Most of the time when I think about the stereotypical poor slums of Chicago I think about gangs and violence and a poor learning community. I'm guessing most people probably think the same thing. Reading this story I find it amazing that these fifth graders care about their school. Most kids that attend schools that are run down and dirty don't normally care about their education. If I had to go to a school like that I probably wouldn't care about my education either. If the government doesn't care enough about my education to give me a decent learning environment why should I care about my education either. It's incredible that these kids care enough about their school to try and make a difference.
The other part of the article that interested me was the teaching style of Brian D. Schultz. I think it's a lot easier to learn when you can related it to your own life. Towards the end of high school the English classes started adopting a new style. For every story we read we had to write a couple sentences about how we could relate the story to our life, to another story, and to the world. I think that learning style definately helped me connect with the story which in turn raised my grade. I think it would be beneficial to all students if teachers tried relating the work that we do to the real world so we could better understand it.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Living Savage Inequalities Analysis
Living in Delafield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, I knew I was very fortunate to be provided with the opportunity to get a great education. As far as school systems are concerned, all I really knew was that as you approached inner city Milwaukee schools, the quality of education definitely went downhill. Until reading this article, I had not realized the extent of the conditions of such schools.
I agree with Mr. Schultz that social class is a determining factor in the way students are taught. This is sad but true. I was appalled by the statements of the conditions of the students’ school. Just hearing about the children not having an adequate learning facility made me empathize with them. The poor conditions of the building were injustices to the students. There was no way the students should have had to be expected to further their knowledge and learning experience in such conditions. I found Mr. Schultz’s notion that “the role of a teacher is to provide opportunity and space to students. A teacher must ultimately embrace intelligence, allowing students to leverage what they know, and what they already can successfully accomplish.” to be a very powerful statement. Mr. Schultz knew what the children needed in order to learn, and he wanted to be able to provide this for them. He wanted the students to use their imagination, creativity, and interest to develop a love for learning.
It is true that all students deserve to receive good instruction, dedication, and nurturing from reliable resources. These resources are the schools. The statement from Tavon, “We think everyone should have a good home and a good school. Don’t you agree?” came across as very strong. That shouldn’t be something a child should have to fight for. It should be something that the child can take advantage of in order to prosper and better themselves as a person. The students needed this school setting in order to demonstrate and practice their intelligences. I found it remarkable how eager the students were to pursue this problem of their falling down school. They wanted to know how they could influence change. They knew that they deserved an equal opportunity to have a great school.
It was really mindboggling to realize how much the students wanted to learn once they were learning about a topic that affected them and they were passionate about. Their goal was to make a difference in their learning facility, and be equipped with a good school. This ultimate shared goal united the students to work together and seek accomplishment. I am proud of the students for writing so many letters to representatives and showing them everything that was wrong with their school and why they deserved a new one. I applaud them for never giving up on their goal and continually trying to influence the ultimate decision makers.
In the scheme of things, a decent school is absolutely nothing to ask for. It should be assumed. All children are entitled to one and deserve to be provided the opportunity to get a good education. I thought it was true that even though the students did not get their new school, they had already won by fighting for something they believed in and accomplishing multiple improvements within the school. The students’ confidence and willingness to work toward their goal was extremely impressive for a group of 5th graders. I was intrigued by the concept of “superb alternatives” and like the sentence, “They needed to know that while they were fighting for what they believed in, they were accomplishing, receiving, and experiencing ‘superb alternatives’ even if they did not get the perfect solution.”
The students put forth an incredible amount of effort towards spreading the word and getting others involved. They took on leadership roles. The numerous letters supporting the students and encouraging them, as well as replying to letters the students sent, was shocking. I couldn’t believe that the group of 5th graders had spread the word the way they did. I thought the happiest part of the outcome was that the students began believing in themselves and realizing their capabilities. It is true that “Now awakened, the young peoples’ intelligence and inspiration, interest and imagination, certainly drove their learning.” Student interest definitely contributed to their success. The project of working towards a new school was important to them. I believe that this article and education can be concluded by the line, “The students were given the prospect and responsibility to be active participants in the development and design of their own learning, fostering an ‘enabling education.’”
Living Savage Inequalities Response
I saw Living Savage Inequalities as an eye-opening story about the democracy of education. Brian D. Schultz’s idea of letting his eleven-year-old students set the curriculum for the class seemed risky, but ended up being nothing short of genius. The students in Schultz’s class were forced to think outside of the textbook norm for the first time, and chose a problem that they all cared deeply about: improving their school.
I think that this is a prime example of how education is an inevitable experience that is most valuable when it isn’t forced upon someone. The students in classroom 405 transformed from unmotivated and unprepared to willing and motivated, and it was because the criteria directly related to them. These underprivileged children all of the sudden were learning how to “prepare documentation including their survey results, photos, and written assessments.” Attendance and discipline were no longer an issue and they were operating above their previous level. I don’t believe that any of this would have happened if Schultz didn’t give them the opportunity take leadership and apply what they were learning to their everyday life.
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