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This published teacher resource is available for educators, teacher educators, and students around the globe to benefit from our collaborative work. We post some of our assignments in order to facilitate research, dialogue and understanding! © King, Barnabo Cachola, Beauford, Berman, Bowman, Buerkle, Carew, Cocchiaro, Connell, Cook, Cortez, Costantino, Daniels, Dononfrio, Hollwitz, Jeraci, Kanarek, Kaufman, Ljutic, Marrero, Montgomery, Morgenstern, Moritz, Mundy, Peluso, Pitt, & Warga, 2008.
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Lori Kanarek 2/22/08
Critical Reflection #2-
Parental Involvement in Schools
Parental involvement has been a major focus of the U.S. Department of Education because family participation has been linked to student success in school. Studies have shown that when educators have communicated with parents their attendance policies, schools’ average daily attendance improved (Epstein, 2008). Similarly, when teachers communicated with parents regarding student behavior, the number of disciplinary actions in school decreased as well (Epstein, 2008). These examples reflect the importance of communication between educators and parents in order to promote learning. Unfortunately, finding the correct balance in parental involvement has been a major challenge for schools.
There are many factors why parents don’t participate in their children’s education such as cultural differences, parental illiteracy, family problems, negative education experiences, job-related issues, and the list can go on (Plevyak, 2003). It is extremely important for school administration, teachers, students and parents to all work together for successful involvement. Teachers need to be aware of what is going on in the child’s home, such as language and cultural differences, so they can help make the parents comfortable participating in their child’s education (Plevyak, 2003). One of the most important changes that need to be made to foster communication between parents and teachers is teachers need to be trained to welcome and use parental involvement effectively (Waler, 1998). Very few teachers have been trained or have experience in how to involve parents so it may be intimidating to inexperienced teachers, and leave them feeling unsure of how to communicate children’s accomplishments and problems (Plevyak, 2003). I know that I personally would benefit greatly from either incorporating programs into our graduate curriculum, or from my future principal and peers sharing creative ways in which teachers can effectively collaborate with parents. Seeing how important parental involvement is, it is worth investing the time to strengthening this connection.
Some guidelines that schools can follow to help promote parental involvement are they can develop specific workshops designed for the parents (Epstein, 2008). Especially for those parents who aren’t proficient in English, these workshops can provide additional support to help them develop their communication skills and self-esteem (Plevyak, 2003). Schools should make communication with parents a priority in order to keep families informed and involved in school programs and students’ progress (Epstein, 2008). Parents should be made aware of the importance of their involvement, and the positive effects it has on their children. If parents are aware of how important their role is in motivating their child to want to learn, they will make more of an effort outside of school to support their children. I knew that in my home education was of the utmost importance; seeing how much my parent’s valued education was a huge motivational factor for me because I wanted to make my parents proud. Lastly, parents should be encouraged by the schools to volunteer whether it is to come in and talk to the students about their careers, or to act as mentors and coaches (Epstein, 2008). The more time spent observing and participating in their child’s classroom, the better the parent will understand their child’s needs (Plevyak, 2008).
Schools need to emphasize that children aren’t the only ones who benefit from parental involvement. Parents benefit as well because they receive greater appreciation of their parental role, greater sense of adequacy and self-worth, strengthened social networks, and motivation to continue to pursue their own education (Plevyak, 2008). There are so many different things that educators can do to help strengthen the relationship between parents and school, but the most important thing is to keep the communication lines open. Both parents and teachers are concerned with their child’s success in school, so they need to work together in order to achieve the best end results.
References
Epstein, J. L. (2008, February). Improving Family and Community Involvement in
Secondary Schools [Electronic Version]. The Education Digest, 73(6), 9-12.
Plevyak, L. H. (2003, October). Parent involvement in education: Who decides?
[Electronic Version]. The Education Digest, 69(2), 32.
Waler, J. (1998, April). Promoting parent/community involvement in school. [Electronic
Version]. The Education Digest, 63(8), 45-47.
Critical Reflection and Reaction Project 2
In the education system a hot topic of debate is parental involvement in schools.
Where does student and parental accountability begin and end in regards to the student’s
performance or lack of performance in school? Should the parents be directly involved
with their adolescent child’s education or allow their child to assume their own
responsibility for their academic career? These are some of the questions and concerns
regarding parental involvement in schools. Secondary education places more of an
emphasis on the student taking ownership of their academic careers rather then having
constant parental supervision. Elementary and childhood education students are more
dependent on their parents and teachers for help because those students are younger and
have not yet mastered their approach to handling their academics. For the most part,
adolescent students, which include both middle and high school students, know what type
of learners they are. Adolescent students know what pace they have to set in order to
complete their homework assignments, studying for exams, and extra curricular
activities. As a student matures in their learning parent involvement should slowly
dwindle because students need to be independent learners and thinkers who have
acquired the necessary skills from their parents and teachers on how to handle the
responsibilities of school.
Some many argue that parental involvement in schools is the key to success. Yes,
that is true to an extent. Parents should not be constantly pestering their children and
teachers for every issue regarding their child’s academic performance. In the article, “5
Things Your Kid’s Teacher Needs From You” by Amy C. Balfour (2007) states:
If the teacher's telling you something about your kid that's upsetting, keep your cool. "A lot of parents' knee-jerk reaction to negative news about their kid is to
Critical Reflection and Reaction Project 3
call the principal or show up at the school angry, but that's the wrong thing to do," says Edward Reid, an elementary school counselor in Worcester County, MD. "Most teachers want to work with you, but calling the principal -- their boss -- first sends the message that you don't really trust them” (Balfour, 2007, p. 258).
An important fact for parents and teachers to always keep in mind, is that it is the student
who is taking the classes not the parents. It is not logical for the parents and teachers to
care more about the student’s academic progress then the student themselves. It is the
student who the parent should be asking about their progress in school instead of going
directly to the teacher first. If the parent feels that their child is not being honest with
them about how he/she is doing in their classes, then that is when the parent should take
the next step and call the teacher to inquire about their child’s progress.
School is educating and preparing students to be productive citizens who will
contribute to society. Responsibility and taking ownership of one’s actions are important
qualities for students to learn as soon as possible. Parents should be involved in their
children’s education but to different degrees as their child progresses through school. A
parent should not be as involved in their child’s academics in high school and college as
they would be when their child was in elementary school.
The law supports parent’s rights to have access to the child’s academic records. In
the article “How Does the Family Rights and Privacy Act affect you?” by Thomas V.
Toglia (2007) states, “…parents and legal guardians of students under the age of 18 have
the right to inspect and review their child's educational records and request corrections to
records they believe are inaccurate or misleading” (Toglia, 2007, p. 61). Legally parents
have the right to inquire and have access to their children’s academic records if the child
is a minor, but the term “minor” covers a wide span of years. A 10-year-old child is not
Critical Reflection and Reaction Project 4
going to be necessarily as mature and responsible as a 17 year old child in regards to their
academics. The reverse is also true a 10 year old in some cases is more responsible with
their school work then the 17 year old it depends on the child. Parents are good judges of
their children and know if they are responsible with their school work or not. A parent
does not only have to be involved in their child’s school when their child is doing poorly.
Parent’s can attend parent-teacher meetings, social activities in school, and support their
children’s work in the home and school environments. Moderation is key in parental
involvement in schools because parents want to show that they support their children and
monitor their academic progress while allowing their child to be a responsible and
independent student.
Critical Reflection and Reaction Project 5
Works Cited
Balfour, Amy C. (2007). “5 Things Your Kid's Teacher Need From You.” Redbook.
New York: Oct 2007. Vol. 209, Iss. 4; pg. 258
http://proquest.umi.com.avoserv.library.fordham.edu/pqdweb?index=17&did=1394216061&SrchMode=1&sid=4&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1203818079&clientId=9148
Toglia, Thomas V. (2007).“How Does the Family Rights and Privacy Act affect you?”
The Education Digest. Ann Arbor: Oct 2007. Vol. 73, Iss. 2; pg. 61, 5 pgs
http://proquest.umi.com.avoserv.library.fordham.edu/pqdweb?index=18&did=13
87413131&SrchMode=1&sid=4&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1203818079&clientId=9148
Hot Topic: Parent Involvement
Regardless of what school a teacher works in, the parent involvement is always an issue. From the parents who question everything that is done to those parents who a teacher can not get to show up at parent-teacher conferences, every school has a helping of both. There are many ways a parent can get involved; helping with homework, volunteering for school functions, and discussions about school. Parent involvement seems to have lasting positive results through high school (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005, p 164). Parents’ involvement will contribute to setting high standards and helping their children achieve them (Johnson et al, 2008, p 78). If parents believe that their participation will help boost learning and academic performance, they will become involved (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005, p 165).
A parent’s education, workplace, gender, and family size all come into play for parental involvement as well as the student’s age, gender, academic results, and grade level (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005, p164). Research shows that undereducated parents and single parent families are less involved in certain school activities (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005, p 164). Where students live also affects parent-teacher relations. Families who have certain expectations for a school may find themselves hard taxed to get the same treatment in a more rural community (Johnson et al, 2008, p 81). Children who have behavioral or learning problems are more likely to have parents who are involved (Deslandes & Bertrand, 2005, p 165).
Teachers have to be aware of their own values and those enforced in the community. Knowing those that the parents support and the values that the school supports will help a teacher with potential conflicts (Johnson et al, 2008, p 113). There are many different values in the different communities. A parent in Los Angles is probably going to think a lot different than a parent in Kansas. As a teacher, one should be aware of the community that he or she is teaching in. Sometimes parents will have trouble communicating with the teacher because of a language barrier. These adults might not be as willing to come to school because of this difficulty (Johnson et al, 2008, p 128). One suggestion is to bring in “community liaisons” who will work with teachers and parents. Another is to offer an ESL class to parents (Johnson et al, 2008, p 128).
A form of communication that is starting to be used for parent- teacher communication is the internet. There are now classroom websites which can reduce calls to the school on things like frequently asked questions (Johnson et al, 2008, p 438). Universities are already offering online testing; I feel that this is a possibility for younger grades as well. Parents could also receive information over the internet on their child’s grades or upcoming events, saving on paper and the possibility that the children would lose the papers that needed to come home.
References
Deslandes, R., & Bertrand, R. (2005, January). Motivation of parent involvement in secondary-level schooling. Journal of Educational Research, 98, 164-175. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from ERIC database.
Johnson, J. A., Musial, D., Hall, G. E., Gollnick, D. M., & Dupuis, V. L. (2008). Foundations of American education: Perspectives on education in a changing world (14th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Original work published 1969)
Michelle Costantino
Critical Reaction Project #2: Parental Involvement
Parental involvement in schools is a hot topic in today’s education system. When seen from both sides of the spectrum, one can see that parental involvement can have both positive and negative effects on our students. Before discussing the pros and cons of parental involvement, we must first define it. A parent can get involved in his/her child’s education in various ways. A parent can do homework with his/her child at home, can join organizations such as the PTA, can respond to school obligations such as attending a parent-teacher conference or can simply attend school functions, like an assembly. The amount of parental involvement varies among a student’s grade level and school setting. It has been proven that “parental involvement decrease[s] as children grow older” and it is highly dependent on specific invitations from teachers and children (Green, Walker, Hoover-Dempsey & Sandler, 2007, p. 543). Consequently, a parent is more likely to get involved in his/her child’s education if the child is young and if he/she is asked to get involved.
Let’s discuss the ways in which parental involvement can be beneficial for a student. For one, parental involvement can significantly impact a student’s achievement in school. It has been proven that “parental engagement in education-related discussion with their children [is] an effective tool for increasing [those] students’ academic achievement” (Stewart, 2008, p.198). The more a parent talks to his/her child about school, the more motivated and engaged he/she will be. Parents need to give their children a positive outlook on school and motivate them to work hard. If a parent has no interest in school, and rarely engages in a conversation with his/her child about it, his/her child will not be interested either. By getting involved and even talking about school with their children, parents can help students reach academic success in their lives. Parental involvement is also beneficial because parents can serve as support forces for schools. By joining the Parent and Teacher’s Association (PTA) or attending school meetings, parents can become advocates and supporters of schools. Parents can help schools fundraise, and can help put on school events, such as school dances or benefits. Also, parental involvement can help teachers in the classroom. Teachers can work with parents in helping them reinforce the material they are teaching them in class. Parents can sit down with their children, help them with their homework, assist them in completing classroom projects, and help them study. If teachers and parents work together in educating students, this will help students learn material better. Parents can reinforce material at home, and provide one-on-one assistance that teachers might not be able to in the classroom.
Now, let’s discuss the ways in which parental involvement can be harmful for a student. One big problem that teachers face is “helicopter parents.” Helicopter parents are parents who are too involved in their child’s education. In schools, teachers find trouble dealing with these types of parents because they are too intrusive and demanding. These parents are found “text [messaging] their children in middle school, use the cell phone like an umbilical cord to Harvard Yard and have no compunction about marching into kindergarten class and screaming at a teacher about a grade” (Strauss, 2006, A08). This is troublesome for a student because when it comes time for a student to go to college and be on their own, they cannot do it because they are too dependent on their parents. They are used to their parents refuting their grades, helping them with their homework and resolving their own conflicts. Parents need to let go and give their child the necessary space to become autonomous individuals. Linda Walter, an administrator at Seton Hall University, points out the harm helicopter parents inflict on their children. In a recent newspaper article, she says, “many young adults entering college have the academic skills they will need to succeed but are somewhat lacking in life skills like self-reliance, sharing and conflict resolution” (Strauss, 2006, A08). This has developed into a huge problem because college students are prepared academically for higher education, but they are lacking in social skills that their parents provided for them throughout elementary, middle and high school. As a result, parents are doing more harm than good for their children by being involved. Another problem associated with this issue is that some schools ask too much of their parents. Schools do want to get parents involved, but some parents do not have the time or the experience to do so. Teachers do need parental involvement at home, but some parents just cannot provide it. Especially in urban areas, parents work full-time jobs and cannot sit down with their children to help them with their homework or go to school during the day. Some parents do not even speak English, and can barely understand the homework their children are given.
As a future educator, I think parental involvement is necessary. I want to work in unison with my students’ parents. For my field experience, I am currently working as a teacher’s assistant in an ESL kindergarten class. Working in this class has shown me the benefits and disadvantages of having parental involvement in school. One big observation I have noticed is that the students who have active parents in schools are the ones that excel the most in the classroom. These students always have their homework done, are rarely absent, and understand the material very well. Students who lack parental guidance at home struggle with the material and are absent constantly. The main reason these students are less advanced than the other students is because most of their parents do not speak English. Their parents do not understand the material taught in class and cannot help their children with their homework. They try to attend school functions, but they work all day long or have other younger children at home to tend to. As a future educator, this worries me. The ideal classroom for me would be students who go home to their parents and do their homework with them, students who come to class prepared, parents who attend every parent-teacher conference and school function, and a close-knit community between teacher, parents and students. As teachers, we must ask ourselves: How can we get parents involved in our students’ educations? How involved do we want our parents to be? As teachers, what can we do to establish strong relationships between parents? How will we assist students who are disadvantaged and do not receive support from their parents at home?
References
Green, C., Walker, J., Hoover-Dempsey, K., & Sandler, H. (2007). Parents' motivations for involvement in children's education: An empirical test of a theoretical model of parental involvement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 532-544. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com.avoserv.library.fordham.edu/ehost/detail?vid=8&hid=16&sid= 4da85cf4-ddae-4155-b280-fe5ae2b2c80a%40sessionmgr9
Stewart, E. (2008). School structural characteristics, student effort, peer associations, and parental involvement: The influence of school- and individual-level factors of academic achievement. Education and Urban Society, 40, 179-204. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com.avoserv.library.fordham.edu/ehost/detail?vid=11&hid=16&sid =4da85cf4-ddae-4155-b280-fe5ae2b2c80a%40sessionmgr9
Strauss, V. (2006, March 21). Putting parents in their place: Outside class. Washington Post, p. A08. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001167.html
Ashley Donofrio
UEGE 5102.002
27 February 2008
Critical Reflection and Reaction Project Number Two – Parental Involvement in Schools
Parental involvement in schools is a topic of hot debate in the education world. It is no wonder that parental involvement has become such a major educational issue because lately there has been an increasing concern as to the quality of education in the United States. Not only are schools concerned about providing students with high-quality teaching while trying to conserve resources, parents want to make sure their children receive an education that will prepare them to lead rewarding and successful adult lives. In my opinion, parental involvement is imperative in order for students to get the most out of their education, for it is a way to instill pride and interest in learning. Equally important, it increases achievement and also enhances a sense of community and commitment.
The question for many is what does the term “parental involvement” really mean? Though it depends on the specific situation, more generally, parental involvement involves some form of active participation, whether it be from home helping their children with schoolwork or in the classroom through school functions and parent-teacher conferences. According to Machen, Wilson, and Notar (2005), parental involvement in the classroom is valuable because it shows students that their parents “truly care about [their] success and the resulting benefit is that students’ feel more confident” (p. 14). Essentially, through parent involvement in the classroom, students will be provided with more positive feedback and encouragement that will increase the students’ desires to perform well in school. The approach a parent takes to being involved in their child’s schooling determines just how much the child will actually succeed. An important aspect to consider is self-efficacy, which is the belief that a person can act in ways to produce a desired outcome (Green, Walker, Hoover-Dempsey, & Sandler, 2007). When applying this to parental involvement, it is thought that parents make involvement decisions based on their belief as to what the outcome will be. Since self-efficacy is socially constructed in that it is influenced by personal experiences of success, there is increased parental involvement among elementary, middle, and high school students whose parents have positive personal beliefs about helping their children succeed.
Perhaps something that teacher should be most concerned about regarding parental involvement is its role with disadvantaged students. For the most part, research has focused on the effects of parental involvement on achievement and success for normal students, but what about those students whose socioeconomic status characterizes them as more disadvantaged than other students? Generally speaking, students with minority or low-income parents are usually underrated among those parents involved in schools (Cotton & Wikelund, 1989). For these parents, it is lack of time or energy, embarrassment about their own educational level, and teachers’ beliefs that they are disinterested or not do not possess the ability to help with their children’s education that effects their involvement. Teachers need to make these parents aware that it is entirely possible for them to contribute to their children’s achievement through informing the parents of the type of involvement that can make a difference (Cotton & Wikelund, 1989), and also that they can make a difference their children’s education regardless of their own level of education. Additionally, parental involvement does not only benefit disadvantaged students, but also special education, gifted, and limited English proficient students also experience achievement when their parents actively involved.
In the end, evidence has shown that parental involvement is beneficial for student academic success. With all different kinds of students that exist today, which include normal, disadvantaged, gifted, and special education students, encouragement is needed for each student to meet their own personal goals and achievement. More often than not, this can be achieved through parental involvement in the classroom, for parents provide support to students different from that of a teacher. Although parents may not be able to increase student’s IQ, they can “monitor their educational progress and intervene when they begin to falter” (Machen et al., 2005, p. 15). Parental involvement is also necessary for fostering a positive relationship with teachers. Creating a partnership between home and school is vital in order to develop an open line of communication, and this can be achieved through inviting the parents to help during class time as well as outside of school. Through involving parents in activities such as reading time, it is hoped that the students’ self-perceptions as readers and their desires to read will increase as a results (Machen et al., 2005). It all comes down to the fact that students just need a little boost of encouragement in order to be academically successful, and one way to achieve this is through parental involvement in schools.
References
Cotton, K. & Wikelund, K.R. (1989). Close-up #6: Parental involvement in education. School Improvement Research, Series III, 32-43.
Green, C.L., Walker, J.M.T., Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., & Sandler, H.M. (2007). Parent’s motivation for involvement in children’s education: An empirical test of a theoretical model of parental involvement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99, 532-544.
Machen, S.M., Wilson, J.D., & Notar, C.E. (2005). Parental involvement in the classroom. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 32, 13-16.
Elizabeth Montgomery
Critical Reflection Project 2
Role of Private Schools in U.S. education
The history of education is based primarily on the role of private education in society. Private schooling is the predecessor of public education; in colonial America, if parents wanted to educate their children, they had to use their own resources (Johnson, 2008, 259). Although the idea of public schools spread rapidly and is an important aspect of education today, private schools still play an important role in education in the United States. Together, both private and public schools work together to educate America’s youth and push them to reach their own goals and dreams. Both produce high-achieving students that contribute significantly to the success of the country and the world; but statistics have pointed to the students of private education as fostering higher academic excellence. The Council for American Private Education states that “minority students who graduate from private high schools are more than twice as likely to attend four-year colleges than their counterparts in public schools (CAPE, 2007, 1).
The reason for this higher success rate is because private schools set high standards and expectations for their students that engage their students and help them develop a desire to learn. In 2002, a report called “Private Schools: A Brief Portrait” was published stating that students attending private schools generally perform higher on standardized achievement tests than their counterparts in public schools (CAPE, 2007, 1). The higher expectations of private schools are seen in the demanding graduation requirements in math, science, social studies, foreign language, and computer science. Most private school students take advanced courses that sometimes can allow them to carry course credits over to a college. Private schools tend to challenge their students to stretch their capacity level (CAPE, 2007, 3). Generally private schools are smaller than public schools so the student to teacher ratio is smaller than that of public schools, which allows more attention one-on-one to each individual student. Since private schools focus more on the individual, they also place an emphasis on values. In a 1999-2000 survey among schools and staff, the private schools principal’s school goals were based on academic excellence, religious and spiritual life, basic literacy, work habits and self-discipline, personal growth, specific moral values, social skills, and occupational skills. Most of these values were not seen as important by the public school principal (CAPE, 2007, 6). This emphasis on values helps prepare the students as good citizens by instilling democratic principles in the students. Most private schools also require the student to participate in community service projects, which in turn benefits the community.
The major downfall of private schools is that usually tuition is necessary for attendance. Public schools are paid by various governments, including local, state, and federal. Low income families generally do not have the money to pay the tuition and send their children to private schools for this type of education. The salary for private school teachers is usually lower than public schools teachers, so it is harder to find teachers willing to work for a lower salary. However, private schools teachers are not required to have their Masters Degree in the subject area like public schools teachers are. A common opinion about public schools is that the students receive an academic education, as well as an education in social skills and “street” education by dealing with the diverse groups of students.
As a graduate of a private, Catholic school, I can honestly say I am happy that I attended a private school over a public school. The private schools in my area prepared my friends and me for college in a way that my friends from the public schools were not. The private schools provide a safe setting that is imperative for the learning process. While my friends had to go through metal detectors to enter into schools, I could leave my cell phone on my desk with out the worry of it being stolen. Aside from the moral aspects of the private school, I feel I received a better education in the core curriculum and I felt more prepared academically than many of my public school friends. I was offered more academically challenging courses that allowed me to prepare myself for college. I knew my teachers very well and was able to go to them with any problems in an assignment, and they were able to respond to me promptly. In a public schools system, teachers and students generally do not have as many close student-teacher relationships and the academic success is statistically not as high.
Council for American Private Education. (2007).“Private Education: Good for Students, Good for Families, Good for America” Germantown, MD. pg 1-7.
Johnson, J.A. Musial, D, Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., & Dupuis, V.L. (2005). Introduction to the Foundations of American Education. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson Education
Alyson Cocchiaro
Homogeneity vs. Heterogeneity Grouping
The issue of homogeneous grouping versus heterogeneous grouping in classrooms is a big issue in schools across America. As Carolyn Shield (2002) says, programs in America have been debating whether or not to group children by ability since 1867 (p. 115). This type of grouping is referred to as homogeneous grouping, in that it groups together students who are similar in their capability to learn, or their interests. (Johnson et. al., 2005). Heterogeneous grouping occurs when students are placed together regardless of their ability to learn or of their interest (Johnson et. al., 2005). It is explained that the best way to group students is dependant upon the task at hand (Johnson et. al., 2005). Although this seems like an easy rule to follow, it carries numerous social and moral implications. The main focus of these implications include the worry that gifted students in heterogeneous groups main not be able to reach their full potential as students, and also that students who are not labeled as gifted will have a lower self-concept of themselves in a homogeneous group (Shield, 2002).
Most schools in America seem to group their students heterogeneously until secondary school, where students will then get placed into either college preparatory, honors or AP classes depending on their school’s curriculum. The moral and social implications do not play as large of a role in high school settings as they do in elementary school while focusing on grouping styles. People who are for homogeneous grouping believe that this type of grouping allows students to obtain the right attention and instruction that is linked with their needs due to the fact that they are only with other students who require the same things (Johnson et. al., 2005). Another positive point is that there is simpler planning involved for teachers of homogeneous groups (Johnson et. al., 2005). While these points are respectable and beneficial for all groups involved, people who are against homogeneous grouping point out that these groups are not very democratic (Johnson et. al., 2005). Slavin (1987) claims that: “ability grouping goes against our democratic ideals by creating academic elites” (p. 297). By creating these academic elites, the other students may perceive themselves as unintelligent and have a lowered self concept as a learner. This lowered self-concept can bring about further problems including but not limited to learned helplessness. People who believe this argument believe that heterogeneous groups of students are better for everyone involved because they provide opportunities for students to help one another, forming a “team-like” atmosphere in the classroom (Johnson et. al., 2005).
Throughout the course of researching this topic, my opinion on the subject matter changed constantly. There are many pros and cons to both arguments, yet none of these lists provide what is truly best for a student in every situation. It is very important for students to learn to help one another, as this is a life skill that is necessary to their future. However, it seems that if this method is continued to be used in the classroom, it may slow the pace down and the gifted students may not be able to learn everything they are capable of learning. If students are grouped in a homogeneously, perceived notions may inhibit future development among students who are not considered gifted (Johnson et. al., 2005). At the same time, these homogeneous groups can allowed for more specified instruction and in turn, more time allotted to the learning of more topics.
As stated before, there does not seem to be a clear cut answer in this debate. As someone who was pulled out for a gifted and talented program in my elementary school days, I have had experience in both types of groups. Because teachers knew that I was in this program, I was often put with an underperforming student, in hopes that I could encourage him/her and help her/him do better in school. As a child, this annoyed me and I enjoyed getting pulled out one time per week. While getting pulled out of a heterogeneous class and placed into a homogeneous one helped me, I still believe that this method should be limited. By limiting homogeneity, I think that students are receiving the ‘best of both worlds’. They will learn to work with others, and will become challenged with materials that are specified for them. This provides all children with fairness in regards to who they are as students. While there is no truly correct answer to the homogeneous versus heterogeneous grouping debate, this method of using both types of groupings will allow for fair and equal education to all students.
References:
Johnson, J. A., Musial, D, Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D. M., & Dupuis, V. L. (2005). Introduction to the foundations of American education. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.
Shields, C.M, (2002): A comparison study of student attitudes and perceptions in homogeneous and heterogeneous classrooms. Roeper Review, 24(3), p.115
Slavin, R. E. (1987). Ability grouping and student achievement in elementary schools: A best-evidence synthesis. Review of Educational Research, 57, 347–370.
Caryn Berman
In every type of school, public or private, parental involvement is imperative for student success. Needed in all socioeconomic areas, parental participation can promote student attendance, higher parent and student satisfaction, and less discipline reports (Ferrara, 2005). Not only do parents have the right to know what is going on in their children’s schools, but they can provide teacher support and be a motivator and support system for the student. When students have an academically stimulating environment at home, they can better see the importance of an education. This is because their learning does not end when the school bell rings, but only takes a different form. If schools and teachers give parents the right tools, parents will have the ability to give a deeper understanding to the student’s work. For instance, a writing assignment about families would not only challenge a student’s writing skills, but could also open up a discussion between a child and his/her parent or guardian.
While necessary in all schools, parental involvement is needed most in lower-income areas. Because students in poorer districts face some of the greatest obstacles, these students need to understand the value of school. Such students must understand that an education is their greatest tool for improving their situations. Even though these parents face many issues that make it difficult for them to participate in their child’s school, their involvement can make the greatest impact. For example, lower SES neighborhoods face debilitating graduation rates, and higher parent contribution can actually increase graduation rates (Ferrara, 2005).
Next, in order to enhance parental involvement teachers need more training in implementing such programs. They need more professional development that incorporates the importance of the role parents. Many teacher candidates receive very little information about concepts and strategies for bringing parents into the classroom (Ferrara, 2005). While I have only really begun my teacher training and education classes, very little information about parental involvement has been incorporated into classroom management lessons. In addition to participation strategies, pre-service teachers need to learn tactics on how to deal with all types of parents, especially the “difficult” ones (Ferrara, 2005).
In the past, barriers to parental involvement could be due to a couple of reasons. First of all, teachers may perceive parents as not experienced or knowledgeable enough for tasks (Ferrara, 2005). This seems like an understandable point of view. You do not want to spend all day on a concept and then have parents practice it the wrong way at home. Second, parents may not feel encouraged to have a role in the classroom. Regarding these reasons, teachers as well as school administrations need to create an environment in which parents feel welcome and encouraged. Parents could be as nervous as the teachers in becoming involved. When I was younger, I remember different parents (my mom being one of them) would come in and help us edit our writing and practice our reading. Those days that my mom came, not only made me feel proud and special, but showed me that she was committed to my education and considered it important.
Reference
Ferrara, M. M. & Ferrara, P. J. (2005). Parents as Partners: Raising Awareness as a Teacher Preparation Program. The Clearing House, 79(2), 77-82. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 977221711).
Julie Moritz
UEGE 5102
Dr. Kathleen King
Critical Reflection and Reaction #2 – Parental Involvement
Parental involvement in education exists today as an extremely important topic for teachers, administrators, parents and children. As students continue to fall below educational standards, a mounting concern for the quality of education spreads across our country. Consequently, many look to teachers and administrators for explanations while promising to hold them to higher standards of accountability. Yet, are we neglecting to include a largely untapped resource in parents to increase students’ achievements? Recently, research reflecting the extensive benefits of parents’ involvement within the education system has increased. This research illustrates that children with involved parents achieve higher grade-point averages, demonstrate a greater understanding of reading, writing and mathematics and accomplish superior achievement on statewide assessments. (Anderson & Minke, 2007, p. 311).
While a sufficient amount of evidence positively links parental involvement to student achievement, many parents remain disengaged and detached. A wide range of issues and challenges influence parents’ lack of involvement in their child’s educational experiences. As Linda H. Plevyak (2003) elaborates, “Among the many factors involved in parents not participating in their children's education are cultural differences, fear of authority-based institutions, parental illiteracy, family problems, negative education experiences, job-related issues, economic conditions, health, living arrangements, and lack of resources needed for participation” (p. 32). An underlying facet, or a lack of communication between parents and teachers, lies within each of these concerns.
Many teachers struggle to create an effective and communicative relationship with parents due to their scarce training concerning parental involvement. The reasons teachers and schools choose to rely heavily upon traditional and limited types of parent involvement thus become clear (DeHass, 2005, p. 58). This deficiency perpetuates as teachers and administrators neglect to discover and take advantage of the large number of resources available to them. Teachers and administrators may prepare themselves to work with parents through many different avenues, such as: going to parent involvement workshops, reading case studies or attending role-play seminars to familiarize themselves with parent-teacher conferences.
As an educator, I believe it is my responsibility to reach out to parents and to enlist their participation. I intend to make parents aware of their value in the classroom and the positive outcomes that result from their support and involvement. I will create a wide range of opportunities for parents to become involved in, such as: a day for families to present cultural presentations, family tree projects for students to create along with their parents and multiple showcase events throughout the school year for parents to visit the classroom. Through our communication and collaborative efforts, I hope to create a plentiful environment of shared goals, caring, generosity and dedication where our children may blossom and grow into sophisticated and sincere individuals.
References
Anderson, K. J., & Minke, K. M. (2007). Parent involvement in education: Toward an
understanding of parents’ decision making. The Journal of Educational
Research, 100, 311.
DeHass, A. G. (2005). Facilitating parent involvement: Reflecting on effective teacher
education. Teaching and Learning. 19, 58.
Plevyak, L. H. (2003). Parent involvement in education: Who decides? Education Digest.
69, 32.
Shannon Morgenstern
UEGE 5102
Parental Involvement
A parent’s involvement in his or her child’s education is very important because it helps foster a love of learning in the child and helps him or her to appreciate the value of education inside and outside of the classroom. When children leave the classroom, they do not stop learning. The family serves as teachers outside of the classroom. Parental involvement in education includes helping the student with homework, being in contact with the teacher, knowing and caring about what the child is learning, and attending school functions and parent-teacher conferences. Also, an involved parent will create learning experiences for the child within the home. For example, the parent might bring up a topic in the news at the dinner table, watch educational programming with the family, or encourage the child to play outside or find a new hobby outside of video games and the computer.
According to Sandler and Hoover-Dempsey, parents become involved in their child’s education because of, “(1) their personal construction of the parental role; (2) their personal sense of efficacy for helping children succeed in school; and (3) their reaction to the opportunities and demand characteristics presented by both the children and their children’s schools” (Sandler & Hoover-Dempsey, 1995). A parent who values education will encourage and motivate his or her child to work hard in school. Also, how able a parent feels to help his or her child with schoolwork will affect parental involvement. A parent who feels incapable of working on math problems or reading books with the student may not be able to offer the same support and encouragement that a parent who does feel capable would. Also, if a parent is unhappy with the school system or a child’s teacher and complains to his or her child, the child may feel that this is an excuse to shirk his homework or be rude to his teacher.
At the high school level, parental involvement drops drastically (Greenwood & Hickman, 1991). When children reach this age, they are expected to take on more responsibilities including completing homework and being an active learner. Students of this age also crave more independence from their parents and may resent a parent who is seen as too nosy. While it may seem as if parental involvement is inconsequential at the high school level, “Durnbosch and Ritter (1988) reported that parent attendance at school activities, such as athletic events or dramatic performances, significantly correlates with school achievement even when ethnic and social class differences are controlled” (Greenwood & Hickman, 1991). When the student’s parents are there to cheer him or her on at a sports event, or applaud at the end of the play, the student feels support for his or her individual interests. While a parent of a high school student may not need to help him with his homework, attending school functions enables a parent to expresses continuing involvement in his or her child’s education.
Parents who value education provide support and learning experience outside of the classroom for their child. As the child gets older, the parent may play less of a role in the daily activity of homework, but can still remain a definite presence by attending school functions and showing support for education. Having supportive parental involvement not only benefits the child but also the school as a community. Cynthia Russ, a former teacher and current curriculum coach states, “The absence of parents in our schools is another factor that leads me to believe that public education may not survive” (Johnson, 2008). When parents do not contribute and involve themselves in their child’s education, the school community suffers. A student whose parents are involved, on the other hand, is a more active learner, enthusiastic, and prepared for class so that learning with less interruption can occur.
Reference List
Greenwood, G. E. & Hickman, C. W. (January 1991). Research and Practice in Parent
Involvement: Implications for Teacher Education. The Elementary School Journal, 91(3), 279-288. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-5984
%28199101%2991%3A3%3C279%3ARAPIPI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-G JSTOR.
Hoover-Dempsey, K. V. & Sandler, H. M. (1995). Parental Involvement in Children's Education:
Why Does it Make a Difference? Teachers College Record, 97(2), 310-331. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from http://cn9ex9vq2w.scholar.serialssolutions.com/?
sid=google&auinit=K&aulast=HooverDempsey&atitle=Parental+Involvement+in+
Children%27s+Education:+Why+Does+It+Make+a+Difference&title=Teachers+College+record+(1970)&volume=97&issue=2&date=1995&spage=310&issn=0161-4681 JSTOR.
Johnson, J. A., Musial, D., Gollnick, D. M. & Dupuis, V. L. (2008). Foundations of American
Education (14th ed.). Pearson Education Inc.
Lauren Mundy
2/25/08
Critical Reflection Paper #2
Parent Involvement
The classroom environment does not just include teachers and students. Parents need to play an active role with their child’s development. There are only so many hours in the day that a teacher can focus on the individual child. Therefore, parent involvement is crucial to the child’s education. A parent and teacher must form a relationship in order to discuss the child’s behavior, involvement, and progress within the classroom. This way the child’s learning will not only be reinforced in the classroom but also at home.
In Gall Zellman and Jill Waterman’s article titled Understanding the Impact of Parent School Involvement on children’s educational outcomes, parent involvement was key in the areas of “test scores” and “learning problems” (Zellman, 1998, 378). According to Zellman (1998), students whose parents were actively engaged in their education, had higher reading scores and a lower number of learning disabilities. Children need the motivation of their parents in order to develop and further their educational abilities and lessen their learning disabilities.
Yes, we can see that parent involvement is important and it is an issue that I will stress in my classroom, however in today’s society parents can not always be as involved as they would like. This is especially scene in schools with minorities (Zellman, 1998). These children may have immigrant parents or are from low SES backgrounds and need to work two or three jobs in order to put food on the table (Van Vesslor, 2007). As much as parents would like to become involved in their child’s education, they just do not have the time. Transportation is another issue involved with low SES families. Parents may not have a way to travel to the school(Van Vesslor, 2007). Van Vesslor also offers the idea of language barriers. Parents may not become involved with their child’s education and school because they are not familiar with the language (Van Vesslor, 2007). Because of these language barrier issues, parents may prefer the teacher to be the only influence in the child’s education. This could cause confusion for the students, where learning is not associated with the home.
It is important that we as educators recognize this diversity within the classroom and try to meet the needs of all of our students. It is important that teachers provide a classroom that is welcoming to all students and parents. The classroom is a community, and just like a community it is important for all members despite their economic or cultural background, to equally participate within the classroom. I also feel it is necessary for teachers and students to become aware of the cultural diversity within the classroom, so that both teachers and students become involved in the classroom. Teachers need to meet with the parents in order to discuss the child’s progress within the classroom. If the parent can not meet at a reasonable hour, the parent and teacher should contact by phone. Also sending weekly progress reports of the child’s development is essential in involving the parent. Parents and students should be required to sign the daily homework, in order for the teacher to see the parent’s awareness of their child’s work. With these practices in the classroom, I believe both parent involvement and student’s learning abilities will improve.
References
Gail, L. and J.M Waterman. (1998). Understanding the impact of parent school
involvement on children’s educational outcomes. Journal of Educational Research, 91,370-380.
Van Veslor, P. and G. Orozco (2007). Involving low-income parents in the schools:
community centric strategies for school counselors. Professional School Counseling, 11,17-74.
Professionalization of teaching- pros, cons and how is it happening today?
As we have learned in class, the field of education received a huge boost at the end of World War II thanks to the GI Bill, which sent soldiers to college who fought in the war. The increase in enrollment led to the hiring of more professors, to larger state universities. In addition the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s, we saw an even bigger rise in students’ enrollment in school that led to larger state colleges and state universities. At the elementary and secondary level, the larger the population of the U.S. became the more children attended schools, requiring more teachers.
All this was crucial to the development of teaching as an occupation. The larger number of students meant the need for more qualified teachers. In fact, qualification became even more important during the past century, expanding educational programs to three and then four years (Johnson, 2007, p. 282). Nowadays, most states have certain minimum requirements for teachers to be certified, but there is still a huge variety of requirements across the nation, lacking a consistency that is instead prevalent in all other professions, which are self-regulated by a board and have national criteria.
In order to approach the topic of the professionalization of teaching, we first have to come to an agreement on what a profession is. The Cambridge Dictionary gives this definition for profession as “Any type of work which needs special training or a particular skill, often one which is respected because it involves a high level of education”. Hoyle instead, argues that: “Profession is a much-disputed sociological concept, and the existence of criteria which allegedly distinguish professions from other occupations has been strongly contested” (Hoyle, 2001, p.15472). One critique of the idea of profession is that it is a concept developed by the elites of occupations (lawyers, doctors) to accrue a status over other occupations and increase their cachet, and control over their fees.
The starting point for most are medicine and law, viewed as the archetypal professions. If knowledge-based skills, length of training and education are indicators of an occupation being a profession, than teaching is becoming every day more a profession; at least in most states. All other professions should have the same characteristic these two have. Rhett Diessner points out that some people contend that any work that is a “practice”, has the potential to be a profession (Diessner, 1997, p. 5); therefore according to this definition “allows any systematic work that is in service to a community to be potentially the work of a professional” (Diessner, 1997, p. 6) like being a garbage collector or bricklayer.
Another issue that has been taken into consideration in the argument about professions and professionalization is the idea that we have been experiencing a deprofessionalization, which started in the 1960s and 1970s. In these decades, in fact, we have witnessed a large increase in the number of people attending college, which consequently meant a smaller gap in knowledge between patients and doctors, between lawyers and clients…. In the 1990s, with the Internet being at almost everyone’s disposal, why do we need doctors, lawyers, teachers and other specialist if we can get most information off the web? At the same time, a lot of occupations, related to professions, have become more specialized and with their own special training (paralegal, orthodontist, day care worker, registered nurse….) infringing on the power and special status of these professions. This has been called the proletarianization of professions. Some sociologist have come to the conclusion that the efforts some occupations are putting to obtain the status of profession is futile, since the idea of profession is nowadays anachronistic, that it is using a model that was applicable 100 years ago (Runte, R.).
E. Hoyle analyzes this shift to have been from “a focus on professionalization to a focus on deprofessionalization and, latterly, to professionalism, i.e. from a concern with status to a concern with the quality of service” (Hoyle, 2001, p.15475). I believe this to be the important aspect of the professionalization of teaching; the focus should be on improving teachers’ skills and knowledge in order to give the best education to the children of this nation. The social status of a teacher should not be important, or at least not the focus. Teachers’ pay is important to the extent that it is a tool to attract qualified and competitive professionals, who would otherwise choose more lucrative occupations.
I, personally, do not see any negative in the path toward professionalism, just positives; just like one person cannot just become a lawyer, a doctor, an accountant without preparation, someone cannot just become a teacher without any training. I believe that teachers should be highly trained professionals; acquiring a bachelor’s degree and then obtain a master in Education or other higher education degree. I think training in pedagogy is a conditio sine qua no for each and every teacher, and the younger the children they are going to teach, the more qualification they should get. For a long time, it seems that mainstream thought was that teaching, or taking care of young children did not have any pedagogical implication, but we now know this is not the case. Society has nothing to lose and everything to gain by having well trained, highly qualified professional teachers educating future generations of children.
References
Cambridge Dictionary, (2008). Retrieved February 25, 2008 from
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Diessner, R. (1997). The teacher as professional: A normative position.
Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED413304&site=ehost-live
Hoyle, E. (2001). Teaching as a profession. In International Encyclopedia of the Social &
Behavioral Sciences (p. 15472-15476). New York: Elsevier.
Johnson , J. A., Musial, D., Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., Dupuis, V. L. (2007).
Foundations of American education. (14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Runte, R. Is teaching a profession. Retrieved February 25, 2008 from
http://www.uleth.ca/edu/runte/professional/teaprof.htm
Lauren Buerkle UEGE 5102 Project #2 2.27.08
Parent Involvement in Schools
It’s no question that students whose parents who are actively involved in their education do better in school. It’s important for parents to guide and support their child’s learning. When parents monitor their child’s social activities, become involved in the classroom, and provide encouragement, their children’s academic careers are successful (The value of family involvement).
In today’s classrooms, both parents and teachers are often frustrated with the idea of parent involvement. Many teachers are left thinking that their students’ parents don’t care, and many parents are left thinking that their child’s teacher doesn’t want them to be involved. For many parents, it’s easy to become involved in their child’s extracurricular activities, but when it comes to academic involvement they are unsure of the opportunities available for them to become involved (Halsey). On the other hand, many teachers use open house and weekly newsletters as a way to involve parents and invite them to be a part of their classroom. Parents don’t see these announcements as invitations and therefore don’t get involved in the classroom (Halsey). This leaves both the parents and teachers frustrated.
It’s hard for teachers to implement strong parental involvement programs for a few reasons. Teachers have so many responsibilities and this may deter them from initiating more opportunities for parental involvement. Also, in some cases there seems to be miscommunication and mistrust between the teacher and the parent. Finally, teachers’ failed past attempts at trying to get parents involved usually causes them to become indifferent to programming (Rasinski).
It’s important for both teachers and parents to address the issue of parental involvement early in the school year as to avoid miscommunications in the future. One way to improve parent involvement is to increase the communication between teachers themselves. More experienced teachers can share their strategies with newer teachers, and since there is more parental involvement in elementary school those teachers can share their tactics with teachers of the upper levels. Another way to improve parental involvement is to improve the communication at events such as open house. This is a good opportunity for teachers to share their beliefs and expectations about parental involvement. Also, specific invitations can be extended. A third way to improve parental involvement is through technology. Where possible, teachers could communicate with parents on a more personal level, extending invitations or updating parents on their child’s progress in class (Halsey). By implementing one or more of these ideas, teachers can almost be sure that the parents of their students will become more involved in their classroom.
Works Cited
Halsey, P.A. (2005). Parent involvement in junior high schools: a failure to communicate. American secondary education, 34(1), 57-69. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from ProQuest Education Journals database.
Rasinski, T., Fredericks, A.D. (1989). Can parents make a difference? The reading teacher, 43(1), 84. Retrieved February 22, 2008 from ProQuest Education Journals database.
The value of family involvement. (2007, October). American teacher, 92(2), 5. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from ProQuest Education Journals database.
Walde, A.C. Baker, K. (1991, April). When parents don’t care if their children learn. The education digest, 56(8), 41. Retrieved February 22, 2008, from ProQuest Education Journals database.
Sarah Connell
February 26, 2008
Evolution of School Curriculum: The Holocaust
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is now requiring all French fifth graders to learn the life story of a French child who died “at the hands of the Nazis” during the Holocaust (Dominus, 2008, p. B1). While many Americans are critical of Sarkozy’s bold approach to Holocaust education, some Jewish Americans, like New York Times journalist Susan Dominus, remember the horrific images of genocide which made a lasting impression on them during Holocaust lessons of the late 1970’s and early 80’s.
Holocaust education in America has since changed, as it now predominantly consists of courageous stories about children who survived the Holocaust. The shift came in America during the 90’s, particularly in the setting of Hebrew Schools which were meant to give Jewish Americans a sense of religious pride. Holocaust education tried to address, “The needs of the learner…an understanding that they’re more likely to wrap their heads around a narrative around children like themselves or Jews who did courageous things” (Dominus, 2008, B5). While the French education system pushes for realist portrayals of the Holocaust to young people, America continues to “emphasize only the inspirational” (Dominus, 2008, B5).
American educators persist that the Holocaust remains an unfathomable portion of history which is nearly impossible for young children to grasp. Some argue that while history will remain unchanged, the standards to which we hold our children and their education will be continually altered. Dominus muses that perhaps the Jewish youth of today will grow up to criticize the sugar-coated attempts of American educators at sharing the horrors of the Holocaust.
President Sarkozy’s alternate approach to Holocaust Education can be tied to William Heard Kilpatrick’s concept of establishing worthy purpose in education. Through Sarkozy’s push for each French child to take on the project of learning about a Holocaust victim, he has utilized Kilpatrick’s Project Method. Kilpatrick writes, “To this end must the child have within rather large limits the opportunity to purpose” (Schultz, 2001, p. 47). President Sarkozy seeks to provide purpose in Holocaust education, while Americans continue in the struggle to simply provide hope.
References
Dominus, S. (2008, February 25). Striking a balance in holocaust lessons. The New York Times, pp. B1, B5.
Johnson, J. A. (2005). Foundations of American Education (13th ed.). United States Of America: Pearson Education Inc.
Schultz, F. (2001). The project method. In Notable Selections in Education (3rd ed.). Guilford: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
Kim Warga
Multicultural Foundations of Education
Dr. K. King
February 26, 2008
Critical Reflection Project #2
Hot Topic: Parental Involvement in Education
While there are numerous hot topics concerning our education system, I feel that the topic of parental involvement is one facet of education that can be addressed and fixed to make vast strides in the quality of education for our children. The simple issue of having a parents present when helping with homework or in attendance at class meetings may not seem so vital; however, it is something that can make a huge difference in a child’s life.
Many feel that parental involvement in schools provides numerous benefits which allow for a more successful school experience. There have been multiple research studies done that have shown “parents are instrumental to their children’s academic success and that parental involvement has a positive impact on student achievement” (Stewart, 2008, pg. 4). Parental involvement does not only include homework help; other facets of this issue include attendance at teacher conferences and involvement in school activities, such as open houses and social activities” (Stewart, 2008, pg. 5). Johnson and her colleagues (2005) point out that there has been such a drastic decline in parental involvement through past decades, so much in fact, that some theorize public education may not survive the next century. This may be hard to fathom, but “parental support has always been the backbone for public education” and without it, “the schools that lack communication with parents may not survive” (Johnson et al., 2005, pg. 476). School maybe the main place where a child grows a sense of character, but “the most profound impact on students' development comes from their families, notably their parents — whether we look at social, moral, behavioral, or academic development” (Berkowitz & Bier, 2005, pg. 1) These are only a few reasons why parental involvement is important.
Unfortunately, being involved in their children’s scholastic lives is not always easy for some parents. Mothers and fathers that work multiple jobs, have a low socioeconomic status, and fight to make ends meet may not be able to get involved. They may not be neglecting their responsibilities, but rather just unable to do everything that is required of them in just one day (LaBahn, 1995). Other parents “feel un-welcomed at school, lack knowledge and education, and may not feel that education is important” (LaBahn, 1995, pg. 2). Some parents may not speak English or be able to comprehend the school work of their children. This leads to embarrassment and neglect of parental involvement in their child’s lives which lead to less parental involvement in schools.
I think parental involvement is something that is completely beneficial and necessary for a child’s success. We learn and grow from our parents; when our children go off to school, parental care is needed more than ever. Parental involvement helps guide a child and make them better individuals. As said earlier, a child with involved parents ends up achieving higher grades academically, does a better job of communicating, has better morals, etc. Parents help to shape their child’s character. Obviously, parental involvement is necessary but is not always easy. There are many preoccupations and responsibilities parents face. Schools need to promote programs that help guide parents enforce communication and involvement. These “how to’s” can make a parent want to become more involved and take pressures away, putting parents more at ease. At the same time, companies need to keep in mind that children are the future of our world. There needs to be higher pay and more flexible hours for parents with school aged children. These times are monumental and can easily make or break a child. Communication is necessary for the prosperity of schools and school communities. Not only do the parents need to make an effort with the desire of their children to do well, the principal and teachers also have to make strong efforts to communicate to parents how important they are and beneficial they can be to a child’s scholastic life.
References:
LaBahn, J. (1995). Education and parental involvement in secondary schools: Problems, solutions, and effects. Educational Psychology Interactive, 20, 120-126.
Johnson, J. A., Musial, D, Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D. M., & Dupuis, V. L. (2005). Introduction to the foundations of American education. 14th ed. Boston: Pearson Education.
Stewart, E.B. (2008). School structural characteristics, student effort, peer associations, and parental involvement: The influence of school and individual level factors on academic achievement. Education and Urban Society, 40, 179-204.
Berkowitz, M.W. & Bier, M.C. (2008). Character education: Parents as partners. Educational Leadership, 63(1), 64-69.
John Cortez
Critical Pedagogy: Ending Oppression in America's Educational System
The United States is currently experiencing sharp demographic changes. Constant discussion of U.S.−Mexican border issues are a testament to this, as is the projection that the Hispanic population in America will exceed the African American population by 2010 (Marcus & Vairo, 2006, p. 79). It is certainly the case that we are a multicultural nation, and that the growth of our cultural variety is poised to continue. This sets the stage for struggles between people of different backgrounds and with different ideas, from which arise the tenets of critical pedagogy. Marcus and Vairo (2006) summarize succinctly the main issues this theory deals with: "human history suggests that being different has often been translated into being better than, or being superior to, or inferior to, someone else" (p. 77). Critical pedagogy, the philosophy of renowned educational activist Paulo Freire, recognizes the oppression of certain cultures by others and proposes equal educational opportunities for all as the necessary remedy to empower those who have been kept down (Schultz, 2001, p. 77). Cultural diversity, in this sense, refers not only to racial and ethnic differences, but also to other diverse qualities such as opinions, gender, class, preferences, and characteristics (Marcus & Vairo, 2006, pp. 77-78). Debate arises today over how to deal with our cultural differences in the American educational system. While some take a stance on the side of critical pedagogy, supporting multicultural respect and empowerment of the individual through his or her culture, others continue to support cultural homogeneity in the school setting for multiple reasons.
My personal philosophy of education is progressivist with an ultimate goal of preparing students to be functional members of a democratic society. I believe that the best route to achieving this goal is a humanistic path by which the individual abilities and interests of a student are fostered so as to actualize his or her full potential. This is directly in line with the ideas of critical pedagogy because this theory proposes the use of culture to empower the individual. Thus a student's culture can be used to enhance his or her learning. For example, I have seen students, when trying to answer a question, say that they can think of the right phrase in Spanish but not in English. Teachers generally have to move on to a different student. Although the teacher may not be explicitly trying to oppress the student's culture, it is apparent that the student misses out on an academic endeavor because of his or her culture. A way to avoid this, from a humanistic point of view, might be to have the student discuss his or her thoughts with another Spanish-speaking student so that they could figure out together how best to share that insight. In this way, culture is not oppressed, but rather used as a tool to enhance learning, as critical pedagogy supports. Such activities are not limited to different races and languages. To promote the equality of socio-economic classes, an elementary school teacher organizing a show-and-tell might ask students to bring a favorite toy from home or to tell a favorite story, instead of just the first option. The promotion of a progressivist and democratic society also supports critical pedagogy by cultivating citizens who will not overlook oppression, but will realize that cultural characteristics can be used to better society by empowering individuals.
Opponents of critical pedagogy argue that many tactics employed to empower different cultures backfire instead of having their intended effect. For instance, Marcus and Vairo (2006) propose that mandating high school courses in subjects such as black history only "[polarizes] . . . and [creates] confrontation" (p. 80). It is thought, then, that empowering oppressed cultures may tip the scales, causing the oppressor to feel oppressed, which can only lead to more fighting and argument. Marcus and Vairo (2006) also propose that an attempt at multiculturalism through the empowerment of individual cultures is counterintuitive, as it encourages individual interests over unity (p. 80). Thus homogeneous classrooms, where individual culture is not celebrated, make sense to some. Those who stress the need for cultural pedagogy, however, focus on a concept that education is not full if it does not make use of one's culture, since one sees and learns through the lens of his or her culture. Of those who oppose bilingual education in favor of English Only programs, Macedo (1991) writes: "they ignore the role of language as a major force in the construction of human subjectivities" (p. 267). This is to say that forcing students to learn in English may seem, to some people, to be a purely superficial switch from one set of words to another, when it in fact limits those students by denying them the thoughts that emanate from their native culture.
Sorting through this debate in order to arrive at a conclusion involves a necessary decision about the responsibility of an educator. From my standpoint, an educator must prepare students to be able to think and make decisions in the world they will enter. Students now are preparing to enter a multicultural world, where they will have to think and make decisions amidst others of often very different backgrounds. Teaching with a mindset rooted in critical pedagogy prepares students for this in two ways. First, it teaches students to use their own culture to their advantage because, as in Macedo's argument, people learn and think best seeing through the eyes of their own culture. Students whose culture is not oppressed but instead upheld learn how to live through their own culture while interacting with others. Second, having students work together in an environment of respect for different cultures fosters the respect that is necessary for the functioning of a democratic society that seeks not to oppress. With these as central responsibilities, I disregard Marcus and Vairo's argument against stirring controversy. Such controversy may only be stepping stone toward discussions about how to better empower all people in society so that no one is oppressed. This is the ultimate goal of critical pedagogy.
References
Macedo, D. (1991). English-Only: The tongue-tying of America. In H. S. Shapiro & D. E. Purpel (Eds.), Critical social issues in American education: Transformation in a postmodern world (2nd ed., pp. 261-272). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Marcus, S., & Vairo, P. D. (2006). Hot-button issues in today's schools: What every parent needs to know. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Schultz, F. (2001). Sources: Notable selections in education (3rd ed.). Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
Domenica Beauford & Kathy Hollwitz
Recording
Hot Topic: The Progress of Special Education in America.
References
Cromwell, S. (2004). Inclusion: Has it gone too far? Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr034.shtml.
Johnson, J.A., Musial, D., Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., & Dupuis, V.L. (2008). Foundations of American education: Perspectives on educaation in a changing world. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Keefe, E., Moore, V., & Duff, F. (2006). Listening to the experts. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from http://educationshifts.wikispaces.com/Inclusion+vs.+Exclusion
Stout, K.S. (2001). Special education inclusion. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from http://www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.html.
Tompkins, R., & Deloney, P. (1995). Inclusion: the pros and cons. Retrieved February 26, 2008, from http://www.sedl.org/change/issues/issues43.html.
In today’s educational world there is a question of whether homogeneous or heterogeneous grouping is better for the students. Homogeneous grouping is when students of similar ability level are group together. Heterogeneous grouping is when students with different levels of ability are grouped together. When talking about how to group students, many questions come up. Is putting students in a heterogeneous groups slowing down the high achieving students? This is one area where there has been little research done even at elementary schools level, “perhaps because of the strong assumption in cooperative learning about the importance of heterogeneous groups to promote social interaction among groups that often do not interact under less-structured arrangements” (Baer, 2003, p.170).
Homogeneous groups permit “students who require the same level of attention makes planning and resource allocation much easier” (Johnson, 2008. p332). This allows the students to receive instruction that is in relation to their specific needs. Yet grouping students this way is extremely controversial. High-achieving students generally achieve more when grouped homogeneously. The outcome for low-achieving students is more varied, and “homogeneous grouping is more widespread in secondary schools” (Baer, 2003, p170). It can be argued that homogeneous groups help students receive the attention they need, and work at the ability they are at.
Yet many argue that putting students in a homogeneous group labels them for the rest of their school career. This kind of grouping also “sets up structures that often inhibit future growth and development” (Johnson, 2003, p332). Putting students in a heterogeneous group allows students to help each other. With lower achievers being mixed in with higher achievers, students are helping themselves learn, they are teaching each other. This type of grouping also fosters cooperativeness and supporting those of different backgrounds. Yet with the emphasis on heterogeneous grouping “there is actually little evidence of its effectiveness in comparison to homogeneous grouping.” (Baer, 2003, p171)
I believe that teachers can find a balance between heterogeneous and homogeneous grouping. For some lesson plans grouping based on ability could allow those students in a lower ability group to receive more attention from the teacher. This kind of grouping would allow students to gain more of a one on one scenario with the teacher. In some lesson plans heterogeneous grouping might allow students to learn from each other and get to know their peers. It is important to remember however that “among average and lower achievers there is little difference between students in heterogeneous and homogeneous groups”. (Baer, 2003, p171)
Reference List
Baer, J. (2003). Grouping and Achieving in Cooperative Learning. College Teaching, v51 n4 p169-174. Retrieval 2/25/08, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ770081&site=ehost-live
Johnson, J. (2008) Foundations of American Education. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
The Professionalization of Teaching
One educational hot topic is the professionalization of teaching. Teachers in the United States have come a long way since this country was first established. At first, teaching was not a highly regarded career. Many teachers had little or no initial teaching experience or training. In fact, many teachers of colonial times were indentured servants or even convicted felons (Johnson, Musial, Hall, Gollnick, & Dupuis, 2008). Today, teachers are required to be certified educators and have at least four years of college under their belts. This dramatic change in teacher qualifications occurred as perspectives on education and on the influences of teachers changed over time.
The government has greatly contributed to the professionalization of teaching. Sometime before the Civil War, tax-supported schools became more accepted and schools began to receive political recognition. Americans acknowledged the “critical contribution of education to the vitality and development of the country,” and states began to pass laws with regards to providing education to all children (Rodgers, 2002). As education has become much more valuable to American citizens, the investigation of education and its influence on society emerged with a focus on teachers’ practices and their “contribut[ion] to the public welfare” (Rodgers, 2002). Horace Mann, an educator and once the secretary of the board of education in the 1800s, advocated the importance of these contributions (Microsoft Student, 2005). He strongly believed that schools and teachers “nurture, shape, and influence a sound sense of personal and public virtue and morality in future generations of American citizens” (Rodgers, 2002).
Since teachers have gained recognition as positive role models for their students and society, they have received better access to “tangible gains” such as higher salaries, tenure, and training, leading the vocation of teaching in the direction of professionalization (Rodgers, 2002). More training and experience also leads to more trust in our teachers as guides for the youth of the country. Today, there is much more of an emphasis on the importance of education and the impact teachers have on their students and the future of our complex and rapidly changing world. However, although many advances in education and teaching have been made, the occupation of educator is still not completely professionalized. “Professions involve essentially intellectual operations with large individual responsibility” (Rodgers, 2002). In other words, people’s professions include the freedom to make intelligent decisions based on their knowledge of and experience with the field in which they work. Such freedom is not always granted to teachers. Teachers are unable to completely utilize their pedagogical knowledge and skills because there is much control over what they teach and even how they teach to a certain extent. For example, the No Child Left Behind Act requires that students take standardized tests to meet state academic requirements. This puts much pressure on the teachers and, in many cases, forces them to strictly teach specific material so that the students are prepared for these tests, which are considered insufficient assessments by many (Johnson, Musial, Hall, Gollnick, & Dupuis, 2008).
What does this mean for education and teachers today? Although teaching is still not on the same professional level as many other occupations, it has come a long way and is still in the professionalization process. Due to education’s many improvements over the years, I believe teaching will only take a turn for the better, especially with the many technological advances and with global awareness and communication. Technological advances and global awareness and communication are all products of education in which we learn how to effectively utilize and communicate our knowledge from our teachers and in the learning environment they set up for us. Since teaching is taken more seriously, and since Americans are becoming more aware and appreciative of the impact teachers have on their students and society as a whole, I believe that our nation’s continual efforts to improve education will include the consideration of the ability and influence of teachers and, therefore, lead to further if not complete professionalization of teaching.
References
Horace Mann. (2005). In Microsoft student 2006 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation.
Johnson, J.A., Musial, D., Hall, G.E., Gollnick, D.M., & Dupuis, V.L. (2008).
Foundations of American education: Perspectives on education in a changing world
(14th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
Rodgers, F.A. (2002). The past and future of teaching – you’ve come a long way.
Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://web.ebscohost.com.avoserv.library.fordham.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=8&hid=115&sid=d
82321de-0adf-4e4b-90a5-7681cf272639%40sessionmgr107
Eric Jeraci
UEGE 5102
Dr. King
2/27/08
Hot Topic: Ethics and Law- Teacher-student relationships – how to make right decisions
In more recent times, there has been the question of what is appropriate in the classroom as far as student-teacher relationships are concerned. As educators, we are expected to show a level of understanding for our students and thus remain approachable individuals that they can turn to when they are in need of guidance. However, countless teachers have found themselves in compromising situations whether they were guilty or not. As a teacher, you must learn not to cross your boundaries and retain a particular relationship with your students that does not cross into the territory of the inappropriate and questionable. Due to these many cases in which teachers are accused of sexual relations with their students, they have thus been charged with statutory rape and their careers as teachers are destroyed in that one abrupt second.
It is thus very important to foster a positive relationship with your students because it ultimately can be rather beneficial to them when treated in the appropriate manner. Many students will as a result “have an increased likelihood of positive school attitudes as well as positive school "outcomes" such as higher grades” (Hoge, 2007). It is this relationship, when fostered correctly and appropriately, that enables the student to become enthusiastic about school and becoming more involved and interested in the subject material discussed in the classroom. It has been proved through research that students without the proper student-teacher relationship in their classrooms are subject to “increased risk for academic problems such as poor grades and repeating a grade” (Hoge, 2007). As a result, the student-teacher relationship is a pivotal factor the learning experience for the student and should be fostered in the classroom from the start.
Nevertheless, in countless situations, teachers have found themselves in situations where they did not use tact in their actions and found themselves being charged for inappropriate behaviors with students. The most recent case occurred in Tennessee in which a 27 year-old physical education teacher Pamela Rogers was accused of having sex with her 13 year-old student. She was tried when it was discovered she had sent sexually explicit photos to her student of herself. Many claim that because she was a female teacher that she was provided with preferential treatment. As the prosecutor Dale Potter stated, "Some people don't look at it as serious, but if you reverse the roles and make it a male on a female, then everyone gets really upset, and it's considered really serious." (Abraham, 2008) She was released on $50,000 bail and is currently on probation. The school district has currently placed her on leave.
In recent years, it has become a rather serious matter to consider how you conduct yourself in regard to your relationship with your students. In a rather different case in the Palm Beach County system, at my high school, the drama teacher Andrew Foster was accused of sexual misconduct with two of his students. He seemed as though he tried to create a relaxed environment for his students, but he also took things too far. In one particular incident, Foster showed up in his boxer shorts to rehearsal, students said” (Burdi, 2007). Many found his style of teaching amusing, but many found him rather inappropriate. He is “wanted on charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, child abuse, transmission of pornography by electronic device and transmission of harmful material to minors” (Burdi, 2007). He fled police shortly after being charged because he was most probably aware of the consequences of these charges.
As a result, I feel that student teacher relationship is rather relevant issue especially in today’s school systems. Teachers should most definitely foster a positive relationship with their students and even on a one-to-one basis. It is when the inappropriate takes place that this relationship between teachers becomes tarnished. I feel that it is those teachers that take it too far and become sexually involved with their students that create a negative depiction of student-teacher relationships. This is a shame because it is this relationship that is most important to the learning development of a student.
Works Cited
Abraham, Z. (2008, Feb 10). Zennie's Zeitgiest. Retrieved Feb 27, 2008, from Sports Business Simulations Web site: http://zennie2005.blogspot.com/2005/02/whats-with-all-teachers-sleeping-with.html
Burdi, J. (2007, Sept 16). Palm Beach County teacher on the run had close relationship with students. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Retrieved Feb 27, 2008, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=2W62W6549744964&site=ehost-live
Hoge, T.M. (2007). Are teachers' perceptions about student-teacher relationships predictable from one grade to the next?. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 68, Retrieved Feb 27, 2008, from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2007-99230-415&site=ehost-live
Hot topics in the Education World Today
Hot Topic: Parental involvement in schools
Jaclyn Peluso
Hot topics in the world of education today continue to bring about much change, controversy, and the need for careful examination. One important factor I believe has a great influence on a learner or students academic success is the amount of time a parent dedicates to helping promote their child’s education. Not only is it crucial that parents want to be involved in their child’s education but it is also necessary that the schools allow for frequent opportunities for the parents to become involved. Studies show that “Positive personal beliefs about efficacy for helping one's children succeed in school are associated with increased parental involvement amongst elementary, middle, and high school students” (Green , Walker, Hoover-Dempsey, Sandler, 2007, 532-554).
Most schools must be “inviting” in order for parents to want to be an active participant within the school community. As stated by Green , Walker, Hoover-Dempsey, and Sandler, the enhancement of parental involvement are associated with several qualities of school environments such as structure, management practices, and climate of the classroom. Teachers must be prepared to be responsive in addressing parents’ wishes to where their children stand academically, and how they can be more helpful in supporting their children’s learning. Not only are teacher invitations important but student invitations to their parents help increase the likeliness that the parents will want to be involved in their child’s academic success. “Student invitations can be powerful in promoting parental involvement in part because parents generally want their children to succeed and are motivated to respond to their children's needs” (Green, Walker, Hoover-Dempsey, Sandler, 2007, 532-554).
Typically, parental involvement consists of attending parent-teacher conferences and school related activities such as open house or activities that promote socialization. The relationships that a teacher has with the parents and the parents have with their child/children must be open, compassionate, and furthermore, have a willingness to want to make positive change in the lives of learners. As portrayed by Stewart (2007), parents who establish relationships with school administrators through parent-organizations to monitor the performance of their child, teachers, and administrators, along with influence school policy, demonstrate the importance they attach to schooling and academic achievement. I truly believe that if the caregivers/parents of children act as active participants in enhancing their child’s education, the outcome will be the motivation of the children wanting to learn. Though the parental involvement I have been discussing is primarily focused on school-based involvement, home-based involvement also plays a crucial role in the child’s academic accomplishments.
Not only does parental involvement help with succeeding in the academic realm, but also contributes to greater social and emotional development. According to Clark (2007), characteristics such as more resilience to stress, greater self-direction and self-control, greater life satisfaction, greater social judgment, greater mental health, more supportive relationships, and fewer delinquent behaviors are all possible outcomes to parental involvement in students’ lives. Many parents do not realize the profound effects they have on the development of their children nor do they see the benefits they could provide them if they only knew how. It is important that parents intervene in their child’s academic development as early as possible and continue to do so throughout their journey through learning.
References
Green, Christa L., Walker, Joan M. T., Hoover-Dempsey, Kathleen V.,Sandler, Howard M. (2007). Parents’ Motivation for Involvement in Children’s Education: An Empirical Test of a Theoretical Model of Parental Involvement. 99:3. 532-554.
Stewart, Endya B. (2008). Education and Urban Society: School Structure characteristics, student effort, Peer Associations, and Parental Involvement: The Influence of School and Individual-Level Factors on Academic Achievement. 40:2, 179-204.
Clark, Christina. (2007). National Literacy Trust: Why it is important to involve parents in their children’s literacy development. 1-3.
The Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas was
certainly one of our nation’s most monumental legal decrees, as it examined the legality of segregated schools and determined that this practice could not continue. The
Court stated, “We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” (as cited in Schultz, 234). This ruling led to the mandatory desegregation of schools, which the court ordered to take place as quickly as possible in their second ruling on the case in 1955. The order was strengthened in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which allowed the federal government to prosecute school districts that were not working to desegregate, and allowed funding to be denied to schools that discriminated based on race (Johnson, 2008). Johnson (2008) notes that positive outcomes were achieved by Brown v. Board. Besides the obviously beneficial aspects of having children learn to interact with those who may look different from them and come from a different background, it was also found that African-Americans who attended desegregated schools as children now have higher incomes and have attained a higher educational status than those who graduated from segregated schools.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board posed the question, “Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other ‘tangible’ factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities?” (as cited in Schultz, 234), and answered that indeed it does. Even if the facilities and quality of instruction could be the same in separate schools (as was usually not the case), segregation was still not to be tolerated any longer, since it inherently favored one group over the other. One only has to read Jonathon Kozol’s account of his experience teaching in a segregated school in Boston during the 1960’s to realize that the inequalities between the minority and white schools were horrific and seemed to relegate the future subordination of minorities. For example, Kozol writes of teaching minority fourth graders in 1964 in a poor area of Boston, in a school in which he was forced to teach his class in an auditorium, with four other classes being conducted there at the same time. Kozol was eventually fired for teaching his children a Langston Hughes poem, because the poem was not on the approved reading list. He published his experiences in his 1967 book Death at an early age. Kozol has become an advocate for children, publishing many more works about educational inequalities, including Shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid schooling in America, published in 2005. This work concludes that our nation’s schools are currently as segregated as they were at the time of Brown v. Board.
In Shame of the Nation, Kozol notes that inner-city schools are predominantly composed of minority students. About 94% of public schools students in Washington, D.C. are African-American or Hispanic, and this number is about 95% in Detroit. About 75% of public school students in New York City are African-American or Hispanic, and in the high schools of the Bronx, this number is closer to 90%. He also writes of one district in the Bronx in which there are 11,000 elementary and middle school students, twenty-six of whom are white, which translates to a segregation rate of 99.8% (Kozol, 2005). Kozol (2005) writes that at this time, the year 2001, “Two tenths of one percentage point now marked the difference between legally enforced apartheid in the South of 1954 and socially and economically enforced apartheid in this New York City neighborhood” (9). These numbers could seem to be caused by de facto segregation, which is defined by Johnson (2008) as segregation that is caused by housing patterns. However, Kozol raises the example of Martin Luther King High School in New York City, which is located one block from Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus, which he describes as being located in an upper-middle class white neighborhood. The school was built on the assumption that it would be naturally integrated, as both white students from the neighborhood and minority students from other neighborhoods would be able to attend. When the school was built, however, white parents were hesitant to send their children there, even though their children could easily walk to school (Kozol, 2005). The school graduated its last class in 2005, as it was closed by the Department of Education due to low performance, a low graduation rate, and violence (two students were shot inside the building in 2002). It is now composed of six mini-schools, one of which does have an ethnically diverse student body, but overall, the mini-schools’ students are overwhelmingly African-American and Hispanic (Advocates for the Children of New York). Kozol notes that it is ironic that a school named for Martin Luther King remains segregated to this day, fifty years after Brown v. Board.
Kozol writes that some educators are willing to believe that it does not matter that some schools are segregated, as long as all students receive a quality education. Kozol (2005) disagrees, however, as he writes,
What saddens me the most during these times is simply that these children [minority students with whom he works] have no knowledge of the other world in which I’ve lived most of my life and that the children in that other world have not the slightest notion as to who these children are and will not likely ever know them later on… I have believed for 40 years, and still believe today, that we would be an infinitely better nation if they knew each other now (11).
I agree with Kozol that segregation is still a problem that plagues our schools today, as although it is not legally allowed after Brown v. Board, it most definitely occurs today and is a disservice to our students. Students must learn to work together with others from different backgrounds in our increasingly interdependent world. I believe that the best way to combat racism, which is certainly prevalent in our society today, is to expose children at a young age to others who may look different than they do, and teach children that it is possible for all racial/ethnic groups to coexist together peacefully. Desegregation after Brown v. Board was met with great opposition, and efforts to desegregate today are also met with similar opposition, but I believe that educators have the ability to teach the children who will become our country’s leaders to work together across racial boundaries. I believe that school systems should do whatever is possible to desegregate schools, and to make certain that all children are able to interact with their peers and receive an equal, integrated education.
References
Advocates for the Children of New York. (n.d.). H.S. 490, Martin Luther King Jr. High School .
Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_
profile.php?id=961.
Advocates for the Children of New York. (n.d). Manhattan/ Hunter College High School for
Science. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_
profile.php?id=1257.
Advocates for the Children of New York. (n.d). Manhattan Theatre Lab High School. Retrieved
February 25, 2008, from http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_profile.php?id=1335.
Advocates for the Children of New York. (n.d). Martin Luther King, Jr. HS for Law, Advocacy
& Community Justice. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.insideschools.org/
fs/school_profile.php?id=1209.
Advocates for the Children of New York. (n.d). Martin Luther King, Jr. HS of the Arts and
Technology. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.insideschools.org/
fs/school_profile.php?id=1210.
Advocates for the Children of New York. (n.d). Urban Assembly School for Media Studies.
Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www.insideschools.org/fs/school_
profile.php?id=1324.
Johnson, J. et al (ed.) (2008). Foundations of American education: Perspectives on education in
a changing world. New York: Pearson Education.
Kozol, J. (1967). Death at an early age. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Kozol, J. (2005). Shame of the nation: The restoration of apartheid schooling in America.
Westminster, MD: Crown Publishing Group. Accessed February 20, 2008, from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/fordham/Doc?id=10126168.
U.S. Supreme Court. (1954). Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. In F. Shultz, (ed.)
(2001) SOURCES: Notable selections in education. (3rd ed.) Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin.
(sorry that the spacing/formatting did not work here)
Melissa Marrero
Critical Reflection #2
Parental Involvement in Education
Parental involvement in education is a topic of debate within schools and most of society as a whole. There are many reasons why parents are or are not involved in their child’s schooling. Some schools expect that parents voluntarily involve themselves and do not have any programs to encourage involvement. Many schools will blame parents without examining the reasons why they are not active volunteers in the school community. Parental involvement in education whether at helping with homework or projects at home or physically being present at school, is crucial to children’s education.
Parental involvement is the subject of numerous studies in fields such as psychology, sociology, and most obviously, education. In his meta-analysis, Jeynes (2007) shows that parental involvement has a positive impact on children’s academic achievement. Jeynes also determines that parental involvement programs also have a positive affect on academic achievement. Parental involvement programs are defined as “school-sponsored initiatives that are designed to require or encourage parental participation in their children’s education” (Jeynes, 2007). These programs are excellent ideas if they are carried out in the right manner. Schools should accommodate parents who are unable to attend parent-teacher conferences or PTA meetings at a specific time. It is both the school’s responsibility and the responsibility of parents.
Parents play a crucial role in their children’s education. Parents’ motivation for involvement in education depends on a variety of factors. Green and Walker (2007) use the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model of parental involvement to examine predictors of parental involvement. The model proposes three sources of motivation for involvement – parents’ motivational beliefs, perceptions of invitations to involvement from educators and children, and perceived life context (time and energy; skills and knowledge, and SES) (Green & Walker, 2007). The researchers’ findings suggest that parental involvement is socially motivated, especially in parents’ relationships with their children and teachers. Invitations from teachers and children are strong indicators of involvement. This study provides implications for parents but it also provides implications for teachers and school administration. Green and Walker (2007) recommend parental involvement programs and initiatives to increase participation. The researchers also advise that schools implement programs to help parents overcome challenges such as time and to work with families to develop involvement practices that are accommodating to the family.
Parental involvement is a broad topic that can spark heated discussions about various aspects of it. Schools and teachers, in particular, report that some parents are “too” involved while others never attempt to contact the teacher or are hard to find when a teacher reaches out to them. Studies have determined that involvement in children’s education is motivated by various reasons and there is a positive relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement. Schools and parents must work together to provide each child with the best education possible. They must also collaborate to form a positive relationship and to work together in determining the best ways for each individual parent to participate in the school community.
Works Cited
Green, C., Walker, J., Hoover-Dempsey, K., & Sandler, H. (2007, August 1). Parents' Motivations for Involvement in Children's Education: An Empirical Test of a Theoretical Model of Parental Involvement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(3), 532. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ772023) Retrieved February 25, 2008, from ERIC database.
Jeynes, W. (2007, January 1). The Relationship between Parental Involvement and Urban Secondary School Student Academic Achievement: A Meta-Analysis. Urban Education, 42(1), 82. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ748034) Retrieved February 25, 2008, from ERIC database.
A useful resource for parents and educators:
Project Appleseed is dedicated to the improvement of public schools nationwide. The website is a great resource for parents who wish to get involved in their children’s schools. The site includes a parental involvement checklist! It is also a useful tool for teachers and administrators to learn how to encourage parents to be involved and to implement more ways in which parents can be more active members of the school community. Please visit the website if you are interested in learning more: http://www.projectappleseed.org/
Alyson Cocchiaro
Critical Reflection
April 8, 2008
Trust, betrayal and authorship: Plagiarism and how we perceive students
As classes such as History, Philosophical, Multicultural Foundations show, technology is a great thing to incorporate into today’s classroom. With the World Wide Web as a great resource to be used, a teacher would be foolish to not integrate it into their curriculum in one way or another. While it is an outstanding tool for today’s students, it also provides many ways for students to plagiarize. Students are often asked to create a completely new idea for their papers, and with that assignment a lot of pressure and anxiety is placed upon the student. With papers to download, and endless resources accessible through Google, there is a lot of temptation for a student to cheat.
Bronwyn T. Williams asks if it is completely possible and/or necessary to ask a student for a novel idea. Williams states that many of the great ideas in today’s world have been built off of other ideas. She goes on to explain that by using plagiarism detecting software, we are likely to immediately blame and punish a child. Of course as teachers, we have moral and legal obligations to teach our students how to cite other peoples’ work, and teach them why it is important to do this. However as Williams points out if students plagiarize a paper, teachers should try to see what made them panic, and to help them along the smarter path. By using plagiarism detection software and immediately blaming a child, you are not explaining why it is important to do their own work and more importantly, you are telling the student that you do not trust them. This last reason should be the responsibility that teachers focus on. (Williams, 2007).
I really enjoyed this article because as a student I have always questioned how I am supposed to think of completely new ideas for every paper that I write. Even if I thought I came up with a completely new idea in a paper, how could I be sure? Obviously it is important to give credit where it needs to be given, but as Williams says (and as I agree), teachers focus too much on the repercussions of plagiarizing, instead of how to write a paper properly. Research has shown that plagiarizing software has failed in ways such as not reporting when a student actually did plagiarize, and also by saying the student plagiarized when they did not (Williams, 2007). Teachers therefore should not depend on this method. By telling students that their students should be turned into an online website that will check for plagiarism, you are immediately telling your students that you do not trust them which can eventually lead to terrible consequences including your student’s learned helplessness.
As Williams says “It is as if, on the way into the formal restaurant, students were stopped at the door and told that if they made an error of etiquette they will be thrown out before they are taught the cultural customs they need to follow” (Williams, 2007). As teachers, it is our job to set guidelines for students in order for them to work in such a way that they can produce original work, with as little anxiety as possible. By focusing on teaching students how to cite, teachers can help reduce the stress from students. If the students know it is ok to borrow ideas, as long as they give credit where it is necessary, they will be more willing to do so. Williams explains that if a student is plagiarizing, they are often calling out for help. If this is the case, as teachers we should look to see how to help the child, instead of punish them. While understanding the moral and legal repercussions of plagiarizing is very important in today’s society, we should focus students’ attention on how to prevent this from happening, other than what will happen if they do plagiarize. Therefore, as teachers we should be more eager to encourage than to punish, and only use a plagiarism detection program if we believe it is absolutely necessary.
Work Cited:
Williams, B.T., (2007). Trust, betrayal and authorship: Plagiarism and how we perceive student. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy. 51 (4). P 1-6
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