanism is being a citizen of the world. In this way of thinking “ethnicity is not one’s essence, but an accident of history”
(Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). Ethnic loyalism is the belief that acclimating to a larger cosmopolitan culture is losing one’s identity. In contrast to cosmopolitanism, “the very idea of ethnicity defines the essence of a person” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). I see now, but I didn’t know there are two kinds of multiculturalism. I would consider myself to have what the author explains as “dual citizenship”. I’m a part of my particular ethnos and the larger cosmopolis. In other words, I’m apart of and identity with my culture, also consider myself a citizen of the world. The article shifts from the intellectual history of multiculturalism to its place in education. I completely agree with this statement regarding the unfairness in schools, “we adults have failed to set clear knowledge-goals for each grade of elementary school.” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). When I think back on my elementary education, I can think of one grade where I knew I was going to learn a particular skill. I knew in the third grade I would learn the multiplication table and how to write in cursive. Other than that, I really didn’t know what was expected of me prior to entering the grade. This is a very valid point made. In the younger grades, especially kindergarten thorough second students probably will not completely understand if the expectations were explained to them, but I’m certain the older student would understand. Even if the students don’t understand it’s important that parents and guardians know what to expect so they can help their child succeed. This understanding, I believe, will result in some students performing better. To further support this thinking the article says “ The obvious antidote to the thinness and incoherence of American early education is for us adults to reach agreement, as is done in other countries, on a core of content for each grade of elementary school” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). In order for the education system to improve all educators need to be on the same page figuratively and literally. The Core Knowledge Foundation came up with the Core Knowledge Sequence that includes the three characteristics of an ideal multicultural curriculum. The characteristics are “it encourages knowledge of and sympathy towards the diverse cultures of the world, it fosters respect for every child’s home culture as well as for the cosmopolitan school-based culture, and it gives all children competence in the current system of language and allusion that is dominant in the nations economic and intellectual discourse. The civil rights movement is what led to the idea of multiculturalism in education. This affects the curriculum for history and literature would have to change in order for this to occur (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). This is fantastic and I completely agree with it. The Core Knowledge Foundation created a specialized core curriculum for the early grades called the Core Knowledge Sequence. The plan is for the Core Knowledge Sequence “to constitute about 50% of a school’s curriculum, thereby allowing for local variation, including integration with more ethnically-centered curricula” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). This is a brilliant idea, because all students will have the same basic knowledge, but the schools have flexibility to adapt to the cultures of the students attending the school. The quote that impacted me the most is “It will do black American children little good to learn a lot about their African and African-American past if they still cannot read and write effectively, do not understand natural science, and cannot solve basic mathematical problems” (Hirsch, Jr, E.D.). This really made perfect sense to me. It appears that some are so focused on changing the curriculum to be multicultural, that the main reason for education is lost. I believe multiculturalism is needed in education, but as the article points out students need to know fundamental information and then incorporate multiculturalism. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article.
The final article is “Organizers See “New Civil Rights Movement” in Immigration Protests”. After reading the title, I immediately thought I would read this article and be frustrated. My frustration comes from the way the government handles immigrants. The United States is a country of immigrants, so I am not against immigration. I’m not a supporter of letting illegal immigrants stay without going through the proper procedures to become legalized. The article tells of a three week nationwide protest in March of 2006 hoping to convince the Senate Judiciary Committee to pass a more immigrant friendly Bill (Kyriakou, N (March 29, 2006). The Bill protesters are trying to change is the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The House of Representatives passed this bill in December of 2006. Here is an explanation of the legislation,
“Would increase penalties for violating immigration laws, make some civil violations of immigration law into criminal offenses, step up enforcement of immigration law and expand the list of violations that render a non-citizen deportable. Unauthorized entry and presence in the United States, currently civil violations, would become felony crimes, punishable by more than a year in jail. It would also become a felony for anyone to provide any type of assistance to an undocumented immigrant. The bill imposes mandatory minimum sentences for immigrants convicted of re-entering the country after deportation, requires mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants for an indefinite period of time, and increases the expedited removal of immigrants without judicial review. Mandatory employer verification of immigration status of every employee in the country – including U.S. citizens – would be required after six years. The bill also increases enforcement along the United States border and provides for increased use of military surveillance equipment.
I am in complete support of this bill because the immigration policies in the United States need to be stepped up. We have been far too lenient in allowing illegal immigrants to stay. The event that comes to mind are the horrific events of 911. Although it is nearly impossible to keep track of every single illegal immigrant, if laws such as this were passed, I believe the likelihood of 911 would have been vastly decreased. The article goes on to compare this protest to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. I do not see the correlation at all. The civil rights movement involved legal American citizens protesting to make end segregation legislation.African-Americans who were already living in America for multiple generatons. This situation is regarding illegal immigrants being allowed to stay without proper documentation. I understand people from other countries escaping life there for the hope of a better life in American, but that is not the same as the civil rights movement. Basically it “would legalize undocumented immigrants if they pay their back taxes, learn English, and follow a number of other requirements” (Border Protection). I have no problem with immigrants wanting to payback taxes and learn English. My problem is with them arriving here illegally and gaining employment and not going through the proper procedures to legally stay in the country. What if some illegal immigrants start the process but don’t complete it? What happens to them? Are they allowed to stay because they paid some taxes, but for example didn’t learn English or follow other requirements? This is quite vague and needs to be thoroughly explained so those who arrive here know what is expected in order for them to stay here. The article mentions some consider this legislation anti-immigrant. In a way see where people could feel that way, but there is an immigration process in place and everyone should follow the law or face the penalties. Again, I am not anti-immigrants; I just want them to go through the legal way of remaining in the United States. I truly enjoyed reading and researching about all three articles.
Two kinds of multiculturalism “Children will become adults who cooperate and sustain one anther only if the school-based culture they gain makes them feel that they truly belong to the larger society”
(Hirsch, Jr, E.D.).
References
Border Protection Antiterrorism, And Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (n.d.). themiddleclass.org. Retrieved from
http://themiddleclass.org/bill/border-protection-antiterrorism-and-illegal-immigration-control-act-2005
Curriculum. Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/curriculum
Hirsch, Jr. E.D. (1992). Toward a centrist curriculum: Two kinds of multiculturalism in elementary school. Retrieved from
http://teachingcontent.org/mimik/mimik_uploads/documents/4/CentCurr.pdf
History of black history month. January 30, 2006. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2006-01-30/politics/extra.black.history.month_1_black-history-month-history-week-woodson?_s=PM:EDUCATION
Kyriakou, N (March 29, 2006). Organizers see “new civil rights movement” in immigration protests”. Retrieved from
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0329-03.htm
Waxler, A. (n.d.). Multiculturalism in school curriculum. Retrieved from
http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/articles/index.pl?page=7;read=1621
Friday, October 14, 2011
Multiculturalism
I’m not sure how to feel about the “Pithissipi Burning” article. When I first started reading, I was really angry and then I became sad at the amount of ignorance and lack of acceptance that remains in the United States. It really bothered me that the writer considers himself or herself “an aficionado of hate literature” (Tobia, P.J. 2009). I am aware that everyone is entitled to his or her own preferences, but to be attracted to literature focusing on hatred really made me uneasy. Instead of focusing on such negative things, we should focus on how we can make things better. Complaining about issues and problems will not resolve anything. The time, energy, and effort used to spread such venom should be used in a positive way. This article really focuses on the ignorance of racists. A movement called “The Northwest Homeland” is discussed. It’s a group of white separatists, who relocated to Washington, Oregon, and Idaho and forced the “mud people” who currently live there out. (Tobia, P.J. 2009). I had to find out who the “mud people” are. Upon further research, I found mud people are non-white people. (Christian identity) I wanted to be mad about this, but when I thought about it, this is truly sad. It saddened me to discover Christian Pastor, Richard Girnt Butler, founded this group (The Northwest Homeland-History). The word Christian means to be Christ-like. Jesus Christ is not a racist. He doesn’t exclude anyone. While on earth, He went to the places no one else wanted to go. I just don’t understand this way of thinking. These people moved to the northwest portion of the country and exclude themselves from the rest of society because the white “race is being wiped out” (The Northwest Homeland- FAQ). It is impossible to ignore the fact there are different races, but to be so extreme as to degrade people because of the color of their skin is ridiculous. The author also references a book called “The Brigade,” by H.A Covington. A quote from the book was the single most disturbing part of the entire article, “The Brigade is a nuts and bolts diagram of how this white homeland should be started, complete with instructions on organizing terror cells, details on military and propaganda tactics and plenty of diatribes against the federal government, Jews, blacks, and Hispanics”. (Tobia, P.J. 2009). I was left speechless after reading that. To think there is a detailed manual of how to disperse the hatred of other races and the government is sickening. The last part of the article talks about the book, “The New White Nationalism”, by Carol Swain. The book is about thorough research she has done of white nationalism groups. Her research showed the assimilation of black art in the popular culture of the United States has ignited their efforts of obtaining more white nationalists. (Tobia, P.J. 2009).This isn’t surprising to me. I’m certain being asked about their hatred of other races only fueled white supremacy. It wasn’t until the end of the article that I realized the author isn’t a supporter of this type of thinking. The author’s comment “those of us on the other side of the issue don’t have a handbook for how to move forward with this kind of social and cultural integration” (Tobia, P.J. 2009). I completely agree with his statement, because with that type of thinking it is harder to truly become one unified nation. After reading this article, it is apparent to me we’ve come a long was as country, but until the taught hatred of racism stops, we continue to have a long way to go in acceptance of everyone regardless of race.
I found “The Challenge of “Multiculturalism” in How Americans Views the Past and the Future” an interesting read. I never thought about it, but a nation defines itself by how it teaches its children about itself (Taylor, S. (n.d). As, I was reading this article, I was fascinated that multiculturalism is now being taught in schools. When I was in grade and high school, I was taught the “white history” of the United States. It’s been many years, but the main things I remember learning about are the Mayflower, Christopher Columbus discovering America, the Presidents, and Wars the United States was involved with. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I had questions as to why I was being taught what I was being taught. I never could understand why Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the United States of America when the Indians were already there. I asked teachers, peers, and family about that and never got an answer I truly understood. This article brought out points I agree with. A point that I experienced, but didn’t think of in these terms is “The purpose of American public education has never been to impart knowledge. One of its central goals has been to make children into Americans” (Taylor, S. (n.d.). I found this out to be true in my own education. Sometimes when my classmates or I would ask the teacher a question, I would hear “that’s the way it is” or the subject would be changed. I found this to mean there are things in our society students should not question. In other words, this is how things are done in America. Reading and understanding what I experienced is so profound. The article also mentions the history taught the pre- multiculturalism way of teaching is “history about white people for white people” (Taylor, S. (n.d.) This makes so much sense to me. At the foundation of education there were only white people in the classrooms. Curriculum for how to teach was geared towards white people because that is who taught the classes and that is what it meant to be an American. As time has passed other races and ethnicities have migrated to America, causing a problem in the way the history of the country is taught. The biggest lessons I learned reading this article is “history has a point of view; it cannot be all things to all people” (Taylor, S. (n.d.). My view of this perspective greatly changed after reading this. I thought the history of America is going to be taught the way it has also been forcing on the contributions of Anglo-America descent and not teaching the contributions from other races. I’m forced to think about my history and realize all we have is our own perspective. What’s important to Mexican- Americans in terms of the history of America is not the same for what is important to African-Americans. It is impossible to teach the complete history of the United States without leaving something or someone out. All races have contributed to the history of this country and that is what makes America such a great nation. Reading about certain areas in the country catering the history to the race of the students is good, but it would be great if all students got the opportunity get a well-rounded education of this nation’s history. I know that is a vague statement, but if some of the contributions of all races are taught, then no race will be left out. Everyone will not be pleased, but at least it will be a much more accurate depiction of history instead
The “Why Multiculturalism Is Wrong” article discusses the program “education in own language and culture”. Education in own language is the idea that regardless of where a child is born they will be taught the language of their ancestry. This is a program utilized in the Netherlands. A child can have an “own” language of Turkish and speak only Dutch. This can happen if both parents are Turkish citizens. (Why multiculturalism is wrong). The child will be taught Turkish because of his or her hereditary. This was bizarre to me because regardless if the child used their parents’ language, it was still taught to them. An interesting topic in this article is the multiculturalist’s link of culture to the existing nation (Why multiculturalism is wrong). In other words, if a child with Armenian parents were born in the United States, the child would be Armenian. The article goes on to explain this is not exclusive to this part of the world. The use of hyphenated identities is consistent with the particular country (Why multiculturalism is wrong). After reading this article, I’m certain multiculturalism is a societal issue. In essence, this all comes down to race. It is called “multiculturalism”, but it’s a fancy way of saying different races.
For some reason unknown to me, people like to categorize things and people. Identifying what ethnicity or race someone belongs to is a part of human nature, in my experience. I am not referencing this being used in a discriminatory or destructive way, but simply a way to categorize. We are visual beings and we use someone’s race or ethnicity to describe them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all three articles and truly learned about myself and how others view race in our society.
References
Tobia, P.J. (23 February 2009). Pithissippi burning: Race, white nationalism and American culture. Nashville Scene. Retrieved from
http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2009/02/23/pithissippi-burning-race-white-nationalism-and-american-culture
Christian Identity. (n.d.) retrieved from
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Christian_Identity.asp?xpicked=4&item=Christian_ID
The Northwest Homeland- FAQ. Retrieved from.
http://www.northwesthomeland.org/faq.html
The Northwest Homeland- History. Retrieved from
http://www.northwesthomeland.org/history.html
Taylor, S. (n.d). The challenge of “multiculturalism” in how Americans view the past and the future. Retrieved from
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v12/v12p159_Taylor.html
Why multiculturalism is wrong. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://web.inter.nl.net/users/Paul.Treanor/multicult.html
I found “The Challenge of “Multiculturalism” in How Americans Views the Past and the Future” an interesting read. I never thought about it, but a nation defines itself by how it teaches its children about itself (Taylor, S. (n.d). As, I was reading this article, I was fascinated that multiculturalism is now being taught in schools. When I was in grade and high school, I was taught the “white history” of the United States. It’s been many years, but the main things I remember learning about are the Mayflower, Christopher Columbus discovering America, the Presidents, and Wars the United States was involved with. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I had questions as to why I was being taught what I was being taught. I never could understand why Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the United States of America when the Indians were already there. I asked teachers, peers, and family about that and never got an answer I truly understood. This article brought out points I agree with. A point that I experienced, but didn’t think of in these terms is “The purpose of American public education has never been to impart knowledge. One of its central goals has been to make children into Americans” (Taylor, S. (n.d.). I found this out to be true in my own education. Sometimes when my classmates or I would ask the teacher a question, I would hear “that’s the way it is” or the subject would be changed. I found this to mean there are things in our society students should not question. In other words, this is how things are done in America. Reading and understanding what I experienced is so profound. The article also mentions the history taught the pre- multiculturalism way of teaching is “history about white people for white people” (Taylor, S. (n.d.) This makes so much sense to me. At the foundation of education there were only white people in the classrooms. Curriculum for how to teach was geared towards white people because that is who taught the classes and that is what it meant to be an American. As time has passed other races and ethnicities have migrated to America, causing a problem in the way the history of the country is taught. The biggest lessons I learned reading this article is “history has a point of view; it cannot be all things to all people” (Taylor, S. (n.d.). My view of this perspective greatly changed after reading this. I thought the history of America is going to be taught the way it has also been forcing on the contributions of Anglo-America descent and not teaching the contributions from other races. I’m forced to think about my history and realize all we have is our own perspective. What’s important to Mexican- Americans in terms of the history of America is not the same for what is important to African-Americans. It is impossible to teach the complete history of the United States without leaving something or someone out. All races have contributed to the history of this country and that is what makes America such a great nation. Reading about certain areas in the country catering the history to the race of the students is good, but it would be great if all students got the opportunity get a well-rounded education of this nation’s history. I know that is a vague statement, but if some of the contributions of all races are taught, then no race will be left out. Everyone will not be pleased, but at least it will be a much more accurate depiction of history instead
The “Why Multiculturalism Is Wrong” article discusses the program “education in own language and culture”. Education in own language is the idea that regardless of where a child is born they will be taught the language of their ancestry. This is a program utilized in the Netherlands. A child can have an “own” language of Turkish and speak only Dutch. This can happen if both parents are Turkish citizens. (Why multiculturalism is wrong). The child will be taught Turkish because of his or her hereditary. This was bizarre to me because regardless if the child used their parents’ language, it was still taught to them. An interesting topic in this article is the multiculturalist’s link of culture to the existing nation (Why multiculturalism is wrong). In other words, if a child with Armenian parents were born in the United States, the child would be Armenian. The article goes on to explain this is not exclusive to this part of the world. The use of hyphenated identities is consistent with the particular country (Why multiculturalism is wrong). After reading this article, I’m certain multiculturalism is a societal issue. In essence, this all comes down to race. It is called “multiculturalism”, but it’s a fancy way of saying different races.
For some reason unknown to me, people like to categorize things and people. Identifying what ethnicity or race someone belongs to is a part of human nature, in my experience. I am not referencing this being used in a discriminatory or destructive way, but simply a way to categorize. We are visual beings and we use someone’s race or ethnicity to describe them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all three articles and truly learned about myself and how others view race in our society.
References
Tobia, P.J. (23 February 2009). Pithissippi burning: Race, white nationalism and American culture. Nashville Scene. Retrieved from
http://www.nashvillescene.com/pitw/archives/2009/02/23/pithissippi-burning-race-white-nationalism-and-american-culture
Christian Identity. (n.d.) retrieved from
http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Christian_Identity.asp?xpicked=4&item=Christian_ID
The Northwest Homeland- FAQ. Retrieved from.
http://www.northwesthomeland.org/faq.html
The Northwest Homeland- History. Retrieved from
http://www.northwesthomeland.org/history.html
Taylor, S. (n.d). The challenge of “multiculturalism” in how Americans view the past and the future. Retrieved from
http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v12/v12p159_Taylor.html
Why multiculturalism is wrong. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://web.inter.nl.net/users/Paul.Treanor/multicult.html
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Religion In Schools
When I thought of religion in schools, initially I was all for it. Considering the fact, “the founding fathers were nearly all Christian believers and that it is their biblical world view that shaped the way they thought and achieved what they did” (Friedman, E. 2009). I thought that if it worked for our founding fathers, surely it could work for us now, especially in education. Growing up in a Christian household, knowing and praising God was of paramount importance. I knew no other way, but to acknowledge God, even silently in school. The moment of silence is when I would pray to God and this was the only way for me to start my day in school. So much has changed in the school system from the time my parents were in school and when I was in school. My parents grew up with prayer in school and even singing Christian music in school. With this in mind, I thought having religion, especially prayer, back in schools would be beneficial. These were my thoughts before reading the article, “Religion in Schools Debate Heats Up“ by Jessica Calefati.
The article focuses on an argument from an Illinois court and Texas State Board of Education meeting. Before I expound on this article, I wanted to know what the actual definition of religion is. According to dictionary.com. religion is,
A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. (Religion. n.d).
A federal judge in Illinois ruled against legislation requiring public school students to observe a moment of silence. (Calefati, J. 2009). I do not agree with this ruling at all. I don’t see how this violates the separation of church and state. Separation of church and state is in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and it prohibits states or federal government to enforce laws advocating one or all religions, or showing a propensity to one religion over another. During a moment of silence no religion is mentioned and the students do not have to pray. The judge stated, “the law was an unconstitutional breach of separation of church and state”(Calefati, J. 2009). How is this a breach of separation of church and state? The students are instructed to be silent for a few moments. This just doesn’t make sense to me. A Chicago atheist and his high school daughter filed the lawsuit to cease the enforcement of a moment of silence in schools (Calefati, J. 2009). I understand that everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, but a moment of silence is not forcing any religion on anyone. This was taken way too far, and supporters of the judge’s ruling were concerned keeping the moment of silence could lead to religion in public education (Calefati, J. 2009). After reading this article, I’m still a firm supporter of a moment of silence in schools.
The issue in Texas is a 20 year old method of teaching the evolutionary theory. The state’s science curriculum has a mandatory requirement for students to question and analyze “the strengthens and weaknesses” of every scientific theory (Calefati, J., 2009). This is a problem for some scientists who attended the State Board of Education hearing regarding the issue. They argued, “the “strengths and weaknesses" language is unacceptable because there are no scientifically verifiable weaknesses to Darwin's theory of evolution” (Calefati, J.2009). This may be true, but not wanting students to research the accuracy of what they’re learning isn’t what education is about. I’m not saying that students should start preaching in the classroom that Darwin’s theory is wrong, but I don’t see anything wrong with students researching the strengthens and weaknesses of the theory. The scientists also said the current language “is a means for teachers to slip creationism into the classroom despite federal court decisions that have banned teaching creationism and "intelligent design" in biology courses” (Calefati, J. 2009). Teachers can handle this issue without changing the language of the curriculum. If a student mentions creationism in class, the teacher can redirect them by saying, there are several beliefs about creation, but we are going to focus on scientific methods, not religion based methods. This way the students can mention their possible weakness and the teacher and keep religion out of it.
As I mentioned before, I am completely in support of a moment in silence in schools. In no way does it violate the separation of church and state legislation. The simple solution to teaching evolution is to keep the discussion science based. If creationism is discussed, the beliefs of other religions should be mentioned as well. I am a Christian, however, when it comes to education, the curriculum should not be religion based. I have changed my view on this because when I thought of “religion in schools”, I immediately associated that when Christianity. Religion is schools can technically be any religion. Something as personal as religion should not be taught in schools the same way persuasively teaching political parties should be kept out of schools. I believe the issue those against religion in school have is the persuasive nature of religion. Since children are there to learn and the teachers are the authority figure, parents can be concerned teachers are instilling in them things they do not believe in. It’s wonderful to teach about the political parties, but students shouldn’t be swayed to one by the teacher. Teaching students about the foundation of the United States of America is not teaching religion. It can become teaching religion, but teachers should stay on the facts and not “teach religion”. I’m against religion in schools because if I were a parent I don’t want my child to be taught things I might not agree with or want my child exposed to when it comes to religion. This was a truly enlightening experience for me.
References
Calefati, J. (2009). Religion in schools debate heats up. retrieved from
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/on-education/2009/01/22/religion-in-schools-debate-heats-up
Friedman, E. (2009). Texas curriculum review sparks debate about religion. retrieved from
http://abcnews.go.com/US/religion-taught-schools/story?id=8166798
Religion. (n.d.). Dictionary.com. retrieved from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion
Separation of church and state. (n.d). Uslegal.com. retrieved from
http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/separation-of-church-and-state/
The article focuses on an argument from an Illinois court and Texas State Board of Education meeting. Before I expound on this article, I wanted to know what the actual definition of religion is. According to dictionary.com. religion is,
A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs. (Religion. n.d).
A federal judge in Illinois ruled against legislation requiring public school students to observe a moment of silence. (Calefati, J. 2009). I do not agree with this ruling at all. I don’t see how this violates the separation of church and state. Separation of church and state is in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and it prohibits states or federal government to enforce laws advocating one or all religions, or showing a propensity to one religion over another. During a moment of silence no religion is mentioned and the students do not have to pray. The judge stated, “the law was an unconstitutional breach of separation of church and state”(Calefati, J. 2009). How is this a breach of separation of church and state? The students are instructed to be silent for a few moments. This just doesn’t make sense to me. A Chicago atheist and his high school daughter filed the lawsuit to cease the enforcement of a moment of silence in schools (Calefati, J. 2009). I understand that everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, but a moment of silence is not forcing any religion on anyone. This was taken way too far, and supporters of the judge’s ruling were concerned keeping the moment of silence could lead to religion in public education (Calefati, J. 2009). After reading this article, I’m still a firm supporter of a moment of silence in schools.
The issue in Texas is a 20 year old method of teaching the evolutionary theory. The state’s science curriculum has a mandatory requirement for students to question and analyze “the strengthens and weaknesses” of every scientific theory (Calefati, J., 2009). This is a problem for some scientists who attended the State Board of Education hearing regarding the issue. They argued, “the “strengths and weaknesses" language is unacceptable because there are no scientifically verifiable weaknesses to Darwin's theory of evolution” (Calefati, J.2009). This may be true, but not wanting students to research the accuracy of what they’re learning isn’t what education is about. I’m not saying that students should start preaching in the classroom that Darwin’s theory is wrong, but I don’t see anything wrong with students researching the strengthens and weaknesses of the theory. The scientists also said the current language “is a means for teachers to slip creationism into the classroom despite federal court decisions that have banned teaching creationism and "intelligent design" in biology courses” (Calefati, J. 2009). Teachers can handle this issue without changing the language of the curriculum. If a student mentions creationism in class, the teacher can redirect them by saying, there are several beliefs about creation, but we are going to focus on scientific methods, not religion based methods. This way the students can mention their possible weakness and the teacher and keep religion out of it.
As I mentioned before, I am completely in support of a moment in silence in schools. In no way does it violate the separation of church and state legislation. The simple solution to teaching evolution is to keep the discussion science based. If creationism is discussed, the beliefs of other religions should be mentioned as well. I am a Christian, however, when it comes to education, the curriculum should not be religion based. I have changed my view on this because when I thought of “religion in schools”, I immediately associated that when Christianity. Religion is schools can technically be any religion. Something as personal as religion should not be taught in schools the same way persuasively teaching political parties should be kept out of schools. I believe the issue those against religion in school have is the persuasive nature of religion. Since children are there to learn and the teachers are the authority figure, parents can be concerned teachers are instilling in them things they do not believe in. It’s wonderful to teach about the political parties, but students shouldn’t be swayed to one by the teacher. Teaching students about the foundation of the United States of America is not teaching religion. It can become teaching religion, but teachers should stay on the facts and not “teach religion”. I’m against religion in schools because if I were a parent I don’t want my child to be taught things I might not agree with or want my child exposed to when it comes to religion. This was a truly enlightening experience for me.
References
Calefati, J. (2009). Religion in schools debate heats up. retrieved from
http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/on-education/2009/01/22/religion-in-schools-debate-heats-up
Friedman, E. (2009). Texas curriculum review sparks debate about religion. retrieved from
http://abcnews.go.com/US/religion-taught-schools/story?id=8166798
Religion. (n.d.). Dictionary.com. retrieved from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/religion
Separation of church and state. (n.d). Uslegal.com. retrieved from
http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/separation-of-church-and-state/
Friday, September 16, 2011
Education Innovators/ The Real "Makers" of Public School
As I read "Innovators", it was intriguing to learn how certain elements of the education system first begun. I never thought about the beginnings of school leadership and administration, which was designed by Ellwood Cubberley, or the first board of education, established by Horace Mann (PBS, 2011). The only "innovator" mentioned in the article that I was familiar with was Booker T. Washington. When I think of Booker T. Washington, I think of a man born of slaves who was a monumental figure in African American history. This article made me look at him in a different light. I didn't realize he was the "leading advocate for the educational and economic improvement of African Americans" (PBS, 2011). Reading this about him let me know he truly believed that education is power.
The innovator that personally impacted me the most is Linda Brown Thompson. Growing up I've always been aware of Brown v. Board of Education and that it legally ended segregation. Never did I think about who “Brown” is or the parents of the child. Some children would have been too afraid to go through with it, but Linda and her other classmates, did what was unthinkable. It had to be beyond frightening to be an African America third grader sent to an all white school. I’m not a parent, but I can only imagine the concern her parents had when they allowed their child to attend the school. Among their concerns would have to be, How is my child going to be treated? Am I or my child going to be incarcerated? Even with those possibilities, Linda still went to the school. I try to envision the conversation the parents had with their children as they prepared for the life-changing experience. I think they would tell them segregation is legal, but it’s wrong. Also that the children and teachers are probably not going to be nice to them. I’m truly thankful for the parents of Linda Brown Thompson and the other courageous children who took a stand. The bravery of the children is beyond words. As an African American growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, there are certain things that I took for granted when I think back. I never thought twice that I was going to school with children of different ethnicities or that I was able to go to any restaurant that I wanted to. I’m amazed that it wasn’t that long ago when this happened. My parents were in grade school when segregation ended. The actions of Linda Brown Thompson and her African American classemates who attended that all white school in Topeka, Kansas are responsible for allowing me to get an education in an integrated environment and I am forever thankful for that. Linda Brown Thompson’s contribution to education is tremendous. If it where not for her, schools might not be segregated today.
“The Makers of Modern Schooling” made me look at education in an absolutely different way. When I read the title, I expected to find influential teachers and educators. Little did I know that Andrew Carnegie “the steel baron”, J.P Morgan “capitalist finance”, John D. Rockefeller “the duke of oil”, or Henry Ford “master of the assembly line which compounded steel and oil into a vehicular dynasty” would be mentioned (Gatto, 2000-2003). As I was reading, I became more interested to see exactly how these men are “the makers of modern schooling” (Gatto, 2000-2003).
The article really focuses on how the education system focuses more on making students consumers rather than intelligent contributors to society. The most fascinating thing in the article is the idea of the fourth purpose concept. The fourth purpose has moved the three purposes of education to the side and is “a servant of corporate and political management” (Gatto, 2000-2003). The other three purposes of education are “to make good people, to make good citizens and to make each student find some particular talents to develop to the maximum.” (Gatto, 2000-2003). I agree with this sentiment. When I think of my own education, I was encouraged to discover what I like to do and try to make a career out of it, but there were always rules. I’m aware there are rules and laws in place to maintain order, but when it comes to education rules are enforced too much. So much so, students aren’t encouraged to be original. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized I could be an entrepreneur and truly establish my own destiny. Everyone cannot say that. This is where the education system comes in. It would be great for educators to encourage students they can be whatever they want to be and they can choose a legal path to achieve it. My Math for Teachers professor, Dr. Dovie Kimmins said is best,” “instead of being creative, they’re taught these are the rules”. These “rules” are what makes Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford the “the maker’s of modern schooling.
For me, Henry Ford is the maker that really influenced education today. His Ford Motor Company led to the “introduction of the moving assembly line revolutionized automobile production by significantly reducing assembly time per vehicle, thus lowering costs” (The Henry Ford, 2003). This seems to be the model education is modeling after. There are so many children to educate, so administrators and teachers try to find the most efficient way to do so. Although this method is not perfect, this method definitely worked for Ford, and in large part it’s working for the education system as well.
References
PBS. (2001) Innovators. retrieved 16 September 2011 from
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/innovators/index.html
Gatto, J.T. (2000-2003). The Makers of Modern Schooling, The Odysseus Group. Retrieved 16 September from
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history1.htm
The Henry Ford (2003) The Life Of Henry Ford. Retrieved 16 September 2011 from
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/hf/
The innovator that personally impacted me the most is Linda Brown Thompson. Growing up I've always been aware of Brown v. Board of Education and that it legally ended segregation. Never did I think about who “Brown” is or the parents of the child. Some children would have been too afraid to go through with it, but Linda and her other classmates, did what was unthinkable. It had to be beyond frightening to be an African America third grader sent to an all white school. I’m not a parent, but I can only imagine the concern her parents had when they allowed their child to attend the school. Among their concerns would have to be, How is my child going to be treated? Am I or my child going to be incarcerated? Even with those possibilities, Linda still went to the school. I try to envision the conversation the parents had with their children as they prepared for the life-changing experience. I think they would tell them segregation is legal, but it’s wrong. Also that the children and teachers are probably not going to be nice to them. I’m truly thankful for the parents of Linda Brown Thompson and the other courageous children who took a stand. The bravery of the children is beyond words. As an African American growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, there are certain things that I took for granted when I think back. I never thought twice that I was going to school with children of different ethnicities or that I was able to go to any restaurant that I wanted to. I’m amazed that it wasn’t that long ago when this happened. My parents were in grade school when segregation ended. The actions of Linda Brown Thompson and her African American classemates who attended that all white school in Topeka, Kansas are responsible for allowing me to get an education in an integrated environment and I am forever thankful for that. Linda Brown Thompson’s contribution to education is tremendous. If it where not for her, schools might not be segregated today.
“The Makers of Modern Schooling” made me look at education in an absolutely different way. When I read the title, I expected to find influential teachers and educators. Little did I know that Andrew Carnegie “the steel baron”, J.P Morgan “capitalist finance”, John D. Rockefeller “the duke of oil”, or Henry Ford “master of the assembly line which compounded steel and oil into a vehicular dynasty” would be mentioned (Gatto, 2000-2003). As I was reading, I became more interested to see exactly how these men are “the makers of modern schooling” (Gatto, 2000-2003).
The article really focuses on how the education system focuses more on making students consumers rather than intelligent contributors to society. The most fascinating thing in the article is the idea of the fourth purpose concept. The fourth purpose has moved the three purposes of education to the side and is “a servant of corporate and political management” (Gatto, 2000-2003). The other three purposes of education are “to make good people, to make good citizens and to make each student find some particular talents to develop to the maximum.” (Gatto, 2000-2003). I agree with this sentiment. When I think of my own education, I was encouraged to discover what I like to do and try to make a career out of it, but there were always rules. I’m aware there are rules and laws in place to maintain order, but when it comes to education rules are enforced too much. So much so, students aren’t encouraged to be original. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized I could be an entrepreneur and truly establish my own destiny. Everyone cannot say that. This is where the education system comes in. It would be great for educators to encourage students they can be whatever they want to be and they can choose a legal path to achieve it. My Math for Teachers professor, Dr. Dovie Kimmins said is best,” “instead of being creative, they’re taught these are the rules”. These “rules” are what makes Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, and Henry Ford the “the maker’s of modern schooling.
For me, Henry Ford is the maker that really influenced education today. His Ford Motor Company led to the “introduction of the moving assembly line revolutionized automobile production by significantly reducing assembly time per vehicle, thus lowering costs” (The Henry Ford, 2003). This seems to be the model education is modeling after. There are so many children to educate, so administrators and teachers try to find the most efficient way to do so. Although this method is not perfect, this method definitely worked for Ford, and in large part it’s working for the education system as well.
References
PBS. (2001) Innovators. retrieved 16 September 2011 from
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/innovators/index.html
Gatto, J.T. (2000-2003). The Makers of Modern Schooling, The Odysseus Group. Retrieved 16 September from
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history1.htm
The Henry Ford (2003) The Life Of Henry Ford. Retrieved 16 September 2011 from
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/hf/
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