History of education Essay Example for Free

History of education Essay John Gatto is a New York City seventh grade teacher with remarkable accolades. Because of his impressive accolades as a teacher and citizen, his words are not taken lightly. As a result of his spotlight, he has come up with a list of seven lessons that no syllabus will ever include, but Gatto insists that they form the core of our educational curriculum today. While he does not agree with the lessons himself, they are being taught nationwide and he insists â€Å"that schools have traded their educational function for one of social coordination†(Gatto 1). First, Mr. Gatto explains that he teaches confusion. That is, he teaches the idea of un-relating everything and making disconnections or teaching too much all at one time. He states â€Å"educators persist in the idea that it is better to leave school with a tool kit of superficial jargon derived from economics, sociology, math, sociology, and natural science, rather than one genuine enthusiasm†(Gatto 2). Rather than studying one or two genuine passions, students are trained to attempt to learn them all even if they don’t care for the subject. Next, Mr. Gatto teaches the lesson of class position. Rather than attempting to move up or down to an easier or harder class, the student must learn that they are in that class for a reason and they must like that position. Gatto explains that, â€Å"[his] job is to make students like being locked together with children who bear numbers like their own†(1). He claims that he never lies to students outright, but has come to learn that truth and teaching are incompatible. The third lesson taught is indifference. Instead of caring about anything too much, Gatto emphasizes that â€Å"nothing important is ever finished in my class†(Gatto 2). Students are taught that nothing really matters. Students in his class must drop everything they are doing once the bell rings, no matter the importance. Pupils live life on the installment plan and must learn to turn on and off like switches. The fourth and fifth lessons taught are emotional and intellectual dependency. Instead of thinking and acting on their own, students are drilled to believe that what they think and do is up to the teacher. The one in charge must first OK simple tasks like going to the bathroom or speaking in class. In addition, they learn that good people let experts tell them what to do. The sixth lesson is provisional self-esteem or the idea that people â€Å"must be told what they are worth†(2). If not, they will rebel against the system and cause utter chaos. Finally, it is taught that you cannot hide. He asserts that â€Å"students are encouraged to tattle on each other† (Gatto 3). Wherever you go there is a big brother watching you and you are never completely alone. Without it, children would learn unauthorized ways. These seven lessons are being taught to the majority of students across The United States of America. While some teachers, such as John Gatto, do acknowledge the fact that the system is flawed, the vast majority do not. Gatto argues that this national curriculum â€Å"produces physical, moral, and intellectual paralysis† (Gatto 4). Instead of instructing how to use your brain to it’s full potential and think critically, our system ensure that children will never grow up fully human. This system is certainly flawed and may seem impossible to recreate, but with enough backing and support a change can be made to restore the educational system. Works Cited Gatto, John T. A Few Lessons They Wont Forget. The Sun May 1991: 1-5. Print.

Latin American Change Essay -- Colonialism Spanish Latin American Essa

Over the course of the past half-millennium, the 33 countries that now comprise Latin America and the Caribbean have gone through drastic change. Since the discovery of the New World in 1492, each country has gone through some level of colonization by a European power and transition to its current state. During this period the regions have seen political, social, religious and economic transformations of various degrees. Nevertheless, many scholars argue that regardless of the changes encountered, many are merely on the surface with little to no meaningful change instilled. A Variety of leaders have attempted to improve their country by both conservative and liberal means. Despite these attempts, though, the underlying foundation of colonial ideals remains. The colonial period began with the discovery of Hispaniola by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and most Latin American countries gained their independence in the nineteenth century. The colonization of Latin America and the Caribbean was dominated by the Iberian countries with small colonies established by the French, English and Dutch. Regardless of the nationality of the colonizers, almost all of the colonies shared basic characteristics, which have persevered over time in some way or another. It is possible to organize the traits of these colonies into four distinct categories: economic development, religious and social mixing, racial and ethnic mixing and political structures. There were two basic industries found in the New World that shaped their economies: agriculture and mining. Both of these required tremendous labor input to match the demand of continental Europe. Goods such as sugar, cotton, coffee, indigo, tobacco, silver and copper were produced and exported in great quantities. At a very early point in the development of the colonies it was understood that the European settlers weren’t willing to do the physical labor themselves; instead African slaves were brought to the New World in order to work on the plantations. When the situation arose that African slaves didn’t adapt to the conditions properly, Native Indians were forced to labor. This subjugation of Africans and the indigenous populations has had dramatic effects on society. As most regions emancipated the slaves sometime in the mid eighteenth century, a social pyramid developed where white elite’s at the top, mulatto landown... ...d of colonialism has permeated through every aspect of society leaving a legacy with recognizable origins and characteristics regardless of the changes instilled by any specific government. As revisions to the economy, political structure, racial and gender situation and national identity are made it is impossible to escape the similarities of the past. Only drastic, social upheaval can cause the type of change activists dream about. Maybe the Spanish inadvertently left a trait that has hindered growth across their history, the concept of Manana (â€Å"tomorrow†), thus putting important policy decisions for another day. We can find examples in the histories of these countries where significant change is found, but it never has a contagious element allowing it to spread across the region, and it is rarely going to affect more then one aspect of society for any extended amount of time. Regardless, of the actual results we have witnessed in the past, there is one constant: a desire for improvement and the ever increasing number of leaders willing to take unorthodox steps to achieve these goals. As long as these characteristics remain, transitions to desired ideals will eventually occur.

Labeling theory and its effects to the society Essay

Labeling theory is a theory that tries to explain the effects of â€Å"labeling† by the society on an individual. It shows that: by labeling an individual for example as insane, that could mark the beginning of the process of him being insane. It is therefore important for society to be careful on the labels that they give to individuals because of the effects that are likely to come with this â€Å"labels†. This paper is going to look into the components of labeling theory and its effects. Labeling Theory Labeling theory looks at the influence that the society has on the development of a certain behavior by an individual because of the society’s perception of him/her. The way an individual has been described and categorized by the public can greatly affect the behavior of the said individual. It also brings out the linguistic tendency of the majority in society to label those who are perceived to be minority or with behaviors different from the rest, negative labels. According to this theory, the stigmatizing or negative labels given to these individuals have a significant effect on them such that some of the individuals may proceed to being deviant (Becker, 1964). An example is an individual who is perceived to be a drug addict. Even if the drugs do not affects his professional life, when individuals whom they work with come to know that they use drugs, they may start avoiding and associating them with all other crimes that are done by drug addicts. Because of this stigmatization, the individual may end up loosing the job and could not be able to secure a decent job in any other place. This will leave him with no other option other than involving in crime for survival, something which he could not have gotten himself in were it not for stigmatization and labels that were directed to him/her (Becker, 1963). According to Becker (1963), the process of labeling cannot be assumed to be purely right because if so, it could have not considered the general rule of deviance which is: it is the society that creates it. The society may create some social rules and apply them to some given individuals without proper consideration. Their claims cannot be justified because there is a possibility that the individual may not be what the society perceives him/her to be. Other offenders may be lucky to go without being noticed by people and you cannot say that just because they were able to escape unseen, they are clean and cannot qualify to be deviant or those who have been labeled are all the same. This is because there may be false accusations. The theory may affect the society in many ways. It may lead to increased crime rate among individuals and society. This is because of the effect that the theory has on an individual like in the example above of a drug addict who will be forced to engage in dangerous activities because of discrimination by the people around him/her. It may also serve as an example to other individuals to avoid committing crimes considering the condemnation involved after carrying out the crime (Becker, 1964). Victims of this theory can also become victims of self fulfilled prophesy. Because of the perception that the society has on these individuals, they may begin to change their behavior to that which the society has labeled them to have either consciously or unconsciously. An example is a homosexual individual. Being a homosexual may not have an effect on an individual’s professional life, but if his colleagues become aware of that fact, it may be difficult for the said person to comfortably work therefore his work will also suffer as a result. Poor results in the work place have been brought about by discrimination that an individual has received from his colleagues because of the label of a â€Å"homosexual† that he had acquired. Although the individuals may be determined to do things right, it may be difficult to abide by that (Becker, 1963). Although this theory may bring about positive influences in society such that others may learn from victims, it makes victims to be more deviant. This could be because of lack of support from the individuals around the victims making life more unbearable for them pushing them further into crime. References Becker, H. S. (1963). Outsiders: labeling theory. New York, NY: The Free Press Becker, H. S. (1964). The Other Side: Perspectives on Deviance. New York, NY: The Free Press

George Kellys Philosophical Theory - 1400 Words

1. George Kelly’s theory is a scientific alternative to personality theory. He developed an organized set of constructs to explain human phenomenon. Describe how Kelly’s philosophical theory has clinical application to Jane’s personality structure? How might Kelly’s concept of pathological anxiety apply to your understanding of Jane? George Kelly’s theory of personality was predicated upon one thought – â€Å"Man is a scientist† meaning each of us tries to make sense of the world we live in by forming hypothesis. Once we enter into adulthood, according to Kelly, we will have developed a very complex model of the world and our place in it. Kelly believed a person’s conscious thoughts, feelings and personal experiences defined their†¦show more content†¦It is important to note that when thinking this way the action was not influenced by the person, but from an outside source. When a person reacts to something, he or she is acting this way due to a stimulus. (Duval, et., al. 2001). In studying Jane’s personality and using the casual attribution theory, it is my opinion that Jane has become a recluse not wanting to leave outside of her home, is due to a stimulus. That stimulus occurred at the time of the accident, when Jane’s husband was killed and she was spared. Ultimately this stimulus is the cause of her behavior. Self-Schemata/Self Guides According to the text, Schemas â€Å"are structures of the mind that we use to make sense of the world around us,† (Pervin et al., p 341). Self-Schema is a belief about oneself that leads to a bias that is self-perpetuating. The self-schema becomes self-perpetuating when the individual chooses activities based on expectations instead of desires. Self-schemas relate to how a person interprets and processes information, as well as how decisions are made. Individuals can have several self-schemas as people develope different views of themselves (Markus, et. al., 1987). Furthermore, self-schemas can be positive and negative (ChangingMinds.org). Jane’s self concept is guiding her behavior. In Jane’s case, she is utilizing a self-schema that is negative. Jane has chosen to stay within the confines of her home based on her expectations that something traumatic will happen to herShow MoreRelatedA Critical Review of Kelly’s Personality Theory in Personality Devel opment2225 Words   |  9 PagesCervone, 2013). George A. Kelly, an American psychologist born in 1905 in Kansa, is one of those major contributors in the field of personality psychology (Warren, 1998). In this paper, I am writing to critically review George A. Kellys perspective on personality. I will first review Kellys philosophy of personality. Then, I will review major concepts of Kellys theory. Finally, I will critically evaluate Kellys theory and share personal reflection on writing this paper. 2. 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They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of workRead MoreExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pageswhich have been chosen to enlarge speciï ¬ c issues in the text and/or provide practical examples of how business and public sector organisations are managing strategic issues. The case studies which follow allow the reader to extend this linking of theory and practice further by analysing the strategic issues of speciï ¬ c organisations in much greater depth – and often providing ‘solutions’ to some of the problems or difï ¬ culties identiï ¬ ed in the case. There are also over 33 classic cases on t he Companion