Foundations of Education: Unit 2
Here are the basic course navigation buttons:
Unit 2 opens on Sunday, January 18th and closes on Sunday, February 1st!
Unit 2 — Enculturation
Our second unit expands on this notion of Americanization that was so prevalent in the movie we watched. Enculturation is one way to think about education - but how we define culture must first be resolved. We could talk about American culture but - as several of you discussed - we could also talk about Finnish culture, the culture of a small town, or even a politically liberal culture. Arriving at some common ground about what American culture means is part of the goal of Unit 2.
Anyway, read theaw two chapters - the first by Spindler and the second by Arensberg and Niehoff - and write your response in the first week and respond to two others during the second week. Remember to balance your time between the work for Unit 2 and closing out conversation in Unit 1 - it will close on Sunday, 1/25 - after being open for two weeks. So… keep up the great work!
Here's the questions - they will appear in the WebCT discussion board too!
Question 1: Culture and enculturation
Spindler gives examples of cultural transmission from small, developing, homogeneous societies. Do such events of cultural transmission take place today within our contemporary American society? What are some examples of recruitment, discontinuity, and cultural compression in contemporary America? Consider your prior school experiences. Are you able to see instances of cultural transmission in your prior school life? Give examples if you can. As a future teacher, is this a good thing or a bad thing? Why?
Question 2: American values and education
Arnsberg and Niehoff wrote about U.S. cultural values in the 1970's. In what ways is their assessment still accurate today? What would you add to their list? What would you delete? How do you feel about the values they offer as characterizing America? Which of those values are personally meaningful to you and why? Which do you find objectionable? Why? There's a great deal of rhetoric right now around teaching values in the public schools. Should we be teaching values in school? If so, who's? How will you handle it when your students press you to share your personal ideas about religion, politics, sexuality, drug and alcohol use... the list goes on.
Question 3: Equity in schools
What does it mean to be equitable in schools? Do schools treat students equitably? In what ways - give either positive or negative examples. Should we have a national school curriculum? Would that make things more equitable in schools? If so, who should decide what that curriculum is? If not, why not? Given the diversity that exists in our society, and assuming we are not trying to eliminate that diversity, what should be the purpose of schooling?