Blog #9

1. What is the basis of scientific pedagogy for Montessori? The use of the scientific method when a teacher is teaching. Students can have freedom physically, mentally, and environmentally. She agrees students having freedom in the classroom makes learning more enjoyable. Rather than lecture, students tend to learn more when they're interactive with the lesson.

 2. How does school furniture affect the education of the child? Furniture in the classroom is essential, as it is what makes students feel comfortable or at home. With every educational resource, it allows a more welcoming environment.

 3. What effect does freedom have on the education of the child? Students who have freedom in their education allows them to have more control over their education. With more freedom, students become less bored in their education. 

4.What does Dewey seem to mean by the expression "thinking in education"? Dewey thinks thinking is essential to education. Now thinking is referred too as critical thinking, but he believed thinking wasn't done without experiences.

 5. What conditions must exist for the student to use thinking in education? Students must be presented with interesting information to keep them engaged. The things they think are used to solve challenging problems and gain skills.

 6. What seems to be the best process of education, according to Dewey? Dewey thinks social interactive is apart of learning. With the combination of experience and learning interesting things, learning becomes like first nature. Critical thinking is used to find solutions to problems. After using what you've learned to solve a problem Dewey things you should test the solution to fully understand the outcome and what has been done.

Blog #8

1. How would you defend Smith’s views as expressed in this essay? In what sense is he right in establishing

the “natural progress of opulence” as you observe it yourself? He describes the world

as he knows it in his own time and then imagines how it might have become that way. How well does he satisfy your curiosity about the way in which nations grow rich?

Adams Smith thought natural progress of opulence is that agriculture should be first, then manufacturing, and lastly foreign commerce. He only talks about how the country development should come before the town development which would help both. 

2. Smith places a great deal of faith in the value of land for maintaining wealth. Since most people

today, including wealthy people, do not necessarily see their wealth in terms of land, what in our

time might substitute for land? What would a wealthy person interpret as a secure or conservative

capital investment?

We say a wealthy person now would invest in stocks now instead of land. They would only invest in secure stocks though that they know would not have a very high chance of losing money and a good chance of gaining money. 

3. Argue in favor of or in opposition to Smith’s statement in paragraph 8: “According to the natural

course of things, therefore, the greater part of the capital of every growing society is, first, directed

to agriculture, afterwards to manufactures, and last of all to foreign commerce.” Because in

the early 2000s the United States is in the midst of a “new economy,” this statement will need

to be examined closely and augmented. How would you continue the “evolution” that Smith

observed?

As a group we don't agree with Adam Smith's statement about how agriculture comes first, then manufacturing, and lastly foreign commerce. We think agriculture is last now. 

Blog #7

Galbraith:

1. One of Galbraith’s most basic premises is that America is now an affluent society. Examine in detail the society that you know for the purposes of validating or contradicting that assertion. Is America an affluent society? What are the signs of affluence? What qualifies as affluence? What are the results of affluence?

Galbraith's most basic premise is that America is now an affluent society, and I agree with him in some ways. For some America is a place of an affluent society, while for others it isn't. Some resources are harder to obtain for people especially lower-class citizens. Compared to other countries I would say America is an affluent society. The qualities or sign of affluence is someone or something with money, property, or materialistic goods. (Someone rich and wealthy) The result of affluence is some people having more power over others. This leads to different social classes in our country and division.

Reich:

2. To what extent is it the government’s responsibility to provide jobs to people who would otherwise not be able to get them? For example, should the government provide jobs for routine workers if their opportunities dry up? What arguments favor or oppose such a proposal?

Reich believed the extent of the governments' responsibility is to provide jobs to people in job areas of the government. I think the government should provide jobs for routine workers if their opportunities dry up. Routine workers who have been laid off due to money cuts in a workplace should be guaranteed a job. It keeps everyone in a job unless they don't want one. 

Blog #6

1. What is the economic condition of the bourgeoisie? What is the economic condition of the proletariat?

The economic condition of the Bourgeoise is developed. They are the people who are very wealthy and who own things. The proletariat economic condition is still developing. These are the people who own nothing but produce wealth from their work. 

2. How does the expanding world market for goods affect national identity?

The expanding of the world market for goods affects the national identity by allowing the markets and demand to grow. The modern industry is what has made the world market today. The bourgeoisie developed, increased capital, and push others during the middle ages.

3. What benefits does Marx expect communism to provide the proletariat?

Every victory is a victory for the bourgeoisie, sometimes for the proletariat as well. Communism is a class-based system, and people are rewarded based on their skills and needs. With the increase in industry profits, it gives more work to the proletariat. The increase in work enables more jobs and opportunities for the proletariat. An increase in work gives the prolateit a chance to get paid for their skills. "But with the development of industry the proletariat not only increases in number; it becomes concentrated in greater masses, its strength grows and it feels that strength more. The various interests and conditions of life within the ranks of the proletariat and more and more equalized, in proportion as machinery, obliterates all distinctions of labor, and nearly everywhere reduces wages to the same low level." (Matrix) The immediate aim of the communist is the same as that of all the other proletarian parties: formation of the proletariat into a class, overthrow of the bourgeoisie of supremacy. (Matrix)

Carnegie ends his essay by saying that he thought that obeying the dictates of his Gospel of Wealth

would someday solve the problem of the rich and the poor and bring “Peace on earth, among men

Good-Will” (para. 24). Do you think that wealthy people should follow Carnegie’s example? Bill

Gates, who recently quoted from Carnegie’s essay, has left his post at Microsoft and is devoting

himself to giving away his wealth through his foundation. Do you feel such activity will “solve

the problem of the Rich and the Poor” (para. 24)?

I believe to follow Carnegie's example would be nice, and would definitely solve the problem if the reach and poor. This would bring some "peace on earth" among men but it wouldn't solve everything. Gates giving away his wealth through his foundation still helps, but wouldn't ultimately solve the issues of rich and poor.