Personal Interest and Experience - Schools and Society Book - Essay Example

Personal Interest and Experience Personal Interest and Experience Introduction One of the s that proved to be intriguing was the one titled “School and Society”. The course served to diversify my perceptions regarding the role of schools in the society. Prior to the class, I had been viewing schools as independent entities that do not have any connection to the society. However, the course made it evident that schools play a critical role in reproducing many social aspects. Throughout the class, I became more familiar with different aspects that define how schools reproduce social and cultural values. The books titled, “The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education” and “School and Society” were the most critical readings.The books served to introduce the contexts of how schools served to promote social values. This paper will present a reflection of the critical things I learned throughout the course. The first chapter of “The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education” introduced an interesting concept that helped me to understand the purposes for the different systems of organizations evident in schools today. For a long time, I had been wondering why American schools have adopted the modern system of organization. Chapter 2 of the same book helped me to recognize the structures and dynamics of schools that qualify them to be social organizations. Worth noting is the fact that students from different backgrounds have an opportunity to interact freely with the school systems. In addition, the school content covers certain critical social concepts that shape the perception of the students. It emerged to me that schools are critical social organizations explaining why it is important to develop an effective curriculum for the American schools. In the third chapter of the book, I gained familiarity with the social impact that schools have on children. Notably, the interactions between different children in the school setting lead to an exchange of social and cultural values. For many students, it is impossible to resist the social impact experienced in schools. Therefore, there is a salient need for teachers to promote positive socialization within the school system in an effort to avoid negative social impact. From a personal experience, schools can affect an individual in different ways. During my early school days, I gained familiarity with different cultural aspects. For this reason, I have first-hand experience that schools have a critical social impact on students. The content discussed in the school system also served to shape my social perceptions (DeMarrais & LeCompte, 1999). Chapter 4 of the same book analyzed a critical aspect of understanding the role of different characteristics of school participants. It became evident that school participants play critical roles that collectively define the success of the education system. For example, teachers ensure that students can learn and that all their learning needs are met sufficiently. On the other hand, school administrators and principles make administrative decisions that affect the school. Each participant in the school system should also participate in policy making in an effort to improve the quality of education in American schools. Most importantly, different school participants promote cultural and social values that students adopt. The book also introduced the role of social status and classes within the school system (DeMarrais & LeCompte, 1999). For several years, the American society has been struggling to ensure that schools promote inclusion and that students of different social classes can learn together in a favorable environment. However, it is evident that American schools reflect the social classes existing in the wider society. The class helped me to understand how social classes emerged and how they are propagated and reproduced in different generations. In addition, we tackled important aspects about the history of the American curriculum. Understanding the history of the American curriculum helped me develop new perspectives of the child-centered approach in the new curriculum. It made me discredit other curriculum approaches that did not give attention to the needs of students. If education is to be successful, the needs of students deserve a priority. Failure to adopt a child-centered approach translates to less positive outcomes in the education sector. The assignments we handled under the curriculum chapter helped me to analyze critically the different curriculum approaches that have been developed over the years. A critical understanding of the different approaches helped me visualize improvements that need to be made in the current curriculum. Modern teachers need to understand that the experience of students, as well as their learning needs, defines the success of any curriculum. The definition and understanding of the curriculum have been widely criticized as well. The course introduced me to different definitions of the curriculum and the context in which they apply. I am now informed about curriculum concepts that I knew nothing about before. I have registered a remarkable improvement in my critical thinking skills as evidenced by the results of different assignments (Feinberg & Soltis, 2004). I recognize that teachers should play an active role in educational policy development. The course prepared me for the heavy responsibility that I must embrace in the future. In the other book titled “Schools and Society”, concepts related to the role of schools in socializing students to become reliable and hardworking, were discussed. Evidently, the book made it evident that an effective school curriculum should help students develop different types of competencies that they will need in the workplace. Therefore, teachers have to ensure that they impart students with skills that are important in the modern workplace. The text also emphasized the role of schools in promoting social and cultural values depending on the content of the curriculum. The instructor presented numerous examples of how school systems served to reproduce different social and cultural values. The classes made me appreciate the value of social interaction within the school system. In my view, the American schools should adopt a curriculum that promotes social tolerance enabling students of different backgrounds to coexist and learn together. It will be a disadvantage for the society if schools reproduce the existing racial attitudes evident in the American society (Feinberg & Soltis, 2004). Evidently, this course had several assignments designed to help me develop critical thinking skills and apply the theories learned in class. One of the critical assignments required us to analyze the development of the American curriculum critically. I found the assignment challenging, a factor that helped me work hard in order to perform well. Challenging assignments are a critical part of any course because they help students move beyond their comfort zone and develop remarkable critical thinking skills. Many of the assignments were intended to place emphasis on the different concepts developed throughout the course. The assignments helped me develop individual learning skills because I was required to work on them individually. It is important for students to be able to work on individual assignments, which reflect their understanding of the course material (Feinberg & Soltis, 2004). In addition, I was privileged to share my ideas with classmates who found the course intriguing. Since the concepts taught in class were of critical importance in our future careers, we had a positive exchange of ideas during classes through active discussions. Conclusion Evidently, the course served its purpose of imparting me with new knowledge and skills. I gained familiarity with new theories and concepts that are of critical importance in the education sector. Through the assignments, I had the opportunity of applying the theories learned in different situations. The course helped me appreciate the role of schools as social institutions that served to reproduce both social and cultural values. Most importantly, I recognize that schools should play an active role in preparing students for future responsibilities as members of the American Society. For this reason, there is a salient need for an effective curriculum and effective teaching approaches if schools are to succeed in promoting a social agenda. References DeMarrais, K. B., & LeCompte, M. D. (1999). The way schools work: A sociological analysis of education. New York [u.a.: Longman. Feinberg, W., & Soltis, J. F. (2004). School and society. New York: Teachers College Press. Read More