"A Complete and Competitive Education"

http://thepage.time.com/remarks-obama-biden-to-national-governors-association-february-22-2010/

Above is a link to a transcript of speeches given by both Vice President Biden and President Obama. Their words clearly lay out what is happening now in education in America and have set the tone for what will be our tenure as educators. In his portion of the speech, Obama goes into detail describing the failings of the current educational system and his plans for fixing it by explaining the workings of his new "Race to the Top" program:

“We put $4 billion on the table and challenged states to compete for it, saying that if you embrace reforms that raise achievement, if you track and respond to student needs; if you evaluate and reward great teachers and principals and turn around failing schools, then we're going to help you make those reforms a reality. Many of you and your states already have, and that's why we're going to expand the Race to the Top program.”

I cannot help but think that this system will continue to hinder schools that are already struggling. We'll all have to wait and see how "what's happening now in education?" continues to change.

Layoffs in Education

Angeles school board on Tuesday approved a plan to close a $470 million budget gap in the next academic year by cutting more than 5,000 jobs if unions do not agree to givebacks and voters do not approve a parcel tax.

As some 300 employees protested outside the board offices, district Superintendent Ramon Cortines outlined a preliminary series of options to make up the revenue shortfall, saying that layoffs of teachers and other employees would be a last resort for the nation's second-largest school district.

Miriam Adler, a special education teacher at Verdugo Hills High, tells PinkSlipMixers how the cuts affect her school, students and her living expenses.

I posted this to see your thoughts about what is being done to the education system. In the video they said that the layoffs are discouraging students from going into the Liberal Studies field. Are you discouraged by it? If not, why?

This video is AMAZING! Its is an old Student Teaching training video (from the 1940's or 1950's I believe) and it I can't believe that I actually found it! As for the information that is shown in this video, I find that it is very different from what education is today. There are some teachers that say the old ways are the best and that we need to return to the basics, however I do not believe that we can do this. The times have changed so much that many things are no longer prevalent.

The classroom management skills in this video were amazing to me at first. There are so many things that we as education students have learned not to do and they are all in the beginning of this video. However as the movie continues, it is interesting to see the changes that are made and what lessons are being taught to future teachers. I find that there are still many things that we would never do today in the classroom because times have changed however there are a few things that I believe we can take from this video. Some of these things include the idea of a friendly attitude and even some comedy in the class, a development of mutual understanding between teacher and students, and the idea of positive feedback that can be seen at the end of the video while making some of the discipline not as harsh in front of the class (less humiliating). Just a thought.

So after watching the whole video, what do you agree with? What aspects are still important in today's classroom and what things might you point out to not do?

Reading by 9

Reading by 9 is a child literacy initiative that offers book lists, literacy programs and reading tips for parents and educators. Reading by 9 also accepts used book donations and distributes them to public schools through out southern California. I found that Reading by 9 was a helpful resource to any educator interested in promoting literacy amongst their students as well as offering information on how parents can become involved in their child's reading. At this moment, Reading by 9 is offering its 2009-2010 Parent Reading Guide for free. This reading guide includes a book list organized by grade level, story telling tips and kid's favorites. Best of all, the book is written in both English and Spanish. If anyone is interested in the Parent Reading Guide, please follow the link provided below to order your copy.


LA Times: Reading by 9

Out of Control Kids!

Today's observation brought to my attention the importance of classroom management. My group and I were privileged to talk to two completely different teachers (both taught science) and see how each of them managed their class. Which by the way was a total shocker! While one teacher had total control of his class the other was nowhere near. As future teachers, we all know it will take time for us to fully get a grasp on classroom management but along the way we must always look for resources to help us out. The most important thing I learned from today's observation is that it all comes down to the teacher and his abilities to handle the situation. The following link has great topics on classroom management; from schoolwide and classroom discipline to techniques that backfire. Classroom management not only will allow us to be effective educators but will also enable our students to effective learners. So don't let the students take control of the situation.

http://www.theteachersguide.com/ClassManagement.htm

Frontline- Learning in Virtual Worlds

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/resources/virtuallearning/

A very interesting take on the virtual gaming debate. As the number of students who are involved in online and interactive gaming continues to grow, it becomes more and more important for us as educators to familiarize ourselves with this virtual world. While this may help us connect and relate to our students, it is even more important that we look at the learning potential in these forums. This video raises some valid points about the opportunities created by online gaming for students to learn about themselves, how to successfully develop cooperative social skills, and other relevant real-life applications. This site provides some great questions for thought and discussion, which encourage students to examine the role virtual worlds can have in their real- world lives. There are also several online resources for teachers and students, as well as workshops and activities that can be taken into the classroom. Frontline even provides a forum for students and educators to share their thoughts on this topic. PBS.org is a powerful tool for educators that can help us keep our students up to date on current events, as well as challenge them to consider social issues as they affect our world.

Importance of Family in the Classroom

I found an interesting article on the Earlychildhood NEWS website. It was titled “Inviting Family into the Classroom.” I think that this is an important topic to discuss and consider because the family plays a huge role in the success of the student. The article talks about the importance of having the family involved in the early classroom environment—very young students. The author, Kathreen Francis, says that often too little attention is paid to the family as active participants and in the daily curriculum. She also says that since parents are the “experts” on their children, they should be considered a critical part of their children’s success. She offers some ideas about how to incorporate the parents and families into the curriculum. By creating a family-friendly environment, the students’ families will feel welcome in the classroom and probably more likely to participate in the activities of the class. Communication with the families is crucial and teachers can also invite the families into the classroom for special events and to come into the classroom and take part in activities. Francis firmly believes in the role of parents and families in the classroom and I agree with her. You will certainly have more successful students if you have parents who are involved and make time to spend with their children.
Website:http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=766