Tuesday, October 23, 2007

My (Tentative) Inquiry Project Question.

For my inquiry project I want to research on how special education classrooms are the same and different in other special education classrooms in another school district. As of right now my inquiry project question is tentative but more than likely the direction I will be going in. I feel that there are guidelines that all special education teachers have to follow but many different ways to teach and set classroom boundaries. From my current knowledge every school district has a different way to teach children. I feel this would be perfect for me because I would love to teach special education in a urban school district.

Monday, October 15, 2007

When is Enough…Enough in our Classroom?

Like it are not there will always be politics in teaching. From politician to celebrities, everyone wants their own philosophy incorporated in how “they” think are schools should be run. I was doing some research online the other day when I found out that certain schools in the west coast made their students watch celebrity PSA’s (Public Service Announcements) to teach there middle school and some elementary students about being adducted, drugs, and knowing your body.

Here is a PSA from 1984 called “Strong Kids!! Safe Kids!!” were Henry Winkler and his friends the Fronz talk about molested and kidnapped. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agK2uZBNbnU Is it me or is it ironic that Mr. Winkler the guy who made out with several of different women each week is teaching our kids about me molested. Apparently if would have learned this lesion when he was in school he would be just as cool as Potsy. Well if that don’t strike you than maybe you can have your ten year old kid sing the penis song to your way home. Thanks Pedro!! Maybe the school systems in the west cost didn’t know about the D.A.R.E. program that was established a year before PSAs like this and others stared to hit classrooms.

Television in the classroom can be effective if what you are showing to teach. Like in the reading that we read in class government has a lot to do with how our schools operate and function. Hopefully they know more now than they did 23 years ago. If not well have Paris Hilton talk about drugs and Britney Spears doing as PSA on how to be a better parent. The one major step to improve our school systems is to have Hollywood stay in Hollywood and have educators stay as educators.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Schools are ideal sites for democratic citizenship education (Revise)

Schools are ideal sites for democratic citizenship education” –Walter C. Parker (Pg. 3)

The quote form Teaching Against Idiocy by Walter C. Parker hits on so many points. The quote is trying to say that schools are great for social equality. Parker says that the interaction in schools can help children enter social consciousness of puberty and develop the habits of thinking and caring necessary for public life. I feel that this is true because it enlightens a child to different cultures, races, and genders that they might have not seen before. This also helps students with their social interactions as well.

Parker states that there are three keys to do this. First, to increase the interaction of students who are culturally, linguistically, and racially different from one another. Second, orchestrate these contacts so as to foster competent public talk. Third, clarify the distinction between deliberation and blather and between open and close deliberation. (Parker, pg. 4) By doing this I feel that it will help children become more diverse and could help expand their horizon of the world around them.

When I was growing up I was the only white student in mostly all my classes till I got to college. By learning how different races and cultures function always amazed me. In college, I started to see ethnic groups outcast other ethnic groups members. Some schools are not so much culturally diverse. I support this quote because when kids grow up, and are sheltered in their own world (Our homes) and school is a portal to expand ones knowledge of the different races, genders, and cultures in our lives. This is why schools are the Mecca for democratic citizenship education. I am a strong believer in diversity among students.
-Richard Liptak