Running head: COURSE UNBRELLA QUESTIONS

Course Umbrella Questions

Colorado State University
Margaret Essig

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Introduction
By looking further into the schooling system in the United States I am now more able to
answer the following questions. What was, is, and should be the purpose of schooling in the
United States? What is my role as a future teacher in fulfilling this purpose? How does schooling
continue the existing order in cultural, political, social, economic, and environmental ways? And
finally, how can schooling transform this same existing order?
Purpose of Schooling
At one point the purpose of schooling was to educate only certain members of society
while segregating others from receiving education. Originally students who were female, did not
speak English, or were not Caucasian were unable to receive education or were punished if
attempted to receive any (Huerta, 2009). For instance in 1819, laws were passed making it
punishable for any white or black person caught trying to further an African Americans
Education (Huerta, 2009). Currently, the purpose of schooling is much more inclusive by means
of no longer forbidding certain people to attend school. Horace Mann was a large advocate for
creating inclusive schools that allowed for all people to get an equal education such as the
schools today (Huerta, 2009). Inclusive schooling also includes providing students to show their
own voice. Although this is what schooling is intended to be, this is not always the case. For the
future teachers must work to assure that each child receives equal treatment as well as embracing
diversity. Lantieri and Patti (1996) discuss how many people try to create equality by ignoring
race altogether or are colorblind. Instead, they argue that oppression will exist if we choose to
ignore it or not. Therefore the best way to go about diversity in education is to actually embrace

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it, thus creating more open minds. Creating this mindset in students is what should be one of the
purposes of schooling.
A Teachers Role
A teachers role in fulfilling these purposes involves what their teaching philosophy is.
The philosophies I intend to follow in my teaching are student centered. Student centered
philosophies emphasize students inputs on subject matter as well as encouraging then to question
and form their own opinions (Huerta, 2009). Another aspect of the purpose of schooling is to
embrace diversity. By embracing diversity and presenting aspects of other cultures to students
creates a more accepting point of view for these students. This means that they are less likely to
shy away from those who are different from them (Banks, Cochran-Smith, Moll, Richert,
Zeichner, LaPage, Darling-Hammond, Duffy, McDonald). In order to accomplish this, teachers
must develop a way of thinking that they can present to their students while teaching. There are
multiple ways of thinking that someone can believe in terms of diversity. These ways of thinking
can be transmitted onto the students that you are teaching, thus making it very important to in
terms of how a teacher approaches diversity. These perspectives are; unconscious incompetence,
conscious incompetence, conscious competence, unconscious competence. Unconscious
competence is believing that we need other viewpoints in order to enjoy all of lifes possibilities
(Huerta, 2009). However, we are all human and with that often comes uncontrollable prejudices.
Huerta (2009) suggests to educators that to deal with any of these prejudices that may get in the
way of presenting an unconscious competence attitude to their students, teachers must argue,
ignore, or communicate these prejudices. In my own teaching I will consciously try and do this
in order to embrace the diversity of my students.

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Schooling and the Existing Order

Currently schooling is continuing many aspects the existing order of cultural, political,
social economic, and environmental factors. In early schooling educators made a point of trying
to assimilate students from other countries into American culture. Many times students were
even punished if they did not speak English. This in many ways is still happening today,
continuing the order of cultural unacceptance. Although there are currently programs in place in
schools for students who have another dominate language than English, many of these programs
reflect the same aspects of early schooling. Today there are programs such as full emersion
where only English is spoken. In this case the students dominate language most likely becomes
completely lost. Pullout ESL classes are also detrimental taking students out of normal
curriculum to teach them English, thus causing them to miss out on important content (Huerta,
2009). In order to change this pattern Huerta (2009) encourages two-way or dual-language
programs.
Schooling can have an effect on the social order as well. Currently there is a large stigma
against homosexuals. In a recent study on harassment it showed that LGBT students were felt the
most unsafe at school and experienced the most bullying or harassment (Markow & Fein, 2005).
Although these students are being treated unfairly in schools most said that they will not go to a
teacher or administration to report, feeling that these people would not be able to do anything to
change the problem (Markow & Fein, 2005). The way to fix this problem also lies in the schools.
New York City developed a Respect For All program that is conducted in secondary schools.
Teachers were trained to support education and prevention of LGBTG bullying and harassment
(Greytak & Kosciw). The results of this program showed that having something of this sort in
place in schools will reduce and address name-calling, bullying, and harassment of students

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based on their appearance, sexual orientation, or gender expression or identity (Greytak &
Kosciw).
Conclusion
By learning about diversity in schooling and the many different approaches, I have
gained insight on to how I want to run my future classroom. I now know that I want to run a
student-centered classroom and embrace diversity. I want to make my students realize the value
of diversity and how to embrace it. This is something that when I thought about my hopes for my
classroom did not readily come up. Now one of my biggest hopes is that I will be able to fulfill
this purpose of schooling as well as help to change the current existing order of unacceptance.

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6
References

Cochran-Smith, Marilyn, Luis Moll, Anna Richert, Kenneth Zeichner, Pamela LePage, Linda
Darling-Hammond, Helen Duffy, and Morva McDonald. "Teaching Diverse
Learners." Preparing Teachers for a Changing World: What Teachers Should Learn and
Be Able to Do. By James Banks. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 232-74. Print.
Greytak, Emily A., and Joseph G. Kosciw. "Year One Evaluation of New York City Department
of Education Respect For All Training Program." (n.d.): n. pag. GLSEN Research
Department. Web.
Huerta, Grace. Educational Foundation: Diverse Histories, Diverse,Perspectives. Boston:
Houghton Muffin, 2009. Print.
Markow, Dana, and Jordan Fein. "From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in
America." GLSEN. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, 2005. Web. 10 May
2014.