Ch.11+resources

= = = = = = = Character Educ = Lisa Banavich Reaction Paper- Chapter 11 EDUC610 The beginning of Chapter 11 seems to believe that schools are to blame for all the problems in the world. Literally every dilemma in today’s society is traced back to schools not teaching moral values. The author goes as far to state that schools commonly operate without a “moral compass.” I find this to be quite a stretch of the imagination. I think that schools are naturally a place where the difference between right and wrong is further investigated and students’ beliefs in what is moral are further fleshed out and strengthened. As the author of the second part of Chapter 11 says, students do not come to our schools as “empty moral vessels,” waiting for us teachers to give them the proper values. Their parents or guardians, plus their life experiences so far, have guided them towards their own developing personal beliefs of the differences between right and wrong. In order to become learners, both academically and socially, students should be given the freedom to question and criticize different moral values. If they are just told what to do/not to do, it may not mean anything to them. If students are given a chance to really investigate a belief, it is so much more likely that they will become invested in it. Schools do have a place in educating today’s children about character education. The problem is deciding whose values to follow when creating a character education “curriculum.” Who decides what is right or wrong, moral or amoral? Can schools/administrations really agree on values that are appropriate to teach to all children? Even though I do not agree with most of the first part of Chapter 11, I did like the values that they wanted to include in education: honor, honesty, truthfulness, kindness, generosity, helpfulness, courage, convictions, justice, respect, freedom and equality. ation Character Education is a critical part of a child’s overall education. In order to be a productive member of society, children need to learn values and conflict resolution. Many districts do not adequately fund character education programs. Furthermore, as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, there is a very limited amount of time to address character education. As long as specific Bible verses are left out of instruction, it should not be offensive to any group to teach general Judeo-Christian principles. Many religions, including Islam, possess the same fundamental guiding principles about the treatment of others, honesty, respect and hard work. One area where there may be some contention is the treatment of women. Some very strict religions have prescribed roles for women and do not consider them as equals to men. This may contrast the messages of character education regarding fairness, equality and respect. Many community leaders and educators are quick to point the finger at the opposing party as the source of the blame for the lack of children with good morals. The truth is that all groups and individuals that interact with a child play a role in his or her development. Community leaders, neighbors, parents, teachers, principals, babysitters, aunts and uncles all have a responsibility to instill good morals in a child. However, ultimately the responsibility should lie with the parents. Society may be forced to “fill in the gaps” if the parents moral guidance is weak or inconsistent, which seems to be more prevalent in recent years. Children are clearly in need of more moral guidance. Teen pregnancy and bullying are just two examples of the types of immoral behaviors in which children are getting involved. The parents and the schools need to address these issues and to instill better morals in the children if society expects for the rates of these behaviors to decline.