Schools during the 1900's-1950's

During class we were in groups of three and discussed schooling during the 1900’s-1950’s. During these years’ school had expanded all over the United States and kids started to go to school to receive an education, experience, and be able to get a job. The percentages of high school graduated have increased dramatically. Girls would be in home economic classes and learn how to cook, sew, and clean while boys were put into these woodshop classes. The picture I posted shows how times have changed and how gender doesn't define what you want to do in life. We have women that are cops and guys going into the education field. While schooling began to grow students would switch classes, have recess and more hands on activity. 

An issue that I don’t agree on is testing children and putting them in classes based on their tests scores. The book and video discussed how children took IQ tests and did not even know about it. Based on the results if a student had a low IQ teacher what put them in a woodshop classes and students with higher IQ’s would be sent out to college with a scholarship to further their education. It was not fair because most children at that time were immigrants that did not even know how to talk or read English. Not much has changed because high school’s students take SAT’s and their school is a part of the the University decision whether they are accepted or not. Wait there is more, now if the student gets accepted you have to take an entrance exam so they know which class to put you in freshman year. For example, if you didn't score so high on a math portion you would start off with basic math and then Algebra. If you scored well you would just skip basic math and go straight to Algebra. What if people are not good test takers because they get nervous? What if they were just have a bad day? Schools should not make us sit in a chair for hours and determine where in life we are going to end up due to a test score. As one of the guys in the video said because of these testings in the past how many people did not become doctors, or a profession they had a passion due to a test score they did not score well on. 

The United States became a melting pot and teachers tried to Americanize every student. During these years there was a mass migration with new countries coming in. Page 65 of the book stated, “Many prominent figures complained in books, article, and legislative hearing that the new immigration consisted of undesirable racial stock as compared to the old immigration. A hue and cry arose in the popular media to restrict immigration which congress did in the 1920s”. Years later and immigration is still a huge topic today because of our heartless president. During the early 1900’s majority of the students attending school was either first or second generation immigrants.