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Two Discussion Assignments and a Culminating Essay Students completed specific readings and wrote answers to the questions for each class period. The DA questions provide a foundation for answering the culminating essay. Discussion Assignment Due 9-17 Name: __________________________________ Stevenson and Stigler argue that there are large differences in academic achievement between American and Asian children. Spend some time speculating on why these differences exist. What are your beliefs or hypotheses about why Asian children do so much better in school than American children?
Use this sheet for your response, and be sure to keep all of your writing in a notebook for easy access. ___________________________________________________________________
Discussion Assignment Due 9-22
Name _________________________________
Respond to the questions based upon the readings for Tuesday, 9-22 (SS: pp. 52-71, Hess and Azuma, and Shimahara).
1.Be able to explain how the sociological and educational factors identified by Shimahara influence academic achievement in the U.S. and Japan.
2.Explain "sticky-probing" versus "quick and snappy." Based upon Hess's and Azuma's article explain how parents and teachers encourage children to be one or the other.
3.Your previous DA asked you to speculate on why Asian children out perform American children in school. Evaluate your hypotheses in light of the three readings, and explain some of the evidence that supports or refutes your beliefs/hypotheses. What misconceptions or misunderstandings did you have? What ideas, if any, in these three readings surprised you? In particular what are some of the most important things you have learned about American education as a result of reading about Asian education? ___________________________________________________________________ CULMINATING ESSAY #1 FALL, 1992 There is no separate DA for Thursday, September 24. You should prepare for class by reading SS: pp. 72-93. There will be a culminating essay on Tuesday, September 29. This is the first major graded activity in the class, and we will spend time in class Thursday discussing the essay question.
This portion of the course has focused on the cultural and social conditions and factors that influence and shape education. We have read and examined various perspectives on the relationship between school and society. We have learned that things are not going well in public education across the country. One major indicator of this is in achievement levels of students. You should be able to explain some of the major reasons why children in the U.S. lag behind their Asian counterparts in academic achievement.
This does not mean that you have "The Only Correct Answer" on this matter but it does mean that you can express and support a coherent point of view. By this I mean that not all viewpoints are equally valid, compelling, or convincing. You need to be able to create a good case for your point of view. You must support it with relevant material from the readings and examples from other class material (e.g., video programs). Do not rely on personal opinion or anecdotes as your only source of support--these tend to be idiosyncratic and may not represent the broader experiences of others.
The essay question will be:
A host of social and cultural factors affect education. Select several major factors and explain how these influence the quality of education in the U.S. and in Asian cultures. Support your argument with material from more than one source.
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