Oakes and Finn

CONNECTIONS

I thought I would start off by writing some main points from Oakes, since I liked the article better.

List of activities, ideas, and things typically HIGH ABILITY students do and recieve:
`expository writing
`critical thinking
`more access to better schooling
`problem solving skills
`better teachers
`special resources
`lower class size

Compare this list now to the the things LOW ABILITIY students do, or thoughts of them are:
`not encouraged
`disciplined
`excluded
`unfriendly
`apathetic
`"restricted range of topics"
`"lessable"
`fewer opportunities

I think the differences are absolutly incredible. This article also connects to the second article by Finn, because the author shows his particular techniques and how it worked with different students, those who "weren't smart" He said with his original teaching method, obediant students did good. If they were not obediant, they did not pass. He made the work so easy so that if they barely tried, it would be ocmpleted. Also, he never created more than a couple assignments that were too difficult to grade.
I think that this method is good for teachers, but not for the students. The students will never learn much if this is the teaching method.
Finn reminded me of Delpit. This is because he seems to be very explicit with his students of what he expects of them. He doesn't expect much, but still is very clear of what is needed and what the consequences are to be.