1000 word draft
Elementary Education
Going into college undecided scared me, all my friends had their lives planned and ready since last November. While they were deciding which college had the best program for their major I was stuck feeling torn between so many decisions. I kept trying to push certain majors into my eyesight but nothing clicked. Everyone has tried helping me pick something but I turn down the idea every time someone mentions it. Starting this second project within the GUST program I was given the chance to dig into a major. I couldn’t shy away from looking more in-depth in the curriculum because this project is indeed a grade. As a major, I decided on elementary education for many reasons. I’ve grown up my whole life around kids and recently I started to teach at my dance studio in my hometown. I felt it was right for me to check out a program that has the same ideas as something I’m doing right now. I am not just deciding on a major for myself but I am deciding what I am going to (hopefully) be spending the rest of my life doing. While digging deeper into this project we were supposed to learn about an “enriched major” and more specific details involved. We read over readings, one written by Ernest Boyer entitled “The Enriched Major” which dug specifically into what makes major enriched, and plenty more. Not only were these readings useful, but I was also able to personally interview Audrey Bartholomew who works in the education department here at The University Of New England. Given these opportunities, I can understand what the elementary education field has to offer with its enrichment.
I never understood what an enriched major was, or that it existed. Within our classes and homework, we dug deep within Boyer’s writings which showed me exactly what an enriched education was. You learn from Boyer that “ By an enriched major we mean encouraging students not only to explore a field in-depth but also help them put their field of study in perspective” (Boyer 223). This quote explains how the major you are studying, you should be able to see what opportunities will come out of it. I then was able to understand that elementary education is indeed an enriched major. When heading into the education field you are taking more classes than one would expect. You must take psychology to learn how kids’ brains work. This field is not just making a cute classroom, it’s understanding how children learn best, recognizing their struggles, and helping them. You are given chances to shadow teachers within a public school system to get the real experiences that come along with being a teacher. You also have to realize that this job will be important in a few years. Teaching will indeed be a stable job that is needed most everywhere in the world. During my interview with Ashley, she explained how local schools around the area request students from UNE, but by the time they are requested, they have already found jobs elsewhere. The field of teaching is so important to the growth of children’s minds. (add more)
Here at UNE the education programs offer you lots of opportunities to branch out and explore other fields while pursuing this one. When you head to the UNE website which has the course descriptions for each major the elementary education stated “A flexible curriculum allows for double majors, minors, concentrations, and study abroad — all of which help make you a well-rounded person and a highly desirable teacher. Early and regular field experiences provide an array of opportunities that prepare you for your career while helping you get a foot in the door with potential employers.”
The interview portion of this assignment was by far my favorite part of this project. I got the opportunity to meet with the super kind Audrey Bartholomew. Conducting this interview gave me more insight into the nitty-gritty details that go into this major. I asked Audrey what sorts of skills she can take with her outside of the major you pursue, her response was “ You learn a lot about how you communicate with other people, and how you communicate some ideas that aren’t easily understood” (Bartholomew). I feel that the amazing skills that communication can do for you are so important. Within a liberal arts degree, you are wanted to be able to think for yourself and be able to make decisions based on the situation at hand. Within the Critical Thinking and the Liberal Arts, We neglect them at our peril written by Jeffrey Scheuer it is explained that “These are precisely the skills that a liberal arts education cultivates…making us better learners, communicators, team members, and citizens.” (Shueuer) The idea of communication seems easier said than done. I thought this skill was easy until I started teaching dance to kids. Having to explain things to them in a simple version is very difficult. I know If I decided to pursue education as a career I would learn the skills Iack. These skills are taught within a liberal arts education which can relate us to our first project.
Ashley gave me more insight into how the elementary education major is vocational. How I would explain a vocation education would be you know where you will end up. If I want to become a teacher I will end up taking these certain classes that will take me to the end goal. I understand the certain skills it takes to have this job, it’s planned out. Ashley helps with this understanding by explaining “ If you were going to major in an education program, you sort of know exactly where you’re gonna end up, and that’s being a teacher”(Barth) Her explaining this matter to me only made me understand it more and more. Different majors will give you way more job options where education will give you a teacher. She states “ If you were going to graduate with a psychology degree there is no direct career, there are lots of careers”(barth). This cleared up concerns I was having about vocational education. Knowing that going into the elementary education field, I will end as a teacher. While digging deep into boyers passage You see how people thought it was absurd for schools to offer an education that spits you out at your job. During an example in the writing, there was a college in the northwest and that school recently had decided to not allow a computer science major. What they explained was “it doesn’t belong in the curriculum in the liberal arts. Its tied too closely to a job”( Bouyer 222)
Peer Review
Project 2 Final Draft
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MWAHkwOXEUm-ZxR82ldPudmZ8amYmiijSoRf7I5HqaA/edit
