Page 75 - TheGoldBug1971-72

March 20, 1972 The Gold Bug Page Three The following is a paper done in partial fulfillment of a requirement of one of Dr. Vernon's education courses Idealism and teacher education; jumping the bandwagon by Carol "Wells and Susie Flernino Something should be said for birds experience or proven ability as criteria is (Mayer, 1964). The student teacher often does not who venture into birdless skies demonstrably unreasonable and unjust (Mayer, get the experience of establishing class discipline while aspiring birds ... 1964). hypochondriacs and cripples 2. It provides protection for faculties of education because this control is .maintained by the super- vising teacher crawl along the ground, by guaranteeing them a large and steady demand classroom. even in his absence from the having seen storms and believed for their courses. 4. The brevity of the student teaching assignment that clouds are torture chambers 3. There is a virtual absence of courses in the and the fact that it generally begins in the middle of with traps for the trusting. teacher training program which actually deal with a school term means that the student teacher has no specific techniques of teaching specific material: there is a need for objectives in teaching. option but to follow the course structure of the classroom teacher. Something should be said for those who venture Student Teaching: Playing S. All too often, practice teaching is delayed until into the experience of teaching with idealism and the Pawn the senior year. Thus, the individual unsuited to hope. Something even more should be said for those 1. The prospect! ve teacher tends to adopt the actual teaching does not discover this fact until he who have enough strength of character and methods of his supervising teacher. All too often, has committed himself and it is too late to change physical stamina to hold onto those hopes and try to the classroom teacher is an inadequate model and goals. realize them in the face of the narrowness and thus poor techniques are inbred into the system. The problem of teacher education are complex superficiality present in the teacher preparation 2. The supervisor observing the student teacher but this realization must net cause hesitation in programs and the public school system. rarely offers constructive feedback; Often the moving toward solution. The need is not only for The criticisms of the teacher preparation supervisor has never taught the subject he is ob- reform in all areas of the educational system but programs have been numerous but have come serving and/ or has been out of the classroom even more for concern on all levels ad- primarily from outside sources - teaching at experience for so long that he' has forgotten what it ministrators, university faculty, prospective and present lacks the capacity to be self-critical. No one is like. . in-service teachers, parents and students. Im- is either too high or too low to participate in change 3. The range of problems that" arise .tcr the provement in teacher education is the respon- since the impetus for innovation in teacher student teacher to deal with is inevitably narrow sibility of' all educators and all those being education comes from those involved in the process educated. of education itself. The System: Fatal Fallacies The 1. Teachers are drawn froin a narrow spectrum of the population (Pearl, 1968). Thus any teacher training program will be limited in its efforts to Inquiring ~~ prepare teachers to reach the part of the population not represented. 2. The culture of the school doesn't encourage teachers to discuss their educational problems with Investigator one another except on the most superficial level (Silberman, 1971). 3. The public schools were created by society primarily for the purpose of passing on the cultural heritage to the upcoming generation. Designed to preserve the status quo they are staffed largely by those committed to this end (Stone, 1968). Certification: the Royal Does WMC have a drug problem? Road of Requirements 1. Certification has been on the basis of courses completed. Any system which refuses to accept by Francois Deresse "You enter the smoked-filled basement of an old don't think there is a drug problem, but I am aware back-alley building where young people gaze at that drugs are being used on c.ampus. I don't think nothing--as in a trance. You take a few steps inside, there should be college regulation since it is already when suddenly, to your right a boy screams. He rips the Eold Bug hitting the floor with his fists, yelling he wants to 3. rederal offense." class: off his clothes and throws himself on the ground Fred DiBiasio, president of the Freshman kill the devil. Everyone around does not seem to "We can't fool anybody because there are a lot of VOLUME 49, NO.5 notice because like the boy they are tripping, too." people on campus who use drugs; but I really MARCH 20, 1972 This is a fictitious account, but how unrealistic is don't see where there is a problem since these it? Persons flip out on acid everyday--some kill students are usually mature." themselves while others find themselves in a Dr. Ralph B. Price, professor of economics: Editor-in-chief Cathy Nelson mental institution for the rest of their lives. doubt there is a problem because' I have not seen "I Do these things happen at Western Maryland Associate Editor Francois Deresse College? I asked the question--"Do you think there any evidence of it; but on the other hand, in my CoPV Editor Nellie Arrington is a drug problem at WMC?" --to different persons on position I might not see it." Robert Ramsdell campus and I obtained a variety of answers. Nellie Arrington, copy editor of THE GOLD BUG: Sports Editors Bill McCormick, president of the Junior class: "No, "I don't think there is a problem as far as Tom Trezise I don't think there is a serious drug problem, but irresponsible use is concerned but I would say that Photographv Dave Korbonits there is a problem. The majority of the students there is a greater use of stronger or "hard" drugs know what they are doing and where they are Art Edito~. Jim Sollers going, and if they use drugs, they use them in ways than people would like to believe and I think in that respect there is a problem. Responsible use? I'm that are not really detrimental to their goals--they thinking that people are not taking drugs without SPecial thanks to Miss N~nty Lee Winkleman know when to stop." - . thinking about the consequences." . for' press releases. Cathy Nelson, editor-in-chief of THE GOLD BUG: Dean Wray Mowbray, Dean of Men: "One person "No, I don't think there is in the sense that drugs on drugs is a problem. If it affects one person, it Hard work: BeckV Williams,Julie Mullen, are creating. a problem; but, I would guess that affects one too many. I don't think we have any there is more use of drugs than is apparent on the Suzi Win demuth, Chip Rouse surface." - more of a problem here than at any other institution Heather Kepler, Roberta Schrom Bryson Popham, president of the SGA: "To call it a or in the population in general." It is a well known fact that some students on Entered ISsecond-classmaterial.t the Westminster, drug problem depends on one's own perspective, IMarylandpoSt office, 21157. Second cia. postage since there are many people who do not agree with f:r~~':edu::e!e~g~~ t~:t t~!t ~~: J:r~1n!u~si?~! , paid at Wutminmi:" Published by and for the the law of the land concerning the use of drugs. I not a problem as long as the persons using them are sizable percentage of WMC students fall daresaya students of WesternMaryland College_ into this category. Also, there are many shades of responsible, mature, and understand the con- The opinions expressed in this paper do not grey among the various types of drugs and they sequences of taking drugs. Most persons think that drug College Maryland users Western are necc:essarilvreflect those of the administntion. obviously do not carry the same weight. Per- responsible and mature, while other persons seem sonally, I believe that the use of drugs on the Hill to think that any person using drugs is irresponsible now is not as heavy nor as widespread as it has been and immature. the last two years. The Great Experiment is I do not think there is a drug problem on campus nearing an end, except in a few sections." because if there were one, it would be more ap- Don Krueger, editor-in-chief of TRACES: "No, I parent than ir'ls now.