Teaching and Critical Pedagogy
SCHOOL
AND SOCIETY
ES 395
____________________________
"Skim, Scan, and Copy" Materials: Chapter 2
This chapter takes a close look at just how equal schooling is for all students. To the point, the chapter takes a close look at the relationship between race, gender, and educational attainment. Your job is to analyze this relationship. What you will find, if you look close enough, is that is it quite likely that schools play a role in determining social class.
More importantly, you will find that schools have a hand in perpetuating societal inequities.
Skim over the following, print out some of the material, and be prepared to talk about some of the following connects to Spring's chapter:
- Learn more about Savage Inequalities by Jonathon Kozoll . Read the book review of Kozol's Savage Inequalities and be prepared to respond
- Do some research on the Internet regarding poverty and some of the issues surrounding poverty rates in this country. What does this say about education and schooling? Is there a relationship between poor education and being poor ? Is there equality in education? Is there equality in society?
- Teacher's expectations are linked to the social class of students. Read more about the pygmalion effect , and be ready to share with the class. Why is knowing about this important to teachers?
- Take a look at tracking and ability grouping and be able to discuss what both: their differences, their similarities, etc. You could take a look at Jeannie Oakes' book . Has anyone else done work on tracking or how it affects students? Society? Ultimately, spend some time researching the big picture to see what, if anything , has been added to the discussion since Oakes' ground-breaking work.
- Take time to explore a bit the history of tracking, perceptions of ability, Darwin, scientific theory, and sociopolitical connections to Japan .
- Tell us who Bowles and Gintis are. How does their work tie to issues tied to social class and education ?
- Explore the connections between tracking, high stakes testing , and racial/socioeconomic disparity . Find out more about the idea of 'social inequality' . Become an expert on the issue, and the role that schools and social ideologies play in sustaining inequity in society.
- Do some research on the Internet on real estate and standardized tests . Often, test scores are posted in local papers. Check out how real estate agents use these results to sell homes . Do some research on the Internet on real estate and standardized tests . Often, test scores are posted in local papers. Check out how real estate agents use these results to sell homes. Why do they do this?