How is SES measured? Explain.

-The factors that are usually considered when measuring SES are income, occupation, education, neighborhood, and political power. Individuals’ SES is usually determined by the SES of their family. How well can the family members meet their financial responsibilities? What prestige is associated with the occupation of the head of the household? What level of education have the parents achieved? What is the safety and upkeep of the neighborhood in which the family lives in?                                 

 

Describe at least 2 negative effects of low SES.

- Children growing up in Low SES neighborhoods are more likely to experience difficult measures than those in the higher SES neighborhoods. Discouraging experiences can lead to higher rates of depression, low self-esteem, and juvenile delinquency among children from the lower SES neighborhood. Also these children tend to have fewer resources. The students start school with little preparation, and they require an educational system with a more skillful and focused approach. However, the teachers in the low SES schools are often paid and trained less than the teachers in the higher SES schools. The results are low achievement rates for the students and few high school students in the low SES schools plan to attend college so the graduation rate is low as well.

 

Describe some of the differences concerning education and student achievement levels in Low SES families versus High SES families.

- One of the biggest problems in school for children of low SES is the self-expectancy to fail.  If a child does not dress well, a teacher may not feel that they are very bright. The teacher will call on them less often and not regularly engage the student in class discussion. These students are often left feeling as if they do not belong in a class. It seems that the students who need the most stimulation and motivation are given the least. Three main factors separating the home environment of the high SES student from that of the low SES student: The high SES student is likely to do more reading, more skill building, and less television watching in the home than the low SES student, even during summer vacation. These factors are mostly associated with the educational level of the mother.

 

Describe some options that are available for Low SES families concerning education.

- The harmful effects of low SES on early childhood can be improved by the quality of preschool programs. One program is Head Start, and that has existed since the 1960’s. Its goal is to give children of low SES families a chance to be better prepared for school. Similar schools include the High/scope preschool in Michigan. Programs like these have been shown to have longitudinal effects on the cognitive development of the children attending. The results are higher reading and math scores than other children of low SES families.

 

Explain how socioeconomic status determines the economic conditions of persons.

- SES is an economical and sociological combined total measure of a person’s work experience and of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position in relation to others based on income, education, and occupation.

 

Can a person change their SES? If so, describe how. If not, describe why not.

- I think that maybe they could some, not dramatically but from one class up to another. If they were not rich growing up and they were smart in school, it is not hard to get scholarships and get full rides to college and get a degree. Then they would have a degree in something and could make money. Obviously more money than what they were used to and get them out of the lower SES class that they were in into a higher one. It is up to the person whether they want to have a future or not. A person cannot help how they were raised or where they grew up or the conditions they grew up in, but once someone gets to a certain age hard work can change that for them. It is all about will power and wanting to be somebody!

 

Concerning the YouTube video, describe what you learned

- The actuality of this country is not seen by everyone. The Ideal is as far removed from our perception of reality as the actual distribution is from what we think exist in this country. 1% of America has 40% of America’s wealth. The bottom 80%, 8 out of 10 people has only 7 % between the groups. The top 1% owns the country’s stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. The bottom 50% of Americans owns only half a percent of those investments, which means they aren’t investing.

 

Ken Robinson Questions

 

Ken Robinson outlines three principles crucial for the human mind to grow. In your own words, describe EACH one.

-1.) Students are naturally different and diverse: The “No Child Left Behind” is based on conformity not diversity. There is only a small spectrum of success, and that is what often discourages students. Children are more successful when there is a wide range of subjects.

-2.) Students are curious: Children are natural learners. Testing should be less important. When we take away the children’s interests to learn, most are bound to not be successful.

-3.) Students are inherently creative: culture of standardization

 

How does our current culture of education work against these principles? Describe.

-Students now are less interested in school, because the system is more focused on testing than actually exciting their students. It usually goes something like this: a teacher would introduce a lesson, the students memorize it and are tested over it, and then they completely forget it while moving on to the next lesson. There is now no building on to the lessons, but only using them for test scores.

 

Do you agree or disagree with Ken Robinson? Why or why not?

-After watching several videos of Ken Robinson, I find myself agreeing with him most of the time. He looks well into our education system, finding the problems and taking steps to solve them.

 

In your opinion, describe ONE of the most important things you could "take-a-way" from this talk?

-One thing that I keep seeing as a reoccurring problem is that the educational system prides itself on stomping out any individuality in its students. We want all of our students to learn and think the same way to make the challenge of education easier for us and them, but that is completely unattainable. We have to stop stifling our future leaders. 

 

Summary

- I never realized this country was so split up into so many groups like this. I knew there was poor, middle, and rich classes yes, but not to this SES extent. But being educated about it was very helpful. I did know that people with less money growing up in the lower SES neighborhoods and families have lower attainments, but also I have seen people come from nothing and achieve everything.