The Visits to China, Essay Example

Why do grouping ideologies and practices persist in connecting intellectual aptitude and prospects for success to race/class especially in this age of cultural awareness and civil rights?

Grouping individuals based on ideologies and practices continues to exist because as a society, we believe that race and class differences make individuals similar (Sirotnik & Soder, 1989). As a consequence, there is an assumption that the academic performance of these individuals will be similar as well. We assume that socioeconomic status is tied too closely into ability, and we therefore separate students on this basis, believing that it will be helpful to them in the long run. However, this is not the manner in which students should be differentiated in the classroom.

Explain why heterogeneous grouping is an “extraordinary” reform to undertake.

Heterogeneous grouping is an extraordinary reform to undertake because it is the complete opposite of what educators are used to doing in the classroom. Furthermore, for this to be accomplished, it is important for all of us to dismiss our prior beliefs and accept that having a mixture of students with different abilities is more beneficial because it will ensure that all students will receive the same quality of education.

In a chart compare the visits to China by John Dewey and John Goodlad.

What were the implications of both visits for China based on their ideas for “Education and Democracy?”

Both Dewey and Goodlad believed that the status of Chinese education would improve significantly for the population as a whole if the children in rural areas were able to gain an equivalent education compared to those living in urban settings. This would be supported by a democratic government, which would provide the government with equal education rights for all citizens (Bresler, Cooper, & Palmer, 2001).

References

Bresler L, Cooper D, Palmer J. (2001). Fifty Modern Thinkers on Education: From Piaget to the Present Day. Routledge.

Sirotnik KA, Soder R. (1989). The Beat of a Different Drummer: Essays on Educational Renewal in Honor of John I. Goodlad. Peter Lang.