The creation of vocational schools and different curricula geared towards individual interests was the smartest thing that the educational system could have implemented in my opinion. Though the junior high I attended was more general and did provide me with counselors to help me narrow down my interests, my high school was geared towards Math and Science. I agreed with the concept of making Junior high school a place for socialization in which there were clubs, in-school activities and after school activities. I think extra-curricular activities promote a well rounded individual instead of only heavy emphasis on grades. The promotion of team work and cooperation are important networking tools as simple as they may seem and are very necessary in work settings.
The shift from education to save the “poor” from themselves and “Americanize” immigrant cultures to the creation of an equal education in which students could each chose their own area of study was a positive advancement. The psychological factor presented in “Adolescence” which stated that “adolescent interests be harnessed and directed to some socially useful function,” was an interesting approach. Even presently I think it starts as early as kindergarten where even classroom playtime is geared towards conditioning children to “act-out” their dream careers. The creation of all the social events both on college campuses and at junior/highschools prove the concepts created in this chapter about students forming habits to benefit the greater of society. Creation of the lesson plan as introduced in the chapter I think was a good idea for teachers because I think it lessened the pressure of them having to develop their own curriculum but it was also a way to control teachers and schools, I agree with this view in the chapter. In contemporary times choosing a high school is just as hard as choosing the right college. Schools and the educational system should be geared towards individual interests and should offer a wide range of possibility to students, especially those who know what they want to study from early on in their education.
Similiar to the nature/nurture debate presented in the chapter, in your educational experience which do you think has prevailed the most and why? Do you think that creation of the common lesson plan was a great advancement or not. If not describe a situation where the common lesson plan has deceived students?
