Oakes and Finn

Quotes

“Why schools need to take another route” was easy to fallow and I enjoyed a lot.  The second reading, which was literacy with an attitude, I thought it was a little confusing and I didn’t understand most of it.  Oakes discuss the how students get placed in the “low-ability” group and separated from the others, which prevent them from learning as the way they should.  While the students placed in the “high-ability” group get have more benefits, when it comes to opportunities, and success.  Finn, talks about how we as future teachers, have to learn to teach students this “powerful literacy” to each student equally.    

 

“Growing numbers of school professionals and parents oppose tracking because they believe it locks most students into classes where they are stereotype as “less able,” and where they have fewer opportunities to learn.” 

I totally agree that if students are, placed in different categories, according to abilities, achievements, or needs prevent them from opportunities to learn. It is so unfair that most students a treated differently because they are not as forward as the others are, because as you separate them from the others, “high ability group” learn less.  They seem the class, less encouraging, which prevent them from getting a good education.

“Most teachers realize that for students, feeling comfortable in class is more than just a nice addition to learning.  They also know that when teachers trust one another, class time and energy are freed up for teaching and learning.”

It’s fundamental to feel comfortable around your teacher and the classroom.  As you feel comfortable, it helps you and motivates you to do better in class.  From my own experience, I have to say, that it is easier to learn and pay attention to a subject, when you feel comfortable around the teacher and the classroom.  It is always, very important for students to
be able to trust teacher because it helps then to learn easier and talk to them about any issue that they might be going through.   

“We have come so far in our democracy that we have nothing to fear from the have-nots. We worry instead that the low levels of literacy among them make them a liability for the rest of us.  The idea is that if we could raise their level of literacy they would join the haves.”

I did not understand this quote much.  I chose it, because I would like to discuss in class, the meaning of it or see if anyone can help me to figure out.  

The effect of tracking students. http://mste.illinois.edu/hill/papers/tracking.html