When and where: As part of LTED 609, last Wednesday in class. Maria Hopkins used the term neo-liberalism in a discussion on how current policies and practices are hindering the education of English language learners and diverse learners. She explained that part of the philosophy of neo-liberals is to boil everything down to facts and figures - in terms of education, that means students become facts and figures.
Level of familiarity: I had never heard this term before. I guessed that it was a new form of liberalism, since I know that "neo" means new. I thought that they would be a more extreme form of liberalism, since the newer conservative groups have been more extreme (like the Tea Party).
What it means: The Free Dictionary explains neo-liberalism as a political movement with emphasis on economics. I was unsatisfied with this definition - particularly because it didn't blend with my hypothesized definition or the one Dr. Hopkins used in class. CorpWatch explains neo-liberalism through 5 main points: 1) private business should have no restraints from government; 2) minimum payments from public for social services; 3) reduce government involvement in anything that can produce money (even environment and safety); 4) privatization of everything; and 5) ousting community and promoting personal responsibility.
This article from the New York Times Opinionator Blog (which makes some connections to higher education, but it is still applicable to high or middle schools) explains that neo-liberalism supports personal responsibility in all areas.
Reflective commentary: Thinking about neo-liberalism in schools, the focus seems to be on asking schools to take care of their own funding. It seems that these people would ask government to step back from the regulations that they are currently requiring. I still am confused about the connection between neo-liberalism and all of these state tests.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Week 4 Post 1 - Tautologous
Where and when: This word starts with a confession. As part of the other class I am taking this semester, I read an article this weekend about SIOP. I was struggling to understand the article as I was reading so I decided to pop over to Wikipedia.org to enhance my background knowledge before trying the article again. To my utter amazement I encountered this sentence: As in any instructional approach, the use of sheltered instruction is effective when the teacher is capable of administering the lessons effectively, although the causal direction of this tautologous observation is not clear.
Level of familiarity: No idea. None. I rarely encounter a word that I don't know completely - but this is one of them.
What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines tautology as a statement with an idea that is repeated unnecessarily. Basically, a redundant statement. In the context of the Wikipedia article, it is that instruction is only effective with effective teachers.
Reflective comments: In this context, tautologous seems like a totally pointless word. It is very obvious that the statement is redundant and the concept is circular. In fact, it seems to me that the use of the word is rather tautologous. The concept is obviously redundant and so pointing it out becomes redundant.
Because the statement was such a good example of tautology, I suppose I could have figured out what it meant from the context. However, I was so surprised at this word that I had to look it up in order to understand the statement.
Level of familiarity: No idea. None. I rarely encounter a word that I don't know completely - but this is one of them.
What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines tautology as a statement with an idea that is repeated unnecessarily. Basically, a redundant statement. In the context of the Wikipedia article, it is that instruction is only effective with effective teachers.
Reflective comments: In this context, tautologous seems like a totally pointless word. It is very obvious that the statement is redundant and the concept is circular. In fact, it seems to me that the use of the word is rather tautologous. The concept is obviously redundant and so pointing it out becomes redundant.
Because the statement was such a good example of tautology, I suppose I could have figured out what it meant from the context. However, I was so surprised at this word that I had to look it up in order to understand the statement.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Week 3 Post 2 - Epistemology
When and where: The weekend, while reading "Real-Time Teaching" by Chapman et al for class. On page 540, the authors state that "students engage with one another and issues of societal importance through a language of peer response that affirms students' epistemologies" while writing about social justice.
Level of familiarity: I knew this word, but I could not for the life of me define it while I was reading the article. Once I looked it up I remembered it from past readings and classes, but knew that I would struggle to remember it's true definition.
What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines epistemology as the study of knowledge, specifically, knowledge's limits and validity.
Reflective comments: Looking up epistemology made me think about what the students were really proposed to be getting out of social justice writing. For a student to have his epistemology affirmed, means that what he thinks it means to know something is affirmed. It makes me think that consciously including social justice education in our curricula allows for students to feel that their opinions of school and what education means to them are justified. Students might feel that their opinions matter, that their understanding and education matters.
Level of familiarity: I knew this word, but I could not for the life of me define it while I was reading the article. Once I looked it up I remembered it from past readings and classes, but knew that I would struggle to remember it's true definition.
What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines epistemology as the study of knowledge, specifically, knowledge's limits and validity.
Reflective comments: Looking up epistemology made me think about what the students were really proposed to be getting out of social justice writing. For a student to have his epistemology affirmed, means that what he thinks it means to know something is affirmed. It makes me think that consciously including social justice education in our curricula allows for students to feel that their opinions of school and what education means to them are justified. Students might feel that their opinions matter, that their understanding and education matters.
Week 3 Post 1 - Moratorium
When and where: This morning, NPR, sometime between 6:50 am and 7:05 am. It was a segment about mandatory protections for adult film actors. I honestly wasn't paying attention to the program, but I was thinking about gathering words for this blog. I heard the word moratorium and I couldn't place the definition right off the top of my head. I started listening to try to piece together what it might mean. From what I gathered from listening, adult film actors have certain regulations that are put in place to protect their health. (I apologize for the topic!)
Level of familiarity: I knew that I knew the word, that if I dug deep enough I would find it in the back of my brain. I surmised from the context and what I thought I could remember that moratorium is a type of law.
What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines moratorium as a legally authorized waiting period, usually in relation to some kind of legal obligation.
Reflective commentary: I was surprised that moratorium referred to the waiting period as opposed to the law that requires the film to wait while everyone gets tested. In my head, mandate and moratorium were synonymous. I think that it is important to include the relationship with a legal or official obligation - for instance, there isn't a moratorium for cookies, just a wait.
Level of familiarity: I knew that I knew the word, that if I dug deep enough I would find it in the back of my brain. I surmised from the context and what I thought I could remember that moratorium is a type of law.
What it means: Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines moratorium as a legally authorized waiting period, usually in relation to some kind of legal obligation.
Reflective commentary: I was surprised that moratorium referred to the waiting period as opposed to the law that requires the film to wait while everyone gets tested. In my head, mandate and moratorium were synonymous. I think that it is important to include the relationship with a legal or official obligation - for instance, there isn't a moratorium for cookies, just a wait.
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