My letter to the Editor: School Reform

I believe that education system in the United States is lacking, and needs reform.
I think one of the most important parts to school reform is to eliminate a policy called "Last In, First Out." (LIFO)  The last teacher hired has to be the first teacher to lose their job, regardless of how good they are.  Their performance has nothing to do with the decision, it is strictly by seniority. Most of the time schools lose very good teachers because of  LIFO. LIFO protects adult seniority, but it hurts the district, the kids, and the teachers.

Michelle Rhee, who is the former Chancellor of the Washington D.C. school district has created a website called www.studentsfirst.org. This website is about school reform, and trying to help in the fight to improve the education system in the United States. According to Michelle Rhee's website, research has shown that when districts layoff teachers based on seniority, they end up firing some of their most effective teachers. The amount of teachers that need to be laid off increases because first, second, and third year teachers make less money, so they have to lay off more of them. It also hurts the schools that are in the highest need of great teachers. The poorer school districts generally have the most new teachers, so their teachers are the first to go.  In contrast, the higher income districts are more stable because their teachers have been teaching longer, so they are not as affected by the cuts. 

If you believe in transforming education through keeping good teachers, go to her website and join the fight against “Last In, First Out”. I recommend this website to anyone who believes in keeping good teachers, and helping reform public education.

Alease Loitz

Class Update: 4/26/11 Science Express

Dr. Johnson provided a special educational experience for us today. Our whole SPED 200 class visited the Science Express. Science Express is a 53-foot long mobile laboratory, which provides hands on, inquiry-based activities meant to inspire students about science. The Science Express is designed to bring hands on experience in science, math, and technology for students of all ages. The Science Express visits 20-25 schools a year in the hopes of exciting students to think about pursuing a career in bioscience.

I found the Science Express to be a really exciting tool, that will inspire children in the field of science. We  learned how to use a tool which is used for collecting DNA and blood samples and then we performed experiments using the tool with different chemicals to see the reactions. I found this experience to be very fun and educational. I can see how it would inspire students of all ages about science because it is hands on learning and fun along the way. I think the Science Express is a wonderful tool for teachers to inspire and excite their students about the world of bioscience.

My Field Experience

I did my first field experience at Madison Elementary in the St. Cloud School

District. I worked with Mrs. Stacy Louis and her fifth grade students. The lesson plans

focused on Language Arts. As I am reflecting back at the time I spent at Madison

Elementary, I realized a couple of things. From the first day of field experience, to

my last, I found it amazing how receptive the students were to me. Even that first day,

when I stood nervously in front of them trying to perform my first lesson plan. When I

had one on one contact with a student in the first couple of weeks, they were a little

tentative, but by my last day of field experience, it was as if I had been there all year. 

They really adjusted well to having me in their classroom, and that was rewarding for me.

I feel so much satisfaction from being able to teach and help them.

 Madison Elementary is a very diverse school, which I found to be very intriguing.

I do not have a lot of experience with other cultures in a school setting, and I am

extremely grateful that I was able to experience it through my field experience. There are

some Somali students in Mrs. Louis’s classroom, and I really did not know what to

expect at first. After spending some time in her classroom, I found them to be very

delightful students. The only trouble I had was interpreting their accents on occasion. 

They were very patient with me when I would ask them to repeat a word. Overall, I think

they spoke English very well. Some of the Somali students had trouble with their

writing and comprehension of what they were reading.  Mrs. Louis had me help some of

them one on one and that was rewarding for me.

One of the hot topics in Education right now is about religion in school.  On my

first day, a Somali woman came to Mrs. Louis door, and all the Somali students stopped

what they were doing, stood up, and left the room with her.  I inquired where

they went, and she responded that they went to pray. This was not a concept that I had

ever witnessed before. I have been a paraprofessional within the Elk River School

District and I had never experience students leaving in the middle of class to go pray.

Every time I was there, at the same time every day, they would all leave class to pray. I

am not sure how I should feel about religion in school.  My first reaction was that school

and religion should be separate if you attend a public school, but after thinking about it, I

came to the conclusion that they have strong beliefs in their religion, and it doesn’t hurt

to respect our differences.

I learned many things in the short amount of time I spent with Mrs. Louis and her

students at Madison Elementary.  Mrs. Louis is very good with her students, and I feel

she had a good student-teacher relationship.  She believes in keeping a quieter

atmosphere in her classroom.  She feels that she needs a quiet atmosphere to think and

learn in, and she thinks that some of her students need the same. I liked her logic because

I am one of those people who needs quiet when I am reading or trying to concentrate.

On my last day, I thanked Mrs. Louis and her class for welcoming me into their

classroom, and I brought cookies to share with the students.  A couple of the students

expressed to me that they were sad it was my last day. I know that I have to be a

professional, and that I am just a teacher, but I was a little sad, as I connected with some

of the students. Overall, I enjoyed my time at Madison Elementary, it was a very

rewarding experience for me.

My Personal Education Philosophy

            My calling to be a special education teacher derived from real, hands on

experience working with special needs children as a paraprofessional. My personal

educational philosophy has formed from these experiences, and has ties specific to the

Philosophy of Progressivism and Social Reconstructionism.  The topics I am going to

discuss in my educational philosophy paper are as follows; the role of the learner,

the purpose of education in society, important attributes that contribute to a highly

qualified teacher, preparing students for the 21^st Century,  and finally I will discuss how

my philosophies will influence how I organize my classroom learning environment and

classroom management.

            In regards to Progressivism, I believe that education should be a child-centered

classroom. I believe the focus should be on the individual needs of every child, and

that students should be involved in their learning. I believe that children learn the best if

they are interested and motivated, and I think that students being able to express their

ideas and experiences in the classroom keeps them interested and motivated. It also

provides opportunities in learning how to work together, to learn from other students, and

also learn to respect their differences.

            I believe that education should focus academically on content that emphasizes

teaching students to think critically and problem solve in the real world. Students need

experience in making decisions and solving problems, and the only way they are going to

learn is by doing.  I think children learn best from experiences that are meaningful to

them, and by seeing how material being taught relates to their own lives. Teachers should

be the guides in helping students explore the world that they live in, and help them relate

their learning to the world outside of the classroom. Students need to be taught and

prepared for the world outside of school.

            I believe that education subject content should focus on skills that will be needed

for future society. I also think that education should not be strictly textbook based, but

structured learning resources. Child assessment should not be strictly based on testing,

but on the students projects and accomplishments.  Social responsibility and democracy

should be promoted.

            I believe that education should focus on assisting students to become responsible

members of society. I believe in instilling values in students and encouraging things such

as tolerance and respecting others. Social skills are necessary and a very important skill

for special needs children to learn. I do not think that teachers should lose sight of

instilling these type of values and skills in our students. Becoming a responsible member

of society involves more than just learning, it involves developing students on all levels.

            The qualities that I feel are important to becoming a caring and effective special

education teacher are;  kindness, patience, and understanding. Although these are very

basic characteristics, I think they are the foundations needed to make a great special

education teacher.

            I think that the basic philosophy for my teaching strategies will involve a more

hands-on learning approach, which is learning by doing. I think it is important for

students to become active learners instead of a passive learner who would just sit and

listen to a lecture. Activity based learning promotes learning by exploring and

experimenting to see how things work. I believe that this will help them apply their

learned knowledge to the world around them. 

            We are living in the twenty first century world and I believe we need to teach

21^st Century skills. The 21^st century reform movement emphasizes the development of

student’s technological, analytical and communication skills, and are all skills needed for

students to survive and succeed in a technological world. Our students today are digital

learners, and I look forward to using the technology available to us to assist my students

in learning.

            As a teacher, I want to provide a safe comfortable atmosphere that enhances

student learning. I think if a student feels comfortable in their learning environment, it is

the first step in helping them reach their full potential.  Walking through the door, I think

students should see a welcoming environment and feel the positive attitude of the

classroom environment.

            I believe that classroom management strategies are essential and should be in

place in order for learning to take place. Deriving from my educational belief which

includes a student centered classroom, I think it is important that instructional or

management decisions be based on characteristics of each individual student which

include; academic, social, and emotional needs, as well as their interests, abilities and

culture. I believe that classroom management should use proactive strategies, which

would focus on preventing the discipline problems.

            In conclusion, it is my belief that my calling is to become a special education

teacher. I believe I will follow a progressivism and social reconstructionism style of

philosophy. My classroom will be a student-centered classroom and I believe the focus

should be on the individual needs of every child. My basic philosophy for my teaching

strategies will involve a more hands-on learning approach, and I think that instructional

or management decisions should be based on the characteristics of each individual

student. It is my belief that every child should not only get a good education, but

also have a teacher who cares and is aware of each students individuals needs. I want to

be that kind of a special education teacher, one who will make a difference in my

students lives.

Book Review: The Global Acheivement Gap: Chapter Six

Chapter 6 of the book, The Global Achievement Gap is titled: Closing the Gap: Schools That Work.
In chapter 6 Mr. Wagner talk about a network of charter schools in San Diego called High Tech High (HTH). It is like a mini school district, but it has gained international recognition for their innovative education, and for their results. High Tech High schools all have a common design principle, which includes; personalization, real-world connections, and a common intellectual mission. They also have a common set of goals; to serve a student body that mirrors the ethnic and socio-economic diversity of the local community, integrate technical and academic education to prepare students for post-secondary education, increase the number of educationally disadvantaged students in math and engineering who succeed in high school and post secondary, graduate students who will be thoughtful, engaged citizens. I really thought that their successful results are wonderful, and I hope other schools can learn from their success.

Mr. Wagner also talked about The Met's Five Learning goals, which I thought made a lot of sense and overlaps with Mr. Wagner's Seven Survival Skills. 
1. Communication: How do I take in and express ideas?
2. Empirical Reasoning: How do I prove it?
3. Personal qualities: What do I bring to this process?
4.  Quantitative Reasoning: How do I measure, compare, or represent it?
5. Social Reasoning: What are other people's perspectives on this?
Thinking about this list, it really makes sense, and I think that education needs model these concepts.

Mr. Wagner also talked about Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School. This charter schools concept is "Less is More" and "Student as Worker, Teacher as Coach". They have an impressive list of principles.
1. Learning to use one's mind.
2.Less is more, depth over coverage.
3.The same intellectual goals apply to all students.
4. Personalization
5. Student as worker, teacher as coach.
6. Demonstrate of mastery.
7. A tone decency and trust throughout school.
8.  Commitment to the entire school.
9.  Resources dedicated to teaching and learning.
10. Democracy and equity.
Francis W. Parker school has very impressive results and the thing that I liked the best is they refuse to teach to a test.

I think education needs to model their teaching and learning toward Mr. Wagner’s final points:
1. Learning and Assessment focus which means the main purpose of teaching is the development of core competencies for lifelong learning, not memorization.
2. Student Motivation. You can hear each student's distinct voice in every discussion, project, and paper. I really liked this one.
3.School Accountability and Teacher Development.

I have enjoyed reading Mr. Wagner's book, and it has given me insights to the crisis in the education system in the U.S.  Mr. Wagner has brought up many good ideas, including the Seven Survival Skills, which I think our education system needs to focus on. It is my hope that one day soon we will have a successful educational system that the United States can be proud of.

Group Eight Presentation: Chapter 12 Creating Productive Learning Environments: Classroom Management

Group 8 gave their presentation to the class on chapter twelve from our textbook, Introduction to Teaching. The chapter is titled Creating Productive Learning Environments: Classroom Management. This very informative chapter will affect all of us as new teachers, and they did a wonderful job in their presentation. They covered material on effective classrooms, a positive learning environment, smart boards, parent involvement, and misbehavior intervention. I felt this was a very important chapter for future teachers. It has a lot of information that is going to affect us on a daily basis, and they us gave lots of little tips along the way which I really enjoyed.  Great job!

Class Update: 4/21/11

Today in SPED 200 group eight gave their presentation to the class on chapter twelve from our textbook Introduction to Teaching. The chapter is titled Creating Productive Learning Environments: Classroom Management. This very informative chapter will affect all of us as new teachers.

Lastly, Professor Johnson went over our final blog for the class, which will be to write a letter to the editor picking a critical issue that we feel strongly about and sending to a paper to be published.  I have never done a letter to the editor before, so this should be interesting.