Skip to main content

FOLLOW THE MONEY

There are certain things in the world that are very controversial subjects, education is definitely one of them. With so many varying perspectives, expectations, guidelines and approaches, it’s no wonder that people clash and differ in their thoughts. I have used Pearson products for schooling in the past but I never really looked into details about the company. It’s interesting that they originally started off as a construction company and then began to branch off into many other areas. I think that making the decision to invest and expand within the education field was a very smart business move for Pearson. Things such as education, medical and food will always be in high demand by people everywhere. As the video mentions, it’s easy to sell toothpaste but education is something that people really care about and have all kinds of strong opinions towards.
It’s pretty amazing that Pearson has expanded so much over the years. They have “developed a vertical” and became involved within every element of education. Offering curriculum, child assessments, teacher assessments etc. This has contributed to Pearson’s success and also created backlash towards them. People don’t like how Pearson appears to be squeezing out everyone else and some think they are being greedy or controlling. I personally don’t agree with these viewpoints because it is our choice to use Pearson products/resources. There are still other options out there, it’s just a matter of “competition” amongst each other on who is better. I can imagine how having a bunch of shareholders who aren’t educators, can be more “money driven” and trying to outdo their competitors.  The fact of the matter is that it’s very difficult to create and sustain a successful business in the education field.

I think that the assessments we have reviewed are affordable and effective options for classroom use. Alfie Kohn’s book discusses how assessment has developed to place more pressure on students. There has definitely been increased pressures of standardized testing and technological dependency within schools. With the help of “big money” things such as the Common Core Standards have overpowered so many skeptics and differences. Within two years of Bill Gates agreeing to give millions of dollars to support the reinforcement of Common Core, 45 states had adopted it. Including places/people who previously refused the idea in the past. “The standards are not a curriculum but skills that students should acquire at each grade. How they are taught and materials used are decisions left to states and school districts.” (Layton, 2014)

I think that this example of Bill Gates presents apparent evidence of how large sums of money can sway people’s minds and make things happen. Big money plays an influential role in this field. I think it’s important for people who have education experience/knowledge to be involved with the business making decisions of people funding these ideas/implementations. This can help to make sure that the best interest and educational goals are kept in mind rather than just the idea of trying to make a profit. I think this is also a reason for educators to be aware of what is going on around the world and to advocate against something if need be. We can’t just allow people who have a lot of money to make inappropriate decisions for our education systems.







Comments

  1. Taylor SmithFebruary 5, 2019 at 8:47 PM

    Hi Courtney!
    I enjoyed reading your thoughts about Pearson. You have a good point about them being a successful business within education. Because education has so many different perspectives , practices, theories and guidelines it can be difficult to sustain a successful business within education. With this is in mind its important that the consumer purchasing these products does research to ensure the product aligns with their theories and practices. Have you ever been in a classroom where the assessment products such as the ones we have been reviewing didn't align with your practices/ values within the classroom?
    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. jas solivenFebruary 7, 2019 at 1:26 AM

    Hi Courtney!
    You’re right, when it comes to education it can be a very controversial topic. Everyone is different, and we all have our own opinions when it comes to education, whether it be certain guidelines, expectations, approaches, etc. I too found it interesting to learn more about Pearson, although I have used their programs for my math class and have used several of their textbooks for my classes, I didn’t really know a lot about the company. Pearson has come a long way and made a name for itself. I do think it’s smart that they are involved in the education field, but it really makes me wonder if they really do care about students or if they are just in it for the money?

    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. BrookeFebruary 15, 2019 at 4:31 PM

    Hi Courtney,

    Your last two sentences really sum things up a great deal. Like some of your classmates have said, there are lots of different opinions about how to assess children, some with more strengths than others. The problem arises, though, when we are asked to use products where the consumer has little knowledge of the motives that brought the product into the classroom in the first place. Some of your classmates have discussed how these products can make a teacher's life easier - some have used professors as examples of how the usage of these products can come with pre-made tests and lesson plans that all the teacher has to do is upload. (As someone who uses some Pearson products in my 100 and 200 level classes, I have received those supplemental materials but don't use them). Some classmates have argued that this can make teachers "lazy." This brings me back to what we've been talking about over the past few weeks, with the screeners we've examined. They come with lots of convenience and are quick and easy to use - but what is the cost to using them? Is giving up the autonomy over our own assessments worth the convenience in the grand scheme of things? And would your opinion change if you were the one being assessed rather than the assessor?

    But what does all of this mean in the grand scheme of things? How might this affect what assessments you use going forward? You don't have to have that answer right now, but it's something to keep in mind as we read about other strategies in the next few weeks. Mahalo!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Group learning and assessment

     This week's reading discussed the effects of learning groups and how children can benefit from them. This made me reflect on my own teaching practices as I read. A preschool classroom is very dynamic with a lot of things going on at once. Each individual is unique which makes it important for an educator to get to know every child. The diversity within the classroom can be used as an advantage because it allows everyone the opportunity to learn from one another. Children can learn about themselves and how to accept their individuality while also accepting differences in others as well. I have always felt that being an educator is a constant learning experience for me. There's always something new to learn about in this field. Especially because it's a field with constant change occurring. You can never plan everything to go exactly as you expect it to. That's why it's good for an educator to be flexible and open minded to new strategies or methods.    ...
4 comments
Read more

"Constructing paper chains of ideas"

“He’d ask a question or make a casual observation, then repeat each comment and hang on to it until a link could be established to a previous statement. He and the children were constructing paper chains of ideas, factual and magical, and Bill supplied the glue.” (Paley, 1988) I think that this is an important thing that I have learned as an educator. We may not realize that we are expecting children to respond and react in a “correct” type of fashion. If we are searching or fishing for a particular answer/behavior, this limits the children. They may not end up saying what we expect them to which can hinder the learning process and potential ongoing conversation. “I paid attention only long enough to adapt their words to my plans.” (Paley, 1988) By doing so, it halts the discussion and keeps it within certain boundaries that you as an educator have set. I believe it takes a lot of practice, time and self reflecting for an educator to make these types of changes within their classr...
4 comments
Read more

Week 3

One of the major things that stood out to me while looking through the WSS and Teaching Strategies website, is that the assessments have a “not yet” section for each developmental area/objective. I think that this is something important to have and makes it more user/parent friendly. This indicates that the child is simply not exhibiting the objective yet, but their skills are emerging. This is something that an educator can support a child with in order to strengthen and improve these skills. Whereas the screener testing examples have an “OK” or “Potential Delay” scoring. Using the term “Potential Delay” on a single assessment isn’t something that I would feel comfortable with as an educator. T he article Moving Forward With Kindergarten Assessment Efforts states that “ It is important, however, to understand that a single assessment instrument cannot, and should not, be used to meet all of the child, instructional, policy, programmatic, and accountability purposes a ...
3 comments
Read more