Justine said...
Wolfe and Antinarella challenge us to think about our school experiences growing up and compare them to that of an educational system being called "mediocre." Chapter two uses the metaphor of "moving deck chairs around on the Titanic" to ex plain constant hasty educational reforms. This metaphor made me think about a high school in Durham that has completely changed to a "college-track" only.
Although I agree with your post on holding the same expectations for students, I only agree with holding HIGH expectations. I cannot hold the exact same expectations for my EC/Gen Ed. class as I would my Honors/Advanced class. My expecations for all students in these classes are high, however not the same. My expectations of my students revolve around their personal goals and individual growth.
The fact that this high school in Durham has changed their school to a college track only for our students disturbs me. Yes, all students need to be held to high standards, but the reality rests that not ALL of our students will go to college. Students need to be exposed to a trade if that is their desire in today's society. If a high school fails to provide that for students not all students are receiving equal opportunities in my opinion. I am not refering to a trade as students having "lower expectations for themselves" as this chapter suggests. I am championing for a realistic look at our society and having programs/curriculum that fit our current societal/technological needs.
Reflecting on the past in order to help shape our future in education was the topic for the Voices in the Middle journal. This topic ties in well with the information in our readings as it proposes a direction in which to proceed when thinking about educational reform. All good reform should as the question "WHY change this?" and fuse our past experiences (both positive and negative) as a catalyst.
-Justine LaMantia
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