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A few deadlines to keep in mind for AP next week:

• Monday: Vocab Quiz 12 (Redemption)
• Tuesday: Education Unit Exam (Questions will appear by Friday night)
• Wednesday, 11:59 p.m.: Research Paper Due

Questions for the Test

The Education Unit test will have two portions, one section of paragraph response and one section of essay response.
The paragraph responses should consist of 7-9 sentences demonstrating knowledge of the text, our discussions, and the other material we have discussed in class. They will come from this list and you will have to answer two on the test:

1. Explain how elenchus is the cornerstone of true education, according to Socrates.
2. In his article “Dehumanized,” Mark Slouka argues that our current educational focus undermines civic life in America. What is his problem with current educational trends and what does he propose to do to reverse them?
3. Explain how Paolo Freire’s “subject-object” metaphor drives his beliefs about education.
4. How, according to Jonathan Kozol, does the belief in “adequacy” undermine the promise of Brown v. Board of Education?
5. Both John Dewey and Kenneth Robinson discussed the futility of trying to prepare students for specific jobs. Why does each believe this cannot succeed?
6. Summarize Sol Stern’s critique of the Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
7. How can the work of Eric Hanushek from Stanford improve American schools?
8. Explain Paolo Freire’s banking metaphor and summarize why he thinks it damages students.
9. Defend/refute/qualify the idea that students are the best evaluators of their teachers.
10. In his piece, Malcolm X asserted that our discussion of history is often whitewashed. Summarize his claim and give a few examples before arguing whether or not this is an issue in your classes today.

The essay response will come from this list of topics. You will answer one of these questions with a well-developed response that includes a clear thesis and 2-3 detailed paragraphs. You will be able to choose from a list of 2-3 options.

1. Using at least three sources, make an argument that public education should or should not be focused on vocational (job) training.
2. A number of the articles and videos we have watched suggest that public education depends on tracking at the least, and failure of some students at the worst.  Analyze this argument and defend, refute or qualify it, using as much evidence as you can.
3. Defend, refute, or qualify Jonathan Kozol’s argument that American schools are engaging in “apartheid.”
4. Using at least three sources, defend/refute or qualify the assertion that the most valuable form of education is self-education.
5. Using at least three sources, make an argument for how we should change standardized tests like the ACT, SAT, and CRT exams. Explain how your test would better measure student achievement and likelihood for success.

Materials Covered by the Exam

Readings: The Six Lesson  Schoolteacher, Dehumanized, Learning to Read, Still Separate–Still Unequal, excerpt from Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Pedagogy of the Oppressor, Most Likely to Succeed, My Pedagogic Creed,

Notes: Socrates

Videos: Kenneth Robinson on Do Schools Destroy Creativity? and New Education Paradigms

I managed to forget to post last week, so here is a super-sized edition of the Weekly reads, including looks at the benefits of gossip, arguments for and against Jonathan Kozol, what makes a child prodigy,  the conservative case for football and more. Enjoy!

Read more

The article we’re reading for class tomorrow, Mark Slouka’s Dehumanized, generated a lot of debate when it came out. Here are some additional resources about the piece you may want to take a look at:

• An Open Letter to Mark Slouka
• The Business of Dehumanization
• A Conversation with Mark Slouka
• A Critique of Mark Slouka
• Rehumanized
• The article, in case you forgot to take it home. 🙂