Description
Fnd a contemporary (no more than 3 years old) news story, media article, or short video that deals with an issue in education related to the topic for the week in which you are posting. You will share/embed a working link to the story you found, give a short (1 paragraph) overview of the story, and then write a 1-2 paragraph reaction to the story.
introduction
This week we will look at the official and unofficial systems of learning in schools. All schools have an “official” curriculum: the spelled-out understanding of what will be taught, via textbooks, instructional methods, and out-of-class experiences. In conjunction with this, however, schools also have an “unofficial” curriculum: the things that are taught that are not explicitly defined, or even recognized, in many cases. Because of this, some scholars have dubbed this the hidden curriculum. As we will see, schools engage in various socialization practices that are meant (intentionally and unintentionally) to push students to conform to specific roles. These roles include things like “student,” “productive citizen,” or gender roles (“boy” and “girl,” “man” and “woman”). Schools also contribute to ideas about what identities are seen as “normal” or valued, based on what information is given to students (i.e. what is taught in textbooks and classrooms) and what things are a part of the school culture (i.e. student organizations). Through our readings and discussions this week, we will explore the power schools have in shaping the realities and experiences of their students.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this section, you will be able to:
Articulate the differences between the expressed and “hidden” curriculum of schools, and how these shape student experiences and understanding.
Discuss how socialization happens in schools, and its impact on students and society.
THE BOOK WE USE nd a contemporary (no more than 3 years old) news story, media article, or short video that deals with an issue in education related to the topic for the week in which you are posting. You will share/embed a working link to the story you found, give a short (1 paragraph) overview of the story, and then write a 1-2 paragraph reaction to the story.
Course Materials and Resources
Materials/Resources
Ballantine, Spade, and Stuber (2017). Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education. Sage Publishing. ISBN: 9781506346977
Ferguson, Ann A. (2000). Bad Boys: Public Schools in the Making of Black Masculinity. University of Michigan Press. [Available for free as e-book via Hathi Trust Digital Library – https://babel.hathitrust.org (Links to an external site.)]