Week 3 + 4 Response

.docx

School

University Of Arizona *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

671

Subject

Philosophy

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

3

Uploaded by JusticeArtSheep37

What was Aristotle's education for all citizens? And how are his ideas on equality reflected in education today, and in your education experience? Aristotle’s view on education is that those who range from being governed to those who govern are the same and different as the opportunity to lead and bed led is also the same. At one point in time, the rulers were ruled who also had to learn as they too were subjects (Aristotle, Politics, Jowett, p. 5). He advocated that all forms of education be provided in a public manner that is of equal value and service to all learners as the opportunities that were presented in society were all attainable by those who pursued it. To understand the equality of education he proposed, he focused many of his efforts on ensuring that there should be a level of early training after birth that would aid in the understanding of one’s psyche (Curren, 2010, p. 547). Through this style of training or mentorship, moral excellence or virtue was desirable. Human flourishment was another theme recognized in his contributions towards education as he felt that the balance between being complete in what he defined as a contemplative and political life. Just as mentioned earlier, education was obtained through the mentoring relationships they had whether it be through the reading, writing, or math that was obtained through these relationships, or through the intrinsic motivation one had in various forms of leisure. Thinking back to the Google Form asking what or how we defined what having a “good life” was, this question intentionally seeks to understand how one’s contributions and or lessons are meant to be different as our definition is what leads us to living a life of fulfillment. Aristotle believed that in order to achieve equality, friendships or alliances with various social groups must form as this would help those understand the experiences of one another (Curren, 2010, p. 549). In todays schools, we often see students coming from various backgrounds as schools and districts try to bring in students from different parts of a town or community that allow for explicit interactions with various demographic and socioeconomic upbringings. Mentorships take place in various methods either this being in the classroom with a specific teacher who may be teaching a core subject or an elective of interest, being involved in a club or sport, or grouping high and low performing students to support one another. These ‘friendships ’ were all part of this idea of having a common school where communities were unified even if their interests differed. In my experience as an academic advisor, I see the intentional grouping of students in a major as being a way of creating that friendship Aristotle talks about. Although many of the students share interests, what they (the students) can do vary as they are further influenced by those who are also defined as the ones govern, or lead, in the practices that the learner wants to follow. Because higher education essentially is a business, these memberships are exclusive to those who have access to it and this system will continue to separate or distinguish how we perceive one another. Make the connection between Gibboney’s concerns about education, the Washington Post article, and Aristotle’s argument for an educated citizenry.
Gibboney’s concerns about how our education system is failing our students is very real as in the last few years, we’ve seen these professions crumble through the lack of funding for classroom tools and resources, ridiculously low pay for teachers, and the blindness our nation continues to intentionally turn away from when supporting impoverished students. No Child Left Behind was an act that tried to hold all schools and students accountable with the use of testing requirements yet the resources to help bridge the achievement gap were never provided and those who came from well-established communities continued to flourish while the underfunded/underrepresented communities continued to struggle. What stands out the most about these inequities is that more of these underserved communities find themselves in situations where their behavior is criminalistic and college/career conversations are not facilitated at the same level as those who have access to a high-quality education. Because poverty in itself is more than just a financial insecurity or identity, students who regularly experience this are often finding themselves in a position where they are feeling far less supported than their peers (Weiss, 2013). Comparing Gibboney’s manifesto to the problems this generation of learners is facing is something that is and was to be expected as the disadvantaged youth will continue to experience this. With societal pressures and expectations to adapt to the demanding changes of what makes a good life attainable, the opportunities that our public education system presents or provides is just not enough because test scores are overtaking the unique interests of students. Standardizing an education system rids of the experiences that help diversify the learning process that students obtain from one another, just as Aristotle mentioned. Aristotle recognized this issue long before the modern-day approach to teaching and learning. The unique experiences that an education is supposed to provide diversifies and unifies the contributions we all can make. Impoverished youth who must worry about basic needs do not have the same set of experiences income- stable youth have. Impoverished youth also do not have the social capital that their peers may have. If having an education is what leads us to a better life, how are we supposed to ensure that this is an equal opportunity for all? It’s not free or reduced lunches, school uniforms, or accelerated learning. Holistic approaches to teaching and learning in hopes of having a good life that impoverished communities dream of having is only a small fraction of what may close the achievement gap as these roots stem as far back as the creation of the common school with Horace Mann (Curren, 2010, p. 551). Considering Noam Chomsky's take on educating for whom and for what and Lewis Powell's memorandum in the 1970s, how do you think education has changed over the last 40+ years, especially in connection to educating for the Common Good? What is this common good? And why is the common good worth preserving? Chomsky’s focus on self-expression and students’ willingness to learn is something that I’ve come to recognize more with my time working in my current role. He emphasized how education was perceived and most beneficial to the learner as curiosity and exploration is what captured the interest of students. Powell’s view on education being a business and having influential power in how education is
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help