1301 Eassy #1 Summary/Response Essay

Chen 4

Name: Qian Chen

Course: ENGL 1301

Instructor: Prof. Maur

Date: 2020/5/25

Proofread the essay to correct all the grammatical and typing errors

Should Schools Teach Learners About Current Events?

History of the United States incorporates different events and movements, which are great sources of information to the students. However, due to the vetting processes and the designing of the school curriculum, some sensitive historical issues such as the marginalization, oppression and the suffering of the Black People have been omitted. Different assertions and rationales have been given as to why contemporary historical issues have been omitted. On the contrary, the proponents of the ideologies of Black Lives Matter believe that such issues need to be incorporated in the school curriculum. According to the arguments of these proponents, the only way to address racism issues, prejudice and the mitigation of stigma cases can only be done through integration in the school curriculum. Comment by Kaur, Manavpreet: Combine the two paragraphs

In the article, “Should Students Learn about Black Lives Matter in School?” which was published in the Atlantic on 21st July, 2016 and was written by Hayley Glatter, the author of this article rebukes the existing practice of schools, whereby the school textbooks take long time to be updated. According to Glatter, current issues, for instance racism need to be integrated in the school textbooks. Rationale for this assertion by Glatter is based on the fact that it is only through the unveiling of the past that students will be able to understand and contemplate the present. Therefore, Glatter proposes that it is the role of the teachers to stand up and shun ideals of religious intolerance. Add the essay’s thesis here

According to Glatter, the existing bureaucratic timeline of the issuing of textbooks in schools should be held accountable for the deficiencies and reluctance in teacher’s ability to teach current events. Due to this prolonged and bureaucratic nature of the curriculum, the learners are denied the opportunity for learning about the current affairs as well as the early historical movements from the availed primary sources. Additionally, Glatter says that teachers play the core role teaching current issues. However, the teaching methodologies designed deny teachers this privilege, as Glatter notes,” They’re so afraid to tackle anything current because we don’t have the perspective of history to be able to inform us more…” (Glatter, Hayley). As well, teachers find it challenging to teach current events. Comment by Kaur, Manavpreet: Combine the two Comment by Kaur, Manavpreet: Remove this citation. Parenthetical citation is not needed when the name the author is already given in the sentence Comment by Kaur, Manavpreet: For future reference, in MLA in-text citation, only the last name is needed here

Glatter also notes that teachers are forced for find other ways of teaching their learners about the current events because such events are not covered in the textbooks. Textbooks that are being edited currently have omitted the mentioning of current issues in politics, forcing teachers to identify primary sources for teaching these issues. As a result, teachers are adopting primary sources for teaching the omitted events by the textbooks.

Based on the arguments raised by Glatter, I totally agree with her. The reasons for this assertion is based on the fact that the prolonged editing span of the school textbooks seems to be done deliberately. Secondly, if these textbooks omit the mentioning of events like leadership of Barack Obama, events of slavery and the suffering of the marginalized groups in the historical periods are hardly mentioned at any given point. From my own perspective and point of view, I believe that schools should be assigned the role of teaching learners about the current events. Teaching students about the historical events, which are still inevitable in the contemporary world will help the students understand why certain things happen. As well, learners will be able to relate how current events are related with the historical ones. Comment by Kaur, Manavpreet: Combine

From my own understanding, historical events should be covered in the school textbooks and curriculum. Ability to interrelate the existing issues and the historical ones will help students appreciate and embrace diversity, understand literary texts better and even explain current events in logical manner. For instance, women rights movements were formed during these omitted historical periods, and these same movements are still inevitable in the current times indicate the beginning of Tuitt’s point (Tuitt, Frank, et al., 69). Different programs and movements are still being formed for the empowerment of women, showing the correlation of historical events and the current events.

Historical events not only help in unveiling the past issues but also help in the current integration of people from different ethnic groups in the society. Availing of historical information will help students learn the implications of issues such as bias, discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping and the marginalization of the minority groups. School textbooks should incorporate detailed information about the current events and the past ones as well, for making it easy for the teachers to familiarize the students with such issues. Reflection of past historical events in the current events is sufficient for showing what school need to expose students to at early ages. Comment by Kaur, Manavpreet: Good

Works Cited

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/07/black-lives-matter-in-school/492275/ 

Glatter, Hayley. "Should Students Learn About Black Lives Matter in School?" The Atlantic, 21 Jul. 2016.

Tuitt, Frank, Chayla Haynes, and Saran Stewart. "Transforming the classroom at traditionally White institutions to make Black lives matter." To Improve the Academy 37.1 (2018): 63-76.