Monday, October 26, 2009
The Ruler
The Ruler is a poem that takes you on a journey. I believe that The Ruler uses alot of metaphors to describe what he believes and feels. I think he is trying to describe what he went threw in his nation by using examples to get to his point. For example he uses a christmas tree. To say how beautiful and free it can be but you still need to please the gods. Another example he uses is the fingerpointing of the book. That you yourself can get lost but dont just blame yourself.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Reflection Paper #12
The revolution in curriculum that Sputnik started once the Soviet Union launched a man-made satellite on October 4, 1957 was huge. It made the schools move away from “spoon-fed” curriculum that critics said was too easy and that Art and Music also took up too much time away from real learning. The public demanded the Federal Government to respond to their pleas for greater emphasis for higher academic standards for the kids. They wanted and needed the students to move away from the memorization learning and wanted the students to start thinking like if they were mathematicians and scientists.
Even though the satellite Sputnik was somewhat insignificant because it wasn’t equipped with any scientific instruments it also orbited space once every 98 minutes gathering data. Sputnik could easily be tracked by anyone. This little basketball sized satellite initiated the space race with the United States and the Soviet Union. The Americans could not believe that the Soviet Union could be more advanced in their space program then they were with their space program. The United States then started to take the space program much more serious, which then leads Congress to pass the National Defense Education Act in 1958. The NDEA was an act to promote knowledge in science, math and foreign languages. The United States wanted to make students into scientists and mathematicians. So the government started to give students incentives to attend college to become scientist and when done with school they would work for the government. The College students were eligible to receive $1000.00 a year to attend college and then in return the college would receive funding from the government. There were changes in elementary and high schools as well. The teachers became much more educated in the fields of math, science and languages.
Even though the satellite Sputnik was somewhat insignificant because it wasn’t equipped with any scientific instruments it also orbited space once every 98 minutes gathering data. Sputnik could easily be tracked by anyone. This little basketball sized satellite initiated the space race with the United States and the Soviet Union. The Americans could not believe that the Soviet Union could be more advanced in their space program then they were with their space program. The United States then started to take the space program much more serious, which then leads Congress to pass the National Defense Education Act in 1958. The NDEA was an act to promote knowledge in science, math and foreign languages. The United States wanted to make students into scientists and mathematicians. So the government started to give students incentives to attend college to become scientist and when done with school they would work for the government. The College students were eligible to receive $1000.00 a year to attend college and then in return the college would receive funding from the government. There were changes in elementary and high schools as well. The teachers became much more educated in the fields of math, science and languages.
Reflection Paper #11
Socrates was a man that was very ethical and he concentrated on definitions and loved to pit a defense point of view against each other, he loved to debate. He thought books were for mere recreation and amusement or thing to treasure, because you could not ask books any questions. He had great respect for women that were wise and he believed that women should be educated in the same way as man because their nature to learn was not different from men.
For the young Greek citizen education consisted of grammar, music and gymnastics. Grammar was the learning to read and write. Music was the different arts of the Muses such as playing the harp, flute, singing, dancing, poetry and sometimes painting and sculpturing. Socrates encouraged the idea studying the basic subjects but he was not a teacher of them at all. He also exercised and suggested that others do the same thing. He thought the physical training was very important. If you were not in shape and were in war you would be the first to die because of the bad condition your health was in. He thought physical activity was good for the health. He also was very conscious of what he ate. He thought all this training should start at a very young age. In our modern educational time we to believe in grammar, athletics and music just as Socrates did. We put lots of emphasis on the reading and writing and unfortunately with the economic crisis many of the athletic and music programs have been eliminated but that is any area of education which is so critical to the students. I saw how important the extra curricula activity was in my life and how I always stayed focused with my grades to be able to participate in my cross country meets and my dance team.
The ancient Greeks viewed ethics in what kind of habits and character should I be? Socrates believed that is was more important to be a good person and ethical person. In today’s society that is a very sore topic with some people. Everyone is looking out for themselves and for their own interest and don’t care about others.
Socrates believed in a higher being he didn’t know what or who but he believed that there was a higher being. Unfortunately in public schools today we are not allowed to pray. I am very thankful that I attended a catholic school for elementary and middle school and was able to express my religious ideas.
For the young Greek citizen education consisted of grammar, music and gymnastics. Grammar was the learning to read and write. Music was the different arts of the Muses such as playing the harp, flute, singing, dancing, poetry and sometimes painting and sculpturing. Socrates encouraged the idea studying the basic subjects but he was not a teacher of them at all. He also exercised and suggested that others do the same thing. He thought the physical training was very important. If you were not in shape and were in war you would be the first to die because of the bad condition your health was in. He thought physical activity was good for the health. He also was very conscious of what he ate. He thought all this training should start at a very young age. In our modern educational time we to believe in grammar, athletics and music just as Socrates did. We put lots of emphasis on the reading and writing and unfortunately with the economic crisis many of the athletic and music programs have been eliminated but that is any area of education which is so critical to the students. I saw how important the extra curricula activity was in my life and how I always stayed focused with my grades to be able to participate in my cross country meets and my dance team.
The ancient Greeks viewed ethics in what kind of habits and character should I be? Socrates believed that is was more important to be a good person and ethical person. In today’s society that is a very sore topic with some people. Everyone is looking out for themselves and for their own interest and don’t care about others.
Socrates believed in a higher being he didn’t know what or who but he believed that there was a higher being. Unfortunately in public schools today we are not allowed to pray. I am very thankful that I attended a catholic school for elementary and middle school and was able to express my religious ideas.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Reflection Paper #10
“The teacher is the Gatekeeper”. Discuss the meaning and impact of this statement.
A Gatekeeper is a person or organization who manages a flow of knowledge or controls the rate at which students’ progress to more advance levels of study.
That is exactly what a teacher does on a daily basis. The teacher controls the amount of knowledge that a child receives on a daily basis. They control who will speak, when and how long they will do it. They keep order in the classroom as well so they don’t lose control of the classroom.
When the students are younger the teacher is the one that does the most talking. The teacher is the one that keeps the communication going on in the classroom by asking question one after the other whether she receives an answer from the kids. The teacher is the on that does the most talking kids are not giving much time to talk. They need to keep it going in order to keep the kids attention and curiosity level high.
As the kids get older there is less interaction with the teachers. At this point the teacher gives instruction and the students do their work on their own.
Teachers have such a crucial role in the everyday lives of their students. The knowledge that the students take with them is a gift from their gatekeepers.
A Gatekeeper is a person or organization who manages a flow of knowledge or controls the rate at which students’ progress to more advance levels of study.
That is exactly what a teacher does on a daily basis. The teacher controls the amount of knowledge that a child receives on a daily basis. They control who will speak, when and how long they will do it. They keep order in the classroom as well so they don’t lose control of the classroom.
When the students are younger the teacher is the one that does the most talking. The teacher is the one that keeps the communication going on in the classroom by asking question one after the other whether she receives an answer from the kids. The teacher is the on that does the most talking kids are not giving much time to talk. They need to keep it going in order to keep the kids attention and curiosity level high.
As the kids get older there is less interaction with the teachers. At this point the teacher gives instruction and the students do their work on their own.
Teachers have such a crucial role in the everyday lives of their students. The knowledge that the students take with them is a gift from their gatekeepers.
Reflection Paper #9
In the article The First Schools and Education in Ancient Egypt you will find many similar things. In Ancient Egypt the children imitated the parents/adults. They went to school and learned a trade or the occupation of their parent. The work they would usually learn was in farms, workshops and vineyards. They learned skills and knowledge that were practical from the adults. The parents also taught them their religious views and moral attitudes and they taught them how to be good people. Schools were filled with males only and the well to do children were the privileged ones that would get an education. The children of the less fortunate families did not have a formal education. The worked the fields with no goal to ever be in charge. The girls of the less fortunate families learned to manage a household, dance, sing and play a musical instrument and the dancing; singing and instrument playing took on a very important role if the girl would take on a temple service as a singer or a musician. The school year did not have a set length time. They started school at the age of five and went till they were sixteen years old. The school day was from sunrise to sunset.
In The First Schools article they spoke of the Sumerian school system. There original goal of the Sumerian system was a “professional” school where the purpose was to train the scribes so they can go and work in the economic and admistrative areas of the temple and palace. These students came from wealthy families because the poor could hardly afford the cost. The education here was very well prepared that you could hardly tell the difference between the students and the professors. Discipline was very strict, and they disciplined without a problem.
When you compare the education from Ancient Egyptian times and from the article The First Schools to today’s education you see that there are several similarities as well as some differences. Now a day’s both male and females have the same opportunity to get an education regardless of their families financial situation. We get to choose what we want to study as a profession once we graduate from high school. The school year runs for ten months out of the year and we get a break in the summer. And, of course as time went on and all the improvements and training teachers are much more equipped to teach children.
In The First Schools article they spoke of the Sumerian school system. There original goal of the Sumerian system was a “professional” school where the purpose was to train the scribes so they can go and work in the economic and admistrative areas of the temple and palace. These students came from wealthy families because the poor could hardly afford the cost. The education here was very well prepared that you could hardly tell the difference between the students and the professors. Discipline was very strict, and they disciplined without a problem.
When you compare the education from Ancient Egyptian times and from the article The First Schools to today’s education you see that there are several similarities as well as some differences. Now a day’s both male and females have the same opportunity to get an education regardless of their families financial situation. We get to choose what we want to study as a profession once we graduate from high school. The school year runs for ten months out of the year and we get a break in the summer. And, of course as time went on and all the improvements and training teachers are much more equipped to teach children.
Reflection Paper #8
The three waves of educational reform which have emerged have been:
Wave #1 was to raise educational quality by having more courses and more testing of students and improving teacher performance. Corporate America struggled to recruit skilled workers and the military could not recruit technically skilled personnel due to low reading and math skills. Therefore, they imposed State testing like the FCAT. This test is a standard test and must be passed by all students in order to receive a High School diploma. If the student does not pass the FCAT they will received a certificate of attending High School for four years.
Wave #2 was started by educators Theodore Sizer, John Goodland and Ernest Boyer rather then by politicians and business leaders but State governors promoted this wave. They promoted improvement and accountability. They thought that the students should cover fewer topics by studying those topics more in depth. Principals and Teachers were given more power and control over their schools as well as giving them better salaries and giving them more training. The decision making was left to the locals and leaving the bureaucracy out of the classrooms.
Wave #3 is like a full service one stop shop for students and families. They think that schools should be seen as more then a place to learn but seen as a place that gives families that don’t have the financial resources a full service school; which offers them a network of social services, nutrition, medical care, transportation, counseling and parent education. This concept would be governed by a Children’s Board which would be made up of professionals and Community Members that would work for needs of the children this Children’s Board would replace the School Board.
In my opinion and because of my personal experience wave #1 in which the quality of education being raised is the wave that has been the most dominant because many States have implemented State mandated tests. I had the stress of having to pass the FCAT with only two years of FCAT experience. I attended private school for my elementary and middle school years, therefore I didn’t have the testing experience that other students which attended Public school for there entire school career. I was fortunate to have passed it on my second try.
Wave #1 was to raise educational quality by having more courses and more testing of students and improving teacher performance. Corporate America struggled to recruit skilled workers and the military could not recruit technically skilled personnel due to low reading and math skills. Therefore, they imposed State testing like the FCAT. This test is a standard test and must be passed by all students in order to receive a High School diploma. If the student does not pass the FCAT they will received a certificate of attending High School for four years.
Wave #2 was started by educators Theodore Sizer, John Goodland and Ernest Boyer rather then by politicians and business leaders but State governors promoted this wave. They promoted improvement and accountability. They thought that the students should cover fewer topics by studying those topics more in depth. Principals and Teachers were given more power and control over their schools as well as giving them better salaries and giving them more training. The decision making was left to the locals and leaving the bureaucracy out of the classrooms.
Wave #3 is like a full service one stop shop for students and families. They think that schools should be seen as more then a place to learn but seen as a place that gives families that don’t have the financial resources a full service school; which offers them a network of social services, nutrition, medical care, transportation, counseling and parent education. This concept would be governed by a Children’s Board which would be made up of professionals and Community Members that would work for needs of the children this Children’s Board would replace the School Board.
In my opinion and because of my personal experience wave #1 in which the quality of education being raised is the wave that has been the most dominant because many States have implemented State mandated tests. I had the stress of having to pass the FCAT with only two years of FCAT experience. I attended private school for my elementary and middle school years, therefore I didn’t have the testing experience that other students which attended Public school for there entire school career. I was fortunate to have passed it on my second try.
Reflection Papaer #7
The different education approach in ancient civilizations was apprenticeship, home schooling and temple education.
The Apprenticeship can be tracked back to the Babylon, four thousand years ago and this position was so important that the apprentice was treated as an adopted son. Apprenticeship is training which is different from education. When you are an apprentice you are being trained to learn how to perform a specific task such as a plumber, electrician, an air conditioning technician or car mechanic.
As time evolved and humans created tools there was a need to teach others how to use them. The adults had the task to teach the children how to use these tools in order to prepare them for when they became adults.
The home schooling approach in ancient civilization was by imitation. The children of this time imitated adult behavior. They children learned and imitated their parents and as they grew into young adults they had to take on more responsibilities such as work in the farm, in workshops, the vineyards. They had to learn the basic skills and knowledge from the elders in order to perform the duties of these different jobs. Also in their young adulthood the parents had to instill in them the moral obligation to be of great character, how to be good individuals and their religious values.
The children that attended temple were from the elite families. These Temples were built on platforms that later became artificial mountains. They believe that they were built high above the City to raise they city’s god above the material life, as a way to reach closer to heaven. The temple approach of education was difficult to learn. They taught the Cuneiform and they also studied math and the standard measuring system. Since they had a very strong sense of private property after they had mastered the arithmetic and learned to write they started to keep records of all documents about everything they basically owned.
The Apprenticeship can be tracked back to the Babylon, four thousand years ago and this position was so important that the apprentice was treated as an adopted son. Apprenticeship is training which is different from education. When you are an apprentice you are being trained to learn how to perform a specific task such as a plumber, electrician, an air conditioning technician or car mechanic.
As time evolved and humans created tools there was a need to teach others how to use them. The adults had the task to teach the children how to use these tools in order to prepare them for when they became adults.
The home schooling approach in ancient civilization was by imitation. The children of this time imitated adult behavior. They children learned and imitated their parents and as they grew into young adults they had to take on more responsibilities such as work in the farm, in workshops, the vineyards. They had to learn the basic skills and knowledge from the elders in order to perform the duties of these different jobs. Also in their young adulthood the parents had to instill in them the moral obligation to be of great character, how to be good individuals and their religious values.
The children that attended temple were from the elite families. These Temples were built on platforms that later became artificial mountains. They believe that they were built high above the City to raise they city’s god above the material life, as a way to reach closer to heaven. The temple approach of education was difficult to learn. They taught the Cuneiform and they also studied math and the standard measuring system. Since they had a very strong sense of private property after they had mastered the arithmetic and learned to write they started to keep records of all documents about everything they basically owned.
Reflection Paper #6
Without writing what would be of us today? How crucial was the invention of writing to the establishment of ancient civilizations? Very crucial indeed. How would we be able to keep any record keeping in our everyday lives? How would Banking institutions and Court systems be able to record things.
The writing system was and is so important. In ancient times as they went through the transition from hunter to gatherer it became very important and necessary to count their property, whether it was parcels of land, grains, animals or the transfer of property from one person to another. They first used tokens which then became symbols that could be impressed and inscribed in clay.
The following are some examples of how the writing system was established and how important is was for some ancient civilizations.
The Sumerians built a series of city states by the Euphrates river and in 3200BC the Sumerians developed the writing called cuneiform, which was pictures and the represented what they were and eventually the pictures started to represent an idea or concept. They consider that pictures were used first to represent syllables of sound. The Sumerians they began to use this writing for farming. Tokens were marked with simple pictures to label farm produce.
In ancient Egyptian times the god that was recognized for the invention of writing was Thoth. He was the scribe and historian of the gods he to kept the calendar and invented the art and science. These ancient Egyptian times were also mystical and writing possessed a divine nature because it was there way to extend their memory and also a tool for the rich to rule over the common person.
Thanks to these ancient civilizations we know how to communicate both verbally and by writing.
The writing system was and is so important. In ancient times as they went through the transition from hunter to gatherer it became very important and necessary to count their property, whether it was parcels of land, grains, animals or the transfer of property from one person to another. They first used tokens which then became symbols that could be impressed and inscribed in clay.
The following are some examples of how the writing system was established and how important is was for some ancient civilizations.
The Sumerians built a series of city states by the Euphrates river and in 3200BC the Sumerians developed the writing called cuneiform, which was pictures and the represented what they were and eventually the pictures started to represent an idea or concept. They consider that pictures were used first to represent syllables of sound. The Sumerians they began to use this writing for farming. Tokens were marked with simple pictures to label farm produce.
In ancient Egyptian times the god that was recognized for the invention of writing was Thoth. He was the scribe and historian of the gods he to kept the calendar and invented the art and science. These ancient Egyptian times were also mystical and writing possessed a divine nature because it was there way to extend their memory and also a tool for the rich to rule over the common person.
Thanks to these ancient civilizations we know how to communicate both verbally and by writing.
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