Module 8 hist & phil
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Touro College *
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650
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
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Pages
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1.
Are democratic classrooms possible? If so, how? If not, why not?
1.
Are democratic classrooms possible? If so, how? If not, why not?
To understand democracy in the classroom and explore it as an option for the present-day
classrooms, we must look to the past to understand democracy's role. Democracy was reserved
for very few Americans and teaching students about their rights and promoting individuality did
not exist unless they were a white man from a middle class or wealthy family. Lumen (2020)
states, “African Americans, immigrants from Asia, and Native Americans were largely excluded
from the focus of Progressive reform” (Lumen, 2020). Many Americans of color and women
didn’t have basic rights or freedoms, such as voting, until the twentieth century. The education
curriculum of the twentieth century taught the white ideals and standards to keep people of color
and different races from having freedom, autonomy, and rights. Education in the twentieth
century also denied the identity of people of color and omitted many ideas that accredited them.
Woodson (1933) states that education taught African Americans that they were “lower order,
unable to subject passion to reason, and therefore useful only when made the hewer of wood and
the drawer of water for others” (Woodson, 1933, p. 14). Lepore (2022) states the teaching of
evolution was banned from curriculum because schooling curriculum would have to
acknowledge “there is no fundamental difference between themselves and the race they pretend
to despise” (Lepore, 2022, p. 12).
To create a more democratic classroom, teachers should possess a passion for creating
opportunities for students to learn, solve problems, promote critical thinking and learn how to
think outside the box. I believe that democratic classrooms are possible by putting emphasis on
individual responsibility, actions and consequences of actions but it does not have to be all or
nothing and it also doesn’t have to happen overnight. I believe students can learn more from a
democratic classroom when they have the space to make their own choices and learn from them,
instead of an instructional curriculum where there is little space to have their own ideas, values
and responsibility. In Lepore's article she talks about the hundred-year war of public education
and parent rights against the state, miseducation of topics and ignoring certain histories on
certain races. From looking at America’s past, Lepore (2022) states, “capitalism divided the rich
and the poor. Democracy required them to live together as equals. Public education was meant
to bridge the gap, as wide as the Cumberland” (Lepore, 2022, p. 6).
Koonce (2020) references Bell Soars perspective on the possibility of truly democratic
classrooms. If schools can practice and demonstrate freedom, democracy and responsibility of
choices by having students solve real world issues, then democracy will be present. Bell argues
that democracy in the classroom starts with students learning tolerance, justice, fairness and
developing critical literacy skills to solve problems. Bell Soars states, “yet for preservice
teachers to be sufficiently prepared to credit a democratic classroom, they must adopt a
questioning stance that can be achieved through the pedagogy of critical literacy” (Koonce,
2020, p. 58). She believes teachers should adopt a culture of acceptance. Bell Soars cites
Ciardiello (2004) in their stating of four main themes of: “examining multiple perspectives,
finding an authentic voice, recognizing social barriers, and finding one’s identity to promote a
participatory democratic classroom” (Koonce, 2020, p.58).
Koonce (2020) references Gary’s perspective and believes it is not possible for classrooms to be
truly democratic. Gary raises an interesting point on peer acceptance limiting the freedoms of the
individual and their own point of view. Gary argues that “the business of America is business,
and this reality has to be taken into account in any prescription written for the public schools”
(Koonce, 2020, p.65). He argues children start young with little to no freedom in what to learn
and that freedom is a luxury not many can afford except the wealthy. Present day school is not
balanced and for them to become balanced and a larger societal change has to happen first.
I do believe public education now gives little individuality to students. Education today leaves no
room for students to have a say in their own education. Children should learn from a young age
that they have a say, rights, responsibilities, and freedoms. Democratic classrooms are possible
and can be implemented very slowly by giving students more responsibility, choice, freedom in
their education.
Questions
1.
How can we make sure every student has the ability to solve “real world issues”?
2.
How can teachers promote freedom of choices in their instruction?
3.
How can the school system start to shift toward more democratic classroom instruction?
4.
What do you practice in your classroom to promote individualism, responsibility or
consequence of choices?
References
Koonce, G. L. (Ed.) (2020). Are truly democratic classrooms possible? In Taking sides: Clashing
views on educational issues (20th Ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Lepore, J. (2022, March 14) Why the school wars still rage. The New Yorker, 16-21
Lumen Learning (2020). The limits of progressivism. Boundless US History
Woodson, C. G. (1933). The mis-education of the Negro (pp. 1-20). Washington, DC: Associated
Publishers.
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