Blog #2 Religion in Schools

            I find it interesting that I am asked to reflect on Religion in schools: The Debate Heats Up at a time when my school district is in a lawsuit with the ACLU.  Over the past several months, I have been enlightened and baffled over the subject.  First let me say, I am believer in my Lord Jesus Christ and I believe I can give honor to my God in the classroom without openly praying or observing a moment of silence. 

            According to the law, “teachers and school administrators are representatives of the state, and, in those capacities, are themselves prohibited from encouraging or soliciting student religious or anti-religious activity. Similarly, when acting in their official capacities, teachers may not engage in religious activities with their students. However, teachers may engage in private religious activity in faculty lounges”. (Religion In The Public Schools: A Joint Statement Of Current Law, 1995)  I do not feel a moment of silence is soliciting student religious activity.  There is a moment of silence in my classroom each morning, and I do not have any indication as to what my students are doing during that time.  As a result of this blog and topic, I have monitored my students during the moment of silence.  My findings: Their actions or gestures give me no concrete indication as to what they are doing, and I can only assume.  There are some students that appear to be sleeping, some daydreaming and others waiting for the second they can continue talking with their neighbor.  There are not any students that I observed bowing in prayer.  Silence does not constitute prayer nor does it dictate that prayer must take place in the student’s heart and mind.  The students are given a freedom of choice during the moment of silence. They can use the moment of being silence for prayer, meditation, reflection, or daydreaming.  If the law prohibits students from observing the moment of silence in school, then I feel it is participating in ant-religious activity which is unconstitutional.  In 1969 the U.S. Supreme court ruled the following in Tinker vs. Moines, “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech . . . at the schoolhouse gates”. (The Lectric Law Library, 2011)  Although this was ruled in 1969, today my religious rights have been stripped when I instruct in the classroom.  I can no longer bow my head in my classroom, without the fear that I will be disciplined for promoting my religious beliefs.  Yes, my rights have been stripped as a teacher, but stripping my students is unconstitutional.

            The article, Religion in schools: The Debate Heats Up, also discusses a topic that has been in action as long as I can remember.  Although the controversy is not new, the argument made by scientist stands to rewrite textbooks.  According to the article, children are feeling intimated by their instructors when questioning the Darwin’s theory. (Religion In The Public Schools: A Joint Statement Of Current Law, 1995)  I find this ironic that students fear humiliation when they take in information, reflect on the information, and question its authenticity. I thought this was part of the learning process. 

            In conclusion, I am saddened that so much time and money is being spent on whether or not a moment of silence is unconstitutional and the strengths and weaknesses of Darwin’s theory. I can reflect on three students in my class that I know have little adult supervision, works enable to eat, and sleep fewer hours than I do at night.  If I can reflect on three, how many more there must be in our school systems across the United States?  The moment of silence issue seems very trivial when I think about it from this perspective.

References

Religion In The Public Schools: A Joint Statement Of Current Law. (1995). Retrieved from ED Home: http://www2.ed.gov/Speeches/04-1995/prayer.html

The Lectric Law Library. (2011). Retrieved September 29, 2011, from Lectlaw.com: http://www.lectlaw.com/files/stu02.htm

           

           

Innovators and Makers - Entry 1

As I reflect on the readings from PBS and Gatto concerning education, my initial personal thoughts lean towards, “I want to be an innovator”.  I want to make a difference in my students’ lives, not manufacture them to fit big business or government.  Without researching and expanding my understanding of “innovators” and “makers”, my conclusion would be that the innovators’ aspirations are for the students while the makers’ aspirations are for consumerism.

            I feel it is important to understand the difference between an innovator and a maker.  According to dictionary.com (2011), “an innovator introduces something new or makes changes to anything established”. The synonyms for innovator are groundbreaker, trailblazer, or pioneer.  The education innovators presented by PBS, paved the way for the public education system. PBS presented nineteenth century innovators that cultivated education and piloted the way for twentieth century innovators.

Horace Mann is a nineteenth century innovator that influenced public education. Horace Mann allowed his childhood educational experience in a one-room schoolhouse to enable him to start and lead a crusade for public education (PBS, 2011). I feel Horace Mann’s influence is recognizable because his leadership and persistence established a need for reform in public education. His voice laid the path and educated other innovators that would make changes throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century.

          According to dictionary.com (2011), “a maker is a person or thing that makes, manufactures, or fabricates.  The synonyms for maker are designer or engineer.  The makers discussed by John Gatto are wealthy entrepreneurs who steered the way for classrooms to be viewed as a human resource to big business and government.(Gatto, 2000-2003)  The makers attempted to manufacture or redesign the educational system established in the nineteenth century by innovators such as Horace Mann.  I feel a maker such as Andrew Carnegie is recognizable because one cannot argue that he was a successful wealthy man in spite of only four years formal education (Resetar, 2005), but I do not believe his success can contribute to true educational reform. 

In conclusion after reflecting and researching the innovators and makers, my initial response still holds true, “I want to be an innovator”.  I do not want to manufacture or construct my students to fit big business and make a select few wealthy.  I want to be an innovator and attempt to reach individual students.

References

Gatto, J. T. (2000-2003). The Odysseus Group. Retrieved September 10, 2011, from

                www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/index.htm

PBS. (2001). Retrieved September 9, 2011, from www.pbs.org/kcet/publicschool/index.html

Resetar, N. P. (2005). Retrieved September 10, 2011, from 

                http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Carnegie__Andrew.html

http://www.dictionary.com/. (2011). Retrieved September 10, 2011, from http://dictionary.reference.com/