Reflection # 19

When we look back to old colonial times, to our public schools now there's a major difference. It's amazing to see how our schools and education have been improved since the Dame schools of old times. Our education has only progressed throughout centuries. The first schools created during Colonial times were known as Dame schools. Boys and girls were taught by women in their own homes. You can think of it as a very private lesson given by women. Boys were usually taught writing, reading, and religion; where girls were being educated on house chores.
Students usually used slate pencils and wrote on clay tablets. Whenever they would make a mistake all they had to do was erase and reuse it whenever their instructor told them too. Smaller children usually used something called a horn book. It was basically a wooden board with a simple handle; inside consisting of prayers and the alphabet.
Now in days we use paper like we consume oxygen. We're constantly throwing away good paper that could be used again, or make thousands of unnecessary copies that remain in files for years, that in the end their going to end up in the trash.
Furthermore, in the colonial times students were required to learn about religion at least one day a week. High schools these days do not have this requirement. Although I think its not such a bad idea, only private religious schools carry this subject.
So as you can see time does take a toll on everything, it takes a toll for change. For the most part time has taken a better toll on education. It gives us more hope that many of us can succeed in what we want we dream to become.

Reflection # 18

“In America, education has always been viewed as a vehicle for improving the society at large.” I honestly would have to totally agree with this quote. And the reasons for this matter would have to be because America is always trying to figure out ways to improve education throughout time. Woman's rights have definitely come a long way for example. Now we have right to decide and choose our own paths instead of relying on men only. Women have the right to learn as much and more than a man would. No longer do woman have to stay at home and slave around doing household chores.
Furthermore, education has always been targeted at large. It has always been the center of attention to quit a few people. It's such a huge impact, which can change lives and destine us to what we want to become on the long run. Throughout years people have been trying to figure out ways to improve it. To become a teacher it was never an easy job. But now we have higher standards to become licensed to be a teacher. They have raised tests scores, training, and all you can think of. The same goes to becoming a doctor, veterinarian, broadcasting, even a simple physical education teacher.
Through out time they have also been trying to build up much more schools than they had in the old Roman days. In the Roman days they had no more than two formal schools for children.
Education has come a long way, and it just keeps on growing. From religion, race, and culture it's something that invites us to learn more from one another. It helps us work and become one whole community. There's more meaning that just a simple diploma, it's a movement of living.

Reflection # 17

Children in the New England colonies were raised to have the up most respect towards their parents, at an early age they were to be taught morals, manners, and about religion. Parents were supposed to educate their children in order for them to take over their family profession. They were highly disciplined on their behavior for the upcoming future as grownups.
A lot of children in the early colonies began working at a young age. Girls doing house chores, of course, and boys outdoors.
Education was not offered to every child in the New England colonies. Some did not have sufficient money to send their kids off to have a formal education. But those who did have the chance to attend had a very hard time, somewhat different than we have today. Some students literally went to school after they finished off their responsibilities at work; like little minnie adults that they were.
Teachers around this time of area were very strict on students. Whatever mistake or wrong answer they would get resulted as whips. The lectures they received contained of bible lessons, math, and reading. People wanted to make sure students well good enough to read the Bible most of all. They thought the Bible provided a message for living.
Now in days public schools don't offer a religion class, unless it's a private church school. And of course being whipped by a teacher is not exactly an option teachers have now in days. Now we have the opportunity to choose what we want to do with our lives and not fall into the same footsteps of our parents. You're free to explore what you want to get out of the profession that you choose.
U.S. Education gives us more opportunities and hope for students to have a formal education. You have financial aid, more and more public schools opening up for the community, even free transportation for those who qualify for it. Everything for those possitive reaction students will be able to give back.

Reflection # 16

As education to Romans became more popular and trendy, education started to develop a more complex form of knowledge. Rhetoric allowed you to learn how to write and speak, something you needed to learn in law courts or public life. Greeks thought as language being very high ranked and important. Everybody wanted to learn and absorb it. Speaking that language to them was like having a brand new pair of pumps to wear Saturday night at the club, it was the IT thing to know.
Three types of teachers they had were, grammaticus, litterator, or rhetor. Grammaticus taught you how to recite papers and corrected you on your pronunciation. Litterator teachers usually taught reading and writing, when the rhetor taught students how to make speeches from specific topics.
Rhetoric was implicated by Greece itself. What is called declamation took control over the school department. This was a system that allowed students to express themselves and perform a speech made up by each of them and debate amongst each other, making literature more exciting, while parents loved it. On the other hand, the controversia had a higher status than declamation did. The controversia was a well performed show, which that was very amusing and high ranked by others; the controversia was always performed in public. This form came from love poems, and fairy tales fantasy's people held within them. This had all sort of storytelling forms you can think of, so you can just imagine the effect this had in people.

Reflection # 15

In Ancient Athenian students were taught various subjects, three of them being physical education, music, and literacy. On the other hand, Romans considered music and physical education of less importance. But they did emphasize on teaching their students about literacy.
Ancient Athenians attendance at school was mostly optional. Not being grounded by the government, the age range went up to at least 14 years of age. Of course girls had no part in having any sort of a descent education. They had the typical stereotype to take care of house hold chores, while boys were sent off to school. But some with a higher economic status did receive somewhat of an education.
However, Romans considered education to be of important significance. Wealthy students were often educated at home by their tutors. But those who were sent off to schools, which were only boys, had quit a rough time remaining there. Students were often whipped by their teachers if they committed any sort of violation. Students did not have the right to know why something was right or wrong. They just believed in whatever was taught to them.
Roman girls were married at a very young age, usually around the age of 12 years old, unlike the boys that waited until they were 14.
Moreover, Roman schools usually had two separate schools. One for younger children around the age range of 12 and the other children went off to a more complex school; where they practice public speaking. Since paper was very high priced students had to accommodate to wax tablets.
Nevertheless, Athenian schools were private schools. Students were taught in a one room are. Some teachers had books but students usually didn't.

Reflection # 14

Aristotle's four causes were Formal cause, Material cause, Final cause, and Efficient causes. Material cause is what an object comes out as and what remains in it, like a silver spoon or pot. Formal cause comes within the words kind or nature, something so real and basic. It's what is to become of it. While natural kinds can be the out come of an Efficient cause; its the art of making something blossom. Change is a huge toll in Efficient cause. Last but not least, Final cause comes from the terms ending or last, it's the reason for things being done.
Aristotle's writing was known to be a form of living things. He believed humans and animals had a ranking of understanding; us being the highest and worms being the lowest. He believed the difference between us and animals was the ability to contain information and reasoning.
Around the 14 century, Aristotle developed a concept called "The Great Chain of Being." This meant that living things were now viewed as Species. "The Great Chain of Being" was also known as the "Ladder of Life" or "Scala Naturae." Aristotle's idea was to be understood among the common similarities of all living things. He viewed this chain as being perfect, the same way he viewed the world. Viewing our planet as being perfect also meant species could never changed. He also considered two species always having a higher or lower rank towards each other.
This chain stretched out the idea of God being the nature of all things. Aristotle considered God as being the one who turned all facts around.

Reflection #13

Plato's thoughts and ideas were mostly spoken through Socrates many times. So it was never certain if he truly spoke out his full point of view. It is said to be that Plato was a more methodical thinker than Socrates himself. But one of his points that came across was, he believed that when people were born, they were born without a mind that was not affected by impressions or experiences. Like a blank, ignorant mind with no thoughts or signs of knowledge.
Obviously this theory now is not pursuit by many people. We are all born with instincts from day one. Plato believed to learn, teach and experience factors in life you had to be born with a good soul; which had the gate key to good existences. Those who were born with a gift of spiritual light had an obligation to teach others. Philosophers and Educators in Greek were usually in charge to help others in need of knowledge, who they viewed as the ignorant ones.
During the fourth century, Plato opened his own school, the Academy, of philosophy; opened to any generation of Athenians. By doing this, Plato was concerned with discovering reality and how knowledge took its toll in it. He also pursued to develop idealism. One of Plato's teaching was that in all things you will always find truth, and people should try and search it because it's perfect and endless.
Plato believed people had a sincere knowledge for truth, beauty and goodness, in which he referred to as the Platonic Forms. He believed we had the knowledge for sensible realities, knowledge we could not have learned from experience. Knowledge introduced to us with the Forms since child birth. He believed well was the source for all knowledge, and that knowledge isn't created but discovered.

Reflection # 12

Around the 1950's the first satellite was launched in space, which was named the Soviet Sputnik. It made quit an impact in the Cold War. The failure to overcome the Soviets affected school's throughout America very low. Some universities became very strict in certain curriculums such as, math and science. It was meant to drive students into a higher level of thinking.
Another impact left by the Soviet Sputnik was, around the 1960's schools began to remove less and less electives. Low scores by students had a great deal to do with it as well; one of the reasons why electives were decreasing while certain subjects were increasing. Test and exams began to take its toll as well. Now they began to develop certain test that required students to pass in ordered to go on to the next level.
It almost became a rat race for America to surpass Soviet. They wanted to have the best educators with the highest knowledge in science or math. All which required higher standards not only from students, but from teachers as well.
To meet these new challenges congress passed the National Defense Education Act. This was passed to develop certain skills and resources for students. This act funded scholarship, loans, even teacher training programs, in order to develop better curriculum's results.