Reflection Paper 13

Plato has impacted modern western education substantially. With his concept of idealism it has influenced us to strive for the truth and embrace new ideas. In striving to find the truth it has lead us to so many amazing discoveries. If we didn’t seek to find truth then we would never have known that we are not the only galaxy out there and that there are other planets besides Earth. Searching for the truth gives us new meaning and increases the chance of more people becoming open-minded. With truth brings understanding. We are able to gain knowledge when we look to seek the truth. When we find the truth we understand what is right and can discern that previous ideas or beliefs were incorrect. Knowing what is incorrect can lead to correcting the problem. Knowledge and information is forever changing because the truth is always reached giving us facts. It is done through being open- minded and not always having the idea that you have to win. We have struggled with the idea of being open-minded for quite some time and especially now with issues such as gay marriage. Even still we have come very far from a few decades ago when things like that were simply unheard of. Plato taught that people would become less materialistic and would embrace new ideas. Again some have taken to this idea and others have not. I think that others have evolved their thinking to at least consider an idea instead of completely rejecting it. For example in schools the theory of evolution is being taught regularly in public schools. Teachers don’t tell their students that it is entirely correct, they tell their students that it is a theory and they can choose whether or not to believe in it. Students aren’t forced to accept that idea but, however, are at least exposed to the theory and can make their own judgments and are expected to be open-minded at the theory. Plato has helped to open up many ways of teaching areas of study and how to interpret them. Learning is no longer based primarily on religion and how religion is the only way of explaining things. It is about truth, the acceptance of ideas, etc.

Reflection Paper 12

The revolution in curriculum that took place after Sputnik was that students were made to focus on thinking like scientists and mathematicians. It affected U.S education because it caused schools to focus more on areas like science, foreign language, and math instead of the other subjects as well. When Sputnik was launched American institutions seemed to be geared more towards making future scientists and math majors than in what students really wanted to do with their lives. They U.S government passed the National Defense Education Act to support that basic idea by offering college students scholarships and loans. The NDEA even “went after” the upcoming youth when it was passed by developing their teaching skills, mental resources, and enhance security. I think that this whole movement after Sputnik was launched was not to benefit the students but to benefit themselves. The United States wanted to be the first to launch their shuttle into space they basically wanted to be the first to do everything. So the U.S decided to pass the NDEA not for the benefit the education of students but to create future scientists and mathematicians to work for the government to beat the other nations. I think it was only a competition to them and that all they cared about was getting ahead and being better than everyone else. They called it a race to space for a reason, to see who could be the first to launch a rocket into the unknowns of space. When the NDEA was passed it was basically a bribe for students to major in math and science since they offered loans and scholarships geared for those wanting to major in science and math. One good thing about the revolution in curriculum was that they didn’t focus as much on memorizing and mad students think it out. When you have to memorize something I don’t think you will be able to remember it as well as you would when you have to think like scientists or mathematicians. When you think about a problem like that its more interactive and not just plain memorization. The information doesn’t remain as well when you don’t have anything to relate it to or have a feel for. I think that was the only positive effect of the revolution in curriculum. Students shouldn’t be forced or bribed in order to become something. They should figure out what they would like to be on their own especially if it was for a reason like wanting to be ahead of other countries.

Reflection Paper 11

The impact of the ideas Socrates had on modern Western education was a huge leap in education. Socrates was a man of knowledge and reasoning who thought outside of the box which led to his great impact on education. With modern education today in Western societies we now have things such as the law of logic, science, technology, math, etc. Instead of relying solely on religion to explain the happenings around us we are now able to think logically of what actually occurs instead of saying through God we were able to build cars and buildings. We know that it was the usage of mathematics and science that we were able to build thing such as buildings and cars. With Socrates’ elenchus we were able to see that what we believed was morally correct in fact was not and that it needed to be altered. The elenchus lead us to discover the truth of things instead of constantly claiming religious reasons. Socrates gave us the basic form of our laws and the methods used in criminal justice with the use of the elenchus (“cross- examination”). With Socrates’ influence we have such an array of different areas to learn in education. Instead of religion being the main subject it is now, in public schools, an option or in some cases not offered at all. He basically theorized that knowledge is power; we just have to use it the right way. He influenced us to have the courage to want to know. Socrates influenced us to not be afraid of wanting to find out the unknown and to question the world. We might not always get an answer we want or an answer at all but it is still worth wanting to know. When we ask questions we gain knowledge and that is how we learn. Without Socrates’ influence in our society today I don’t think we would be as knowledgeable as we are. If we didn’t have the courage to ask and to want to know then I don’t believe we would be as advanced as we are. We would still have religion set as our basic form of education and we wouldn’t have the sense of justice. Our laws might not have even been as they are in today’s world without his imprint on our society.

Reflection Paper 10

The teacher being the gatekeeper refers to the teacher controlling the time spent during class. A teacher could be considered as “Father Time” of the class room. Everything that goes on during a class period is controlled by the teacher; the amount of time teaching, asking and answering questions, activities etc. It is an extremely important role for the teacher to have and also very critical. For example, after the lesson a teacher usually asks are there any questions? A number of hands fly into the air waiting to be called upon. The instructor knows that sometimes not all of the questions the students have could be answered within the time limit. In that case some of the students might feel hurt or neglected which could cause the said students to feel less inclined to participate or have a negative outlook for the next class. Time management is very important but so are the students, if that were to happen the teacher could simply say write down your question and ask it in the next session to make sure the students who weren’t called on don’t feel like they are being ignored. The “gatekeeper” also controls the amount of time each student has for speaking and who does the speaking. A teacher shouldn’t cut the speaker off too soon or let them continue on for too long but those, as gatekeepers, control that time. I think the gatekeeper should manage time to what is important but also to the students. Some teachers spend most of the class time talking and don’t have enough time to listen to their students or they chose not to. In some classes teachers expect the students to sit and listen not to participate or ask any questions. I believe that is wrong. The gatekeeper manages time for a reason and that is to cater to the lesson but also the students as well. Time should be made for asking and answering questions if possible because not all pupils are able to comprehend right away and might need clarification. The cause of not managing time properly as the gatekeeper could result in poor performance, backlash, etc. It is important that there is communication in both directions between teachers and student, to make learning more efficient and to benefit as well as satisfy both parties.

Reflection Paper 9

There are a few similarities to the two articles, First Schools and Education in Ancient Egypt. First there is the similarity that students had to be of wealthy inheritance to be able to go to school at all. Their fathers had to be of a high job position to allow their child to attend school. The second similarity is that in both articles it mentioned that students were required to recite their studies all from memory. They also had to write down and copy other texts besides just enumerating them from memory. My thoughts on teacher effectiveness today in comparison are that like how it is today in the article “The First Schools” students then went to school for many years, from the time they were young to when they became adults. They also encourage their students with their learning and help them with their “faults and inadequacies” like teachers do today. Teachers in today’s world are very similar to those in ancient times. Their motifs for teaching are still the same as they were back then, they want to see their students excel and achieve. So while they praise them for their hard work they also point out what they’re doing wrong and encourage their students to try better so that they can be successful. The parallels between teaching in ancient times and now are extraordinary in how little the main principles have changed. What has changed though is the hours the students are in school. In ancient times students went to school from morning to night where as in today’s society students go from morning to mid afternoon. Despite that difference, students in ancient times also enjoyed breaks from school that students so cherish today. They were able to take time off from school to enjoy life like students do today. I don’t think that the teaching effectiveness has changed so much from then to the world of today. The motivation, the teacher’s strive for students to succeed, the criticism, etc, is all still relevant today. The only difference is that we have an abundance of facilities geared towards the sole purpose of learning and that parents aren’t the only means of educating their children anymore. As well as the fact that only wealthy children with fathers with high statuses are allowed to learn. Every one whether they’re rich or poor has the ability to gain an education that is the biggest difference.

Reflection Paper 8

The first wave of reform was the requirement of teachers and students to have more texting and courses on their performances. The second wave of reform was when teachers were given more power and control over their school. Finally, the third wave of reform was when the schools were required to offer services such as healthcare, transportation, social services, etc, to students to ensure that they be taught in a proper teaching environment. I think that the third wave of reform is so dominant because of all the benefits students receive whether or not they are wealthy or struggling. It is so well liked because it gives parents the peace of mind that their child will be well cared for since they’re not present with their child. It is especially comforting to the parents who are having financial problems and might not be able to pay for the services if payment was required. It is one less thing parents have to worry about; their safety is provided for as soon as the child is entered into the school. Parents aren’t as concerned with their child being tested as they are with the health and wellbeing of their child. I think that a safe and secure environment is what parents look for when choosing what school they want their child to attend. If a school doesn’t offer protection or any benefits at all I doubt that parents would even consider sending their child to that school. I also think that the requirements for parents choosing a school are the same as when you choose a job. The main thing you are looking for when choosing a job is the benefits you will receive from that position. Whether or not those benefits are what you’re looking for is what determines if you plan on taking the job. Those decisions apply the same way when choosing the school for your child to attend. A safe environment is also a key face in the decision and even if the school is not in the safest neighborhood parents have the satisfaction of knowing that the school is protected in some way whether it be police officers or guards. That is why I think the third wave of reform is the most dominant wave of the three.

Reflection Paper 7

In ancient Egypt the young children growing up would be taught by their elders. Their parents were the ones who gave them their basic idea of the world, how it works and how to act in society. A father would take his son and teach him about his job so that he would be able to take over in the future and carry on his own work. If a man were unfortunate enough to not bear any son, he would adopt one to inherit all that he owned. The girls were basically trained as housewives with being able to dance, sing, and play musical instruments. In the temple they had to behave accordingly and offer words for the departed. The temple was seen as an elite school which one could only be fortunate enough to get into. In Mesopotamia, their education system was mostly aimed towards producing priests and scribes. It involved oral reiteration, memorizing, and copying. They were also taught things such as medicine, religion, higher law, etc. for their apprenticeship they were seen as sons to their mentors and taught them his ways. With only a clay tablet to write on, students would copy thousands of groups of wedges. Eventually they had to copy a book word for word, perhaps as a final project to “graduate” from their class. In ancient China, students were taught verbally. Schools were separated from high class to lower class and the girls were also separated and taught to how to be feminine and take care of the household. The virtue they honored most was respecting their elders. The Chinese did not have any temples as the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians had. In ancient India, their education was based on religion. An odd thing was that the young boys would do, as the other cultures call, women’s work. They would leave home and learn how to do housework, protect the home, and keep the fire going. Girls were able to learn but they had to be taught at home. They were taught correct elocution, rituals, law, etc. As the ancient Indians were deeply into their religion their temples were decorated with sculptures, architectural elements, etc that were unique to the rest of the world.