Wednesday, February 15, 2017 – Education 101. Dear Betsy.
Good Morning, Mrs. DeVos,
In an effort to assist you in your new position as Secretary of Education I feel compelled to provide some educational vocabulary words. Let’s start with this one.
Your word for today is pedagogy. It is a noun that means the function or work of a teacher; the art or science of teaching, education and instructional methods. This word and the ability to promote sound pedagogy is taught in beginning undergraduate education classes.
Have you thought about taking an education class? Perhaps a MOOC? Google it.
The educational institution’s word for the day is: voucher. It is a noun that means “school of choice;” It also means economic, cultural, racial, religious and social segregation.
I do have a question regarding your buy out of the position and the resulting tie breaker. Regarding higher education, you were asked if you were familiar with Pell Grants. Your response was “I have several friends who attended school on Pell Grants.” Really? You actually know people with low incomes? Lady, I did not qualify for Pell Grants and I was really poor and being white was probably not an asset.
Please start a set of flash cards with education terms and jargon. Perhaps this will reduced that deer in the headlights look you have. To review, your word for today was pedagogy.
Your educational vocabulary words for tomorrow are: assessment and accountability.
Sincerely,
Delia R. Duffey, Ed.D
PS – Betsy, those letters after my name mean Doctor of Education. I actually wrote a big book report about pedagogy and methodology for teaching. Let me know if you would like to read it. It is available from the Texas A&M Library. I would like to read your big book report. Oh that’s right, you did not write one.
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The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income undergraduate and certain postbaccalaureate students to promote access to postsecondary education
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/index.html