Social Reconstructionism in the classroom

Social Reconstructionism in the classroom.

Social reconstructionism essentially says that people are responsible for social conditions, whether good or bad. I decided to choose this theory because I wanted to learn more about why and how these changes in the social community are approached. I found this great website that talked a lot about social reconstructionims in schools. (http://www.examiner.com/x-5448-DC-Public-School-Teacher-Examiner~y2009m4d4-Social-Reconstructionism) It says that schools single handily should shape or reconstruct society. Social Reconstructionism also can start off as deconstructing and putting the boring information policy makers and politicians down because of what they say we have to teach. I think that it is important to develop change in the society and in the text book it states that social reconstructionists were provocative in advocating immediate change from top to bottom. It was based on the faith that the power of science with solve human problems. Social reconstructionists wanted to build the "perfect society". They believed that everyone should be created equal and no one should be extremely well off when another person was suffering. The ultimate goal was to bring the less fortunate situations into positive results. I like the idea of this theory in being concerned about the less fortunate, I don't like to see other people suffer and I think its great to try and solve the problems that caused these people to get in the situations they are in.

Inclusion in the classroom

Inclusion In the Classroom

Inclusion in the classroom is very important that it is handled in the right way. I am very interested in this topic because I believe that it is an important issue that students need and it needs to be handled properly. Inclusion is when a the support services are brought to right to the child to cater to their needs rather than taking the child out of the classroom. There are different issues to both sides of this topic of inclusion. I found a great website that really explored the pros and cons on inclusion. (http://www.weac.org/Issues_Advocacy/Resource_Pages_On_Issues_one/Special_Education/special_education_inclusion.aspx) also, (http://techinclusion.tripod.com/)
They say that inclusion really does benefit for everyone if the right materials are used and available. Advocates believe that inclusion will increase individual achievement. I agree that if the right tools are available for the students and teachers, inclusion will be very beneficial. On the other hand, if the classroom is not organized, I believe that inclusion can have a negative impact on some children. Although it is a very beneficial thing for those students who do need the resources because they wont be taken out of the classroom for help, the help will be brought to them. Therefore they wont miss any big assignments or announcements that the teacher presents while they were out of the classroom getting help. This is the biggest reason inclusion is so popular now, the students who have learning problems tend to achieve more because they are getting the help they need without missing class time. Also, when students were taken out of the class room for extra help during the school day, their friends may have wondered where they were or other students in the class may have teased those students. Now, even though they have a aid with them at certain points during the day, they are not fully taken out of the class where the other children can notice completely.

Racism In The Classroom

Is Racism in the classroom improving or getting worse?

Unfortunately racism in the classroom does take place but there are ways to get past this. I see it all of the time especially with younger children, they don't really know how to react to other children of a different race. I feel as though it is not their fault at an early age because they should be taught about the subject and be involved in different activities that will make them comfortable with different situations. I do remember when I was younger there was a lot of racism in school. Some children would be very mean to other children of a different race and make fun of them and exclude them from all different activities. I feel as though this can be changed though. I found a great website, (http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/racism_morgan.html) that really caught my eye in dealing with some of these issues. There are many different ways a teacher can deal with the issue of race. They can do different activities in small groups so the children can get a better understanding of other peoples background. They can create posters and present them to the rest of the class, therefore other students can start asking questions about the different cultural backgrounds. I know that racism is a tough subject but if the right connections are made with children then they can have a completely different view on culture than they do now.

Are dress code regulations necessary?

Are dress code regulations necessary?

When I was in high school and middle school I would always wonder why there was such a strict dress code. Now that I am becoming a teacher I see it in a completely different way. I agree that there should be a dress code. If there wasn't, the things that students might wear to school might be absurd. The logos on the shirts could be insulting to some people. Students should be going to school to concintrate on school and not what other people are wearing.
For example I found a lot of information on http://educationalissues.suite101.com/article.cfm/dress_codes_and_school. They say that if their are a group of people who wear baggy pants and bandanas, other students might be very intiminated by them and think its some sort of gang. Students should feel safe in school not intiminated and scared. Also, if students dress in a seductive way, this can really draw the opposite sexs attention any from their studies. The reason students are at school is to learn not look at the opposite sex all day. In my opinion, I think that uniforms will solve the whole problem of the wrong dress code. I dont think there is anything wrong with uniforms, I actually think it is a good idea for most schools.

Which school setting is more beneficial, Public or Private?

Which school setting is more beneficial, Pubic or Private school?



I have always wondered if a private school would be more beneficial than a public school. When I was in middle school I had the opportunity to go to Austin Prep, a catholic private school in my town, but I decided I didn't want to go because I wanted to go to high school with my friends. My brother is two years below me in school and when the opportunity came up for him, he took it and attended Austin Prep. He is now a senior and it was really interesting to compare our two educational experiences. Looking back personally, I would 100% go to a private school if I could make my decisions all over again. I had a learning disability in high school and I really don't believe my public school did the best on working through that with me. Also, the work load was significantly smaller at my high school than my brothers work load at Austin Prep. I think that Austin Prep really can prepare kids for the work in college and they get a little more experience in that area, whereas I feel as though I wasn't as prepared for the work load in college because I wasn't doing 2-3 hours of homework a night. I was doing 1 at the very most.

After doing some research on this topic I found out some interesting pros and cons of both Public and Private schools.(http://nyteachers.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/public-vs-private-schools-what-school-best-serves-a-childs-educational-needs-by-jennifer-johnson-keisha-adamson-kogle/)
In public school teachers are more qualified for their subject area. They also spend more time studying the CORE Curriculum, English, Math, Social Studies and Science. Public schools tend to have more services for learning disabilities. Some negative aspects of a public school are that they tend to have larger class sizes than private schools. They then lack the amount of supplies and text books needed. A big disadvantage of a public school is that they are not all created equal.
On the other hand, Private schools have smaller class sizes and a smaller teacher to student ratio. The teachers can be more dedicated to the student and the parents of that student which is a huge reason why parents like private schools. In private schools there are lower incidence of drugs, violence etc. Students that attend a private school tend to perform higher on the National Assessment of Education Process. Also, there are many courses offered that are college focused and just generally gets the students ready for college experiences.
There are some drawbacks of Private schools though. These schools are much more costly than public schools. The teachers are not required to have any special certifications. The admissions process is very competitive, unlike public schools where everyone can attend. In private schools some schools do not have any special education programs and are not required to.
Ultimately, the decision of going to a private vs. a public school is up to the parents and how well they think their child will do in either setting. It depends on the student them self. I agree that it really depends on the student. I think that private schools definitely get you physically and mentally more prepared for college.

Hello Everyone

Hey Guys, this is my first time using a blog and I am using it to update you with my education at Salem State for a class I am taking. The class seems really interesting so far, there is a lot of work but I think that its just because it is an online class so it seems like a lot. I have never taken an online class before so I'm still kind of getting use to everything. I am really excited to start my observation hours and everything, it should be a lot of fun. The pictures to the left are my friends and I, my boyfriend and I, and my puppy Champ who is almost 2 now. They are just so you can get to know a little bit about me and my life.