Key Educational Resources Concordia University P

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Key Educational Resources Concordia University P

Darling-Hammond Reflection

Darling-Hammond (2010) states that there is much discussion around the topic of the achievement gap, but the conversation is greatly lacking on the opportunity gap. She defines the “opportunity gap” as “the accumulated differences in access to key educational resources—expert teachers, personalized attention, high-quality curriculum opportunities, good educational materials, and plentiful information resources—that support learning at home and at school” (p. 28). Based on socioeconomic status alone, many students will not be exposed to higher level content and subsequently discouraged from higher order thinking. The price students pay for not having access to high-quality curriculum is real—and staggering.

Based on this weeks’ required studies and your own research, reflect on the following questions in a four- to five-page paper.

  1. What is your reaction to Darling-Hammond’s argument about inequality and achievement gap?
  2. Which statements or statistics do you notice the most?
  3. Is there anything in your experience that confirms or contradicts the data and information presented thus far? Explain.
  4. What 21st century skills do your students need to learn and what can educators do to help them achieve? How are these skills being addressed in other countries to make their students globally competitive? Will these strategies work in U.S. schools? Why or why not?
  5. How is an opportunity gap constructed and what you see as the opportunity gap’s essential impact on students in America?
  6. How do you see the opportunity gap contributing to the achievement gap, or vice versa?
  7. Do you feel that the opportunity gap in America will ever be eliminated? Explain your reasoning. How has a similar gap in other countries been fully or partially eliminated?

Support your statements with evidence from the Required Studies and your research. Cite and reference your sources in APA style.

Click here for information on course rubrics.

required information

The following materials are required studies for this week. Complete these studies at the beginning of the week and save these weekly materials for future use.

The Flat World and Education (Darling-Hammond, 2010)
  • Chapter 1: The Flat World, Educational Inequality, and America’s Future
  • Chapter 2: The Anatomy of Inequality: How the Opportunity Gap is Constructed
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