Author: admin

1. What jobs other than teaching in elementary or secondary
schools may be open to persons with a teaching certificate? What additional
preparation might be necessary or helpful in obtaining such jobs?
2. Investigate funding for teacher education at your campus.
Does your school or college of education serve as a “cash cow” that provides
substantial funding for other campus units?

Many education trends are raising the level of teacher
professionalism. State professional practice boards and the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards, for example, enable teachers to participate in
setting criteria for entering the profession. Mediated-entry and staff
development programs help establish the idea that teaching is a full-fledged
profession requiring lengthy and continued training. Merit pay and school-based
management provide opportunities for increased salaries and more professional
responsibilities.

1. Many professional organizations are open to undergraduate
students or to graduate students and teachers. All provide valuable information
and services to educators at different career levels.
2. In your opinion, is teaching a profession or not? What
changes might make teaching a true profession? What does teacher
professionalism mean to you?

During the medieval period, the foundations of the
university were established. Medieval education incorporated the mathematical
and scientific contributions that entered the Western world by way of the
Arabs. Renaissance classical humanist educators elaborated on the concept of
the well-rounded, liberally educated person.The Protestant Reformation’s
emphasis on literacy and vernacular education directly influenced colonial
American schools.The Enlightenment was especially influential in shaping
American political and educational institutions.

From the classical period of ancient Greece and Rome to the
Protestant Reformation in the fifteenth century, only a minority of children
attended schools. Males of wealthy families had the greatest opportunity to
attend school. School attendance for both boys and girls began to increase
during the Reformation as a result of the Protestant emphasis on literacy to
read the Bible.

Observe classes in kindergartens and the primary grades and
note how holiday observances, stories, and art are used to introduce children
to their culture. How are these examples similar to or unlike education in
preliterate societies?

Reflect on Confucius’ emphasis on appropriate and proper
relationships.Today, it is common to talk about “having a relationship” or
“being in a relationship.” How does the modern sense of relationship compare
and contrast with that of Confucius? Also, examine the Confucian ethical
principle of behaving according to one’s rank in society. Compare and contrast
the concept of Confucian ethical behavior with that of modern American society.

Throughout most of history, the teacher’s role was to transmit the cultural heritage, especially a particular group’s language, knowledge, beliefs, and values. What is your reaction to the teacher as a transmitter of culture? Is it adequate or too limited?

1. Whereas the Arabic scholars deliberately borrowed
knowledge from other cultures, the ancient Chinese resisted cultural borrowing.
Do you favor or oppose the borrowing of “foreign” concepts in American
education?
2. How do think the Sophists would feel about such trends as
focus groups, public opinion polls, sound-bite commercials, and the negative
advertising used in modern political campaigns?

1. Reflect on the influence of religion in the history of
education. Examine the role of religion in American society, especially issues
related to separation of church and state.
2. Visit the Web site of the Asia
Society,http://askasia.org, for information on Asian culture and education. Use
this site to explore articles on Confucius and other Asian philosophers and
educators.