While going over my blogs, I managed to make a significant assessment of the many different things we managed to accomplish, as a class in our introduction to education class this semester with Dr. Shutkin. I feel that it is necessary to mention, that everything I learned this semester, was achieved due to the teamwork within our class. The in class conversations we had, the field trips we took and generally the cooperation between myself and my classmates in a multitude of different projects was what contributed to this attained knowledge of mine. Had I worked alone, I wouldn't have been able to achieve as much as I have in this class.
In my blogs I specifically focused on referring back to the readings and in class conversations on specific educational topics, while also introducing certain personal experiences throughout my schooling. I felt that it was necessary to include my own personal experiences from school back in Greece but also here in the United States for two specific reasons: 1) because by analyzing my own experiences and looking back into the past, it was much easier for me to grasp the full meaning of the material covered in class and 2) so that my fellow classmates, and anyone else who would be interested in reading my blogs, could have a better understanding of my educational background, of my position on certain topics and also my personal ideology when it comes to certain aspects or factors connected to the educational world. I wanted people to understand where I came from, and how the views I may have, that could be differentiated from theirs are directly connected to my past experiences.
The blogs my classmates and I posted, were a great opportunity to reflect on everyday class activities, but also show how well we understood either an assigned reading, our daily lectures, or generally the way things work in modern day education. I was truly shocked to find out how many different elements and different views and opinions characterize modern day education, from the way students are taught, to the way teachers teach, schools are set up, and the way society has managed, over the years, to either effectively or ineffectively impact the educational world. Topics like the banking concept of education were completely new to me ( I had never heard of it before), however I managed to learn a lot about it and the effect it can have on students. I talked about the detrimental effects of racism in schools, bullying, and how societies play a great role in contributing for the betterment of their schools. Negative and positive factors, were all mentioned in my blogs, and I would argue for or against them in almost every blog. I managed to visit numerous American schools (Elementary, high school) and I tried, as best I could, to point out what I liked and disliked from these observations, the similarities and differences between these schools and the schools I attended back in Greece, or the educational systems in general. I won't lie, some of the topics we analyzed seemed rather boring, others extremely interesting, however looking back at my blogs now, I see that all of these topics we read about in our books or analyzed via our in class conversations were mandatory in shaping our character, and preparing us as possible future teachers.
Being a part-time teacher myself, I know that I will eventually look back to the blogs I posted in order to get information, and I think that's the most important thing. That these blogs contain significant general information but also personal information and experiences that are connected to each other, and helped me understand what education is really about, and how I, as an individual will be able to tackle certain topics or situations that will rise in my career.
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