This is a hypothetical two sided conversation on a controversial question:
Well based on experience from the school I go to, my personal answer would sometimes be yes. I'm basically saying yes because to me it will help everyone learn better. With separate classes it would be better because the work won't be too easy for more advanced children and it won't be too hard for those who are behind. Then students could move on to the next level of learning fairly. Sure the answers to this question always comes with a lot of tension, but in the end people should realize what really matters.
No, of course not, that's discrimination and segregation! If you put kids in separate classes they won't learn because they would be with their friends and the teachers won't be able to handle them. Also people vote against it because it's discrimination.
As you can clearly understand these two people are getting nowhere with this conversation. Although I would much like to hear other arguments on this topic, I find it very interesting so please leave an argument in your comment.
-Mikiko
Mikiko, this is actually quite a big debate among educators. Back when Ms. Shah and I were in school, classes were leveled, or "tracked", and everyone knew if they were in the "high class" or the "low class" and you had to get ceertain grades in class and on tests to either stay in one track or move to the next. People who are in favor of tracking claim that advanced students will not be held back by those who need more help or who just don't have certain skills yet and that those students who need more help can get that help if they are all together in one class.
ReplyDeleteOpponents to tracking make the case that everyone learns best in diverse environments where expectations are the same. Many research studies have shown that the expectations we have for people correlate with how well they do. If we put students in a low track, it is most likely that they will begin to identify themselves as "low track students" and have low expectations for themselves. Such a system would only perpetuate differences in learners and stratify our community. Additionally, as we saw from the Little Rock movie, since educational success often correlates to income levels and thereby racial groups, tracking students by achievement mirrors tracking students by income or race. The theory would hold that we all learn best when we can learn from people who have different experiences and understandings about life than we do. Only then can we be wise; only then can our society be strong.
What do you think?