Post an opinion about something you heard and a question about something you didn’t understand or that you’d like to know more about. Alternatively, you could consider the question of whether/why P-12 teachers might benefit from listening to this podcast.
I listened to my podcast about the voucher scams. I wanted to just take a moment to note something I was unaware of. The podcast discussed the influence of billionaires in state politics, particularly about the education system. There is seemingly a pro-Christian nationalist movement restricting the ability of many public school systems to receive funding.
ReplyDeleteMadeline Furman
DeleteHannah Falls
ReplyDeleteMy podcast episode was about school voucher scams. I didn’t know that the scam was so rooted in religion. There is a group of christian nationalists who are set on joining church and state, despite the separation of church and state being a main component in democracy, and they want to use vouchers as a legal way to disband public schools and instead create and fund private schools to indoctrinate students by teaching their religious values. This group uses parent’s fears of what their children are learning in public schools as a weapon to gain supporters and funding. I also didn’t realize there really aren’t many supporters of vouchers. While it is only a small group, they have a lot of money, and therefore also have power and influence over politicians who can support vouchers. This creates the illusion that more people want vouchers.
Throughout the episode (160 there's no end to the culture war) I kept noticing an interesting connection between identity and unity. One such guest on the episode mentioned how he believed that part of the goal of public schools is to create unity through the American culture. As time goes on Johann (guest star) continues to cite his experiences as indefinite evidence as to how his ideas are the truth and must be implemented. However, I want to challenge this belief as I feel it limits the diversity of schools immensely and could honestly create further issues down the line for students. What Johann fails to take into consideration is how students feel about themselves and their cultures as not everyone wants to assimilate to belong. He cites his entrance to America as the seemingly only way to feel accepted but what about students who find acceptance through peers of the same cultural background. By forcing everyone to identify with the American label it denies the complexities of their personhood. So, my conclusion is how could pushing one dominant culture uplift those of complex backgrounds? And to add on, how would educators go about pushing this in schools without it becoming propaganda?
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked about the podcast (#168 Coming to America) is seeing all the instances of some schools finding ways to be able to blend in different cultures into their classrooms with a passion. What I do not understood is the animosity of people and schools who dislike the idea of schools doing extra to support the students that come in from different cultures, and them viewing it as a waste of tax dollars. Thinking about the movie we viewed last class there were so many benefits for the school and of course the students, seeing how they thrived in their culture being included in the curriculum and seeing them advance in life and the wholesomeness of the community. For people to see a negative towards this is mindboggling because I have yet to see any evidence that negates the benefits that comes towards helping students succeed. I agreed also in the podcast that politics really sheds a negative light, and it goes then to the parents, then to the children and they start to act out all the aggression throwing around slurs and, in my mind, do they really understand what they are doing? These are kids just like you and you are treating them so harshly and for what something you heard secondhanded without a second thought. It goes for everyone as well, why not take the chance, go to these schools, and see what they are doing, and the good that this is bringing to the immigrant children that are coming into America. If you really want to Americanize these children do in a way that is both inclusive and encouraging and watch the difference.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I found wired or eye-opening was how grades are good, and necessarily a bad thing bc it can either motivate students to do better or can break down a student's as well. Then the guy was talking about homeschooling his daughter for college, which is weird because it doesn't allow his daughter to learn or have that for herself. (#163 How to get ahead in school without really learning). This Ethan Hunt guy was agreeing with the other guy saying that "grades" really fuck up a kid's way of learning and was thinking about taking them down in schools. He was talking about how SATs and all the state tests are putting kids down and putting these on their resumes and if they don't do well, you're basically sitting that kid up for failure, and when the kids get older people tend to look at there resumes as a kid and based their employees off of. I like testing children but only for things like the SOLs, I do think that it can put down kids.
ReplyDeleteIn podcast #163, they talk about how much of an influence testing and grades have on students and their education. This affects many students mindsets, they focus so much on getting a passing score than taking heed to what is being taught to them. Some education systems mainly focus on students getting a good grade and improving tests scores than if their students are actually learning. Schools should allow students to have the experience of school, sports, and life without having to worry or stress about grades, test scores, applications, or credentials. I liked that the podcast described that the school experience should be an intrinsic value and not just extrinsic. This way of education undermines the fundamental purpose of school, to learn. Whether grades and scores are a thing or not there is still an assessment that needs to take place for each student to see how they’re doing and if they’re learning. However, that shouldn’t be the main priority or goal for students. This podcasts mentions that schools focus a lot on a students status in society. There is a perception that as long as you get into a good school you’re set.
ReplyDeleteIn this podcast, four former Teachers of the Year have boldly challenged the surge of legislation restricting educational content and teacher discourse. These advocates passionately share insights on children, public schools, and the teaching profession. By sharing their experiences and perspectives, their goal is to inspire others to join in on the discussion to also share the truths they think need to be shared. They are trying to preserve the real meaning of learning and open discussions in classrooms. The names of the four former teachers are Tracey Nance, Monica Washington, Chris Dier and Jena Nelson.
ReplyDeleteIn my podcast I found it interesting or slightly appreciative that they mentioned Covid and how its affected students. They mentioned that students have been through a national trauma basically leading them to not be motivated or encouraged to go to school and even lacking to see the purpose of school. I feel like this is something that needs to be considered and worked on into education reform because the changes Covid had caused is beyond us all especially because education was different then and now.
ReplyDelete#155- This episode focuses on previous teachers of the year in different states. They talk about their experiences with legislation forming what they can teach and what they can’t teach. It was super interesting to hear each of their perspectives on the same topic. They all had a similar overarching idea but the way they all explained it was different.
ReplyDeleteThe episode that I listened to was about culture wars and in the podcast, there was a guest start name Johan who was a historian who specialized in the school system. I think he had a lot of really great points about how public education is not only good, but it is an absolute necessity. He talks about how we should care a lot about our education in public schools because that is our children's future. He believes that there are a lot of risks when it comes to public schools. There are many different races and groups and people who are at risk for not being included. Johan talks about privatization of the public schools and the dangers of it. He says that privatization and the reduction of public schools has turned into school being a business sector that is simply just creating workers. I think the question I have from this podcast is how do the students and the kids feel? He talks a lot about politics and how many different opinions adults have on the public school system, but I feel like there is a piece of what the students feel and want that is missing... he talks about how public schools is all about benefiting our kids, but he is only arguing what the adult bipartisan opinions are. There are a lot of disagreements between the left and the right, but there are also a lot of shared ideas as well.
ReplyDeleteI think my podcast was very informative. I think Johann Neem is pretty extreme in his views but I agreed with the base of if. I feel like a lot of times both the left and right fight for who is right and that the other should just be completely eradicated and if people keep fighting with this mentality then we will truly never win. The battle in terms of education should not even be about what side is right and what side is wrong, it should be about ensuring that students are getting a full education.
ReplyDeleteIn my podcast, a couple of Teacher of the Year winners talked about the issues within the education system. They talked about the way their teaching methods that were praised are now being criticized. They also talked about how things that were often taught back in the day are now being watered down and censored to make our history sound better.
ReplyDeleteI listened to the podcast “The Damage Done” and I think it was pretty informative, and I appreciate that they gave a critical argument against both sides of the issues (liberal views vs conservative views). I also liked that they interviewed a real teacher and had her share her experiences. It was enlightening to hear the kinds of frustrations shes had to deal with, and also the solutions that she suggested. I wish they would have talked more about these solutions, because they only touched on them for a moment. What I gathered from it is that they believe public education would be better if policymakers put in more effort to understand what teachers need, if students had a sense of purpose, and if students actually wanted to come to school. However, they didn't touch on any ways to work towards these solutions. Overall I think it was mostly outlining the general issues within our education system and summarizing how both sides feel about those issues. I think teachers might benefit from listening to it just to know that they aren't alone and there are other teachers that are just as frustrated as them.
ReplyDeleteI think that this podcast is important because it highlights the importance of education and how the grading system works in education. If a student were to get a bad grade that doesn't mean the student is a failure. It just means that the student needs help and probably is not a strong test taker. One bad grade should not demote the student as a bad student. That's just the way the schools have to track a student's progress by grades. Something that stuck out to me in the podcast as well as at the start. When the podcaster was talking about his daughter going to high school, and how very important from the moment you start school, you should start taking classes that will look good on your transcript to college, making sure you are taking changeling courses and keeping your grades up as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the underlying factors shaping the current state of the educational system. The podcast effectively addresses the negative impact of learning technologies on student motivation, which is insightful. However, I find it puzzling that actionable solutions aren't provided directly to teachers. It seems that while issues are highlighted, there's a lack of direct guidance on how to address them effectively. This omission not only leaves educators feeling disempowered but also fails to provide them with the tools they need to enact meaningful change. Moreover, I believe that offering concrete recommendations would not only empower teachers but also provide valuable insights into the systemic challenges within education. It's crucial to bridge this gap between identifying problems and implementing solutions in order to foster a more effective and equitable educational experience.
ReplyDeleteMy podcast (160) touched on the concept of division in education between the political sides of left and right. This creates a lot of controversy and takes away from what really matters a lot of the time and keeps education systems in a stuck position because it's hard for sides to come to an agreement. Johan had some good points on the importance of schools for our future generation/world.
ReplyDeleteit turns out the blog didn't post when I typed it. Although I did not like the tone they used because it felt political vs personal. If they made it more personal it would be easier to listen and connect. The teachers should listen as it affect their jobs, pay, and their environment. This also will help the teachers be educated and not feel bulldozed when it begins to affect them and they are told they don't have a choice. This also allows teachers to explain to parents when parents complain about the disrepair of the school or the lack of supplies for the kids.
ReplyDeleteBillionaires are able to directly effect legislation for schooling with the power of their wealth. I was at first confused how this could be legal, but seeing that the people benefitting from this power of wealth are the same ones who would have to place restrictions on this process. This corruption shows an overall untrustful and very centrally controlled government for the U.S as a whole. If billionaires can control the schools I don't see whats stopping them from controlling every other system!
ReplyDeleteIn my podcast I listened to, "The Damage Done" it highlighted on the major issues teachers and schools are facing right now and it explained how teachers and students are reacting to this. It talked about how absentee rates are decreasing, teachers are leaving their jobs, and schools are changing and not in a good way. Schools are limiting students and teachers and this podcast talks about teacher experiences and how they dealt with it. This allows for listeners to get a bigger understanding of the main issue in schools right now.
ReplyDeleteI listened to the Coming to America episode and it was really interesting to hear different perspectives of the Americanization movement. As a child of immigrants I am familiar with assimilation and americanization but not to the extent that some of the examples in the podcast were. Especially seeing how public schools have treated immigrants throughout history and how they have tried to erase childrens backgrounds and culture for the sake of them becoming "American." It was also interesting to hear about International High School and the problems that students are currently facing which have changed but aren't completely different from problems faced in the past. One thing I related to was when the podcast mentioned ESL programs and how they can be harmful since I was a part of them in Elementary school but I had a slightly different experience than some of my peers. I needed to be in the program since I didn't know English at all but I picked it up quickly when I was younger and had to stay in the program and be behind on other classwork since I spent so much time in the ESL room. For some of my family members, the mere fact that they spoke Spanish at home was enough to keep them in ESL for their entire elementary school experience despite them being fluent in English all their childhood and I find that very interesting and would like to look more into how ESL programs are being run now and what the level of English fluency is for children to move out of it.
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