Message of the Reading. Explain Why You

¶ … message of the reading. Explain why you chose those words and provide examples from text and elaborate

I chose the following as material for focus in this essay:

Academic achievement

Safety

Security measures

It seems to me that the essay revolves around the crux of these words. It also seems to me that each of these terms has broad meaning and can be understood in countless ways. Perhaps if they were understood in a slightly different way, the research may have had slightly different outcome.

Finally, each of these three terms has a distinct meaning for me as graduate student soon to be graduating with my master's degree in education (grades 7-12 social studies/special education).

The study was on the attempt to promote security measures in a certain school following the bout of inter-racial conflict in the country in general and inter-racial conflict in that school in particular. Although the heightened and intense security measures eliminated some of the problems and improved issues in many areas in the school, researchers found that the unbalanced focus on safety disrupted academic learning and negatively impacted some of the other offerings of the school. Researchers wondered whether security measures could not have been replaced by a more positive approach such as stronger connection between principal / teachers and students in school. This may have improved surveillance whilst also improving academic achievement.

The first term that affected me as "academic achievement'. Strictly, academic achievement may be understood as students receiving high marks in their subjects, but the term can also, literally speaking, have connotations that exceed that. That includes the existence of a school environment that produces confident, happy students; or a school environment that fosters respectful atmosphere between students and teachers and between each of the students who practice tolerance and respect for one another. The school culture goes a long way towards producing a specific outcome, and it seems to me that the way the specific school defines "academic achievement" may well eventuate in their objective of excellence for themselves and may help determine whether or not they achieve school security (as elaborated n in Framework 2).

The second term was 'safety." Safety, too, has a vast meaning. School safety includes prevention of bullying, compliance with fire drills, and elimination of unsafe teachers, hygienic food, safe classroom conditions, safe school environment, and so forth. None of these were mentioned in the article and, therefore, the repeated use of the term 'safety' was misapplied since it was used in a largely general sense. Schools may be threatened by bullying and inter-racial conflict. These are issues of 'safety' that hit it in the face. Nonetheless, schools have to realize too that there are so many other issues of safety equally significant that although less indiscernible and more invisible need to be equally remembered and dealt with. On a day-to-day basis.

'Security measures' is the third term chosen. To deal with inter-racial conflict on the school premises, the school resorted to introducing a number of punitive measures and programs that exclusively focused on security and interfered in the private lives of the students. The 'war' in the school on crime resembled the larger' war' outside the school gates on crime and it seems to me sad that perpetrators of security measures should have such a limited view of the type of measures to take. As the authors pointed out, violence does threaten education but more positive alternatives could have been taken. With punitive measures adopted, although successful, the children feel from early on the harshness and negativity of a life on the street. School should be a positive life-changing environment where students and teachers interact and help one another rather than fear one another and are restrained by punishment. Rewards and love should hold the carrot not punishment and humiliation.

Framework 2

The key term that I choose is "academic achievement'

Academic achievement may be understood as students receiving high marks in their subjects, but the term can also, literally speaking, have connotations that exceed that. A school, for instance, that places the focus on intellectual excellence alone still runs into other problems of tolerant and respectful school environment that exists both amongst teachers and amongst students and thirdly between teachers and students -- and even further: amongst everyone connected with the school including parents. .Lack of such an environment may well threaten the objective of achieving prominence in the intellectual sphere, or in the area of No Child Is left Behind.

On the other hand, were the school to start from the objective of reinforcing connections between all connected with the school and achieving a healthy respectful environment this may lead to students trying hard (in order to please teachers and parents), this may result in better communication hence people understanding each other, less conflict, and again better academic scores, and this may eventuate in an easier job for teachers where both teachers and students are motivated to excel and "No child will be left behind." Making this as their starting-place for school culture may well eliminate the need for expensive programs focused on school security.

It was John Dewey indeed who said that "violence, disorder, and threats to physical safety are antithetical to an environment where students can learn and develop and where teachers can instruct effectively" (p.25).