I have based my paper on two texts that I have read on the British school system. I will refer to them as text 1a and text 1b.
Firstly I am going to discuss the purpose for which these two texts were written. being a newspaper article from The Guardian is clearly meant to be an informative text with a purpose of showing people how bad behavior in British schools are and the viewpoints of teachers on the subject. The way in which the article is written, with many facts and statistics with quotations clearly shows that it is written to raise awareness of the problem and add an emotional side to the article. In the article, the writer states that 80% of the professionals describe bad behavior as ‘a daily occurrence’ and that ‘only 7% said that poor pupil behavior was rare.’ Text 1b, being a novel its main purpose would be to entertain its reader as opposed to informing people about a real life issue. This text is also using similar points to the first text, but it is meant to create an emotional connection with the reader.
There is a direct correlation between the purposes of these two texts and the audiences which they are meant for. Text 1a, having a purpose to inform about the problems in behavior in British schools is therefore meant for audiences who are interested in the British education systems such as students, teachers, parents etc. Text 1b coming from a 19th century novel with a purpose to entertain is meant for more or less any audience.
Text 1b is written in the first person narrative and it builds tension as it goes on. The extract is written in a way to get the audience to feel sorry for the protagonist in a way but it is not totally obvious what Charlotte Bronte’s point of view on the subject is. She describes a “poor friendless teacher rebelled against and persecuted” but at the same time Bronte states also that it is the fault of the ‘weak and wavering’ teachers. Text 1a is written with many statistics and it is just stating facts about the system obviously suggesting reform starting with the government.
Overall, the two texts I read share similar viewpoints on the subject of student discipline and its affect on teachers in the UK. Text 1a is a formal factual account on the issue while text 1b tries to put the reader in the situation of the issue. The two texts are linked in the sense that they share the theme of challenges in the education system in the UK, but they are written for very different reasons as text 1a is meant to argue the issue and suggest reform whereas text 1b is meant to create a connection with the reader and the situation.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Homework 50
Freire - Second chapter of pedagogy of the oppressed
IU
This text is about the banking model of education and the oppression it causes. Friere tells us how the banking model is a type or form of education where students are simply memorizing facts and not really understanding or appreciating concepts. The banking system is the common system used at schools in the United States. He moves on to tell us that this system keeps us oppressed intentionally. He then talks about a type of education that would be more beneficial which is more similar to the SOF education. In this system equality seems to be the center point. Teachers can also learn from there students and class becomes more of a conversation on a given topic than just pure text book work.
I thought this text was quite boring. The part that i found interesting was when he talked about how the system keeps us oppressed intentionally. This was very interesting but other than that I found the majority of the ideas in his text to be stuff that I have already heard before and seemed to be nothing very new. I like the school system of equality and I always found a very important factor in that is calling teachers by their first names as opposed to their last. I find that it provides a more relaxed feeling for the students than giving teachers a sense of entitlement. On the other hand calling teachers by their last name may also be so they are respected or feel more respected.
Gatto Six lessons
Gatto explains what is expected of him as a teacher by authorities. He breaks down the role of a typical teacher into six different things. He explains them as six different lessons that his students are supposed to learn. All the lessons have to do with discipline, sorting, and lack of individuality. He shows how the system of teaching in which the student controls all of the students education and basically speaks to the students while they sit there and listen doesn't educate students it turns them into robots or puppets to fit in to society later on with out causing a problem.
Gatto starts off by talking about his expectations as a teacher by authorities. He looks at the role of teachers and categorizes it into six different things. He goes on to explain them as six different lessons that students should learn. Every one of the lessons have something to do with sorting out, lack of individuality and discipline.
Lisa Delpit
Lisa Delpit gives reason why she personally believes that minority students do not get a proper education is through that they do not belong to the culture of power. She claims that in order to be educated in our education system you need to have a basic understand of the culture of power. According to Lisa Delpit it is not so much being part of it but it is more vital to understand it.
IU
This text is about the banking model of education and the oppression it causes. Friere tells us how the banking model is a type or form of education where students are simply memorizing facts and not really understanding or appreciating concepts. The banking system is the common system used at schools in the United States. He moves on to tell us that this system keeps us oppressed intentionally. He then talks about a type of education that would be more beneficial which is more similar to the SOF education. In this system equality seems to be the center point. Teachers can also learn from there students and class becomes more of a conversation on a given topic than just pure text book work.
I thought this text was quite boring. The part that i found interesting was when he talked about how the system keeps us oppressed intentionally. This was very interesting but other than that I found the majority of the ideas in his text to be stuff that I have already heard before and seemed to be nothing very new. I like the school system of equality and I always found a very important factor in that is calling teachers by their first names as opposed to their last. I find that it provides a more relaxed feeling for the students than giving teachers a sense of entitlement. On the other hand calling teachers by their last name may also be so they are respected or feel more respected.
Gatto Six lessons
Gatto explains what is expected of him as a teacher by authorities. He breaks down the role of a typical teacher into six different things. He explains them as six different lessons that his students are supposed to learn. All the lessons have to do with discipline, sorting, and lack of individuality. He shows how the system of teaching in which the student controls all of the students education and basically speaks to the students while they sit there and listen doesn't educate students it turns them into robots or puppets to fit in to society later on with out causing a problem.
Gatto starts off by talking about his expectations as a teacher by authorities. He looks at the role of teachers and categorizes it into six different things. He goes on to explain them as six different lessons that students should learn. Every one of the lessons have something to do with sorting out, lack of individuality and discipline.
Lisa Delpit
Lisa Delpit gives reason why she personally believes that minority students do not get a proper education is through that they do not belong to the culture of power. She claims that in order to be educated in our education system you need to have a basic understand of the culture of power. According to Lisa Delpit it is not so much being part of it but it is more vital to understand it.
I sort of disagree wit what she is saying. Her idea seems to make all minorities become conformists do the so called culture of power. Now I think it is pretty obvious that the culture of power in this case is the white culture. I think it is wrong completely to teach people to live another culture. It is one thing to experience other cultures and to understand how they work but I feel like she is stressing that people would need to abandon there roots in order for her system to work and I dont think this is right nor would it work.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
HW 47
1. A teacher uses his classroom as a "support group" to his problems by basing the curriculum around them. Students gradually realize.
2. Teacher has a bad class and surprises them by breaking pencils and ripping tests to indicate that they will "learn" in his class about life. Corny, i know.
3. Class is made up of really rich and also arrogant students that think they sit on top of the world and teachers makes it his job to humble them.
4. Teacher is given a group of students that are not violent or loud yet they want to learn. The problem is they have fallen so far behind that what is being taught is overwhelming to them.
5. A teacher is fired but students boycott by cutting class and meeting teacher at his house until school is forced to consider rehiring the teacher.
6. Students all finally respect teacher a decent amount accept one student who eventually tries to attack the teacher
7. Teacher from upper class private school is forced to relocate and teach at Juve.
2. Teacher has a bad class and surprises them by breaking pencils and ripping tests to indicate that they will "learn" in his class about life. Corny, i know.
3. Class is made up of really rich and also arrogant students that think they sit on top of the world and teachers makes it his job to humble them.
4. Teacher is given a group of students that are not violent or loud yet they want to learn. The problem is they have fallen so far behind that what is being taught is overwhelming to them.
5. A teacher is fired but students boycott by cutting class and meeting teacher at his house until school is forced to consider rehiring the teacher.
6. Students all finally respect teacher a decent amount accept one student who eventually tries to attack the teacher
7. Teacher from upper class private school is forced to relocate and teach at Juve.
Monday, April 5, 2010
HW 46
2. The text that I chose to read is called The Blind Side, By Michael Lewis. A couple of months back it was made into a movie and as usual the book was a lot better than the movie. The story however, is about a boy who grows up in Mississippi and is taken in by a rich Caucasian family. They turn this boy into a sought after college football recruit. Although he has natural talent, he has never been to school and the family winds up hiring tutors and being in close contact with teachers in order to get the boy, Michael Oher to attend Ole Miss, the mother and fathers Alma Mater. He is given the support by the school and winds up making it to college and later to the NFL.
3. This book relates to my topic because the main character, Michael Oher has never been to school and enters high school for 2 years and because he studies for a single test, he is able to go to a good university. It just portrays how rigged the American school system really is especially in places like Mississippi. He does not do well on this test because he has learned it in school, he does well because he has spent hours memorizing things that would be the test. I give it to him that it must have taken a lot of ambition and work to get where he has today and I am not saying he does not deserve a chance. I just think that testing is too easily rigged and it would be different if it was not valued so incredibly much but the fact of the matter is different.
4. Michael Oher and family go about it the right way. More often than not I hear about colleges advising basketball prospects to have someone else take the SAT for them so that they are eligible to play. Derrick Rose, now a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls took the ACT and failed it 3 times. He also took his PSAT and scored in the 10th percentile. Then Miraculously he traveled to Detroit and passed it by a long shot. And although Derrick Rose was caught and his college was penalized, think about how many times it has been carried out and not been caught by the NCAA. Even regular students. Us relying highly on a 4 hour test is asking for problems.
3. This book relates to my topic because the main character, Michael Oher has never been to school and enters high school for 2 years and because he studies for a single test, he is able to go to a good university. It just portrays how rigged the American school system really is especially in places like Mississippi. He does not do well on this test because he has learned it in school, he does well because he has spent hours memorizing things that would be the test. I give it to him that it must have taken a lot of ambition and work to get where he has today and I am not saying he does not deserve a chance. I just think that testing is too easily rigged and it would be different if it was not valued so incredibly much but the fact of the matter is different.
4. Michael Oher and family go about it the right way. More often than not I hear about colleges advising basketball prospects to have someone else take the SAT for them so that they are eligible to play. Derrick Rose, now a basketball player for the Chicago Bulls took the ACT and failed it 3 times. He also took his PSAT and scored in the 10th percentile. Then Miraculously he traveled to Detroit and passed it by a long shot. And although Derrick Rose was caught and his college was penalized, think about how many times it has been carried out and not been caught by the NCAA. Even regular students. Us relying highly on a 4 hour test is asking for problems.
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