Looking at the video we watched in class and the remarks made by the President (passed out in class), if you were sitting at lunch with Obama and the Secretary of Education, what would you tell them about education in the 21st Century ? Not focusing specifically on technology in education but on providing education that is relevant and appropriate.
Here is a link to the video if you would like to view it again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8
If I had the chance to speak to President Obama during lunch, there would be a bunch of things I would like to feed him from my mind. Most of it, unfortunately, is not pertaining to the education reform. In the State of the Union Address, President Obama talks about trying to raise the ranks in the international study. He also talks about the push for technology. Lastly, he pushes for trying to keep students in school and decrease the drop-out rate. All of these points would be the biggest thoughts on my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe main point would be trying to increase our rating in the international study. The important thing is to engage the students. This was what was talked about in the video we saw. In order for the students to test well, they should want to learn and not just be taught to the test. The idea should also be not to pressure them into the test. The way teachers teach is directly to the test. If teaching was more relaxed and energetic, there would be more willingness to learn and better testing results.
Another point I would discuss is the growing need for technology. The generation that I plan to be teaching will be very well developed in technology and it would not be fair if their teachers refuse to use it because the students, I believe, will be more willing to learn with something they are comfortable with. That use of technology will only help students with their future to come.
The last point I would address would be the push to keep students in school. President Obama states that one quarter of the American student body is dropping out instead of staying in school. Going back to the first point, if we get the teachers to teach enthusiastically and relaxed instead of testing straight to the test, then there would be a better chance of fewer dropouts. We as educators cannot excite everyone to learn, but we can do our best. We also cannot possibly understand all the problems that go on in the home when we try to ask why America has such a high drop-out rate.
All these things in mind, if I could sit down with the president, there would be a very long discussion on many views, but there would be strict interest in the problems with education.
I think that President Obama made some very valid points in his address. Some of the points he made are consistent with the Turning Points 2000 recommendations. For instance, he states that the chance for every child to succeed is a responsibility that “begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities”. I, too, believe that a child’s environment outside of school directly impacts their academic performance. It is essential that parents stress the importance of education and that community leaders make it a focus of all of the members of their communities. The students of today are the future of our country. There is no escaping that fact. Patriotism has been a buzz word over the last ten years follow the tragedy of September 11th and nothing is more patriotic than assuring a quality education to all of the members of our country to strengthen our nation in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe President alluded to a similar idea when he implored the young people of America: “If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation; if you want to make a difference in the life of a child—become a teacher. Your country needs you.” This is a call to arms for future educators because, as Obama stated that “after parents, the biggest impact on a child’s success comes from the man or woman at the front of the classroom.” It is our responsibility as parents, as community members, and as educators to become the catalysts for educational reform.
If I were to have lunch with the President and the Secretary of Education, my question would be: How are we going to make it happen? I don’t disagree with anything that the President said in his address. Many valid points were made about the state of our education system and about where we’d like to be in the future. The President covered the “who”, the “what”, the “why”, and the “when” in his address, but what we all need to figure out is the “how”. My suggestion would be to make a bigger push toward staffing schools with teachers who are appropriately trained to meet the specific needs of their students. This is especially crucial in middle level education. Because of the changes going on within the minds and bodies of young adolescents, the middle school grades are the hardest years of school for a lot of students. Having teachers who are trained to navigate the stormy seas of young adolescence with these students is essential to ensuring their continued academic success. Middle level educators should be trained according to the Turning Points 2000 recommendations and design for middle schools and as a result would be important agents of change when it comes to implementing those recommendations that are on a par with the points touched upon by the President.
All in all, I think that Mr. Obama’s head and heart are in the right place and I, for one, would love to be part of the changing of the education system in America into the greatest in the world. While I realize that statements like that seem like posturing or “thinking too big”, to have a lesser goal would be selling America short.
If I were sitting at lunch with Obama and the Secretary of Education, I would tell them many things about 21st Century Education.
ReplyDeleteI think that as everyone knows technology is a major factor of our current lives and will continue to be in the future. I then agree that the sciences and mathematics are very important aspects in our children's education. Students need to learn how to use technology effectively for study and for furthering their success rates instead of just using it for recreational gaming or relaxation needs.
I also agree that it is a problem that we are educating people just so that they can go back overseas and put their education to work therefor leaving the United States of of the bargain. In order to bring more 21st century jobs here to America, we need to first train our people to work these jobs. Without the proper educational advancements and improvements, we are going to continue to lose people overseas and continue the downward spiral on our level of international academic competitiveness.
I also think that the price of higher education is such a financial issue and burden to many which causes discouragement to people choosing to further their education past that of high school. That i agree that the tax breaks need to be made in order to provide more encouragement and inspiration to those looking to further their education.
Also, as studies and result have shown, the schools following this current educational reform of Race to the Top are significantly improving in academic success rates. This reform has to be a collaborated effort of the communities and their teaching faculty to bring about the best possible teaching methods for their students to ensure their further success. The school faculties, community leaders, and families need to create an educational environment fit for their children to both improve and encourage their success. Teachers need to step up their game and actually change their current styles instead of just letting the students pass on by the skin of their teeth. They need to show genuine care and inspire their students that they can do anything they put their hearts to by not focusing on DISABILITIES but to focus on ABILITIES. I feel that todays society is becoming very lazy and we need to be shown that hard work does in fact pay off and we do in fact need it to bring our nation out of its ruts; to show other countries that we are just as advanced and academically capable as any other country.
After watching the video in class, the State of the Union address, and reviewing everyone's posts I did a lot of thinking about what I would tell the President and the Secretary of Education. I would have to agree with Obama's statements in the State of Union Address about focusing more on technology and trying to reduce the dropout rate. I strongly feel that schools need to try and incorporate technology into the classroom. Students are interested in technology and if you can integrate this technology into the classroom it will allow them to get excited about learning. Since I am a mathematics major, technology is a wonderful resource to have for many mathematical techniques. I also feel that students need to learn the concepts of mathematics before using technology to manipulate numbers and solve equations. There is a big debate over whether calculators should be allowed in the lower level mathematics classes because the students are not learning the basic concepts. The students are instead learning how to type the numbers into a calculator and get an answer without understanding the reasoning for their answer. I think technology is an amazing tool for students to have in the classroom especially for math but they need to understand the concepts behind it before using this technology. I took a mathematics class here in Edinboro that introduced all kinds of mathematics programs that would be wonderful to use in the classroom. The drawback to these programs is they are expensive to purchase and many school districts may not have them.
ReplyDeleteThe other focus I thought was important was the need to decrease the dropout rate. A lot of this comes from the home environment because the students may have a rough life dealing with personal issues. This makes it hard for them to concentrate in school. Educating is community wide and it takes parents, neighbors, and friends, as well as the teachers to educate the students. Children who don't have this support outside of the classroom usually struggle more and fall behind in school. This causes them to lose interest because they become frustrated and drop out. I think by using more after school programs and tutoring it might help to reach more of these students and make them more interested in staying in school. All of these changes in the schools take funding which I think is up to the government to change. Obviously our economy is not doing well right now but I feel we need to maintain our education because the students are the future of America.
I would tell the President and the Secretary of Education that kids today still have the same basic needs they have always had: needs such as friendship, socialization, love, and acceptance. But they may require that we adopt new strategies in teaching curriculum as they process information differently than the President, Secretary of Education, or even I myself do.
ReplyDeleteIf we are to begin graduating more than just 50% of the kids in America (the video said 50% while the president said as many as a quarter are not finishing high school), we must teach in engaging ways. We can’t simply instruct in a lecture style and expect the modern kid to furiously soak up what we are dishing out. Middle school students are accustomed to spending many hours each day focused on their computer, gaming system, TV and cell phone. One result of these mesmerizing habits is that kids have come to expect people to be as fascinating and exciting as digital devices. When they find out that we are not, they tend to tune out and stop listening.
I agree with the president that our schools must be a place of high expectations as well as high performance. I believe if we raise the bar the kids of today will rise to meet it. My 11th grade daughter recently told me that she is excited about her gym teacher announcing the requirement of all students achieving a minimum heart rate while in class. She is thrilled to have that demand placed on her. When people expect something from us, it shows they believe in us. It instills confidence in the youth of today to be required to perform, grow, and produce an expected outcome. It would help tremendously if parents would actively support and enforce a higher expectation for achievement, but first, they must actually begin spending quality time with their children.
As the president stated, the field of teaching should elicit respect from our nation’s citizens. Just as in South Korea, we too are a major force in the building of this nation. However, a good number of teachers perform poorly. We can probably all attest to this fact having been through many years of school ourselves. I agree that we should “reward good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones”.
If I were talking to President Obama about education I would say that he made some great, valid points in his speech. We do need to improve our scores on an international level and have a higher rank in people with college degrees. The change needs to occur at a young age. If we motivate our children early in life to succeed and do well, they will carry this on with them for the rest of their lives. I’m not saying ignore the students in high school now because they are important too, but we need to start implementing changes especially in the lower grades. Test results show that at a fourth grade level our scores are pretty well matched against international scores. By eighth grades the scores start to decline and even more so by the twelfth grade. We need to figure out why these young children are losing focus and try to fix it and motivate them to continue to do well. I would suggest trying to come up with a plan for more funding for college when the children graduate if they have done well throughout school. That is one of the reasons why we are falling behind in college degrees, school is expensive and students don’t have the money to afford it. I think that is part of the reason why students stop trying; they don’t believe that college is a real option for them.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama has the right idea about the responsibility starting in the homes. Parents are a child’s biggest role model. I would suggest place one, or if possible, a few computers somewhere that is accessible to the community. When dealing with lower SES communities most homes will not have a computer. The computer can be used for the students to do work that they need to get done or for the parents to have contact with their child’s teacher. Many schools are starting to post online the topics of discussions for the week, homework assignments or even links that relate to the topic of that week. If this was accessible, I believe it could make a large improvement for having the parents involved. Most schools have a computer somewhere accessible but not at the hours that would work for some parents. It would need to be a large timeframe so that it would be convenient for most parents.
Speaking of technology, we need to find a way incorporate more of it in the classrooms. Students need different types of tools to engage them and get their brains motivated. If a teacher doesn’t have any resources and has to lecture the whole time, a child will lose interest. I understand that we are in a deficit and funding is down, but these children are our future. If we don’t invest in them now, we won’t have much of a future. There is no better investment the investment of our children and their education. I would suggest trying to team up with Apple or other big companies and see what we could do to work them and get supplies donated. Even if there was a small amount per district, sharing that would we better than nothing. What better advertisement for a company than having thousands of children using and learning on your product?
Lastly, I do believe teachers play a huge role in the child’s education. I think we have already taken steps in the right direction as to how we train our teachers for their jobs. We need to keep heading in that direction. Yes we need knowledge of our content, but the other half of being an effective teacher is knowing how to reach these children emotionally. I think workshops should be offered for teachers too. Sure the teachers in an upper class SES may not need them, but I would bet a teacher in a low or poverty SES could learn a great deal from them. Even if it’s just teachers getting together to share their stories and explain how they handled a certain situation, it could be very useful. People’s experiences are what we learn best from. It is great what we have learned from Turning Points and Turning Points 2000 but now it is time for an updated version. Schools and children have changed immensely since 2000. We just need to keep updating and keep trying to improve our system.
I watched President Obama make his speech live. This was the first State of the Union Address that I watched in its entirety. During his campaign speeches and others since, the main focus has been on elimination of No Child Left Behind. I was happy to hear in the State of the Union Address that President Obama only mentioned NCLB once. Instead of focusing on getting rid of NCLB, he introduced new ideas that can help our children reach the same goals that NCLB issued.
ReplyDeleteIf I had the chance to sit down with President Obama, I would suggest two main ideas for school reform. Both of these ideas may not come easy, however, I feel that they are necessary in order to improve the quality of education in our schools today. First, I would petition for a national standard that schools go year round. Many states have already adopted this philosophy and it is my hope that many more soon will follow. When students have three months off for summer, they often forget many of the basic concepts they learned during the school year. When these students enter the classroom again September, too much of the teacher’s time is spent reviewing topics from the previous school year.
Next, I would ask for a level playing field for all students in this country. There is a huge gap between middle/upper rural class schools and urban low income schools. Wealthy schools get better teachers, newer technology and nicer buildings. I believe that schools taxes should be on a state or federal level. If these taxes were distributed evenly to all schools, we would ensure that these urban low income students receive the tools necessary to become successful.
I have always been a huge proponent of technology in the classroom. Watching the video in class, and others like it over the years, makes me realize that students live high-tech lives. However, my classrooms and schools do not have the technology that these new learners need.
If I were to meet with President Obama I would first address him about his remarks about education during his State of the Union speech. There are many things he said in this speech that I agree with and would like if he put even more emphasis while speaking about them. The first is that he does acknowledge the importance of teachers. In America, it doesn't seem like people respect teachers and realize the impact they really can have on the country. So for him to say if a child really wants to make a difference they should become a teacher, it really shows he understands. I also agree with his points about college education. However I would tell him that his changes are still not enough. I know there were plenty people from my hometown who had great potential but could not attend college because they did not have enough money, and there simply was not enough financial aide. One other point I would tell President Obama I agree with, is that we train people in our colleges, but then send them to other countries so they can compete with us. I would suggest to him to have grants similar to the Pennsylvania Teacher Grant. This requires future teachers to stay in urban Pennsylvania schools for a specific amount of years. Finally, the most important point of President Obama's that I agree with is that we need to set higher expectations for our students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this point and I feel like the video we watched in class is an example of why we need to have higher expectations with our students. The video talks has children stating they spend large amounts of time on the computer or playing video games, but they spend very little amounts of time on homework. If students knew their parents and teachers expected them to excel at all of their work, rather than just have it completed and make it look like they tried, students would work harder.
One point I would tell President Obama that I disagree with is that he specified training new teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math. I feel like the education department needs to focus equally on all areas of education. I think all subjects are equally important.
I have had a little problem with this blog. I think that it’s great that President Obama wants to improve the schools and the quality of students graduating from them. I think that it’s tremendous that he is calling all those young adults that want to make in difference in tomorrow’s youth to become teachers. What I had a big problem with was finding out that “Race to the Top” has a lot of incentive for merit pay and that is why it is so motivational for teachers to really try and make a change in tomorrow’s children. With this, when they make up great ideas and try to put together a new program for students or a new teaching technique that can make a big impact on students, the teacher is then rewarded with extra pay. It doesn’t sound bad, but in Pennsylvania most school teachers are members of the union and unions do not favor this idea, and rightfully so. What I want to know is, where is the middle ground for this? I want all the details on this. I was told that Pennsylvania Governor did not even go after this money because a large majority of schools in Pa are Union and against Merit pay. There are only a few private schools in Pittsburgh that put together plans in order to receive this money. I feel that if you are in the profession of being an educator, you should be doing your job to the best of your abilities regardless, if you are not, paperwork should be filed to eliminate that person from the profession. I personally know teachers that only teach because you get your summers off. They go to work, get by doing what they have to, and then go home. President Obama, my question is, how are we going to get rid of the educators out there that need merit pay in order for them to do a good job? How are we going to make sure that individuals are not just profiting off of another Gov’t stimulus plan to improve the future of tomorrow youths?
ReplyDeleteIf I had the opportunity to sit with the President and the Secretary of Education I believe it would be a rewarding experience. I believe that we would be able to talk about different things that we have seen occurring in the United States and specifically we could discuss the Education reform that is needed.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the Presidents State of the Union speech, I was able to have a better handle on how Mr. President views our education system. He views it in need of reform and sees the future in a positive manner. That is if we are able to work together to get to the desired future. He proposes a “bipartisanship” between the parties so that we can work together to offer the best education for the students. I would agree with the President on this. As simple as it sounds, we must work together to get what needs to be done finished. I believe that I would really try to talk to him about his “Race to the Top” plans. I think it is a start, but wonder how it will be and has been taken by more rural states. I think it is a basis that reform can build off of.
Another little thing I would say to the president is how much I enjoyed the analogy of the overloaded plan in regards to funding education. We can not short cut the education of out students. We can NOT short cut the education of our students, because when we do this we short cut our future. The students we teach are our future and when we realize that, it makes a big difference.
A way I believe we are short cutting our students is the teachers we leave in the schools. There are many teachers who are doing an excellent job, but there are many who are doing a mediocre or even a bad job. They contribute to the education these children our getting. So I would want to discuss more about what his specific plans are to help create better teachers and incentives for them. Being a possible future teacher, I want to know what he thinks he can do to make me better. Mostly because I want to know what he thinks I need and we as a whole need to improve on. We already know what the children want. They want to be engaged, activated, motivated, and brought to success. It now falls into our hands to take their hope and dreams and be the wind beneath their wings.