Reflection 12

Sputnik was launched in 1957 by the Soviets. The launching of Sputnik affected the U. S. education because it led to a reform in education. This reform was brought on because of the large ego of the United States. The Soviet Union and the United States were basically racing each other to see who could get into space first. With the launch of Sputnik this proved the failure of the U. S. beating the Soviets into outer space. In this reform, schools were instructed to create a more rigorous curriculum especially in the areas of math and science. They were trying to prepare students to think like both scientists and mathematicians. In doing so, the federal government passed acts like the National Defense Education Act (more commonly known as the NDEA). This act was one to support more training for teachers and among other things, to fund scholarships of college students who were majoring in an area that would benefit national defense. At this point, it is realized that with the launch of Sputnik, the United States felt threatened and was basically placed on guard and was determined to train the young people to become scientists and engineers. The NDEA was one that truly surprised many being that according to the Constitution, the federal government was to have no dealings with education seeing as how it was a state responsibility yet they were able to not only pass this act but in other ways to have their hand in education. It used to be feared by many Americans to not have a central body governing all things, education included. Before the launch of Sputnik, the curriculum wasn’t seen as rigorous as some people would have loved. The launch of Sputnik cause the debate on progressive education to cease and the people who were against this type of education had won the argument after all. With the Soviet’s launch into outer space, the United States turned to a more educational approach for education. This approach wasn’t the best simply because it concentrated on those who were more prone to succeed in the areas of mathematics and science. This approach also left behind those children who were at a disadvantage in those areas. In modern day society with the No Child Left Behind proposal, this reform in the curriculum of schools would not have lasted for too many years as it did not when it was first established.
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Reflection 11

Socrates, a great teacher who didn’t think of himself as a teacher at all, is known for the thought:”All I know is that I know nothing.” His impact on Western education had to be from the Socratic Method where he wouldn’t provide a direct answer but instead would ask a series of questions which ultimately lead the student to their own conclusion. In a way, Prof. McNair teaches similar to what is known as the Socratic Method. I’ve also witnessed different times were he will ask questions that causes his students to have to think. One event where this is noted is when he required the different readings on rites of passages and initiations ceremonies. He understood that his students had not yet stumbled upon this sort of information and led us to become knowledgeable, to a certain extent, of what happens in different cultures that are different from our own. Another major impact in modern western education is with the usage of the elenchus where students are taught to question things of their belief and even the opposing side. This too, is another aspect of Prof. McNair. In modern western education, teachers aid their students in the thinking process by asking a series of questions which will in turn lead to other questions. Socrates felt that he wasn’t a teacher yet his way of teaching was so profound that it leads others to imitate his style. Socrates’ way of teaching was by leading other to think. This, by all means, is the greatest skill of all. I can think back when I was in elementary school and if a child didn’t know something the teacher would respond, “yes you do, you’re just not thinking.” The Socratic Method can be witnessed in other places other than in education. Like with entertainment for example. I’m sure everyone, in some way shape or form is familiar with Blue’s Clues. If not it is a cartoon show that plays on Nickelodeon. One major concept of the show is to help kids think and figure things out. The host asks different questions about clues which lead the audience to the correct answer. Before recently, I was never truly exposed to the elenchus as much in a classroom as I would in other situations; although it is common for police work. It is very interesting that we are unaware of the impact of different philosophers in our education. It’s like they are hidden from us unless we venture for the knowledge of knowing. In a civilization like our own, we really need to give credit where it is honestly due.
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reflection 9

Modern day schooling can in some ways be compared to that of an Ancient Egyptian education. Egyptians held schooling in a high regard much as we do in modern society. Children who were privileged enough to attend these schools had to practice their script but were not totally confined to a strict basic curriculum like students now. They were able to practice creative writing and to copy different pieces of literature. Currently, our education system revolves greatly around standardized testing. This testing is designed to basically identify the academically weak and strong. Even though the Egyptians didn’t have this type of testing, there was still the fact that not all children were able to go to school. The teachers at that point were teaching the same things. All teachers had to know all of the information that way they can pass it on to the pupils in their classroom. The teachers today have the ability to master one subject opposed to teaching all of them. Only in elementary do we still follow the main idea of rounded teachers. Teachers today have the ability to choose their own lesson plans while in the ancient Egyptian days of schooling teachers were instructed what to teach and how to teach it. The school system didn’t have many reforms like those in modern society. Even though testing wasn’t at the fore front of schooling in ancient Egypt, the fact that teachers were able to beat their students for punishment isn’t something tolerated in this society. Teachers, then, played a big part in the raising of a child. In many other cultures teachers have this choice even though it is not tolerated it shows the value of the teacher in Egyptian education opposed to modern society. Teachers usher students to their academic success but not before aiding them through the very first trials that the students often find easy to confide in them. The effectiveness of teachers was greatly valued because the Egyptians understood that teachers really were the gatekeepers. If only modern society could agree to a certain extent it would be wonderful. Like the dilemma with teachers not being considered professionals. the importance of teachers in a child’s life can lead to different outcomes. Teachers become confidants, friends, trusted grown-ups who aren’t always finding faults with their students. One of my dreams as I move forward to fulfill my dreams of being a teacher, I want to be one of the teachers whose students believe really affected their lives.



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The teacher is the gatekeeper....reflection 10

When you hear the term “gatekeeper” what is it that you think of? Looking at the words individually you see the word gate that can be transferred to passage, path, etcetera. When you see the word keeper one may think of authority of a thing or guardian. So then looking at these words together you may see guardian of the passage. At least that’s what I see. As a whole I think of a gatekeeper as someone who holds the key to a passage where you are traveling. When Philip Jackson coined the phrase “the teacher is the gatekeeper” not only was he referring to one teacher in one classroom of thirty-five students but the phrase also has a new or alternate, rather, meaning. Teachers as a whole are gatekeepers to students’ education. Whether the student decides to travel down the path to their success is up to them. Teachers are merely there to hand them the key to the front door. The phrase was coined because Jackson, along with many others, understands that gate keeping is one of the tasks that keep the teachers busiest. In this case, teachers are the ones who “determine who will talk, when, and for how long, as well as the basic direction of the communication” (175). Teachers are the ones who initiate the pedagogical cycle more often than the students. Yet they aren’t the ones who start the learning process. A student with a drive to succeed requires only encouragement from the gatekeepers. Every level of the learning institution has a different end to the path which is traveled. In high school the gatekeepers help the students to achieve their diploma as professors assist their students to receive a degree. On the topic of gate keeping, I’m almost positive that you’ve experienced a time where you thought you were having a hard time with a certain class or teacher in particular. Now that I think of it, you can compare teachers as gatekeepers to bouncers for a party. Don’t act shy; you know exactly what I’m talking about. You know the night that you were trying to use your best friend’s ID to get into the party and you were turned down. I’m sure your tried again and again and then finally succeeded; even if you had to wait until you were legal. I think that teachers being gatekeepers to education is very similar to that type of situation. Sometimes there are teachers that we often found difficult and would testify to any judge that the teacher didn’t like us and honestly I can say that I’ve felt that way before. Yet now, being in a course where I learn the values of teaching and of multicultural education, I see that there was never a teacher that provided loads of homework because they didn’t like me. They did this to prepare me for my scholastic career. Of course I’m not saying that I didn’t learn, because I did. I’ve learned that I too, am going to be that teacher where you dread entering the class for the beginning of the school year or semester, but you are going to love by the end of the term. Thanks for listening.


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reflection 8

American education was greatly influenced by reform. There were many reform reports and the majority arrived in three waves that continues to influence the American society today. The third of the wave of reform started in about 1988. At this time advocates for the reform felt that school should be full service schools. At these full service schools, students would be provided with a network of social services, health care, nutrition, counseling, transportation, and even parent education. They felt that the school board would be replaced by a board of children’s advocates. People who were dedicated to the well being of children instead of people who focused on making a school better. Also, there would’ve been a children’s policy which would be focused on responding to the multiple needs of children opposed to the school policy which is focused only on education. In the late 1990s the full service schools that were opened in New York, Florida, and California were all opened long after hours to provide different community services. The second wave of reform began in 1986 and was lead by teachers and professors like John Goodland and Theodore Sizer. These educators believed that the students were covering far too many topics and not getting an in-depth study on the topics. They also believed that teachers should have more control in the classrooms. They also believed principal’s role should be strengthened. The schools had a lot of poor academic performance and teaching was considered bland-like. The most dominant reform of the three major reforms began in 1982 and is still happening today. This reform held onto the idea that educational value and quality could be waived by having a certain set of standardized tests for both teachers and students. Many large corporations were complaining that the society needed better training like basic math and reading skills. At this point, it was said that schools weren’t meeting the nation’s economical and technical needs. Critics had even pointed to how low the scores were from American students in math and science on international tests. This reform is still an avid one in today’s society. The state of Florida has implemented certain general requirements for graduation from high school. In order to receive a valid and accredited diploma, each student must pass the FCAT, which is the state’s standardized test. The reform will continue to be the most dominant of them all primarily because the nation’s needs are constantly changing and they are changing rapidly. The economy is going to always request that certain general knowledge come with the employees of corporations. In turn, we, as a nation, is going to have to change the standard requirements for graduation. I remember my mother’s form of motivation was somewhere along the lines of “If you don’t stay in school sooner or later you won’t even be able to get a job at Burger King without a degree.” What if it does lead to that in the future?



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Reflection 7

The three different types of education in ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia consisted of homeschooling, apprenticeship, and temple education. Each form of education and teaching had its uniqueness. Often more than not, in the days of the ancient civilizations, children were considered privileged if they were able to attend temple education. Temple education was for scribes. One had to be born into this position like inheriting the throne from a king. To become an official scribe, one’s father had to be a scribe, and his father’s father, and so on. The scribes were the only people with a formal education. They were thought to have an insight and be very creative. Scribes held a very important position in the Egyptian culture particularly because they recorded everything that happened. The Egyptians felt that with the invention of writing, ones thoughts and ideas did not have to die with them, with the ability to read and write those thoughts and ideas were passed down from different generations through writing. In these formal temple schools, the students had to copy passages from a text called the “Book of Kemyt.” After doing so, they practiced daily exercises given to them by their teacher,(pupil-master), which consisted of copying and writing different models of letters, satirical compositions, poems, etc. Another form of early education was homeschooling. This, along with apprenticeship, were the most popular. That is because not all citizens were privileged enough to attend the temple schools. Girls from families who were less privileged learned how to sing, dance, play instruments, as well as manage a household. At home teaching was also that an official would take their son as an assistant to learn the trades of the work. This was very similar to apprenticeship. With apprenticeship came responsibility. The pupil had to learn the trade of their instructor. The instructor, in turn, had to treat their pupil as if he was a son. Hammurabi’s code was instilled into them leading them to treat their pupil as an adopted son, and if the pupil did not learn the handicraft they would return to their own father’s home. These students had a very different type of education. Education in a formal school was more directed to general knowledge about several different areas of study; whereas apprenticeship was learning a specific task and mastering it by hands on experiences. In modern times, schools require students to get the general knowledge of the most important subjects during grade schools. Afterwards, those who wish to go further in their education can do so by attending college where they can study the area they choose and become masters or even doctors of that subject area. Modern society doesn’t really have the apprenticeship experience like in ancient civilizations. Students have hands on experience through service learning requirements but only to a certain extent. Though there are vocational and trade schools which allow for students to jump into the career of their choice directly instead of doing a lot of general requirement courses. Having on the job training would be a great deed, like Teach for America, but if it accompanies the normal education it would be the best.



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reflection 5

A young boy performing fellatio on an older boy. A group of children being eaten by the Forest Thing. Girls and boys participating in matuumo dances. All of these symbolize the diversity of culture yet it also displays the rites and passages prior to one becoming an adult; a proper adult who have learned the rituals and beliefs of their culture; these proper adults who are sworn to secrecy by the leaders and elders in their community. Education, be it formal or informal, focuses on pupils being taught by people who have mastered the subject matter in which they teach. Rites of passage play a role in both teaching and learning primarily because it teaches responsibility to the people who take part in the ceremonies. It also teaches these individuals that what they are undergoing is only to make them a ‘better’ person. If all the youth in world regarded education in such a manner as some cultures regards rites of passages, the academic success rate of the youth would be sky high. The people who now hold high positions in the villages are now the ones who lead initiation ceremonies and rites of passages beliefs and rituals which were learned from their ancestors. These initiations provide the adults who have completed them with wisdom and understanding, in most cases, and have also provided these individuals with discipline to go into the adult world. This reminds me of the saying to “put away your childish ways and become anew.” Being able to teach and learn a formal education is not something that is a general requirement of life. Often more than not, children in some countries do not have the privilege to attend school so they must learn what they are taught from their parents and their community. I believe that if everyone had to succumb to the rites and passages in cultures, maybe not as rigorous as the afore mentioned, they would develop an appreciation for the formal education that they have the privilege of getting. At least, of course, that is what my mother has always told me because she was raised in a country where school isn’t free (Jamaica) and she reminds me every chance that she has. I remember days when I would pray that her lecture would go by as quick as possible. One can only hope. All in all, teaching and learning are incorporated in rites of passage and initiation ceremonies such that the individuals who go through them gain an knowledge that they would soon be masters of and teach to future generations.
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