Finland Phenominon

If the U.S. wants to improve their school system, Finland would be the one to model after.  They have a system in place that:

1) Creates a relaxed atmosphere for better learning - the students address their teacher by first name;
2) Maintains small class sizes - 20 students per class;
3) Integrates all children together - no special treatments;
4) Kids start school at the age of seven;
5) Students remain with the same teacher for many years - can maintain a more personal level;
6) Learn only 3-4 subjects per day - can get more in depth with each subject (75-minute math class);
7) Test only at the end of class;
8) Teach students how to think; and
9) Promote family time together. 

As a whole, my teaching beliefs are in line with Finland's.  I am intrigued to learn more about Finland and model some of my own teaching after them. 

Poland Scores Late Goals in Education

This article is very encouraging to struggling school systems.  We have read many things about Finland's success, and now we see Poland has gone from a struggling school system with economic issues, to the nation with the fastest improving system.  I think we could model our own school system and teacher training on either of them. Just as we are being told not to be ashamed about asking the younger generation technology questions, we should not be ashamed to speak with Finland's educators on how they operate their schools and what kind of training their teachers have in order to be considered high-quality, or we could integrate some of Poland's methods of improvement.

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4094370874905903564#editor/target=post;postID=789549897708488742

Many Nations Passing U.S. in Education

I tend to agree with the statement in this article that U.S. children are over entertained and distracted.  In the U.S. we have an increasing number of families that are divided; the children live with one parent and have visitation rights with the other.  Generally, the two parents fight for their children's acceptance and want to be the "cool" parent so they buy their kids all of the "cool" electronics and gadgets.  They also allow their children to make use of their own time with gaming systems because they don't want to be the "bad parent" who tell them to do their homework instead.  In households that still have two parents, it is common to see both parents working outside of the home.  In this case, the kids may be at home by themselves and there is noone there to make sure they are finding educational things to occupy their time.  Instead, they sit in front of their gaming systems. We are focusing more of our attention on other things and have lost the true importance of our children's education. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/education/10educ.html

Education Slowdown Threatens U.S.

I think this article did a nice job of providing statistics to show the changes over the years.

While some of the reasoning for the drop-outs may be related to finances, I believe the major issue with today's younger generation is that they lack the motivation to continue their education, and at their ages, they also lack the maturity to make sound decisions.  They feel that it is perfectly okay to drop out of school and earn minimum wages.  They lack the maturity to be able to plan for the future when they decide to start a family and realize the expenses involved; the expenses are completely different than just paying for yourself.  Then we wonder why we have so many people living in poverty when they get older.  I would, therefore, support President Obama's requirement that all students must graduate from high school, or stay in school until they are at least 18 years of age.  If it were up to me, I would increase that age limit to 23 or 24. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304177104577307580650834716.html

Art Education as Common-Core Partner

I am in agreement that art and drama classes are an important part of learning for children, however, I do not see how they coincide with math.  I would link art to history when learning the backgrounds of the artists.  Both art and drama classes require creative thinking, which is why they are so important to the curriculum.  I believe there are certain classes than can be collaborative with learning, such as I believe math could be used in physical education classes.  An example would be that kids could use measurements in figuring out how far they need to jump in the Long Jump, or at what rate of speed they need to travel around the track to meet a specific time requirement.  We need to become more creative in our teaching techniques and utilize every opportunity we can to include major classes like math, science and technology. 

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/12/12/14arts.h32.html?tkn=SWOFZtFWcB3iDjyYpjIixWkiDGSGIzx%2BWkiW&cmp=clp-edweek

Educator Aided Others at Cheating

Unbelievable!  To think this guy worked in the Memphis City School District for 23 years, not to mention that he held the position of an assistant principal and guidance counselor during that time, is absolutely incredible.  I am also taken back by the fact that licensed teachers could be "bought out" to take a test for someone whom is afraid of not passing the teaching exam, not to mention that the three states (Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee) already have low passing standards. 

It makes me wonder how many current teachers passed their certification by way of cheating, since this had been going on for approximately 15 years.  It also makes me wonder if this, or something similar to this, has happened in any of our local school districts - what a scary thought! 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/us/educator-aided-others-at-cheating-us-charges.html?ref=us&_r

Knife Attack at Chinese School

This article caught my eye in light of the recent school shooting in Connecticut.  I always thought school violence only seemed to be a problem in America, but this article proves that there are problems in schools all over the world.  There seems to have been more violence in schools over the last decade.  In 2003 we had the local ROCORI shooting where two people ended up dead at the hands of one person who was allegedly retaliating against one of the victims for school bullying.  The shooter ended up being the son of a sheriff's deputy of Stearns County, whom at the time was 15 years old, and is now serving a life sentence in prison.  It makes me wonder what we are doing differently from in the past that school violence is increasing.  I think schools, and parents, both play an important role in teaching children how to get along and eliminating bullying- schools have a better opportunity when so many children are together at one time and place; parents have the obligation because...they are the parents and should be expected to be the role model at home.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/world/asia/china-knife-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Education Nation Book - Chapter 6

This chapter was called the Youth Edge and it was talking about how technology has changed from generation-to-generation.  It explains how each generation uses the internet for different purposes, but that the younger generation knows technology better than the older generation.  As the author points out, kids know more about computers than we give them credit for.  We should be taking this into consideration when we begin to teach.  What better way to get the kids involved in their own learning than by placing them in their chosen environment of technology.  In kids's spare time, what do they do?  They jump on their computer, ipads, or their cell phones and visit YouTube, social networking sites, etc.  If they choose to spend their own free time with technology, it is an obvious sign to us future educators that we should incorporate computers into their learning style.  We can also build their self-esteems by asking them to show us, the adults, how to locate good teaching sites - since we all know that kids seem to know about websites that are unknown to adults, or know how to locate them. 

Sabastian Witherspoon

Sabastian Witherspoon is certainly a motivational speaker.  He began by telling us that he was a minister's son and a high-school drop-out.  I can only imagine that there was a lot of pressure to become successful or to "do the right things," as a minister's son.  Then one day he decided to go back to school and obtain his GED.  After obtaining his GED, he took the next step and went to college.  He went through several years of college (enough years that he could be a doctor by now) and ended up working in a school district. 

As Sabastian stated, there are a lot of issues dealing with mixed races in the school system.  He also stated that 50% of all black boys never graduate from high school - that's an aweful high number.   One of the biggest pointers that Sabastian gave us, as future educators, is to learn how to relate to each of the different races; to build a relationship with each child and let them know that you care about them and their future success.  I think this is very good advice.  Every child needs to feel that you care about them. 

Group 10 Presenters - Gifted & Talented Students

I have mixed feelings about AP classes being offered to kids. While I feel the program is great for the kids to feel challenged, I sometimes feel that AP classes put too much pressure on them to excel.  Too much preassure can cause kids to have lower self-esteems.  I tend to support combining gifted and non-gifted students together.  As the group stated, the gifted kids can be great role models for the others.   To keep them from getting bored, I would see if they would like to do a form of tutoring.  Sometimes kids learn better from other kids.

I found it interesting that the number of students in AP classes are increasing.  I am a little surprised by this because it seems that when school districts come out with standards test scores, we are seeing more school districts that are failing.  If we had more AP students, I would think our percentages would be higher. 

This group presented an important message that no matter if the child is in special education, mainstream, or in a gifted program, they all need to be challenged and engaged, or they lose interest.

This was a very informative presentation.  Nice job!

Group 8 Presenters - Separation of Church & State

This group did a nice job of presenting.  I especially liked the way they broke down the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.  I think we, as citizens of the United States, go through the motions of saying the Pledge, but how many of us have actually thought about it's meaning?  I believe it should be made a priority for everyone to know what they are pledging. 

When I went to school, saying the Pledge was the way to start every morning off.  Now, with more diversity in schools, I have often wondered how the school handles the controversy that may come along with the daily recital that we had.  This group answered my question during their presentation.

I also liked how the group stressed that personal believes may be expressed in school, and students can pray in school...as long as it does not disrupt class and it is student led.   Because it was stressed that these things can be done if it "does not interrupt class," it brings to mind my field experience when I witnessed a group of Somalians who were allowed to leave, in the middle of a lesson, to go pray while the other kids had to sit and wait for them.  To me, this would be considered a disruption and, therefore, brings me to question how they are allowed to leave for this purpose.  The teacher appeared just as frustrated as I was with the interruption.  

This presentation had some very good information.  Well done! 

Group 7 Presenters - Family Involvement in Education

This group presented a lot of interesting facts about how family involvement affects kids's educations.  I was amazed to hear that kids are 40% more likely to repeat a grade if their dad is not involved in their education.  Thinking of how many single-parent homes we have now really puts things into perspective as a future educator.  More thought needs to be put into how to get split-families involved in education to help the child succeed. 

I liked the ideas that this group shared on how to integrate family into the child's education (i.e. "Donuts with Dads" and "Muffins with Moms" or a welcoming ceremony). I don't believe most families realize how much parent involvement in a child's education makes to the child.

I'm glad this group brought up the point about families having a sit-down dinner and asking about each child's day at school.  I think we all take for granted how much that really means to the child.  We live in such a fast-paced society now that we forget the most crucial, yet small things we can do to stay connected with our kids. 

Very nicely done! 

Education Nation Book - Chapter 5

This chapter was called the Co-Teaching Edge and it was referring to the involvement of everyone in a child's education, from their parents to their teacher to themselves.  I believe some local schools are on the right track in trying to involve parents in their children's educations by offering an on-line program to keep track of missing assignments, grades and attendance.  However, there is a major downfall with the program and that is that the majority of the teachers are not using the program correctly.  It appears that they have not been properly trained on how to use the system. I have found that when a teacher posts an assignment due on a specific date, but does not enter a grade for that assignment, the student's report will show the assignment as being past due.  I don't believe most of the teachers realize that this is happening.  In my own personal experience, as a proactive parent, I have sent the teacher an email to check on an assignment for one of my kids and have found that my child has turned in the work, but the teacher has not entered the grade, which results in the generated notice of a past-due assignment.  I think it's a great idea of the school district's to use this type of system as a means to keep working parents involved with their children's educations, but the teachers need to be better trained on how to use the program before it is rolled out.  Otherwise, it creates more work for both the parent and the teacher in emailing back and forth to get the assignment issue resolved.  Additionally, I have now became frustrated and lost faith in the accuracy of the system so I tend to disregard notices of missing assignments - it's main purpose was to communicate with parents on these issues.  

Another great concept that has been started by teachers is to create their own websites that parents can go to view what their child is learning in the classroom, and sometimes to view assignments that they should be working on.  Having two kids and 7 teachers for each of them, it gets to be a little unrealistic for me to check each of their web pages to see what is happening in the classroom. 

Communication with parents is key to a child's education, but the sources need to be consistent and accurate or the level of trust is broken. 

Education Nation Book - Chapter 4

This chapter was called The Time/Place Edge.  The Time Edge was talking about the need for extended school hours to keep up with other countries.  I believe kids need longer school days in order to cover all necessary subjects in greater depth.  The 50-minute class periods the kids currently have do not allow the teacher enough time to teach the subject matter.  By the time everyone is seated and quieted down and attendance is taken, suddenly your 50-minute class period has been shortened to 30-35 minutes.  In that 30-35 minutes a teacher may have to stop instruction to handle disruption or answer questions.  With the time left in the day, you cannot get students to concentrate on the material being presented, nor is there enough time to dig deep into the instruction material. 

Longer school days would also limit the number of kids who stay home alone after school until their parent(s) get home from work.  I do believe that children need quality time with their families and also time to participate in after-school sports.  However, the majority of today's kids choose to spend their time after school playing on electronic devices rather than getting physical exercise.  Longer school days would allow time for a mandatory physical education class for all students. 

Other countries, and even some schools in the US, have already implemented the longer school year with shorter breaks instead of three months off in the summer.  The long summer break is when kids neglect practicing their reading and math, and choose to sit in front of the TV or computer instead.  Studies have found that during the long summer break students lose retention of the material learned the year before, causing the teachers to review last year's material before moving on to the new.  This, again, wastes time that could have been used for learning new material. 

The Place Edge refers to how we can incorporate subjects like history and civic duties into the curriculum by building schools close to museums, libraries, historical sites, etc.  To me, the idea seems like a no-brainer.  If the community has access to these public buildings, why not encourage kids to learn by getting some hands-on experience and use the facilities for what they are meant to be used for - teaching and learning.  The expense is little to none at these places. 

Education Nation Book - Chapter 3

This chapter was called the Technology Edge and it talked a lot about how schools should be integrating technology into the curriculum.  Kids start using computers and gaming systems at a very young age so I think they would be more comfortable and better engaged in the learning process if they could use technology on a day-to-day basis.  It would be very natural and "fun" for them to have an electronic device at their fingertips.  Some sort of security would need to be in place so that students do not access inappropriate information, even accidentally. 

The author also talked about offering internet or videoconferenced classes to students.  This could be helpful for students that live in small cities or school districts that do not have enough funding to hire what they consider to be highly qualified teachers, say for spanish immersion.  Possibly the school districts could then share in the cost of the teacher for this type of class.  Students would also have 24/7 access to ask the teacher questions through email and get a faster response than waiting until the next class period.  The time spent asking the teacher a question before or after class also uses up instructional time.  One issue I see with using technology as a means of communication is that any communication that isn't face-to-face can be construed incorrectly. 

I especially enjoyed the philosophy of hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, when he was referring to school's looking ahead to the future and using technology as a learning tool.  He said "Most players skate to where the puck is.  I skate to where the puck is going to be."  That statement is so true in that school districts need to look to the future to see what job skills are going to be needed, or what kind of technology will be used.  Other countries are well ahead of the US when it comes to looking to the future. 

Education Nation Book - Chapter 2

This chapter was the Curriculum Edge and it compared the US education system to the education systems of other countries.  It is apparent from the comparisons that other countries spend more time teaching a subject in greater depth so that the subject is thoroughly covered and students know the subject well.  In the US we cram too many subjects into our day.  Kids never really grasp one subject completely before we move on to the next subject.  In the end, US kids know little about a lot of subjects, whereas in other countries, the kids have complete knowledge of core subjects. 

Our schools also need to stay more current on what is taught.  We keep using old methods of teaching instead of integrating today's technology into the learning process.   As discussed in this chapter, more than one subject can be combined into one lesson plan (i.e. math and science can go hand-in-hand).  This would eliminate the problem of not enough time in the day to cover all subjects. 

Education Reforms Risk Stifling Creativity

The speaker in this article, English singer Billy Bragg, brings up an interesting point about schools eliminating classes like music, drama and art from the curriculum.  He states that schools immediately look to eliminate classes in the arts area as a first option over any other subjects.  There have been many studies that have shown that kids who participate in music achieve higher scores academically, particularly in math.  Art and drama students also tend to be more creative and are able to "think outside the box." These students are critical to our future.  Additionally, you find children who look forward to their art class.  It gives them a mental break from the classes that have been considered core classes. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/nov/12/billy-bragg-education-reforms-stifle-creativity?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Group 5 Presenters - Bullying

I loved this group's lesson plan idea with crinkling up a piece of paper and then unfolding it to demonstrate that all the crinkles remaining in the paper are the "scars" left in a victim of bullying.  It's amazing to think that 43% of students are afraid to go to the bathroom during the school day for fear of being bullied, and that one in four teens are victims of bullying.  These are some pretty high numbers.  I can see why schools put a lot of emphasis on anti-bullying. 

I learned that the color orange represents anti-bullying efforts.  Wonderful presentation!

Top Points from Chapter 8 & Listening to America

Both Chapter 8 from our textbook and the movie, Listening to America, illustrated how children from low income families are affected when it comes to their education.  Often times, there is only one parent raising the child(ren).  When the parent needs to work long hours to support the family, there is no adult at home to supervise what the child is doing, who they are hanging around with, monitoring what they are eating, nor to make sure the child is doing and understanding their homework.  All of these characteristics lead to low performance levels in school. 

Another point I took from the book and movie is that in areas where there is proper funding for the school, there are teachers who are certified to teach specialty classes, who have learned how to communicate with their students, and who have advanced technology for the children to learn.  

Finally, I found it interesting that only seven in 10 students that enter the ninth grade graduate with a regular diploma by the twelfth grade; American Indians, African Americans and Hispanics have only a 50/50 chance of completing high school.  This graduation ratio includes 63% of the students having more disabilities than average. 

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.