Jenna Wiebe (Blog 8)

Blog 8

            The first area of chapter 8 that caught my attention was the section on the cost of education.  I was surprised to see the wide range in post secondary tuition fees across the country.  For example:  “in the same year, tuition fees at Ontario universities were the highest at $6307, followed by fees in New Brunswick, which were just over $5500.  The lowest tuition fees in Canada were found in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, which had average fees of around $2500” (page 231).  Seeing the wide range of tuition costs makes me thankful for the more-so manageable costs here in Manitoba. 

In the textbook it was also mentioned that despite simply costing money, post secondary education is also a personal cost, where “in terms of personal costs, the pursuit of post-secondary education requires not only a tuition cost, but also the time devoted to studying, and potential forgone wages that could have been accrued had a person not been in education.  Individuals making the choice to pursue post-secondary education must weigh the potential opportunity cost against the perceived benefits of the educational credential” (page 232).  Personally, if I were not in university pursuing my degree in education, I do not feel that I would have found a job which would satisfy my “opportunity cost”.  Yes, going to university does cost me a lot of money.  However, I will eventually end up with a degree, which will allow me to pursue my dream job of educating children.  That in itself is worth the cost to me. 

Another point of interest I found within this chapter discussed the issue of job-education mismatch, which “refers to employment situations where the education and training of the employee do not match his or her qualifications” (page 242).  I know that when I graduate from the education program, I may end up in a teaching position that is not in the early years.  This would be an example of job-education mismatch, because I have focused my education in the early years stream.  Further to this idea of job-education mismatch, the textbook also stated that “researchers have looked at the issue of job-education mismatch in two ways.  One is by examining years of education needed for a job relative to years of education possessed by the employee, also known as vertical mismatch.  Another way is by looking at field of study and inappropriate matching that may occur at a horizontal level.  Horizontal mismatch refers to a situation in which an employee’s field of study and job do not match” (page 242).  I had never heard of these two different types of job-education mismatch before.  In a perfect world, when I graduate, there would be an early years teaching job available for me.  But who knows…it’s not a perfect world.  The only position available may be in middle years, for example.  Regardless, I think it is safe to say that I will be pleased to land almost any teaching position after graduation. 

Discussion Question:  What are your thoughts on tuition fees?  What would you change?  Why and how? 

Krista- Blog 7

Chapter 7 focuses on “Structural and Social Inequalities in Schooling”. The three things that stood out for me was the sections on lone-parent families, children in care and statistics for Aboriginal students.

I will start off by saying I get upset when I see this research that states people like my son will never succeed because “research shows” that he pretty much should quit while he’s ahead. That’s the way I perceive the so-called statistics for children of single parents. I am a single mother and have been raising my son on his own for the past 7 ½ years, and yes, there have been struggles, but my son have been able to overcome every single one of them because I advocate on his behalf. As a training teacher, I really should not be speaking out about these injustices I have seen my son struggle through due to his special needs, but I am definitely using his experience as a learning experience so I know how to treat my future students. I am an only child and my son is an only grandchild, so I get a ton of support from both of my parents. They’re not there to hold my hand, but to lift me up when I need help every so often. In serious situations, they are willing to drop what they’re doing to help me if I really need it. We aren’t exactly financially stable, but we make do with what we’ve got and it usually works out for us most of the time due to budgeting. I suppose not everyone is fortunate to have supportive parents like I do, which is what probably leads to the drop out rates and criminal offense rates in children who have single parents. My son has a long way to go, but he is definitely in a home where his needs are understood and he is loved for who he is. I think it’s important to consider this when you have students who are from single parent families, and even then, there should really be no room for judgment because you don’t exactly know what your students’ parents are going through just so they can make ends meet.

Children in care is an issue that I am passionate about. I worked in CFS in 2005-2006 with some pretty  awesome children who came from all kinds of homes where they were abused, neglected or the parents were fighting for custody and using them, so they were deemed unfit and the children were taken away while they battled it out in court. As teachers, it’s important to know who these children are, what makes them tick, and what sets them off, because the time that they are in care is an extremely sensitive time for them. In the text, Mitic and Rimer argue, “to best help children in care, their teachers need to be kept informed about their living situations. Similarly, teachers need to be trained about how to be sensitive to the unique needs of this population” (204).  It takes a special kind of person to genuinely care about these children and really love them for who they are and applaud them mentally and emotionally for their strength in their time spent away from their families, especially Aboriginal children in care, which I will refrain from getting into because it can lead me into some pretty controversial opinions! All children in care need to be looked at like any other child in the class and teachers need to really be cautious and understanding. These are the children who bug the living crap out of you and are most likely the ones to disrupt the class. I am not one to be a fan of statistics, but when it comes to children in the child welfare system, the statistics don’t lie when they say most of these children are children whose mothers have abused alcohol and drugs while they were pregnant and were apprehended from the hospital. Imagine being that child, never knowing your biological parents, and never being able to have a relationship with them, and being bounced from home to home. I can’t agree more when the text says that teachers need to be sensitive to these children, because it really is a difficult time for all of them.

The text also talks about Aboriginal children and the “ways of knowing”. Going through culture shock, I can attest to this. I raised my son for two years to create my bond with him and then I made the decision to move to Winnipeg and continue my bachelor’s degree. It took me four years of taking classes that taught me how to think critically because I was never taught how to in high school. When I didn’t understand something, my mom said I need to argue or clarify with my professors that I have a different way of thinking and understanding the world, even though I was being graded to think in the most Western way possible, especially in many of my Psychology, Philosophy and English courses. The two departments I would have to say that allowed my way of processing information and was very understanding and compassionate about my thought process were the Womens and Gender Studies and Family Social Science departments. I received nothing but straight As in those courses because even though I may not have got the “big idea”, especially if it involved theory, my professors understood I didn’t have a Western way of thinking, and it was completely acceptable and they were interested in my way of thinking. I can’t help but thank the professors enough because it was so hard to earn all of my grades in my first degree.

Question: As a teacher, how can you create inclusive lessons that address all types of families, especially around Mother’s Day and Father’s Day? (For my son last year, the teacher said “Some friends don’t have daddies, so if you want, you can create a card for your uncle, your grandpa, or someone else who you look up to.” She even said that a child in her class made a card for her mom’s coworker who always has always sent her gifts home).

Jacquelyn Morran- Blog 7

This week's chapter discusses structural and social inequalities in education. This topic always makes me sad and makes me want to throw on my superhero cape and dash out and give everyone equal opportunity when it comes to education. I just think it is so tragic that, as stated in the text, "an achievement gap exists between children from low-income families and other families." (195) There are many reasons for this, but it is my belief that none of them should actually be an obstacle when it comes down to it. There should not be any reason why some children have advantages over others in regards to education- in an ideal world there would not be. I think the only thing that we can strive for is to reduce the inequality in our own classrooms and do the best we can for students who are disadvantaged in any form.
I also found the section on divorce interesting because my parents are divorced. I appreciated the clarification that though divorce can have an effect, "lower educational outcomes do not apply to all children of divorce." (199) It is true, though, that it can have profound effects on children. I took offence to some of the wording in this section, but this is just a side note- the text referred to families without divorce as "intact" families and called children whose parents are divorced "children of divorce." (199) I think this could be worded a lot better- I get really protective of my family and the insinuation that we are broken vs. intact or that our childhood was defined by my parents' divorce is rather hurtful. We are still just as much a family. However the text does point out many cases in which family structure contributes to inequalities in education. It is important to consider the backgrounds that students have when teaching them- for me school was always a safe and stable place even when home was not.
It drives me crazy that there are even such things as social inequalities in education, and I hope that when I become a teacher, my classroom will be a place that every child's potential is realized and all my students have equal opportunities to learn and thrive despite their different social situations.

Discussion question: How can we teach students from a variety of different family and social structures equally?

Mandy Marchant: Social Inequalities in Schooling

One of the topics that I found the most interesting was that of ethnic capital and its positive influence on student’s education. The chapter explains that ethnic capital is the, “overall educational and income levels of particular ethnic groups” (pg. 208). The chapter also explains the heavy influence of parents over their children in regards to ethnic capital. Parents who, “may have experienced disappointment at their own inability to succeed in their host country, may ‘will ambition’ to their own children. Due tot heir own perceived post-immigration decline in status, they may push their children to succeed even more” (pg. 208). My concern with this is that if students are being pressured to certain fields of academia or to get top grades, if this actually benefitting the child or inhibiting their educational choices and ultimate happiness? Therefore, while I agree ethnic capital does contribute to more obtained high school diplomas and university degrees, at what expense to the students’ choices and well-being does this come?

The chapter talks about the stress students whose parents have “precarious legal status” can endure. I have witnessed the effects of this on a student and the chapter is correct in the stress that it has on children. One student I knew was unsure if their parents were going to get their visa’s renewed on time. This stress caused the student to act out in inappropriate behaviour and it wasn’t until the student told someone about their troubles that we began to understand why they were acting out. This example always reminds me that there could be a reason for students acting out behaviour and to not just assume as teachers that it is a student being bad. It could very well be that a student is acting out because they need support and attention over their situation(s) at home.

Discussion Question: How would a school or classroom teacher implement a LGBTQ group in a early years school in an age appropriate way?

Evangelin Francis - Blog #7

For this week’s sociology blog, we were required to read chapter 7 entitled, Structural and Social Inequalities in Schooling. A few things stood out to me in this chapter.

One of the first was the difference between males and females in terms of standardized testing on mathematics and science. The textbook states that there is no sufficient differences in test scores however, girls are "less confident in their perceived ability" (pg. 194). Personally, I am terrible at math compared to the next person however I do find myself believing that I am more "terrible" than in reality I am. For example, coming into university I took three mathematics courses in my undergrad and did well. However when asked how I am in terms of mathematical abilities, I always just tell them its never been something good at. Perhaps some of this is also attributed to how girls are socialized to believe that they are more inferior to males in terms of these abilities. That is why as future educators it is important that we remind all of our students that they can achieve proficiency / greatness and can aspire to great things regardless of gender and more so the important thing is that success is dependent on effort.

Another thing that stood out to me in this chapter was the section on immigrants. More specifically, children of immigrant parents and how that relates to educational expectations and aspirations. Being born in Canada but having both my parents as immigrants (thus making me a second generation). I can feel the effects of these "expectations." The textbook talks about this concept of "will ambition" of immigrant parents who "push their children to succeed even more" (pg. 208). I know in my own personal experience, I have grown up hearing my mom (more so than my dad) talk about how they want to see me and my brother do well, and how they moved here to give us a better life and better opportunities than they had growing up.

One last thing to highlight upon, something that I found kind of shocking was the statistic that "70% of LGBT students reported hearing homophobic or transphobic comments in school daily" and even more so "10% indicated that they had heard such comments from teachers on a daily basis" (pg. 218). Although people are free to believe and think what they want and in no way do I want to push my own opinions on someone - personally, on the issue of sexual orientation I am completely for equal rights and support those who are of any orientation in their right to love whomever they want. With that being said, it saddens me to hear that 10% heard these comments from a teacher - someone who is supposed to make the classroom and school a welcoming place for all students.

Question: Growing up sexual education occurred in grade 3 and 5 as far as elementary was concerned. But thinking on a more secondary-senior level, I have heard that only the issue of aids is covered in regards to same-sex encounters. Do you think by subjecting this to one issue adds to the idea of "wrongness" - in other words do you think if we talked more about LGBT relations, it would lead to a more normalcy belief (i.e. Decrease stigmatization)?

If a student comes from a low-income family, how do we help him work toward overcoming the cycle of poverty and experience success?

- implement different programs (breakfast program), universal programs so that people aren't singled out, food for focus
- being aware of the self-fulfilling prophecy - not stereotyping poverty
- distribution of resources, tapping into programs that benefit your children (e.g. hockey, swimming lessons), focusing on what's available for kids that need it - extra experiences for kids to connect with people outside their community
- career treks - mentorship programs; bring in guest speakers so that kids have role models for attainable jobs - connecting with programs - Tallman Foundation - that can provide funding for post-secondary costs, scholarships, bursaries
- having programs that help kids feel a part of something, connected to something (e.g. flag rugby program)
- after school programs, consider childcare costs out of reach for families living in poverty
- family night, breakfast programs, assemblies honouring student achievement
- programs for all students whether exists a need, perhaps outside of monetary poverty
- having high expectations for your students, being aware of your expectations
- if you see that there are students who are in need to provide resources
- considering parental support
- all students are capable, look for strengths

Chapter 7 - Lexi Valcourt

This chapter focused on structural and social inequalities in schooling here in Canada. One section specifically focused on how the neighborhood, region, and location of schools can affect the educational attainment of the students enrolled at these schools. When students reside in areas with high concentrations of poverty, it can “negatively impact on children’s academic achievement, acting to keep children in cycles of poverty.” (196) I was surprised to read that Canada has no federally funded early childhood intervention programs which are comparable to the one in the United States, the Head Start Program. (223) It is then, easier to see how children in low socioeconomic areas will be more likely to be kept within that cycle of poverty. Programs like Pathways to Education in Toronto, which operate at a provincial level, have been shown to be effective in their interventions with at-risk youth. Pathways to Education, which targets youth in the area known as Regent Park has been shown to be highly effective in producing change within this improvised community. The program reduced high school dropout rates from 56 to 12 percent and increased the number of youth to go on to post secondary educations from 20 to 80 percent. With success like this, I am surprised we do not have nation wide programs such as these funded at a federal level. Socioeconomic status contributes greatly to how well a student will do in school and whether or not they go to enroll in postsecondary education and as teachers we must work to close the gap and provide all children with the education they deserve.

Question: How can we as teachers effectively provide students who come from all different kinds of backgrounds and circumstances with quality education and resources they need to succeed outside of school?

Tyler Schade Blog #7

        After reading the chapter in the textbook on “Structural and Social Inequalities  

in Schooling” I was educated that students from lower socio-economic statuses are at a disadvantage straight from the beginning of their schooling (pg. 195). Students from these less advantage families often lack school readiness as they are unable to adapt to this new setting and therefore unlikely to fully benefit from this experience (pg. 195). 

        Location is a huge factor in the development of students and their education. Families from a lower social class often live in less developed and more impoverished areas. These neighbourhoods have an impact on the child’s everyday life and in turn also directly effect their ability to perform in school. Crime, lack of positive role models and support systems are often roadblocks to children from poor neighbourhoods succeeding (pg. 197). As teachers we need to do everything in our power to give every student the opportunity to succeed right from the get go.

Discussion question: How can we make sure that students from lower socioeconomic status are given opportunities to succeed right from the onset of their schooling life?

Jordyn Fernandes Blog 7

When the chapter discussed the influence of neighbourhoods, regions and location one specific line struck a cord with me; "...low-quality schools staffed by discouraged teachers, and constrained social networks that do not give them much access to social contacts who reinforce the value of education." (p.196)As a teacher I believe it is our role to be the reinforcer for education. In my last five years teaching swimming lessons I have seen more than a few of my kids not understand what I'm telling them. It is extremely discouraging when you know they can do it but they just do not believe it themselves, but as a teacher you cannot let it bring you down. The kids you teach are depending on you to keep lifting them up when they fall, if one idea doesn't work try another and keep repeating it until something works. Every child deserves an education that doesn't depend on where they live.

On page 197 the influence of family structure is brought up. While reading some of the different effects of different family structures I came to realize that not only is parent-teacher communication important but just like you have to know who your students are like you also have to understand the home environment that your students come from. In the video we watched in psychology this week about Mr. Wright's classroom he could connect with his students not only because he knew them as individuals but because he also learned about the different environment that they were each coming from. "Student's are at school for 6-8 a day, for the other 16 there is a whole different environment that they are in that really has an affect on them."

"Canada has the highest immigration rate in the world and this is expected to continue..." (p. 205) This sentence drives home the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive curriculum that is relevant to a large variety of students. We dance around the issue of making the curriculum relevant with the hope that Canada will become more of a homogenous nation where this will not be a problem but this in not the case. Canada as a nation was built and developed due to its lack of homogeneity. In our classrooms, we must teach ideas of appreciation, not just tolerance. We must teach ideas of respect and consideration of others because as our students get older Canada will just continue to get more diverse. If we teach our students to embrace and appreciate the benefits the diversity can bring to Canada we can help make this world a bit of a better place.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: What do you think is one of the most important things to know about your students to affectively teach them?

Chelsea Volkart - Blog 7

Reading Chapter 7 in “Sociology of Education in Canada” was nothing short of a humbling reminder of how fortunate I am. This is not to say I was and currently am a model student, but my upbringing has provided me with all the right supports for “educational achievement and attainment” (193).  My parents have been married for over 30 years and worked at the same place of business until retirement (so income was always stable and constant). In addition, I was raised in the same home from birth to when I moved out on my own so “residential mobility” (203) did not negatively affect my academic success and furthermore, I am a “fourth generation immigrant” (205) from great-grand parents born in England so there is no significant cultural barrier hindering my success.  

However, in addition to this textbook, I am constantly reminded of my good fortune every day at practicum or at work. I currently run an after-school drop-in program within Seven Oaks School Division, and like the Seven Oaks community, participants are demographically diverse. Just to tell you a bit of a story… there are two sibling participants coming to program every night, and my staff and I struggle to ensure that they are “well behaved” at program. Fortunately, I was able to communicate to the principal of the school and she was able to inform me of their home situation – single parent, mom works nights and is often not home with the kids. In “being informed about their living situations” (204), I am able to empathize with these children and subsequently remind and encourage staff to be tolerant of their behaviour because the alternative is we send them home to an empty house every night (they are 8 and 10 years old). The reality is that this program serves these students with positive adult role models and it reiterates how important our role as is. Ultimately, it is circumstances such as this that helps me remain mindful of the importance of getting to know your students/participants because the relationship I share with them may be one of few positive relationships that will can help guide and enable their success!

Discussion Question: What structural/social inequality has the largest influence on your practicum placement? How do you and/or your CT help eliminate this inequality in the classroom?

Garrett - Blog 7

One concept that caught my attention in this chapter is “ethnic capital”, particularly the idea that because of a “post-immigration decline in status”, first generation parents “may push their children to succeed even more” (208). This resonated with me because this external pressure from parents seems like a detrimental learning method, based on what I’ve learned so far from classroom presentations and other readings. The tremendous pressure on students to be the bridge between their parent’s declined status in this country and the success of the family in the country is something that I’ve always viewed as more of a high-school age phenomenon. Yet, even in early years of school, the education of the parents and their cultural views may create certain pressures that are young children are not aware of. While this may be beneficial for some in the form of “high aspirations toward post-secondary education” (209) down the road, I never considered that even just having these “heightened expectations” could also be such an effective “buffer against economic disadvantages” (210).

The bulk of Chapter 7 dealt with very heavy subjects in terms of social inequality and it can be overwhelming to realize all the psychological and social issues that are detrimental to one child, let alone an entire class. Yet, if there is one huge positive that I have taken from this chapter, it is this. As an early years teacher, I am in the best position to be the one to make the kind of early intervention (academically, behaviourally and psychologically) that can make all the difference for students that are on unequal ground.

Discussion question: What resources or supports are there to help teachers navigate such a multitude of social needs for students? How would you create a classroom community that is sensitive to a wide range of social statuses?

Cheryl Wood (Blog 7)

This week’s chapter deals with structural and social inequalities in schooling. Life chances are influenced by different characteristics people have. These two types of characteristics include Ascribed characteristics being those features of individuals that they are born with such as race, sex, and social class of one’s family and Achieved characteristics being the characteristics chosen by individual effort such as personal skills and occupational designations (page 193). This chapter focus more on ascribed characteristic rather than achieved characteristics.

School readiness is one of the reasons why some students do not succeed in school. “School readiness refers to a child’s developmental stage at which he or she is able to participate in and benefit from early learning experiences.” (Page 195).   Many families are from low socioeconomic families and cannot afford to buy specific resourced geared to their child’s learning. So many students don’t have structure outside of school. In today’s society there are so many families being dual income providers, single parent families and broken up families due to divorce. This has an effect on the student’s education.  Many times children are at home alone or with siblings they don’t have parents there to reinforce rules and learning. There is less support at home and the students tend to do less with their lives than those who come from intact families as mentioned on page 199. The text also states that lone parent students are more likely to drop out of school and not pursue post-secondary education. 

We all are affected in some way by ascribed characteristics. Some of us benefit from our ascribed characteristics where others suffer because of them. For me, I am a female and in my workplace I get paid less than the males who work at my workplace. Our pay is not based off of work ethic by any means. Some of the males are really good at disappearing and fooling around and yet this has no affect on their pay. I do my job when I'm at work and don't do what a few of the males do and I have a lower wage than they do.  In this case gender plays a role in the wage people receive at my work place which can be rather frustrating. 

Discussion Question:

What ascribed characteristics have impacted your life and in what way?

Ashley Fredette: Blog 7

In this chapter's discussion of the relationship between low socioeconomic status and school achievement, I was reminded of a group project that I was recently a part of for this course. The project followed two [fictitious] children's learning experiences in elementary school, and then in high school. One child came from a very low-income family with a single mother who had to work a lot. The other child came from a very wealthy family with two parents who were home every single night for dinner and spent lots of time reading with their child. The "achievement gap" between children from low-income families and other families is proven through research, and in the case of our project, there was hardly even a comparison. The child from the low-income family simply did not have enough exposure to have a chance at excelling in school, and social class prevented her from applying to university because of the need to work and support her family. This exact situation is mirrored in the text book.

Children in the low-income family situation tend to live in low-income neighbourhoods. Many factors hold these young people back from achieving their potential, which is of course very sad. It got me thinking about what we could possibly do to help the situation... and there is good news! There are already people doing something about it. The answer lies with The Tallman Foundation, a scholarship committee and student support group started up by my friend's family. They had the means to start this foundation because they own Princess Auto. Cathy Tallman, wife of PA owner Bob Tallman, used to be a teacher in the North End. When they started the foundation, they chose a few schools (St. John's and Churchill, I believe) where they saw potential. Kids who go to these schools have big dreams of having a professional career - they want to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, business owners - but they do not have the financial means or the resources to do so. The Tallman Foundation finds these promising students and grants them scholarships, full rides to the U of M and U of W, including books, support groups, and sometimes even living accommodations. They form deep relationships with these kids, who get the opportunity of a lifetime. I go to their golf event every summer, and it is so inspirational. It's amazing what we can do to perpetuate change in society if we try hard enough. Social mobility is possible through foundations like this one.

On another note, I found this chapter to be rather insensitive to the different kinds of families that exist. The author insinuates that in anything other than a "two-parent biological parent" family,  the child is basically bound to have lower educational outcomes and do less well in school. I'm pretty sure that children who have single parents and children who are adopted or fostered often do very well in school. One cannot judge a family based on numbers and genes. (What is with the author's need to consistently use the word "biological?") I actually found this bias quite offensive, as well as the statement about rural schools being more likely to have rougher conditions in general. I've never been to a rural school, but that is a pretty general statement to make on the author's part.

Discussion Question: What can we do to give children of low-income families better schools, considering the limited financial resources of the "have not" provinces? How can we provide better access to positive role models for these kids?

Michelle Boulet - Blog 7

For me, the chapter “Structural and Social Inequalities in Schooling” really highlighted the fact that it is important to find out where your students come from. Developing a connection with them and understanding what factors might influence their education can help you realize what methods you might use to help them reach their potential. Studies have shown that less traditional families “may have fewer resources available for children and have fewer role models, and may also be characterized by higher levels of stress, all of which can adversely affect educational outcomes” (198-9). Students like this might crave attention or you can help just by caring about them and ensuring that they feel like they can trust you. Students that also might need more attention are children in care. I definitely agree that “clear lines of communication and co-operation among social workers, foster parents, and schools are needed to enhance the school performance of children in care” (204). Teachers need to know the type of situations their students are facing in order to help them get the resources they need. At my practicum school, many after-school programs are offered to help children gain new skills or give them extra help with homework. If the teacher knows what the student might be lacking, they can help get them into the right programs to allow them to succeed. Lastly, as a teacher, you need to be sensitive to students who are new to Canada. Studies have proven that immigrant students perform poorly in school compared to students who were born in that country. It is believed that “much of the disadvantage experienced by some immigrant and Canadian-born ethnic groups is largely attributable to economic factors” (207). Immigrant families often have low paying jobs or jobs with bad hours and in order to supply for their family, parents do not have much time or money to spend on their children. This will result in a lack of resources and programs available to the students. Like in care children, teachers should know of many programs that students can be involved in to get the extra help they need. Teachers need to know the situations and obstacles students might face in excelling in their education. They need to get to know each student’s unique perspective in order to help them in any way they can.

Discussion Question: What types of programs can be implemented to help these types of students who face obstacles in succeeding in their education?