Issues Impacting Vote

I am looking for what each of the presidential candidates have to say about:

1.  Education.  This is obviously a big concern of mine since it is the area that I am looking to get into, and knowing that today's children are our future leaders.  I have many concerns about where the education system is headed, but some of my main concerns involve the process in which children are being tested and evaluated, and its accuracy.  I am also concerned about the quality of education today's and future teachers are receiving. After all, education starts with the teacher.

2.  Health Care.  I am concerned about the rising costs of health care and the options that we have available to us when looking for comparable insurance companies.  I am also looking to see which candidate is thinking of our service men and women, and the type of health care they need upon returning to the U.S.

3.  Economy.  I am concerned with where our economy is currently at, and where it is yet headed.  Which candidate has the best plan for getting our economy back on track and people back to work?  Unemployment statistics are completely unreliable because they do not take into account the unemployed who have maxed out on their unemployment benefits; they are no longer counted as being employed, nor receiving unemployment benefits. These people are completely unaccounted for.

Above all, I know that I need to look for the candidate that doesn' t just "talk-the-talk" in order to be elected president.  I am looking for the candidate who has the best track record in following through on issues they say they have worked for or against.  The candidate I vote for will need to be the most trustworthy in taking action on the issues they say they will work on during their term as president.   

Group 4 Presenters - Special Education in Brazil

This group stated that it was difficult to find information on special education in Brazil.  Although they did read from the screen a lot, they gave it their best and provided historic information and personal photographs and experiences.  Their photographs really gave me a good perspective on what school is like for children in Brazil.  Well done!

Group 3 Presenters - Teachers Pay & Incentives

This group dressed very professionally, and they seemed knowledgeable about their subject matter; they must have done plenty of research.  I enjoyed watching the video they selected, which showed what differentiates a good teacher by the use of hand signals to let the teacher know the children are understanding what is being taught, setting high goals for the children by stating they are all going to get so much smarter, and a teacher who is not afraid to change their lesson plan if the current plan is not working for the children. 

It was also nice to learn how the pay scale works, and the explanation of how pay scales help with budgeting. 

This group did a fantastic job!

Group 2 Presenters - Diversity in the Classroom

This group brought a lot of personal experience to their presentation.  It is always nice to hear directly from someone who has first-hand experience in the field.  I learned about implants for the hearing-impaired student, and found the information interesting about the special education para needing to remain anonymous throughout the classroom.  The sample IEP was also helpful for listeners, such as myself, who have not seen what this form looks like.  Several perspectives with current teachers was also great to hear.  Nice job!

Amy Goodman

After listening to Amy Goodman speak for a little over an hour, the only thing I got out of her speaking was that she likes to bombard the audience with a plentiful list of names, throwing them out left and right.  She also took numerous opportunities to market her program, "Democracy Now."  I didn't feel that I took any new knowledge home with me. 

Bangladesh: Secondary Education for All

The thing that caught my eye in this article was the approach used to improve schools and the highlights.  It, specifically, mentions that teacher training focused on the quality of training and the use of performance incentives for schools and students.  Another interesting note is that school management committees and parent-teacher associations also received the training.  There seems to have been a nice, combined effort in improving the school.   

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22702001~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

Freedom Writers

Erin has a strong philosophy that, regardless of the kids' backgrounds or past actions, they need the proper tools and learning environment in order to get a good education.  Because she had students from different social backgrounds whom did not trust one another, she knew she needed to help them understand each other's backgrounds and the similarities they have with one another.  She needed to gain trust among her students and create a "family" (something they all lacked outside of the classroom). 

Erin also had to gain the students's trust in herself and show them that she was someone who cares about them; that they are not just another group of students passing through her classroom.  Erin was the voice for the kids in making sure the school administration realized the students's full potential, that they are smart kids and have the ability to treat school property with respect.  It is obvious that Erin's teaching career is not about the minimal salary she makes; it is about the quality of education the kids deserve.  In many ways she becomes the mother the kids do not have at home. 

I have seen this movie twice now and both times it held my attention throughout the movie. I think the reason is that I share similar philosophies with Erin, so I could picture myself in the classroom with the students and using some of the same teaching techniques.

Group 1 Presenters - Studying Abroad

I thought the group did a nice job in creating their PowerPoint presentation.  The colors they used in the slides were pleasing to the eye and the information and pictures were very informative.  They definitely did their research.  This group added a nice touch with having a speaker from the Study Abroad Department come in and give additional information; she was also a good source for answering questions.  Their pamphlets were interesting to read.  I did not realize that this program offered so many choices on places to visit.

One thing I did note that could have been improved was the manner in which the information was presented.  The information was read word-for-word from the slides, rather than just having key points on the slides and the members of the group presenting from their knowledge.  At times, they seemed to be speed-reading through the information. 

Overall, they did a nice job.

Does Obesity Affect School Performance?

I find it hard to believe that obesity, in itself, would cause lower test scores.  I could understand if it was a portion of the cause, but not solely the cause.  Early in the article it states, "Studies have variously found that obese students -- and especially girls -- tend to have lower test scores than their slimmer peers..."  A question comes to mind as to why girls would be more affected on their test scores than boys.  This statement tells me that the study is more about appearance and/or self-esteem.  People who have been bullied or whom have low self-esteem tend to do more poorly in school.  Obesity can be the cause of low self-esteem.  Logical reasoning would suggest that lower test scores could also be more affected by someone's lack of interest in the subject matter being tested.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/14/health/obesity-affect-school-performance/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_education+%28RSS%3A+Education%29

Education Nation Book - Chapter 1

I found the first chapter of Education Nation to be interesting. The author is an excellent writer.  He brings out some good points on our school system and the learning process as a whole.  Two particular comments I found to be so true were: 1) the biggest change we have seen in schools has been going from chalk to markers (in reference to having tests scores repeat themselves and yet we keep teaching in the same manner), and 2) if students have a choice and voice in what and how they learn, they'll work harder at it. 

The book mentioned something we already knew....that children learn by repetition.  However, the author pointed out that we need to teach subjects in more depth rather than skim through several topics throughout a school year. Skimming through subjects does not allow kids to actually learn the subject.  

Children also need to be engaged and interested in the subject being taught.  The author suggests finding out what kids enjoy doing and connect learning to it. 

Africa's Twin Education Crisis

Reading articles like this one just frustrates me.  Once I read how people rely so much on the government for support, I cannot keep an open mind on the other issues because I think the major problem starts on the heavy reliance of government money.  I believe the people need to make a good-faith effort in controlling some of these issues on their own.  For example, it states in this article that Africa has the world's fastest growing population.  Regardless of how educated a person is, I believe we all have enough common sense to know how to control population, and if we don't, then funds should be used to educate on that issue first.  Once population is controlled, the rest of the issues will fall into place.  You will no longer have the problem of population growing faster than the number of people whom can be supported in the education system.  China may have it right with the one-child per family rule.  This is a very sensitive subject, even in America, but I believe it is a big factor in how much funding is needed in our education systems.  Families need to realize their limits on how many children they can support on their own.  Government spending should be utilized on the quality of the education, and the quality of the spaces in which we learn. 

http://allafrica.com/stories/201209260495.html

Teacher Town Hall (Education Nation Movie)

I found the Teacher Town Hall discussion to be very interesting.  It gave me a real insight on the problems and challenges that teachers face today.  Some of the main concerns are:

1.  Teacher Perceptions.  The general public views teachers as being more concerned about their salaries and working conditions, and less on the children.  The public also views teachers as being lazy and not working hard enough.  The real problem is that the wrong issues are being discussed.  The focus should be on the children and what their needs are.

2.  Parent Involvement.  The majority of teachers (84%) do not see parents as being involved in their child's education and believe this has a very strong impact on student improvement.  A number of different solutions were presented:  1) create an advocacy program; 2) use technology to inform parents of what is happening in the classroom; 3) visit the parent's environment to discuss education; and 4) engage students in the trust building process so parents see the teacher's best interests lie with their child's education and well-being.  In single-parent homes, more male teachers can serve as a role model.

3.  Academic Gaps.  Traditionally, there have been gaps in the method in which children are gauged academically from state-to-state.  The "Common Core" standards (tougher, more demanding standards) are to be put in place by 2014.  With the same standards being used across the nation, an "A" will mean an "A" everywhere.  There will be a common expectation, state-to-state, as to what children are expected to learn.

4.  Charter Schools vs. Public Schools.  Public schools are scrutinized for having teacher's unions.  High performance tends to correlate with union involvement.  Charter schools are benefiting from more resources. Resources should be divided equally.

5.  Poverty.  Poverty is not measured on standardized tests.  More than 84% of the children in Chicago schools receive reduced or free lunch.  This percentage consists mainly of minority groups. Caucasian children have the resources to opt-out of the system, but the minority groups do not have the resources to do the same.