The readings for this week deal with the idea of using Social Studies to teach about citizenship. In Deborah Meyer’s article, Patriotism and the Yankees, talks about the incorrect ways schools have taught about patriotism and democracy. In the Dawn Shinew article called, A Sense of Place and a Place that makes Sense, we see an attempt to change the way teachers approach teaching about democracy and citizenship. In the last article by Joel Westerheimer’s article titled, Politics and Patriotism in Education, we see more examples of teaching democracy top down in this country, instead of providing perspectives as Westerheimer calls for.
In Deborah Meyer’s article, Patriotism and the Yankees, the author talks about the meaning of being a patriot. A patriot is a person who always supports their country, but not always a particular administration. The author makes the point that democracy and forms of patriotism must be learned by every single person in society. The place that this occurs is in schools. However, Meyer’s believes that schools fail to teach about democracy and patriotism, ...
An appeal to patriotism is one in which emotions are used to show loyalty towards something. To engage patriotism in the audience, one should point out to the audience the opponent’s success. This helps the audience to feel like they are a part of something important. Patriotism should not be tied to idealism. Ideas are not a part of emotional appeal, rather a part of logical appeal. Patriotism is associated with pathos as idealism is associated with logos.
In the article, “Colin Kaepernick and the Question of Who Gets to Be Called a ‘Patriot’”, Wesley Morris focuses on the issue of whether or not Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem at football games is disrespectful and unpatriotic. Morris claims that “Patriotism is the cornerstone of football”, while also addressing the tendency Americans have to shift the blame somewhere else. Morris is able to identify other examples of how patriotism can be viewed in different perspectives and how people that have access to large platforms can use their status to shed light on topics that may have been swept under the rug.
James Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything your American Text Book Got Wrong, wrote about the grim nature of the American educational system. Loewen spent a couple of years gathering intimate details about twelve American history textbooks. In his search, he found convoluted truths of what it means to be a patriot, and worst of all, the misrepresentation of the truth in the educational system. We must think about why a government would want to mislead its people, like in the case of the 1954 Iranian Coup orchestrated by the CIA. Perhaps it is comfort in knowing that all of the conflicts we’ve been involved in are reasonably sound, to remove our abilities to think critically, or to rightfully be proud of a bloody
Simon Keller argues in his essay "Patriotism as Bad Faith" that patriotism is not a virtue but it is actually a vice. Keller begins by splitting the views on this philosophical debate into three different representations. The first being the "communitarian patriot", where patriotism is not only a valued virtue to someone's self but that it is actually an essential virtue. The second representation is a radical contradiction of the first, known as the "hard universalist. The hard Universalist sees patriotism as a vice instead of being any type of positive virtue. They think that everyone should be valued the same, and that there should be no favoritism. The third representation is the idea of the first two combined, to form what is called the "soft universalist." This view is understood as patriotism is allowed, and is not seen as a vice, but also that one has an obligation to the rest of the world, almost to try and treat them as a loyalty that you would have towards your own country. (p.112).
"Every young man is born with some determination in his nature, and is a potential genius." At first glance this quote produces a mix of emotions from the reader. Upon further investigation and examining the word choice one may find Emerson's statement to be completely valid. Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay titled "Education," uses the open words "some" and "potential," making the statement more realistic and ultimately true.
The exploration of what patriotism is and what represents patriotism is an important one more people should embark upon. If Americans are to examine patriotisms true meaning, we will be able to abolish this faux patriotism, which is represented by intimidation, censorship, and majority rules attitudes or actions. This can be replaced by feelings and actions of caring, compassion, acceptance, rationality, and nonviolence, or in other words, patriotism.
Most controversies over education are centered around the question of how strictly standards should be upheld. The concern over whether or not flunking students is appropriate or even in the best interest of the student is a widely discussed topic. The argument often begins with students just starting school where the question of standardized testing for kindergartners arises. The majority of people are actually against such testing because they feel that a child who is labeled as a failure at such an early age may be permanently damaged (Bowen 86). The worry over the failure issue is further traced to educators who feel children just entering school are not fully prepared. Teachers are faced with kindergarten students who do not know their addresses, colors, and sometimes even first and last names (An ‘F’ 59).
Webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk, (2014). Citizenship, Key Stage 2 - Schools. [online] Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130904095049/https://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/curriculum/primary/b00198824/citizenship/ks2 [Accessed 22 Apr. 2014].
At the beginning of each day in many public and private schools around the country, students stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, 35 states have passed laws mandating that the Pledge be recited on a daily basis. This issue has been a source of controversy for years. On one side of the argument exists families and educators who believe in the citizenship and patriotism that reciting the Pledge brings (Chiodo, 2011). On the opposing side, families and educators argue the possible threat to an individual’s First Amendment freedoms.
Nussbaum, Martha C. "Chapter 10 Democratic Citizenship and the Narrative Imagination." Why Do We Educate?: Renewing the Conversation. Ed. David L. Coulter. Comp. John R. Wiens and Gary D. Fenstermacher. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education, 2008. 143-57. Print.
As a teacher, children are my primary focus and responsibility. While I am a teacher of history, I am more importantly a teacher of children, no matter what class I am teaching. To lose sight of the needs of children is the surest way to fail as an educator. To succeed as a teacher, I must remain focused on the students at all times. Children are surely our greatest assets. Their ability to grow is astounding – a well-taught child can make leaps that would not have seemed possible at the beginning of the year.
I attended and graduated from William Tyler Page Elementary school in 1989. So you can imagine my excitement about this assignment. Especially considering my school was named for the author of the American Creed. Written in 1917 as a response to a contest on patriotism. It was later turned into a resolution that was passed by the House of Representatives in April of 1918. Within the creed rests an implicit and deeply-held conviction in freedom and equality. Embedded within are several inherent including the right to democracy, liberty, and freedom of religion. On the other hand, it also outlined the obligation of citizens for what is owed to the country in exchange for these liberties.
Within his research, Aaron T. Sigauke (2013) described how in some nations citizenship education is taught school-wide in all subjects and school activities, but this approach is the exception rather than the rule (p. 11). Traditionally, the teaching of citizenship is generally reserved for social studies classes and is not directly taught as a separate subject. Although the reasons vary as to why it should not be its own course, most educators and politicians agree that it should be indirectly taught in the social studies curriculum because it can be incorporated into the study of history and civics, as well as an analysis of the great citizens (military leaders, politicians, scientists, et al.) that contributed to the nation’s chronicle (Keating, 2011, pp. 762-765). When this practice is combined with national holidays and other local or state celebrations, then the study of civilization becomes more significant and meaningful for all of the students (Keating, 2011, p.
"Lifelong self-images are formed by how successful we are in school." (Discover Your Child's Learning Style, 7) "To educate is to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction" (Webster). Education has been the foundation of America since the beginning of her time. Whether that education was through experiences, parental guidance, or public schooling, education has always guided America's people. In our current time there are many questions as to how we will educate the next generation. "There is a self-motivated, eager learner in every child." (Discover Your Child's Learning Style, 3). We can accomplish this through understanding the following: the growth of the human mind, the three types of learning, the foundation of education, valuing education, and last but certainly not least, what makes a good teacher.