Freedom Writers

http://blip.tv/file/1518068

My study group and I read the book, The Freedom Writers Diary. I was a great book to read and I recommend it to others.

Erin Gruwell was a very unique teacher and she had a big impact on the lives of her students.

Click on the link above to watch the video we made about the book.

Education Today and Tomorrow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q_cQcUE

Chalk

I thought the movie was good and true. When I look at the teachers that I have had some of them are like the teachers in the movie. The movie did a great job of showing different teaching strategies. Some of them worked and other failed right away.

The history teacher who was new to teaching had some obstacles to overcome. He wasn't really sure how to teach the students in the beginning. He even went to the library to get books on how to manage the classroom. At the end of the movie him and his students had formed a relationship. He was able to teach them and manage the classroom.

I liked the movie and would recommend it to other students thinking about teaching.

Parents 11/10

On Monday night we had three parents from the community come and talk to us.

The first question that was asked was if they were happy with the teachers. One parent said that they were happy with the teachers who were in touch with current practice. They are using new ideas to make the classes more enjoyable. The work that the students were doing seemed more creative. The second part of the question was how do they deal with a teacher they are not happy with. The response was to talk to the teacher. Parents agreed that they don't want to interfere with their childrens school life unless necessary. If their children are not doing well in a class they will talk to the teacher and figure out a solution to the problem. They liked it when teachers were cooperative and willing to make adjustments and give extra help.

They were asked about No Child Left Behind and how they felt about it. The parents response was different than the administration, teachers and school board responses. The parents said that the test scores really don't mean anything to them. Now at conferences the teachers will show the parents a graph and talk about what it means. There is no time for the parents to ask questions about their child and how they are doing. The parents said that they don't know how to take the data and help their children. They said that the test should not determine the funding for schools. Now the tests are the main focus the parents really don't know what to do with that information.

All of the parents agreed that a second language should be taught at a young age. One of the parents said that they took a second language when they were in second grade. They think that knowing that language helped them when they took another language later in high school. They agreed that the language should be started at the second or third grade level.

The parents were asked if they felt the curriculum expectations for students is practical. They said that some of the material that the students do they don't know if they are really understanding it. The material may be better understood if they had waited a few years and taught students. They said that they don't mind getting more content in but if the students are not able to understand the material it is a waste of time.

I think that having the parents last was a good way to end the panel type of discussions. They had good information for us as we work toward becoming teachers. The parents also had some much different input than the others we had come in and talk with us.

It was nice of the parents to take the time to come and talk with us.

Lecture 11/6

The lecture on Thursday night was “Islam and Christian Muslim Dialogue: Theological and Political Challenge and Opportunity.” Dr. Charles Amjad-Ali gave the lecture. It was at 7 in Olin 102.

Dr. Amjad-Ali talked about the Islamic religion and the beliefs that they hold. He said that Islam religion is close to the Christian faith. Islamic religion they believe in Allah which is there God. Their bible is the Qur'an.

He gave us some of the history of the religion. The religion was established in 622. Many people followed the beliefs of the Islam religion and they believed in Allah. Spain was ruled by Islam for about eight hundred years. Then Christianity was developed and some people converted.

The lecture was interesting. It was interesting to hear about another religion and their beliefs.

Dr. Amjad-Ali was a good speaker. He started out his lecture with quotes. He kept everyones attention through out the lecture. He had time for questioning after the lectures.

Teachers 11/3

On Monday night we had teachers who have been teaching for ten years or less come in and talk to us. It was nice to hear from them. They are actually in the classroom and still learning new teaching tools everyday. We had a music, special education, and 5th grade teacher.

The first question that was asked was what surprised them the most about teaching. The answer they gave surprised me a little. Two of them said that sometimes their ideas are not accepted. The teachers who have been teaching for a while have their way and they don't want to change. They said that even if they are told that their idea will not work, they still have to try it and find out for themselves.

We asked them about No Child Left Behind and how they felt about it. They agreed that there is a lot of emphasis on test scores. They didn't have anything negative to say about the process. The test scores are helpful for them to determine where the students are at and where they need help. They also show the teacher what they may need to review with the students and may need to improve themselves. The main focus of the tests is on reading and making the benchmarks that are set.

They were also asked about their education. They are all graduates of Luther College. They were asked how their first semester of teaching went and if they felt prepared by Luther. They all thought that Luther did a great job of preparing them for teaching. What all of them said is that you are never fully prepared until you are in your own classroom with your own students. Each year is a learning experience. You take what you learned each year and apply it to the next. They also said that you need to find what works for you, because what works for others may not work for you.

When asked if there was one thing they know now that they wish they knew the first year. They all said parent communication. Parent communication is a big part of the students education. They said that students come from different home situation. You need to build student relationships and know your students. Take the time to make a connection. It is important to keep in touch with parents either by e-mail or a phone call. The parents want to know what is going on.

It was nice to have teacher come in who have only been teaching for a few years. It was nice to hear their views and surprises they have had.

School Board 10/27

It was nice to hear from a couple of school board members. They have a lot of responsibility in the school. They are in charge of hiring a superintendent when one is needed. That is a big job to handle. They said that when they are considering candidates they get input from staff and the town members. They are also in charge of setting policies and they review them yearly.

When they were asked about No Child Left Behind they agreed with it. That was surprising to me to have the school board and the administration both agree with NCLB. They said that they always knew that Decorah was a good school and now that they have the standardized tests they have proof to back up what they thought. The scores help them to determine what needs to be improved. It tells them what area they need to pay more attention to.

They were asked about teaching a second language earlier. Someone mentioned teaching a language in elementary school. They said that the students could be missing out on an opportunity since it is not taught earlier.

The school board members also mentioned that a lot of students forget information over the summer break. When the students come back from break they have to reteach some of the material. They have thought about making school year round. The students would have a few breaks each year instead of one long summer break.

The school board members did a great job of answering all of the questions that we had for them. It was nice that they took the time to come to the class and talk to us.

Administration 10/13

It was nice to have a couple of administration members come in and talk to us. They were from the Decorah School District. They did a nice job answering the questions that we had. It was nice of them to take time out of there busy schedules to come and talk to us.

When they were asked about No Child Left Behind they simple said that it is a piece of the pie. They have to give the tests each year no matter what. It is just something that is part of teaching. The tests are not the only part of teaching.

They also mentioned that year round schools produce higher test scores. The data shows that students lose information over the summer break. When they come back to school some of the material they learned the year before has to be retaught.

When they were asked about technology and if it is worth the cost, they said that we will always have it. They said that technology will be around and it is always changing. It is part of education and the students need it for class. Some of the students are motivated by technology. They feel that it should be taught. Students should know how to use technology appropriately.

High Stakes Community

I liked the way we had class on Monday night. It was like a real school board meeting. Each group was representing a different view and we got to voice our opinions. It was nice to hear what other groups opinions were about the plan. Everyone looks at the plan from a different view.

We needed more time for the discussion. We had a lot of groups to get through. It seemed like once we got going on a discussion for a group we had to stop to go to another.

It was nice to have the mock trial. I never had been to a school board meeting before. It was nice to see how the meeting goes. It was also nice to see our own classmates be the school board.

Library Resources

Lindy Moeller did a great job of showing us the Luther library web site. The library has made it easier to find information on the internet. It is hard to find information that you can trust. The sources from the library are relevant and trustworthy. I like how they divided up the majors and gave sources that go with those majors. That is a nice feature because now you don't have to sort through sources to try and find one that is right for your major.

One thing that I like about the library resources is that you can use them off campus. All you need to use them is your norse key and password.

I have used the ERIC source before for a few other classes. It is a very helpful place for education students. It gives you a lot of information that you can trust. One of the nice things about ERIC is the citation spot. It gives you multiple forms and you can pick the one that you need.

Monday Lecture 9/22

The lecture on Monday night was helpful and confusing. We had a lot of information given to us at one time. It will take awhile for it all to make sense.

The chalk and wire presentation that Erin gave was informative. I think that it will be nice to have our portfolios on-line. It will make it easier to show future employers. It will be nice not having to carry around a bunch of papers.

Jennifer's presentation on getting our teaching license was very helpful. It was good that she came in and talked to us about getting things done early. I wasn't sure when to apply to the ed department, which is a very important part of getting your license, but now I do. There is a lot to remember but she is very helpful.

Oen Fellowship Lecture

I went to the Oen Fellowship Lecture, Religion and Politics and how this could change your opinion on the election. The lecture was on September 17 in Olin 102. The room was full of students and people from the community.

The speaker was David Domke. He teaches religion and politics at the University of Washington.

Some of the statistics that he had I found interesting. The public was asked questions about Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. The first question was; do you think they are prepared for the job of vice president? For Joe Biden 74% said he is prepared and 11% said he is not. Sarah Palin was almost equal, 42% said she is prepared and 52% said she is not prepared. The next question was; what do you think are the reasons McCain and Obama picked Palin and Biden as their running mates? The two choices were; they are well qualified or they will help them win the election. Obama/Biden was 57% well qualified and 31% to help win election. McCain/Palin was 17% well qualified and 75% to help win the election.

The presentation was interesting and well done. He made everything flow and fit together nicely. There was also a clip he showed and there were no technical difficulties with it, which is always nice. The presentation was well prepared and he had everything memorized so he wasn't fumbling through note cards.

Lions For Lambs

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00023/LionsAndLambsBIG_23233t.jpg

I thought that the movie was good. At first I didn't know where it was going with the three different stories. At the end they all came together.

Ernest and Arian are very brave. They decided to make a difference by going the army. They didn't like what they were seeing and instead of sitting back and hoping for change they did something about it. That takes a lot of courage to go and try to make a difference.