Final Blog

When I took this course, I came in thinking that it was just going to be an elective and I will cruise through it. I thought that I wouldn't really taken anything with me because I am not planning on becoming a teacher when I graduate in May. This class really opened my eyes to ways in which teachers could work to make the classroom a more special place for children.

Although I dont plan to become a teacher, I found out who I would want to be as a teacher. I was able to open my eyes to issues that children face in school settings, and with this i have better knowledge of issues that children face daily. Through all the discussions, posts, observations and readings I have gained more knowledge of the education systems and how communities need to come together to create these wonderful education plans.

As i said before even though I took this class as an elective I found that I enjoyed this class and learned alot more in this elective than I have in classes of my major. Online classes to me i thought would be difficult but the learning and set up that went into this class really helped me understand things better. I really enjoyed this class!

Teaching and Presents

So I had a really hard time with this post, I really didnt know where to go with this idea. A metaphor about teaching and learning I found to be difficult to come up with. After reading over others ideas, I began to understand where to go with this idea. Although i'm not exactly sure if this is what connecting this means, but I feel like teaching and learning can be like un-wrapping a present.

You first take the ideas that you have of creating your classroom and the school you want, this would be the entire package the present. You then begin to understand the students in the classroom and the atmosphere in which they would like to create, unveiling their personalities, where you then can begin to teach, this would be UN-doing the tie.

You then begin to understand the dynamics of the students and learn to work with the community and families to create your learning environment. This would be taking the tape off the package. After you have taken the tape off you are now able to fully dive into your teaching, you have created the classroom structure and you are now unfolding your own teaching dynamics setting the tone for the rest of the learning experience. This is taking the wrapping off and unveiling the package.

I think of education as something special and a good teacher and classroom is like being presented with a gift almost. If you are able to create a room in which students feel comfortable and free to learn, you have created a special and safe classroom.

Social Justice

Social Justice is such an important part of educating children, unfortunately many people over look this issue. When I think of social justice many things come to mind, but the one thing that really has stuck out to me is working together as a community to accomplish goals to help educate children. All to often children are deprived of one of the most important things in every ones lives, education. Children who are faced with poverty, have to deal also with the lack of proper education. Children should not be deprived of this very important aspect of life, when looking at articles about social justice I found many parts of schooling that communities ban together.
On the West Side of Chicago a small town banned together to help create a school for students who are from low income homes who have been deprived of this very important part of life. Parents concerned with the thoughts of their children traveling many miles to go to school decided to work together to create a school right in their back yards. With the plans underway they hit a few small snags causing the construction to come to a prompt halt, this did not discourage the parents again they banned together and protested until the schools building picked up again. Communities working together is very important in creating a socially just facility. This is just a small idea of how others working together can make such an important difference in many peoples lives.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080225/doster

Vocational Schooling

Vocational Schooling is an alternative for high school that allows students to work in areas that they are interested in. There are many different areas that students are able to focus on including cosmetology, hair dressing, carpentry, electricians, plumbing, heating, and many other options.

There are many different types of vocational schools around us that focus on different jobs that students are able to work to obtain licenses post graduation. Essex Agriculture is located in the Danvers area that offers the students a chance to work with animals and work in a type of farming/agriculture jobs in many different fields.

I think that this is very important to help get children interested in school, for many students going to high school is seen as socializing and hanging out and something that they would rather not do. But with the option of learning something that really interests you and you may be able to use in the future I think is very important. Getting students actively involved in learning is such a very important part of schooling and this is just another way to get students working together on something that is interesting.

Marie Montessori

Marie Montessori is a woman that deserves accreditation for all the accomplishments that she has made. She created a program that helps children that were deemed as 'defective minds' to learn to read and write. She created different styles of learning to help adjust to children's individual learning styles. She created programs to help children learn different skills that they need not by repeatedly teaching these skills but by creating exercises to go over the skills. She began to create a school that embodied all of the skills that she thought would create an effective learning school. I think that this important to understand her concepts because every child learns differently and she teaches each student skills to help them understand rather than dictating to them repeatedly information that they will not obtain. My view on education is similar to that of Marie, teaching children through different ways is very important to help the children learn the concepts. If a child is not interested in a subject you may be able to get their interest by teaching it in different ways that encourage them to partake in their learning process like Marie has put forth.

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-mont.htm

Teaching for Social Justice

When looking over Kohls article, I was a little confused on the topics he had listed but when you begin to really look into what the issues are, you begin to realize just what it takes to teach. His suggestions help to look at the bigger picture when he talks about teaching for yourself not the textbooks. Having community back you up in your teachings is very important to maintain justice in education and Kohls, stresses how important this is in the article.
When I think of teaching today I think a lot about how important schools today stress to teach for MCAS, almost eliminating room for teachers to become creative with their ways of teaching. I think that you should be able to teach the way you prefer and how the students in your class best learn. I think that I would have a difficult time as a teacher teaching in ways that are unjust, but with the way that the economy and schools are dealing with budget cuts, I think that teaching is becoming more in a way teaching to survive. Following the ways of which the Schools deem to be the right way for fear of being fired. Although I personally would never teach in a way that would be harmful or depriving children of knowledge, but I do believe teachers are losing their right to teach their classroom.
I think that the thing that stuck out to me the most in this article is having community, parents, and other faculty members back you up in your teachings and help you to create the classroom you want and feel comfortable teaching. I found an article that I think shows communities coming together to help better education. In Illinois communities have joined together to help create a committee that is raising money to help grant Science teachers money to help better their programs in their schools. They help teachers whom are in schools with lower budgets that cannot have all the programs that other schools offer. Each teacher is granted a certain amount of money depending on their school and with this they are able to create the course guide with experiments and such. The major point of this project is to get the School to work together and show them the importance of community and how working together has benefits. I think that this is very important when looking at Kohls article and looking at today in society issues that are socially just.

http://www.ista-il.org/cool-communities-working-together-science-teachers

Special Education

Special Education has been a topic that I have been very interested, in the past few years over the summer I have worked with children with special needs. Every child has different disabilities, with different levels of attention needed. With recent budget cuts in the economy, special education has endured some set backs, there has been a number of teachers that have been laid off causing many children's to not have the one on one attention needed. Children deserve the best education that they can possibly receive and I think that children with special needs deserve the best care as well and cutting budgets back causing important educators to be asked to leave is not helping. Throughout my home town there are many budget cuts going on and unfortunately there is a significant number of special education teachers being cut back. With Obama's stimulus plan there is going to be about 17 Billion dollars spread throughout the Country to help build up these programs again. I hope to see these programs regaining the teachers and valuable help needed to give these children the best possible education. Every child deserves the best education and we should not have to sacrifice any child the right to this.

http://autismblog.easterseals.com/autism-in-obamas-stimulus-plan/

Hugs and High Fives Banned

While some schools ban phones, iPods, computers, and such; one high school is taking it to the next level and banning Hugs and High Fives. Some believe that this is going to far with trying to rid out PDA of students, while others believe that touching in school needs to be completely banned. These schools believes that any type of touching should not be aloud, completely cutting out any type of hugs, high fives, and many more. Every school deals with those who break the rules differently but they are all along the same idea that this should not be tolerated in school. Although I agree that sometimes kids show to much affection to ones that they care about whether it be a boyfriend, girlfriend, or just friend. There needs to be lines drawn to ensure that certain affections are not shown, but I think that taking away a friendly hug and a high five is taking it to far. Those are just small ways that people show their appreciation, show that someone did a good job whether it be in school or sports. These are all harmless ways of showing someone that you are there for them.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Hugs_and_High_Fives_Banned_in_School.html

Schools Providing Birth Control

After the news being boggled down with the news of the Gloucester High School students making a pact to become pregnant all at the same time caused such controversy. Many schools have dealt with young girls having children and learning to work with other students by teaching safe sex and ways to prevent pregnancy. Is actually physically giving out birth control in school going to far? In Maine a Middle School by the name of Kings Middle School, will take the idea of safe sex to a different level from most schools, instead of sticking with the norm of classes and the occasional passing out of condoms, contraceptives will be available for the students in this Middle School. When looking at those who are sexually active at this age you see that there are many students that are and they are not using the right preventative measures. I think that although this may be a very risky idea, that those whom are already having sex can benefit from this and those who are not sexually active it the future have a place to go and talk and receive the right information for preventing pregnancy and STDs. I think that with a safe sex course and the right contraceptives this could help students in many ways. Although some say that this will just make students think that having this available for them means that they can go and become promiscuous, but in reality I personally think that those who are not sexually active will not become active because this is available.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Maine_Middle_School_to_Provide_Students_with_Birth_Control_Pills_and_Patches.html

Special Education Budget in Stimulus Bill

Education in and of it's self is such an important aspect of childrens lives, this is what helps to shape a child into who they will become. Education in the past few years has been slowly slipping through the seems as the economy has been going down, with Education slipping away Special Education Programs has been continually slipping away. Special Education is something that is very close to, being an aide in a classroom with children with special needs is something that is so very rewarding, but yet can be so stressful at times. Working with these children is something that is so special, but with budget cuts the appropraite measures and staffing is slowly slipping away for these programs. With the economic stimulus package in plan, education seems to be a major part of what President Obama is hoping to regain with this package. With this stiumulus package a portion of the money set aside for education, is planned to be put into the programs for Special Education. With this proper staffing and programs can be put into place for children whom need this. Infants and Toddlers are often looked away from because money is spent more on children in grammar school, but things need to be done to help young children begin to work on their skills needed. A woman by the name of Kim Hymes, is putting in place policies to begin to help children at a young age to get into programs such as early intervention. With this stimulus package, I personally hope to see that they will pass laws to ensure that Special Education programs will be given money to help children with special needs.


Website For Special Education
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/02/11/21disabled.h28.html?tmp=262282900

My name is Amanda and I am a senior at Salem. I have created this blog for my Premise of School Course.