Reflection #19

Education has come a long way from the dame schools of early colonial education. Dame schools were often converted homes where manners, social graces, and some vocational skills were taught. After the dame schools students attended the Latin grammar schools which were a continuation of a boy’s education. This is if they could afford to attend. Girls mostly returned home to practice the “art” of housekeeping. The Latin grammar school was the first step in creating the American high school. One of the reasons that the school taught Latin and required student to read and recite works in Latin was that graduates of this school were expected to go on to college. They would then be leaders in their communities, this especially includes ministers. The Latin Grammar Schools curriculum began to include mathematics, science, and modern languages in the eighteenth century. This was a switch from the original basics of Greek works like Socrates and Homer. Most non-white males were excluded from this new educational growth in the nation. This was a time of denial of equal educational rights and a second rate education for outsiders. Horace Mann was the leading advocate for the establishment of what was called common schools or what we now call elementary schools. . These schools were open to all, poor and wealthy alike. He believed that public education should serve practical as well as idealistic goals. Elementary schools became a great success and more and more Americans were enrolled in them. However, there was a great gap between elementary schools and the university. The same place where the first tax supported elementary school and college in American, Massachusetts, was also the site of the first secondary school (English Classical School). While high schools were slow to take off like elementary schools because of public resistance to paying additional school taxes, they began to take on a uniquely American look. The high school was a continuation of elementary education and a path to high education and affirmed of our constitution.

Extra Credit - Hispanic Heritage

I really enjoyed the Hispanic heritage performance. Even my finikey husband who does not like anything enjoyed it. As musicans both of us love to go to live showing when ever we can. This event was the first time that Ive ever seen a live Mariachi Band. There were awesome and so professional. There lyrical sound left me with chills racing up my spine. Who knew that Mariachi's had such beauticul voices. They must have practiced for a long time to get there perforce just right. KiKi and the Afro Peruvian project was great as well. They made me want to get up and dance a salsa dance that I dont quite know. It just make me want to move my body. The bongo player was very talented and was throwing "bows" on the bongos. We were transfixed under there spell moving to the swave of the rhytum that was surrounding us on all sides. I just wish that i could have stayed long enough to see the flamingo dancers.

Extra Credit- Muhammad Airport

I am left with a burgage of feeling after reading these two stories. On the one hand I have a fear for traveling to places like this because of the corruption. On the other hand I am excited as have always want to travel to the mother land and see how African live. As I know that the author of this story is well and had many wonderful adventures in many foreign in lands I have a deep since of respect for him. It takes a lot to leave your comfort zone and explore the scary unfamiliar world. Bravery is a wonderful trait to have and builds moral character. Would I have been brave enough to argue with customs over the outrageous fee? Would I have panicked when a total stranger took my passport on the pretence of helping me through customs? I am not sure of either of these answers but I would like to think that I would take a leap on faith and do whatever I could to get what I wanted. The author obviously wanted to travel the country no matter what and would not be deterred. I enjoyed both poems immensely as they made me hunger for an African adventure.

Reflection #18

In a way education in America was always view as a way to improve society. The Puritans believed that saving souls and understanding the bible was a path to heaven. Not only was it a path to heaven it was a way to be moral and upstanding citizens. In creating moral and upstanding citizens you improved society. This is why the majority of education in colonial American involved reading, writing, and moral development. It was not just to create upstanding citizens, but to create upstanding citizens who could read and understand the bible. By implementing a law that required that children were taught properly Puritans started what would become known as the Boston Grammar School. This is the first step in creating modern schools in the United States of America. This school taught students how to recite Greek works in Latin as well as incorporated math, science, and some other languages. While students were studying heavily from scripture they were also being taught to be leader of the community. These new leaders were also expected to continue their education and become ministers in order to spread their knowledge (moral excellence) on to their congregation (community). While I believe that there should be a separation of church and state in public schools the colonist dead attempt to educated their children as best as they could (in their minds) on how to be productive citizens. In doing so they exposed them to reading, reading is a powerful tool that will expand the mind of whoever possesses it. In teaching children skills like reading, math, and science you give a student the vehicle to learn and create. In today’s society children take what they have learned and run with it and create innovative ways of doing that very well may help society in the future.

Reflection #17

Colonial New England schools and schools in the U.S today are vastly different. One of the main differences would be the teachers. In the beginning of education the majority of teachers was male and it was seen as a taboo for a woman to teach. Teaching was primarily a gendered career and its gender was male. The women were seen as gender trespassers and often viewed as masculine. Also a major difference in the schools of the past is the religion. Education was seed as a path to heaven and teaching children to read and write was all revolved around the bible. While before this most children were educated in a trade and were not formally educate. They were taught how to read, manners and morals at home by parents or grandparents. Now it very rare for children to be taught at home and even rarer to have children engage in a trade rather than attend a formal school. While morals are often taught at home and religion is often taught in a place of worship the education of the past include a almost constant religious rhetoric. Another difference between the schools of the past and today’s schools would have to be discrimination. Although integration between poor and wealthy children quickly gained popularity in colonial schools integration based on race was far behind. While there were some schools that did educate blacks they were segregated and lacking far behind other schools. This is hard to grasp in the current diverse educational structure in the U.S. today. We celebrate diversity and educated many students from all walks of life. The gap between elementary and university was a wide one in colonial American and thus there was a need for secondary schools after elementary schools. This is the norm in today’s society where children are grouped by age and skill level. It is a sort of rite of passage. When a child finishes with one graduation they are celebrated and continue their education journey into adulthood.

Reflection#16

Education in Rome was generally taught in the home with primary emphasis on being a good citizen and traditional practices. Education grew as reading in Greek became fashionable. The education of children that was taught outside of the home had three different types’ levels of teachers. The rhetor was the last level of teacher who trained their student to make speeches on various themes and how to engage in debates regarding said theme. Rhetoric was a type of sophist who specialized in making the bad case seem good and the best case seem bad. They were very popular in Roman education. This was due to both the popularity of Greek and speaking publicly about important views. There was not one language taught in Roman schools. The bilingual languages taught were roman as well as the Greek language. To speak Greek was seen as a great accomplishment because although everyone wanted to learn Greek not everyone could afford to be taught Greek. When the Romans began to speak in Greek it was done to show off there wealth of knowledge and social standing within their society. Those who taught public speaking to the wealthy were the sophist or in Roman society the Rhetoric. Rhetoric taught the youth in speech making which was key to winning an argument. They were paid to teach men of Roman how to speak publicly on important matters. Those important matters where usually revolving around politics. Unlike the philosophers of Greece who were interested in knowledge sophist were concerned more with winning the argument. Later on the rhetoric became known for their close association with written text. Not only were their students trained in speech making they were also trained in literacy. Hence they studied grammar and writing to perfect these skills. Many of these Roman scholars however were lost in the Middle Ages as Christianity began to spread.

Reflection#15

There were quite a few differences between the Athens and Roman approach to education. One difference is that in Athens girls were not taught a formal education at all. They were usually taught at home by their mothers. However in Rome wealthy men sometimes educated their daughters, however, this too was done at home. There education was vastly different from their male counterparts. The girls were taught how to sew, music, and how to be a good wife. This schooling was short as girls were allowed to marry at the age of 12. Another difference was that in Greece education was a means to have more knowledge and thus to be better and happier citizens. In Greece tuition for most schools were pretty low so that even the poorest citizen could afford to allow their children to attend, at least for a short time. In Rome however, education was for the rich people who put a lot of faith in education. This was done mostly to impress their friends and neighbors. The poor of Rome could not afford to be formally educated although they still learned to read and write. The biggest difference between the two civilizations would have to be the corporal punishment. While this may have gone on in Greece it was not a standard until Rome. When a student did not learn a particular lesson or made a mistake they were often held down by slaves and flogged. While Greek ideas were very important to the Romans they did not fully grasp the idea of reasoning that many of the Greek philosophers were trying to teach. If they did then they would have understood that punishment in this manner did not create better students.

Reflection#14 Aristotle on Happiness

We are continuing to see the impact of Aristotle’s ideas today. His ideas in the Nicomachean Ethics are the basis for happiness in most all societies. To live a good life we do not need money and things in excess. To live a good life according to Aristotle we need only contemplate our role in the universe and try to fulfill that purpose. There is so much depression among those with wealth and fame in today’s society yet are they living a good life, if so they would be happy; believed Aristotle. To continue to do things that make you a bad person will not make you happy. Aristotle believed that excellence is a habit and to do things like help an old lady down the street habitually would increase your happiness. Drug dealers in society know that they are doing wrong and want to change, why? Not because they fear getting caught but because they know that these actions do not promote happiness. Another idea on happiness from Aristotle was continued education. The person who is a life learner will age gracefully as new and stimulating knowledge guarantees that you will have interesting conversations. When we are born we are born seeking knowledge. Once we stop looking for that knowledge we slowly begin to die as there is nothing left for us to do. The key point in Aristotle’s philosophy was excellence. To pursue moral excellence we must purse wisdom while avoiding evil. This idea is represented in today’s society with the saying that “absolute evil corrupts absolutely”. Excellence in wisdom is how you continue a happy life. Exercising your knowledge by pursing it continually is a good thing. Often we agree with an idea because we were taught to believe it. This is not the reasoning thinker that Aristotle hoped we could all be; this is a type of plagiarism. To come up with new and fresh ideas is apart of exercising your knowledge. This pursuit will only make you more excellent and thus happier in life.

Reflection#13 Plato's Ideas Today

Plato had lots of ideas on how humans behave and philosophy. While some are hard to understand, some like the Allegory of the cave can be applied to today’s society. We are so use to being apart of a group that it is very hard to try to be original. If we go against the group we are often ridiculed into rejoining the group. Creative thought is chained to the wall and when someone tries to teach others they resist. Much like those in the allegory of the cave they are afraid of change. This can be directly liked to today’s society. In an ever changing world some refuse to learn because they are chained to a metaphoric wall. They see the cultural and scientific change in the world as being something they need to avoid. Keeping there wall close is key in their eyes to stay content. They would rather live a lie instead of embracing the truth. Instead of using their reasoning skills and educating themselves, most would rather keep their preconceived notions and use there opinions to form facts about the world. Many people however, have come to realize that they must break away from the wall if they want to fully experience the world. The election of President Obama is an example of many people looking outside of the cave. The idea that white men are superior to all others was not working so there was a paradigm shift and those who were clinging to the wall slowly began to step outside of the cave. If they were wrong about one aspect of their belief system maybe they were wrong about something else. Plato’s ideas are still alive and well in today’s society as is evident in the dissolution of stereotypical ideas in a history of bigotry.

Reflection #12 How Sputnik changed education

After the launch of Sputnik, in the year 1958 during the month of August, the national defense education act was passed. This resulted in a revolutionary curriculum reform in math, science, and foreign languages. As the U.S.S.R had beaten the U.S. in the space race Eisenhower knew that education needed reform if we were going to compete on an international level in the future. Some of the features of the new education act were money and loans that the government made eligible to college students. This meant that more students could attend college, a large number of those students from social and economic backgrounds that would not have allowed them to go to college in the past. This remodeling of education also made its way into grade schools and high schools. The agenda was meant to improve math, science, and language facilities in these schools. This required teachers to become more proficient in these areas of study. The launching of Sputnik affected U.S. education because the U.S. did not have citizens qualified to work in the field of the space program. The continued success of the U.S.S.R in their space program led the national leader to question what was being taught. Eisenhower was confident in the U.S. educational system but made reforms regardless as he wanted the U.S. to grow as a society. Sputnik captured the attention of various Americans at the time. There were various commercial goods sold promoting Sputnik and many looked for Sputnik as a pass time. This led a kind of obsession which led to more questions about the universe. What was out there? This led to education on a mass scale. Not only in those who were wealthy and could afforded to be formally educated but, also those who wanted a better future for themselves and their family.

Reflection #11 Impact of reasoning

Ideas from the philosopher Socrates impacted people to reason and question. His philosophy “the elenchus” was used to show those who listened to him that they were confused about there own beliefs. Although many believe Socrates to be a very wise man, he adamantly stated that the only truth that he knew was that he in fact knew nothing. This philosophy does not define a simple truth but rather confuses people by asking them questions about there beliefs and reveling there inconsistencies. In education this can be a both a positive and a negative. Positive because it leads you to question everything and to seek knowledge and a negative as it leaves you will even more questions, some that you may never be able to answer. The examined life shows Socrates being judged by the Athenian Senate on multiple charges. Socrates becomes a martyr for the elenchus, which shows that to seek knowledge, is worth the ultimate sacrifice. The impact of this is felt in today’s society. We seek new knowledge not just by looking up information but by also questioning those ideas. New ideas can be very hard to accept and to question the old ideas can mean death. Some people want to be right and have the answers so badly that to question their knowledge is an insult. When Socrates began to question people intelligence and left many with doubt this started an epidemic of searching for knowledge among the young. In many societies’s to question what “is” fact is a sacrilege in itself. Yet without questioning what “is” there can be no growth as a society. In the ancient Greek world moral excellence was described as fostering character habits that you wanted to achieve in life. In American culture to questions someone’s morality is considered rude. However, the impact of this idea is that in order to judge others moral character you must be willing to answer questions about your own moral character. In other words, sweep around your own front door before you begin to sweep around mine. This will keep you from making the assumption that you have the right answer regarding moral issues that you may not have.