Amazing Grace, Blog #3
Kozol, Jonathon
Isabella D'Arezzo
All of these quotes capture the key message highlighting the issues of educational equality as well as the neglect of children and the need to reform are educational system.
"in a world where the educational focus of a nation is more on winning than on learning, children pay a price for their parents ambition"
When kozol says children pay the price he is referring to the pressure put on students. The pressure of "winning" can lead to stress and burnout and a narrow learning path focused on performance rather than the genuine love for learning. children often experience stress and anxiety when they are unable to meet the expectations of their parents and society.
"Inequality in the public schools in as much a scandal, perhaps more so, then equality in the church or military. And the deepest roots of inequality lie in an educational caste system that still embraces in a richly funded curriculum the children of the privileged and cosigns the children of the poor to a place where expectations are diminished"
In this quote Kozol is drawing attention to the fact that there is inequality within the American school system. He is arguing that these inequalities are a cause for concern and deserves way more attention than receives. He is arguing children from impoverished backgrounds often get limited opportunity and resources. Children with outdated material and overcrowded classrooms can result in lower educational outcomes and low expectations for the students.
"The only purpose of a test score in my view is to tell us where the child is, so we can do something about it"
In this quote Kozol is saying the ultimate goal of test scores should be to take constructive actions so you are able to see the child's improvement. It's not about labeling a child based off of their performance yet its focusing more on providing appropriate resources that the child may need.
I like your second quote. The movie, "Teach us all", that we had to watch for class talks about how the level of education determines our future. This is is true. If people were more educated, especially poor neighborhoods, they would have the knowledge to get out of the situations they are in. Education is definitely not a universal concept, although we try to make it seem like it is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your third quote you used, it's so important to see grades and test scores as information about where the child's understanding is and taking steps to support students that are falling behind rather than shaming or labeling them
ReplyDeleteI really love how you show the emphasis on the goal rather than the journey. Too often people are driven by a goal but do not take time to enjoy the process. They are so focused on this goal that they forget to stop and smell the roses. I think it's so important to have goals, but I also think we need to keep in mind the beauty of the journey toward achieving said goal(s)
ReplyDelete"The pressure of "winning" can lead to stress and burnout and a narrow learning path focused on performance rather than the genuine love for learning" I think that this is an excellent sentiment and an important thing to remember as a teacher. We will always have those students who are trying to "win" at school, due to all of the societal pressure put on them. All that we can do is try to reframe the focus of school as an endeavor to grow, and to connect with our peers. As long as our students feel that they are growing in a meaningful way, everybody is a winner.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all your comments on Kozol's quotes. Putting too much pressure on children to win can cause anxiety and hinder their performance. Inequality in the Americas school system is a cause for concern. Overcrowded and underfunded classrooms lead to poor learning conditions.
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