The rubric that will be used to grade your blog entry can be found in your week 1 module in blackboard. Be sure to include all items requested for full points.
Response to chapter in text- up to 3 points
Reply to a peer- up to 2 points
Total points possible- 5 points per week
This little tidbit pretty well captures what I found to be most startling about this chapter “in 1906 150,000 students entered 1st grade in Tennessee, 10,000 remained by the eighth grade, and only 575 graduated from high school. (pg. 170)” I guess it’s easy to take from granted that we have always had a free public school system that the vast majority of students participate in to the age of 18. It’s a bit jarring to see that just a few generations ago this was certainly not the case, and it’s encouraging to see how far we’ve come
ReplyDeleteI can not believe how many teenagers did not graduate. It is so sad to see that so many of them went uneducated. I am glad that we have made so many strides in education. There may still be room for improvements but for the most part it is so much better! I wonder how education will change in the future.
DeleteWow, when I read this I too thought, "What a drop in number!" Another surprise to me was the fact that many Native American students ran away back to the reservations and school was not relevant to them. We are a diverse group of people, Americans, and to not appreciate that but to be a "Melting Pot" that removes all of the qualities the make us who we are is a sad thing. Hopefully we will see a rise in graduation statistics as we make learning more fun and relevant to all people.
DeleteWhen reading those numbers I thought it was crazy also. I remember my Grandpa always saying he went to school till the 8th grade so it doesn't surprise me because working for your family was more important. It is good to see that everyone has a chance at an education and its up to you what you do with it.
DeleteIt is amazing and also humbling to see what education was like in the past. We take education for granted these days. The teenagers who drop out these days have no idea how good they have it. This chapter made me realize that I knew nothing about the history of education or how far we have come. I know many times when I was in high school; I just wanted to be done with school. I was tired of the homework and my peers. I definitely took the great education I was getting for granted. I wonder how the education system will change in the future.
ReplyDeleteKelly- I, too, feel like you do about taking education for granted. Because in our lifetime, it has always been like it’s always been. We've never had any real reason to look to the past, unless it came to us in a history class. We should feel very fortunate we are in the 21st century!
DeleteKelly & Mitchell
DeleteI too get the sense that our eduction system, imperfect, though it may be, is taken for granted. I spent a year living in Chad (central Africa), whose education system was woefully inadequate. Even so, my Chadian host siblings (all 9 of them) deeply valued their educational opportunities. I believe they genuinely enjoyed learning new things and saw education as their best chance at a better life. I've seen this spark in American kids too; it's just a shame that enthusiasm and resources are not always matched up.
I too agree that many things in this country, including education, are taken for granted. When I first moved here, we lived in Brooklyn, and I went to nearest high school 5 blocks down the street. The school was a sight: graffiti everywhere, inside and out, a non existing run down sports field, an overcrowded lunchroom full of students with gang related tattoos, foul language, etc. And you know what, I loved it! After going to a school in Russia, where strict was beyond strict, I thought the teachers were cool at this high school. My ESL teacher genuinely cared for her students, and I felt it. I felt the school had potential for me. A year and a half later, my family moved to Glenview, which is one of the nice Chicago suburbs, and once again I was blown away by the high school, and the students who went there did not think anything of it, it was just what they expected from a suburbs school. The year I graduated, the school had multiple students get accepted to Yale on full scholarships. But so many other students there just went to school to meet with friends.
DeleteWhile reading Chapter 6, it was amazing to me, that some of the things that they talked about in the 1600's are still things we talk about today in education. For instance, the thought of rote learning or interest learning is still something educators are still questioning. The problems arising from inequalities in the schools have been around forever. The debate of whether federal funding for private or religious schools is fair. These are still things that are discussed today, that they worried about 300+ years ago. It seems to me, they have always wanted schools to be fair. Luckily, laws have continued to be made to help make schools better for all.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look back and think of how African Americans, Asians and Hispanics were treated when it came to education, I realize that we have come so far in exposing traditions,customs and cultures to children today and are more excepting of those whom share different ethnic backgrounds. I also feel that the common school movement was a huge turning point in education as far as taxing citizens to help with the funding to support public schools,however religious schools still have a the struggle today as far as funding. During this time school also started to create grade levels as well as curriculum and improving teacher preparation. People also began to see the importance of education for children and improving lives such as commerce and national productivity. Although I think there is still some need for reform in education, when you look at the "big picture" we have come so very far.
ReplyDeleteStef,
DeleteI agree it is amazing the development of the school system and how far we have come. Reading this chapter and seeing how we have improved so much in terms of exposing people’s culture and traditions is very encouraging. It is encouraging from the standpoint of the growth school systems have gone under, but more encouraging is the possibility of even more growth in this area and the areas we can improve more.
Reading this particular chapter really bothered me in some ways. It is hard to imagine what students in general went through back in those days. I think that we have made a great deal of head way in the aspect of treating different people of cultural backgrounds, color and religion alike. I think this is an improvement which takes place more so than not. Diversity in the classroom is taking the form of a positive experience. Learning about different cultures all together is educational and should be viewed as a good move in education. Education has exceeded above and beyond and I look for it to improve all together.
ReplyDeleteGood post. I also think that education will improve. I also reflected on how those young students must have felt. What a cruel world they lived in! I am a firm believer that children will meet the expectations that are set out for them. If the education system thought of them as dumb or inferior, why wouldn't they share that same sentiment? I think we all have something to teach one another and that this should be encouraged in the classroom.
DeleteI agee. I feel bad for the people in the old days who had to struggle with not being accepted. I read in the Chapter (pg 180) that Hispanic American's language of Spanish was forbidden to be spoke in schools and that the classes were taught in English. It had to be really hard for those people to comprehend the material in the classes. We have definately came along ways in education, at least today we are able to learn the different languages like Spanish so we can communicate with other individuals from different cultures.
DeleteI find it so interesting that education today we embrace all different cultures and ethnic backgrounds, and learn from them. When reading about how African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans were treated in early education, is just hard to understand. I can't imagine what young children went through and am so thankful of all the gains we have made over the past 300 plus years!
DeleteKelly and Mitchell, I enjoyed your post and yes education I believe is sometimes taken for granted at least from my viewpoint. It is important that kids/students know just how fortunate they are to have a school system as to compared to what it used to be in times mentioned in our chapter. I feel that greater standards of appreciation is necessary as education has come so very far.
ReplyDeleteI found historical roots of educational system in the United States fascinating. It was very interesting to read about the stages and the changes through the years. The text pointed out that the common school movement was the turning point in American education, which began around 1820s. This is a major point as the movement's goal was to provide public education to all of the children in the United States. One of the things that surprised me, was the fact that the movement faced opposition from business owners. This was because when compulsory school attandence law was passed in MA in 1852, business owners faced the loss of cheap child labor. I am really glad that the overall goal of improving the lives of American people by educating them at an early age prevailed, and the children were allowed to attend school. Now, there were two issues that started out during the common school movement, and still exist today, the wide differences in funding, as well as teacher quality. In the text, it was pointed out that nationally, the wealthier districts spend, on average, 23 percent more on their students than the poorer districts. I believe this type of discrepancy leads to lower standardized test scores, as well as lower graduation rates. Now, with open enrollment opportunities, parents have a chance to send their children to a better school out of district. However, this type of enrollment is a lottery, and the more people apply, the lower the chances of actually getting in. I thought the movie Waiting for Superman exemplified this problem perfectly. In the film, it was heart breaking to watch an auditorium full of parents and children waiting and hoping to have their number called, and the disappointment was eye opening. My husband and I chose to live in a wealthy neighborhood just so that our children have a better school to attend. While we cannot afford to ever buy a house here, with median home price at around $340,000, according to Money magazine, we could afford renting here. And we are not the only ones making these types of decisions. I know of a couple who bought a fixer upper with two bedrooms, so that their three children can go to school here in town. They view their payment on a $250,000 mortgage a combination of house and private school funding enrollment. These are the types of situations that create the need for school reform.
ReplyDeleteVictoria, I too thought this was a fascinating chapter. So much interesting information. Since I am an early childhood education major, I too am glad the educating children early has stood strong, though I believe there should be more funding to help families who cannot afford preschools. There is a preschool where I work which costs anywhere from $900-1200 a month per child for them to attend. While the children receive great education to prepare them for kindergarten, not all can afford that kind of education. The early years are so important to development yet it seems most funding is geared towards helping higher education. Maybe one day there will be understanding of how important early childhood is and put more funding there.
DeleteIt is very interesting how some things in education have changed and some have never changed in so many years. Also it is sad to know that religion is becoming lost in schools today unless you pay to go to specific private school. I also see that many kids and even I had taken a good education for granted. I now wish as an adult I would have payed attention and learned what I need to learn. So since I did not try my hardest as a teenager I strive to teach and help my kids in every way to make sure they make the best out of their education and learn what they need to do to be a successful student and adult.
ReplyDeleteBrandy,
DeleteIn the end, it's all about the lessons learned. That's the beauty of having kids of your own, whatever experiences we had as children, or teenagers, can be learned from, and then applied to the future generations. I think being supportive to the kids, and helping them see that education is important is a gift to them from you.
Brandy,
DeleteI feel the same way about taking education for granted when I was younger. I did well in school but never realized how valuable each thing I learned was. We have a teenage daughter and instill in her the value of education as well as the biblical virtues that she needs to succeed. To see your students strive to be their best inside and out makes you proud! And it makes their lives a whole lot easier.
Brandy I relate to you when it comes to taking education for granted, I did that myself yet here I am now back in school wanting to become a teacher and educate. I too think it is sad religion is being lost in the schools. I think in some sense kids today could use a little religion. We have a small Lutheran School outside of town. Parents love to send their kids there yet there are not enough educators to handle the student load they could potentially educate. It does show some parents still wish to have education with some religion aspects as well and that to me is reassuring.
DeleteWow! It is so sad to believe that not that long ago, minorities were being shunned, just for skin color. It is sickening to me. I believe that reading this chapter is an important tool in helping me become a better teacher. My eyes are now opened to how far this country has yet to go in terms of teaching our young people. I live in a very small town and 98% of the children attending schools are white. I also live in a very poverty stricken area. I will incorporate diversity in my classroom every day. Every child needs to learn to care about others and to learn about differences in a positive way. All children deserve to be encouraged and lifted up. I wanted to become a teacher because I saw the injustice of teachers playing favorites and I wanted to make a difference. I am thankful that teachers are held to a higher standard. We should be. I also believe that in order for more quality people to become interested in the field, salary needs to be more desirable. I make more now as an office manager than I will as a teacher. That doesn't seem right.
ReplyDeleteI think that fighting for injustice is an important part of being a teacher. I think teachers are a great group of people that truly care about ALL children. I think that the world has chnaged for the better as far as the fight for injustice goes.
DeleteI cannot agree with you more Shana. I plan on teaching in a very big urban city, where minorities are a large portion of the public school system. I can only think of how if I was not of white European decent, where would I be now and the opportunities that I have missed. I want to give those kids a chance.
DeleteHello Classmates!
ReplyDeleteThis chapter was very interesting to me because it compared the history of education. It was very interesting and enlightening to see how much things have changed as well as how many things are still similar. This chapter really made me think about how much of an “alternative” teacher I am. I love getting my kids moving and exploring. I also love using technology in the classroom. These are things that we take for granted in today’s teaching world. A lot of things have changed but a lot has stayed the same, I think the overall structure of the school setting is still holding tried and true. I think that this has not changed and I am very happy about that.
This chapter was also very interesting to me! I loved reading that you get your students up and moving and exploring. I believe that is some of the best teaching.
DeleteI found this chapter very interesting. It amazes me that within the past century so many things have changed in education. I have great appreciation for the foundations of education and instilling of values in our children that came from the Colonial Period. I feel that the basic values of life, respect, and responsibility are lost by not allowing biblical influence in educating our children. When I read about the challenges of teaching in urban areas my heart leapt! I enjoy working at the elementary school I do now with a variety of students, remembering each student by name, and making them feel like a special part of the school family. This is right up my alley! Hearing of the struggles that minorities encountered makes me value a good education more than ever. The way Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans were treated was eye-opening, making me appreciate the advances that have been made by these people. All of these things make me excited about helping students feel comfortable and validated in the classroom. At the same time I am filled with wonder about how education will change in the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree that certain values are lost with out biblical influence on our children. However, you can't force views on people. I think this will be a challenging issue when being an educator myself. Trying to teach children to the best of my abilities with out going against what their parents think is best for them.
DeleteThis chapter was interesting to me. I can't believe how much has changed. Im thankful that certain items have changed, but I also wish our kids still had some of the qualities that schools had in the past. Respect being one of them. Im also glad that diversity is not as much as an issue as it was in the past. Every child deserves to be treated equally. Too bad we won't be around in 200 years to see the changes that will be made in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading this chapter. I had never thought about how in the old days that English was the only language that was spoke in school and the Spanish language (and other languages) was forbidden and it was necessary for students to know English. Today, we are encouraged to learn foreign languages. Not only is it encouraged, it is almost a necessity that you know a foreign language when applying for jobs with such a diverse population. I also think that today's children don't understand how good they have it. In the old days school was a luxary and a lot of people weren't able to attend. Children should be grateful that they are able to get a education at no cost and cherish every educational experience they have. I know my grandmother was unable to finish highschool due to having to help take care of the family and it still bothers her today that she wasn't able to finish. It breaks my heart, that something that seems so simple today (getting an education)was something that she didn't get to experience.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you! I think a lot of our population today takes for granted all that they have in liberties and advantages. These liberties and advantages have been hard fought. They weren't just after thoughts for judges and people in Washington. For example, just the right for women to vote, and the right for women to own property in a America. Then addressing slavery, and civil rights is mind boggling for me to think of what has been sacrificed in the names of these causes. Our children should be more appreciative of what our ancestors and fellow Americans have done for us, and I think as parents and educators, we should be mindful to teach our children what has been sacrificed for these rights. As a voter, I secretly say a silent "thank you" to the women who came before me as I cast my ballot.
DeleteChapter 6 was such an insightful and educational read. I took the “This I BELIEVE” little questionnaire at the beginning of the chapter, and I am embarrassed to admit that I only got two questions right. I am also embarrassed to admit to anyone, let alone my educational peers, that I was not well informed on the separation of church and state. After reading this chapter, I am a much more informed citizen and future educator. And yes, I have heard things said to the effect “that since we took prayer out of school, things have gone downhill”. When in actuality, there never was prayer in school unless it was a private school. I was educated in the late 70’s – 90’s in public school and I can attest that there was never prayer in our school. I talked to my sister who is 14 years older than me, and she was in school from the 60’s - 70’s in public schools. She does not recall prayer in her schools either. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t prayer somewhere in American schools, but not in the Kansas public schools we attended. So long story short, you can’t put back what was never there in the first place!
ReplyDeleteReading about the humble beginnings of our education system is actually inspiring to me, because of the stories behind those educators. The reason for this is my Great-Grandmother & my Grandmother were teachers in those simple one room school houses. My Grandmother would tell stories of teaching in one of those schools and stories that her Mother would share about her school and pupils. Yes, it was humble, but she only recalled the fondest memories of being there with her students. She graduated from high school in 1933, and attended teaching school at Fort Hays to get her teaching certificate. According to my Grandmother, that was a really big deal, not only to graduate from high school, but to go on and get further education. Which leads me to my question, according to my Grandmother lots of students didn’t finish school in the “old days” because they were needed on the farms or to earn livings for their families. The text leads one to believe that most students dropped out from school because of inadequate teaching or facilities. I was taught by my Grandmother that only in more recent times (50's and on), that students were able to stay in school and complete high school since they weren’t needed as much to work on the farms or support families.
Reading further on in the chapter about segregation is painful to read. As a para in a public middle school that is brimming with diversity, I absolutely cannot imagine separating our students. It pains me to imagine what others have been through in the past. Clearly, separate but equal was not the case. I know so many people complain that America is not where it should be or could be regarding cultural diversity and equality, but when you compare the difference even from 1912 to 2012, it’s amazing to me.
While reading this chapter I thought a lot about what it was like to go to a public school where religion wasn't discussed or talked about, and then going to a college where I had to take bible classes and go to chapel. I think having religion in school should allowed and that prayer should be allowed in a public school. To find out that education for all was established in 1820 was interesting to know. In reading about the challenge it would be to teach in a urban school where they class rooms are very large and not knowing the kids names or having a relationship with them would be tough for a student and teacher. My job now involves going to a larger high school where I know that not everyone knows each other. I think that would be difficult to teach and not have a good relationship with your students. In reading Chapter 6 there was a lot of neat information on the history of teaching and schools and then comparing it to what schools are like now.
ReplyDeleteReading this chapter made me think a lot about inequalities that different sets of people have faced over time. In the colonial period education was reserved for wealthy white males. Religion was at the core of education at the time also. Being a women I would not have the right to have been educated in this time period. Moving past that inequality, it's also interesting that education was based on religion in the beginning and now prayer is a hot topic in this time period. Prayer is not allowed in schools, and education was originally based on religion and prayer. Separation of church and state is an important part of the constitution, however, when applied to prayer in school it becomes debatable. If you take the fact that public school are getting government funding the issue of separation of church and state becomes an issue. The history of education is very interesting because it can help guide us towards the educational future.
ReplyDeleteI have worked in a large high school in New Mexico (3000 students) and a small, rural Kansas school (300 students K-12). The small school mentioned prayer and allowed religious related activities while the school in New Mexico didn't even have a baccalaureate service at graduation since it was religious based. When I was at the school in New Mexico, I would leave at the end of the day sometimes feeling like I had been in a circus dealing with so many student issues. While the rural school had its issues, it was a little more peaceful.
DeleteAfter reading chapter 6, it is easy to see how far we have come in ways of public education. The section in the chapter talking about how Native Americans and Black slaves didn't get the same education as rich White students was troublesome to read because I think every child deserves a right to education. The problem with this racism and sexism is that it still happens today, and I have witnessed it at all levels of education. When I become an educator, I hope my classroom is very diverse to show that everyone has an equal chance.
ReplyDeleteI was in elementary school in the '50's and no it wasn't the 1850's! We went to school, I sometimes walked the six blocks, and we came home and did our homework. Our school didn't have a cafeteria and if I didn't bring my lunch, I walked home. I wasn't a kid to get in trouble, but still you didn't want to go visit the principal since you might get paddled! There were no "opt out" forms for this discipline. There were no special ed students, just some that were "slow" and there were no "gifted" students. There were some "slow" ones and some "really smart" ones. I probably would have qualified for the gifted program, or maybe I would have been labeled just "hyper" since my creative mind was always on something else. I'm glad we've made a lot of progress in education since the colonial days and we do have more graduates than in 1906. Page 189 in the text asks if we think the federal government should play a greater roll in education reform. NO...we need the state and local governments to take care of their neighborhood schools as the federal government hasn't done such a great job. Education has never been an easy road, but some of the bumps sure could be smoothed out.
ReplyDeleteMadgej, My parents stories sound very similar to the ones you are telling. My dad went to one of these country schools, but my mom was raised in a very strict Catholic school. Talking about discipline! From the stories my mom and aunt have told me, those nuns knew how to discipline!!! I completely agree with you on how the state and local governments should take care of their neighborhood schools, because like you said, the federal government has not been much help. And for the record, I strongly disagree with how it was explained to me how those nuns disciplined. If a teacher was to whack a students with a yard stick now days, that teacher would probably be in jail. Things sure have changed in the past 50 years. Not that I'm that old! I got all of my information from older family members, and I'm still the baby in the family (actually, my daughter is now) and I would like to talk to them more. These old school houses really interest me and I'd like to hear more.
DeleteScott Shepard
This chapter might be one of my favorites; of course we have only read two. To think of how far we have come and how far we can still go. Education started with religion as the core and now there is controversy of whether prayer should be allowed in school and the principle of separation of church and state. Education early on had only been for the wealthy white males now there is access for everyone. English was the only language spoken in school, now more than one language is spoken. Schools used to be housed with many grades and ages in one room, now grades are separated and taught individually. One thing I have always questioned, if we are to separate church and state and not allow prayer, then why do they still say the Pledge of Allegiance. I am glad schools do still say the Pledge. I can remember before assemblies and our pep rallies we would say the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a creed which ended with “I will trust in God and the United States of America.” Now there are issues in science class about evolution and creationism. When my family first moved to Texas from Iowa (I was in the fourth grade and this was in the 80s) I remember they had corporal punishment. Having never been punished that way even at home, I was mortified the first time a student was taken to the hall and you could hear the paddle and the kid would come back in to class crying. Today, I can’t imagine that happening without a lawsuit. And think of how fast technology is changing education. It is amazing how different things are today and where we might end up still yet.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 covered the historical roots of the United States education system. Numerous topics were discussed in this chapter but the one that stood out to me was the development of the middle school system. Having worked at a middle school before it was very interesting to see how the development of the middle school system worked and how it differs from the old junior high school system. The text explained how the junior high school system was popular until the 1970’s when criticism was raised about the system in that it was not meeting the social, emotional, and intellectual needs of early adolescent students. Junior high schools were seen more like imitations of high schools and did not meet these critical needs at a critical point in time in a student’s life. I found this very interesting in that growing up I never knew the difference between the middle school system and the junior high system. It was also intriguing to see how middle school teachers work in teams to help students learn better. For example, the English might have his or her students read The Red Badge of Courage while the history teaches the same students about the Civil War. Overall, I found this chapter to be very good and gave a lot of good information about the history of the American school system.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing to think how far our education system has come. From having schools only accepting a select few white males who were smart enough, to having school accepting everyone, no matter what, is incredible. And although I'm very happy about this, I still can't help but get upset at the current state of our school systems. They are under funded, under educated, and it just seems like kids don't want to learn anymore. Not to mention the terrible things that are happening in large inner-city school. It's sad to think we have come such a long way, and still have so far to go.
ReplyDeleteSeeing how far education has come sure is an eye opener. Things are vastly different than they were 50 years ago. Wasn't it you Mrs. Stoppel that told me you remember going to one of the old, country time school houses? You don't look or act that old. I'm just kidding!! Please grade nice! It was a funny joke. Schools used to be set up at various country schools around every area. Students from various ages and grades all went to the same school. Talk about student variety. There could have been just a couple students in each grade level all in one class room. My parents and grand parents have all told me about the old time country school houses. Their are still some of these old time country schools scattered around the state. I know of at least one that has been turned into a historical site. The Tenth Amendment placed the primary responsibility for funding and governing education in the hands of the state and local governments. The common school movement was a turning point in American education because it planted the idea of access to a tax-supported education for all. This idea wasn't achieved until later, but establishing the principle was very important. I enjoyed this chapter most of all of them I've read so far. It goes into the historical side of things which is what I enjoy. The years that certain events happen and explanations of how differently things handled in the past is easy writing material for me. All in all, my favorite chapter by far.
ReplyDeleteScott Shepard