Stress - Students', Teachers', Parents'

This past week has been crazy with so many art projects and essays due. Now that I look back, I wonder how teachers, who have their own teaching and family worries, deal and work with students who have stress on their academics and at home, too. There's also the parents, who may stress over their income, putting food on the table, buying necessities, etc. So then, how do you relieve some of these stresses?

One of the many things that I learned from this course was to be more open-minded. I don't recall ever seeing my teachers so stressed that they couldn't teach a lesson properly. Everyone always seemed calm and was ready to teach everyday, which was helpful to us students because we were already stressed about learning new content and taking tests. Study is students' main priority. However, when it comes to teacher, when he/she is in the classroom, the students are his/her priority. And, at home, personal situations are a priority.

So, as a future teacher, I need to be prepared and to understand that while I may be stressed with many other unrelated-to-school problems, I need to put my students first whenever I'm in the classroom. Students need to feel that their teacher and school cares about them so that they will be comfortable in the school setting and work on improving their studies.

As for talking with parents, teachers need to be aware of family situations and understand why students behave the way they do, what teachers can help with, what they should not interfere with, and always try to keep the parents updated even if it is just an email.

Instructional Plan

In order to apply what I have learned from the class and the readings as well as my visit to Newark, I have decided to come up with an enormous project for the Culturally Responsive Instructional Plan. The plan will be for 10th graders in my graphic design class and the focus/topic will be on Port Newark. The students in my class will simultaneously learn about the history of the port in Brian’s history class, and they will learn about the soil changes and pollution that occurred over time caused by the port in Alex’s earth science class. In my graphic design class, the main concept that I want my students to learn is how to research and apply information they learned in school in real life situations. Furthermore, being able to use acquired knowledge for the benefit of not only other students in the school, but the students’ community as well will give the students in my class a sense of pride and expertise on the topic. They will be able to contribute to their community and make a difference in people’s lives by educating residents about the environment that they all live in. People in Newark may have heard about Port Newark, but may not understand or be aware of underlying problems and influences.

Students will ultimately be working towards a fair, which will be similar to an information event that will address the history and environmental changes of the Newark Port. The audience of the fair will be for parents as well as all of the Newark residents. However, there will be two parts. The first part is researching for information; the second part is creating a book about how the port affects each student individually; the third part will be the making advertisements for the fair; and the fourth part is to prepare to present students’ knowledge, influences, and history about the port during the fair. Because this project is very big, I intend to use two marking periods. The first marking period will consist of learning about the port in the students’ two other classes and using the information learned to first create a timeline of events and to then think of how the information taught by Alex and Brian affects students. For homework throughout the first half of the first marking period, students will be asked to research more information about the port and how it influences/affects their community, neighborhood, and family. Students will need to post their responses on their blog. However, if students do not have access to the Internet after school, they may hand write their responses and then come to school the next day to post their blog entries. During the second half of the first marking period, students will begin working on their books. Book layout design principles will be taught and students will be able to choose the format, i.e. digital, paperback, hardcover, etc. In their books, students need to include the history of the port, how soil changes and pollution occurred over time as well as their own thoughts about the port, which will come from the blog responses.

In the first half of the second marking period, students will begin to work on advertisement design for the fair. They will be posting their designs on the school website, around the school, on their blogs, and handing pamphlets out to family members and friends in their neighborhoods. The second half of the second marking period will consist of preparing for the fair, which includes all necessary charts, timelines, books, decorations, information pamphlets, presentations, etc. It would be ideal to hold the fair at the port; however, due to safety issues, I believe it would be better to hold the event at the school gym. There will be four stations and the first three will be divided among three parts regarding the port: its history, its effects on soil changes, and its contribution to the increase of pollution in the city. The last station will have students’ books where visitors, parents, family members, friends, etc. can look at how the port influences the students and also view what the students have been working on for two marking periods.

I intend the project to be big. This way, students are engaged and have responsibilities to fulfill rather than spend their time on the streets joining gangs or skipping school. As mentioned in Delpit’s article, teachers should teach more to urban students (221). Assigning fun and self-satisfying responsibilities will show students that the school cares about their students attending school everyday, their creations and ideas. Students will have the opportunity to present and show all of their hard work during the fair and through their books. Attending classes where the teacher lectures during the whole class time could be very boring. Without the opportunity to interact with peers and have core responsibilities to follow through, students will be disinterested in school.

Furthermore, the project also addresses necessary life skills that all students should learn in order to become successful in school and in the future. The seven main life skills that the project allows students to develop and practice are: 1) research skills – from the first half of the semester where students need to discover how the port affects them and their neighborhoods; 2) blogging and literary/writing skills – students will be able to practice expressing their opinions, questions and comments in written form on their blogs; 3) socialization – students will need to talk to family members and people in their neighborhoods for more information; 4) critical thinking/problem solving/creativity skills – students will need to figure out what content best fits in their books, what info can be eliminated, and how the content should be placed and viewed from an audience’s perspective; 5) group work – students will need to work with one another to prepare materials for the fair; 6) presentation and public speaking skills – students will have the opportunity to speak in front of a real live audience, not just in front of the class; and 7) technology skills – students will learn how to use various programs for bookmaking, presentations, printouts, etc. These seven main skills, as outlined in the “21^st Century Student Outcomes and Support Systems” are necessary for students to develop so that they are well-rounded citizens, especially in their communities, and are prepared to face the real world.

I mentioned the seven life skills as a necessity for students’ futures. However, practicing those skills during the project helps students to connect with their community by researching other residents’ opinions about where they live, looking into detail how the port affects current times and students’ lives, and understanding what roles students play in their neighborhoods and how improvements can be made. Having students learn more about the community is essential to building bonds between the students and the community they live in. An example would be learning about family history. Perhaps a few students’ ancestors lived in Newark years ago and were marines on a destroyer that was docked at the port in 1945 (Destroyer History Foundation, 1) or the health affects of their parents, who work at the dock. There is so much information and family history that students can discover and learn about from the project.

Response to "Subtractive Schooling, Caring Relations, and Social Capital in the Schooling of US Mexican Youth"

     One example that stood out to me from the reading is the one where the school only provides Beginner and Intermediate-level Spanish courses. Out of the Mexican students that are second and third generations, most can still understand basic Spanish from hearing the language from their ancestors. So, without providing advanced Spanish courses, it is a no-brainer why students are bored and uninterested. Without any advancement in their Spanish-speaking skills, students lack the opportunity to fully develop what prior knowledge they have of the language and culture. Thus, students grow up only knowing the basics and are not able to fully apply what they know in conversations that need the higher-level Spanish language knowledge.
     Another example involves the ESL classes. Having the students quickly become fluent in English and employing mostly teachers who do not speak Spanish discourage students from being connected to their heritage and culture. In order to keep the Spanish culture as well as learn American culture, teachers should also be more dedicated in understanding and knowing their students, rather than solely focusing on the curriculum and how to address it effectively.

Summary and Own Thoughts towards Film Festival

I forgot to post this entry for the Film Festival...so here it is: 

The first clip that was shown is titled, “Jazz Hands.” The setting is at a dance audition, featuring Ms. Votan, Ms. Spina and Ms. Archbold, who has a prosthetic hand. While performing, Mary Archbold’s hand fell off onto the floor. The dance instructor was appalled at the sight of Mary’s missing hand, which is picked up by one of the other dancers. Throughout the audition, Mary screwed her prosthetic hand back on.

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The main screening that was shown is called “The Importance of Tying your Shoes,” which the story follows the main character, Alex. Alex was fired from his theater-acting job and has been unemployed for some time. His wife, Lisa, gets frustrated when Alex forgets to pick up their daughter, Josefine. Lisa kicks Alex out, telling him that he needs to find a job. Alex goes to an employment agency and reluctantly accepts a caretaking job at Paradise. There, he is employed by Anna-Lene, and he works as an assistant for Hanna, the human resources director. On his first day, Alex is twenty minutes late. He meets Katarina, Leif, Ebbe, Kristina, Kjell-Ake, and Filippa, the people that he and Hanna are taking care of. Alex learns that the group is consisted of people with disabilities and are taken on a bus, driven by Hanna, to work at Paradise, cutting and packaging lumber throughout the day.

            On the second day, Alex is still a little bit late. During the day, the group reviews how to tie shoelaces. Kristina hates doing the activity. Alex doesn’t understand why they have to keep on repeating the activity when they can just wear shoes with Velcro, which is much easier to fasten than shoelaces. Hanna admonishes Alex, saying that the group needs to learn control. In the afternoon, Alex takes the group out for a walk. They come upon a statue, and Alex encourages the group members to climb on top of the wood plank surround the statue. Everyone refuses, except Kjell-Ake, who is able to get on the wood plank, but is too scared to climb back down the stairs. Alex is unable to encourage Kjell-Ake to use the steps. He had to call the fire department to help get Kjell-Ake off the wood plank. The group’s parents are unhappy with what happened and with Alex. Back at the field where the group cuts and packages lumber, Leif feels suddenly ill from having a weak heart. Alex goes to get Leif’s medicine for him. At the end of the day, the group goes to Alex’s apartment and they listen to music.

            On the third day, Hanna is unable to come to work. Instead, Alex drives the bus and neglects to follow the daily procedures. He forgets to do the seatbelt check and is warned by the police. Rather than doing their daily chores of cutting and packaging lumber, Alex suggests that they play soccer, but soon ends when Alex accidently hits Ebbe in the forehead. They then go to a bar to watch a soccer game and orders ice cream, cola, and beer. As the group starts yelling at the soccer game, some customers who are also watching the game become angry. Alex defends the group when the other customers start making fun of the group. Alex and the group leave and go back to the working field. Hanna finds Alex and the group lounging inside the building rather than working. She soon orders them to go back to work.

            The parents are unhappy with Alex, but Alex is becoming closer to the group and questioning the methods that Paradise and the parents are imposing on the group. On the fourth day, Alex brings the group to a theater and Hanna gives them costumes to wear. They soon talk about auditioning on “Amateur Hunt.” Alex heard them sing the other day and realizes that the group, while having disabilities, has abilities as well. He tries to reason with the parents, but fail. Instead, the group goes to the auditioning alone. They manage to sing for a little bit, but have to stop because Leif’s heart. However, having seen their children on television, the parents force Anna-Lene to fire Alex. Alex secretly stays with Leif and the others at their apartment.

            Bothered by the strict limitations that the parents have for their children, Alex asks his friend, the bar owner, but also a musician, to let the group perform at his gig. Alex believes that his friends have more abilities than they are given credit for, simply because they are considered as disabled. His friend reluctantly agrees. However, that night, Alex finds Leif unresponsive in the bathtub. A funeral is held, and Katarina and Filippa sing for Leif. Leif’s mom thanks all of them for accepting Leif and being wonderful friends to him. She encourages them to continue to perform even if Leif is not there. She says that he would like them to.

The film ends with the group performing at “Glada Hudiks Dag,” where Hanna gives everyone in the group Velcro shoes. At first she was reluctant to be open-minded because she did not want to get fired. However, seeing them at the theater made her more aware of how much fun everyone was having. Once the performance is over, everyone cheers, and the parents realize how much their children can do.

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After the film, there was a discussion with two professors and Mary Archbold. They talked about visibility among the disabled and that being a part of the community means taking risks of being rejected, failure, etc. They pointed out how choices made for how people with disabilities should live are decided by people without disabilities. The question they asked was “What is the nature of the problem with disability? We learned how to tie our own shoes not how to be creative or be artists.”

This film and discussion made me think about my own impressions of people with disabilities. Similar to most people, I initially thought of disabled people as “objects of pity or charity.” However, this film made me realize that everyone has disabilities. At first, I thought Alex’s forgetful mind of his responsibilities was a disability, which it might be. But, it is something society thinks of as “normal” as opposed to Down syndrome. However, people with diagnosed disabilities are people as well. They, too, have their own abilities albeit different than others. But then again, everyone has different abilities. And, as a society we need to realize that no one is perfect. There is no such thing as a “norm,” because everyone has his/her own disabilities. However, we all have abilities and potential to succeed. This film really changed my view about life and people, as well as educated my limited knowledge about people with disabilities.

Culturally Relative Practices & Waiting for Superman / First year teacher

Some ideas of culturally relative practices toward my content area of art are:

1) Having students make a comic book based on cultures that they choose; one subject could be about family. The finished comic books will be shown at the school library, a local library and/or an art museum.

2) Having students pick their own artists to research. They will make an artwork based on what they've researched about their chosen artists. They will then present their artwork to the class describing how it is influenced by the artist and his/her works.

3) Working with students to make a class book on artists that is chosen by the students. They will need to research information about the artist they chose and will need to provide facts and visuals for the book. The students will have a section of the book to work on and at the end, everyone's sections will be put together. The book will be shown at the school library and enough copies will be printed for everyone in the class.

4) Going outside to draw nature. Have students draw their neighborhoods.

5) Designing their own game and setting up a carnival night for everyone in the school to attend. Posters and decorations will need to be made as well.

6) Having students walk around their neighborhood to look for artworks; i.e. graffiti. They will need to make a list with a description of what they saw, list any facts about the artwork, where it was found, and how the artwork impacts the community and him/herself.

For the second part of the assignment, we were told to watch a documentary about education. I decided to watch both Waiting for Superman and First Year Teacher. I didn't find many examples of culturally relative practices. In one part of Waiting for Superman, one of the teachers said that she found that her students responded with more interest in a rap song about math rather than just memorizing the information. In another part of the film, there was a video showing a teacher reading a newspaper at his desk while his students are passing notes and talking rather than being taught by the teacher.

One of the points that was discussed in class was that the documentary, Waiting for Superman, talked about "bad" teachers, but they do not explain how the teachers are bad nor how they can improve to become "good" teachers. If the Kipp schools are so much better than the public schools, why then can't the state make the standards for public schools the same as those for Kipp schools? Why do we need alternative schools where students need to go through a lottery process when public schools are already available? I mean, if public schools are mostly bad, then maybe it's better to just get rid of them and open magnet, charter and Kipp schools instead.

A comparison that I can make between the teachers mentioned in both documentaries is that the one in First Year Teacher put in so much effort to make sure she connects with the parents as well as the students. However, one of the teachers in Waiting for Superman didn't even respond to one of the parent's phone calls, and just said that her child was having difficulties reading without showing the effort that she would like to help him improve.

There's a lot to think about when it comes to "good" and "bad" teachers. But, I think that if we work together to clarify the distinctions between a "good" and "bad" teacher, we may see more effective teachers in the classroom.

Response to Articles

The four articles that I chose were:

1. "With 'angels' on her side, Newark principal fights for school's survival"
2. "Promise vs. Reality in Newark on Mayor's Watch"
3. "Unemployment in Black Cities: Newark, New Jersey"
4. "School Reform in Newark"

My analysis of these four articles has made me realize that it isn't enough for a group of people to be committed to changing their society for the better. In order to make improvements, the society as a whole has the responsibility of working together in order to make its community a better place. While culture may hold some people back from change, such as seeing other people of the same racial group not working and believing it is okay to do so, citizens of a community need to have the courage and strength to take risks in creating new ideals to make the place they live in better. I was bothered by one of the passages in"Unemployment in Black Cities: Newark, New Jersey"when it talks about one of the contributions to the two percent drop in unemployment is "the presence of numerous large white-collar employers such as Prudential Financial..." It seems as if this one section of the city is holding up and supporting the whole city. But, then when you try to ask what is going on? And, why can't education improve in the city, you run into situations such as those of in the article, "With 'angels' on her side, Newark principal fights for school's survival" where teachers want to teach their students, but cannot do so because of low educational fundings. Then, as in the article "School Reform in Newark" where teacher evaluation is being changed and looked over, I believe that it won't have much of an impact without fundings needed to support not only the personnel in the schools, but also the condition of the schools and materials necessary for education. So, it is not just the citizens of a city that can make change, leaders of a city need to work together as well in order for change to occur. If there is even a small group of people who disagree, such as in "Promise vs. Reality in Newark on Mayor's Watch" there will be setbacks and delay the process of change and improvement.

Response to "The Knapsack of Privilege" and "Chapter 7 of the Sensoy Reading"

These two readings made me think about the time when I was in kindergarten and thinking that I was the same as the blonde and brown-haired actresses and models on television. Sure, we had different hair colors, but we were still people who had a head, two arms, two feet and stood upright. It wasn’t until a couple years later when I realized noticing that there were no Asians on television. When an Asian would show up, I would be amazed. I still get a little amazed now, but not a lot. I think that this experience and observation support the two readings. Whites dominated the media and with so many audiences, the media had control over racism in terms of influencing people to think the same distinctions that the Whites in charge of the media made. For me, this was an interesting to read, perhaps because naively I always thought everyone was the same.

However, one concept that bothered me at first was questioning how stereotyping could be eliminated when people claim to have their own identities in the world. For example, countries populate the world. People identify themselves according to which country their from or are loyal to. People who agree with each other in terms of philosophy, life style, etc. are similar in those aspects. Then, there can be another set of people who believe in something else and so forth. With so many different groups, isn’t it obvious that stereotyping would occur? Group A would see that there is a difference in thinking compared to Group B and so forth. So, how is it possible to even eliminate stereotyping?

I tried to explain my thoughts to a fellow teacher education colleague and what she told me more optimistic about the issue. She said that the goal that we’re trying to teach students about stereotyping is to not judge a person on what he/she can or cannot do based on appearance. Her explanation made sense to me, reminding me what my former teachers have taught me. I had forgotten about the common phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I was so caught up with the idea of different groups. For example, when it comes to medical issues, which racial group is more likely to be prone to a disease or live longer, etc? But, after thinking about it for a while, I came to two conclusions: 1) Genetics make us all into different human beings with some similar attributes. Thus, it isn’t stereotyping if you are told to get a certain test simply because others who have similar genetics needed to. It is the generalization of similar genes that produce medical findings; however, 2) it is stereotyping if someone were to tell you that you couldn’t do something because of a possible disadvantage due to a particular genetic make up in comparison to other similar ones. While you may share the same attributes as someone who is sick, you may not get sick yourself simply because you have other genes that make you different. (Hopefully, this makes sense.)

Thus, coming back to stereotyping, I’ve concluded that there will always be distinctions among people. Keeping an open mind to learning who other people are and not prejudging who they are and what they can/cannot do is crucial to not only teach students but for teachers and parents to practice as well. If we, teachers, cannot be open minded and not judge people upon meeting them for the first time or seeing others, then we cannot successfully teach this crucial lesson to students. They need role models to show them what is right and the most rewarding view on life. Teachers need to be mindful with their students as well, to not judge their strengths or weaknesses based on outward appearances. We need to truly understand our students in order to help them use their own strengths to become successful in life.

Own Thoughts: Difficulties at Home that Promotes Disinterest in Schoolwork for Students

It's been a while since I've last posted, which is obvious. Rather than feeling mostly ashamed of my lack of action to post my assignment, I saw this hiatus as a learning experience. A month ago when I missed my fourth blog post, it was due to an urgent family issue. Throughout the next couple of weeks, I've been bothered by what happened at home that I didn't feel like posting my assignment response. But, when another two weeks passed and I still hadn't posted anything, I realized that I was going too far in neglecting my assignment. (Even as I write this blog post, I am still neglecting the assignment that I should have posted weeks ago).

This experience made me think about two topics: 1) realizing that students may be going through the same experience I am, which is having issues at home; thus, they are unmotivated or disinterested to be at school and do homework; and 2) questioning when it is too much for students to neglect their assignments and do something about it or leave them be until things are better at home.

While it may be obvious, sometimes when one goes through similar experiences him/herself, he/she is able to fully understand and emphasize with others. I thought more about having students who are unmotivated in class. Is it because they are uninterested in the material being taught? If so, how do I make it more appealing to them? Or is it because something else unrelated to school is bothering them? How can I use the classroom and what is being taught to "cheer" the students up and show them that there is an optimistic side to life? Besides making sure that students understand what they need to learn, I think it is the teacher's responsibility to care and watch out for students' unusual behaviors. This last statement may also seem obvious, but there are teachers who do not care for the well-being of their students.

However, when is it too much or nothing works? For example, many weeks has passed and the student still doesn't want to do any assignments even when you, the teacher, knows that things have been resolved at home. Or, if things haven't be resolved and go on for months, how do you work with a student who just doesn't seem interested no matter what you do? For my first question, I'd say from the start of noticing the unusual behavior to figure out what the student is going through. Then, rather than letting him/her miss their assignments or give extension dates, give them inspiration to do their work. As for the second question, I don't have an answer yet. My first thought would be to have the student go to a psychiatrist, but I'm not sure if that option is too extreme or not.

Anyways, these are just some thoughts that I had. Perhaps they are explanations to my lack of motivation in completing the assignment, even though I knew that I should be completing it.

Response to “Poor Kids,” Blog and “The Moth Radio, Episodoe 1305, Segment 3”

                  The main cause of poverty that can be concluded from the documentary and discussion is the lack of a well-paying job. It was heart breaking to hear the children in the documentary talk about poverty. Some of the children, such as Brittany and her brother Roger as well as Jasmine, Johnny and their two other brothers, had stable and well-to-do lifestyles before. However, when their fathers lost their jobs, they didn’t have enough money to pay the bills. They sometimes didn’t even have enough money for food and/or shelter. Worrying about how to pay the bills, buy clothing and food and survive becomes a priority. The children living in these poor households will always think about food, having limited possessions due to constant moving and how they can help their parents get more money.

This cycle of constant worrying, stress, and moving from one house to another affects children’s education. Without having a stable home and/or income, children will either be unable to attend the same school or have insufficient necessities to do well in school. In the documentary Kaleigh talks about how she is not enrolled in a school because her family is constantly moving around from motel to motel, and perhaps to a house if affordable. It was amazing to see how mature the children are. They understand what is going on, can sympathize with what their parents must feel, and acknowledge that education is the key to leading a successful life.

In order for children to stay in schools and off the streets, such as those kids in the “The Moth Radio, Episodoe 1305, Segment 3” recording, they need an environment that is safe, educational, and motivating. While neighborhoods and locations of school may be dangerous, teachers need to make their classrooms a safe and motivating environment where their students will be motivated and interested in learning. Because leading a successful life requires a high education in order to obtain a well-to-do job, education is very important to the future generation of career workers. Teachers need to also come up with lesson plans that are not only interesting, but educational not only in content but in life skill development that children will need to know how to use in their future careers; life skills, such as social, critical thinking, problem solving, presentation, etc. Keeping children off the streets and in the classroom will encourage today’s children to become learners and problem solvers, who will be able to decrease the poverty rate in the future. Having a high education and life skills will help children become successful and lead lives where their own children won’t have to go through what their parents went through.

Schools and teachers are not the only places and people who need to be aware of the lives of children, especially those who are poor. Communities need to have stricter policy in making sure that the environment is safe for its residents. Enforcing policies that make communities safer and motivating children to learn and go to school will help the communities in the future when the children grow up and start to run and take care of the communities themselves. Both schools and communities also need to offer courses that educate the residents in daily and world knowledge, such as healthcare, money management, etc. Having an educated community will provide higher-paying jobs and companies as well as give children the opportunity to learn more about the world they live in.

However, some questions I have are: How does a poor community offer these courses when families are thinking about working and just getting by in their lives? When do these families have the time to even go to these courses? It seems as if there is no immediate solution to curing poverty. However, I'm glad I watched the documentary. As I've said in our class blog, I don't remember talking about poverty all that much while in school. This is an effective method to opening children's mind to people around them. There is so much out there. Without being open-minded to diversity, children will grow up being biased and not being able to deal with people who are different.

Response Paper to “Not Enough to Live On”

Last week’s activity involved the class splitting into several groups and each group was assigned to a county and, later, with a job position. We had to look at our “salary”, which was included with our job position, and look at the index from the reading to determine where we could possibly live and survive. I learned about two aspects of teachers: 1) the teacher’s responsibility in the classroom and to students; and 2) teacher’s own living experiences in New Jersey. Pertaining to the first aspect, I learned that teachers have to do more than just teach. During the activity, I felt stressed even though this was not real life. Thus, parents who are actually going through these hard times, have enormous amounts of stress. I realized that children from those households will not only be affected by the living conditions, but also by their parents’ stress and worries. Teachers who have these students will not only have to understand how children deal with family issues, but teachers would also need to be open-minded in being aware of the parents’ situation. The reading mentions all the various family combinations that are present. Knowing how to talk to and work with students from all types of family backgrounds is also not easy.

Not only do parents feel the burden of New Jersey’s high living costs, but teachers do as well. Last week’s activity helped me realize how hard it is to live in New Jersey. Some salaries weren’t enough for the standard living costs. Teachers only work for ten months and will need to find another job for the summer if their teaching position does not have a sufficient salary to provide funds for the summertime.

This in turn along with the second reading makes me think about my own future and how I would be able to survive with a sufficient income. According to the reading, the lowest income sufficiency household combination is two working adults living together. Sharing housing and food costs will help lower spending, which would allow those households to save money and have enough to live comfortably. The reading also reports that the highest income sufficiency household combination is a single mother living with her child or children. Not only do children require the necessities, they need to time with parents to talk and play. This requires a lot of energy, especially from single mothers who are working full-time. This reading makes me feel that self-sufficiency and living on one’s own in New Jersey is scary. For now, I’d probably continue living with my parents and help lower housing and food costs. 

Response Paper to “The Real Cost of Living in 2008”

Truthfully, I never thought much about the living costs in New Jersey. Before reading the report, I had been aware that the houses in my town, vary in sizes. The houses range from lake houses to mansions. Furthermore, children from these different houses often are in the same classes and schools together. While I recognized that there are differences in my peers’ house sizes and the things they would bring or wear to school, I never looked at the cost of living beyond my town.

            After reading “The Real Cost of Living in 2008,” I learned how some families could face such hard living burdens. Naively, I had always thought that if a household’s income was below a certain amount, it would need to have assistance in order to have sufficient funds to pay for necessities. And, incomes that were above a certain amount could not qualify for assistance, but are able to afford basic necessities. This idea or belief came from seeing my own household, where there were times when we could not qualify for loans from the state simply because my parents’ incomes were not low enough. But, I did not experience any hardships in eating three meals daily, having clothes to wear, etc. The report opened my eyes to not only the varying amounts of living costs in New Jersey, but also the reality that while not everyone qualifies for assistance from the government and/or state, it doesn’t mean that they are well off.

            In the report, the amount of income that qualifies for most assistance programs is around 30% below the federal poverty line. Furthermore, if the standard living costs are much higher, this means that household incomes in between these amounts suffer the most. With money tight at home, there is little to afford additional resources, such as higher education. While my high school consisted of various house sizes, the range in household incomes may not be very wide. However, if one were to visit a regional high school, one may find that there is a big diversity in household incomes. With so many students from different counties and towns coming to one school, there will be a wide range in students’ household backgrounds. This diversity affects not only the resources that schools will receive, but also the resources that students have, which will have an impact on students’ learning.

This knowledge teaches me that I need to be aware of and consider the differences that students can have so that I can address and connect with each student equally. It’s not just about ethnicity or level in learning. Being aware of various households and experiences will help me in coming up with projects that every student can benefit and learn from. 

Technology Responsibility

The news videos on Sexting are so powerful that they make me question why teachers or even administrators in those schools did not speak up to do something about the bullying. I'm sure if those photos have reached the principals that they should have held an assembly about sexting and cyber bullying. I believe that it is the school's responsibility to teach morals and ethics to children. Not everyone at home has the same background and/or the same opportunity to be aware of what is going on. However, at school is when the diverse community of students come together. That is the common location that should address these important and life-threatening issues.

For learning purposes, I believe that cell phones shouldn't be allowed to be used in the classroom. They will only distract students from working on the tasks at hand. In my future classroom, I plan to come up with art projects that have multiple parts to them, which will keep students engaged. I also want to take a day each week to let students discuss any topic or issue they want to talk about with the rest of their peers. I believe that this will allow awareness of problems, opinions, cultures, and differences to surface and be a part of students' knowledge. One example would be cyber bullying. I would ask the students questions to help them think critically, form their own opinions, and present/discuss them in a group. How would the students solve the problem if they encounter it? Have they gone through the experience themselves? How does cyber bullying affect people's lives? What are the consequences? Why is it important for teenagers to be aware of this issue? How can we prevent it from happening in our classroom? These are some of the questions I would ask my students regarding this topic. I think it is important for students to be able to vocalize their thoughts and talk with others who might be have similar experiences to gain new knowledge and ideas. They will not only be aware of what is going on around them, but the different views that people have. These discussions will help students to decipher what they've heard and incorporate how those ideas relate to their own.

It is important for students to see that their school is a safe and open-minded place. We, as future educators, cannot let even one student feel that they are unwelcome in the school and/or unable to talk to teachers and administrators. Teachers are there to help students. If students cannot even trust the adults at their school, how will they know to look for help? As mentioned in the videos, it is crucial to get parents involved as well. We need to be there for the children, at and outside of the house, to prepare, nurture, teach and keep them safe until they have the necessary capabilities to survive on their own and influence others. Not only are skills and knowledge important, understanding and practicing ethics and morals are essential to becoming an ideal individual and community member.

Fair Use and Education

Fair use is the use of limited portions of copyrighted works. With today's technology, it is hard to distinguish what is considered to be fair use or violation of copyrighted works. For example, if a teacher was to purchase a digital copy of a literature ebook and then distributed to each of her students, would that be considered fair use? The teacher did purchase the ebook and is using it for educational purposes, not for economic gains. Others would say that each student should buy their own ebook because the teacher's purchase was only for one copy of the ebook. Another interesting, yet related, example is if showing the class a Disney movie is considered to be a violation of copyrighted works? Wouldn't the same issue happen if one were to buy the Disney movie and show it to family members? Would they all then need to pay for the movie? I understand that another aspect of copyrighted works, such as DVDs is that when it is purchased, it can only be used for private viewing. Since classrooms only consist of a few students, would it still be okay to show the movie? It's not like the movie will be shown to every person that walks into the classroom.

Another aspect of fair use is that the limited portions used is only for viewing purposes. The original idea(s) of the copyrighted work should not be duplicated for economic gains. However, what if the fair use portions inspire students to create related works? While the students may not be thinking about selling their works, they've still made a work that is almost exactly the same as a copyrighted work. Then, should students not be encouraged to practice these types of "unethical" assignments where you use a copyrighted work as an example for certain ideas? As a conclusion, there is always to argue whether not a copyrighted work has been violated or used as fair use, but teachers need to be aware of the law and try their best to not violate it.

Flipped Lesson

Technology Lesson: Tutorials on Illustrator - to be used to create new logos

This lesson will be a part of the Company Creation Project that students will work on for fifteen weeks. After researching existing companies for their logos and purposes, students were asked to come up with their own company title, purpose and initial logo sketches. The next part is to use computer programs to digitize their company's identity and information.

Students are expected to the watch the tutorial videos that will be posted on the class website. After each tutorial, they are to try using what they learned by creating either replicating the designs or making their own. They are to also note what their experiences are with each step and video. They are encouraged to search for tutorials to learn for more advanced techniques.

The next day, we will form a group and present our designs by projecting them. Students will then talk about their experiences from watching the videos and using the program. Afterwards, they will get into their project groups to show to each other what the other didn't understand. I will be going around the room to help with any problems that are left unanswered. Once each group has their questions answered, they will begin to convert their hand drawn logo designs digitally using Adobe Illustrator. For homework, students are to continue digitizing their drawings and will need to complete at least three for the next day. Additional designs are welcomed in the sketching process as well.

Note: the video above is only one of the several that will be assigned.

Descriptive Artworks

Students will create an artwork, using any medium and size, based on an excerpt from Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Secret Garden." (pp. 74-75) Directions are purposely vague so that students will have the opportunity to use the excerpt to either create their own interpretations of the scene or create an artwork that is inspired by the excerpt. Not only intended to give students their own choice in artmaking and ideas, this assignment also helps students to practice responding visually to influentials things that they heard, saw, read, etc. Each student will then present his/her artwork to the class and explain the choices that he/she made with regards to the excerpt. It is important that students learn how to 1) be creative in coming up with ideas and responses to statements, opinions, etc. that exist in the world, 2) decide which medium (paint, markers, digital, photography, etc.) to use and how to use them, and 3) present and explain their ideas to the public in order to get affirmations, new ideas, opinions and inspirations. The audio of the excerpt can be found here: Descriptive Artworks: Excerpt

Assignment: Back to School Night

I see the usage of Google docs and embedding them into blogs useful to communicate ideas, directions, and information to students as well as parents. For this particular assignment, having the "Back to School Presentation" online gives parents a way to access the presentation and refresh what they've heard during the meeting. The embedding of the presentation on the blog also cuts back the cost of printing paper and keeps all posts together, without losing any information. Keeping a blog with posts of slides in it is helpful to parents who want to see what is being taught in the classroom and for homework or extra resources they can go over with their child.

Embedding presentations also help students in reviewing what happened during class as well as any additional learning that was posted during out-of-school hours. The blogs help to reach out to all the students as well as other viewers. Comments can be made for feedback and communication among peers and teacher. These characteristics help to build a virtual classroom that will enhance students' learning and access to more resources, an addition to classroom learning.

The Debate about 21st-Century Skills Movement

    I wanted to comment on the articles first, because after reading them, I felt that some were unconvincing and confusing while others seem to make some sense in regards to the authors’ arguments. I was confused because no one pointed out an example solution that would support his or her argument. Furthermore, the points brought up still caused confusion in what the 21^st Century Skills movement really entails. Are they only advocating for skills that businesses are looking for in the ideal employee? Are they really ignoring the importance of knowledge? Some of the critics, such as Diane Ravitch, attacked the popular trend by indicating that the movement neglects teaching vast information that is needed for critical thinking. This made me question: how much information is enough to use critical thinking effectively? Ravitch, in her Critical thinking? You need knowledge, continues to say that “the intelligent person, the one who truly is a practitioner of critical thinking, has the capacity to understand the lessons of history, to grasp the inner logic of science and mathematics, and to realize the meaning of philosophical debates by studying them.” So, would teachers be teaching students how the information they’re learning connects with one another? Or is it just about learning facts? If so, kids would need to study a lot and be able to connect the information on their own in order for them to be a “true practitioner of critical thinking.” How does one just develop critical thinking skills if they are not taught how things are related to each other or to even think in that particular way?

    The reason why I didn’t feel convinced by the arguments was because they didn’t give any specific examples. Jay Mathews relates a personal story about his final exam in his article The Latest Doomed Pedagogical Fad: 21st-Century Skills. It “would be applauded today by promoters of 21^st-century skills [because it involved] strategizing, analyzing, and collaborating.” He states that he didn’t understand what was going on, yet he still got a good grade when he turned something in. I can think of numerous examples that do not require 21^st-century skills, but one does not always have to understand to get a good grade. One example would be a physics problem where a student memorized the steps to get the final answer. He/she probably doesn’t really understand how the information is used, thus the student cannot apply it to other related and more complicated problems. The student can still get a good grade if the question is the same one, in which the steps to solving the problem is memorized.

    I also felt unconvinced with the articles that did support the 21^st –century skills. Judy Salpeter writes in 21st Century Skills: Will Our Students Be Prepared? Chris Dede’s beliefs that drills and learning just the basic information make students bored; thus, they stop wanting or even trying to learn. But, where is the evidence? Or rather, how does the “process of addressing a complicated problem” relate to the subjects at school? If the article explained an example of how these ideas would be incorporated in specific subjects, it would be more convincing. How is the ideal reader, who is an avid critical thinker, expected to make a decision without all sorts of evidence and support at hand?

    Not all the articles were unconvincing, however. I agree with two articles, one by Maura Banta (pro) and the other by Daniel Willingham (opposed). In comparison with the other “pro” articles, Banta talks about how the 21^st-century skills movement is “not about teaching either academics or skills; this is about blending the two and teaching one using the other.” This idea is portrayed differently than the other “pro” articles. She suggests that two should connect. I also think this is true. There should be a balance of both sides because both are equally important. Willingham clearly points out the benefits of knowledge and explains how it is needed more than skills: “knowledge is sometimes [needed] to identify the root nature of [a] problem” and as I have said earlier, “you might understand the problem and know what you’re supposed to do, [but, you will] still need background knowledge to use the critical thinking skill you want to apply.” As questioned above, how much knowledge should be taught if we are also teaching skills that are both needed in the future? Is there even enough time to teach all the knowledge and skills that are deemed important and relative to children’s futures?

    Both speakers, Ken Robinson and Jane McGonigal, make the argument or imply that creativity is crucial to developing the 21^st –century skills. Creativity allows people to think of various ideas that solve some sort of problem, from simply wanting to make a new design to figuring how the world can reduce pollution, for example. This idea may be true, but how do we go about developing creativity in the classrooms? If we were to come up with a common standard, is that giving too much power to the board of education administration? However, if students were allowed to choose their own learning, how will they know what they should know to prepare them for the future? Also, are jobs truly democratic, in the sense that you get to pick your own work? A worker may get to choose the method in which he or she completes a task, but the worker is still expected to get the task done. Unless a new idea is presented to improve the task, it is the worker's responsibility to see that it is finished. 

    Thus, as for teachers, they are giving children tasks to complete, not to benefit a company, for example, but to benefit the students in learning the necessary knowledge needed for the future. I believe that the basics are needed before talking about and teaching critical thinking.   If we were "discovering" what the basics were, then we would need to use some prior knowledge to think about the components of basic knowledge. However, we as a culture already know the basics, such as language, basic computations, reading and writing skills, nature, etc.; thus, it is our responsibility to teach these basics to students. From there, they can use critical thinking skills, taught and guided by teachers, to connect with more complex knowledge. Even further, higher-order thinking individuals will be able to solve the problems that have even fewer basics to jump from. To clarify, think of a block that has the most basic knowledge, such as the alphabet. Once a new knowledge is acquired, one will jump from the original block to the second, for example, a word. When another concept is understood (for example, a sentence), he/she will jump and progress to the third block (a paragraph) and so forth. Thus, we cannot have students start off at "block 10" and expect them to use higher order thinking when they have not understood "block 1" or even see the connections between blocks 1 through 9. An example would be giving a five-year-old an astrophysics book and asking them to find the solutions to the problems. Lastly, critical thinking can't be taught without making connections. The five-year-old would have nothing to connect with and would not be able to solve any of those problems. Thus, between each concept of knowledge, we can teach critical thinking skills by practicing how to connect prior and current concepts being learned in the classroom. 

Technological Standards, Learning Activity Lesson

Technological Standards

According to the core standards in technology, by the end of high school, students should know: 1) how to use technology, specifically the computer, for technical purposes and 2) as a resource for communication, obtaining information, creating solutions in all variety of formats, and practicing necessary life skills, such as creative and critical thinking skills.

The progression of technology achievement requirements is as follows:

1) By the end of Pre-K, students should be exposed to the computer and its basic function: turning it on and off, inserting CDs, opening the browser and the ability to navigate through it, using the keyboard and the recognition of its layout, experiencing how to take photos on a digital camera, and constantly using technology for interactive games or activities.

2) By the end of second grade, students should know how to demonstrate the use of the computer using specific terms and vocabulary, use the computer as a resource for depicting original ideas, stories, and solutions, as well as a communication tool to connect with other students. They should understand the importance and usage of citing resources.

3) By the end of fourth grade, students should know how to use the computer to create a more visual and multi-media oriented presentation of ideas and opinions as well as to analyze data. They should be involved in online discussions to learn and understand the problems other children around the world are facing. Finally, students need to be able to explain everyone's purpose in the society and why it is important "to practice cyber safety, cyber security, and cyber ethics." 

4) By the end of eighth grade, students should be able to create basic documents (i.e. flyers, etc.), share and publish their opinions on the Web, be a part in online communities to learn about problems around the world as well as the viewpoints others have about those issues, understand related topics to cyber use, and find information to support or oppose opinions.

5) By the end of twelfth grade, students should know how to create more complex documents (i.e. spreadsheets, charts, etc.), manipulate data through the use of mathematical functions, recognize the Internet as a life-long learning resource, create personalized digital portfolios for future career applications, using technology to create digital learning applications to offer solutions having gone through the process of evaluating resources and opinions of others and the collection of resources as support for their solutions. Students should also know where to search for valid resources and information.

Learning Activity Lesson

A learning activity that covers the technological standards in an eighth grade class would be to have the students pretend that they are docents in a group art show and are expected to present to the audience/viewers an art piece that they have extensive knowledge about. They would need to make a flyer with information about an artwork for the group show advertisement. A list with examples of artworks would be provided and students would need to pick one to research for information. They would need to research the historical factual information that would be put onto their flyers. Criticism on the artwork would be needed in the docent tour as they talk about their artwork. A minimum of five criticism is required. They would be shown which websites are suited to finding the appropriate resources and how to determine whether or not opinions are valid. 

In the next few lessons, students would be taught how to use programs on the computer to put together a presentation. After all the materials, research, and the formation of presentations are finished, parents would be invited to attend the mini group art show and students would present what they learned about their chosen artwork.

Review: Ms. Han's Website

Looking at a few district websites last week, I noticed that there weren't many teachers that had their own website. One of the most beneficial aspect of Ms. Han's websites is the organization and categories of information on the front page. The information is not only easy to find, but very relevant to both students and parents who want to know what is being and will be taught each week. District websites should follow this example in organizing information. Recently, I needed to look up the superintendents of Montclair's network districts and found that some websites had easy access to the information while others took multiple links or no possible lead at all. By categorizing the information under a general link or "folder" as Ms. Han has done with each grade level, will make it easier for viewers to find what they are looking for as well as browsing through the website.

Another wonderful aspect of Ms. Han's website is that it shows the beneficial use of the Internet and technology. Similar to the district calendars, there is an interactive one near the bottom of the front page. Future tests/quizzes and homework are also listed and known ahead of time not only by the links but by the calendar as well. This allows parents and students know what is coming up and how much time they have for preparation. Fortunately, many district websites have at least a pdf calendar link on their sites. The more advance, or interactive, calendar allows the conservation of paper as well as the easy accessibility rather than the need to download documents. There is also the usage of the Quizlet application on the website that pertains to the lessons being taught. This helps students to not only visit the site for information, but to practice and improve their skills as well. District websites should have a tab with various sites or applications that students can visit to learn more. It is without saying that many district websites can follow and take Ms. Han's website as an excellent model in creating an informational and helpful tool by using her website.

District Website Evaluation

I first looked at several districts from each of the categories listed on the "District Factor Groups" page. It was interesting to look at the websites from two aspects: the first, in the design of the websites for each district in general; and two, the types of website functions available based on the socioeconomic division among the districts. I think that in his article, "Reasons for Websites," Dr. Jamie McKenzie makes a valid point that more complex website designs require more investments to keep them running.  In comparing the websites from the different categories, it is obvious to see the more complex functions in the higher categories; however, the categories do not necessarily dictate the efficiency in the designs and layouts of the websites.

I decided to choose Mountain Lakes School District's website because I felt that, although the school district is in the highest category, it has both complex website designs (i.e. search boxes, flash player, log-in feature, etc.)  and some simple ones (i.e. clickable links) that other school districts in the lower categories have as well. From a design point of view, Mountain Lakes School District's website is organized with text divided in sections by the boxes of colors and is easy to navigate. Besides the continuous changing of pictures and the scroll down menus at the top, I felt that the scroll window with the upcoming events is very efficient, not only in saving space, but following the events.

From an effective school website point of view and according to Dr. McKenzie's four primary goals of an effective school website, Mountain Lakes' has the following:

1) It has an introduction on the front page with the statistical opportunities they provide to all students. The mission statement is hidden in a further link under the "Our District" link. I think that the brief introduction that they have is sufficient enough in luring in parents and other viewers to the website. It would be a lot to soak in all the information in their mission statement on the front page of the website.

2) The website introduction hints that by going through their website, one can see what kind of school atmosphere the district has. One aspect is the colors used in the website.

3) Under the link, "Community Partners," is a list of several organizations that help the school, i.e. the support of visual and performance arts by FOTA (Friends of the Arts).

4) The main site does have data on the community and its history.

The front page of the district website has the calendar, schedules, lunch menus, and forms essential to parents and students. The scroll down menus are helpful in looking at what the link includes and affords viewers less mouse clicks and going backwards to navigate through the website. Overall, this website has the general information students and parents, especially, need in order to keep updates on what is going on in the schools and what kind of education their children are receiving.