Wealth inequality has widened along racial, ethnic lines since end of Great Recession

"The Pew article describes ways in which wealth inequality in the USA has widened along racial, ethnic lines since end of Great Recession. How do you think this may impact your work as an education professional? Please include at least one reference (include the page number and a quote) to the Is everyone really equal? text in your response."

I think this article gives infromaiton that will impact my work as a teacher drastically. If I am working in a school with the majority white students, that could lead to more parent volunteers and money for supplies. Also these children are most likely coming to school well nourished, with a good amount asleep, and clothed. Whereas if I was placed in a school that was the majority african american students it could be the exact opposite. Students would not come to school well fed and read to learn, parents would not be able to support the classroom in any way because they are trying to feed their families, and finally these students may carry the stress of their parents to school. In this instance it would be much more difficult as a teacher. I would need to connect with these students and give them the best learning experience. 


When reviewing Is Everyone Really Equal, I found a quote that I felt went well with what this article was speaking about. "However, race as a social idea has profound significance and impacts every aspect of our lives. This impact includes where we are most likely to live, which schoool we will attend, who our friends and partners will be, what careers we will have, and even how long we will live." The impact of the article on my teaching is based on race and in my opinion that leads to how well students will come to school ready to learn. Race as a social idea means that they will continue the path their parents are falling under based on the Pew article. 

History of U.S. Education

History of U.S. Education 

Below I have listed 5 points in history that I believe to important to the history of education in the United States. 

1. 1856 - The first kindergarten in the U.S. is started in Watertown, Wisconsin, founded by Margarethe Schurz. Four years later, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody opens the first "formal" kindergarten in Boston, MA. 
1. This was a very important time for the history of U.S. education because it shows that early education was becoming important for children as young as 5 starting school. Beginning children in kindergarten shows them the importance of school and gives them the opportunity to begin learning numbers, letters, and other social interactions. When children turn 5 most of them will begin schooling and it begins a routine that every year they will start a new year with a new teachers and friends. 

1. 1929 - Jean Piaget's The Child's Conception of the World is published. His theory of cognitive development becomes an important influence in American developmental psychology and education.
1. Much of our teaching is developed from methods, ideas, and research that people such as Jean Piaget have done over the years. This was an important point in the history of education because it shapes how children learn or how he believed they learn. People either agreed with him or disagreed with his theory of cognitive development. Today teachers use the his ideas in developmental psychology to help guide their classrooms and how students learn. Piaget's theory and many others are important to each individual depending on the setting of the classroom and their philosophy. This is something we will continue to see in the future as more people find what they believe to be better ways of teaching children. 

1. 1954 - On May 17th, the U.S. Supreme Court announces its decision in the case of Brown v. Board. of Education of Topeka, ruling that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,"thus overturning its previous ruling in the 1896 case of  Plessy v. Ferguson.   Brown v. Board of Education is actually a combination of five cases from different parts of the country. It is a historic first step in the long and still unfinished journey toward equality in U.S. education.
1. The ruling of separate educational facilities are inherently unequal in 1954 was extremely important to the history of education in the U.S. This allowed for all students to go to the same school and be given similar facilities. It was a huge turning point for education because prior to this not all students were given the same opportunities to succeed in school based on the color of their skin or heritage. This marked a point in history that not a lot of people believed would ever come especially based on the conditions and laws during that time period. Looking back I could never imagine this prior to the ruling in this case. I believe that as we move forward we need to appreciate and look at steps such as these to continue the growth of our students. 

1. 1965 - Project Head Start, a preschool education program for children from low-income families, begins as an eight-week summer program. Part of the "War on Poverty," the program continues to this day as the longest-running anti-poverty program in the U.S.   
1. Project Head Start gave impoverished families a chance for their children to succeed in schools. Head Start provides young children with the opportunity to learn and be immersed in literacy at a young age which they may not have at their own homes. Parents are able to work without working about where their children will be during that time period. The program was hoping these children grasp the importance of education and apply that in real life cases. 

1. 1974 - The Equal Educational Opportunities Act is passed. It prohibits discrimination and requires schools to take action to overcome barriers which prevent equal protection. The legislation has been particularly important in protecting the rights of students with limited English proficiency.
1. I found this to particularly important because I feel very strongly about equal rights for ELLs in schools. All students whatever their language should be given the opportunity to feel included and protected at school. It was a big stepping stone in 1974 however I feel that we are till overcoming this now in our schools. We are becoming more and more diverse and schools are beginning to change to 2 way immersion. This helps students learn in both their native language and English. It is extremely important that students are not losing their mother tongue or culture when starting school in the U.S. 

1. 2015 -  On January 9, President Barack Obama announces a plan to allow two years of free community college for all American students. However, with Republicans in control of both the House and Senate, there seems little hope that this proposal will be implemented any time soon.  
1. I had not heard about this before reading it on the website. I am interested to see where this leads and how it would work in our system. Personally, I think it would be a huge step right now considering all the students who are in debt from going to college. However, their are many elementary, middle, and high schools that could use money such as that to help gain materials to learn to prepare them for the next step, college. 

Educational Crisis

How have you seen the educational crisis in your placements?

I am placed in a bilingual school and with that we have many students who do not pass standardized exams because English in not their native language. I find that these students do not have experience with terms on standardized exams even though they are in a learning environment focused for students to learn both English and Spanish. Students feel discouraged when they are unable to pass exams and I believe they understand the importance of these exams to schools and districts. As much as teachers want students to pass, in many cases they will have to "teach to the test" for this to happen. Then students have the experience necessary to at least try the exam. In the school I am placed in now we often have new students who are immigrating straight from Mexico with their families. This automatically places them lower on the totem pole simply because they have no previous background knowledge for such expectations and exams. I see that my mentor teachers try to catch them up to speed the best they can with what materials and time they can provide.

Understanding Early Sexual Development

I found this article to be very different. Growing up body parts were not taboo but we were not open like the article discusses. When I have children I am sure I will have a different view than my mother did when I was growing up. In the view point of a future teacher, I worry what things are supposed to said in school or not. This article was written directed for parents and I think when there is a class of 30 children, that is 30 sets of parents who all have different viewpoints than one another. Some things might be okay to say in one family however completely unacceptable in a different family. For example, I know a family that does not use anatomical names for body parts and one that does. If they both enter a classroom, how does a teacher go about respecting their views on this topic. This will an interesting topic to encounter when I have my own classroom.

Research-Based Resources: Cultural Competency of School and Teachers in Relation to Student Success

I felt that this was an extremely important article for many of us to read as we are becoming teachers. There were many different research studies mentioned and I liked that the findings were pulled from each. When dealing with a topic such as Cultural Competency usually no one has the same definition or way of going about being culturally competent. However, there are items that I find very important in my personal experiences and what I believe to be important for my future classroom.

"Teachers find out as much as possible about their students' culture, language, and learning styles so they can modify curriculum and instruction accordingly" (pg. 4). Throughout my ESOL coursework at Pacific I have been told and read many things about what makes a great and ESOL teacher. The quote above frames one of the major points. It is not only valid in ESOL but across any teaching. Teachers need to get to know their students. Whether that be get to know their learning styles or culture, it matters to your teaching and your students. The second quote I felt went along with my coursework is, "Teaching indigenous language and literacy first, followed by instruction in learning to read and write English and promotion of bilingualism" (pg. 5). As I began observing in my placement in September I noticed children who were in my classroom and have never spoken English before. Their parents wanted them to learn as quickly as possible by placing them in an English only classroom. The ability of bilingualism is something I wish more students had the chance to be a part of at a younger age. However, I believe that students should have a very strong grasp on their native language and continue learning about it as they begin English language acquisition. It seems it will only help them grow in both languages.

The Circuit

         This was a great reading. I really enjoyed learning more about the transition of moving from Mexico to the United States. In my placement now I have students who have recently immigrated to the US and speak little to zero English. Throughout the reading I was reminded of one of my students who came late to the school year and is trying very hard to learn English. I speak to her in Spanish and English, however, she prefers to speak to the teachers in Spanish. She rarely volunteers in group discussions and doesn't interact with students who do not speak Spanish. I love to see when she mouths the answers at morning meeting because it allows me to see that she is catching on and feeling more confident in her learning.
          My favorite aspect of this reading is the desire for the children in the family to learn and get an education. I often find that the student in my class truly wants to learn English and participate but her language holds her back in that aspect. As I begin teaching full-time I hope that I am able to connect with students who are not native English speakers and ensure that they feel a part of the community. Hopefully they will begin to use the English they understand to help further their acquisition of English.

Communicating Cross-Culturally: What Teachers Should Know

After reading Communicating Cross-Culturally: What Teachers Should Know by Yvonne Pratt-Johnson, I began to think more about the importance of taking a step back and asking yourself questions about the students you may encounter in your classroom. In many instances, such as the example of the swastika, teachers and many people tend to jump to conclusions. I find that it is easy to do so because of the experiences one may have had encountered throughout their lifetime. For example, instead of jumping to conclusions that the drawing was a swastika, the teacher could have asked a simple question and gathered more information about the drawing. The student would have been able to explain the drawing leading to the teacher gaining new knowledge and the student feeling empowered by sharing something about their own culture. This would have allowed for the student and teacher to make a connection. Taking a step back can be hard and I admit that sometimes I find myself jumping to conclusions based on previous experiences. However, I believe that it is an important strategy to learn to use when connecting with students and connecting with people outside of our classrooms. My goal is that students are able to trust in me to take a step back, give them the opportunity to share their experiences, and learn to become a collaborative learning community together.