Newark field experience...part 2

here is a few things I observed during my field experience......

-Started going over work in book and grammar review, at the beginning of the block a few students had to leave to take a biology test, this was a small disruption, but class stayed on task.
-On one side of the room two girls shared a book, they dressed similarly jeans, sneakers, sweatshirts...had little side conversation, but for the most part payed attention to the lesson.
- A few students came up to me at the end of class, shook my hand and said thanks for coming. They were very respectful and I was surprised that they did this.
- The teacher I observed was a younger man, maybe in his early thirties, Spanish, wearing a shirt and tie with dark hair.


I wrote down some random things I heard said throughout the day as well:
"If I go to hell I'm taking you right with me."
"How can you do work with no textbooks?"
"If you wanna hold my hand it's OK, you don't have to try and take my pen."
"I don't wanna go to Spanish, it's so boring."
"What would I do without technology?"
"Siempre, uso la computadora. (I always use the computer.)"

Community Service

For my community service work I went back to my high school and helped the Advanced Improv class with their rehearsal for their fall production of the musical, Godspell. I previosly blogged about this experience and how it made me realize how much I missed being part of a theatre program. It made me realize just how important the arts and additional programs are and how much they mean to the students who participate in them.
For my service in Newark I went to St. Johns Church and helped with the soup kitchen there. They serve food five days a week, twice a day and you could tell this was very helpful to those who came. My cousin goes to school in Newark and when I asked him about community service oppurtunities he told me that he had helped at St. John's and they appreiciate any help they can get. I never thought that there would be so many people there just needing a meal, but it was a good feeling to be able to help.

Community Meetings

For my community meetings I attended two events at my old high school.
The first event I attended was the fall musical production of Godspell. During my community service time I came to a full day rehearsal and practice for the show and helped the students and director. Because I got to have this time with the cast I was very excited to see everything put together. I have never seen Godspell before and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The students, who were all members of the Advanced Improv. class had to not only act, like they did in class, but sing and dance as well. Some people may see Godspell as a religious play, but the simple message it portrays is to love and help those around you and that in itself is an imprtant message to give to not only students, but the whole school community.
I also attended a high school football game. When I was in high school our team was never that good. We used to go to the games, not to watch, but to socialize and go figure, not much has changed. I spent most of the game people watching. Sometimes I wonder if I was that annoying at that age. Some kids were sitting with parents, others had rows of friends and some spent the whole game under the bleachers fooling around. There was a group of 5 guys with R A M S ! painted on their stomachs. they had to be freezing, but they were having a great time cheering their friends and school on. Southern ended up winning by 6 and even I was excited. As i walked out I heard talk about weekend plans, crushes and boyfriends, bad teachers and the classes they taught and opinions on who the cutest guy on the team was. It was definitely a learning experience to just sit back and watch the students and how they acted, not in school, but in a school function.

Field Observation

So, I went and did my observation at Arts High School and who would have guessed...it wasn't what I expected. I observed Mr. Freire's Spanish I classes. What I witnessed was a teacher who kept his students interested and used his class time well and students who were well behaved and for the most part attentive. Mr. Freire is also a big believer in using technology in the classroom and this was great to see because our inquiry project is on exactly that. He used a smart board that hooks up his computer to a dry erase board and can be used as a touch screen. Although I have seen these sitting in classrooms before I have never actually seen them used and I'll admit, it was quite interesting. He also used AlphaSmart 3000. I have never seen these before, but they are small personal computers that consist of a keyboard and a very small screen that he can upload quizzes to. I think my experience at Arts was a great learning experience because it helped me realize that my conceptions and assumptions were wrong and since I attended a suburban high school, I had to challenge what I thought I knew about urban schools.

NCLB

While I think that it is great that America wants to set standards for its students and strives to provide the same education for all students i think that the standards in NCLB are not realistic. I think that it is a mistake to say that by the year 2014 100% of students will meet the benchmark because in all things there will always be those who are below and above the average. I think the amount of energy put into standardized tests is a waste and that they do nothing to show the intelligence of individuals. The focus should be on having teachers who not only know their subject matter, but who know and understand their students and how to pass on the knowledge they have.

When I think about the best teachers I've ever had they weren't always the brightest or smartest in their area, but they had a passion for teaching and for students which is what made them people who touched lives and made my education valuable.

Arts High Orientation

In high school I loved theatre and being a part of the theatre company and being in Arts High School I loved being around students who have the same passion I have for the Arts. Seeing the Advanced Choir before the meeting started was awesome and the tour was even better. I thought the overview we recieved about the school was helpful for our observations and I thought it was great that all the speakers took the time to answer our questions about Arts High and education in general.

I didn't know how much I missed it

On Friday, I did my first five hours of community service back at my high school, where I helped with the fall musical production. When I was in high school I took an Improv class all four years and participated in many productions.Being back there and watching the performers made me really miss being involved in theatre. It was great to be a part of something I have a passion for.

As far as the inquiry project goes I know that Arts High deals with the arts. Even more then that my community service also involves the arts and this weekend I will be attending Southern Regional High School's production of "Godspell" for one of my community events. I would like to have an inquiry question that deals with theatre or maybe extra curricular activities in general, but I am having a hard time pinpointing a good question. If any one has any ideas they are greatly appreciated.

Inquiry Project Ideas

When I sat down and really thought about what I wanted to do for my inquiry project I wanted to focus on something that I would be doing within the school system. I have already decided that I will not be obtaining my teaching certification. Rather, I will recieve my BA in sociology and continue to grad school to become certified to be a guidance counselor. Although this class is designated for those who are preparing to become teachers, I believe that it is a worthy class for me as well and I am learning a lot about the school sytem that I will be able to benefit from as well.

Some of my ideas were:
- What role do guidance counselors play in relationships within the schools? (ie: teacher/student, parent/student, etc.)
- How much help can a student recieve from a counselor and what are the borders of confidentiality?

I am not sure if these questions relate to the essential questions on the syllabus, however I am still exploring my options for the project.

School Prayer

I recieved an email this weekend with a poem/prayer in it. I tried to find the author, but all that was attached said that a kid in Arizona was the writer. Regardless of your political or religious views on the subject I thought this would be something interesting to share with the class.

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the state.

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgments" do not belong.

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
Amen

Is it important to teach democracy in schools?

Education has been an important aspect of American life for a long time. Many reforms and changes have been made throughout the years to make the education of United States students top-notch. This includes changes in the curriculum, the integration of schools during the Civil Rights movement, standardized testing, and the more recent No Child Left Behind Act. What has stood out in American schools since the beginning of the institution is the importance of teaching democracy. In Teaching Against Idiocy, Walter C. Parker states, “Here is democracy’s built-in progressive impulse: to live up to itself.” (p.3). The concepts embodied in the ideals of democracy are important to pass along so that as a whole community, America can work towards the aspirations of a truly democratic society.
Democracy is a form of government by the people and for the people. It is in the country’s best interest to not only teach liberal arts courses such as English, Math, and Science, but to integrate teaching about the way the American government is ran, along with the teaching of other government systems around the world. In a country where diversity is valued and students have the choice to pursue whatever degrees they wish in the upper levels of education it is essential to develop democratic citizens within the school system.
Walter C. Parker presents three assumptions in justifying the teaching of democracy in his article, Teaching Against Idiocy. He claims that democracy is superior to other forms of government and that it is necessary for schools to educate for citizenship. He also says that engaged citizens are not born, however they need to be taught in order to become connected. Parker states, “They do not naturally grasp such knotty principles as tolerance, impartial justice, the separation of church and state, the need for limits on majority power, or the difference between liberty and license. They are not born already capable of deliberating about public policy issues with other citizens whose beliefs and cultures they may abhor. These things are not, as the historical record makes all too clear hard-wired into our genes.” (p.3) One thing that educators should always do is continue demonstrating these important democratic principles to the students and citizens of America.

Comments on the Tyak article

In America we make a big deal about democracy and making sure we preserve it, but what is it really? The simplest definition that most people will agree with is that it is a form of government by the people and for the people. The appeal for democracy is so strong that it is infused in America's public school sytems. Tyak's article shows how the common school has been built on the values of a democratic society and illustrates that it is still prevelant within the school sytem today. He states, "A survey in 1996 of public school teachers reveals the resilience of traditional civic values and the resistance to controversy in the schools. A majority believed that teaching common core moral values was more important than teaching academics." These common core values include principles of freedom, liberty, diversity and individualism. This made me think about what really is important to students.
This may be me going off on a tangent, but I feel that most students are less worried about what they learned and more concerned with the grade they recieved. One of my teachers asked our class today, "Why are you in college?" One honest individual simply stated, "To get a piece of paper." The truth is that most people fall into this category and are in it for the grades or the diploma that will get them the job and not necessarily for what they will learn from it. However, this does connect to the teaching of American values because I would say that out of all the knowledge that is presented to students throughout their educational careers those values are the most important for their lives. I would agree that they are all embedded in the school sytems of today and that they are important concepts that should be taught and valued in schools.

Reaction to Hodgkinson's Article on Demographics

In the very beginning of Hodgkinson's article he says, "Nothing is distributed evenly across the United States. Not race, not religion, not age, not fertility, not wealth, and certainly not access to higher education." Although most of us would like to pretend that it is not this way, I would have to agree with this statement. Sure, administration has done what they think to be correct, schools continue to teach, and students continue to attend. This is is all very nice, but the sad fact is that where you live and where you go to school will ultimately determine the type of education you recieve, the resources you have available to you, and the oppurtunities available for you to excel. This all seems to be unfair, but there are plenty of dedicated people who strive to make lives better for students all over the United States and student success stories that make you believe in the overused expression that education makes a difference; because i believe that yes, it indeed makes a major difference.

Group Three---U.S. schools

1. What are our schools like, and how did they get that way?
Schools in the United States go for 12 years. School is mandatory until age of 16. There are many different types of schools: Public, Private, Home Schooling. Our schools try teach students to be a democratic citizen, be mature in a democratic society. Schools founded by immigrants, based on religion at first. Protestants made public schools to separate church and education. Schools are funded mostly by the state and local taxes According to the Public Education Primer 43% comes from local sources, more than three-fourths of this local share derived from local property taxes. 9% from the federal government. Our schools offer free and reduced lunch for families that are below the poverty level. Offer social workers, psychologists, speech therapists, after school care programs depending on schools funding. Institution is progressing, instead of just teachers we What are schools now have counselors that a family may not be able to afford by themselves.

2. Who are our students?
Our students can range from ages 3 to 19 years old. They come from all types of socio-economic backgrounds. Our students also come from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Funding our education system help our students in the best way possible. Our foreign students have a chance to learn the English language in the form of classes, for example ESL (English as a second language). According to the Public Education Primer on page 25, scores on college entrance exams have increased modestly, in case of the SAT, or held steady, in case of the ACT. We are progressively getting better scores.

3. Who are our teachers?
Almost half of all public school teachers have advanced degrees, and the majority have more than 10 years experience. The United States requires that all teachers have a degree in area of their concentration. The majority of our teachers are women (8 out of 10). Our teachers try their best to help the students as best as they can, they are very dedicated to their work. Our teachers try to prepare students for life after grade school by exercising their students’ creative and critical thinking skills.

This is different

I had my first two days of classes this week and my first reaction to them was just how different the classes already seem from my community college. I have always been a crazy perfectionist and moving away, changing my major at the last minute and stressing myself out about everything and anything for a whole week has given me nothing but a major headache.

This might sound childish, but growing up and figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life is not as easy as it seems. Although I may have gotten stressed and a little discouraged this week I also set myself up for challenges that I am ready to face and do my best to be successful in all my classes. I'm a strong believer that the way you look at something is the way it will be for you....so I choose to look at all my classes positively.

Even though my teacher has NOOOO sense of humor (THATS A JOKE!!) My P.P. of Ed. class looks challenging and interesting. I'm interested to see what I learn this year about education in America and to observe the children at Arts High seems like an awesome experience.