Modern Education

A modern teacher

How and what would you focus on if you were to do research on the topic "portrait of a modern teacher"?

I'm a bit of a cynic of teacher education and the type of learning that teachers are able to do, and then able to apply within their contexts, so from that point of view, I would look at how the modern teacher is probably not so different from the teachers of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s...

I think most teachers of today probably 'teach the way we were taught', and 'focus on form and correctness', as teachers of 50 years ago probably did.

This is mainly due to the value placed on teacher education and teacher learning. Most teacher education happens in decontextualised settings, and follow the model of the industrial era, in which a student goes into a course, undergoes some 'training', and then emerges as a qualified teacher. Generally this teacher will be placed in the mediocre to bad classes, with little to no support by teachers who've already taught in those classes, and be told to use the resources allocated to them - resources that often contradict what the teacher learned during modern coursework. Often these teachers are under high pressure, and given lots of classes, with little reflection time, and little and usually no time for professional discourse with other teachers. Most teaching contexts are run entirely by administrators who usually care very little for, and have little understanding about teacher learning. In the absence of professional discourse opportunities, ie, cognitive coaching, peer mentoring, and the like, modern teachers go into a survival mode, which disavows them the opportunity to apply any of 'the latest ideas in teaching'; and under scrutiny, most of these teachers will eventually display the characteristics above which place them in the same model as teachers of premodern eras...

In answer to your question, that's the angle I would initially take in my research, and it would serve as part of a backdrop to profiling those unusual cases where some sort of 'teacher apprenticing' might happen, or in those unusual schools in which teachers plan as teams, and solve their curriculum and class problems together, as teams, ie: where teachers meet to discuss education and students, not to solve endless administrivia. You wouldn't happen to know of such schools would you?

Modern Education

The Problem With Modern Education Mark Edmundson provides a graphic portrayal of his opinion of college students and professors. He states that after the baby boom, "College became a buyers market. What students and their parents wanted had to be taken more and more into account. That usually meant creating more comfortable, less challenging environments, places where almost no one failed, everything was enjoyable, and everyone was nice" (Edmundson 153). Other authors, such as Brent Staples and John Holt also support this opinion.

The belief that college professors are getting soft and students are getting lazy is not a new idea. These thoughts have been progressing towards their current state since the late 1980's. Brent Staples believes that many college departments, especially those in the humanities, shower students with higher grades in order to keep low-demand classes at the minimum enrollment. "As a result of the university's widening elective leeway, students have more power over teachers" (Edmundson 153). For example, at Drexel University, and many universities across the country, they are doing away with tenure and more and more professors are part-time, and have no security in their job. This leads to professors tailoring their instruction to what the student, the "consumer" wants and needs. Though the pressure on the professors to lower standards is very strong, there is little pressure put on students to perform to the standards that college used to be defined by.

John Holt insists that school does nothing but corrupt young students and make them less curious, wise, and intuitive than they were before. College used to be a rite of passage for the few chosen intellectuals who would choose to broaden their horizons by means of further education. Higher education no longer gives students the knowledge they will need to succeed in the real working world. College has become so lax that students merely get an extension of their high school education. A college degree does not get you as far as it used to.

These authors believe this is a result of the consumerism that drives America today. From personal experience, these accusations are not far from the truth. For example, I was talking to a girl who lives in my dormitory, and she was complaining about a class. She said that she was going to drop a history class because the professor never gives out A's, and she couldn't afford to have that negative affect of her grade point average. Also, my classes so far are not that different from my classes in high school. Even with mid term exams, many professors are inflating the grades so that a perfect bell curve of grades exists -with the most C's and less numbers of B's, A's, D's and F's.

This attitude towards college courses could be the result of attending a college preparatory private high school, or it could be the result of the downfall of elitism and the rapid lowering of the traditional college standards. Though these portrayals of college life are mostly accurate, it is unfair to stereotype ALL college students and professors. There will always be the occasional "Joon Lee" who excels both in and out of the classroom. Joon Lee is "endlessly curious, has read a small library's worth, seen every movie, and knows all about showbiz and entertainment" (Edmundson 148). Edmundson also believes that the hypothetical Joon Lee is the only one who follows his interests and doesn't mind being an outcast. In college, students care less about what their peers think of them than in high school, and college is much less clique-ey than previous educational situations.

Though some students are pressured by their parents to pursue specific areas of study, most are pursuing their dreams. They just want to become teachers, or scientists, or writers, though they are looking for the easiest way to achieve these goals. Modern students are looking to attend whichever university will help them do this with the most ease, and most commonly means attendance at a more prestigious and expensive university. Though Edmundson's argument is very unfair to college students and professors, he makes several very valid points. These points are emphasized by several other authors and can be seen rampantly on college campuses across the country. College students are looking for the easiest way to get the grade and college professors are pushed to aid students in the quest for this goal.

Grades are inflated, curriculum standards are lowered, and students run the administration of the university as the power- driven consumer. Even through all this, all is not lost. Universities can still provide an education that will broaden the student's horizons and expand their mind. "Ultimately, though, it is up to individuals -and individual students in particular -to make their own way against the current sludgy tide" (Edmundson 161).Works CitedEdmunson, Mark. "On the Uses of a Liberal Education: Lite Entertainment for Bored College Students." The Blair Reader, 4th ed. Ed.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16