Learning, Technology, and Culture in Europe: 2016
Sasha Tremblay
Sasha Tremblay
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Inquiry Project
Inquiry Post #1
A large part of the rhetoric of todays world discusses the massive refugee crisis as well as immigration laws and views. In this inquiry I will be exploring the Netherlands approach to accepting and teaching immigrant students and the ramifications of their education in terms of quality primary schooling. This topic is of great importance because of both the massive influx of refugees and the controversy over policies of accepting and ultimately teaching this population. This is especially relevant to the United States, as we have varying views and opinions on how to address these populations and the quality of education they receive once they enter our country.
After spending time in a local university for Dutch teachers I had the opportunity to speak with Dutch teaching students as well as their professors. Through conversation with Leslie [pseudonym] , one of secondary education professors, as well as through research it became evident that refugee and immigrant students are often not educated in Dutch schools. After I inquired about Netherlands polices Leslie explained that the biggest concern for immigrants, more specifically refugees, was making sure they had a place to be housed. Due to the extensive number of refugees in a small country, education of the children in these populations is not the highest priority. She continued on to explain that most refugee children do not go to Dutch schools as there is not enough teachers with the skills to handle these populations. As well, Netherland laws prohibits any students who do not possess residency equivalent to American green cards, from access to education. Considering that the number of refugees the Netherlands takes relative to the size of its population is much larger, the United states is still more active and permits their immersion into schools. According to the Refugee council USA (2016), “all refugees under the age of 18 years old may attend public primary or secondary schools free of charge. Refugees have the same access to university education as US citizens and permanent residents”. Although the quality of education may differ, the United States still requires education of refugee children where this is not the case in the Netherlands.
After spending time in a local university for Dutch teachers I had the opportunity to speak with Dutch teaching students as well as their professors. Through conversation with Leslie [pseudonym] , one of secondary education professors, as well as through research it became evident that refugee and immigrant students are often not educated in Dutch schools. After I inquired about Netherlands polices Leslie explained that the biggest concern for immigrants, more specifically refugees, was making sure they had a place to be housed. Due to the extensive number of refugees in a small country, education of the children in these populations is not the highest priority. She continued on to explain that most refugee children do not go to Dutch schools as there is not enough teachers with the skills to handle these populations. As well, Netherland laws prohibits any students who do not possess residency equivalent to American green cards, from access to education. Considering that the number of refugees the Netherlands takes relative to the size of its population is much larger, the United states is still more active and permits their immersion into schools. According to the Refugee council USA (2016), “all refugees under the age of 18 years old may attend public primary or secondary schools free of charge. Refugees have the same access to university education as US citizens and permanent residents”. Although the quality of education may differ, the United States still requires education of refugee children where this is not the case in the Netherlands.
Figure 1. Refugee composition percentage in the Netherlands 2008-2012
Figure 1. Refugees invited by the Dutch government by age and gender, 2008-2012. Copyright 2013 by Arno Sprangers and John de Winter.
One of the reasons that refugee children are not integrated into the educational system in the Netherlands is due to the fact that many Dutch teachers are not capable of accommodating for the language barrier. In conversations with Leslie, she mentioned the fact that many of the refugee children speak languages that differ immensely from those learned in Dutch schools. As well, there is a very limited number of teachers with knowledge of teaching second language learners, more specifically those who speak middle eastern languages. Immigrant students that are placed in Dutch schools also have differing educational outcomes. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation (2013), “immigrant students tend to perform better in school systems that have relatively large populations of immigrant students and where immigrant students are as diverse in their socio-economic status as other students” (p.4). In the Netherlands this is greatly evident in the performance of immigrants as their origins and socio-economic statuses will be extensively different from their peers, as there is generally minimal immigrant populations.
After having the opportunity to explore the Netherlands approach to refugee children, in regards to education, many telling features arise in comparison to the United States. Due to the massive influx of both refugees and immigrants, the controversy over education will remain prevalent. I hope to learn more about Dutch resistance to refugees and its implications for education. This can be accomplished during my next “hour alone” VLog challenge. My goal is to approach a wide variety of Maastricht citizens and inquire about their views both towards refugees coming to the Netherlands as well as their opinions on if these populations should have access to education in the country. Having the opportunity to speak with a large number of Dutch Education students as well as their teachers, I have come to learn extensive amounts about the policies, views, and methods of teaching in the Netherlands. This information will be of tremendous benefit to my future endeavors in teaching and using the most successful practices which is one of my primary goals for this study abroad program.
After having the opportunity to explore the Netherlands approach to refugee children, in regards to education, many telling features arise in comparison to the United States. Due to the massive influx of both refugees and immigrants, the controversy over education will remain prevalent. I hope to learn more about Dutch resistance to refugees and its implications for education. This can be accomplished during my next “hour alone” VLog challenge. My goal is to approach a wide variety of Maastricht citizens and inquire about their views both towards refugees coming to the Netherlands as well as their opinions on if these populations should have access to education in the country. Having the opportunity to speak with a large number of Dutch Education students as well as their teachers, I have come to learn extensive amounts about the policies, views, and methods of teaching in the Netherlands. This information will be of tremendous benefit to my future endeavors in teaching and using the most successful practices which is one of my primary goals for this study abroad program.
References
Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development. (2013). Pisa in focus: what do immigrant students tell us about the quality of education systems?. Retrieved from, https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/pisainfocus/pisa-in-focus-n33-(eng)-FINAL.pdf.
Refugee Council USA - Post Arrival Assistance and Benefits. (2016). Retrieved May 17, 2016, from http://www.rcusa.org/post-arrival-assistance-and-benefits
Sprangers, A. and de Winter, J. (2013). Refugees invited by the Dutch government by age and gender, 2008-2012 [graph]. Retrieved from http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/services/ref/apa/tables.shtml
Refugee Council USA - Post Arrival Assistance and Benefits. (2016). Retrieved May 17, 2016, from http://www.rcusa.org/post-arrival-assistance-and-benefits
Sprangers, A. and de Winter, J. (2013). Refugees invited by the Dutch government by age and gender, 2008-2012 [graph]. Retrieved from http://library.canterbury.ac.nz/services/ref/apa/tables.shtml
Inquiry Post #2
During the course of this study abroad experience, I am seeking to focus my attention on critically assessing and understanding topics related to diversity issues in European schools. In the previous post, I discussed the statistics and viewpoints towards the education of refugee children. While this topic is of great importance, I would like to continue discussion into the larger idea of the racial makeup and socio-economic backgrounds of students in Netherland primary schools. This specific topic is of great importance as classifications and stereotypes contribute to poor schooling and resources in the United States schools systems. Knowledge of other countries outlooks and structures towards these issues can address underlying trends and possibly help to combat the often negative and ultimately damaging stereotypes of students backgrounds towards their educational outcomes.
After spending a large portion of the morning in a Maastricht primary school, I was able to learn about a variety of practices and aspects of their education. More specifically, I learned that although resources and funding are quite equal in Netherland schools, due funds being supplemented by the federal government, there are still large divisions in the socio-economic backgrounds of students. This was especially true of the specific school I had the opportunity to go to. I was afforded the chance to have a long discussion the with the assistant principal, Elise [pseudonym]. She explained that while the surrounding families are quite wealthy, the students that attend her school are not these local children. Rather, the large majority of the students come from lower-income households outside of the city. This was very telling of the power of parents opinions of school populations, in their decision on school selection. This also gave insight into the prominent stereotypes parents tend to maintain. In discussions with Elise as well as a mother who sent her student to a primary school different from the local one, it was evident that reputations and stereotypes were prevalent based on the parents who were of low socio-economic status. From what was evident, however, these typecasts had less to do with ethnic and racial makeup.
Previous interactions and research gave me the impression that refugee children are not allowed to attend school in the Netherlands, however, I now recognize that this is not case. In fact, from discussions with Elise, refugee children are mandated to attend school upon the first day of arrival into the Netherlands. This information coincided with furthering my goal to understand the ethnic backgrounds of students and families in the Netherlands. According to Statistics Netherlands (2015) “net immigration [in 2015] came to 37 thousand persons, twice as many as in 2013” and the largest number of immigrants are “those born in Turkey, Morocco, Suriname and Indonesia” followed by Poland, consecutively (p. 47). Knowledge of the truth behind the different populations in the Netherlands can provide valuable insight into possible ethnic divisions in terms of school placement, based solely on this factor. As such, in the United States racial divisions are clearly represented in schools as most minority students, such as African-American and Latino populations, attend low-income and under resourced schools. It is important to compare the countries as trends in ethnic issues have been at the forefront of educational controversies in the United States. It was helpful to see that this specific demographical feature had less of a place in schooling divisions in the Netherlands and both refugee and immigrant students seemed to be equally dispersed throughout the countries school systems.
After spending a large portion of the morning in a Maastricht primary school, I was able to learn about a variety of practices and aspects of their education. More specifically, I learned that although resources and funding are quite equal in Netherland schools, due funds being supplemented by the federal government, there are still large divisions in the socio-economic backgrounds of students. This was especially true of the specific school I had the opportunity to go to. I was afforded the chance to have a long discussion the with the assistant principal, Elise [pseudonym]. She explained that while the surrounding families are quite wealthy, the students that attend her school are not these local children. Rather, the large majority of the students come from lower-income households outside of the city. This was very telling of the power of parents opinions of school populations, in their decision on school selection. This also gave insight into the prominent stereotypes parents tend to maintain. In discussions with Elise as well as a mother who sent her student to a primary school different from the local one, it was evident that reputations and stereotypes were prevalent based on the parents who were of low socio-economic status. From what was evident, however, these typecasts had less to do with ethnic and racial makeup.
Previous interactions and research gave me the impression that refugee children are not allowed to attend school in the Netherlands, however, I now recognize that this is not case. In fact, from discussions with Elise, refugee children are mandated to attend school upon the first day of arrival into the Netherlands. This information coincided with furthering my goal to understand the ethnic backgrounds of students and families in the Netherlands. According to Statistics Netherlands (2015) “net immigration [in 2015] came to 37 thousand persons, twice as many as in 2013” and the largest number of immigrants are “those born in Turkey, Morocco, Suriname and Indonesia” followed by Poland, consecutively (p. 47). Knowledge of the truth behind the different populations in the Netherlands can provide valuable insight into possible ethnic divisions in terms of school placement, based solely on this factor. As such, in the United States racial divisions are clearly represented in schools as most minority students, such as African-American and Latino populations, attend low-income and under resourced schools. It is important to compare the countries as trends in ethnic issues have been at the forefront of educational controversies in the United States. It was helpful to see that this specific demographical feature had less of a place in schooling divisions in the Netherlands and both refugee and immigrant students seemed to be equally dispersed throughout the countries school systems.
Figure 1. People with a foreign background, 1 January 2015. Copyright 2015 by Statistics Netherlands.
Receiving further information into the education of refugee and immigrant students in the Netherlands was valuable in comparisons with the United States as well as discovering their methods of educating these populations. As mentioned in my previous inquiry post, I would still like to gain more insight into the Netherlands views towards refugees and the ultimate education of those children. For my next inquiry post I would like to discover educational policies towards refugees and immigrant students in regards to other countries, more specifically Germany. Uncovering the views and attitudes towards ethnic diversity in countries abroad will be beneficial in pushing back stereotypes present in the U.S. As such, taking actions to acknowledge and understand differing cultural backgrounds will be essential for the success of the students I hope to teach in the future. More specifically, addressing common stereotypes and assumptions and talking-back to them will tremendously assist efforts to provide minority students greater opportunities and presence in the classroom. Discovering that countries other than my own face similar and differing challenges in accepting and integrating immigrant and refugee children will open my eyes to realities of possible ethnic divisions and discrimination.
References
Statistics Netherlands (2015). Trends in the Netherlands 2015. Retrieved from, https://www.cbs.nl/NR/rdonlyres/CEDA7032-F4C5-4EB3-8D47-D9534B54E81E/0/2015TrendsintheNetherlandsweb.pdf
Inquiry Post #3
As English has remained a dominant language on the world stage, the topic of language learning is one of great controversy and complexity. Views towards factors such educational practices and native language versus school language have great effects on student performance and self perceptions. I am interested in exploring the similarities and differences in teaching English as a second language in regards to primary schools in the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands. As a future educator, with a background in TESOL, knowledge of these structures will be extremely beneficial as I will gain the ability to successfully work with non-native speakers of English. As well, general knowledge of the impacts of differentiated language instruction on students self-perceptions will shed light on possible language learning stereotypes and misconceptions.
An idea that was perpetuated throughout the primary school visits in both Germany and the Netherlands was the notion that English is a requirement for success. This is due to the establishment of English as a lingua franca for “trade, tourism, air travel, popular media, sport, science, technology and many other fields of importance in contemporary life; and English is a sine qua non if one wants to gain access to international electronic information networks” (Jason Cenoz & Ulrike Jessner, 2000, p. 5). Furthermore, English is continually becoming a language of prestige in European countries, more specifically the Netherlands and Germany. In the Maastricht primary school I observed, coinciding with all lessons in Dutch, English lessons starts around year 7, equivalent to 8th grade in the United States, and is continued throughout the rest of the students schooling with emphasis on fluency. As Cenoz and Jessner (2000) state “in Scandinavia, Belgium and the Netherlands the English language has acquired a higher profile than anywhere else in Europe, due to their relatively small size and their dependence on international trade and collaboration” (p. 8). This concept was quite evident in the language education of Dutch school children.
The primary school we visited in Germany was an English school and may not represent the views towards English teaching as a whole in the country. However, in discussions with a kindergarten equivalent teacher she stated that English must be learnt by students, through immediate immersion and correction of use of native languages in the classrooms, particularly German (B. Broderick, personal communication, May 20, 2016). Therefore, it seems to perpetuate the findings that “German is the European language which has been influenced more than any other by English” (Cenoz & Jessner, 2000, p. 8). These attitudes mirror those of the United States in that English is the language used in all schools with an emphasis on immersion of second language learners. Overall, English currently holds the status of power and prestige, a notion that has deep roots in education.
An idea that was perpetuated throughout the primary school visits in both Germany and the Netherlands was the notion that English is a requirement for success. This is due to the establishment of English as a lingua franca for “trade, tourism, air travel, popular media, sport, science, technology and many other fields of importance in contemporary life; and English is a sine qua non if one wants to gain access to international electronic information networks” (Jason Cenoz & Ulrike Jessner, 2000, p. 5). Furthermore, English is continually becoming a language of prestige in European countries, more specifically the Netherlands and Germany. In the Maastricht primary school I observed, coinciding with all lessons in Dutch, English lessons starts around year 7, equivalent to 8th grade in the United States, and is continued throughout the rest of the students schooling with emphasis on fluency. As Cenoz and Jessner (2000) state “in Scandinavia, Belgium and the Netherlands the English language has acquired a higher profile than anywhere else in Europe, due to their relatively small size and their dependence on international trade and collaboration” (p. 8). This concept was quite evident in the language education of Dutch school children.
The primary school we visited in Germany was an English school and may not represent the views towards English teaching as a whole in the country. However, in discussions with a kindergarten equivalent teacher she stated that English must be learnt by students, through immediate immersion and correction of use of native languages in the classrooms, particularly German (B. Broderick, personal communication, May 20, 2016). Therefore, it seems to perpetuate the findings that “German is the European language which has been influenced more than any other by English” (Cenoz & Jessner, 2000, p. 8). These attitudes mirror those of the United States in that English is the language used in all schools with an emphasis on immersion of second language learners. Overall, English currently holds the status of power and prestige, a notion that has deep roots in education.
Figure 1. Welcome to St. George's School Cologne, Copyright (2016) by St. George's international schools.
While the United States has evident similarities to these two European countries in regards to English acquisition in schools, we differ in our foreign language pedagogies. In both personal experience and the analogies of my peers, foreign language teaching is not deeply emphasized in the U.S. While individual states mandate requirements, the general requisite in one year of foreign language. These practices often lead to a large lack of language acquisition and ultimately an absence of fluency. This also greatly affects non-native English speakers in America. Lack of, at the very least, bilingual education in America stems from many sources whom fear “non-Americanization”. As James Crawford (2000) states, “by offering bilingual assistance, the restrictionists warn, government sends a message that civic life is acceptable in languages other than English”. Thus they denounce as ‘official bilingualism’ the tiniest concession to diversity” (p. 28). The fears of educational policy makers stem from a desire to maintain social order and perpetuate “Americanism”. While the Dutch and German primary schools emphasize English language learning, they still continue education in the countries native language and have superb foreign language education of third and often fourth languages. Crawford (2000) states that “a long term national study (Ramírez et al., 1991) has documented higher student achievement in developmental bilingual classrooms than in transitional bilingual or structured English immersion classrooms ( p. 7). The ultimate effects of immersion-centered classrooms in the U.S. is a lack of student achievement for non-native English speakers.
The main outcome that I hope results from this inquiry is a better understanding of the benefits to constant and maintained bilingual education. As well, understanding that as English maintains its prestige on the world stage many educational practices and policies tend to reflect and perpetuate this notion. In the upcoming days we will be going to a refugee school in Maastricht. I would like to further these discussions on language teachings in an hour alone project through interactions with those students. More specifically, I would like to gather their opinions towards language education. Comparing the educational practices of European schools to the United states, in regards to language teaching, has opened my eyes to the complexities of English-centered education. Knowledge of teaching practices and educational outcomes will only further my personal journey in becoming more informed in a global context as well as my goals in becoming a more competent teacher of non-native English speakers.
The main outcome that I hope results from this inquiry is a better understanding of the benefits to constant and maintained bilingual education. As well, understanding that as English maintains its prestige on the world stage many educational practices and policies tend to reflect and perpetuate this notion. In the upcoming days we will be going to a refugee school in Maastricht. I would like to further these discussions on language teachings in an hour alone project through interactions with those students. More specifically, I would like to gather their opinions towards language education. Comparing the educational practices of European schools to the United states, in regards to language teaching, has opened my eyes to the complexities of English-centered education. Knowledge of teaching practices and educational outcomes will only further my personal journey in becoming more informed in a global context as well as my goals in becoming a more competent teacher of non-native English speakers.
References
Cenoz, J., & Jessner, U. (Eds.). (2000). English in Europe: The acquisition of a third language (Vol. 19). Multilingual Matters.
Crawford, J. (2000). At war with diversity: US language policy in an age of anxiety (Vol. 25). Multilingual matters.
Interview with Beatrice Broderick [pseudonym] at St. George’s English international school, May 20, 2016, Cologne, Germany.
St. George’s International school [image]. Retrieved from, http://www.stgeorgesschool.de/cologne.html.
Crawford, J. (2000). At war with diversity: US language policy in an age of anxiety (Vol. 25). Multilingual matters.
Interview with Beatrice Broderick [pseudonym] at St. George’s English international school, May 20, 2016, Cologne, Germany.
St. George’s International school [image]. Retrieved from, http://www.stgeorgesschool.de/cologne.html.
Inquiry Post #4
Language acquisition is a complex process and requires a variety of variables for success. A common source of difficulty in language teaching involves working with students whom have a different first language from that in regular classrooms. Often these students are refugee children who have a lack of any exposure to the new countries dominant language, but nevertheless need the language for successful integration into the country and classrooms. I am interested in learning more about the ways in which the Netherlands addresses language learning and pedagogies, more specifically towards refugee populations whose native languages and foreign languages can differ tremendously. Knowledge of possible teaching practices as well as positive outcomes in countries outside of the United States will be helpful in my goal of working with ESL students, and accommodating their needs for a successful schooling experience.
Having the opportunity to spend two days in a refugee school in Maastricht, I was quite enlightened to the ways language barriers are addressed. The main takeaway from this experience was the importance of extensive integration and immersion into, in this case, the Dutch language. In the refugee school we worked along side, the focus was on immediate Dutch language teaching. While most of the teachers spoke languages other than Dutch, being equipped to work with these populations, the emphasis was strictly on learning Dutch regardless of the native language backgrounds of the students. Although there was such an extensive focus on Dutch immersion, the cultural backgrounds of the students were not completely disregarded. In discussions with the principal of the school, he was adamant that the varying cultures be represented in the classrooms, stating that although the futures may be uncertain for these students, representing their experiences and diversity is critical for their success and desire to learn (Dave [pseudonym], personal communication, May 25, 2016). This was quite evident through a variety of posters and student projects that depicted their native homelands and personal cultural aspects. As well, students were encouraged to continue their culture which was observed in the music classroom in which they could perform native songs and incorporate native dress. Implementing students cultural characteristics were evidently beneficial for student esteem and desires to learn.
The second main thing I learned about the topic of language learning, through the refugee school, was that the structure of teaching language involves the level of acquisition rather than age. More specifically, since the focus in this school was on Dutch language learning, students are placed in certain classes based on their ability to learn the language or their progress, rather than their “age appropriate” placement. This insinuates a focus in allowing the teacher to better meet the needs of their students as the ultimate goal is immersion into the “regular” Dutch classrooms. The difficulty that this refugee school faced is that the ultimate goal is integration of the students into local classrooms and, therefore, pressures to improve Dutch language quickly often prohibits use of students native languages. While this swift immersion and integration has benefits, “it is wrong to think that the different encounters with cultural signs that immigrant children have had are irrelevant to their learning in the new setting. Acting on this false belief is likely to disadvantage children intellectually. It also stops them from making use of the best vehicle available to them for engaging with their new culture: their first language” (Corson, 2000, p. 111).
Having the opportunity to spend two days in a refugee school in Maastricht, I was quite enlightened to the ways language barriers are addressed. The main takeaway from this experience was the importance of extensive integration and immersion into, in this case, the Dutch language. In the refugee school we worked along side, the focus was on immediate Dutch language teaching. While most of the teachers spoke languages other than Dutch, being equipped to work with these populations, the emphasis was strictly on learning Dutch regardless of the native language backgrounds of the students. Although there was such an extensive focus on Dutch immersion, the cultural backgrounds of the students were not completely disregarded. In discussions with the principal of the school, he was adamant that the varying cultures be represented in the classrooms, stating that although the futures may be uncertain for these students, representing their experiences and diversity is critical for their success and desire to learn (Dave [pseudonym], personal communication, May 25, 2016). This was quite evident through a variety of posters and student projects that depicted their native homelands and personal cultural aspects. As well, students were encouraged to continue their culture which was observed in the music classroom in which they could perform native songs and incorporate native dress. Implementing students cultural characteristics were evidently beneficial for student esteem and desires to learn.
The second main thing I learned about the topic of language learning, through the refugee school, was that the structure of teaching language involves the level of acquisition rather than age. More specifically, since the focus in this school was on Dutch language learning, students are placed in certain classes based on their ability to learn the language or their progress, rather than their “age appropriate” placement. This insinuates a focus in allowing the teacher to better meet the needs of their students as the ultimate goal is immersion into the “regular” Dutch classrooms. The difficulty that this refugee school faced is that the ultimate goal is integration of the students into local classrooms and, therefore, pressures to improve Dutch language quickly often prohibits use of students native languages. While this swift immersion and integration has benefits, “it is wrong to think that the different encounters with cultural signs that immigrant children have had are irrelevant to their learning in the new setting. Acting on this false belief is likely to disadvantage children intellectually. It also stops them from making use of the best vehicle available to them for engaging with their new culture: their first language” (Corson, 2000, p. 111).
Figure 1. Welcome to the ISK/EOA, Copyright (2016) by Tim Janssen.
Ultimately, I hope to further understand the experiences of refugee students in other European schools. Having the opportunity to speak with several refugee students as well as the principal, was extremely eye opening to the ways in which certain countries work with these populations. This topic is of great importance as the influx of both immigrant and refugee populations is on the rise and the need to accommodate and educate these students will become increasingly pertinent. For the final inquiry post I would like to continue this topic by analyzing the practices of the next refugee school we will be visiting in Amsterdam. Overall, learning about the education of refugee students is tremendously helpful to acquiring knowledge of successful practices and language acquisition pedagogies in my journey towards becoming a more well-rounded and competent person in diverse issues through this study abroad program and as a future educator.
References
Corson, D. (2000). Language diversity and education. Routledge.
Interview with Dave [pseudonym] at ISK/EOA, May 25, 2016, Maastricht Netherlands.
Welcome to the ISK/EOA [image]. Retrieved from, https://prezi.com/dlmacdufe7yt/welcome-to-the-isk/
Interview with Dave [pseudonym] at ISK/EOA, May 25, 2016, Maastricht Netherlands.
Welcome to the ISK/EOA [image]. Retrieved from, https://prezi.com/dlmacdufe7yt/welcome-to-the-isk/
INQUiry post #5
The United States as a country consists of many diverse backgrounds and societal issues that have links directly related to racial inequities. There has been tremendous research and ethnographies related to this subject and it is a topic that has drastic effects on educational equity in the U.S. After gaining information on the Netherlands educational issues as well as comparing these findings to America’s I would like to explore the differentiated views and opinions regarding the educational gaps in the two countries. This topic is of great importance for not only myself but future educators and policy makers as well. Gaining accurate and valuable information on inequalities can benefit the curriculum adaptations and teaching practices for the betterment of ‘at risk’ students.
After arrival in Amsterdam, we had the opportunity to talk with Bowen Paulle, a sociologist and educational ethnographer as well as author of Toxic Schools. Paulle has had experience teaching in ‘urban’ areas in both the United States as well as the Netherlands, conducting ethnological research into common themes. Paulle’s emphasis links educational gaps to the socioeconomic disparities of students families. The main thing I learned in regards to educational inequalities from Paulle is that it is directly related to ones socioeconomic status, rather than race related issues. Paulle argues his research has shown that increasing the educational levels of two generations of low SES households will decrease the gap in achievement levels. He is in the process of researching the effects of high-dosage individualized math tutoring on low SES student achievement. Due to previous trends in this specific project, Paulle argues that increased and focused teaching directed at low SES students will increase their scores and ultimately confidence, leading to decreased poverty and educational gaps for future generations (Bowen Paulle, personal communication, May 31, 2016).
After arrival in Amsterdam, we had the opportunity to talk with Bowen Paulle, a sociologist and educational ethnographer as well as author of Toxic Schools. Paulle has had experience teaching in ‘urban’ areas in both the United States as well as the Netherlands, conducting ethnological research into common themes. Paulle’s emphasis links educational gaps to the socioeconomic disparities of students families. The main thing I learned in regards to educational inequalities from Paulle is that it is directly related to ones socioeconomic status, rather than race related issues. Paulle argues his research has shown that increasing the educational levels of two generations of low SES households will decrease the gap in achievement levels. He is in the process of researching the effects of high-dosage individualized math tutoring on low SES student achievement. Due to previous trends in this specific project, Paulle argues that increased and focused teaching directed at low SES students will increase their scores and ultimately confidence, leading to decreased poverty and educational gaps for future generations (Bowen Paulle, personal communication, May 31, 2016).
Figure 1. Toxic Schools: High Poverty Education in New York and Amsterdam, Copyright (2013) by University of Chicago Press.
While Paulle’s research consists of valid exploration and lengthy inquiry, my three years in the urban education cohort at MSU have given valuable insight into U.S. educational achievement gaps that differ from his findings. The largest theme throughout my university schooling was that the most telling reason for disparities is due to systematic and institutional racism. The majority of students in urban, inner-city, low performing schools tend to be black and Latino students. Due to a lack of representation of students backgrounds and cultures as well as educational practices that often prohibit success, these students tend to fall into cycles of poor education which ultimately prohibits continuing educational success. Gloria Ladson-Billings, is one of many educational researchers, who has found tremendous evidence towards the benefits of culturally relevant teaching, a word she coined herself. Throughout tremendous research in the field, Ladson-Billings (1995) states “culturally relevant teachers utilize students' culture as a vehicle for learning” (p.161). This includes making sure students are learning how to be productive members of society. As Ladson-Billings (1995) suggests, “in the classrooms of culturally relevant teachers, students are expected to ‘engage the world and others critically’”(p. 162). Overall, ideas such as hers have been found to tremendously empower and increase the educational levels of “minority” youth by showing that their cultural background is important and can be utilized for analyzing important societal issues, to become democratic members of society.
Discussing educational disparities with someone directly in the field of educational research was extremely eye opening into the differentiation of learning at MSU. While it was difficult having discussions that completely different from my personal perspectives and understandings I found it a valuable experience to become enlightened into other research towards educational inequalities. Bowen Paulle is devoted to providing “at-risk” low SES students with high-quality education in hopes of stopping the cycle of poverty and closing the education gap, more specifically in the Netherlands. While his ongoing research is duly noted and greatly explored, it was quite interesting how different his views were than the curriculum I have personally had at Michigan State, especially in regards to including and largely acknowledging student culture in the classroom. This experience has opened my eyes to a variety of viewpoints towards educational inequities and has helped continue my personal journey as a learner of education on a global context.
Discussing educational disparities with someone directly in the field of educational research was extremely eye opening into the differentiation of learning at MSU. While it was difficult having discussions that completely different from my personal perspectives and understandings I found it a valuable experience to become enlightened into other research towards educational inequalities. Bowen Paulle is devoted to providing “at-risk” low SES students with high-quality education in hopes of stopping the cycle of poverty and closing the education gap, more specifically in the Netherlands. While his ongoing research is duly noted and greatly explored, it was quite interesting how different his views were than the curriculum I have personally had at Michigan State, especially in regards to including and largely acknowledging student culture in the classroom. This experience has opened my eyes to a variety of viewpoints towards educational inequities and has helped continue my personal journey as a learner of education on a global context.
References
Billings, G. (1995). But that's just good teaching! The case for culturally relevant pedagogy. Theory into practice, 34(3), 159-165.
Discussion with Bowen Paulle at University of Amsterdam, May 31, 2016, Amsterdam Netherlands.
Paulle, B. (2013). Toxic schools: high-poverty education in New York and Amsterdam. University of Chicago Press.
Discussion with Bowen Paulle at University of Amsterdam, May 31, 2016, Amsterdam Netherlands.
Paulle, B. (2013). Toxic schools: high-poverty education in New York and Amsterdam. University of Chicago Press.