Having read Savage Inequalities several years ago, I had some idea of what to expect from these excerpts from Shame of the Nation. I was as disheartened to read Kozol's descriptions of segregated schools in this book as I was his descriptions of schools in the very poorest areas of our country in Savage Inequalities. I was also, once again, a little bowled over at just how bad things are. It was particularly disturbing that much of his observation was done in Columbus. The kinds of business-driven curriculums and schools he writes about embody the kind of teaching I would hate to have to do and that would probably drive me from the profession. To put it mildly, I dislike scripted curriculums and standardized testing and believe they have no place in any classroom that intends to truly teach children. But corporate names and job titles in classrooms is in my opinion absolutely horrible. And pigeonholing disadvantaged kids into low-paying jobs is not only completely detestable, but also against the ideals our country supposedly embodies. These kinds of schools tell our kids that in fact they cannot achieve whatever they believe and that no matter how hard they work, they have only one bleak option. The observations in these chapters, as best I can tell, were made in the early 2000s. The question I am afraid to ask is: are the curriculums described still in place in any Columbus schools?
I was shocked after reading this article that a school like the one described actually existed. To me, it seemed more like a prison. The school treated the children like prisoners or robots and the teachers spoke unkindly to the students. I don’t even see a reason why parents would want to send their children to a school like that. But maybe that was the only type of school they knew? Did the teachers really believe what they were doing was acceptable? In my opinion, students should not go to school just to pass through the same routine and get good grades every day. The teachers did not even praise the children when they did well. If I went to a school like that, I’d be intimidated and afraid to speak up. I would not want to make any mistakes. I’d probably work hard, but my hard work wouldn’t really mean much. I wouldn’t care about learning I would just be concerned about not messing up. The end of this article brought up the importance of ethics and teaching in a school where one does not agree with the school policy. Although money is important, and we all need jobs, where do we draw the line? In other words, would you still work at a place where you disagreed with all the policies and were unable to teach the students in the way you thought they would benefit most?
“If you do what I tell you to do, how I tell you to do it, when I tell you to do it, you'll get it right. If you don't, you'll get it wrong.” This quote astonished me. Do teachers really tell this to their students? If they do, then they should be fired. Talk about scare tactics. What a great idea! Let's just start out by telling our students that they are going to fail if they try to do their work any other way than they are taught. I've known teachers who think it's their way or the highway. They don't believe that students should be able to come up with other ways to do their work. Not every students processes information the same way. Not everyone is going to be able to follow a single method for doing something. If there is one thing that I have learned in education, it's that every student is unique. It might seem like they are not understanding something, but it could simply be the way they are being taught. It is not always about coming up with the correct answer. It's about getting our students to think critically and to understand why they are doing something. Any student can be taught to plug numbers into an equation, but not all students will understand why that equation works. Teachers need to take a step back and understand that there is more than one way to doing something. If the student can explain why their way makes sense, then it should really matter. How can we get our teachers to be more open-minded towards students?
I really enjoyed the letter by Martin Luther King Jr. for many reasons.I thought he brought up some very valid arguments, however some were a bit elusive. I agree that there are certain laws which seem very unjust and morally should not be laws and for that reason are broken. However, I think it is a stretch to say that "an unjust law is no law at all". Even if we believe it is unjust, even if everyone thinks it is unjust there will still be consequences for breaking a "law". Because of this we still have to receive whatever punishment it is that we must receive and know it was because we broke the law. Also, by saying if we think a law is unjust then you must break it, this opens up a whole slew of opportunities for people. People can interpret unjust in so many different ways it would just be chaos to society. I really enjoyed the portion about extremists and how they are the ones who suffer. Overall, thought the article was very insightful and enjoyed reading it. I question how he feels that order in society would be maintained if it was okay for one to break laws they deem unjust?
In response to MLK’s Letter From A Birmingham Jail;
I was impressed by the parallels MLK draws between major tenets and concepts in ethics (in general) and the significant and momentous issue of his time, and of his letter. We’ve talked in length of Consequentialism, Nonconsequentialism and Care theory, but it is interesting to see them appropriately applied to an issue as relevant as segregation.
MLK’s arguments don’t speak strictly to one theory, but rather highlight an all encompassing view of ethics by way of defining what is just and unjust. One example given by MLK stood out the most for me; again it was directly citing a major historical event. On page two, he discusses the actions of Hitler - reminding us that everything he did was legal (just) and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was illegal (unjust). I found that to greatly characterized the question MLK was pushing his readers to contemplate, as well as provide a stimulating connection between our world and the role of ethics within it.
After reading Students Aren i want to comment on how it says students think they need degrees to work. I completely agree with that statement because i see someone all the time saying how much they hate school and are only there to get a degree to get a job. In reality there is SO much you can do without the degree. I know quite a few people personally that are doing what they love to do without that piece of paper. School is having a less meaning for people nowadays and i dont think it will ever change until some someone actually does something about. My question would be thought how will this ever change?
I enjoyed Martin Luther King Jr. letter from a Birmingham jail. I especially like his point that an unjust law is not really a law at all. I do see the problem however in determining what is just and unjust. Isn’t it different to every individual? However, like we learned about ethics the goal is to create a premise for which to base our ethical reasoning. I would assume the same applies to determining just vs. unjust. We must create a basis for which to base our judgments.
What this letter really makes me question is what in the future will we look back on of today’s world and say how could they have found that just? What seems so blatantly obvious to us today (segregation being unjust), did not seem so at the time. What in today’s world seems extremely just, but in the future will be seen as blatantly unjust? Is there something that we are not fighting for that we should be fighting against? How do you fight the unjust laws when you do not have the position of power to change the laws?
I agree with Martin Luther King Jr. stance that we must be extremist, but extremist of love, not hate. Fighting through civil means without violence is the key, I believe. It is how everyone always says yelling never accomplishes anything- the same is true with violence. Violence only institutes more violence. Like the saying, “don’t fight fire with fire.” I admire Martin Luther King Jr. approach to change. I just hope that we are all using his method when need be.
I really liked the article by Martin Luther King, Jr. I agree that there are some laws that are just and others that are unjust. I also really like the point that he made about those who are affected by the law are sometimes not even asked to vote upon the law. This made me think of the current issues created by Senate Bill 5. Although teachers are affected by this bill, it does not seem as if law makers are asking teachers what they believe should be done. Although I do not believe teachers should be allowed to make the laws regarding unions, tenure, etc., law makers should look to teachers as a source of advice. After all, they are the ones who know more about teaching than the law makers do. Additionally, the fact that some laws are just and others are unjust can be applied to schools as well. Even though schools do not have "laws", there are rules that the students as well as teachers are expected to follow. While most rules make sense, there are some that do not. My aunt used to teach elementary school in Tennessee, and my cousins still attend school there. In some schools in the south, it is expected that for the most part students are quiet throughout the school day, even at lunch. They are expected to focus on learning and that means no side conversations, and even talk at lunch should be kept to a minimum. Although this was a school rule, and it does make sense within the classroom, I believe it is unjust to ask young children to not talk with their peers at lunch. Additionally, I believe it is not socially good for children to not communicate with their peers throughout the day. I believe that rules such as this one that are unjust are okay to bend. Although schools make rules, I think that we as teachers have to decide if the rules are best for our students; and if they are not we have to decide how to modify them so that they are best for students as well as faculty. For example, in this case, if I were to see students talking at lunch I may not punish them where as I would if they were breaking another, more reasonable school rule such as running in the hallways. My question is, if you feel that a school rule is unjust and is not appropriate for your students, how would you go about handling the situation?
I thought Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter was inspiring. I can only imagine how I would have reacted had I read it immediately following the time he wrote it. He has a clear hunger for justice and peace and writes very eloquently about it. He wasn’t just condemning the people who were in charge of the segregation and violence, he was also talking to the people who were sitting back and allowing it to occur. He said, “we will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” He calls for all people, especially the church, to speak out against what was going on at the time. He said that just because something is a law does not mean it is morally sound to follow it. He wrote that we have a moral responsibility to disobey the laws that are unjust. I think that at that time, this would have been seen as surprising to people. Not surprising that Dr. King would say such a thing, but surprising that he would call others to disobey as well. The “good people” he talks about were morally good people, but they were obeying these laws of segregation. He urges them to disobey, calling those laws morally wrong. This would have been surprising for some people. I would guess that people assumed Dr. King to be a man who upholds the law and truth. When they saw him write this, I think they would have been caught off guard at having been told to disobey the law.
My question would be: In the field of education, are there laws in place today that we should be urged to disobey?
I really enjoyed reading the MLK article. People just do not seem to talk like that anymore. People now a days just do not seem to have any fight in them anymore. I made me think of the Movie we watched in class and the student/principle or even gym teaching talking. Those students were just compliant. I feel that we as a society have become too compliant. It just makes me wonder sometimes, through out history counties/ leaders have used laws to control the people. If that we to happen today would anyone actually stand up and fight it. I am almost inclined to say no, no they would not. In fact it is kind of scary.
I remember reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" in some history class in high school, but reading it now had a greater impact on me. I was struck by many points that Dr. King made, but especially when he refers to himself as an extremist. We all know about Dr. King's nonviolent protests - in fact, it is what he is most know for. So at first, the word "extreme" might seem, well, extreme. But to be an extremist in the sense that you believe in something so strongly that you are willing to stand up for it, in any way you are required to, does seem to describe Dr. King. I think as a society we need to be reminded that complacency is not admirable. It is too easy to stand by and let things happen that should not be happening. This easily applies to education. With benefits and wages being cut all over the country, when is someone going to decide that enough is enough? When are we, either as members of the general public or as educators ourselves, going to assert our importance in today's society. I think that we are heading down a frightening path if something doesn't happen soon to wake us up. We all need to be reminded at times of people like Dr. King, who made a difference in seemingly hopeless situations. We need to remember that individual people can make a difference, and that having an opinion is important and essential. -Katie Kuvin
The Ordering Regime was ON POINT!!!!! Like I have said a number of times, I am a substitute teacher for Columbus City and I laugh every single time I read their objectives or goals. It’s so ridiculous to give young students who supposedly are having difficulty passing state tests to give them such words like Authentic Writing, Mastery especially when they aren’t showing that they can master sitting still and being quiet for a few minutes. I think it is very important for children to laugh during lessons and sometimes getting silly if the subject material is funny! It broke my heart when the author said he didn’t make a round smiley face on his notes. It also broke my heart when the teachers expressed that they had to teach things that they didn’t like. OMG, if the teacher is bored or uninterested in the subject, the students are going to uninterested and that’s when classroom management is tested. And I am so sick of every reading I read about low income children being black and latino I will scream and pull my hair out. This is when I agree with MLK about the white moderate. The white moderate doesn’t seem to care to acknowledge the poor white people, so why should I believe they’ll care about the blacks and the latinos. That’s why the schools are the way they are now, segregated. I remember when I was in school I was one of three black kids in my class and one of them were mixed. We were like their token students because we were smart, active in school and gave no disciplinary issues. It’s sad because it’s like that still in the schools I have subbed at. Disgusting. Norma
I read MLK Jr’s letter, a particular line really stuck out to me, “so often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound.” This line resonated with me when I began to think about it in terms of a school. The contemporary school is weak, and has an ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. The government is constricting schools with so many standards and different types of regulations that schools no longer have individual voices that produce unique kids, but instead all of the schools have the same boring voice that does little to inspire the kids or the community. Almost every school in America is so concerned with math and reading for the standardized tests, that other subjects that color a kid’s world are left out and all the schools begin to sounds the same. In order for schools and teachers to reach kids, they have to have a distinct voice, a voice that is caring and nurturing and not a voice only concerned with how the kids will perform on tests. With this line MLK was trying to inspire his fellow clergy to speak up and share the voice that was within all of them to speak out against segregation. I read this line and looking at it as a future teacher saw him calling me not to forget about my own voice and not to get sucked into following along with whatever the government says. The people who make the decisions about the schools and how they are funded are usually not actual teachers, but instead bureaucrats that are disconnected from the actual classroom and actual students. Teachers must never forget to use their voice to create inspirational environments for the kids, to get the students the things they need and deserve. If no teachers speak up for the kids, all that is heard is the click of keys in a legislatures office creating standards and the droning sound of people’s voices during a debate, people who most of the time do not know what they are talking about.
King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" brings up an interesting point in light of the recent legislation in Ohio, namely Senate Bill 5. I remember an article about people protesting the bill being prevented by police from entering the Statehouse. The reasoning for this never before seen occurrence was never explained. While I don't remember the exact details or even if the article was correct it is an interesting parallel to King's letter. People should have the right to protest a law they feel is unjust without having their rights infringed upon whether through intimidation or force. Whether or not a person agrees with the bill has no relation on whether people have certain inviolable rights. King also criticizes the moderates who stand by the sides and give lukewarm support. The question is, do people want to be the do-nothings or stand up and have their voice heard?
I can honestly say that this is one of the few classes I have had here at Ohio State in which I have enjoyed most if not all of the assigned readings. That said, I felt the pairing of Dr. King's letter with Kozol's chapter was rather thought provoking and brilliant. I read the Kozol chapter "Preparing minds for markets" first. I, like most of my classmates, am concerned with this direction education appears to be heading. I also have a moral problem with educators that would agree to perpetuate such an agenda. It would seem to me that some of the ideologies that this "market system" promotes goes against some of the fundamental ideas brought fourth by the NEA in the Code of Ethics( see point 4 in commitment to the student).
I followed the Kozol chapter with the letter from Dr. King. I couldn't help but wonder how he would feel about the state of education if he were alive today. I mention this, because I was particularly drawn to his statements about the white moderate, and their lack of understanding or compassion for the civil rights movement. I began to consider how it is the white moderate who "educate" many of today's inner city school children. How would Dr. King react to their passivity in regards to changing the broken system that is the US education system. It lead me to believe that in order to make revolutionary changes to the system, we need another strong voice like that of Dr. King, to incite and inspire change. But who could fill such shoes? Will it be a single person or a group of dedicated educator's who are willing to risk their career's as many of the civil right's leaders risked their lives....
I was shocked and horrified after reading the kozol reading. I am still having a hard time believing it. The entire strategy seems so near sighted. How can anyone ever develop a love of reading if they are taught that only their reading level matters? How can anyone ever learn to love school and learning if they aren't allowed to have a personality or enjoy themselves? If that had been my experience, I don't know why I would have stayed in school let alone come to college. I understand this might boost some scores for the year, but what are we sacrificing along the way?
I connected more this week with the reading,"Letter from Birmingham Jail." I liked how Katie connected a certain statement to contemporary schools, and I certaining agree we connect what King was talking about to how shcools are run today. The government has much control over what is taught in our schools. The governement controls about 90 percent of the schools in America however many Americans are not concerned about the power the governemnt has over education of our children. We should be concerned that givernement officials choose the curriculum for our children, because they are not the educators, and are poltically chossing materials they believe students should learn. They also require certain test scores, and make teachers focus on teaching to the test. Dr. King talks about how white people, lacked a certain understanding of the civil rights movement, and this is becoming true with the education system. Some white moderates(middle class individuals) dont make the changes necessary to change the broken and plotically biased education system we have in place today. I am curious to know what Dr. King would suggest to change the education system we have today? What would he think about teaching to the test, not teaching multicultural education when we have a country supposedly free of segreation. I wonder if today we can say that are school are still somewhat segreated? Poverty seperates races still today within school districts? If we want to better educate everyone shouldnt we try to close the achievement gap, but creating less segerating of school districts based on the social economic status of familes. Most Black Americans are segerated based on SES? What would Dr. King think of this? It makes me wonder.....
MLK is known for being a fantastic speaker, and it is easy to see why. He praises what has been accomplished by small groups, but he relates problems to the systemic roots they have. In this speech, I enjoyed the comparison of injustice to a boil. It made me laugh. I also appreciated how he differentiated between extremists of love and hate. I think this is important to consider after some members of a student group protesting SODEXO and President Gee were arrested on Monday. I personally feel the group has targeted President Gee in an unreasonable way, because it is on a personal rather than institutional level. Changes could be made by working with the university, or by protesting the person at Ohio State who is actually in charge of the contract with SODEXO. The arrests were unnecessary, and that's all that has happened with the group in 3 years. No progress on this issue has been made, but the approach never changes.
MLK's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" is by far the most straight-forward reading thus far. He has a wonderful way of simplifying concepts and making it easy to comprehend. The way he puts into words his opinion on just and unjust laws is remarkably easy to understand, and truly shows the ridiculous nature of our country during his time. There was also a connection with his letter and the Rorty reading on Solidarity. He makes the same connection of aiding Jews as Rorty did, and you can see some similarities in their arguments. The pain and suffering which Rorty says we should find in common with one another, is found in King's letter. How would white people feel if the roles were reversed, and black's were imposing such segregating laws on the white's? Can't whites look at it from the other perspective? He mentions a few white activists who were willing to march along with him, while most would stand in opposition. He also applies the same argument against the church. How is it that only a scant number of whites are able to stand up for what is morally right? They are able to identify the suffering which the blacks were going through. Are there situations today in which the same argument can be made?
I had read MLK's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" in a previous Political Science class. After re reading it, I looked at the letter in a new light. The last time I read this letter I looked at it from a historical and political level. Now after having talked about morality in our ed class I can see what MLK was talking about was morality...and that people needed to get some of it. MLK letter is a perfect example of morality. He describes just and unjust laws and gives his reasons why you should follow or break laws. He sounds very very reasonable in this letter. I think MLK is a mixture of Consequentialism and Nonconsequentialism. He expresses that he knows the consequences of his actions. (He states that he will break and unjust law and go to jail if it will arouse people) and that he was everyone to be treated equally (treat others the way you want to be treated yourself). I really like this letter, it seems to really arouse my "yeah equality for all"! feelings. He seems so reasonable and such a crazy time in society. I wonder if we will have someone like Martin Luther King in our near future that will speak up for the injustices that are still going on in our own country. Every so often we need a voice of reason that can stand up to the "big man" and tell everyone to take a stand.
After reading the kozol article I was somewhat speechless. How can anyone think that teaching with scripte lessons be a good idea? Not only with scripted lesson plans, but also discouraging and somewhat forbidding the student from putting their own voice into their work. I know that there are times when teachers will use a rubric to tell their students what they need to see in their work, but that is completely different from telling your students that if they don't do it your way then they are going to fail. In high school, and even some classes in college, I had teachers tell me that a huge part of my grade was from them being able to see my personality shining through my writing. I think the more a student loves to learn the more that student will learn and the more they will get out of their education. I think it is absolutely impossible for a student to get things out of their education if they are being forced to do things. How can a student truly learn to love to write if they aren't able to put their own little twist on things? I guess my question would be how many school systems are like this? Like, are there many school districts that use this strict forceful method? And the schools that use these methods how many of their students go off to further their education? I want to know this because I feel like students at these types of school probably do not like school, so I am intrigued to see how many students decided they want to keep attending college once it is their choice. -Lauren Arnett
I really enjoyed reading this letter by Martin Luther King, Jr. His use of language is very compelling. I like how he starts off saying “there are two types of laws: just and unjust”…and “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”. This made me think of what we have learned so far about ethics and morals. Ethics isn’t about obeying laws. It would be morally wrong to obey the segregation laws. I believe that some people are just focused on following the law and don’t really think about if it is morally right or wrong. Later in the letter he mentions the church and conformity. People are afraid to not conform and make their own decision of what is morally right. The one thing I question about just and unjust laws is who is to determine if a law is just or unjust? Martin Luther King, Jr says “I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willing accepts the penalty of imprisonment…”. I think that King believes that one knows a law is unjust if his conscience tells him. But if his conscience is telling him that it is unjust is that the only thing that makes his disobeying the law morally right?
The letter written by Martin Luther King, Jr. really resonated with me. The idea of just and unjust laws got me thinking. It really bothers me that people in our society are willing to just accept laws, even if they seem to be unjust, or wrong. This is one thing that has always bothered me when learning about the past and the segregation of whites and blacks. White people were so willing to just let blacks be treated unfairly because it was the law. But what if the situations had been reversed? I think Americans are too willing to be complacent and never question if something is right or wrong because it is the law. If we are unwilling to question laws that may seem unjust, what makes us any different from the followers of Hitler? We have to be willing to speak up when something seems wrong. I feel that there are more people in society today who are willing to question authority but there are still too many complacent people. As Americans we have to be willing to question authority or we are giving the people in power the rights to create unjust laws.
After reading Kazol’s article, I was shocked and frustrated with the way these children were taught and treated. I felt like these children were just robots that did and acted like their teachers in every way. They did not have a mind of their own, or a personality. Every time a child would whisper or laugh, the teacher would shush them. Every time the children actually act like children, like getting a bit loud, they get punished, such as having silent recess. The students are afraid to move, talk, state their opinions. How is this a positive learning environment? Also, what frustrated me was when it was stated that their must be penalties for failure. These penalties “were dispensed not only individually and privately but also in the view of others, for example in a full assembly of the school.” I could not believe that they would humiliate the children this way for failing, rather than helping them improve and speaking to them in a private manner about different ways to improve their academic performance. The children at level four reading would raise their hands and receive applause from the audience, level three would also get an applause, level two got some applause, while level one got no applause. That angered me personally to humiliate a child when they are struggling in school. I don’t know how the employees at that school are just sitting there and watching all of this happen. Would you be able to stand up for the students and state your opinions about the way that these children are being treated, or would you hold back because of what you think your superiors and other employees would say to/about you?
After reading Jonathan Kozol's, "The Ordering Regime" one section of the text really upset me. When one of the teachers was telling Kozol about an assembly where the students reading levels were announced in front of the school, I was appalled by the principals practices. This type of behavior goes against everything I stand for as a future educator. During this assembly the students who had the highest reading levels were recognized and received applause from their fellow classmates. All of the students received applause, except the "level one students" which are the students with the lowest reading scores.
This type of practice only benefits the students who already perform at a high level. The high scoring students get their accomplishments recognized and they continue to perform at a high level. While the lower scoring students receive no recognition for their efforts and their confidence and scores suffer.
As the principal at this school test scores are the the number one priority and I feel that this type of assembly is counter productive to having all students score higher on test score. The students who are struggling will only fall further behind due to the lack of support and praise they receive. This brings up the question how will the school see the scores they desire if they do not support the students who are struggling? Without increasing these students scores, their school will continue to be low performing.
Though it is sad to read excerpts like Kozol's, I am not in the least bit surprised. How ironic it is that when students were asked to provide definitions for words like Mastery and Meaningful, they immediately began discussing these terms vis-a-vis the curriculum requirements, namely, their ability to successfully and systematically produce definitions and pass tests! They are remarkably clueless as to the goal of their education. Or are they? What IS the goal of their education? Passing tests, or as Krysten said above, "getting our students to think critically and to understand why they are doing something?" Perhaps this is what we need to evaluate as future educators: why are we teaching, and what do we hope to offer the students while doing so? I hope that we will not be confined to creating a new generation of robots who don't understand the greater purpose for which they are striving. It is my goal in being a teacher to interact with my students on a humane level, not simply pumping information and formulas into their brains, but giving them another reason to come to my class. I want my class to be enjoyable, and I think that students in this environment will perform better anyway.
I was really affected by the Martin Luther King Jr. letter. It really spoke to me about a lot of things that are happening today and can really be applied to the teaching field, especially as we are the future teachers in the United States. I think the part that stood out to me the most was when he talked about the "white moderate". He explained that people who know something is wrong but do nothing about it are worse than those who are blatantly against something. This is so true. Change will never take place when the people who know what is right stand complacently. I am a religious person so this rings very true to me. However, even if you are not religious this article still applies to the simple morality of what is right and wrong in the teaching field. As teachers we need to stand up against what we find to be wrong with the system and not just go about robotically because this is just the way it is. I do believe that a small group of determined people can make a big difference. Usually it only takes one person to have the courage to stand up for something and soon many others will follow suit.
While the accounts in the Kozol article were awful, I can't say I am too surprised. Mr. Endicott had no teacher training and was simply doing as he was told. He read the script as he was instructed to, he inforced the rules like he was instructed to, and he controlled the class like he was instructed to. Mr. Endicott is merely an employee, following the commands of his superior. If we think of this school as a business or factory in which employees are given tasks and guidelines to do their jobs, then Mr. Endicott and this school are doing an beautiful job. Unfortunately, a school shouldn't be run as a factory. As education students we are all aware of the creativity and energy it takes to create a successful, colorful learning environment. However, when schools are hiring undereducated, underpaid, and overworked individuals with strict rules and guidelines describing how to do the job, can you really expect anything better? To me, P.S. 65 is simply an exemplar of what the federal and state governments are pushing schools to be. And honestly, can we expect anything different from employees? Or do we see our children and future as important enough to be taught by professionals? If the latter, then lets start treating teachers as professionals.
I thought the "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" reading was interesting. I really liked the part where we split laws into two different types: just and unjust. I thought it was interesting that King whent on to say "One has not only a legal but a moral responsiblity to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsiblity to disobey unjust laws." If we tie this to the statement "Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust", it makes more sense why he says one has a moral responsiblity to disobey unjust laws. I don't think it's okay to disobey any laws. I think there are valid, personal reasons that people have for wanting and actually breaking laws, however it doesn't make it okay to actually go through with breaking the laws. I think the world would be a better place if we could do things, and break laws in order to uplift human personality. Unforatunately, that's not the case, and people can't just go around breaking laws. Also, people differ in their opinions in what does and does not uplift human personality. I think we need to keep this in mind when we become teachers. There are rules put in place for us to follow in school systems, and they are put there for a reason. Just because we don't agree with them, doesn't mean we can go around breaking rules to benefit ourselves or our students. However, there are a few incidents that will call for us to break the rules. My question, is how do we know when we can and should break the rules to benefit ourselves or our students?
- I really enjoyed the Martin Luther King article. I have read this passage in other classes, and every time I read it I have a different reaction or understanding. When I read it in my history class in high school we looked at is in terms of the civil rights movement, and as a historical document. In my philosophy class we looked at it in a similar way that we have been in this class, in that we looked the ethics and morals that he is discussing in the article. However, I did not think of it in terms of education. I think that it is important to see how important it is for teachers and students to have a right to be heard, and a right to fight for what they believe in. I know that there are many times and circumstances during which a teacher cannot and should not express their feelings or options, but I think that every person should have an outlet for these things.
I was completely shocked when I read the Kozol article. I never would have imagined such an environment existing. How can education possibly be taken with such a lack of seriousness? These children, as unprivileged as they were, are our future. The effort we put into them will have an effect on the future of the world. If all schools were like this, our society would be chaos. The one paragraph that really struck me was the one about the lack of happiness. While the methods of teaching were extremely awful, I found myself slightly depressed when I read that in a classroom full of 8 year olds, not a single person cracked a smile. We just spent our last few class sessions discussing whether we should do what earns us the most money and the best life, or if we should do what makes us happy. And here these children are being brainwashed that school and education is not fun. Kids have a hard enough time finding school “fun” without being told they’re not allowed to laugh or even smile. If I was the parent of one of these children, I would pull my kid out so fast. In my opinion, education is best achieved while having fun. If it’s enjoyable, the students will develop a natural passion for it. If it’s miserable for them, especially at a young age, they will learn to not only hate school, but hate learning. And this is the complete opposite direction that we should be moving.
MLK's Letter From a Birmingham Jail was one of the easier articles for me this quarter. King argues that there are two types of laws, and that only one of them need be followed. He argued that not only was civil disobedience justified in the face of unjust laws, but that "one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." I find this to be true myself as well. Just because some people at some point said some thing was "the law" doesn't mean that it can't or shouldn't be reevaluated if it's no longer applicable. Our society needs people who have a passion for what's right to tackle these injustices and help reform that which is unjust. Are there still unjust laws in place today?
Kozol's piece on inner city schools tied directly into the philosophy of injustice that MLK was speaking of. How can politicians and parents and teachers be ok with how the students in p.65 are being treated and not want to protest? How can robbing these children of dignity and pride and imagination be considered a valuable institutional curriculum? I can't imagine a higher end district allowing their children to be treated as commodities as was taking place in these schools. Just as MLK said that some african americans were complacent with the margin of success and prosperity they obtain they were not willing to fight for those who were being denied liberty. Just because a school district has money and another does not does not mean that these students somehow deserve a varied level of treatment. They are victims of the world set up for their parents and one has to beleive in an innate evil in children to belevie that this is the way that it should be. The parents should care, the politicians should care, and the teachers should boycott any such curiculum that robs children of the act of being young, spontaneous, creative, and yes even at times bad. It is inhuman to go through life never questioning one's treatment as these kids have never had an opportunity to do.
Kozol has a way of pointing out the parts of our country that many people like to believe do not exist. I was just as shocked reading about segregation in inner city schools in "The Ordering Regime" as I was about the poverty he described in "Savage Inequalities." We as a society like to believe we have moved past inequalities of the past, that we are better people than our predecessors. This, more often than not, is not the case however. It all depends on money which children get a better education and subsequent start in life. As MLK said in his letter, we cannot just sit around and wait for the world to sort itself out. For there to be change, we have to make change happen. I really enjoyed the letter. I have always admired Dr. King's method of nonviolence and retaining faith in mankind. -Katie Petrolo
“The cover of the book is more important than what is inside.” This quote from the Kozol article seems to sum up the result of a Skinnerian approach to education on both teachers and students. Children lose their identities to numbers that denote their relative abilities. What does that teach them about education in the context of life? The mission statement of the Success for All Program is to “develop productive citizens to compete in a global environment.” Surely they do not expect a designation of “Level Four” to count for anything in the real world. The sad truth is that all of these systems of classification are about appearing effective to “the men with clipboards.” As Kozol notes after speaking with a few of the children, there is little significance placed on the education actually being effective. This article highlights the invalidity of standardized tests from a unique angle. If children that are not truly being educated raise their scores on a test, is that truly success? Education is valuable only in the context of a greater existence, and abandoning that fact for the “comfort” of numbers is on par with abandoning education altogether.
I found the idea of just and unjust laws to be very thought provoking. I completely agree with the author in the matter of which ones we should follow and which ones we should fight against. Although I believe in this, I feel that it is something that will probably never happen because of the fear of consequences. I know that personally, I would think twice before standing up for what is right if it means going against the law. That is not something that I am proud of, but it is the honest truth. The fear of jail time or ruining my future is enough to make me think about doing the right thing, as terrible as that is. I admire any individual or group that is willing to put everything on the line for justice. My only question is what the government can do to allow for this without also allowing for harmful situations, such as riots, to occur?
After reading the Kozol article I was a little relieved that I was taught to teach students differently than what was observed in the article. Today, we are taught to teach to the needs of our students. Running schools like a factory only creates more disparities between our schools. Students should be able to be creative and express their personalities, rather than fit a generic mold. Teachers must teach to the needs of their students, which means they must constantly make adjustments to help each and every student succeed. We are taught to help students respect othe people's perspectives, values, and opinions. If we do not do this, then we are preparing a doomed generation that will repeat some of the horrible historical events that have occurred over the past centuries due to people not respecting other's values, perspectives, and beliefs.
Other than segregation being largely discussed within these articles, I also took the overall theme of control out of them as well; control of speech and expression. The letter from King was so powerful. He was repetitive and strong in making his point of freedom of speech regardless of the color of someone's skin. The article about inner city schools was very similar in that these children are literally silenced at all times. How on earth are children supposed to learn when they are prohibited from talking and discussing things they experience in class? Children learn most from experience whether it be from interactions in the cafeteria or talking about the surface area. To silence children in low income inner city schools is the same as silencing any given race the way African Americans were silenced in history. The more we silence our children and not allow them experience or to even have fun in these prisons we call city schools, the less prepared these children will be for life. It is our responsibility as teachers to provide a safe and fun learning environment where children can gain knowledge through what they do, not what they are told.
After reading the Kozol article about the “ordering regime”, it was kind of shocking to see that some schools today still follow that ordering system. Teachers tell students what to do, when to do, and how to do thing and they’ll pass their exams with good grades, otherwise they will fail horribly. It is scary as well; students like to think and analyze things, ask questions, and criticize answers and solutions. They also like to comment and laugh about materials that sound or look funny, it is healthy for students to laugh and comment about the material they study, it means they understand it and makes more sense to them when they ask questions about it and solve it in their own way, not the way the teachers tell them to follow. It is even more sadly that the teachers do not enjoy what they are teaching. How would I teach a subject that I do not like? If I do not enjoy preparing it and teaching it, there is no way for me to transform that information to my students. Enjoying what we are learning makes us curious to understand, to work harder and do more research on it, and it works same way with students. But as they enjoy it, we challenge their critical thinking, so we have to allow space for laughter, questions and comments. How would ordering students to study the way the teachers ask them to study, would help them grow as moral agents? How would this help them become good citizens to serve the county? And how would this help the teacher to do a good job teaching the young generations?
I found King's letter to be very intringuing. We have all of these events that King mentions of in our minds that took place throughout history but for me to actually think they these acts were legal seems even more "insane." It completely baffles me that as a society we could pass such unjust laws. Looking at these unjust laws today, I feel as though these laws would be equivalent to our nations legalizing terroism. I'm glad to see that our societies are not as extreme and we do not target specific groups to discriminate against simply due to religion, race, ethnicity, etc. While King describes why he disobeys some laws and not others, I feel anyone would do the same if they were in the same situation. No one can say today that they have been not allowed to go somewhere simply based off of their background or appearance but I am sure that if this were the case they would do anything in their power to stand up for their rights. I am sure that we still have unjust laws in our society however I believe that we have come a long way and morality is taking much more of a part in our laws than before.
I found the Kozol article to be a pretty shocking display of the harsh reality many inner city school systems. I'm fortunate enough to be unfamiliar with the rigid, militaristic style of teaching at learning at these schools, and found this to be quite an eye-opener. The first thing that really stuck out at me was the description of teachers being stripped of their enthusiasm and teaching without the presence of theatrics. I agree that there will always be subjects or topics that teachers are uninterested in teaching, but it is their job as educators to present it in the most positive, exciting way and be enthusiastic in order for students to have a chance of learning it in this same way. The attitudes of teachers are crucial to their students learning. If a teacher is negative and unenthusiastic, they have to expect students to reflect that same demeanor towards their school work. The teacher has a job, not only to teach assigned material, but to present it in a positive and enthusiastic manner in order to teach the "whole person," a concept which has been lost among the standardized testing movement.
Another thing that struck me was the strict militaristic style of teaching and learning. Silent lunches and silent recesses should rarely be implemented for students, especially for young ones. When the observer noted that not one student exemplified a sense of youth, innocence, or silliness, I was shocked. The teacher should see this as a problem. It seems like the whole meaning of education has been lost at this school, as it is only looking to regurgitate strictly disciplined students with no sense of life and teachers who teach out of fear for losing their job in this school system. It is necessary in schools like this to re-gain the education of the "whole person" and stop ranking students based on ability.
I enjoyed reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail because of the passion that he had. I think we all need to take note of this because our society has changed so much. People do not stand up for what they believe to be true or just. Everything is about accepting everyone, let everyone believe what they want to believe, truth is relative, ect. I am not saying hate those who are different or not accept people that you do not agree with, I am just saying that we need to be extremists, extremists for love, if we are ever going to get anything accomplished in this world. His application for justice and calling people to not stand aside and be silent could be applied to so many issues across the world, it is about time for us to stand up and fight these injustices in our world. World hunger, slavery, and even education to name a few. King is right, there are too many of us who are just quietly watching on the sideline, myself included, while our brothers and sisters are being oppressed and treated unjustly.
After reading these pieces, my eyes were opened up big time. First, don't see how you can tell a student that he has to do it you way or no way. Teachers that tell their student this should be fired. Students shoudl be allowed to explore new ways of achieving answers and bring diversity into the classroom. To tell a child if he doesn't do it your way then it will be wrong, I just don't agree with. That is not what a teacher is there for. Teachers are there to help children in there areas they need support. They are not there to be enforcers and I find it very upsetting that teachers do this.
The Martin Luther King Jr piece really inspired me. Children follow the lead of the peers so many times. They forget about what they believe in and just go with the crowd. Individuals need to stand up for what they believe in. I think this would be a great read for younger children.If they can learn this at a yougn age, then I believe children will stay out of a lot of trouble. It might not be easy or fun, but one should always stand up for what they believe. Don't change who you are based on other people.
Finally, the question I have is how do you tell a parent that their way of teaching their child is not correct and in fact not the way in which you want your students to learn, because it will create problems? I think it is a very touchy situation that can go wrong in so many ways.
The article The Shame of the Nation was a very interesting read. At first I was astounded that this school was making students think about what job they would want as an adult when they were in kindergarten. It wasn't that they were being asked to think about the future that bothered me but what bothered me was the questions they asked the students, They initially asked if they wanted a managers job then gave the kids a bit of freedom and creativity and asked what job do you want and then immediately shut down that creativity by asking how will you do the managers job. I actually like the idea of having the 'jobs' for the students and the 'help wanted' idea of preparing the students for the future. This filing applications and going for an interview idea seems weird for younger students because because of child labor laws they obviously cannot have actual jobs but it is preparing these students for the future of creating resumes, filing applications, and going on interviews. A question that this article brought up was where do we draw the line for this? Should we start having these students have jobs and teach them how it works by if they don't follow the rules then they are 'fired' from their job or what is the line?
Kozol does a great job of exposing the flaws of public education in the U.S. He is an outspoken critic who brings a decent amount of attention to the inherent problems of our educational system. I have seen him on PBS and I am interested in what he has to say. However, I am ready to hear some solutions. I keep reading and hearing how broken the educational system is, and never hear of any ways to fix it. I occasionally hear about successful charter schools, but they are more of a bandaid on a gapping wound. Maybe the problems in our educational system are just a reflection of greater culture and society, and unfortunately this is how things are going to be for awhile.
I do find it interesting how we preach that everyone deserves a quality education but we--it seems--do our best to prevent it. I feel like Kozol really brought that to light in this chapter. I would also like to see a public school that puts into place some of the solutions that we have to fix the problem. I understand that there are major flaws in education but what I don't understand is how America can focus on the economy so much and completely disregard what is keeping our economy afloat. Our children. The posterity of the nation. I am now seriously thinking of homeschooling my children because of the state of our schools.
Having read Savage Inequalities several years ago, I had some idea of what to expect from these excerpts from Shame of the Nation. I was as disheartened to read Kozol's descriptions of segregated schools in this book as I was his descriptions of schools in the very poorest areas of our country in Savage Inequalities. I was also, once again, a little bowled over at just how bad things are. It was particularly disturbing that much of his observation was done in Columbus. The kinds of business-driven curriculums and schools he writes about embody the kind of teaching I would hate to have to do and that would probably drive me from the profession. To put it mildly, I dislike scripted curriculums and standardized testing and believe they have no place in any classroom that intends to truly teach children. But corporate names and job titles in classrooms is in my opinion absolutely horrible. And pigeonholing disadvantaged kids into low-paying jobs is not only completely detestable, but also against the ideals our country supposedly embodies. These kinds of schools tell our kids that in fact they cannot achieve whatever they believe and that no matter how hard they work, they have only one bleak option. The observations in these chapters, as best I can tell, were made in the early 2000s. The question I am afraid to ask is: are the curriculums described still in place in any Columbus schools?
ReplyDeleteI was shocked after reading this article that a school like the one described actually existed. To me, it seemed more like a prison. The school treated the children like prisoners or robots and the teachers spoke unkindly to the students. I don’t even see a reason why parents would want to send their children to a school like that. But maybe that was the only type of school they knew? Did the teachers really believe what they were doing was acceptable? In my opinion, students should not go to school just to pass through the same routine and get good grades every day. The teachers did not even praise the children when they did well. If I went to a school like that, I’d be intimidated and afraid to speak up. I would not want to make any mistakes. I’d probably work hard, but my hard work wouldn’t really mean much. I wouldn’t care about learning I would just be concerned about not messing up.
ReplyDeleteThe end of this article brought up the importance of ethics and teaching in a school where one does not agree with the school policy. Although money is important, and we all need jobs, where do we draw the line? In other words, would you still work at a place where you disagreed with all the policies and were unable to teach the students in the way you thought they would benefit most?
“If you do what I tell you to do, how I tell you to do it, when I tell you to do it, you'll get it right. If you don't, you'll get it wrong.” This quote astonished me. Do teachers really tell this to their students? If they do, then they should be fired. Talk about scare tactics. What a great idea! Let's just start out by telling our students that they are going to fail if they try to do their work any other way than they are taught. I've known teachers who think it's their way or the highway. They don't believe that students should be able to come up with other ways to do their work. Not every students processes information the same way. Not everyone is going to be able to follow a single method for doing something. If there is one thing that I have learned in education, it's that every student is unique. It might seem like they are not understanding something, but it could simply be the way they are being taught. It is not always about coming up with the correct answer. It's about getting our students to think critically and to understand why they are doing something. Any student can be taught to plug numbers into an equation, but not all students will understand why that equation works. Teachers need to take a step back and understand that there is more than one way to doing something. If the student can explain why their way makes sense, then it should really matter. How can we get our teachers to be more open-minded towards students?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the letter by Martin Luther King Jr. for many reasons.I thought he brought up some very valid arguments, however some were a bit elusive. I agree that there are certain laws which seem very unjust and morally should not be laws and for that reason are broken. However, I think it is a stretch to say that "an unjust law is no law at all". Even if we believe it is unjust, even if everyone thinks it is unjust there will still be consequences for breaking a "law". Because of this we still have to receive whatever punishment it is that we must receive and know it was because we broke the law. Also, by saying if we think a law is unjust then you must break it, this opens up a whole slew of opportunities for people. People can interpret unjust in so many different ways it would just be chaos to society. I really enjoyed the portion about extremists and how they are the ones who suffer. Overall, thought the article was very insightful and enjoyed reading it. I question how he feels that order in society would be maintained if it was okay for one to break laws they deem unjust?
ReplyDeleteIn response to MLK’s Letter From A Birmingham Jail;
ReplyDeleteI was impressed by the parallels MLK draws between major tenets and concepts in ethics (in general) and the significant and momentous issue of his time, and of his letter. We’ve talked in length of Consequentialism, Nonconsequentialism and Care theory, but it is interesting to see them appropriately applied to an issue as relevant as segregation.
MLK’s arguments don’t speak strictly to one theory, but rather highlight an all encompassing view of ethics by way of defining what is just and unjust. One example given by MLK stood out the most for me; again it was directly citing a major historical event. On page two, he discusses the actions of Hitler - reminding us that everything he did was legal (just) and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was illegal (unjust). I found that to greatly characterized the question MLK was pushing his readers to contemplate, as well as provide a stimulating connection between our world and the role of ethics within it.
After reading Students Aren i want to comment on how it says students think they need degrees to work. I completely agree with that statement because i see someone all the time saying how much they hate school and are only there to get a degree to get a job. In reality there is SO much you can do without the degree. I know quite a few people personally that are doing what they love to do without that piece of paper. School is having a less meaning for people nowadays and i dont think it will ever change until some someone actually does something about. My question would be thought how will this ever change?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Martin Luther King Jr. letter from a Birmingham jail. I especially like his point that an unjust law is not really a law at all. I do see the problem however in determining what is just and unjust. Isn’t it different to every individual? However, like we learned about ethics the goal is to create a premise for which to base our ethical reasoning. I would assume the same applies to determining just vs. unjust. We must create a basis for which to base our judgments.
ReplyDeleteWhat this letter really makes me question is what in the future will we look back on of today’s world and say how could they have found that just? What seems so blatantly obvious to us today (segregation being unjust), did not seem so at the time. What in today’s world seems extremely just, but in the future will be seen as blatantly unjust? Is there something that we are not fighting for that we should be fighting against? How do you fight the unjust laws when you do not have the position of power to change the laws?
I agree with Martin Luther King Jr. stance that we must be extremist, but extremist of love, not hate. Fighting through civil means without violence is the key, I believe. It is how everyone always says yelling never accomplishes anything- the same is true with violence. Violence only institutes more violence. Like the saying, “don’t fight fire with fire.” I admire Martin Luther King Jr. approach to change. I just hope that we are all using his method when need be.
I really liked the article by Martin Luther King, Jr. I agree that there are some laws that are just and others that are unjust. I also really like the point that he made about those who are affected by the law are sometimes not even asked to vote upon the law. This made me think of the current issues created by Senate Bill 5. Although teachers are affected by this bill, it does not seem as if law makers are asking teachers what they believe should be done. Although I do not believe teachers should be allowed to make the laws regarding unions, tenure, etc., law makers should look to teachers as a source of advice. After all, they are the ones who know more about teaching than the law makers do. Additionally, the fact that some laws are just and others are unjust can be applied to schools as well. Even though schools do not have "laws", there are rules that the students as well as teachers are expected to follow. While most rules make sense, there are some that do not. My aunt used to teach elementary school in Tennessee, and my cousins still attend school there. In some schools in the south, it is expected that for the most part students are quiet throughout the school day, even at lunch. They are expected to focus on learning and that means no side conversations, and even talk at lunch should be kept to a minimum. Although this was a school rule, and it does make sense within the classroom, I believe it is unjust to ask young children to not talk with their peers at lunch. Additionally, I believe it is not socially good for children to not communicate with their peers throughout the day. I believe that rules such as this one that are unjust are okay to bend. Although schools make rules, I think that we as teachers have to decide if the rules are best for our students; and if they are not we have to decide how to modify them so that they are best for students as well as faculty. For example, in this case, if I were to see students talking at lunch I may not punish them where as I would if they were breaking another, more reasonable school rule such as running in the hallways. My question is, if you feel that a school rule is unjust and is not appropriate for your students, how would you go about handling the situation?
ReplyDeleteI thought Martin Luther King, Jr.’s letter was inspiring. I can only imagine how I would have reacted had I read it immediately following the time he wrote it. He has a clear hunger for justice and peace and writes very eloquently about it. He wasn’t just condemning the people who were in charge of the segregation and violence, he was also talking to the people who were sitting back and allowing it to occur. He said, “we will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” He calls for all people, especially the church, to speak out against what was going on at the time. He said that just because something is a law does not mean it is morally sound to follow it. He wrote that we have a moral responsibility to disobey the laws that are unjust. I think that at that time, this would have been seen as surprising to people. Not surprising that Dr. King would say such a thing, but surprising that he would call others to disobey as well. The “good people” he talks about were morally good people, but they were obeying these laws of segregation. He urges them to disobey, calling those laws morally wrong. This would have been surprising for some people. I would guess that people assumed Dr. King to be a man who upholds the law and truth. When they saw him write this, I think they would have been caught off guard at having been told to disobey the law.
ReplyDeleteMy question would be: In the field of education, are there laws in place today that we should be urged to disobey?
-Sarah Tidwell
I really enjoyed reading the MLK article. People just do not seem to talk like that anymore. People now a days just do not seem to have any fight in them anymore. I made me think of the Movie we watched in class and the student/principle or even gym teaching talking. Those students were just compliant. I feel that we as a society have become too compliant.
ReplyDeleteIt just makes me wonder sometimes, through out history counties/ leaders have used laws to control the people. If that we to happen today would anyone actually stand up and fight it. I am almost inclined to say no, no they would not. In fact it is kind of scary.
I remember reading "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" in some history class in high school, but reading it now had a greater impact on me. I was struck by many points that Dr. King made, but especially when he refers to himself as an extremist. We all know about Dr. King's nonviolent protests - in fact, it is what he is most know for. So at first, the word "extreme" might seem, well, extreme. But to be an extremist in the sense that you believe in something so strongly that you are willing to stand up for it, in any way you are required to, does seem to describe Dr. King. I think as a society we need to be reminded that complacency is not admirable. It is too easy to stand by and let things happen that should not be happening. This easily applies to education. With benefits and wages being cut all over the country, when is someone going to decide that enough is enough? When are we, either as members of the general public or as educators ourselves, going to assert our importance in today's society. I think that we are heading down a frightening path if something doesn't happen soon to wake us up. We all need to be reminded at times of people like Dr. King, who made a difference in seemingly hopeless situations. We need to remember that individual people can make a difference, and that having an opinion is important and essential.
ReplyDelete-Katie Kuvin
The Ordering Regime was ON POINT!!!!! Like I have said a number of times, I am a substitute teacher for Columbus City and I laugh every single time I read their objectives or goals. It’s so ridiculous to give young students who supposedly are having difficulty passing state tests to give them such words like Authentic Writing, Mastery especially when they aren’t showing that they can master sitting still and being quiet for a few minutes. I think it is very important for children to laugh during lessons and sometimes getting silly if the subject material is funny! It broke my heart when the author said he didn’t make a round smiley face on his notes.
ReplyDeleteIt also broke my heart when the teachers expressed that they had to teach things that they didn’t like. OMG, if the teacher is bored or uninterested in the subject, the students are going to uninterested and that’s when classroom management is tested. And I am so sick of every reading I read about low income children being black and latino I will scream and pull my hair out. This is when I agree with MLK about the white moderate. The white moderate doesn’t seem to care to acknowledge the poor white people, so why should I believe they’ll care about the blacks and the latinos. That’s why the schools are the way they are now, segregated. I remember when I was in school I was one of three black kids in my class and one of them were mixed. We were like their token students because we were smart, active in school and gave no disciplinary issues. It’s sad because it’s like that still in the schools I have subbed at. Disgusting.
Norma
I read MLK Jr’s letter, a particular line really stuck out to me, “so often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound.” This line resonated with me when I began to think about it in terms of a school. The contemporary school is weak, and has an ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. The government is constricting schools with so many standards and different types of regulations that schools no longer have individual voices that produce unique kids, but instead all of the schools have the same boring voice that does little to inspire the kids or the community. Almost every school in America is so concerned with math and reading for the standardized tests, that other subjects that color a kid’s world are left out and all the schools begin to sounds the same. In order for schools and teachers to reach kids, they have to have a distinct voice, a voice that is caring and nurturing and not a voice only concerned with how the kids will perform on tests. With this line MLK was trying to inspire his fellow clergy to speak up and share the voice that was within all of them to speak out against segregation. I read this line and looking at it as a future teacher saw him calling me not to forget about my own voice and not to get sucked into following along with whatever the government says. The people who make the decisions about the schools and how they are funded are usually not actual teachers, but instead bureaucrats that are disconnected from the actual classroom and actual students. Teachers must never forget to use their voice to create inspirational environments for the kids, to get the students the things they need and deserve. If no teachers speak up for the kids, all that is heard is the click of keys in a legislatures office creating standards and the droning sound of people’s voices during a debate, people who most of the time do not know what they are talking about.
ReplyDeleteKing's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" brings up an interesting point in light of the recent legislation in Ohio, namely Senate Bill 5. I remember an article about people protesting the bill being prevented by police from entering the Statehouse. The reasoning for this never before seen occurrence was never explained. While I don't remember the exact details or even if the article was correct it is an interesting parallel to King's letter. People should have the right to protest a law they feel is unjust without having their rights infringed upon whether through intimidation or force. Whether or not a person agrees with the bill has no relation on whether people have certain inviolable rights. King also criticizes the moderates who stand by the sides and give lukewarm support. The question is, do people want to be the do-nothings or stand up and have their voice heard?
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say that this is one of the few classes I have had here at Ohio State in which I have enjoyed most if not all of the assigned readings. That said, I felt the pairing of Dr. King's letter with Kozol's chapter was rather thought provoking and brilliant. I read the Kozol chapter "Preparing minds for markets" first. I, like most of my classmates, am concerned with this direction education appears to be heading. I also have a moral problem with educators that would agree to perpetuate such an agenda. It would seem to me that some of the ideologies that this "market system" promotes goes against some of the fundamental ideas brought fourth by the NEA in the Code of Ethics( see point 4 in commitment to the student).
ReplyDeleteI followed the Kozol chapter with the letter from Dr. King. I couldn't help but wonder how he would feel about the state of education if he were alive today. I mention this, because I was particularly drawn to his statements about the white moderate, and their lack of understanding or compassion for the civil rights movement. I began to consider how it is the white moderate who "educate" many of today's inner city school children. How would Dr. King react to their passivity in regards to changing the broken system that is the US education system. It lead me to believe that in order to make revolutionary changes to the system, we need another strong voice like that of Dr. King, to incite and inspire change. But who could fill such shoes? Will it be a single person or a group of dedicated educator's who are willing to risk their career's as many of the civil right's leaders risked their lives....
I was shocked and horrified after reading the kozol reading. I am still having a hard time believing it. The entire strategy seems so near sighted. How can anyone ever develop a love of reading if they are taught that only their reading level matters? How can anyone ever learn to love school and learning if they aren't allowed to have a personality or enjoy themselves? If that had been my experience, I don't know why I would have stayed in school let alone come to college. I understand this might boost some scores for the year, but what are we sacrificing along the way?
ReplyDelete-Megan M.
I connected more this week with the reading,"Letter from Birmingham Jail." I liked how Katie connected a certain statement to contemporary schools, and I certaining agree we connect what King was talking about to how shcools are run today. The government has much control over what is taught in our schools. The governement controls about 90 percent of the schools in America however many Americans are not concerned about the power the governemnt has over education of our children. We should be concerned that givernement officials choose the curriculum for our children, because they are not the educators, and are poltically chossing materials they believe students should learn. They also require certain test scores, and make teachers focus on teaching to the test. Dr. King talks about how white people, lacked a certain understanding of the civil rights movement, and this is becoming true with the education system. Some white moderates(middle class individuals) dont make the changes necessary to change the broken and plotically biased education system we have in place today. I am curious to know what Dr. King would suggest to change the education system we have today? What would he think about teaching to the test, not teaching multicultural education when we have a country supposedly free of segreation. I wonder if today we can say that are school are still somewhat segreated? Poverty seperates races still today within school districts? If we want to better educate everyone shouldnt we try to close the achievement gap, but creating less segerating of school districts based on the social economic status of familes. Most Black Americans are segerated based on SES? What would Dr. King think of this? It makes me wonder.....
ReplyDeleteMLK is known for being a fantastic speaker, and it is easy to see why. He praises what has been accomplished by small groups, but he relates problems to the systemic roots they have. In this speech, I enjoyed the comparison of injustice to a boil. It made me laugh. I also appreciated how he differentiated between extremists of love and hate. I think this is important to consider after some members of a student group protesting SODEXO and President Gee were arrested on Monday. I personally feel the group has targeted President Gee in an unreasonable way, because it is on a personal rather than institutional level. Changes could be made by working with the university, or by protesting the person at Ohio State who is actually in charge of the contract with SODEXO. The arrests were unnecessary, and that's all that has happened with the group in 3 years. No progress on this issue has been made, but the approach never changes.
ReplyDeleteMLK's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" is by far the most straight-forward reading thus far. He has a wonderful way of simplifying concepts and making it easy to comprehend. The way he puts into words his opinion on just and unjust laws is remarkably easy to understand, and truly shows the ridiculous nature of our country during his time. There was also a connection with his letter and the Rorty reading on Solidarity. He makes the same connection of aiding Jews as Rorty did, and you can see some similarities in their arguments. The pain and suffering which Rorty says we should find in common with one another, is found in King's letter. How would white people feel if the roles were reversed, and black's were imposing such segregating laws on the white's? Can't whites look at it from the other perspective? He mentions a few white activists who were willing to march along with him, while most would stand in opposition. He also applies the same argument against the church. How is it that only a scant number of whites are able to stand up for what is morally right? They are able to identify the suffering which the blacks were going through. Are there situations today in which the same argument can be made?
ReplyDeleteI had read MLK's "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" in a previous Political Science class. After re reading it, I looked at the letter in a new light. The last time I read this letter I looked at it from a historical and political level. Now after having talked about morality in our ed class I can see what MLK was talking about was morality...and that people needed to get some of it. MLK letter is a perfect example of morality. He describes just and unjust laws and gives his reasons why you should follow or break laws. He sounds very very reasonable in this letter. I think MLK is a mixture of Consequentialism and Nonconsequentialism. He expresses that he knows the consequences of his actions. (He states that he will break and unjust law and go to jail if it will arouse people) and that he was everyone to be treated equally (treat others the way you want to be treated yourself). I really like this letter, it seems to really arouse my "yeah equality for all"! feelings. He seems so reasonable and such a crazy time in society. I wonder if we will have someone like Martin Luther King in our near future that will speak up for the injustices that are still going on in our own country. Every so often we need a voice of reason that can stand up to the "big man" and tell everyone to take a stand.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the kozol article I was somewhat speechless. How can anyone think that teaching with scripte lessons be a good idea? Not only with scripted lesson plans, but also discouraging and somewhat forbidding the student from putting their own voice into their work. I know that there are times when teachers will use a rubric to tell their students what they need to see in their work, but that is completely different from telling your students that if they don't do it your way then they are going to fail. In high school, and even some classes in college, I had teachers tell me that a huge part of my grade was from them being able to see my personality shining through my writing. I think the more a student loves to learn the more that student will learn and the more they will get out of their education. I think it is absolutely impossible for a student to get things out of their education if they are being forced to do things. How can a student truly learn to love to write if they aren't able to put their own little twist on things? I guess my question would be how many school systems are like this? Like, are there many school districts that use this strict forceful method? And the schools that use these methods how many of their students go off to further their education? I want to know this because I feel like students at these types of school probably do not like school, so I am intrigued to see how many students decided they want to keep attending college once it is their choice.
ReplyDelete-Lauren Arnett
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this letter by Martin Luther King, Jr. His use of language is very compelling. I like how he starts off saying “there are two types of laws: just and unjust”…and “one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws”. This made me think of what we have learned so far about ethics and morals. Ethics isn’t about obeying laws. It would be morally wrong to obey the segregation laws. I believe that some people are just focused on following the law and don’t really think about if it is morally right or wrong. Later in the letter he mentions the church and conformity. People are afraid to not conform and make their own decision of what is morally right. The one thing I question about just and unjust laws is who is to determine if a law is just or unjust? Martin Luther King, Jr says “I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willing accepts the penalty of imprisonment…”. I think that King believes that one knows a law is unjust if his conscience tells him. But if his conscience is telling him that it is unjust is that the only thing that makes his disobeying the law morally right?
The letter written by Martin Luther King, Jr. really resonated with me. The idea of just and unjust laws got me thinking. It really bothers me that people in our society are willing to just accept laws, even if they seem to be unjust, or wrong. This is one thing that has always bothered me when learning about the past and the segregation of whites and blacks. White people were so willing to just let blacks be treated unfairly because it was the law. But what if the situations had been reversed? I think Americans are too willing to be complacent and never question if something is right or wrong because it is the law. If we are unwilling to question laws that may seem unjust, what makes us any different from the followers of Hitler? We have to be willing to speak up when something seems wrong. I feel that there are more people in society today who are willing to question authority but there are still too many complacent people. As Americans we have to be willing to question authority or we are giving the people in power the rights to create unjust laws.
ReplyDelete- Kristen Calaway
After reading Kazol’s article, I was shocked and frustrated with the way these children were taught and treated. I felt like these children were just robots that did and acted like their teachers in every way. They did not have a mind of their own, or a personality. Every time a child would whisper or laugh, the teacher would shush them. Every time the children actually act like children, like getting a bit loud, they get punished, such as having silent recess. The students are afraid to move, talk, state their opinions. How is this a positive learning environment? Also, what frustrated me was when it was stated that their must be penalties for failure. These penalties “were dispensed not only individually and privately but also in the view of others, for example in a full assembly of the school.” I could not believe that they would humiliate the children this way for failing, rather than helping them improve and speaking to them in a private manner about different ways to improve their academic performance. The children at level four reading would raise their hands and receive applause from the audience, level three would also get an applause, level two got some applause, while level one got no applause. That angered me personally to humiliate a child when they are struggling in school. I don’t know how the employees at that school are just sitting there and watching all of this happen. Would you be able to stand up for the students and state your opinions about the way that these children are being treated, or would you hold back because of what you think your superiors and other employees would say to/about you?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Jonathan Kozol's, "The Ordering Regime" one section of the text really upset me. When one of the teachers was telling Kozol about an assembly where the students reading levels were announced in front of the school, I was appalled by the principals practices. This type of behavior goes against everything I stand for as a future educator. During this assembly the students who had the highest reading levels were recognized and received applause from their fellow classmates. All of the students received applause, except the "level one students" which are the students with the lowest reading scores.
ReplyDeleteThis type of practice only benefits the students who already perform at a high level. The high scoring students get their accomplishments recognized and they continue to perform at a high level. While the lower scoring students receive no recognition for their efforts and their confidence and scores suffer.
As the principal at this school test scores are the the number one priority and I feel that this type of assembly is counter productive to having all students score higher on test score. The students who are struggling will only fall further behind due to the lack of support and praise they receive. This brings up the question how will the school see the scores they desire if they do not support the students who are struggling? Without increasing these students scores, their school will continue to be low performing.
-John Searfoss
Though it is sad to read excerpts like Kozol's, I am not in the least bit surprised. How ironic it is that when students were asked to provide definitions for words like Mastery and Meaningful, they immediately began discussing these terms vis-a-vis the curriculum requirements, namely, their ability to successfully and systematically produce definitions and pass tests! They are remarkably clueless as to the goal of their education. Or are they? What IS the goal of their education? Passing tests, or as Krysten said above, "getting our students to think critically and to understand why they are doing something?" Perhaps this is what we need to evaluate as future educators: why are we teaching, and what do we hope to offer the students while doing so? I hope that we will not be confined to creating a new generation of robots who don't understand the greater purpose for which they are striving. It is my goal in being a teacher to interact with my students on a humane level, not simply pumping information and formulas into their brains, but giving them another reason to come to my class. I want my class to be enjoyable, and I think that students in this environment will perform better anyway.
ReplyDeleteI was really affected by the Martin Luther King Jr. letter. It really spoke to me about a lot of things that are happening today and can really be applied to the teaching field, especially as we are the future teachers in the United States. I think the part that stood out to me the most was when he talked about the "white moderate". He explained that people who know something is wrong but do nothing about it are worse than those who are blatantly against something. This is so true. Change will never take place when the people who know what is right stand complacently. I am a religious person so this rings very true to me. However, even if you are not religious this article still applies to the simple morality of what is right and wrong in the teaching field.
ReplyDeleteAs teachers we need to stand up against what we find to be wrong with the system and not just go about robotically because this is just the way it is. I do believe that a small group of determined people can make a big difference. Usually it only takes one person to have the courage to stand up for something and soon many others will follow suit.
While the accounts in the Kozol article were awful, I can't say I am too surprised. Mr. Endicott had no teacher training and was simply doing as he was told. He read the script as he was instructed to, he inforced the rules like he was instructed to, and he controlled the class like he was instructed to. Mr. Endicott is merely an employee, following the commands of his superior. If we think of this school as a business or factory in which employees are given tasks and guidelines to do their jobs, then Mr. Endicott and this school are doing an beautiful job. Unfortunately, a school shouldn't be run as a factory. As education students we are all aware of the creativity and energy it takes to create a successful, colorful learning environment. However, when schools are hiring undereducated, underpaid, and overworked individuals with strict rules and guidelines describing how to do the job, can you really expect anything better?
ReplyDeleteTo me, P.S. 65 is simply an exemplar of what the federal and state governments are pushing schools to be. And honestly, can we expect anything different from employees? Or do we see our children and future as important enough to be taught by professionals? If the latter, then lets start treating teachers as professionals.
I thought the "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" reading was interesting. I really liked the part where we split laws into two different types: just and unjust. I thought it was interesting that King whent on to say "One has not only a legal but a moral responsiblity to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsiblity to disobey unjust laws." If we tie this to the statement "Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust", it makes more sense why he says one has a moral responsiblity to disobey unjust laws. I don't think it's okay to disobey any laws. I think there are valid, personal reasons that people have for wanting and actually breaking laws, however it doesn't make it okay to actually go through with breaking the laws. I think the world would be a better place if we could do things, and break laws in order to uplift human personality. Unforatunately, that's not the case, and people can't just go around breaking laws. Also, people differ in their opinions in what does and does not uplift human personality.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to keep this in mind when we become teachers. There are rules put in place for us to follow in school systems, and they are put there for a reason. Just because we don't agree with them, doesn't mean we can go around breaking rules to benefit ourselves or our students. However, there are a few incidents that will call for us to break the rules. My question, is how do we know when we can and should break the rules to benefit ourselves or our students?
Katelyn C.
- I really enjoyed the Martin Luther King article. I have read this passage in other classes, and every time I read it I have a different reaction or understanding. When I read it in my history class in high school we looked at is in terms of the civil rights movement, and as a historical document. In my philosophy class we looked at it in a similar way that we have been in this class, in that we looked the ethics and morals that he is discussing in the article. However, I did not think of it in terms of education. I think that it is important to see how important it is for teachers and students to have a right to be heard, and a right to fight for what they believe in. I know that there are many times and circumstances during which a teacher cannot and should not express their feelings or options, but I think that every person should have an outlet for these things.
ReplyDeleteI was completely shocked when I read the Kozol article. I never would have imagined such an environment existing. How can education possibly be taken with such a lack of seriousness? These children, as unprivileged as they were, are our future. The effort we put into them will have an effect on the future of the world. If all schools were like this, our society would be chaos.
ReplyDeleteThe one paragraph that really struck me was the one about the lack of happiness. While the methods of teaching were extremely awful, I found myself slightly depressed when I read that in a classroom full of 8 year olds, not a single person cracked a smile. We just spent our last few class sessions discussing whether we should do what earns us the most money and the best life, or if we should do what makes us happy. And here these children are being brainwashed that school and education is not fun. Kids have a hard enough time finding school “fun” without being told they’re not allowed to laugh or even smile. If I was the parent of one of these children, I would pull my kid out so fast. In my opinion, education is best achieved while having fun. If it’s enjoyable, the students will develop a natural passion for it. If it’s miserable for them, especially at a young age, they will learn to not only hate school, but hate learning. And this is the complete opposite direction that we should be moving.
-Christina Mancuso
MLK's Letter From a Birmingham Jail was one of the easier articles for me this quarter. King argues that there are two types of laws, and that only one of them need be followed. He argued that not only was civil disobedience justified in the face of unjust laws, but that "one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." I find this to be true myself as well. Just because some people at some point said some thing was "the law" doesn't mean that it can't or shouldn't be reevaluated if it's no longer applicable. Our society needs people who have a passion for what's right to tackle these injustices and help reform that which is unjust. Are there still unjust laws in place today?
ReplyDeleteEric Border
Kozol's piece on inner city schools tied directly into the philosophy of injustice that MLK was speaking of. How can politicians and parents and teachers be ok with how the students in p.65 are being treated and not want to protest? How can robbing these children of dignity and pride and imagination be considered a valuable institutional curriculum? I can't imagine a higher end district allowing their children to be treated as commodities as was taking place in these schools. Just as MLK said that some african americans were complacent with the margin of success and prosperity they obtain they were not willing to fight for those who were being denied liberty. Just because a school district has money and another does not does not mean that these students somehow deserve a varied level of treatment. They are victims of the world set up for their parents and one has to beleive in an innate evil in children to belevie that this is the way that it should be. The parents should care, the politicians should care, and the teachers should boycott any such curiculum that robs children of the act of being young, spontaneous, creative, and yes even at times bad. It is inhuman to go through life never questioning one's treatment as these kids have never had an opportunity to do.
ReplyDeleteKozol has a way of pointing out the parts of our country that many people like to believe do not exist. I was just as shocked reading about segregation in inner city schools in "The Ordering Regime" as I was about the poverty he described in "Savage Inequalities." We as a society like to believe we have moved past inequalities of the past, that we are better people than our predecessors. This, more often than not, is not the case however. It all depends on money which children get a better education and subsequent start in life. As MLK said in his letter, we cannot just sit around and wait for the world to sort itself out. For there to be change, we have to make change happen. I really enjoyed the letter. I have always admired Dr. King's method of nonviolence and retaining faith in mankind.
ReplyDelete-Katie Petrolo
“The cover of the book is more important than what is inside.” This quote from the Kozol article seems to sum up the result of a Skinnerian approach to education on both teachers and students. Children lose their identities to numbers that denote their relative abilities. What does that teach them about education in the context of life? The mission statement of the Success for All Program is to “develop productive citizens to compete in a global environment.” Surely they do not expect a designation of “Level Four” to count for anything in the real world. The sad truth is that all of these systems of classification are about appearing effective to “the men with clipboards.” As Kozol notes after speaking with a few of the children, there is little significance placed on the education actually being effective. This article highlights the invalidity of standardized tests from a unique angle. If children that are not truly being educated raise their scores on a test, is that truly success? Education is valuable only in the context of a greater existence, and abandoning that fact for the “comfort” of numbers is on par with abandoning education altogether.
ReplyDeleteI found the idea of just and unjust laws to be very thought provoking. I completely agree with the author in the matter of which ones we should follow and which ones we should fight against. Although I believe in this, I feel that it is something that will probably never happen because of the fear of consequences. I know that personally, I would think twice before standing up for what is right if it means going against the law. That is not something that I am proud of, but it is the honest truth. The fear of jail time or ruining my future is enough to make me think about doing the right thing, as terrible as that is. I admire any individual or group that is willing to put everything on the line for justice. My only question is what the government can do to allow for this without also allowing for harmful situations, such as riots, to occur?
ReplyDeleteLarry Taylor....
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Kozol article I was a little relieved that I was taught to teach students differently than what was observed in the article. Today, we are taught to teach to the needs of our students. Running schools like a factory only creates more disparities between our schools. Students should be able to be creative and express their personalities, rather than fit a generic mold. Teachers must teach to the needs of their students, which means they must constantly make adjustments to help each and every student succeed. We are taught to help students respect othe people's perspectives, values, and opinions. If we do not do this, then we are preparing a doomed generation that will repeat some of the horrible historical events that have occurred over the past centuries due to people not respecting other's values, perspectives, and beliefs.
Other than segregation being largely discussed within these articles, I also took the overall theme of control out of them as well; control of speech and expression. The letter from King was so powerful. He was repetitive and strong in making his point of freedom of speech regardless of the color of someone's skin. The article about inner city schools was very similar in that these children are literally silenced at all times. How on earth are children supposed to learn when they are prohibited from talking and discussing things they experience in class? Children learn most from experience whether it be from interactions in the cafeteria or talking about the surface area. To silence children in low income inner city schools is the same as silencing any given race the way African Americans were silenced in history. The more we silence our children and not allow them experience or to even have fun in these prisons we call city schools, the less prepared these children will be for life. It is our responsibility as teachers to provide a safe and fun learning environment where children can gain knowledge through what they do, not what they are told.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Kozol article about the “ordering regime”, it was kind of shocking to see that some schools today still follow that ordering system. Teachers tell students what to do, when to do, and how to do thing and they’ll pass their exams with good grades, otherwise they will fail horribly. It is scary as well; students like to think and analyze things, ask questions, and criticize answers and solutions. They also like to comment and laugh about materials that sound or look funny, it is healthy for students to laugh and comment about the material they study, it means they understand it and makes more sense to them when they ask questions about it and solve it in their own way, not the way the teachers tell them to follow.
ReplyDeleteIt is even more sadly that the teachers do not enjoy what they are teaching. How would I teach a subject that I do not like? If I do not enjoy preparing it and teaching it, there is no way for me to transform that information to my students. Enjoying what we are learning makes us curious to understand, to work harder and do more research on it, and it works same way with students. But as they enjoy it, we challenge their critical thinking, so we have to allow space for laughter, questions and comments.
How would ordering students to study the way the teachers ask them to study, would help them grow as moral agents? How would this help them become good citizens to serve the county? And how would this help the teacher to do a good job teaching the young generations?
I found King's letter to be very intringuing. We have all of these events that King mentions of in our minds that took place throughout history but for me to actually think they these acts were legal seems even more "insane." It completely baffles me that as a society we could pass such unjust laws. Looking at these unjust laws today, I feel as though these laws would be equivalent to our nations legalizing terroism. I'm glad to see that our societies are not as extreme and we do not target specific groups to discriminate against simply due to religion, race, ethnicity, etc. While King describes why he disobeys some laws and not others, I feel anyone would do the same if they were in the same situation. No one can say today that they have been not allowed to go somewhere simply based off of their background or appearance but I am sure that if this were the case they would do anything in their power to stand up for their rights. I am sure that we still have unjust laws in our society however I believe that we have come a long way and morality is taking much more of a part in our laws than before.
ReplyDelete-- Cortney Hall
I found the Kozol article to be a pretty shocking display of the harsh reality many inner city school systems. I'm fortunate enough to be unfamiliar with the rigid, militaristic style of teaching at learning at these schools, and found this to be quite an eye-opener. The first thing that really stuck out at me was the description of teachers being stripped of their enthusiasm and teaching without the presence of theatrics. I agree that there will always be subjects or topics that teachers are uninterested in teaching, but it is their job as educators to present it in the most positive, exciting way and be enthusiastic in order for students to have a chance of learning it in this same way. The attitudes of teachers are crucial to their students learning. If a teacher is negative and unenthusiastic, they have to expect students to reflect that same demeanor towards their school work. The teacher has a job, not only to teach assigned material, but to present it in a positive and enthusiastic manner in order to teach the "whole person," a concept which has been lost among the standardized testing movement.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that struck me was the strict militaristic style of teaching and learning. Silent lunches and silent recesses should rarely be implemented for students, especially for young ones. When the observer noted that not one student exemplified a sense of youth, innocence, or silliness, I was shocked. The teacher should see this as a problem. It seems like the whole meaning of education has been lost at this school, as it is only looking to regurgitate strictly disciplined students with no sense of life and teachers who teach out of fear for losing their job in this school system. It is necessary in schools like this to re-gain the education of the "whole person" and stop ranking students based on ability.
I enjoyed reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail because of the passion that he had. I think we all need to take note of this because our society has changed so much. People do not stand up for what they believe to be true or just. Everything is about accepting everyone, let everyone believe what they want to believe, truth is relative, ect. I am not saying hate those who are different or not accept people that you do not agree with, I am just saying that we need to be extremists, extremists for love, if we are ever going to get anything accomplished in this world. His application for justice and calling people to not stand aside and be silent could be applied to so many issues across the world, it is about time for us to stand up and fight these injustices in our world. World hunger, slavery, and even education to name a few. King is right, there are too many of us who are just quietly watching on the sideline, myself included, while our brothers and sisters are being oppressed and treated unjustly.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading these pieces, my eyes were opened up big time. First, don't see how you can tell a student that he has to do it you way or no way. Teachers that tell their student this should be fired. Students shoudl be allowed to explore new ways of achieving answers and bring diversity into the classroom. To tell a child if he doesn't do it your way then it will be wrong, I just don't agree with. That is not what a teacher is there for. Teachers are there to help children in there areas they need support. They are not there to be enforcers and I find it very upsetting that teachers do this.
ReplyDeleteThe Martin Luther King Jr piece really inspired me. Children follow the lead of the peers so many times. They forget about what they believe in and just go with the crowd. Individuals need to stand up for what they believe in. I think this would be a great read for younger children.If they can learn this at a yougn age, then I believe children will stay out of a lot of trouble. It might not be easy or fun, but one should always stand up for what they believe. Don't change who you are based on other people.
Finally, the question I have is how do you tell a parent that their way of teaching their child is not correct and in fact not the way in which you want your students to learn, because it will create problems? I think it is a very touchy situation that can go wrong in so many ways.
SCOTT LAMAN***
The article The Shame of the Nation was a very interesting read. At first I was astounded that this school was making students think about what job they would want as an adult when they were in kindergarten. It wasn't that they were being asked to think about the future that bothered me but what bothered me was the questions they asked the students, They initially asked if they wanted a managers job then gave the kids a bit of freedom and creativity and asked what job do you want and then immediately shut down that creativity by asking how will you do the managers job. I actually like the idea of having the 'jobs' for the students and the 'help wanted' idea of preparing the students for the future. This filing applications and going for an interview idea seems weird for younger students because because of child labor laws they obviously cannot have actual jobs but it is preparing these students for the future of creating resumes, filing applications, and going on interviews. A question that this article brought up was where do we draw the line for this? Should we start having these students have jobs and teach them how it works by if they don't follow the rules then they are 'fired' from their job or what is the line?
ReplyDeleteKozol does a great job of exposing the flaws of public education in the U.S. He is an outspoken critic who brings a decent amount of attention to the inherent problems of our educational system. I have seen him on PBS and I am interested in what he has to say. However, I am ready to hear some solutions. I keep reading and hearing how broken the educational system is, and never hear of any ways to fix it. I occasionally hear about successful charter schools, but they are more of a bandaid on a gapping wound. Maybe the problems in our educational system are just a reflection of greater culture and society, and unfortunately this is how things are going to be for awhile.
ReplyDeleteJustin Beattie
I do find it interesting how we preach that everyone deserves a quality education but we--it seems--do our best to prevent it. I feel like Kozol really brought that to light in this chapter. I would also like to see a public school that puts into place some of the solutions that we have to fix the problem. I understand that there are major flaws in education but what I don't understand is how America can focus on the economy so much and completely disregard what is keeping our economy afloat. Our children. The posterity of the nation. I am now seriously thinking of homeschooling my children because of the state of our schools.
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