Tomorrow...

I'm nervous. While the article was compelling, I can not wrap my brain around anything except the election until tomorrow is over. After a full two years (or maybe more) dealing with these campaigns, tomorrow is when the future of this country is decided. If you know me, you know where I stand. I am not one to withhold my opinions if they are ones that I hold with conviction. However, I do realize that many others do not share the same ideals and beliefs that I hold. Therefore, please go to ontheissues.org or factcheck.org to get all the information before you vote. There is even a quiz you can take to see which candidate you should vote for on the ontheissues website.

Along those lines, please vote. I know most of the people reading this are in the 18-25 age range. At our age it is difficult to tell how the election will really affect us. I know I had a hard time getting it in 04. To me, the candidates were too alike, too political, and utterly uninspiring. This year its different. The candidates are completely distinct from one another. They both are strong in their convictions. Who do you want in the Oval Office in January? You have to vote, or else you can't complain.

Now to the nitty gritty. I am supporting Obama. Why? Well, since we are going to be educators, lets look at how this election could affect us. Obama supports paying teachers more and treating them like professionals. He strives to get parents re-engaged into their children's education. He is looking for real commitment to education- not NCLB. You may think that all of this is just talk, but voting records can show more. Here is Obama's voting record:

First Senate bill: increase Pell Grant from $4,050 to $5,100. (Aug 2007)
Sponsored legislations that recruit and reward good teachers. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)

Overall, his voting record supports education. Now lets view McCain's voting record:

Unrestricted block grants--let states decide spending. (Feb 2000)
Voted NO on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted NO on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)
Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted NO on funding student testing instead of private tutors. (May 2001)
Voted NO on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction. (Apr 2001)
Voted YES on declaring memorial prayers and religious symbols OK at schools. (May 1999)
Voted YES on allowing more flexibility in federal school rules. (Mar 1999)
Voted YES on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted NO on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Focus educational resources to help those with greatest need. (Jul 2001)
Require state standards, regular assessments, and sanctions. (Jul 2001)
Support Ed-Flex: more flexibility if more accountable. (Jul 2001)
Rated 45% by the NEA, indicating a mixed record on public education. (Dec 2003)

I'm not trying to say that McCain doesn't care about education. He does, as all of us do. However, the way he shows he cares is different than how most of us (I assume) think and believe. With respect to science, he thinks that teaching Creationism should be left up to each school district, along with Sarah Palin who believes that Creationism should be taught alongside evolution. On the other hand, Obama has said that evolution and science are not incompatible with the Christian faith. He supports teaching evolution in schools. Obama also supports sex education, while McCain voted yes for abstinence only education.

There are many more issues than education in the election that is happening tomorrow. I am voting for Obama because of the issues. I am also voting for him because of who he is. He is intelligent. He taught constitutional law in Illinois for 12 years. He understands what this country was built on. He agrees with teaching science in science class and leaving religion at home. He understands that drilling for a limited resource in an area where endangered species live is not the answer to our energy problems. He believes health care is a right and that something is wrong with our current system. Most importantly, he is inspiring. He brings a fresh perspective, a new voice. He is what we as a country need to change the ever growing problems we face.

I know who I'm voting for. Do you?

Listening and Silence

"On Listening to What Children Say" was an article that pertains well to my teaching. It was very difficult not to outright correct my students when they had wrong answers. I would try to correct them in a way that was appropriate to their needs, but this article shows that having them self actualize is better for students to retain information over time. This process is important to correct misconceptions. Just telling a student that their conceptions of the world are wrong will not right the misconception over time. Students need to process their thoughts for themselves.

Silence in the classroom was another thing that was difficult for me. It is hard to be confident enough for that. As a new teacher, silence was not golden. Silence was time that students felt that they could talk freely. Classroom management is a technique that is necessary for silence in the classroom. It is nerve wracking when you can hear the crickets chirp in the classroom. Although I know wait time is important, it is still a difficult thing to do.

Campfire Effect

What is a campfire effect? I have been trying to look it up online, but I have come up with nothing. In the article that we read this week, the term was not defined well. I understand the feeling that the author is trying to convey. Like pretty much everyone I know, I have sat around a campfire with friends and family and stared at it for hours. The calming effect that a campfire has is undeniable, even if the reason for the calm is unknown.

I feel as though a class about ELL students and how to best serve them in the classroom would be very helpful. Some of my fellow students are taking a class that has to do with ELL students. I have not heard if they feel it is helpful yet, but I will be interested to see if they feel more comfortable with the topic at the end of the semester.

Although I have not taken a class specifically for ELL students, I do remember one experience relating to this population that has stuck with me. Last year, in my science methods course, we had a class with the math students. As a group, we were taught a physics lesson completely in spanish. While the topic was one that some of us were familiar with, it was one of the most frustrating classes because we were not allowed to talk in our native language. It was absolutely ridiculous to not be able to speak English. There were students in the classroom who could have helped me because they knew Spanish, but they were not allowed to help me understand what was going on.

We did the assignment (a worksheet) 3 separate times. One time, there was no helping sentences written on the sheet. Another time there were starting sentences, and the last time we were allowed to speak English in order to complete the assignment. The sheet with sentence starters was the most helpful for me because I could remember key words and phrases and fill in where they were appropriate. I felt empowered because I knew what I was talking about. I think this experience will help me when I have ELL students in my classes.

Training for Unemployment

When reading this article, I felt that it raised many good issues that need to be discussed. Why are urban schools failing to prepare students for college and the workplace (see speech from convocation below)?

However, I think the tone in which the article was written was not quite appropriate. It made me feel helpless and disheartened rather than empowered to change things. I felt as though the author was blaming too many things on the school and the teachers. Is nothing the fault of the community or the parents? Do peer groups not have a major effect on students?

I do agree that teachers can do more to hold students accountable for their own actions. I can see how the author would feel about each of his points, and with the skills that he mentioned, students are bound to get fired from any job that they might hold. If a student doesn't hand in homework, maybe they shouldn't have any more chances to do it. If they are late to class, they should be counted for a cut or have to make up all work that they miss. A laissez-faire attitude is the easier method, but probably not the best method.

My main question is how much of a difference can one teacher make? It has to be a whole school reform or even district reform. When a student comes into tenth grade Biology, they have already learned how they do school. Whether this is successful or unsuccessful, it is often set. Yes, it can be changed drastically in some cases, but in other cases, as hard as one might try, those strategies are set. An exemplary teacher can touch the lives of many students, but I think it would be better if students have these kinds of teachers during their entire school career.

Dallas Public School Convocation 2008

This kid is amazing! I can't believe he doesn't even use notes...

9/8 Prologue

I thought that the most powerful portion of the prologue was the quote on pg. xvi. People say that young people can't learn because of their backgrounds, families, and socio-economic statuses. That may all be true, however the last line of this quote says it best. "'Sure, those matter,' they say. 'But what hurts us more is that you teach us less'" (p xvi). Some teachers feel as though they are doing a service to underprivileged students by not having them work hard and complete tasks that all other students are expected to complete. This, in itself, is doing a disservice to their student population. In no way is expecting less of students ever helpful to them. This can contribute to a learned helplessness, where students do not know how to help themselves due to the high amount of help that they have always received.

The author of the prologue also talks about what to do to close the achievement gap in science. Science as a subject should not be taught like the history of science, with facts and figures being read off like dates of a war. It should be culturally relevant. Talk about why certain diseases are more prevalent in certain populations. Talk about the reasons that African American students are lactose intolerant. Talk about hurricanes and weather patterns. Make science relate to their lives outside of school to make it more interesting. All students can have an interest and learn to love science, in my opinion. Make it possible.