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Challenges Facing Students in Public Schools
Challenges Facing Students in Public Schools
Student’s Name
Institution
Date
Challenges Facing Working-Class Students in Public School System
America has the most diversified education system in the world comprising of both public and private schools at all levels of education. However, public schools at all standards have the most significant percentage of students as compared to private institutions. Over centuries, public schools have always occupied a crucial space in the excitable American imagination. Americans regardless of the age have limitless desires for education and self-improvement through learning. In the last decades, there has been spreading debate over the declining standards as well as low achievements of students who have undergone the American education system more so when compared to students in other well-developed nations such as Germany. This might be as a result of challenges facing the education system in America. Over the years, public schools in America are faced with some problems which affect the expected outcome from the institutions. The students themselves are affected by the system of education used by most of the public schools in America. This essay will majorly consider some of the challenges faced by students in public schools which significantly affects their performance and some of how they can be solved.
A significant drawback affecting the students in public schools is the lack of motivation from the professors or teachers. Rebecca Cox who is the author of ‘The Student Fear Factor’ carried out interviews where she involved the students and the professors, and she noted that the students themselves were not motivated by their respective professors in their learning institutions. Cox says that the students and professors misunderstand each other and as a result fail each other at the end. Cox believes that there has always been a mismatch between the expectations of the students and those of the professors. Additionally, the students themselves are not familiar with most norms in the classrooms hence furthering the learning gap.
Cox says, “Students can easily arrive at college without understanding what is expected of them and how to meet the expectations” (Cox, 2009). She added that although students fail to follow the instructions from their professors, the professor involved plays a vital role in the failure of the students and the institution at large. Cox added that some instructors might believe a particular group of students lacks the capability of learning as compared to other students. This greatly demotivates the students perceived unable, and as a result, they end up performing poorly in classrooms. Lack of motivation from the instructors makes the students seek little or no further assistance to understand new skills.
Mike Rose, the author of “I Just Wanna be Average” illustrates that when he was admitted to a public vocational program where he met teachers who were unimpressed by their jobs and did not have confidence in the competence of their students. Absence of faith from the teachers makes the students slack off and care less about their school work. Rose in his vocational training met with Mr. MacFarland who motivated Rose and helped him get into college. Rose describes that the relationship which he had with Mr. MacFarland had a positive impact on his life (Rose, 1990). This clearly shows the positive effect of motivation from the instructors involved.
As indicated above, a lack of motivation from the instructors is a major challenge affecting students in public schools; hence there is a need for students to be motivated in learning institutions. One of the ways which the instructors can motivate the students is by letting them know what is expected of them before the education process. Additionally, all students have the capability in the learning process; therefore any form of perception of incapability of a group of students should be avoided in teaching institutions. The instructors should also involve all the students in a classroom as this improves the relationship between the students and the teachers hence the students are motivated.
A division into social classes is another major challenge faced by students in public schools. Social class means the division of the society based on the economic and social status of that community. Jean Anyon who is the author of “The Curriculum of work” clearly narrates about the division which occurs in public schools based on the social classes. She says that the children are taught to learn and comprehend things based on the society which they come from. Moreover, the behavior of students in a particular set of society behaves differently from students in another society.
In America, students are divided based on the economic status where the poor and well-disadvantaged members of the society join public schools of their ‘level.’ In such situations, students from the different humble backgrounds learn together hence their learning manner is very different from other institutions of ‘’well up’’ students. Students from such ‘low level’ sectors are perceived as incapable of doing a particular task as compared to others. The teachers in such institutions also lack faith with their students and receive little or no considerations.
Anyon examined the behavior of every social class which is divided into, the working class, the middle class, and the elite executive class (Anyon, 1980). Anyon says that due to the divisions, the lower perceived students rarely ask the teacher for help and better explanations in class hence contributing to their failure in classrooms. Superman and Me who are the authors of “The Joy of Reading and Writing” explains how education helped him to succeed in life as well as his life as an Indian boy. It’s due to his love for reading that made him propel in the school system and removing himself from the quiet and the poor society and fails in life. Sherman Alexie says, “I refused to fail. I was smart. I was arrogant. I was lucky” (Alexie, 1998). This clearly shows that when everyone is given a chance in the education system without considering the social status, the ability of many students will be manifested.
As portrayed above, division into social classes has an adverse effect on the students in public schools. On the contrary, students from all backgrounds should be allowed to interact with one another in learning institutions as this motivates both. Interaction of students from different backgrounds will embrace working together without any form of discrimination. Alexie who had loved reading and writing but came from a humble Indian family is seen excelling very well in the society despite his social status. Additionally, the ability of students from lower social class is manifested as poverty does not determine what a student is capable of doing.
Another critical challenge affecting students in the public school system is schooling for an extended period. The American system involves participating in a twelve-year curriculum which is viewed as tedious to the learners by John Taylor. The article ‘’Against School’’ by John Taylor Gatto clearly shows that the long schooling periods is designed to produce mediocre intellectuals, to deny the students necessary leadership skills and also restrict their inner life. Gatto says, “Mandatory education serves students only incidentally; its real purpose is to turn them into servants.’’
Gatto articulates that important people in America like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln did not go through the twelve-year schooling system but are successful in life. He says that schooling for too long creates boredom in the students hence losing interest in further education. Interestingly, Gatto points out that not only the students who are bored by the long education system but also the teachers themselves. He says, ’’ I taught for thirty years in some of the worst schools in Manhattan, and some of the best, and during that time, I became an expert in boredom.’’ Gatto also claims that the long schooling curriculum denies the students and the teachers a chance to learn more. He says, ‘’they said teachers didn’t seem to know much about their subjects and weren’t interested in learning more.’’
Gatto stipulates that the twelve-year schooling system have some negative drawbacks to the students and the teachers themselves; hence there is a need to reform the system. This can be done by reducing the schooling system to about eight to ten years. Gatto says that the students claimed that they were taught things which they already knew about; hence such things should be removed from the curriculum thus reducing the number of years spent in school (Gatto, 2003). By doing so, boredom in schools will be eradicated thus motivating the students and making the curriculum interesting to the teachers and the learners.
As discussed above, it is clear that many students in public schools face a lot of challenges. This has in the students lose interest in education hence the result of disappointment to the parents and the instructors. A change should be done so that to motivate and provide an education that is involving to the student. By motivating and involving the students to teachers who know their subjects, they will gain interest and inspiration. Additionally, division based on the social classes should be abandoned and involve all students together irrespective of their backgrounds. By doing so, many students will have the eagerness to learn more and show their full potential in all levels of education.
Reference
Alexie, S. (1998). Superman and me. Los Angeles Times, 19.
Anyon, J. (1980). Social class and the hidden curriculum of work. Journal of education, 162(1), 67-92.
Cox, R. D. (2009). The college fear factor. Harvard University Press.
Gatto, J. T. (2003). Against school. Harper’s Magazine, 307(1840), 33-38.
Rose, M. (1990). I just wanna be average. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, 161-172.
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
On May 18, 1980, after lying dormant 123 years Mount St. Helens erupted powerfully and had a profound impact on the Pacific Northwest. On that summer day in 1980 Mount St. Helens produced a huge debris avalanche, an explosive lateral blast, lahars and an eruption column. In an instant the countryside and lakes surrounding a great distance around became victims of devastation.
Located in the state of Washington, St. Helens is considered to be the youngest and most active volcano in the Cascade Range. Although only 12th in height among the major Cascade volcanoes, scientists predict a significant increase in size in the future because the mountain is still in its cone building stage. Mount St. Helens stands atop an older volcano which historically, was probably one of the most explosive peaks in the Pacific Northwest. This assumption is evident through the amount of debris that is scattered for miles over the countryside. The oldest recognized products of the ancestral cone are a pumice layer which is dated at 37,600 years and a weathered mudflow deposit dated at approximately 36,000 years (Harris 1980). Evidence of glacial sediments containing fragments of the earlier mountain are dated at approximately 18,000 years and indicate that Mount St. Helens experienced at least one episode of glaciation. Present day lava content of St. Helens is composed of olivine basalt, dacite, and pyroxene andesite. The ancestral St. Helens, although almost buried beneath the recent core, has left behind much evidence of its previous eruptions. Pumiceous ash blankets the land for hundreds of miles and many valleys are filled with accumulations of explosive rubble. Modern day Mount St. Helens is a result of avalanche debris, explosion rubble and mudflow deposits erupted by its predecessor.
Modern day St. Helens also grew “through the extrusion of at least two large dacite domes and the production of glowing avalanches similar to those erupted by the ancestral volcano” (Harris 1980:171). The famous Spirit Lake surrounding Mount St. Helens is also a result of violent activity. The lake formed when mudflows form the volcano blocked the headwaters of a fork of the Toutle River and the lake was raised over 60feet by mudflows.
Prior to 1980, after over one hundred years of lying dormant, St. Helens had the opportunity to recuperate from its previous eruptions and develop its beautiful shape, rising approximately 3000 meters above sea level. (Sanders 2002) The landscape surrounding the mountain consisted of dense, temperate and coniferous rain forests.
Large areas had been partially modified by timber harvest activity and sparse alpine vegetation occurred at high elevations. Lakes and streams were also common to the area. However, by 1949 endless miles of roads covered the previously solitude mountain. By 1975 there were few roadless areas for hikers and wildlife and most of the trails had been converted to logging road (Williams 1988). According to the U.S Forest Service, timber harvesting had been “quite extensive, primarily on the south and east sides” (Williams 1988:32). The timber industry claimed that clearcutting was an economic necessity essential for providing timber and jobs. Clearcutting moved up Mount. St. Helen streams and efforts to replant the timberline clearcuts failed and once the vegetation was destroyed, the pumice became a desert, and few plants were able to grow. Only the north side of the mountain prior to the 1980 eruption remained in a semi-natural state, although fisheries were damaged by dams and erosion from logging (Williams 1988).
The Cascade Mountains, St. Helen’s being one of them, represent a volcanic arc that is created where the Juan the Fuca tectonic plate is moving eastward and subsiding beneath North America. The plate originated as magma, through rifts in the Juan de Fuca Ridge. The Juan de Fuca Ridge is the remaining northern segment of a larger oceanic feature called the Farallon Ridge. Most of this ridge has been over ridden by the westward drifting North American Plate. The rock that makes up the Juan de Fuca plate is heated to a degree that hot fluids are driven out. These hot fluids, which are mainly composed of water, then penetrate into the overlying wedge of mantle rock and cause chemical interactions that lower melting temperatures in the wedge. This causes blobs of magma to rise through the fractures in the crust and accumulate in chambers beneath the volcanic peaks of the Cascade Range and results in eruptions (Sanders et al. 2002).
Studies by members of the U.S Geological Survey were conducted and the results were published in 1978 by authors Crandell and Mullineaux. Based on the eruptive history and frequency of St. Helens eruptions the authors warned of the likelihood of future eruptions.
In the future, Mount St. Helens probably will erupt violently and intermittently just as it has in the recent geologic past, and these future eruptions will affect human life and healthy, property, agriculture and general economic welfare over a broad area…an eruption is… likely to occur within the next hundred years, and perhaps even before the end of the century” (Sanders et al. 2002:232)
These warnings however, did not reach a wide audience and were not taken very seriously by a majority of the public.
The issue was clouded by misunderstandings by the media, government officials, and even geologists. Two years after the publication by Crandell and Mullineaux Mount St. Helens erupted.
The first sign of activity at Mount St. Helens began On March 16, 1980. A series of small earthquakes were detected and on March 27, after hundreds of earthquakes had been detected, steam explosions blasted a crater through the volcano’s summit ice cap. The crater was estimated to have grown about 1,300 feet in diameter within a week (Brantley et al. nd). Two enormous crack systems had also crossed the entire summit area. 10,000 earthquakes had shaken the volcano by May 17, and the north flank had grown outward to form a noticeable bulge. This indicated to geologists that magma had risen high into the volcano. On the morning of May 18, 1980 and earthquake of magnitude 5.1, shook the volcano and within 20 seconds, the volcano’s bulge and summit slid away in the largest landslide in recorded history. The landslide was about 2.5km^3 (Pringle 1990). Powerful explosions were triggered because the landslide depressurized the volcano’s magma system. “Rocks, ash, volcanic ash and steam were blasted upward and outward to the north. This lateral blast of hot material accelerated to at least 300 miles per hour, the slowed as the rocks and ash fell to the ground and spread away from the volcano.” (Brantley et al. nd) The blast cloud is reported to have traveled as far as 17 miles northward from the volcano. An eruptive column was a result of the blast and rose more than 15 miles in about 15 minutes. The destruction continued as magma erupted from the new crater and a second eruption column was formed.
Just after 12:00pm pyroclastic flows consisting of ash, pumice and gas poured out of the crater, reaching speeds as fast as 80 miles per hour (Brantley et al. nd). The scorching ash quickly mixed with existing ice and snow and began to flow down all sides of the mountain. Debris was picked up on the way and included boulders reaching sizes of up to 20 feet in diameter (Volcano World nd). Strong winds then proceeded to blow the 520 million tons of ash eastward across the United States. 250 miles from the volcano, the city of Spokane, was enclosed in darkness (Brantley et al. nd).
Effects of the 1980 eruption were disastrous. There were 57 human fatalities, mostly due to suffocation from ash inhalation, and thousands of animals were killed including, 7000 big game animals and 12 million salmon. Hundreds of houses in the valley were destroyed, bridges were wrecked and vehicles were demolished. Deposits of mud and debris in the upper reaches of the North Fork Toutle Rive valley were so great that its floor was raised as much as 180 meters and debris dams formed lakes where none had existed before. A flood of water filled with mud, poured into the Cowlitz River and enormous amounts of sediment were dumped into the Columbia River and clogged the shipping channel. “Upstream in the Columbia, more than twenty oceangoing ships were trapped at Portland and Vancouver until the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deepened the channel with dredges working around the clock” (Sanders et al. 2002:239) Ash clouds were seen drifting across three states, Washington, Idaho and Montana, and the volumes of rock, ice, mud, ash and debris were estimated in the billions of cubic yards.
Ash fall of up to 8cm in Washington and Idaho caused harmful problems clogged air filters that disabled vehicles and short-circuited electrical transformers, resulting in power outages. Breathing was so difficult in some areas that many had to wear masks. Needless to say much of the wildlife in the surrounding area was destroyed. Few trees and plants survived the eruption. “The volcano blew out a large portion of the mountainside and baked several hundred square kilometers of adjacent countryside to 400600 oC. The result was a lifeless moonscape punctuated by the ash-gray, leafless trunks of thousands of blown-down trees” (Life erupts at Mount St. Helens 1997:400)
Following the eruption, thousands of people were evacuated, some by helicopter. Emergency responses that included salvaging lives and property were the first priority. Work crews worked for weeks removing tons of ash from roofs, streets, sidewalks and parking lots. The U.S Army Crops of Engineers worked around the clock, deepening the channel of the Columbia River so that ships could be freed. People sought immediate need for information regarding volcanic events and hazards. As a result an Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) was established in Washington. The ECC consisted of experienced emergency response personal and was staffed 24 hours a day. Information was also provided through public meetings, press conferences, and briefings with government agencies and private businesses. Updates on the status of the volcano were also provided through “volcanic and seismic activity reports.”
Despite all the effort, the destruction and loss resulting from the volcano caused many to experience emotional problems and psychological problems.
“Some people made a scapegoat of Mount St. Helens, blaming the volcano for personal problems unrelated to the eruption” (Sanders et al. 2002:242-243)
Bibliography:
Zeilinga de Boer, Jelle and Donald Theodore Sanders. 2002. Volcanoes in Human History. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Harris, Stephen L. 1980. Fire & Ice The Cascade Volcanoes. Revised Edition. Seattle:
The Mountaineers.
Williams, Chuck. 1988. Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. Seattle: The Mountaineers.
Pringle, Patrick. Mount St Helens: A Ten-Year Summary. Washington Geologic Newsletter. Vol. 18, No. 2, May 1990.
Brantley, Steve and Bobbie Myers. Mount St. Helens-From the 1980 Eruption to 2000.
Advanced, Writing and Discipline
(Name)
(Instructors’ name)
(Course)
(Date)
‘Advanced’, ‘Writing’ and ‘Discipline’
This assignment requires all the students taking the advanced writing course to post something about the meanings of the words advanced writing and discipline. The post is supposed to include some definitions from the dictionary and then show how we understand the meaning of these three words. As it follows, I will first define the words as they are discussed in two different dictionaries, and then offer a definition that reflects my own understanding of the terms. In addition to this, I will also demonstrate some of my expectations of this particular course. I will also show what I expect to be covered or taught in the class and how we can our past knowledge and skills in communication and writing in advancing this course.
The Merriam- Webster dictionary has a number of definitions of the word advanced, a few of which only apply to this particular class. One of the most relevant definition of advanced in this dictionary is the one that describes advanced as being more than or being beyond introduction or elementary. Another essential definition describes advanced as much developed beyond or more than the initial stage. A third essential definition from this dictionary is the one that defines advanced as being further away from others when it comes to ideas or progress. One can, therefore, use this word in different circumstances. For instance, one can say advanced biology, chemistry or English class. One can also use the word to form a sentence like, advanced methods of science.
The online Dictionary.com also offers a number of definitions for the word advanced. One of the definitions offered in the dictionary defines advanced as being placed forward or ahead. Another crucial definition derived from this dictionary defines advanced as far or ahead or further along in complexity, progress, skill or even knowledge. Advanced is also shown or defined as embodying or pertaining to ideas, attitudes, and practices. In this case, the word advanced can be used to mean that one is taken or seen as being more liberal or enlightened when compared to the established, standardized or traditional. As it follows, these definitions can be used differently in sentences. One, for instance, can use the second definition of advanced in such sentences as, an advanced class in English, or taking a course in advanced Spanish. I understand the term advanced as any skills, knowledge, ideas, practices or attitudes that have developed more than the normal or usual stages. I understand that one has to learn more and acquire more skills and knowledge about a particular discipline to become advanced in that discipline.
The other word of interest in this post is writing. The term has numerous definitions according to Merriam- Webster dictionary. The dictionary defines writing as the process or act of one who writes or the art or act of forming characters or letter that are visible. The dictionary also defines writing as the practice or act of musical or literary composition. Writing can also be understood as the form or style of composition, or the profession or occupation of a writer. Dictionary.com defines writing as the act of a thing or person who writes. It also defines writing as putting or committing one’s ideas or thoughts into writing. I also have my own understanding of the term writing. I think that writing is not just the ability to put words together or the ability to draw characters or words that are presentable. To me, writing is the ability for one to put characters and syllables together so that they are able to make sense, communicate the intended message and show the level of expertise of that particular individual or writer. As it follows, I do not see someone who is able to take notes in class as a writer; neither can I take the notes the take down as writing. However, if that student is able to answer questions from the same class in the form of writing that show the understanding of the course material, and do it comprehensively and presentably, then I can take him as a writer, because he displays ideas, knowledge and skill.
Discipline is an extremely common word, and it has a number of meanings as presented by a number of dictionaries. The Merriam- Webster dictionary, for instance, offers a number for definitions for the term. It is essential to note that the word holds a number of meanings. For instance, it can be used to mean discipline, it can also be used to stand for a field of study, or training that molds, corrects or perfects moral character and mental faculties. The dictionary also describes discipline as the control obtained from enforcing order and obedience. Dictionary.com also has numerous definitions of the term. Some of these include training or molding to act according to rules. It is also defined as exercise, activity or a regimen that improves or develops a skill. It also defines discipline as punishment inflicted by way of training or correction. All these definitions are applicable in different cases. I understand discipline as a field of study that one chooses to specialize in above others.
These three words can be used together to come up with the term advanced writing discipline. This term can be used to mean a writing course in a certain discipline that is advanced. This writing course could have been covered in several other uncomplicated stages before one becomes qualified to undertake the advanced class. In such a course, it expected that the students would learn ideas; practices, knowledge and skills that will enable them become competent in writing or expressing their ideas through writing. It expected that by the end of the course, all students would have learned or refined their writing skills.