School Visit... Pros & Cons of Small Schools

Coming from an average New Jersey suburban town of about 23,000, I am used to schools that graduate about 300 or so students per year. It is really interesting to visit local schools in the area here in Vermont, because most of them are much smaller than what I am used to seeing. I like to be able to see things from all perspectives and witness with my own eyes and ears the positives and negatives of varying school sizes. I find that no matter what there are always both pros and cons...

Pros: (1.) Small class sizes are a huge positive as far as the effectiveness of learning in my opinion. This allows teachers to get to know their students and their backgrounds on a deeper level than say, in a classroom of 30 or 40. Also I think this allows students to get to know their peers and feel more relaxed in class, rather than overwhelmed by the large number of faces staring at them when they present in front of the class or raise their hand to answer a question. (2.) Students came from many different towns rather than just one. I think this allows for a wider background of students and more diversity within the school community. If fostered correctly it can also effectively build good community relations between neighboring towns, rather than rivalry. (3.) The overall feel of the school was warm, homelike, and comforting. Many of the classrooms even had curtains on the windows and painted walls. The hallways were decorated with murals, student artwork, and various visual stimuli. All these touches add to the overall environment of the school and help the students feel like they are in a safe, welcoming place, rather than a prison they are forced to attend.

Cons: (1) While small class sizes can be a pro, they also offer setbacks. Some courses cannot be offered because there simply are not enough students to enroll in it. Therefore class selection and variety are limited. The small amount of students also hurts the schools ability to offer a wide range of sports teams and other extracurricular activities. Options are therefore limited in that area as well. (2) The many different towns sending students to the school presents the problem of busing. I have very limited knowledge on financial information, but I am sure that it must cost a significant amount of money to provide busing for students, and I would assume that the further the buses have to travel, the more money it would cost. Whereas in a situation where only one town is being bussed to the school, it would probably cost less. (3) Many of the staff members had multiple positions at the school. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be for them to take on so many roles, rather than be able to focus on just one. I wonder if the quality of their work is affected because of the quantity of tasks they have resting on their shoulders.

Overall, I very much liked the school I visited, though one major concern I had was that the front doors were wide open and no one was even assigned to monitor who entered the school. I felt that was definitely unsafe. Other that that, it was a very visually stimulating school and I loved the fact that art seemed highly respected within the school. Though it was a small school, the art program blew away anything I had experienced back in Jersey. Art courses were only half-year courses, which I thought was great because it would allow the student to experience more art mediums in a year. I was also impressed with the smartboard usage, which is something I never experienced back in my hometown.

Multi-Culturalism...

Unfortunately I was not able to make the Burlington trip, but after today's discussion I feel very strongly about a few things...
One thing that bothered me was the use of the term "assimilation," which I believe should be done away with. We should not teach children to "blend." Diversity is a beautiful thing that we can all learn from and should accept. This country was founded upon immigrants and various cultures and heritages. There technically is no such thing as an "American" culture, and yet we get so caught up in what we have come to believe is "American." If anything, American culture includes EVERY culture- bits and pieces from around the world creating the country we live in today. We should be proud of it and embrace it and LEARN from it.
Yes, there are practices in other cultures that are unacceptable or even illegal here in America, and those things need to be taught to those new to the country. BUT even those practices (while they cannot be done here in America) should be respected and understood. Even the most controversial things have learning value. People need to be taught to put themselves in eachothers shoes. Learn to see the world through others' eyes. The world is not made up of only people like yourself... and the beliefs you hold and the practices that are a part of your culture may not be RIGHT in the eyes of others. The truth is, there is no wrong and right when it comes to culture. It is all about perception and personal, spiritual beliefs among other more complex emotions that may be attached. While we may view things as wrong or weird or even cruel, to others it may just be a part of everyday life. And while we personally may NEVER partake in certain practices or find it difficult to understand other cultures, we have to somehow come to the conclusion that that is the beauty of this world.
People are different. Cultures are unique. Beliefs are controversial. It is all a part of this life. There is no normal. Everything around us is there to create us, to shape us, to influence us. We need to stop getting so tied down to how we were raised or our own personal beliefs and begin opening ourselves up to all the world has to offer.
There should be no such thing as assimilation, only acceptance. There should be no set "American" culture, only an infinite avenue for growth. Schooling is not about teaching children to blend, it is about teaching them to stand out and let the world witness loud and clear all the good they have to offer. Their culture and background and life experiences are a HUGE part of that, and therefore should not be taken away, but instead embraced. Even the things we view as wrong in our society should not necessarily be shunned, but instead talked about in deep discussions so that they can be understood rather than judged.
Overall it is about teaching children to become productive adults who can offer the world a vast variety of things. And I believe strongly that to bring about a positive future and successful world (that maybe one day can coexist peacefully), individuality and respect (more than anthing else) should be heavily instilled in our youth.

Chapter 5: Multiple Intelligences Video

My immediate reaction to the video when it first began, was that I liked the way the teacher had the students close their eyes and imagine things. I think this offered the students not only a chance to visualize things, but also gave them a period of calm to relax, rather than immediate commotion of everyone taking out their books or doing things. I like the use of music as well. I could see myself doing that sort of opening to the class and throughout the class, especially with art.
On the subject of multiple intelligences, I agree completely that there are many types of intelligences, all having their own importance and all being just as valid as the next. We all have our strengths and weaknesses which make up the unique person that we each are. I believe students with high musical intelligence or high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should be respected just as highly as a student with logical-mathematical intelligence. I also believe that it is important to strengthen ALL forms of intelligence in order to build well-rounded adults.