Engage and Evaluate Reflection Journal: Why School?
Prompt
Response
Name
Current position (if applicable)
If currently teaching, grade level:
If currently teaching, subject(s):
Teaching certification (if applicable):
Prompt
Describe the purpose of
education/schools.
What would be an
argument against
schools?
Explain what the major
goal of educators
should be to best
prepare their students
for a successful,
productive future and
why.
Create a list of the three
most important goals or
purposes of
education/schools
(besides “to think”).
If we could only
accomplish one of the
three goals you
listed, indicate which
one is of prime
importance and explain
why.
Reflect upon the ability
to think as being the
central purpose of
education. Give an
example of a situation
where the ability to
think is important for
the individual.
Christina Haberly
Teacher
11th and 12th
Math
Math 7-12
Response 1: Engage
The purpose of education is to
provide people of all ages the
knowledge they need to succeed in
whatever path they choose in life.
An arguement against schools
might be that they do not teach the
way people think they should or the
material people think they need to.
The goal of educators should be to
be a positive influence in as many
children's lives as possible in
whatever way the child needs.
1. To provide students with a solid
foundation.
2. To give students a safe
environment that fosters positivity
and learning.
3. To provide/set examples of all
the ways students can be
successful, productive members of
society when they grow up.
I think that providing students with
a safe environment is the most
important goal in education.
Children spend 8 hours a day at
school and for many of them, it is
the only place they feel safe.
Everything else can build on a safe
environment.
The ability to think and problem
solve is critical for success in life. If
a person has a disagreement with a
co-worker, they must be able to
analyze the situation and decide
what the appropriate action steps
should be. Without the ability to
think, the person would simply
Response 2: Evaluate
What direction do you
think our schools are
going with respect to
promoting the ability to
think among students?
How has technology
influenced the purpose
of education/schools?
Give an example where
it would be important
for the citizens of a
society as a whole to be
able to think.
Why teach
mathematics and
science in particular?
Describe with at least 2
examples how we
should teach science
and/or mathematics to
best achieve the “to
think”-purpose of
react and probably end up with a
less than desirable outcome.
I think that in the last few years,
teachers have begun to put more
focus on problem solving and less
on memorization. For example, my
elementary age son does not have
to memorize his multiplication
tables like I did when I was his age.
Instead, he was taught how to fill
out a 10x10 table so he would
always have a quick reference for
any multiplication question that
came up.
Technology has opened so many
doors in the world of education. So
many of them are helpful and give
students the tools they will need to
succeed in our technology-driven
society. However, COVID showed us
that too much of a reliance on
technology tends to push students
away and can negatively affect
learning in a big way.
Elections are a perfect example of a
situation where society as a whole
needs to be able to think. People
need to be able to carefully
consider the candidates and what
they advocate for in order to select
the person they feel would be the
best option.
I chose to teach math because if
you follow the procedure and the
rules, you get the right answer
every single time. There is no gray
area that is open to interpretation
and no one judges you by their
opinion or bais. In general, math
and science are necessary for
production in our society. We need
mathematicians and scientists in
order to continue advancing fields
like medicine, technology,
argiculture, engineering, and just
about every other field you can
think of.
Instead of giving students a
worksheet of math problems in
order to learn Newton's 2nd Law of
Motion, give the students a handson project so they can see, touch,
and understand how force, mass,
education.
Reflect on your
participation in the two
discussion boards in
this module. Your
response should be at
least 250 words.
and acceleration are related.
Another example would be having
students use the unit circle and
their knowledge of triangles to
construct the special angle right
triangles themselves instead of just
memorizing them an not really
understanding where they come
from and how to use them.