Day 12

International schools have created high-performing systems. Early child education in France uses a coordinated system with education, day care, and health services. There are positive parent-child relationships and many of the students get enrolled in preschools. In England, there is an extra hour spent on reading and math in the elementary schools. The government offers more funding for the lower performing schools, and they offer early intervention and catch-up options for those students who need it. Finally, Japan shows high performance in math and science. They have great daycare programs, great parental involvement and they have a longer school year.

The Alliance for Excellent Education program published a report on the effectiveness of teachers and ways to achieve success in the classroom. They looked at Finland, Ontario, and Singapore, once again recognizing the success of international schools. The schools in Finland, Ontario and Singapore are also very diverse, so using them as models for the United States schools is beneficial. The United States can learn from the efforts foreign schools have implemented, and possibly use the methods shown in the foreign schools for the further development in education policies.

Although the United States sometimes feels superior to other countries, I do think we can learn from some of the other education systems around the world. It is beneficial to look at the structures of other countries that are experiencing success. I think that the United States has gotten lazy in their education and they forget that it is a competitive world. Other countries are starting education sooner, they stay in school longer, and experience more rigorous schooling to prepare themselves for the real world one day.

International schools not only experience success in their students’ progress, but teacher effectiveness is also modeled. Teacher effectiveness has now moved to a top focus for the U.S. Department of Education. Ronald Edmonds described an effective school having these seven characteristics: a safe and orderly environment, a clear school mission, instructional leadership, a climate of high expectations, high time-on-task, frequent monitoring of student progress, and positive home-school relations. (478) Coordination of instructional planning, methods, materials, and testing is also something to improve the effectiveness of the school. Collaborative problem-solving, attention to goals, and responding to the development of academics for students are more things to consider when a school is striving to make their schools more effective.

There are five lessons presented in the article by Alliance for Excellent Education that will help shape an educational system for excellence. The lessons include “a systemic approach, strong recruitment and preparation, attractive teaching conditions, continuous support for learning, and proactive leadership development” (2).  These foreign schools offer systems for teacher and leader development, and they include coherent components that are not just a single policy. To develop teachers further, leaders in Finland, Ontario, and Singapore believe that getting the right people to teach and preparing them well is important. They also promote education as an attractive profession. Although that might be more cultural, they do strive to make their teachers well educated. The teachers in the foreign countries begin with good education, but the jurisdictions also “provide opportunities and support for teachers to develop their knowledge and skills, to improve their practice, and to grow as professionals” (6). Finally, the biggest success in teacher effectiveness in the foreign countries has come from the investment in leadership development and support. They try to build a school vision that all teachers can share.

I think that many of the characteristics Edmonds explained about effective classrooms and teachers were true. Support for education at home and open communication is important for teacher effectiveness and success for the students in the classroom. With a clear initial mission, the staff shares the same vision. When the teachers are well educated, they will be prepared to teach the classroom content, and will understand classroom management. Passing state standards is a focus in education, but it is important to realize that the teachers have also been called to nurture their students. God places people in our lives for many reasons, and teachers have the opportunity to impact a child’s life. If the teacher is well educated the classroom will work effectively, the students will obtain knowledge and skills, and God can be honored in the entire process.

Article from Alliance for Excellent Education cited above: http://www.all4ed.org/files/TeacherLeaderEffectivenessBrief.pdf

Day 11

Individualized instruction tries to “provide a one-on-one student-teacher or student-computer relationship” (429). The University of Pittsburgh developed the Individually Prescribed Instruction (IPI) project. The teachers assessed the students, and then developed an individual plan for each student. Objectives were stated in behavioral terms, and the teachers gave students individualized learning while continuing to evaluate their progress. A school in Hawaii has found their own way of success in the classroom. Although the other schools in the nation have similar goals and objectives, Hawaii Technical Academy does things in a different way.

Hawaii Technical Academy uses one-on-one tutoring to improve the students’ success. The school blends face-to-face teaching with online learning. The performance of the students is reviewed each week, and they use a standardized online curriculum. The teachers say that “success depends on two factors: an engaged parent and a motivated child.” The school offers education to students from all over the island who are seeking individualized approach. Hawaii Technical Academy realizes the importance of assessments, and they strive for academic success, but they also understand the significance of flexibility in the methods of education.

I can see the benefits of individualized instruction. If there was a way for each child to be assessed individually, and then given a specific plan for how to improve their progress in specific levels, I think the academic success would soar. Every student has special talents given by God and they need a little nurturing to expand those. With one-on-one learning, students are able to grow in their “lower levels”, and see their own progress in the week by week assessments.

Another instructional approach is distance education. Distance education refers to different uses of technologies. Some schools use cable or satellite television to expand the instruction from the limited resources offered in the classroom. Other schools use teleconferences to watch a resource person or teacher instructing other students. The students can watch the explanation as if they were right there in the room, and they have the ability to freely ask questions. They also have the opportunity to make decisions about other information that should be presented. Distance education is not just for the isolated or small schools, but it is also used to expand the students’ learning. Lifelong learning comes with completing a distance education program because knowledge of technology is important as it continues to grow.

The Hawaii Technical Academy not only uses one-on-one instruction, but they also use distance education. The Academy enrolls students from many areas of the island who need a more flexible schedule. The students come from regular public schools, military families, home-school, private schools, and charter schools. There are some face-to-face interactions, but the school works to improve students’ individual strengths and weaknesses from work done mostly at home. A 7^th grade student said, “You can work at your own pace. If you get it down in most schools, you have to wait for everyone else. This one, you learn it once and you go ahead and go on to the next thing.” In this case, distance education is used because it is more flexible, and because the school does not have enough room in its building to house all the students all the time.

I have done distance education twice in the last year and both times have been positive experiences. I do think the flexibility is nice. For people who have more than one job but still want an education, distance education might be their only way of getting one. As technology continues to advance, distance education is almost just like being in the classroom with video conferences and group discussions posted online. If God has allowed for these changes to be made and technology to grow, I think it is important to take advantage of that. We must learn to honor God in all our work through honesty and integrity. Education can be obtained in a variety of ways, the important thing for people is to find what God is calling them to do, and then do it.

Article cited above: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/06/02/33hawaii.h30.html?tkn=SMUF79BADwX2%2B9qLOth0dqZ%2FepNBar2o%2B21K&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

Day 10

There are government guidelines regarding prayer and religion in schools. The U.S. Department of Education developed a list of guidelines on religion in the schools. Students are allowed to organize groups, but teachers cannot encourage or discourage these groups. Teachers can meet before or during lunch for prayer or a Bible study. Students are able to organize groups to the same extent that students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student groups. They are also able to freely express their religious beliefs in homework, artwork and other assignments without fear of discrimination. The work should be judged “by ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance and against other legitimate pedagogical concerns” (285). As long as nothing is being forced and it is not during school hours, students and teachers have the freedom to practice their religious beliefs at school.

Although there is freedom in practices at school, some schools still do not allow their students to freely express their religious beliefs. Jordan Sekulow wrote an article for the Huffington Post about protecting students’ rights to religious expression. Throughout the article, he shared stories of different students in schools around the nation who had been demonstrating support for the troops, or wearing a rosary to honor loved ones who had died. The school districts were concerned that the religious clothing were “gang-related”. They did not want the students to wear a red, white, and blue beaded necklace to support the troops, or a rosary to remember the death of family members. The superintendents were taken to court. The personal stories about the students showed that they did not intend to start any controversies within the district. Raymond Hoiser was a seventh grader who wore a rosary to remind him of his uncle and brother who had recently passed away. As Sekulow claimed, “the rosary was simply something he wore to help him cope with two difficult losses.” There are basic rights in the First Amendment that protect students like Raymond from being suspended. His story has gotten national attention now, and hopefully it will cause school administrators to think before they fight the student in a religious action.

People are so obsessed with the phrase “separation of church and state”, that most do not know what freedoms the students have at school. I was surprised to read the freedoms we were granted; it was more than what I thought. Some of these freedoms include discussing religious beliefs in homework and projects, and organizing groups that meet at the school, just not during school hours. It is important that religious groups at school are treated the same as any other student group. It takes courage to start a religion club in a public school to begin with, but it has the possibility to draw people to Christ. My high school started an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) group right before I left. Although the teacher involved in the group was told to take his name off the posters and only put his room number, he still took an active role in the group. People in the group would bring friends and the group grew in numbers. I hope that the group is continuing in its success, and that more and more people are beginning to understand how great the love of God can be and how it is important to honor God in extracurricular events as well.

Article cited above: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jordan-sekulow/protecting-students-right_b_593909.html

Day 9

Bilingual education is an example of multicultural education. Multicultural education is known as “teaching students with differing ethnic and racial backgrounds” (372). Bilingual Education provides education in the students’ native language to non-English speakers. As the immigration numbers have continued to rise, bilingual education has expanded in public schools across the United States. Some believe that all students, no matter their ethnicity, should receive some sort of bilingual education. These types of programs, providing education in English and another foreign language are called “two-way” or “dual” bilingual immersion. In order to make the dual bilingual immersion programs successful in the future, leaders have recommended that multilingual competency should be stressed, along with mastering the English language.

There have been some controversies over bilingual education. There is an argument debating “first language maintenance” versus “transitional bilingual education” (TBE). First language maintenance emphasizes teaching in the native language over a long period of time to build the basics before teaching the students a new language. Transitional bilingual education would stress more intensive English instruction and teach all subjects in English as soon as possible. Those in favor of the maintenance believe that it will “help sustain a constructive sense of identity” in the minority students and “provide a better basis for learning higher-order skills such as reading comprehension while learning English” (375).  People against the maintenance programs think that there would be more separation and it could discourage students from learning English well enough to function well in society. Some of the staff at the schools with bilingual education have had different views as well. Those in favor of bilingual education believe that schools need adults that can teach English Language Learners (ELL students) in their own language. Others believe that these transitional or ESL (English as a second language) programs only require a few native language or bilingual speakers. Furthermore, some critics claim that bilingual education programs are “primarily a means of providing teaching jobs for native language speakers who many not be fully competent in English” (376).

As controversies are being discussed about bilingual education, funding for teaching the foreign languages are beginning to suffer. An article titled “Foreign-Language Programs Stung by Budget Cuts”, written by Mary Ann Zehr, discusses the recent lack of funds for foreign language instruction.  Many people are confused by the budget cut decisions because the Obama administration has spoken highly about the importance of learning language. Elaine E. Tarone, the director of the Center for Advanced Research of Language Acquisition at the University of Minnesota, says that language-resources may not be big, but they are effective. As Zehr puts it, “She said she’s frustrated that the Education Department hasn’t released a couple studies to the public that report on the effectiveness of language and international education programs authorized by the Higher Education Opportunity Act.”

The lack of funding, or the loss of funding for bilingual education, is hard for me to hear. I understand that we are having economic problems, but I do not think that a child should be deprived of a greater education because of that. As stated above, bilingual education has many benefits. I think that God intended to offer His children those great opportunities.  God has equipped us with everything that we need to have success in this world and learning a new language could be very beneficial. People could use the new language to share God’s great news. The new language could be used to bridge cultural gaps and work towards building the idea of shalom we wish for.

 I took part in a dual immersion program and I have nothing negative to say about the program. As I look back at my high school graduating class, I would say that about two-thirds of the top twenty graduates came out of my dual immersion program. Now, socioeconomic status, pride of the parents, and cultural background could have played a role in that initial decision for being placed in that type of education, but I do think that everyone in my class benefited from the bilingual education. I would say that for some students, learning the native language first is crucial for success in every area of life later on. However, learning a new language is easier when you are younger so I think that educators, students, and parents should take advantage of the younger language instruction.

Article cited in the blog above: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/06/01/33language.h30.html?tkn=SWQFp65wcExcRSUVvAhSUpquL5a%2FbrPBcrQe&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2

Day 8

When looking at social class, race, and school achievement, there are a few reasons for low achievement among the low-status students. There are twelve main obstacles in the classroom. Some of these obstacles include inappropriate curriculum and instruction, lack of previous success in school, teacher perceptions of student inadequacy, ineffective homogeneous grouping, overly large classes, and differences in teacher and student backgrounds.  Sometimes curriculum and instruction can expect that the students have a certain level of vocabulary or understanding of concepts when in reality they do not. When they begin to fall behind in subject areas, they have a harder time catching up, and it takes away from learning later on. Once students believe that they are inadequate learners and lose control of their future, they are less likely to work hard to overcome the areas that are behind in their ability to learn. Some teachers look at their classroom and see low achievement and jump to the thought that their students cannot learn. When a teacher questions the students’ learning potential they are less likely to work hard to improve their academic achievements because it could require more of their energy. Sometimes students who are struggling are also put into small groups, but those groups tend to be taught with lower expectations.  There have also been too large of classes and it makes it harder for teachers to provide sufficient help to overcome the difficulties in learning. Smaller class sizes offer the teacher and students more opportunities to work on more critical thinking. Teachers from middle-class backgrounds may have difficulty understanding and motivating their disadvantaged students. It is difficult for the teachers to communicate effectively with their students because of the difference in dialect, language, or cultural background.  

In a blog on edweek.org (http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/futures_of_reform/2011/05/bolder_broader_action_strategies_for_closing_the_poverty_gap.html?cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1) titled “Bolder, Broader Action: Strategies for Closing the Poverty Gap”, written by Secretary Paul Reville, explained the recent ideas of school reform. Reville referred back to his thoughts claiming that education reformers should realize that “closing achievement gaps is not as simple as adopting a set of standards, accountability and instructional improvement strategies.” He continues with his arguments as he points out that,

“it is now clear that unless and until we make a more active effort to mitigate the impediments to learning that are commonly associated with poverty, we will still be faced with large numbers of children who are either unable to come to school or so distracted as not to be able to be attentive and supply effort when they get there.”

This blog explains lots of the injustices of the education system and how it is affecting all of the students. There needs to be a new way of doing thing within the school districts to help the lower-achieving students end up having success in the classroom. It is important to look into the classroom and see how things can be changed to give the students the best learning environment possible.  

                It is sad to see how the struggle of low-status students is a continuous struggle because nothing has been done to step in and fix it. I do not like reading about teachers giving up. I feel like some of the things described in the text about the teachers feeling frustrating and just setting the standards lower can relate to the situation I am witnessing at Nathan Hale Middle School. I have grown up with my mom’s stories from her experiences and she has always been one to reach out to those struggling students. Yes, that extra energy can be draining, but in reality I find that the extra time spent helping a student can be very rewarding. It is important to remember that God has an upper hand on these situations and he has a plan for each one of His children. Even if they are in poverty now, they might be able to change the outcome of their future through something in the classroom that gave them the confidence to find greatness. It would be hard to know when to keep moving and when to slow down and help a few students catch up but there is time to find a balance. It is hard hearing teachers speak negatively about their students because I know that if the student continues to hear something about them, one day they will begin to see that comment or thought as true. While being at Nathan Hale, I have seen and heard things done by the teacher that I was not too happy with, but it has helped me think about my actions in the particular situation and plan for similar future encounters, going about addressing them in a God honoring way.

Levine and Levine provide an intermediate viewpoint, in midst the revisionist view and the traditional view that realizes that not all “low” students fail, and not all “high” students have success. However, many kids tend to “freeze” at their parents status because they might not know any other way or have the resources to get out more. Schools do not continue the existing social-class structure into the next generation, nor do they provide sufficient opportunity to break the general pattern in which many working-class students perform at a low level. As stated in chapter 11, “social and demographic trends have also concentrated many children in low-income urban and rural communities in schools extremely low on achievement measures” (350).  Some students are placed in schools that reinforce their disadvantages through ineffective instruction, and other students attend schools with “teaching and learning conditions more conductive to high performance” (350).

There is such a high focus on standards and improvement of the instruction in education. In the blog on edweek.org talking about closing the poverty gap, the author realizes the importance helping those students stuck at a lower socioeconomic level. I think the ideas behind the blog noted the ideas in the intermediate view in the sense that not all “low” students fail and not all “high” students experience success. Reville states that, “we must create a healthy platform in the lives of all our children if we expect them to show the learning gains expected to result from optimized instructional strategies.” There need to be strategies with measurable outcomes to guarantee success in the schools. Some of the strategies might include transforming the lower performing schools and looking at their teachers and administrators.

The biggest thing for me to remember is to push kids toward success no matter what. I find that while looking at the Christian worldview, God wants us to love everyone and He created everyone in His image and loves all of us. With the organization “By the Hand” they take the students struggling in areas at their school and they offer them an afterschool program with many benefits. They offer students a meal, and help them grow in their faith with God and tutor them in the areas in school they need help with. The organization has had a lot of success stories coming out of their program and I think they do a great job helping the students see something greater for their lives. A lot of the students in this program seem to gain the right mindset that they can do something greater than their parents or siblings and they refuse to be frozen on the socioeconomic status that their parents are at. I think that this organization is a great thing for these students and if they really commit to what the program is offering, it could change their lives forever.

Day 7

Peer culture normally does not help the academic goals of the school. Many school aged students gain confidence through the acceptance of their friends, their athletic ability, and how they look and what they have. When students were asked what the best thing about their school was, almost 40% of the students answered “My Friends”. It is important to have a way to promote peer relationships in a way that will not hinder on the learning. One way that this can be done is through teaching the students to learn cooperatively. It is important to teach interpersonal and small-group skills along with encouraging the students to interact with other aged students and to watch out for the wellbeing of others in their classroom and school.

Recently there has been a new movie out called “American Teacher”. I have not seen the movie yet but I have seen some clips from it after reading a blog posted on edweek.org from Anthony Rebora. (http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2011/05/the_struggles_of_the_american_teacher.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2) Rebora gives an overview of the movie and explains that the central theme of the movie is money. The movie also talks about five k-12 educators from around the nation and what they have to do on a day to day basis for their profession. Rebora said that there was a panel discussion after the preview of the movie and one of the teachers there said “I think it’s about time there’s a film like this.” I think that teachers across America would be able to talk about the effects of peer culture on their classroom but also the peer culture in the workforce. Teachers are special people and they are preparing students for the world and for whatever career they decide to pursue.

Yes, I think that teachers in America have a hard task, and yes, I do think that their job is very important, but I do not think the focus can be money. A lot of teachers have a heart for helping their students, and that is how it should be. In my experiences with watching my mom in her classroom and hearing her classroom, I have grown to have a passion for helping kids and for getting through those harder days to reach the ones that are the most rewarding. Challenges in the classroom are expected but I have the highest outlook on it all because I know that God will help me through any situation. I know that there is a reason I have been called to this profession, and I strongly believe that I will be placed in each one of my student’s lives for a specific reason and I hope to be a light in their lives. It is important to have cooperative learning in the classroom to help the students learn about loving one another and they can be honoring God in that way. God will provide for the teacher and the student in whatever way is needed. I believe that teachers can be seen as angels in the lives of their students, and if they take the time to care about the students as people, and guide them towards the right decisions in and outside of the classroom, they can have the greatest impact on the lives of many.

Philip Jackson studied the classrooms in elementary schools and he found a diversity of specific subjects, but in terms of the activity in the classroom, there was not much difference between the schools.  He saw the usual structure of things happening not because students wanted them to, but because it was time for them to happen. There were a lot of rules such as no loud talking and raising hands if there was a question. The “rules of order” were implemented in order to prevent disturbances. Further studies were done by John Goodlad and they found a similar pattern with five main points. The group is treated as a whole, and the emotional tone is flat or more neutral. In this type of classroom culture, there is a great stress on order and obedience and the enthusiasm is controlled. Most of the work done includes listening to the teacher, taking notes, and writing responses. He concluded his studies by presenting the information that instruction never seemed to go beyond simply the procession of the information, and there was no effort mad to emphasize thinking or further curiosity.

In the blog previously mentioned, the author, Rebora talked about the recent film that came out and talked about the struggle that teachers have. I am not sure how much the film focuses on the positive effect the teachers had on their students but in one of the clips I saw, the student was contacted by her old teacher years down the road after her dad had passed away. If teachers simply focus on the standards and the specifics in the curriculum, the students will never be able to reach their full potential. As Goodlad explained that students “scarcely ever speculate on meanings” (303), I see a greater problem in the educational systems. It is not just how teachers are being treated in terms of their salary and long hours worked; it also needs to be what they are doing for the students. Maybe teachers do not make that much, and maybe they do work a lot of hours, but it could be those teachers who are taking the extra steps to help their students grow. I think I want to see the film for myself to see where the emphasis is really put, but I do know that there are teachers who have the right idea about helping their students and who refuse to get stuck in that “rules of order” classroom culture.

At Nathan Hale Middle School, there are a lot of struggles in the classroom because of situations occurring outside of the classroom. However, I do think that there can be a different culture and community within the classroom. One thing that I want to do when I am a teacher is have a set community and “rule of order” for my classroom. I want my students to feel comfortable and not judged in my classroom and I plan on allowing my students to think critically and beyond what the curriculum is requiring. I hope I can be that teacher that lots of students remember for more than just their 3^rd grade teacher and I pray that I will be able to impact my students in a way that they might see the light in me and find their ways to Christ. God has called people to their profession and we have to remember to live each day honoring Him. I think that holding students from experiencing greatness is not what God intended for their lives. I plan to be fully committed to my classroom and the success of my students not only on the standards and tests but with their dreams.

Day 6

One philosophy of education is Pragmatism or Experimentalism. Within this philosophy, reality is based on experience. This experience comes from interaction with the environment, and it is always changing. Knowing comes from those experiences as well and there is a focus on the scientific method. The values in this philosophy are situational and relative. There is a great focus on problem solving in the instruction.

The way we decide to teach things is based in these types of educational philosophies. I read an article on edweek.org (http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/05/26/33kiner.h30.html?tkn=PQXFH115XKNxD6%2FjhyctrlwcfYNmJqr4JtbM&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1) about Booker T. Washington School and their philosophies behind their education. They focus on love and really raise the expectations of their students. The author and principal of the school, Alisha Coleman-Kiner, said it right when she said, “After all, children rise to the expectations we set for them; they thrive on the support we give them to meet those expectations. But before we set high expectations for children, we have to love them.” This school found great progress in implementing more leadership opportunities, and they grew to realize that their jobs were to develop human beings. Pragmatism philosophy shows education through experience and for some kids, experiencing things is the best way for them to learn and remember specific information.

While looking into the details of the Pragmatism philosophy, I was reminded of the worldview questions. In the Christian worldview, we know what we know through the experiences and the faith that we gain in those experiences. However, for us, the ultimate reality of it all is God and that cannot be proven by use of the scientific method. I love the idea of the experimental process and I see great benefits in having the kids actively learning rather than taking down notes and memorizing information for test. I would rather give them the opportunities to get hands-on experience to be able to have recognition later of their senses during that particular experience or activity.

The theory behind the philosophy of Pragmatism is known as Progressivism. The goal of progressivism is to educate people based on their interests and needs. The schools that are rooted in progressivism have a lot of activities and projects for their curriculum and they have more group activities including problem solving. The teacher plays a more passive role and stands back during a lot of the learning process and they practice more progressive teaching. The idea of progressivism education is to focus on the readiness, interests, and needs of the students.

At Booker T. Washington School, they really took a step back and looked at how their school was being run and they made the necessary changes. Coleman-Kiner said, “We spend a great deal of time in education focusing on inputs and outputs as if we were monitoring a manufacturing process. Yes, I monitor student data. Yes, I try to stay on top of research to provide the best instruction and programming for my students.” The school realized that many of their students may not have been receiving a lot of love and they took an approach to give them the chance to receive it at school. With love, they support them by acknowledging the challenges in school that come from homelessness and they help them heal from abuse through the love as well. The school realizes the needs and interests of their students and they do everything they can to fill their desires to learn and get help in all areas of their lives.

I find a lot of the ideas of the Progressivism theory beneficial in the classroom. I like the idea of natural development and the experimental learning. I am not sure how much of a role the teachers should have but I do think that they should still be in control and have the respect of the students. Being too passive in the teaching could have a negative effect. I just really find a lot of benefits in focusing on the students and their needs rather than what the curriculum is demanding. I want to make sure they learn the information that they need to within the year but I think there is room for their input in what we do and how it would be done. I loved reading about the passion behind things going on at Booker T. Washington School. They really seemed to have the right mindset about the root of their problems and how to help their students. God calls us to help others and to love one another. I think that no matter the background of the students, there is a place to love them and guide them in their education and help them strive for greatness.