On July 22nd we had a class with Dr Lanier about the Educational System in the USA. I was reaaly looking forward to it, as I wanted to understand the major differences here and in Brazil.
What really stands apart first is that each city and state has the right to define how their system can be. This discussion is taken in Brazil. However, all of them depend on federal funding.The result of this policy in my opinion is that the school system can not apply local solutions. Instead, they relly on a massively slow bureaucracy in which thousands of papers and documents need to filled up losing focus on the main point which should be quality education for those legally expected to attend school.
As for the types of schools they are fairly similar in Brazil. As we follow the models of public and private. I understood the charter one, however, in Brazil, studying in one city and living in another would not be an issue. Specially for those parents who need to work and take to a school near their job places.
Dr Lanier mentioned in the final part that the educational goal is " create critical thinkers to maintain democracy". That is the core of my belief, not only for school, but also for life.Nonetheless, critcal thinking is an asset not regularly observed. Actully, we have always lived in Brazil a kind of education despising throughout years.
There were a metaphor for teacher as garderners which I really appreciated as well. I hope to be one of those.
In Summary, in the end of Dr Lanier lecture, I learned a lot abouth the educational system in the USA and what is different in Brazil as far as it is concerned. I was also able to understand the different types of school. As for the main goal i agree that the school needs to be the place where students learn to think critically in order to maintain democracy as an asset.
I am far away from being in school in the US and since I do not have kids I am painfully unaware of what is going on there these days. I went to Catholic schools all my life and think I had a fairly good albeit standard education for the time. I visit the schools with groups like yours from time to time and from that perspective I realize that it is really all up to the individual teacher. Some are great and others not so. I really believe that a T can and will be the T he/she wants to be regardless of external factors, such as administration and facilities. There are always ways for someone to be the "right" kind of teacher in spite of any obstacle. It just takes some thought and effort.
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