What is Worth Learning?

There are many things that deserve to be learned about in school that is neglected, and there are also things that are taught in school that could cause potential negative effects. Something that surprised me the most throughout this module was the idea of the hidden curriculum. This idea proposes that there are often times “hidden” lessons that are taught alongside regular lessons. An example of the hidden curriculum is the idea that boys are supposed to like sports and cars while girls are supposed to like dolls and the color pink. The hidden curriculum can go even deeper with harmful assumptions about expectations or stereotypes for certain races, genders, subjects, and many other factors. This idea of the hidden curriculum can be, but is not always, harmful as it can teach a lot of false ideas that may really stick with people and cause negative impacts. It is important as teachers to not let our personal biases get in the way of giving our students the best educational experience we can. I was already familiar with the idea of the null curriculum, I did not know the term for it. The null curriculum is things that go unlearned in school. I think that there are many things in school that go unlearned that are still very important to be taught. As teachers, we must be aware of this idea of the null curriculum so we can keep it in mind while lesson planning and teaching.

Overall, it is very important for us to be aware of the explicit, null, and hidden curriculum so that in moving forward as teachers we can do our absolute best to give our students the education that they deserve. This way we can ensure that we are teaching our students the most important information we can as everyone is deserving of a fulfilling education. I think that anything is worth learning about and we should strive to learn something new every day and that there is truly so much out there to learn. We should never hold our students back from learning as much as they can and we should always encourage a positive learning environment for them.

How are Schools Integrated?

I learned a lot throughout this module that I did not know before. One thing I learned is that schools are not integrated, and are arguably less integrated than they have ever been. This is caused by the systematic racism put in place decades ago by the U.S. government. In the 1930s, Franklin D. Roosevelt created loan programs to help Americans finance their homes as part of the New Deal. To determine who got these loans, the government created maps where green neighborhoods were considered “good” and the red areas were considered “bad”. It was organized where African Americans and other minority populations lived in these red and “bad” areas and because of this, they did not receive access to these loans. This is called redlining and has caused a tremendous amount of harm that has remained over time.

Although redlining is considered illegal now, it set a foundation in inequality that is still in effect today. African Americans and other minority groups who were in these red areas were never given the resources or opportunities to relocate or have access to more resources, resulting in some people being trapped in poverty. Property value in the green areas has drastically increased allowing people to sell their homes and make more money, and because schools are primarily funded by property taxes, schools in these areas receive more funding. Because of the effects of these policies from the past, homes in the “red” areas have lower property taxes and therefore have less funding and resources in schools. This in itself is a form of segregation that is widely in place today. 

These inequalities have stemmed from a past of racism in America and have prevented integration in schools even today. The issue of funding in schools is an ongoing issue that must be addressed as it has such a great impact on integration in schools. There is still so much work to be done and as teachers, we must work together to improve these systems in order to provide the best possible opportunities for all of our students.

How Can Educational Philosophies Influence Schooling?

 Growing up, I always went to a traditional public school. This consisted of sitting at a desk, listening, and doing the occasional group activity. I think that most of the time, my schools revolve around the ideas of “Essentialism” and “Perennialism” which focuses primarily on the essential subjects, such as math and reading, as well as “perennial” knowledge that has been passed down for generations. In school, I remember how exciting it was when we did something out of the ordinary such as having class outside or going to the library to pick out whatever book we wanted. Moments like these made me love to learn and are things that I wished were incorporated more often into the average school day. I think that these factors were definitely influenced by my teacher’s personal teaching philosophies. Each year I had a different teacher, making each year and the way that we learned things differently every time. It is interesting to look back and see how certain teachers incorporated certain aspects of learning more or less than others. In my future classroom, I want to incorporate more of the activities that made me love learning as a child. I want to allow my students to explore within their learning and make learning fun, which I think is essential. I think that our philosophies as teachers can definitely impact and influence schooling and I think it is important to encourage teachers’ individuality and to promote different teaching and learning styles in school.