letter to the editor

To whom it may concern,

                As future teachers, cyberbullying is an epidemic that is taking control of our schools. Cyberbylling has caused many to take their lives in extreme cases, and causing many other problems that affect students in the classroom as well as the teacher, and the school itself.  Something has to be done, in order to protect those affected. What should be done? Parents should teach their kids what is appropriate behavior when it comes to the internet. The parents should also monitor what their child is doing on the internet. The internet can be a great tool when used correctly, but when it is misused it becomes a hazard.  

                The topic of cyberbullying has caused numerous problems among today’s teens and young adults.  Suicides, depression, and isolation are few of the many problems that are associated with cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is an unnecessary form of harassment that takes place via the web, cell phones, I pads/ pods. People aren’t afraid to say what they want, and aren’t aware of the consequences that can follow. This is where intervention needs to start. Young adults should be educated about cyberbullying, and the effects it has on people involved. This education should start as early as possible. The more we teach our children the more lives we can save by early intervention. Some states like New Jersey, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, are taking steps in the right direction to fix this problem. They are viewed as models because they include provisions allowing school officials to address off-campus actions that disrupt school operations.

                Although some states are taking steps in the right direction to stop, or prevent cyberbullying, this is not enough in some cases. Educating the children in our school systems has to be our number one priority. Hopefully in time other states will pass laws just like the ones that already have, to  prevent this from happening to any other young adults.

My Philosophy of Education Paper

Alexa Schneider

Sped 200

Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education has evolved so much over the course of this semester. It started out very basic.  But the more and more we covered topics and watched movies in class, and I was in my placement, this soon changed. My philosophy of education is now firm and strong in many ideals. Such as what is the role of the student, what should schools look at, what is the role of the teacher in the classroom, and how do we prepare our kids for the 21^st century, and how should our classroom be set up to help instill this in them. All these topics are strong ideals that helped shape my philosophy of education into what it is now.

The role of the student is to learn. It is to absorb as much knowledge as possible. These are the future leaders and innovators of our country and the world. It is their job to learn as much as they can. To never give up on their dreams of being whatever they want to be. If they have a great education the sky is the limit for them. Children are curious, and they want to know how things work, and why things are. They are curious learners, and it is important that they never lose this drive. They need this drive to carry with them till the very end. This drive to know more, and be informed is what is going to push these students ahead of the pack.

 This is our schools job to help inform the students as much as possible, and give them the tools necessary to succeed within the means of the school’s budget. Schools need to put focus on critical thinking, not just finding the answer but how you got it. As a society we are so focused on the right answer, we overlook the journey we took to get there. Schools need to emphasize this teaching. That critical thinking will help solve many problems in life, and in the world. Critical thinking is often overlooked and is a crucial way to solving problems that many Americans simply don’t know how to do. This is because our education system failed them in this area.  

As a country our attitude toward education is poor. Many take it for granted that a great education will be given to them. And students are not grateful for all the things that are given when it comes to their education. But the truth is many kids in other countries would love to be able to have the opportunity to go to school here in America. I believe that the attitude towards schools needs to change. School is bridge that helps build better futures for everyone who walks along it. Without the proper schooling your options in life are limited. I wish every child was excited and willing to go to school, and participate in classes. But that is far from the case. I think that by instilling a positive aura around school, that attitudes in schools could change. Making the school’s environment much nicer and pleasant place for all.

The skills and the content that needs to be placed in each classroom are skills that will help each child succeed in an ever changing world. Skills like teamwork, critical thinking, and problem solving, are all skills that many of us lack. They need to be better incorporated in our schools. The idea that when someone enters the professional world that you work alone, is so not true in this day in age. Many work in teams to get projects done, or on a proposal that has many components to it. Also Critical thinking and problem solving are skills that almost everyone should have and know how to use. And we lack them big time. Barley any schools are teaching critical thinking. But in a global market it is one of the biggest requirements. So are we setting our students up for failure? I think in some aspects yes. Not even teaching them basic skills for survival in a very competitive global workplace.

Teachers can impact a child’s education in so many ways. The teacher is the one that not only teaches the class, but teaches them things outside of a textbook. Teachers are the ones that drive their students to be the best they can be. Teachers never give up on a student no matter how difficult or trying the child may be. Teachers have a lot of responsibility in the outcome of the child’s education. But great teachers can help shape a child’s future. They go above and beyond everyone’s expectations. Some key traits a teacher needs to have in order to be effective in the classroom are: they need to be patient, positive personality, a genuine care for the students, and a deep and devoted love for teaching. These are traits or skills you can’t learn in a class, they just have to be there. The students will realize if they are not. When a teacher is truly devoted and invested in each child in his or her class the students will take notice, making that learning environment much stronger and more dynamic. Great teachers are out there, and hopefully sometime soon they can be in almost every classroom across the US.

Some strategies that mirror my philosophy of education are positive energy in the classroom. I want the energy from the first day to last all year long. I think that putting a REAL smile on your face will send a positive reaction to the class. The kids want to know that you are there for them, and you are excited to be able to have the opportunity to work with them. By doing this it creates a much stronger and richer learning environment. Being genuine is something that is a must. Kids are going to see right through you if you aren’t. You might have more trouble getting respect in the classroom if kids know you don’t really want to be there. And most importantly a drive that pushes each student to their best, if no one else believes in them you need to be the one there. To help them when they are stuck and push them through any road blocks that comes up along the way. They have to trust you. You are not their friend, but you are a mentor to each child in the class. And it our job as future teachers to make sure each kid is pushing them selves to their best self.

In preparing students for the 21^st century many skills need to be in place. Like imagination and creativity. To have the ability to look outside the box, when it comes to new challenges and problems in life. And as teachers we must not crush a kid’s spirit when he or she is sharing their ideas on how they would solve the problem. Doing activities where their imagination is at play is key. This is something every child has when they are little, but as they grow up this imagination is soon crushed much too early. So as a society in preparing students let’s build their imagination back up. It is critical to coming up with new inventions and ways to solve things. So instead of crushing the little tykes’ imagination and creative spirits lets embrace them and make them grow.

Another skill that we need to enforce and help with is effective oral and written communication skills. Now day’s kids across the world can speak English as well as their own language. But many students in the US can only speak English. What about Spanish, French, Chinese, or Italian? But not many students can. And this is setting up our kids again for failure. Because many students around the globe can speak so many languages as well as write them. Our kids are losing out of important job opportunities. Not only are they learning a different language but they are embracing a whole other culture. Learning the countries traditions, customs and values. Making them more competent in what is going on around them in the world. This is something kids in the US lack. The ability to speak and write different languages and understand what is going on around them.

I want to organize my learning environment so that all kids are given an equal chance at succeeding. It shouldn’t matter how much your family makes, or what side of the railroad tracks you come from. This country was based on the idea of equality. And that should flow strait into the classroom. No child should be left behind because of inadequate tools or skills. It is the teacher’s job to make sure that each is prepared in the same way. Maybe making all tools like pencils, markers, crayons available to the whole class in bins and everyone shares. And everyone must take care of the supplies because they belong to everyone. This also teaches teamwork and sharing in younger grades.

My classroom management is that I don’t want to have to discipline the child for miss behaving. I want to think about what they did, and understand that there are other ways to have handled the situation. Make the child understand what he or she did was wrong, and learn from that mistake to not do it again in the future. If that does not work I would try the time out session, or “Take a Break”. Make the child think about why they are there and what they did. And only when they are ready can they return to the rest of the class. I don’t want to be one of those teachers that has to raise their voice to get the kids to listen. I want to take actions like, making them think about how they got there and what they are going to do differently next time to effectively run my classroom.

In conclusion my philosophy of education has evolved from nothing to brimming with ideas. Because of what we covered in class, and what I have seen first hand in my placement, I now have a firm grasp on what my philosophy of education is. Because of topics like what is the role of the student, what should schools look at, what is the role of the teacher in the classroom, and how do we prepare our kids for the 21^st century, and how should our classroom be set up to help instill this in them. All these topics and ideals helped shape and build my philosophy into what it is today.

Science Express

Today we had the opportunity to go aboard the science express bus. It was a unique way to look at different resources that are out there to help the students learn. It will be something that many students can use and look forward to doing. It has activities based for all ages and can accommodate big or small classes. And its mobile so it comes to you. Which is nice because it also instills what the kids are learning in the classroom and can help incorporate new ideas into what they are doing. It also gives the chance for the kids to work in small groups and with different equipment. I hope they continue to do this and improve an already great program!

Rocori leans away from metal detectors amid safety discussion

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110426/NEWS01/104250046/Rocori-leans-away-from-metal-detectors-amid-safety-discussion?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Umbrella|s\

This article talks about if ROCORI should install metal detectors in their schools. It breaks my heart to hear all of this. I just wish that the kids would stop talking actions in this way. There is other ways to solve problems and I agree with the article putting metal detectors in the schools isn't going to stop this problem. They need to stick to their anti-bullying campaigns and put them at the fore front. This community can't lose any more children from these schools. It would be another heartache for many to go through again. I think that actions do need to be taken, but the answer is what?

Group 8

Group 8 presented last week, they did a really good job teaching us how to best set up your classroom, and what works well in a classroom. They had many outside sources and personal experiences and stories that it made it interesting to listen to and really drove home the point that classroom management and the way a classroom is set up is essential to how a child feels when they enter the room. It was an interesting and helpful lesson that will come in handy down the road.

Field Experience Reflection

            For my field experience I was placed at Talahi Elementary School in St. Cloud. I was placed in Mrs. Reese’s 6^th grade classroom. It was a great classroom to be in for the first time. It was a very diverse class that accommodated all the kids really well. In this class I was given the opportunity to teach small groups in the area of literature. I had 3 small groups of 4 kids each, were we talked about different topics such as informative texts, poetry, and character development. We meet every Wednesday I was there, for about 15 to 20 minutes per group. If there was any free time I would work with the kids on their vocabulary or spelling words for the week. It was a great chance to interact and get to know the kids on a one on one level that were not in my small group. As well as get a better feel for the way a classroom works and is set up.

My small groups were the first chance I had to work with the kids on my own. I planned the lessons, printed out and brought appropriate materials and then would give the lesson. But the more and more I worked with my groups I could defiantly see the difference between the kids. In areas like thinking patterns and who was more outgoing and willing to answer questions and be the first to share their ideas. It was interesting to see the differences between the groups, and look at the different ways the kids interacted. Some dominated the group with their ideas and would always be the first to talk when I asked questions. But it took a little bit on my part to coax the others to come out of their shell and share their ideas. The hardest part for me was to figure out ways to get the kids engaged. This is an area that I will need to work on as I go through the program. I have to find ways to keep them all engaged and excited about what I am teaching. Many times I had kids just get up and go to the bathroom during a lesson, or totally tune me out. In small groups it was hard to get the others on track once a member left, or disappeared to talk to a fellow classmate. But later on in the semester I developed a little bit more authority and soon realized that kids can tell when a teacher is nervous. One of the biggest things I learned about this field experience is that when teaching, be confident in what you are teaching, relaxed and be genuine. These kids will see right through you if aren’t genuine, relaxed or confident and will take advantage of these situations.

But that most important thing is I found my love of teaching. I knew I would like teaching but I didn’t think I could love it. And that is exactly what happened. I fell in love with the idea of helping these kids learn something new. To be totally invested and ready and excited to be there, and look forward to working with these kids just as much as they are to work with me. It was hard to leave the classroom in the end. I will miss the kids in the classroom.  But this just excites me for when I get the opportunity to have my own someday soon.

Groups 4 and Group 5

Both of these groups did a great job, the first group group 4 talked about our philosophy of education and gave us a test of what we think ours is. It was great insight for our paper and kind of made you think about what kind of teacher you might want to be once we get the opportunity to be in the classroom. The other group group 5 talked about how schools are structured and what the different types of schools are. And how they can be different, such as different in the days of school when you got school when you might get vacation, and how some schools only go to school 4 days a week and have off either Monday or Friday to save money. It was a great way to look at the different types of environments that we might be teaching in. It was a great way to look at things. Both did a wonderful job.

Chapter 5 The Global Achievement Gap

In this chapter Tony Wagner discuss the growing problem that our country is facing both in the workplace and in education. The work ethic of the young people is constantly declining. How do you motivate this new group of workers is a question that doesn't have an answer to. Teachers are having a harder time getting their students to work on homework do the extra reading that is required outside of class and doing extra work on papers and doing proof reads instead of just using spell check. But one of the problems teachers now have to face is that some kids are spoiled and are used to having everything done for them and expect everything. And have their parents stick up for them. Its a new generation that isn't used to having to put long hours in for a project or something to that matter, the computer, ipods, and xboxes come calling. There are so many distractions that kids have to deal with and many families have a family where both parents work so the time after school is normally spent doing these activities instead of homework. And instant gratification is something almost all kids think is a must. If something takes time like homework can, it normally doesn't last long since attention spans are shorter and the want to goes away quickly. It is going to take us as teacher to find ways to motivate these kids and keep them engaged in what you the teacher are saying. It is going to be a struggle each classroom are going to have those kids that will never do their homework. But it is our job to find ways to push them and find the child's drive and want to to succeed in the classroom.

Field Experiece: MCA Testing

Today in my field placement, the students were practicing for their MCA tests that they would be taking shortly. It was hard to watch as it took almost the full two hours that i was their. No students got to work in small groups when there were 4 adults in the classroom that were there to help them, instead we had to watch and then go through and correct any wrong answers. It was hard to see so many kids struggle with these tests and even more frustrated to have to go back and correct their score sheets. And many kids didn't understand their options on the tests. Asking many questions and having to take time to explain what they were asking instead of incorporating this into a lesson. And many lost interest and would have to be reminded to keep working. I hated that they had to take all these tests. It was taking away from valuable time they got to work in small groups and get that one on one attention that they needed and looked forward to. And to see them struggle with it and have such negative attitudes about it. I feel like this isn't the answer and after going through and reading articles and books on testing I can now say I have seen it first hand and their has to be a better way to evaluate the classroom. This isn't it.

Why do Finland's schools get the best results?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8601207.stm

In this article it takes a look at Finland and their school system. I think that this excerpt from the article nicely sums up what Finland is doing in their schools. " The Finnish philosophy with education is that everyone has something to contribute and those who struggle in certain subjects should not be left behind." After watching the video this week in class I think that this country is setting the bar high and having the rest of us looking to them for answers. And this article just goes along with what the video said. There results speak for themselves and it is causing all the rest of us to look up from the bottom to them at the top. It will take time to see if they can stay at the top, but as of right now kudos to Finland for finding something that works in their schools and is allowing their students to be some of the brightest the world has to offer. Hopefully more countries can follow suit making the global marketplace even more competitive but all that much better educated.

Cathleen Black Is Out as City Schools Chancellor

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/cathie-black-is-out-as-chancellor/?emc=na

Cathleen Black is no longer the Chancellor of the schools in New York City, the countries largest public school system. But was is surprising in this article is that she was worked at a magazine company prior to getting this title and many were shocked when she was announced as Chancellor last fall. This to me is surprising how is the countries largest public school system having someone who has no formal educational training or background being put at the helm of this crisis? So for this article i think its a good idea that she was asked to leave and will be replaced. And as the article states it is only time to go forward and not backward. And with Cathleen out of the picture i think that it is a important first step in New York for them to address their school system. This just goes along to illustrate the point that we are letting anyone in to teach our kids and no run our schools, in our nations biggest city. This is not right and I am glad that they are doing something to fix this problem.

Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education was something that I didn't even know existed. It took watching videos and reading news articles and being in the classroom to understand what is going on, and watching it develop. My philosophy of education is this, every child no matter what nationality, age, demographics, what his or her parents do for a living, is entitled to the same education. I believe that every child needs great teachers in the classroom that genuinely care about them and want to see them succeed. They need our support. I believe that every child has the ability to learn, and should be excited about education and excited about school. It is up to us to make this happen. I believe that every child needs to be helped and no child should ever slip through the cracks or passed on to the next teacher. I believe that every child should be pushed to their limit. They need to learn to be great thinkers and ask great questions. As future teachers we need to promote critical thinking in the classroom. I believe every child has a voice and it needs to be heard. This starts in the classroom, and as teachers we must not silence it but make it stronger. It is up to us as teachers to encourage each child's voice and to make it stronger. I believe that every child is unique and should be treated as such. I believe that every child should feel special because they are and each one brings something different to the classroom. I believe that every child should feel safe in a school environment. As a future teacher this means that we need to be aware of what is going on in the classroom and intervene when necessary. I believe that every child should come an leave with a smile on their face. All of these statements i hope to incorporate into my classroom, in the near future.

Waiting For Superman

In the video Waiting For Superman, it looks at how we need an answer to fixing the education system in the United States. And how we need to wait for an answer and looks at many different kids on their journey to a better education in this country. Most of the kids were looking at going to better schools in the neighboring districts and how they would have to get put into a lottery system to see if they would be allowed in. It was touching to see these kids that were only in like 3 or 4th grade care so much about their education. In my past kids and myself would take for granted the fact that they were able to receive a decent education. It was very different in these parts of the country. It was sad to see when they didn't get in how much they were hurt and understood that this would affect their future. Its not fair to have these kids suffer in inner city schools and see them get passed by. Something needed to be done. Then the chancellor of education in Washington D.C. came along and tried to pass something new but she was shot down by the unions. How sad when someone stood up and tried to fix it nothing got done, and everyone just went along with what was going on. This movie really made you think about how not every child in this country is receiving the education that he or she is entitled to.

Finland Phenomenon

In the movie Finland Phenomenon, by Tony Wagner, it posed a lot of really good thoughts and questions. Like how can a school that doesn't test its students and have a laid back atmosphere be doing the best in the world. It looked at how the structure of the schools are set up and how teachers must go through a lot of schooling and peer teaching and going over what they learned and what they thought about the lesson that they observed or gave. It makes you think as a teacher and makes you look at your flaws but by doing that it only makes you a stronger teacher. And that is what Finland is doing producing amazing teachers that have masters degrees and have gone through many lesson plans and have had master teachers give them critiques. In Finland another big difference is the trust factor. Trust is everywhere in that school system and its paying off because the kids are doing amazing in their studies. And only the top students get to be teachers. It is more of a prestigious thing to become a teacher. Not everyone that applies to become a teacher is accepted. And they integrate more Arts into every class. It poses more questions for students to think about and the motivate each and every student and they want the students who understand what is going on to work at their own pace and the ones that are struggling get more one on one time with the teacher. They also place less emphasis on sports or extra circulars. They have trade schools in high school to avoid high drop out rates. This gives every student the opportunity to further their education. What Finland is doing is something that every country should look at and take notice that they have figured some things out and many countries should follow.

Group 6

The last group that went did a wonderful job. They went in depth into the facts about what kind of things go on behind the scenes. Like budgeting and where we get our money from. They knew what they were talking about and  i like that some of the group members didn't even need a note card. they did a really good job getting everything across that they needed to and it was a great presentation.

Kenya: Primary Education Under the Gun

http://www.globalissues.org/news/2010/03/31/5050

In this article it talks about how Kenya is having troubles with some of its schools in certain areas. These areas are near fighting and it is unsafe for some of the kids to get to and from school. The school day can only last for four hours to ensure that the kids will be able to get home safe. The school is down enrollment because of its location and the general area. And for the risk of sending your child to school could result in their death if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is horrible to hear and read. I think that every child should have the opportunity to go to school and not have to worry about if they are going to make it home safe. It will take away what they are even learning in school if all they can think about is if they will be able to make it home safe or not. And four hours a day is nothing for kids in an elementary setting, most kids are in school for at least 6 hours or so, they are losing that every day so losing about 10 hours a week that really sets these kids behind others in their age range. All because they live in an unsafe area. I just hope for every ones sake in that area, that the fighting stops and these kids get the adequate help they desperately need.

Minn. K-12 bill ups pupil payments, cuts programs

http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103300075

Early Wednesday the house passed a bill that would increase per pupil spending on education in the state of Minnesota. But they took out the options of teacher tenure and their striking ability and opted to make students test scores a much bigger part of how schools are evaluated and more so the teachers. Giving more aid to those schools that did well and, offer more vouchers to students in districts that scored poorly. All of this is not good news to future teachers. We want to get away from the fact that we test our kids too much and put a lot of pressure on these tests. Now the state wants to reward those schools that do well and punish the ones that don't hold up well. Its just making the achievement gap bigger between our best schools and the worst, as we saw in class. We need to make sure that even our worst schools are still getting adequate funding. How else are they going to get better?

How Schools are Structured

How schools are structured, can play a big part in how a students success plays out. It depends if you have a school where you are able to go all year long and have shorter breaks in between or if you have a school that is more traditional and only goes 9 months out of the year with a 3 month break. It all depends. Also another part is the idea of block scheduling or if you have more classes that are shorter or longer ones and have fewer per day or semester or trimester. All of these parts play into a students success. In my high school we had traditional school year and no block scheduling. You would have 3 months off for summer break and you would have about 5 or 6 classes a day for about an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half. And if you had lunch at a certain time your class would get split into two parts with lunch in between. I hated that, once you get going or started on a lesson plan you would get dismissed for lunch and have to come back. I think that if you were to schedule a school it should be block scheduling with more time on fewer classes. That way teachers are able to get more done during one class period then having to drag it into the following one. It gives students more time to work on homework and ask adequate questions if needed. It is more flexible then with the time. And it is hard to have 3 months off you do miss a lot of things that you have learned from the previous year, and a lot more time is spent on review, but i am not sure that having 2 or 3 weeks off at a time is something that i would want to have to work with either. Maybe something like you only have 2 months off for summer and have a longer winter break or a little bit longer spring break. All of these seem to be better then going to school all year long.

2 Million Minutes Video

In the movie 2 Million Minutes, it talks about how teenagers in 3 diffrent countries spend their time in high school. It goes into talking about how kids in China spend their time studying and spending a lot more time in extra cirriculars like music and dance and less on sports and TV. And the same is true in India. They have to go to school and its more of a privelage to get to go to school so they take it very seriously and study a lot more then the average US student does in high school. Also in India they already know what they will be majoring in by the time they enter high school. For the kids in India its a way out of poverty same with China. And in China since they can only have one child per family a lot more resources are poured into that one child. It just blew my mind that these kids are that dedicated all the way through. While the kids in the US went to football games, were class presidents and hung out with friends. It was a lot more laied back. And the kids in the other countires knew that and commented on it. Its just how you are brought up and the drive that you have to do well in school. All of these things play into how well you will do in school.
It was intresting to see how diffrent kids from around the world spend their time in high school, most study hard before they did anything else. Plus they had a lot more extra cirriculars that were dance, viloin lessons, tutoring for classes even if they were doing well, they just wanted to be the best. All these characteristics are very different here in Amreica. Its more laid back, and experts say we don't realize that we will be competing against these kids for jobs and that we need to be more prepare because we are behind them when it comes to academics. And thats something as a teacher we need to prepare these kids for, the idea of a more global job pool. And that not only are you competing with kids in your class, state, country, but now the world. And thats something we are very behind in.

Ideal Teaching Program

When asked what would be an ideal teaching program for us, the first thing that popped in my head was better cultural understanding. Maybe just devote a class to learning about the different cultures that we as teachers will be dealing with. Learning how do they interact, like personal spaces, and how do they show signs of respect. Each culture is different, and coming from a business background. We covered this topic. That we have to culturally aware as we are becoming a much more global market. And the same goes with teaching as well, we have to have a better understanding for all the other cultures as well as our own. We have to find effective ways of getting through to these kids.
The second would be more emphasis on what is happening in the classroom. Like checking up on how are field experiences are going, and asking questions about how to better teach the lesson plans. I feel like we got the lesson plans but I am personally having a little bit of trouble with how to suit it to sixth grader. Sometimes they look at me like I am teaching a kindergarten class when I teach the lesson plan, and the next time I think it goes over their head. I think that a check and balance approach to these lesson plans is a must. I think that making sure they are working and giving examples of what to do with each grade level or group is important and isn't being done.
The third thing is making us teach or learn in different environments. Like teaching in a different city where there is more diversity or a different state to get  a different feel for their lifestyle. Because we are not all going to teach here in central Minnesota, we need to have a better understanding of what is happening around us, and the best way to learn about teaching is in our field experiences so maybe one that is more in an urban area rather then suburban life. I think we would get a much better feel and see first hand the difficulties that we will be dealing with once we become teachers.

Group 3 presentation

Last week group 3 had the opportunity to present the history of education to the class. They did a great overview and explained the key points in each era. They explained why our teaching preparation is still the same as it was many years ago, and how we need to change it to better suit kids needs today. They showed videos and had great group discussion about the topics of church and state, should prayer be offered in public schools. They explained that these debates have been going on for years, and we may never really get a great answer to these questions. They also covered the evolution of education, they had an interview with a teacher that has been teaching for 15 years and the differences she has seen over this time span. It was a great insight to what we will be dealing with in the upcoming years. This group did a good job covering all that needed to be.

Rice Elementary students learn with new gadgets

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110319/NEWS01/103190014/1001/news/Rice-Elementary-students-learn-new-gadgets

Sauk-Rapids Rice school district received a grant to get ActivBoards in their classroom. They can now say good bye to traditional chalkboards and whiteboards. These boards are interactive and act as a VCR, PC, and PowerPoint player. The teachers are saying that the students are more engaged in what they are learning. These boards are holding the students attention and they are actually excited to learn what is going on in the classroom. A special education teacher said that her students were challenged by traditional methods and are taking a liking to these new boards. All of this is really a great step for teaching. Getting your kids to stay involved and engaged is a tricky thing. And with this age being full of technology why not bring it into the classroom. It will help the students and teachers alike. I hope that in the future if these boards do show a improvement in learning that they will be available to all school districts nation wide. Lets just hope that these boards are helping those students who were struggling, maybe this is one piece of the puzzle, to helping them become even better students.

Unequal Education Movie

In today's class we had to watch a movie titled "Unequal Education." It was about two schools in New York City, both were junior high schools, but the similarities stopped there. One school was in the heart of the city deep in the ghetto. The other school school 141 was in a nice suburban part of the same city. The school located in the ghetto lacked adequate teachers, funding, materials. Everything was a struggle for these kids and the teachers that were trying to teach. Many would not turn in homework, or disrupt class. Many kids are failing in this type of environment. Teachers are not wanting to teach at these schools so teachers that are not qualified in the area that they are teaching take over. In the movie they had a dance teacher teaching science. A dance teacher teaching science... Really? But the other school was a complete 180. This school had adequate equipment, microscopes a field for phys-ed, instruments. This school was well staffed with many teachers wanting to teach at this school. The difference in education was amazing. The one little boy named Lonnie didn't even want to go back to that school, knowing he would either fail or drop out. That is truly disturbing when a child in the 8th grade knows he isn't going to make it and wants to drop out. There were many questions this movie raised, and this movie even if it was made when we were quite young. The message it sends still hits home. Something has to be done, but the question is what?

21st Century Skills Video

We watched a video in class that dealt with the 7 skills that are needed to succeed in today's world. It was based on the work and findings of one author, Tony Wagner. This video goes along with the book hes written, The Global Achievement Gap. A book about how even the nations best schools still aren't teaching the core things professors in college are looking for. The seven skills needed are basic skills like critical thinking and agility and adaptability and effective oral and written communication, curiosity and imagination, collaborations being able to work in teams. So much emphasis is put on standardized testing and how to better prepare yourself and take tests that so many skills are lost. Even the best schools in the nation aren't teaching these skills. And as future educators you don't want to hear that you are not preparing these kids for the real world, or even college. So he identifies these gaps in our school systems and brings them to every ones attention, and talks about how we need to fix this. He talks about going to classrooms and observing the teachers at elite schools in the United States. He watches and even these teachers, aren't getting the kids involved enough pushing them to think outside the box. They simply are being lectured and asked to ask simple questions, and sometimes no kids is even engaged in which case the teacher asked the question. So this video was about how there are many gaps in our education system and it is up to us as future educator to make sure that this stops before it gets worse.

Philippines and Australia strike education deal

http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201009/3002655.htm?desktop

In this article they talk about how Australia has striked up a deal with the Philippines to better aid their schools. Which is awesome, because now the Philippines are now able to add another 2 years of school to elementary schools and better aid in technology that they might not have had before. Australia has already offered 570 million Australian dollars to help aid this project. I just wish that more countries could help out one another like these two are. And maybe if all schools had adequate funding and made it easier for all children to get a great education, maybe our global achievement gap would finally start to diminish. And what these two countries are doing is a great start to solving this problem.

Chapters 3 and 4 from The Global Achievement Gap

Chapter 3: The Global Achievement Gap
I think that the title of the chapter sums up what this chapter is about. Testing, Testing, Testing. It looks at all the testing that kids go through during their elementary to middle school to high school careers. The teachers are teaching to the test. And schools are looking very closely at the results. The school is know being held accountable for the success and failure of each child. And the sad thing is these kids are not ready to enter college. College teachers had staggering statistics that pretty much stated that these kids entering their freshman year in college are not up to the standards that colleges hold their kids up to. So what did all these years of education lead up to? New freshman still not being able to do things like critical thinking, effective written and oral communication, and good study habits and an inability to think analytically. All these skills are crucial in succeeding in today's world. So I think that as teachers we need to stop teaching to the test and start teaching to each child's ability. We need to teach the skills that our society begs of these kids. We are going to need students who can do all these skills and better then even ourselves. We have to prepare these kids for a job market that is changing every year and a job market that is global. And these changes need to start today to build a stronger foundation of education for each child.

Chapter 4: The Global Achievement Gap
In chapter 4, the author Tony Wagner, looks at reinventing the education process. It starts out by looking at how veteran teachers don't always want to change they teach a course. Even if their style of teaching or their method might be outdated. It is easier to stay in that comfort zone and do things they way you have for the past 5 or maybe even 20 years! He also looked at how educators and administrators are brought up and taught the basics they need to know to do their job. He looked at how the way they are taught can hurt their chances of changing the needs of education in the classroom. They limit what can be done in the classroom to make the child's education better. He talks about how the educators them self need to have a reinvented education and that the styles we are being taught are a thing of the past. Kids are so used to having a million media images thrown at them, that the attention span for most kids is not as long as it used to be. That we as teachers have to find new and inventive ways to engage a classroom of kids, and making sure that our lesson is getting across to these kids.

Speaking in Tongues

The video that we watched last week in class, looked at different students that are in immersion classrooms. Either Chinese or Spanish. They followed traditional and non traditional students to see how learning other languages can help them out. So even had the opportunity to travel to the country they were studying. It just goes to show how learning another language can set you apart from the rest. And in a global world that we live in today it is almost crucial that you are able to speak more then one language. It also showed a very interesting part of the story. They showed how learning a second language can help with their family life. Some of the kids learning the language were better able to speak to elders like grandparents and uncles and aunts that could only speak the one language. It gave those kids a chance to have an even deeper bond with these individuals. All and all it showed that learning a second language is a great skill to have this day in age.

Group Presentations

The two groups that presented so far did really well. I think that they covered the chapters in depth and showed us what we are going to expect once we are in the field. The first group that went and did the chapter on diversity in the classroom, had a nice mix. They had videos and a game at the end to interact with the class. An important part of teaching is getting people and kids involved. And did a nice job of not just reading off the power point. The first group set the bar high for the rest of the class. The second group did a nice job as well. They went in depth on the chapter they were assigned. The second group even went as far as printing handouts for the class, so we could better understand the subject matter they were trying to teach. Very cool choice. I liked being able to hold something and see the sheets of information in front of me rather then just be lectured. The second group also did a great job.

Universal Design for Learning

This website is a great tool for teachers. It shows different lesson plans that we can use for each kid. Which is very nice, since not every kids learns the same thing the same way. So it gives options on how to reach the ultimate goal of them learning. This website also show the What, How, and Why of learning, and explains them and then has some videos and tutorials on things that will help out in the classroom. I think that this website will come in handy down the road, when we are looking for different ways to teach a subject. It will also help us teach to kids that have different learning disabilities and struggles. I think that this is a amazing website and I can't wait until I can pull things off and use them in the classroom.

Chapter 2: The Global Achievement Gap

In the second chapter of the Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner, it talked about how there is a gap, and it is happening in some of our best schools. They are still teaching to the test and not using critical thinking. So he begs the question how can students improve on the 7 skills they need when one of the most important critical thinking isn't happening or even being taught. He talks about how children who are educated in the United States now have to compete for jobs on a global playing field, and the kids in the United States are at a much bigger disadvantage. They are not being taught the same things, and are pushed towards these tests then actual skills. Tony also went to visit many schools during this chapter and wrote how many classes that they call Honors classes, the kids in them are not being challenged. They are watching movies with no questions or discussions after the fact. No kid is truly engaged in the lesson the teacher is teaching. And they are supposed to be the schools honor kids. He also mentions the idea of the Bubble Kids. He goes on to explain these children are the ones the teacher should pay extra attention to. He divides each classroom into three parts. Green kids you know who are going to pass the test, yellow the bubble kids these kids could go either way, and red kids you know will not pass. He says that schools are spending more time with the yellow group of kids to get them to pass the test to meet standards. And try to ignore the lost cases, since they want as many kids to pass just focus on the ones that will and the bubble kids to make sure you are meeting your quota, for a lack of a better word, of students. This is horrible! I hope as a teacher I never have to teach under these circumstances. I don't want to have to give up on the students who don't get it and put all my energy towards the kids who do and might get it. I want as many to succeed as possible but not by splitting up the class into three parts and hoping the greens and yellows make the cut. I want as many kids to learn something, even if its something that can't be measured on a test.

Placement

The past two weeks in my field study have been really good. It was the first opportunity I had with the students to work with them in their small groups. The first week we did the get to know you grid, and they got to ask many more questions about me. And I took the opportunity to do the same with each one of them. It was funny they were telling me books and movies they liked, and they all thought that I would really like them too. Then on the third week we got down to business and worked with characters. My small groups went around and made comparisons between the different characters, used their describing words to describe their personalities. And some students even used their words of the week, which impressed the teacher. We then moved on into how character decisions impact the stories. Then I had them see if they would make the same decisions. They almost all said they would. But a few students did disagree, which was cool to have both points. The students in my small groups did really well with characters, which made it easier for me know I have a lesson plan under my belt and am ready for our next unit. But like one little boy told me poetry is too girly. So my obstacle for the next time we meet is trying to engage everyone and hope all the boys and girls enjoy my lesson.

Kudos for alternate licensure bill

http://www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103040020

In the St.Cloud Times, on March 4th I came across an article that said it looks like the bill will pass. Which is so cool! Since I am not a traditional education student, I am planning on getting my four year degree in Marketing. But since I LOVE teaching and want to pursue this career this bill passing is the best news! I want to get my alternative license and and ecstatic that this bill is so close to passing. I think it is an awesome step in helping Minnesota close the gap between white and minority students and it is giving people like me a chance to do so without having to spend another two years getting the degree. I just hope that things go as planned and this bill passes!

IDI Results

Recently we took an inventory of our intercultural developement. It looks at what we think that we are at and what we are actually at. In mine there was a rather large gap. Where I am actually at is much lower then what I am at. This is something that I will have to work on as I take more classes and work in more classrooms. I have to learn to look at what i am doing and making sure that I address the problem instead of overlook it. It is something that I always do. I come from a small community, so to overlook it I feel is best. But like we talked about in class it isn't the best to be colorblind, but to be accepting. And that is my goal for myself. To stop being colorblind. But look at the differneces between the kids and celebrate them. Now its up to me to make sure that I correct this and hopefully in the process it will make me a better teacher.

To Write Love On Her Arms

On Wednesday of last week, I went to the program "To Write Love On Her Arms." It is an amazing program that works with people of all ages and walks of life. Their goal is to make sure that everyone knows that their story is unique. And even though we all go through tough times there are resources out there to help you through them. And more importantly you are not alone. Thousands of people struggle with problems of depression, cutting, and attempted suicide. They are putting resources out there to help people and say it is OK to ask for help. What Jamie is doing is incredible. He quit his full time job to work only on this project and it has paid off. He is making an effort to stop people from during destructive things to themselves and seek help so they can live to see another day. If you haven't heard of it I recommend at least checking out the site. It is really cool what he is doing to help people rethink taking their life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJS2yXw8dKo
Here is a link to watch a video, interview the founder did with NBC Nightly news. It gives a quick summary of what the organization is about.

Europe's Push to Teach in English Creates Barriers in the Classroom

http://chronicle.com/article/Europes-Drive-to-Teach-in/126326/

In this article classrooms of higher education are having troubles trying to integrate English in the classroom. Many professors would rather speak their native tongue like German or Danish. But with England trying to get as many study abroad students as possible to boost their profile of students who are their from other countries. More has to be taught in English. But it is making it difficult for some students to understand who aren't as familiar with the language as others. I think that what they are doing is great putting a language in the classroom that isn't theirs. But they have to be careful. They need to make sure that what they are teaching kids they are able to understand. The article said that many students aren't asking for help but simply just nodding along. They need to have programs available for the teachers to make sure they are fluent enough that the transition is easier for the kids that speak English well, and programs for the students that English is a second language. Or have options that these kids that English is their second language have options or resources where they can receive help if they are too afraid to ask themselves. But this issue can't be overlooked or all those kids that went to England for higher education aren't going to get anything out of it simply because they didn't understand what was being said.

Education problems with urban migratory children in China

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0CYZ/is_3_32/ai_n15397207/

In this article it goes on to say that people in China are having trouble on how to teach and get the migratory children up to speed with the rest of China's children. Out of 120 million migrant workers 2.4 - 2.6 million are school aged children. And they are not receiving the same level of education as the rest of the students in China. This is an epidemic for the simple fact that millions of children are receiving spotty education. They are not receiving the same level and rigor of education as the rest of the kids. It is not fair that these kids have to suffer. Why not break the pattern? How are they supposed to be anything but a migrant worker if they are not giving and education? It is not fair and China needs to figure out a solution that makes it better for these children. They shouldn’t be discriminated against just because of what their families occupation is.

Field Experience

My first Field Experience

On Wednesday I had my first field experience at Talahi Elementary in St. Cloud. I work with a 6^th grade classroom. This week I had the opportunity to observe and get to know the students that I would be working with for the next few weeks. They were very energetic and had many questions for me. I found out that I will be working with 3 groups of 4 students teaching them in the area of reading and literature. I also got the chance to work with many students one on one as like a teacher’s aide the first day. It was cool to see how my teacher ran the classroom and tactics she used to discipline and get the students attention. And see how the structure of a classroom works. They switch sometimes during the day and go to their homeroom classrooms and then come back to their actual class. It was very interesting to observe and take in. I’m super excited for next week when I get to start working with my groups and see how things all go!

This week in Sped 200

This week in Sped 200 we talked about bullying, and what goes on in schools. And what we as teachers need to look out for, and what steps we can take to make sure that ever student is safe in a school environment. This topic of bullying hits so many students in different ways. Each child has their own testimony of how they were affected by bullying. It may not have happened to them directly but they know of someone, or maybe they them self were the bully. Listening to stories and reading articles of children that are so young take their own life because of bullying. Something needs to be done. More schools need policies to protect these children. So many are taking their own life. And its not just elementary students, some college kids have to deal with this. This issue isn’t going away anytime soon so something needs to be done. I went to a school that felt strongly about bullying but our school had reason to feel that way. 2 innocent kids died because of bullying. I hope that no other school has to go that far, to get a wake up call about this subject. In the wake of my schools situation, came some good. We had strict no bullying policies and we got involved in extra programs that enforced these policies. If every school took the time and money to implement these programs, fewer kids would be afraid to come to school. And the best part kids would not feel the need to take their own lives. It’s up to us as teachers to make sure that stuff like what we are seeing now, never happens again.

Anoka School District

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/17/anoka-hennepin-bullying-suicides/

            In this article it talked about how 6 students have committed suicide over a 15 month spread. But the district states that it was not because of bullying, that they would have to look into each case and determine what happened. A mother of one of the students that committed suicide said that she is not sure what pushed her son to committee suicide on his last day. But she does go on to say that she knows that he was bullied and she wants to make the school more welcoming for students like her son.

            The question shouldn’t be if these kids were bullied. The question should be what can we do to make this stop happening. Stop the bullying and have programs out there like yellow ribbon for kids who are having troubles and thinking about taking their own lives. The school district needs to stop saying that it isn’t because of bullying it may not be the reason some took their lives, but if you place these programs in your school. Like anti bullying campaigns I feel like many students who wouldn’t have stood up for themselves will benefit from them. If that school district can take what has happened to these 6 students and learn from this situation, then more kids later down the line will be saved. The school district needs to stop sitting on the side lines when it comes to bullying something has to be done. How many more students are going to commit suicide before the district realizes that this is for real? Hopefully no more if the school district implements policies that protects these children and makes it a more welcoming environment.

Bullied: One kids struggle, helps millions just like him

After watching the DVD Bullied, as a teacher, my eyes were opened. To a world where kids are that cruel. And that we can't look the other way. Too many kids are dealing with being bullied and are scared to come forward, for fear that it will only get worse once they open up about it. Too many lives have been lost due to being bullied. If it wasn't for Jamie coming forward and putting his story at the front of national headlines, how many more students lives would have been lost? Its a subject that every school district needs to take seriously. It isn't going to go away and every school big or small has some degree of it. It needs to be addressed and not pushed under the rug like it did in Ashland. Have a class or a day that deals with bullying and the affects it has on children. It may be small but it is a step. Making it the schools mission to carry out that every child feels safe coming and leaving school. At a young age children need to be taught that bullying is never the answer, to keep promoting this idea of tolerance of every race, religion, sexual orientation, gender. If schools don't jump on board and realize that this is a problem and a real situation how many kids lives will end too soon because of bullying?

The Global Achievement Gap Chapter 1

In the novel the "Global Achievement Gap" by Tony Wagner, he stresses that our youth are not up to standards with the rest of the world. And we are the ones to blame. There are many cases in which we are not doing enough to prepare our students for he real world. That all the schooling children and young adults participate in and achieve, they are still not measuring up to kids in other parts of the country there same age.The first key point in the book is the fact that we are teaching kids to a test. Not to there full potential. Teachers and administrators are so worried about being accountable for there kids not passing these standardized tests. The only real gain we have achieved as of late is the ability to take tests well.
Secondly the book stresses the ability to work in groups. Which is most important we are an ever changing society. And the ability to work with others is a must. More and more work these days are team efforts and less on your own. But in classrooms we are taught to work independently. This is a skill that we must work on because it is becoming more and more valuable in today's world.
The third thing we need to be more aware of is our awareness of other cultures. As our country is going global and more and more jobs are be put overseas. As students we must understand that we will be working not only with the people in our office, but people in offices overseas. Many companies have offices all over the globe. Thus putting the emphasis on learning about other countries traditions, culture, values and beliefs.
The fourth thing is effective communication. Now that we are a global country and we communicate with many people daily. We have to make sure that what we want to get across comes through. We need to learn to better articulate what it is that we are trying to say. We take many English classes for grammar and spelling, but we also have to take into account our ability to critically think. We need to go beyond the problem and figure out solutions that have not yet been thought of. All of these skills are important when working in the world around us.
The last thing that I pulled from this chapter is the idea of creative thinking. We are so used to one right answer to a problem. That we often stop right there. We need to become creative thinkers again. Making sure that we are looking at the problem from many possible angles making sure that we have incorporated every lasting detail. All of these skills are important and are sought after by many top companies. That is why the need to teach all these skills is growing heavily. If we do not teach these kids the skills top companies are looking for, chances are the jobs that they hoped to get when they graduate, will be going overseas to a person who is qualified.

Mixture of Spoken Languages

http://www.sctimes.com/article/20110129/NEWS01/101290019/St-Cloud-schools-see-mixture-of-spoken-languages

In the article by the St. Cloud Times, the number of spoken languages in the district is on the rise. It has increased since the 2005-2006 school year. The district is adding more teachers and doing more with non-English speaking kids. I think that this is great. They are working with these kids, and as we learned this week about the global achievement gap. I think that this step is a great one, proving that we are at least trying to make that gap a little bit smaller. It will take time and more money and effort from teachers. But the district is at least noticing the problem and addressing it and taking it head on. All of these steps are positive and hopefully the outcome for this program will be a huge success. But time will be the real test for this new and budding program.

This week in Class

This week in class we went over the educational gap between different nations. We looked at what other schools are doing in countries like China, Finland, and Singapore. All these countries are "blowing us out of the water" when it comes to critical thinking and the ability to problem solve. American students are now being taught towards a test and not to their full capabilities. More or less they are being educated to a multiple choice question that has one right answer.They are memorizing, the answer and not relay learning how we got there. All these other countries spend more time and emphasis on these skills that we lack. There is something to be said about the United States educational system, but we need to come up with answers instead of more questions. But statistics keep putting us further behind the pack. We also learned about the standard tests we as teachers will have to take, and about alternative options like Teach America. Making it easier for people who have a bachelors degree the ability to teach. With programs like these hopefully we will be able to fill the holes in our teaching deficit. Reaching students full capabilities and bringing the United States closer to the top of national education.

Atomic learning

We were recently introduced to a program called Atomic Learning in SPED 200. This program gives you tutorials, workshops, and project based step by step directions on how to do things that surround academics. This program gives you tutorials on how to write a paper using the APA format or how to create, maintain and use a blog. This program is something that is really helpful. Its like a google that gives you all the answers for questions right at your finger tips. If you have a question on how to run or work a program just look it up in Atomic learning and chances are there is something there that can help you out. This is a really great tool to have as a teacher. When trying to incorporate new technology in the classroom, running all these programs can be difficult. But having a program like Atomic learning will make the transition easier. Or even right now students who are trying to better understand technological devices or programs have a step by step tutorial right at their finger tips instead of spending hours trying to figure it out for themselves. I that this program will come in handy the next time I have a question about anything from writing papers to figuring out how to use a certain website. This is a really great resource to be familiar with.

New Education Bill in England

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12287014

In this article England is going through a reform in their education. One aspect is that they are raising the interest on student loans. But here is the kick they are raising the interest on the loans of students who are high earning graduates .So you go to school and are in a way being punished with higher interest on your student loans. So the more you make the more interest you pay. So in a round about way the more effort and money you put in your education, comes back as you having to pay more interest. Do you believe that you should be punished for furthering your education? 

Education Secretary: Minnesota Can Do Better

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/education-secretary-duncan-speaks-in-minneapolis/

This article fits very well with what we have been covering the last two weeks of class. The article talks about how Minnesota is doing well with our educational success, there is one area Minnesota is struggling in. There is an educational gap between Racial minorites and white students. Other states have found ways to shrink this gap, although no state has figured out a way to eliminate the gap. The education secretary Arne Duncan, says that Minnesota needs to find ways to make intellegent people teachers. Which that bill is going through congress right now.
After this article it makes me think that now more then ever we need to find ways to get talented and smart individuals into the classroom to make an impact on these kids. It isn't that Minnesota is doing a bad job teaching its students, the state just needs to find more effective means for teaching to all diveristies of children. Minnesota being one of the heaviest states for refugees to call home, has to deal with this issue. It isn't something that is going to go away. The state needs to find programs or cirriculm that will work for both the miniorites and white students in all our public schools. If the state dosent do something soon the gap between the students could get bigger rather then smaller. Minnesota needs to find a ways to minimize the gap look at other states and see what they are doing. Or come together and develop a system that gives the chance for every child in the public school system in Minnesota the same chance to succeed.

Freedom Writers

In the movie Freedom Writers a young teacher named Erin Gruwell, learns to grow and overcome many obstacles in the classroom. At the beginning Erin comes in with a mindset that this is going to be traditional. That it is going to be the perfect classroom setting. She hopes that she can teach these kids, while using a more conventional way of teaching. Erin is soon faced with a harsh reality. That these kids come from all walks of life and school isn’t their biggest obstacle. She soon finds a strong tension is very obvious in the classroom. They all belong to different gangs or affiliations, staying out of jail and being able to see the age of 18 are much more a reality for these kids. As one of the projects they are assigned is a journal. She has them write down all there hardships or thoughts in this journal, promising the kids that she will be the only one to read it. After reading these journals, she realizes the different paths these kids live. Because each student had their own set of problems, teaching them was hurdle Erin must overcome. The kids realized how the public school system worked; they were passed from one teacher to the other with barely passing grades. That way they were the next teacher’s problem. They didn’t engage in school they just went through the motions of the day and barely picked up anything new. Their attitudes toward school are in direct correlation with how well they did grade wise. Both were negative.

Erin used a technique she had to go back a few steps and learn about each other before they could learn. She had them all move their desks and she would ask a question and they would have to walk to the middle if they liked or agreed with the statement she said. After the kids looked and realized all their classmates standing besides them. The class soon realized they may be from different walks of life but they are all facing the same problems. The kids in the class started to show respect towards Erin. Once Erin had their trust she soon started teaching books that related to the kids. That was Erin’s ticket in getting these kids to listen and partake in reading. It was picking books that they could relate to, and also getting them new materials. She faced many challenges with the other teachers at the school. They looked at her class of misfits, with the attitude that they will never amount to anything. They are just all going to end up in jail, a gang or dead on the streets. It was Erin against everyone. She had to prove to her students that they were worth something. The kids have been passed from one teacher to another without one teacher ever really caring. It took Erin’s passion for these kids to succeed that drove her to work extra jobs for new materials. And show the other teachers that these kids aren’t incompetent they just needed to feel like they mattered and that they had the same chance as everyone else at the school. Erin expected the best out of her students and pushed to students to do their best. And for some this is the first time an adult stepped in and forced them to do better in their education. It was her driving force behind the kids that made them believe. She was their sturdy figure in their lives. They called there class a family and for some students that was the most family they had.

After watching this movie, I found some lessons I can use. The facts that she drove her students and made them believe in themselves, when they even didn’t. That’s hard to do, and she did it in unique ways she got them to break down their barriers for an hour a day and accept everyone. So if I can take away the fact that every teacher must push their kids to do the best that they can. And never ever give up on a child, they must realize their full potential.

alternative teacher licensure

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=900178

The bill that they are proposing, will make it easier for people to become teachers. And even ease restrictions that are already in place for college grads. I understand by doing this it will be easier to fill the shortages and welcome the idea for more diverse classrooms. But easing the restrictions on college grads? This is what they are going to school for, they are not easing the restrictions in any other areas of study. Why wouldn't you want the college grads teaching your kids to go through all required steps or having those steps be any easier. Most who enter this field want to be prepared. This lies in what we pick up during our education at any given university. And if there is a chance that they could be going easy on us, then what happens when were not prepared?

Why I want to become a teacher

My name is Alexa Schneider and I am taking a Special Education course through St. Cloud State University. The question was asked "Why do you want to become a teacher?" My answer to that is, doing this job is something different each day. It won't be the same day in and day out. There will be many new challenges, and it will give me an oppurtunity to make a difference in some childs life. However big or small it may be.