While looking over the No Child Left Behind website I have my likes and dislikes on both of these issues. With No Child Left Behind, I feel that it is good to test students to see where they stand academically. I don’t think it is right to distribute a test to students that is not on par with the student’s grade level or a test not written by people in the teaching profession. My opinion is the greatest way to achieve success is to stay constant in what you do. By making test that are not constant it makes a very difficult task for the students and teachers. Every school is different from the next. These tests could be very easy to the students that are in school districts with money and could be very difficult for Abbott school districts.
Some students are not good test takers. Some students can not put there thoughts on paper. Maybe these tests should be made by the school district and given out to just there school level. No Child Left Behind is more of a statistic then a helping tool. Math and English will get a student far but by adding other subjects it just makes it more difficult to learn. Students should be graded on these two subjects (math and English) and leave the other subjects for the children to enjoy and experience.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
The Hearts in Arts
My experience at Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey was an enlighten experience about teaching. When first hearing about going to Newark out of all cities I had huge doubts about it. Newark in the media has always and will always be know as the toilet of New Jersey. Never is anything acknowledge or any good every shown on television. Every time you watch the news you hear about gang violence, drugs, muggings, etc. So I didn’t have two much high hopes on going. Also I drive a hooked up cherry red anniversary edition Camaro and was afraid of seeing that gone.
The drive to Newark was not that bad because it is a fifteen minute drive for me. I found Arts High School and to my surprise no it was the opposite of what I was expecting. I joined up with some of my peers ad entered the high school were I saw my partner in crime. We sat in the auditorium and were treated by the advance choir. They sounded like professionals. From there we were greeted by the principle Dr. Fair-Brown and vice-principle Mr. Pedro. They were both really friendly and answered all of our question. After the first couple minutes there I felt very comfortable being in this school.
From there the students of Arts High School showed us around the high school. The school is nothing what I expected. The school is geared more to the performing arts but their education departments were just as good. The entire faculty treated us as if we were part of the Arts High School family. The students were showing us pictures that they drew and dance steps that they are learning. Everyone treated us respect. The ceramic teacher was by far my favorite teacher. He was joking around with the students in his class and us as well. He also gave us important advice for us to build on. From what I saw in his classroom, I admire his classroom philosophy and honesty. I also talked to Mr. Pedro who is a wonderful person to also be around too.
My views on Arts High School changed so much after visiting it. I felt safe and secure in the area I was in. In my opinion there should be more praise coming from the media about this school. I am not going to lie, I was thinking about dropping this class because of going to Newark but after visiting it I won’t mind becoming part of the Arts high School in the future. I want to thank Dr. Fair-Brown, Mr. Pedro, the students and faculty at Arts High School and Dr. Goldstein for enlighten me on an exciting world that I just discovered. This will be a great building block to groom me as a better teacher in my journey.
The drive to Newark was not that bad because it is a fifteen minute drive for me. I found Arts High School and to my surprise no it was the opposite of what I was expecting. I joined up with some of my peers ad entered the high school were I saw my partner in crime. We sat in the auditorium and were treated by the advance choir. They sounded like professionals. From there we were greeted by the principle Dr. Fair-Brown and vice-principle Mr. Pedro. They were both really friendly and answered all of our question. After the first couple minutes there I felt very comfortable being in this school.
From there the students of Arts High School showed us around the high school. The school is nothing what I expected. The school is geared more to the performing arts but their education departments were just as good. The entire faculty treated us as if we were part of the Arts High School family. The students were showing us pictures that they drew and dance steps that they are learning. Everyone treated us respect. The ceramic teacher was by far my favorite teacher. He was joking around with the students in his class and us as well. He also gave us important advice for us to build on. From what I saw in his classroom, I admire his classroom philosophy and honesty. I also talked to Mr. Pedro who is a wonderful person to also be around too.
My views on Arts High School changed so much after visiting it. I felt safe and secure in the area I was in. In my opinion there should be more praise coming from the media about this school. I am not going to lie, I was thinking about dropping this class because of going to Newark but after visiting it I won’t mind becoming part of the Arts high School in the future. I want to thank Dr. Fair-Brown, Mr. Pedro, the students and faculty at Arts High School and Dr. Goldstein for enlighten me on an exciting world that I just discovered. This will be a great building block to groom me as a better teacher in my journey.
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.
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
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
Thursday, September 13, 2007
The First Reading
In the reading “A Public Education Primer” the author goes into certain area like where are the students, who are the students, who controls public education, how are they funded and the advancements in public education. Some facts that I read in this story is that 9 out of 10 students are in public schools, more Latins and African Americans attend urban school district, four out of ten public school students are color and that more than one third of public schools students are from low income families. Also other interesting notes are how more than 90% of funding for public schools come from state and local sources and that more than 60% of educational spending on a average goes towards instruction while only about 8% goes to administration. Also from the reading student scores have gone up in math in forth and eight grade since the 1990s but the scores stayed the same in science scores. Also whites and Asians have better test scores. The good news about this article is that more students are graduating high school by 43%. The other bit of good news is that almost half of all public school teachers have advance degrees and majority have more than 10 years experience. By what I see in the reading is that there are higher educated teachers than ever before. This reading was filled with a lot of useful information and I enjoyed reading it
Welcome to Earth
On planet earth we have educational facilities called schools. The way they are structured are from grades one to six, which are known as elementary school, seven to eighth, which are known as middle school, and nine to twelve known as high school. The content knowledge of the student in known by their grade level. Students are required to know certain subject areas such as Math, Reading, and Science. As shown by the PEP, Math, reading, and Science scores have risen from 1990 to 2005 in elementary and middle school, yet in high school scores have declined from 1990 to 2005. This decline is due to low moral from students, lack of resources and educational funding. By improving this, it will show an improvement on scores in the upcoming years.
Most of our students come from a Caucasian background. There are about 53% whites, 5% Asians, 15% African Americans, 24% Latino, and 6% American Indian. Due to the surrounding areas that we live in we want a positive and successful education for our students. As successful educators we find ways to connect language, music, cultural background and lifestyle of different students to make them feel comfortable not as an outsider. Our main goal is to push our students and motivate them to succeed in what ever they choose to do in life.
Our teachers often begin at or about the age of 22 and having received a bachelor?s degree. Many continue to pursue their own education as well as working to educate their students. 47% of our teachers have achieved a master?s degree or doctorate, and 58% of our teachers have been working in the field of education for over ten years. The majority of our high school educators are trained specifically in there are of content, ranging from 79% of Mathematics instructors to 84% of Social Science instructors. Although the Federal ?No Child Left Behind Act? does not require instructors to have a degree in their field of teaching, it does require them to, ?demonstrates subject matter competence.? A constant flow of new ideas about teaching is coming into our education system through an average of 14-21% of full time teachers with less than 3 years experience. These instructors, though lacking in experience,, more than compensate with a passion for teaching and a wealth of new and exciting ideas!
Most of our students come from a Caucasian background. There are about 53% whites, 5% Asians, 15% African Americans, 24% Latino, and 6% American Indian. Due to the surrounding areas that we live in we want a positive and successful education for our students. As successful educators we find ways to connect language, music, cultural background and lifestyle of different students to make them feel comfortable not as an outsider. Our main goal is to push our students and motivate them to succeed in what ever they choose to do in life.
Our teachers often begin at or about the age of 22 and having received a bachelor?s degree. Many continue to pursue their own education as well as working to educate their students. 47% of our teachers have achieved a master?s degree or doctorate, and 58% of our teachers have been working in the field of education for over ten years. The majority of our high school educators are trained specifically in there are of content, ranging from 79% of Mathematics instructors to 84% of Social Science instructors. Although the Federal ?No Child Left Behind Act? does not require instructors to have a degree in their field of teaching, it does require them to, ?demonstrates subject matter competence.? A constant flow of new ideas about teaching is coming into our education system through an average of 14-21% of full time teachers with less than 3 years experience. These instructors, though lacking in experience,, more than compensate with a passion for teaching and a wealth of new and exciting ideas!
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