Innovation for Pre-school Programs - Essay Example

Family and consumer science Topic: Essay exam _______________________________ Essay After reading the "Schools" chapter s, here you have the opportunity to list 10 ways to improve the effectiveness of education for the average child from preschool to college (two innovations for each level of education, four for college. Briefly explain each innovation: one innovation for Pre-School Programs, one for Elementary School Programs, one for Middle School Programs, three for High School Programs and four for College Level Programs One innovation for pre-school programs is smaller classes that are based on a permissive model vs. an authoritarian or inoculation based pre-school program. Smaller classes that permit pre-school learners to explore the environment or educational materials as a preparation for learning can be considered as alternatives to large classes with rote drill learning methods. An example of an innovation in elementary school would be a participative and competitive spelling bee competition in class where all students were required to display and test knowledge vs. a rote, repetition and repeat spelling drill led by the teacher and followed by the class in unison. In Middle School, providing students a three hour period of intense guided instruction in a subject of specialization could be an innovation and reform that is an alternative to the relatively low amount of instructional time in classes and the general, homogenized nature of reproduction of class lectures and course material. In High Schools, increasing the level and quality of education in public schools is an important innovation, as is increasing the degree of personal and family choice in attending institutions. Making the 10th through 12th classes a more intensive time of study and preparation for students for future education and career choices is important. Increasing the student and family participation in school organization and management can lead to more feeling of involvement and ownership in institutions. Widening the areas of specialized studies by decreasing class or group sizes and increasing independent study ad research in subjects also build proficiencies in students. At the College or University level, implementing the reform of universal, free access to education is the most important and needed goal. That knowledge and learning is restricted by economics or socio-economic resources on a personal or family level leads to a divided society and class structure. Furthering student organization of classes and research would also build inclusion on campus. There are many options to cooperate to save costs in housing, food, books, etc. that are not undertaken because of the profit motive in education. Developing a more collective, self-organized, and non-profit approach to education at the university level is an important part of universal education reform practically. Students should have more freedom in designing their own areas of study, in both specialization and cross-disciplinary studies. Essay #2 - Try to chart the ways in which the American educational system (for publically funded schools) has historically attempted to reach its institutional goals. That means for you to sketch the ways our society has approached the process of education. Now try to explain how this process is mediated by having to keep attention on funding issues. The main goal of the American education system has been to provide a free or publicly funded educational opportunity from K-12 for all students or citizens of the country. The combinations of State, Local, and Federal taxes are used to this purpose. The higher education is based on student born costs that may be defrayed by the difference between public, or State-sponsored and subsidized schools, or private colleges and universities. The ideal of a broad general education as basis of citizenship developed from basic literacy requirements as a foundation for democratic citizenship. Nevertheless, the American system of education also is focused in producing specialists in all the various disciplines of arts and sciences. It is not overly encouraging to interdisciplinary studies or research, and the public funded nature has basic limitations or requirements as subject to political manipulation. The American system is also fundamentally secular, though with a Judaeo-Christian bias, and rooted in patriotic rather than globalist or altruistic values. From this, students may learn aspects of history and interpretation that need to be unlearned or balanced with sources that are excluded from the official canon as part of completing the educational process. There is a focus on programming of values socially in the American educational system that may be complicit for historical cover-ups of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and other problematic aspects of American history driven by exceptionalism but detrimental to a broader sense of social justice. The pluralistic basis of American politics and thus the educational system makes it sometimes a battleground of values, such as in evolutionary debates historically, but there is a broader focus on scientific rigor in knowledge that makes the American system one of the world standards for education. The mixture between Federal, State, and Local funding sources, budgetary restrictions that may vary by community, may lead to an educational system that is segregated or non-egalitarian in the distribution of resources socially across the broader society. Racial discrimination in educational institutions, as well as gender restrictions, were both overcome through Civil Rights movements historically. There is current debate about providing educational services to immigrant children, which is a strange concept, as America is an immigrant country primarily. The combination of political sources of funding makes education non-equally distributed between rich and poor communities, and this is reflected in learning materials, facilities, educator standards, etc. The local organization of schools is balanced through Federal policies to provide some degree of equality in funding and standards, though there remains too wide a disparity between the best schools in the public system and the worst nationally, largely due to budgetary restrictions and the perception of public need that de-prioritizes some communities while advantaging others. Essay #3 - Define the terms Culture and Subculture, then explain how subculture would include the terms "youth culture" under your definition. Now explain how youth culture can be the same and different for adolescents of differing cultural background (i.e., black vs. white, hispanic vs. white, or hispanic vs. black)? According to Sir Edward Taylor, “Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad, ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” (Notes, 1) From this, a sub-culture is a group, organization, or community that displays the traits of a culture but exists as a sub-variant or semi-autonomous entity within the larger mainstream culture. A sub-culture may represent a resistance to hegemony or a natural expression of social bio-diversity in human civilization. “Youth culture” is the identity grouping that occurs largely around conspicuous consumption in late capitalism where teens and younger children are advertised to and promoted with lifestyle choices that are seen socially to express their identities. Youth culture can also be seen as revolving around adolescent patterns of behavior socially. From an anthropological, sociological, or psychological viewpoint, the ethnic differences between teen cultures can further be studied as representative of “sub-culture” identities as contrasted or compared to the mainstream belief patterns, experience, and socio-economic status. In creating these distinctions in values and identities, on the basis of religion, ethnicities, communities, language groups, etc., societies or communities define themselves through difference. This may often overlook or diminish the vast similarities of behavior or shared culture between the groups. Adolescent values can be expected to be different culturally than mature adult social values, because of the hormonal differences and the difference in social responsibility. Nevertheless, because of the relatively strong economic power of the youth market, and their unique spending habits, advertisers likely capitalize upon teenage desires in creating different “youth cultures” that appeal to different personality types and market lifestyle products to these groups. In another manner, these same youth cultures can be self-organized and market to themselves, though the youth rarely have access to the actual means of production and distribution of culture to make this an autonomous or legitimately self-organized activity. Essay #4 - Explain the dangers of media manipulation on teenagers self-image, identity formation, and health. Further Explain how our society implements the values of the culture using the strategies for developing appetites for products among children in middle childhood, and teenagers. Advertising is widely regarded as being driven by the appeal to human desires in order to make product or commodities more appealing and seductive to the consumer. From this there is the ubiquitous nature of sensual or sexual imagery with products. As teenagers are more driven by hormonal issues and emotions related to searching for social identities, it is clear that they may be manipulated as an economic class by larger social forces such as commercial advertising or mass-media. The presumed antidote for this is the critical thinking of students taught in the educational system itself, though this is rarely in practice meeting the targeted ideal. Because of this there is a great danger that the teen image of self, body, normality, or even reality can be determined or conditioned in individuals in a mass society by social programming methods such as advertising or media. In regards to health, this can lead to pursuing certain foods that are marketed to youth popularly but are actually unhealthy and lead to obesity or other problems. Sodas are one example of this; snack and junk foods are others. In fashion, music, or television, ideal social values of fame, opulence, wealth, and so forth can be posited by media figures both consciously and unconsciously. The consumer as citizen must be critically aware, but this can only come from education or some type of home-sprung wisdom. Whether or not corporate influence in the determination of social values is to be resisted or accepted as a genuine expression of culture divides critics and scholars. The one interpretation is based in the belief that popular culture is a genuine expression of identity, and can be studied or approached as such, accepted and integrated normally. The other interpretation is that this is a subconscious or socially detrimental programming that leads to more materialization, commoditization, and commercialization of culture. The question is whether profit and the social welfare are always aligned, mostly aligned, or seldom aligned in practice. The answer is not fixed and depends on personal interpretation. Because of this, children, teenagers, and adults need to be made aware of the issues involved with commercial media. Essay #5 - Explain each of the levels of identity achievement represented by the Marcia model. Include definitions of Identity Crisis and Commitment, as well as each of the four statuses. Give two examples of adolescent identity in each of the situations in the model. Explain how a teenager could be 'diffused' on one value foreclosed on another, achieved on some another value, and in moratorium on still another? Give examples with your answer James Marcia proposed “Four Statuses of Identity” which can be summarized as: (Note, 2) Identity Diffusion:  “Adolescents have not yet experienced a crisis or made any commitments.” Identity Foreclosure:  “Adolescents have made a commitment but have not experienced a crisis.” Identity Moratorium:  “Adolescents are in the midst of a crisis, but whose commitments either are absent or are only vaguely defined.” Identity Achievement:  “Adolescents have undergone a crises and made a commitment.” Marcia’s main focus is on the identity crisis in teenage development, and how it effects personal development through the conditioning process. Conditioning proceeds in the individual at a critical time in biological programming, and this “imprinting” can have long-term effects on the identity of the individual in personality. Following patterns of biology and genetics, the human individual will be seeking psychologically solutions to existential problems at different points in the life. These may be crises of meaning or just patterns of mental and physical evolution. In these critical times, the brain may imprint patterns of behavior from television, popular media, fiction, or other social examples. In doing so, healthy or unhealthy patterns of human psychological and personal development may be imprinted and retained in the personality. Teens who uncritically imprint social values, programming, or stereotypes of behavior personally as part of their development psychologically and socially may be at risk of being manipulated or falling into self-destructive habits of behavior. It is important to recognize the importance of media and timing with imprinting and human development in the individual during the adolescence period. Read More