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.