So where does all of this leave you with regard to how you think about schooling, education, and their purposes? Note: Here I am particularly interested in how/whether this course has helped you to think about where your ideas about school and education come from and whether they have changed.
This class has shaped how I think about schooling and education by emphasizing the importance of agency and engagement with societal narratives. It has challenged me to think about how my own ideas about education are influenced by systemic structures, including race, class, and media representations. I now see education not just as a means to gain knowledge, but as a tool to foster critical thinking and challenge societal norms.
ReplyDeleteThis course hasn’t changed how I think about school and education in terms of the structural and societal issues associated with it (i.e race and class disparities). As a minority, I believe minorities are kind of forced/have no choice to look at education differently because they have to actively live through the inadequacies of the system. This doesn’t mean that they have a negative outlook on the purposes of education—I certainly don’t, but the perspectives are definitely different due to personal experiences.
ReplyDeleteDespite the heavy social critique I’ve had throughout the semester about the education system, the course has strengthened my positive outlook on education. I firmly believe in schools fostering an environment for students to be able to critique, have more agency, have diverse trains of thought, and gain knowledge—all of which helps prepare students for the real world.
After taking this course, I feel that I can more easily find the message behind certain lessons in school or even while watching certain movies. It has inspired me to challenge and question ideas I watch or see in pop culture. This course helped to find the source of where certain educational issues stem from, but also provided a different perspective of thinking. I had never really thought twice about my schooling experience in the past, but now I’m going to try and really take agency of my education and needs in order to thrive in this environment. I can now view my ideas from school in a more complex understanding.
ReplyDeleteBefore this class, I generally had a simplistic view of what school is meant for, that it is meant to help prepare children for the world they will live in. Looking back on what we learned in this class, my opinion has generally remained the same, but I recognize how truly complicated the question “What is the purpose of education?” is. There are a lot of other questions that the main question brings up such as student and teacher agency. I never really pondered these specific questions, and the media I watched or read never really asked them. So I think it was very insightful to study diverse media in order to better understand and answer these questions.
ReplyDeleteThis course thus far has really changed my thoughts about education in two ways. First, is has taught me how different people unfortunately receive very different educations. Education is something that is so critical to our society and the betterment of our world. Further, education can usually have a direct impact on a persons financial and professional success. With that being said, because education is something important, everyone should have the right to the same quality of education as others. Through the study of pop culture, I’ve been able to see how much the scales are imbalanced when it comes to education. Unfortunately class, race, and status directly impact education which can directly impact professional success. To call ourselves a democracy where there is always equal opportunity is false. However, all of this is not to say that higher education is the only way to be successful, I’m not saying that at all. But learning should be something everyone has equal opportunity for. Secondly, this course has shown me the views surrounding education from the masses, and sometimes the stigma of going to school.
ReplyDeleteThe course really Hasan't changed my thought on how I feel about school and education I feel like I was just more informed and learning new information about how education and School is. I had always had my differences with education and school and knowing what its actually suppose to mean with education were supposed to be educated really well so that we learn something from it and be able to grow and develop from it and it school its more of wanting you to teach you all these things so that when you get out there in the real world its beneficial to you to help you become very successful in life which I had always felt a lot of things you learn in school your not really going to need or really going to apply to you in the real world because you would never come across it. but, overall I feel like this course was more of a couple things for me to learn about which I had already knew about since I was in k-1 school with the disadvantages for some color race involving the education of schooling.
ReplyDeleteThis course has helped me better understand the hidden messages in classroom lessons. It has taught me to think critically about how pop culture influences education and shaped my view of its challenges. I’ve also started reflecting more on my schooling, something I hadn’t done much before. Now, I feel encouraged to take charge of my education and focus on what I need to succeed.
ReplyDeleteThis course has broadened my knowledge of education. The different purposes and the differences in quality given in different areas. I had never heard of the purposes of education prior to this class and really enjoyed hearing about how we have prioritized them at different times in history. I also really enjoyed hearing more about how the portrayal of schooling in the media has changed.
ReplyDeleteJay Lyons
DeleteRachel Wolburg:
ReplyDeleteThis course hasn’t necessarily changed my views on education but instead helped me have a better understanding of certain topics. I especially loved the classes where we looked at film and how it portrays and affects the public mindset of education. My favorite class was probably watching the Abbott episode, and while it was extremely funny and gave me a new show to watch it really highlighted some stuff about education. It was almost a wake-up call that real-life issues in the education system could be turned into a funny sitcom. I also enjoyed the documentary and watching it and discovering some interesting events/issues that have happened in different schools.
This course might have been a class I wasn't required to take, but I enjoyed it a lot. The films we watched showing agency were interesting as I never would notice that when I normally watch movies. I loved learning about current topics such as censoring books in schools or social injustice. Learning more about these things are something I wouldn't do myself as I was only focusing on problems surrounding me. The course has allowed me engage in topics I would usually avoid as I was uneducated in the subject.
ReplyDeleteChristine:
ReplyDeleteI think this course has helped me think about where my ideas about school and education have come from in that since I didn’t engage in much pop culture in childhood that primarily informed my views about education, I’ve been reminded of what has informed my views. I know you can technically argue that there is still plenty of media that has probably influenced my ideas on school/education, but I think my beliefs on schooling were already set by my parents' ideas well before the media I consumed. They always encouraged me to do well in school and that it’s important for my future (especially for my career), so I adopted that mindset myself, though I do think it fits my personality too. I think this course has also reminded me of a favorite teacher in high school who has sort of mentioned the ideas that we’ve discussed in class, like the idea of education being about learning for learning’s sake and Thoreau’s idea of expressive individualism, as well as other ideas like the benefits of liberal arts education, which has of course influenced me.
Overall, I do think I learned a lot about the specifics of individualism and agency and how they are relevant both in education and the stories we tell ourselves about education. Additionally, I feel like it’s pushed a lot that school, especially college, is for social efficiency and social mobility, so much so that it began to feel normal. It was nice to engage with other possible purposes of education that are just as, (maybe) if not more, important in some ways. I think this course has taught me so much more in terms of analysis and critical thinking, in terms of pop culture, the stories we tell, and society itself, which is something I hope I’ll take with me and continue to exercise.
I’m not sure if my ideas about school and education have changed. It’s more like they’ve been reinforced, since I feel like the ideas we’ve talked about are ideas I’ve heard before and agreed with or maybe even thought on my own, but I just forgot or often thought about them for a while. Although they haven’t changed, I feel like my ideas about school and education definitely have more weight to it now, thanks to learning about all these different concepts and working through our analyses. I think I’ve realized even more how important it is to think about education, since it is so impactful (in a good or bad way) to those who participate in it, which is why the ideas in this course are important for everyone to engage with (at least in my opinion).
**haven't thought** instead of "often thought"
DeleteThis course was one I initially took solely based on reviews on the difficulty of the class, but it ended up being one of the more influential courses I have taken throughout my time at VCU. The content viewed throughout the class (movies, documentaries) were some I never thought I would take the time to consider, and ended up giving me a new perspective on the impacts of a good teacher-student relationship. Many aspects I hadn't thought about before were also explored heavily in the class, including censorship and social injustice throughout middle and high school. The class in general felt more interesting than any similar course I had taken before and helped me learn about current students are being affected by modern culture.
ReplyDeleteMy prior ideas about schooling were shaped solely by personal experience. While this class hasn’t completely changed the way I view education, it has definitely deepened my understanding of its societal objectives. Education is more than just a pathway to a career; it’s also about fostering critical thinking, socialization, and the development of informed/ skilled citizens.One aspect of the class that stood out to me was learning about individualism and how it varies based on class. The new knowledge provided valuable insight into U.S. culture and helped me better understand ideologies that I once struggled with.
ReplyDeleteThis class allowed for an outlet to talk about the underlying messaging through education and its purpose through Morden society. Personally, I always had my suspicions and personal experiences when it comes to the social/class hierarchy in schools, being that I am a person of color. This filters your experiences, knowing that something is wrong but not being able to put your finger on it. Through this course, I was able to pin point the obvious mistreatment and overlooking that happens within the field through pop-culture. I still believe that having the access and privilege to school is an important factor of life, but like everything it has its deep flaws. I appreciate pop-culture for being trying to be the outlet in exposing the truths within the school systems that need to change.
ReplyDeleteYaseen Salih: This class had compounded some thoughts I had about the strife of black boys and girls in the education system which I really appreciated, It helped me understand the function of pop culture and how it reflected on the schooling stereotypes in America and how that tied into the contextual and societal norms of many of the articles and movies that I read and watched. As a whole, I believe this class helps the students understand the human behaviors they've seen and experienced while continuing their academic careers, but more specifically I feel as if it highlights the phenomena(s) created by Hollywood and stereotypes surround the U.S education system, while leaving room for reflection and the possibility of progression to a better climate for our and future generations.
ReplyDeleteGiven the debate about the possible defects in the current educational systems, it is suggested that, although education is crucial for getting basic knowledge and abilities, its main goal should be to increase critical thinking, flexibility, creativity, and a profound awareness of the world.
ReplyDeleteThis course has deepened my understanding of schooling and education, it's caused me to reflect on where my beliefs and assumptions about their purposes started. I’ve realized how much my perspectives were shaped by societal norms and personal experiences, often without questioning their broader implications. Through discussions and class materials, I now see education not just as a pathway to individual achievement but as a powerful tool for equity, empowerment, and societal transformation. It has been both eye-opening and inspiring, encouraging me to think more critically and compassionately about the role of education in creating a more inclusive and just world.
ReplyDeleteHannah:
ReplyDeleteMy perception of education, schooling, and its purpose has definitely changed. Before this class, I was aware that the education system was not all sunshine and roses, and though this class did not shy away from those aspects, it did give me more appreciation for schools in general. Having gone to private school for a significant portion of my life (and having to currently pay for schooling right now despite VCU being a public school), I often forget that K-12 public schools are free. My ideas on school and education mostly came from the people around me in life, particularly my parents who placed much emphasis on the importance of education. It was like "I have to do this because I have to" with not much deeper thinking regarding that. This class has given me more appreciation for school as I see now the stresses the education system and the people within are under better, especially with the recent election likely going to make those stresses worse.
This course has caused me to reconsider the purpose and nature of education. Initially, I considered education primarily as a means of obtaining a job or a career, but I've come to see that it serves greater purposes, such as encouraging critical thinking, personal growth, and societal responsibility. I now regard schools as more than just places to learn; they are also institutions where societal beliefs and norms are conveyed, often reinforcing social inequities. The course has encouraged me to consider how my own experiences have affected my perspectives on education, as well as made me more conscious of the system's discrepancies. I also see the value of a more comprehensive, student-centered approach that stresses creativity, cooperation, and emotional intelligence alongside traditional academic abilities.Overall, my perception of education has shifted from a narrow focus on economic utility to a more comprehensive view of it as a tool for personal development, social participation, and equity.
ReplyDeleteThis course has shown me how schooling and education are shaped by the choices we make as students and the power we have to control our own destiny. It emphasizes the importance of student agency.
ReplyDeleteSince I struggled a lot in education as a middle and high schooler and went to an alternative school, I was already pretty in tune with a lot of issues we talked about in this class. I also had a couple friends at that school who had experienced straight forward and passive racism from administration as well as other issues that sometimes get overlooked or brushed over. I think the main thing I will take away from this class is the importance of agency. Nothing will change just because people want it to, if you care enough about something then you have to take action and that may go a longer way than you thought. Education at some points felt like I had absolutely no control over what happened, but watching the documentaries specifically showed me that changes and positive actions can be made when there is effort and passion to make that difference.
ReplyDeleteThis course has definitely changed the way that I think about school and education and just things in general. I enjoyed how we were encouraged to challenge ideas even if they are written in a paper or by a professional. I thought Labaree's points about schooling were very interesting. Social efficiency and how it relates to school is a topic that I had not really considered. I now see that it is a important topic for the schooling system and how it can shape the future.
ReplyDeleteThis course went into the things I already knew about education on a deeper level. It really helped me to understand agency on both sides of the school, teacher and student. Even though we see the issue, it’s not always worded so simply. Teachers have varying levels of agency within their own classroom, and students have varying agency within the hierarchy. The purposes of school were another topic I thought was interesting, especially public good vs private. I had never thought of explaining it that way.
ReplyDeleteI've learned a few things from this class that have shifted the way I think about schooling and education. While my overall perspective hasn't changed drastically, I feel like I'm now able to better understand the deeper meanings behind movies and shows. The discussions we had about individualism, agency, and how these concepts are portrayed in media have made me more aware of how education and societal values are often reflected in what we watch. For example, I can now see how the emphasis on individualism or personal agency in certain films may mirror broader educational or social themes.
ReplyDelete