Agricultural Education, School and Society

Lesson 3:	Goals and Purposes of Education
Introduction:	Herbert Spencer, a philosopher of the 1800s, asked the question, "What Education is of Most Value?" Educators and parents are still wrestling with that question today. There are varied opinions as to the goals of education. The goals of education tend to change with time. During the earlier part of the 20th century the public was disillusioned with the public schools because of the strong emphasis on a classical education with little regard for the current needs of society. This gave rise to the development of vocational education. Today we are seeing a reversal with the "back-to-basics" movement. As a teacher in the public schools, you need to be aware of the various views regarding the goals and purposes of education since they do have an impact on your program. An example of this is the push to integrate academic and vocational education and the emphasis on end-of-course tests in vocational subjects.
Learning Objectives:	Upon completion of this unit the learner should be able to: Differentiate between the conservative's and reconstructionist's goals of education. Describe the public's views regarding the goals of education. Discuss how the goals of education have changed during the 20th century. Identify educational reform initiatives and the impact these initiatives have on education. Magnet Schools Open Enrollment Vouchers Charter Schools EMOs List the characteristics and goals of career and technical education (a new term for vocational education).
Instructional Activities:	Take the interactive pretest on the goals and purposes of education. Read the following chapters from Teachers, Schools and Society (Sadker & Sadker) 8th edition: Chapter 4 "Schools: Choices and Challenges" What do you think of Neil Postman's views about education in "The End of Education"? Each year the Gallup organization conducts a poll of the public's attitudes toward schools and publishes the findings in the Kappan Magazine. Read the article "The 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll Of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools" and pay very close attention to the section "Expectations for the Public Schools." to see what the public thinks school should focus on. Every year Dr. Gerald Bracey prepares a report on the condition of education in America. Bracey, the former director of school testing for the state of Virginia, believes the press and others who are trying to promote a specific point of view are not telling the whole story about education in America. He attempts to set the record straight once a year in the Phi Delta Kappan magazine. The 11th Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education apeared in October of 2001. Read it over and see what you can learn about educational issues. See what the Southern Region Education Board believes should be the goals for schools in the South. Do the educational goals of a religious group differ from public schools goals? View the PowerPoint presentation on "Vocational Education" on-line or download it to learn about the goals and purposes of vocational education. Soon we will take a more in-depth look at the curriculum in career and technical education and agricultural education.
Lagniappe:	Some of these school one liners are funny.
Review:	After you read the chapter in the text go to the following site and see how much you learned. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072877723/student_view0/chapter4/multiple_choice_quiz.html
Assignment:	Based upon this weeks readings, write a paragraph describing what you think should be the goals and aims of education and share this with your classmates.

Lesson 3:

Goals and Purposes of Education

Introduction:

Herbert Spencer, a philosopher of the 1800s, asked the question, "What Education is of Most Value?" Educators and parents are still wrestling with that question today. There are varied opinions as to the goals of education.

The goals of education tend to change with time. During the earlier part of the 20th century the public was disillusioned with the public schools because of the strong emphasis on a classical education with little regard for the current needs of society. This gave rise to the development of vocational education. Today we are seeing a reversal with the "back-to-basics" movement.

As a teacher in the public schools, you need to be aware of the various views regarding the goals and purposes of education since they do have an impact on your program. An example of this is the push to integrate academic and vocational education and the emphasis on end-of-course tests in vocational subjects.

Learning Objectives:
Graphic of a Road Sign

Upon completion of this unit the learner should be able to:

Differentiate between the conservative's and reconstructionist's goals of education.

Describe the public's views regarding the goals of education.

Discuss how the goals of education have changed during the 20th century.

Identify educational reform initiatives and the impact these initiatives have on education.

Magnet Schools

Open Enrollment

Vouchers

Charter Schools

EMOs

List the characteristics and goals of career and technical education (a new term for vocational education).

Instructional
Activities:

Take the interactive pretest on the goals and purposes of education.

Read the following chapters from Teachers, Schools and Society (Sadker & Sadker)

8th edition: Chapter 4 "Schools: Choices and Challenges"

What do you think of Neil Postman's views about education in "The End of Education"?

Each year the Gallup organization conducts a poll of the public's attitudes toward schools and publishes the findings in the Kappan Magazine. Read the article "The 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll Of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools" and pay very close attention to the section "Expectations for the Public Schools." to see what the public thinks school should focus on.

Every year Dr. Gerald Bracey prepares a report on the condition of education in America. Bracey, the former director of school testing for the state of Virginia, believes the press and others who are trying to promote a specific point of view are not telling the whole story about education in America. He attempts to set the record straight once a year in the Phi Delta Kappan magazine. The 11th Bracey Report on the Condition of Public Education apeared in October of 2001. Read it over and see what you can learn about educational issues.

See what the Southern Region Education Board believes should be the goals for schools in the South.

Do the educational goals of a religious group differ from public schools goals?

View the PowerPoint presentation on "Vocational Education" on-line or download it to learn about the goals and purposes of vocational education. Soon we will take a more in-depth look at the curriculum in career and technical education and agricultural education.

Lagniappe:

Some of these school one liners are funny.

Review:

After you read the chapter in the text go to the following site and see how much you learned. http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072877723/student_view0/chapter4/multiple_choice_quiz.html

Assignment:

Based upon this weeks readings, write a paragraph describing what you think should be the goals and aims of education and share this with your classmates.