The immediate cultural context of children and youth includes family, neighborhood, and youth culture, including media influences. Dewey argued that social influences are the great educator and that schools are only a secondary agency. What educational problems and possibilities are presented to teachers by these cultural contexts, and why do you see these as problems and possibilities? What difference can and should teachers make to learners if schools are secondary to the wider society in their influence? By what means should teachers seek to make the difference, and why? In your response, consider more than one kind of neighborhood and family context
Living today with smart/cell phones, mp3 players, iPad’s, Iphones, cable television, satellite radio, internet, and laptop computers, are we surprised by the information and communication that student’s today are receiving from society? Sometimes, the first place student’s see these items are at school. I agree with Dewey in his belief that social influences are the great educator, and I feel that they are reflected at school. Sometimes technologies are intertwined. Some of the problems that students face today are the lack of technologies. In a society where the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer, students that socioeconomically disadvantage are at a disadvantage of not being able to use these devices and therefore get behind. Many students of wealthier parents go to specialized summer camps such as: Lego camp, robotics camp, sports camps, science camps and get other specialized experiences. The problem creates a wider gap for students who cannot afford to do these things. The rising cost of clothes, food, rent and other items also take away from true learning experiences. Many teenagers have to work not just for spending money but to be providers for their families, especially if there is no father in the household. Another problem is that society is not a great educator. Many of the problems we experience today are a result of things that are on TV, cable or internet. Students then bring these problems to schools. MTV’s Jersey Shore
While there are problems in society today, there are also many possibilities for society to educate our youth. There are many programs being offered today for all students. Field trips, in class speakers, special programs at school are opportunities for students to see things and experience new things. Technology offered at libraries, nooks, and internet café’s offer opportunities for people without technology to use this technology. In classes today there are educational videos, streaming in technology of current events and the use of computer labs and IPads, or Itouch. Many students learn new skills at work and bring these to the classroom. Cable television, with its drawbacks, also offer the History Channel, news networks, Health Networks, and provide other learning opportunities for students. There are also many interactive technologies available such as Skype, Face-time, Facebook and other technologies. As the Apple commercial says, there is probably an app for everything.
Teachers can make a big impact by the way they teach there classes today. The days of the old ways of teaching are no longer acceptable. Teachers need to know and understand what social changes are occurring and how they impact students today. Teachers need to know and understand the importance of technology in the classroom and expose their students to these different technologies so that they will have some idea what they are and how they operate. Teachers need to be more innovative in their grading and evaluation student performance, especially students that are not exposed to a high level of technology. Teachers have the great ability to incorporate different ideas and teaching styles into the classroom. It does not have to be boring anymore. We can use example that are part of the social medium to improve our discussions with students and guide them in what is acceptable behavior. Teachers can be the difference from one student to many. They are a very important part of educating, not just a subject, but in a social context. Teachers can do many things in there class that can be very meaningful. Teachers can also include teachable moments into their class time. Teachers can do many things outside of schools as well, mentorships, tutoring, and extra-curricular leadership. Teachers should be doing these things in all neighborhoods. Teachers should be very creative outside of the classroom because it benefits all students and provides valuable class discussions. For example, many students at a nearby high school would ride the train to the Angelica Movie Theatre, pay for the cheapest movie and then provide a discussion on the importance of historical scenes in the movie. Parents would participate as well and it really worked for the year it was in progress and it was fun. Education should really look at the vast possibilities for educating our youth, so that the bad part of society doesn’t have to raise them.
