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Formal education is described as learning academic facts and concepts through a formal curriculum (Conerly, 2021). It makes me think of just the format for school, teachers create lessons and activities to explain and reinforce a subject, then after the student is tested on the gained knowledge. I have some experience of formal education from a teacher’s and student perspective. I was a head start teacher for a year before deciding to go to nursing school. While we did not conduct a formal sit-down test, we did break our classrooms up into small groups to focus more individually on each student and see how they were progressing. Lesson planning was an interesting part of the job and it was one of my favorite tasks. Once a month all the teachers would meet up for the day and discuss goals, lessons, and activities for students. Getting to create and build the curriculum for our students was so much fun, and then being able to walk away from that meeting and apply it every day to our classes and watching our children grow in their knowledge was by far the best part of that job. Informal education describes learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors by participating in society (Conerly, 2021). This type of learning can happen anywhere, schools, homes, churches, or even playgrounds. To go back to how my class was managed, we had a certain set of rules to follow in and outside of the walls of the classroom. It was the simple first rules you learn in school, how to be a good friend or how to follow rules. We had interactive play every day, we would have many stations in rotation for children to pick from including dinosaurs, kitchen, doctor’s office, painting, building, or books. Children not only learned how to interact with other children and their teachers, but they also learned how to share, how to include others that may not have as many friends, and the clean-up rules when they finished playing.
Conerly, T. R., Holmes, K., & Tamang, A. L. (2021a). Preface – introduction to sociology 3E. Retrieved from https://openstax.org/books/introduction-sociology-3e/pages/prefaceLinks to an external site.
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A significant issue in today’s education system is students’ unequal access to quality education. This stems from socioeconomic differences, uneven resource distribution, and systemic obstacles, particularly affecting marginalized groups. To tackle this challenge, a multifaceted approach is necessary. Firstly, policymakers should prioritize fair spreading of funds to ensure that all schools receive adequate resources. Additionally, mentorship programs, after-school assistance, and community collaborations can offer extra support to students facing difficulties. Furthermore, integrating culturally relevant curriculum and diverse perspectives into teaching methods can enhance inclusivity and foster a sense of belonging among students. We can establish an education system that empowers every student to succeed by addressing these systemic issues and embracing inclusive approaches.
