Module 5 reflection on course concepts and learning outcomes

Self-knowledge is a very important concept in the realm of education and self-improvement. Some of the greatest teachers in history echoed the sentiments of 'know thyself' and the know the universe. But before understanding how self knowledge can help, especially in an educational system, it is helpful to define and identify what exactly the self is and how it is influencing the situation.

Regardless of the finer points of defining the self, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, the target of my analysis, made me aware of the importance of knowing my own role within the education system. To me the education system is a community effort, and while teachers are often given the brunt of the workload to achieve this aim, parents and other leaders in the community are essentially responsible for the quality of education that is presented to the members of its group.

I have found that in this exercise, that it is truly a group effort, especially dealing with minority populations that do not speak English. Self knowledge made me aware, that I myself am limited to managing these circumstances that make this job so difficult and why literacy rates are difficult to improve without a sustained and collective effort, all focused on the positive outcomes that accompany such efforts. Self knowledge has shown both my strengths and weaknesses towards education and the education system. This information is extremely beneficial due to its guiding qualities. Literacy programs need strong leaders with good self-awareness and consciousness in order to maximize the beneficial positive outcomes that such practice should bring.

Journal 2

In my investigation into the ideas of collaboration and clarification of literacy, I discovered that each individual has their own learning style and pace and programs should be designed having a knowledge about this information. The literature extant on the importance of community in hopes of raising literacy rate was very profound and laid out some key components in what some of the best ways of accomplishing this idea.

School leaders must understand that they are leaders and others are always looking to them for guidance and cues on how to act. When a community gets together with a singular purpose, many great and wonderful things may happen. This is the key to raising literacy rates in my selected school. In this instance many of the students speak Spanish as their first language and many are also first generation immigrants. It is too much to ask the common reading teacher to fix the social implications of mass immigration and the loss of American/English speaking culture.