A class about the American education system developed and came to what it is now. It was interesting to see how it transformed through various historical events and how it transformed to fit the ever-changing beliefs in America from the late 17th century to now. Another interesting point that interested me was how the content of education changed to fit America’s needs at the time. At times it was rudimentary due to what was important. While in others periods, higher education was encouraged to gain an advantage or headstart in fields of study like math or science. Graham’s theory, in particular, was intriguing to me for this very reason.
Graham says there are four phases of the American education system: assimilation, adjustment, access, and achievement. The assimilation period came about because they wanted to make sure the immigrants were loyal to America, and so their main focus was teaching the immigrants about patriotism. Next, the adjustment period was next, and they gave the teachers free reign over what they taught to simulate creativity, growth, confidence, and independence. Then the access period was all about inclusion as Brown vs. Board of Education just happened, which removed segregation in the school system. This period also includes women and SPED students being included in the American education system as laws revolving around them changed during this time too. Finally, the achievement period, which is the period we are in currently, is all about making sure students are prepared for employment.
We also worked on a semester-long project that was presented during the spring 2021 symposium on how the education system, specifical kindergarten through 6th grade, in Virginia was affected by Covid-19 in the Spring of 2020. To start working on this project, the class had to make sure we were CITI (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative) certified, which taught everyone in the class how to interview individuals without running into trouble by giving out sensitive or personal information.
After getting certified, the class then had to find a teacher to interview, transcribe what they said, and then find the similar and unique phrases that each teacher said. Each interview would last a minimum of thirty minutes and go as long as an hour and a half. The transcription process was a long and tedious task that took several hours to accomplish as we had to type word-for-word what they said to make sure nothing was missed in the analysis. My part in the presentation was specifically about the challenges the teachers faced during the switch from in-person learning to online learning. I found that teachers struggled with the sudden change because they did not know what to prioritize during the switch, and as a result, the fields of social studies and science suffered more than the others. They also struggled with making sure the students stayed on task as they did not have any manipulatives such as blocks. Finally, the teachers struggled with the pacing of each course because everything had to be crammed to make sure everything was taught, and as a result, they worried that these students will struggle with the next grade that they are entering.
Above is the presentation that was shown during the spring 2021 symposium; you can watch it to get all of the information provided by the students. This class taught me valuable experience when it comes to handling a person for an interview, as I always viewed it as intimidating due to the uncertainty that can be faced. With this experience, I have learned that most individuals are understanding, and are open to answering just about anything as long as it applies to the topic.