Wednesday, December 7, 2011
One down--several to go
Well, I have finished with my 1st semester of Graduate School. I had forgotten how intense college classes can get at certain times. I am grateful for two super instructors and several fun but informative classmates. I am also grateful for my son who puts up with me during the most intense times of the semester. As I complete this semester I think about something a dear friend of mine said when I started my Undergrad journey as a single parent. She said, "An education is something NO ONE can take from you." This is so true so I plan on working hard to complete this part of my educational quest. Bring it on!!! I am strong and ready.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Teacher Salaries and Cost of Living
What does it cost to be a teacher? When you are a college student working on the first degree and teacher certification you look at the salaries you think you will make upon graduation. The research presented in Teachers’ Cost of Living Matters More it shows that the average wage for elementary teachers in the United States is $45,670. WOW! I don’t make that. The next statement in this article clarifies by saying average salaries range from $59,514 in New York City to $32,209 in Oklahoma City. By looking at these figures, one would think working in NYC would be the way to go. However, these figures do not show the cost of living in these areas. (https://elearn.mtsu.edu)
Some school districts even go so far as to pay higher salaries for the first 5 – 10 years as a way to attract new teachers and retain them. Other districts that are in desperate need of teachers will offer incentives such as help with relocation, help buying a home, or a signing bonus. (http://www.teacherportal.com) Do the teachers’ salaries decrease after the first 5 – 10 years? If so, do these teachers decide to move on to a better position with a good salary?
When comparing salaries, the cost of living is a major issue to think about. There are 12 states with the cost of living that is higher than the U.S. National average. The state of New York has the highest at 15.24%. The state of Indiana has the lowest at 10.04%. (http://www.cityrating.com) I bet the salaries of teachers reflect this.
Something I see in my district is that the cost of living really makes a difference in our salaries. I teach in a small rural, poor county. While the salaries we make as teachers are not great, the cost of living is not great either. It does feel sometimes that the cost of living is increasing in our area, but teachers’ salaries are not. The cost of living affects the teacher in more ways than just the salary they make. If gas costs more, getting to school takes a big chunk. Then if food costs rise, this affects us also. These things hurt teachers just as they do everyone else. The big kicker is classroom supplies. Usually there is classroom money to spend, but when the cost of living in an area is high, the classroom money does not go as far, so teachers fill in with money out of their own pocket. When is the last time a nurse, or other profession, had to pay for the supplies needed to do their job or for their patients to use? Teachers are constantly buying supplies to help them teach, but they spend a great deal on essential supplies the students require, such as pencils and paper. I feel that if teachers did not have to spend so much of their own salary on buying essential supplies for their classrooms, it would feel like they were making so much more. The salaries are based on the cost of living, but if the cost of living rises, do the teacher’s salaries always make the same jump?
References:
Monday, October 17, 2011
Diversity in our World
America is a ‘melting pot’ of many cultures—I get it. I however have a problem with cultures trying to make America conform to their native culture. In the piece, New Immigration, it is talking about the immigration protests being a “New Civil Rights Movement”. In 2003, protestors’ efforts played a large part in persuading the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve a more immigrant-friendly bill than the one put forward previously by the House of Representatives. In this article, Partha Banerjee said, “It is about human and civil rights; it’s about all marginalized, under-privileged people in the United States.” (https://elearn.mtsu.edu 311) What I find different about this and Civil Rights movement is the fact that many of the black people were here not by their choice. Many of the black ancestors were brought here as slaves and the generations which followed were not necessarily here by choice. I see many of the immigrants coming here, by choice, and not going through the proper channels to become legal citizens in this country. By not being legal citizens they do not pay taxes that help fund many of the government assistance programs which they use. It seems to me that the protestors and others following them want to get all they can get without any of the requirements and responsibilities of being citizens.
There may be things I do not agree with about immigration, but I do feel that every child deserves a good education. I found it interesting in, Toward a Centrist Curriculum, it is stated that there is an internal unfairness in our schools. It states the no teacher can bring a disadvantaged child’s knowledge up to grade level, since no teacher can identify what that missing knowledge is. It says that advantaged children get needed background knowledge at home, but less fortunate children can only get such knowledge at school. (http://elearn.mtsu.edu 313) This is true whether the student is from a home where there are no resources or if the student is from a totally different culture.
I think that to be able to understand the curriculum, a student must have some knowledge of the culture in which it is written. Cultural literacy is important in the classroom. The idea behind emphasizing cultural literacy in schooling is the belief that it is possible to accurately formulate a list of essential trivial information and directly teach that information to students, enabling them to decode what is meant by the large mass of communications that surround them and define their worlds. (Paul & Elder, pg 47)
When I was in elementary school, it was during the late ‘60’s. I did notice that all of the textbooks seemed to be written with white average children in mind. Remember the Dick and Jane books. All of the pictures were of your average white family. This was true in the other textbooks also. I don’t remember studying things like “Black History Month” at all when I was a student. Now we have an entire section of our reading curriculum dedicated to just that. If the class stays on track, we get to the unit during Black History Month. If not, I rearrange so we are reading this section at that time.
I am all for teaching about the many different cultures in our world. I also welcome those who want to come to America in a legal way and become citizens. I just feel that if a person wants to live here, they need to learn and adjust to the culture which is here. I don’t expect them to abandon their native culture, but they can’t expect Americans to abandon ours so they are ‘comfortable’. After all, if I was to want to live in a different country, I would know I needed to learn the language and about the culture of the land to live there. I would not expect the whole country to change and cater to me.
References:
There may be things I do not agree with about immigration, but I do feel that every child deserves a good education. I found it interesting in, Toward a Centrist Curriculum, it is stated that there is an internal unfairness in our schools. It states the no teacher can bring a disadvantaged child’s knowledge up to grade level, since no teacher can identify what that missing knowledge is. It says that advantaged children get needed background knowledge at home, but less fortunate children can only get such knowledge at school. (http://elearn.mtsu.edu 313) This is true whether the student is from a home where there are no resources or if the student is from a totally different culture.
I think that to be able to understand the curriculum, a student must have some knowledge of the culture in which it is written. Cultural literacy is important in the classroom. The idea behind emphasizing cultural literacy in schooling is the belief that it is possible to accurately formulate a list of essential trivial information and directly teach that information to students, enabling them to decode what is meant by the large mass of communications that surround them and define their worlds. (Paul & Elder, pg 47)
When I was in elementary school, it was during the late ‘60’s. I did notice that all of the textbooks seemed to be written with white average children in mind. Remember the Dick and Jane books. All of the pictures were of your average white family. This was true in the other textbooks also. I don’t remember studying things like “Black History Month” at all when I was a student. Now we have an entire section of our reading curriculum dedicated to just that. If the class stays on track, we get to the unit during Black History Month. If not, I rearrange so we are reading this section at that time.
I am all for teaching about the many different cultures in our world. I also welcome those who want to come to America in a legal way and become citizens. I just feel that if a person wants to live here, they need to learn and adjust to the culture which is here. I don’t expect them to abandon their native culture, but they can’t expect Americans to abandon ours so they are ‘comfortable’. After all, if I was to want to live in a different country, I would know I needed to learn the language and about the culture of the land to live there. I would not expect the whole country to change and cater to me.
Paul, R., Elder, L., (2007). Educational Fad, California; Foundation for Critical Thinking Press
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133311 Sunday, October 9, 2011
Multiculturalism
My initial thought about multiculturalism was that it makes sense. After all the definition of multiculturalism is a body of thought in political philosophy about the proper way to respond to
cultural and religious diversity. (http://plato.stanford.edu) To me this means being politically correct and speaking to and about others in a kind way. After doing more research, I found I may not be seeing the whole picture.
In Why Multiculturalism is Wrong, it states, “Multiculturalism creates a world structured in terms of cultures, usually national cultures. This structure is imposed on people who do not want it: since it is a global structure, there is no escape. It limits freedom, it limits possibility, and it limits possible futures.”(https://elearn.mtsu.edu 307) I had never thought of it this way. Some people want to simply live a good life and not be categorized into a certain culture.
I read something that made me stop and think about this topic. The link called The Challenge of Multiculturalism said, “Something that well-meaning whites did not understand is that an "inclusive" history -- one that would be all things to all people -- is impossible. History has winners and losers, and they see the same events with different eyes. At the same time, virtually every non-white group sees the conflicts of the past as struggles with whites, so multicultural history becomes a collection of perspectives that are often not merely non-white but anti-white.” (https://elearn.mtsu.edu 305) This is so true, not everyone sees things from the same point of view. It depends in which side of the fence you are standing.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/multiculturalism/
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133307
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133305
cultural and religious diversity. (http://plato.stanford.edu) To me this means being politically correct and speaking to and about others in a kind way. After doing more research, I found I may not be seeing the whole picture.
In Why Multiculturalism is Wrong, it states, “Multiculturalism creates a world structured in terms of cultures, usually national cultures. This structure is imposed on people who do not want it: since it is a global structure, there is no escape. It limits freedom, it limits possibility, and it limits possible futures.”(https://elearn.mtsu.edu 307) I had never thought of it this way. Some people want to simply live a good life and not be categorized into a certain culture.
I read something that made me stop and think about this topic. The link called The Challenge of Multiculturalism said, “Something that well-meaning whites did not understand is that an "inclusive" history -- one that would be all things to all people -- is impossible. History has winners and losers, and they see the same events with different eyes. At the same time, virtually every non-white group sees the conflicts of the past as struggles with whites, so multicultural history becomes a collection of perspectives that are often not merely non-white but anti-white.” (https://elearn.mtsu.edu 305) This is so true, not everyone sees things from the same point of view. It depends in which side of the fence you are standing.
When my research was complete, I understood that multiculturalism is not just making nice with all cultures; it is also about trying to make people from cultures think the same way and do the same as the country or cultural they are in at the time. I am not sure this is a great idea. Now some things should be necessary, for example, if I travel or plan on moving to Spain, I would need to learn the language, the laws and customs, plus understand some of the history of the country to be able to live there. I would not expect them to cater to my language or beliefs. I feel it should be the same in this country. If you want to visit or live here, you must learn English and some of the customs and laws needed to survive. If you are going to live within a culture, you have to adapt to certain things. But a different culture should not force a person to change all of their beliefs.
References:http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/multiculturalism/
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133307
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=2975445&tId=19133305
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Religion in Schools
This subject can bring out the best and the worst in people. Many people seem to feel, “If the school is teaching the kind of religion I believe in then it us okay, but don’t try and push anything else on my child.” So where do we draw the line? How do we make it fair for all? Is there a way to completely take God and religion out of schools? This is not an issue that began in the past few years. This debate hit the Senate floor in 1984. This is where Senator John Danforth (R- Missouri), an Episcopal priest, stated, “The heartfelt worship of God is not compatible with formalistic prayer rattled off daily at the behest of the government.” Prayer, he declared, “should not be cheapened. It should not be trivialized. It should not be prostituted.” On the idea that God had been expelled from schools, he said, “To many religious people, God is not dependent on the Supreme Court or Congress. Objects may be kept out of the classroom, chewing gum for example. But God is not chewing gum.”(DelFattore, pgs 197-198) I tend to agree with his thinking. If God is in my heart, how can someone keep me from bringing Him to school with me? My beliefs go with me no matter where I go and no matter who I am with.
America was a country established on the belief in God. So what is constitutionally right in the debate over religion in school? On June 4, 1998, a majority of members on the United States House of Representatives voted in favor of an amendment to the United States Constitution that read: To secure the people’s right to acknowledge God according to the dictates of conscience: Neither the United States nor an State shall establish any official religion, but the people’s right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, or traditions on public property, including schools, shall not be infringed. Neither the United States nor any State shall require any person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribed school prayers, discriminate against religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of religion. (Frasier, pg183) I believe this means schools can’t keep students from praying but they can’t force any student to pray. This sounds like religious freedom to me.
Now for the million dollar question; is a ‘moment of silence’ forcing anyone to pray? Because of many lawsuits filed across the country judges have to input rulings. In Illinois, a federal judge ruled against a state law requiring public school students to observe a moment of silence meant for prayer or public reflection at the start of each school day. District Judge Robert Gettleman said the law was an unconstitutional breach of the separation of church and state. Defenders of the law argue it is a student’s personal choice whether to pray or reflect more generally; therefore, proponents say, the law does not force religion on public school children. (https://elearn.mtsu.edu)
I can only voice my feelings on this from a person who has grown up in the Bible belt with a grandfather who was a preacher. I don’t believe that anyone can keep God or whatever a person believes in out of their heart. I personally feel there is a place in school for the moment of silence at the beginning of the day. Now if a student chooses to pray or not is up to that particular student. As a parent, I want my child to pray, but I want it to be his choice. Also, I don’t mind him learning about other religions and their traditions but again I don’t want them to be forced upon him.
References:Now for the million dollar question; is a ‘moment of silence’ forcing anyone to pray? Because of many lawsuits filed across the country judges have to input rulings. In Illinois, a federal judge ruled against a state law requiring public school students to observe a moment of silence meant for prayer or public reflection at the start of each school day. District Judge Robert Gettleman said the law was an unconstitutional breach of the separation of church and state. Defenders of the law argue it is a student’s personal choice whether to pray or reflect more generally; therefore, proponents say, the law does not force religion on public school children. (https://elearn.mtsu.edu)
I can only voice my feelings on this from a person who has grown up in the Bible belt with a grandfather who was a preacher. I don’t believe that anyone can keep God or whatever a person believes in out of their heart. I personally feel there is a place in school for the moment of silence at the beginning of the day. Now if a student chooses to pray or not is up to that particular student. As a parent, I want my child to pray, but I want it to be his choice. Also, I don’t mind him learning about other religions and their traditions but again I don’t want them to be forced upon him.
DelFattore, Joan, (2004), The Fourth R, Conflicts over Religion in America’s Public Schools, New Haven & London. Yale University Press
Fraser, James W., (1999), Church and State, Religion & Public Education in Multicultural America.
New York. St. Martin’s Press
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Innovators and Makers
When I first read this assignment, I thought of innovators as the people who came up with different ideas we as educators have found to be useful for our students. I did not quite understand about the makers. After seeing the information, I figured out that an innovator influences how we teach and a maker influences what we teach.
I had a difficult time deciding on which “maker” I felt had influenced education as we know it today. After much thought, I chose Henry Ford. During the 1900’s, schools became a place to mold children for the future in the workplace. According to the web site, www.leadership-with-you.com , Henry Ford felt work was an essential part of human beings and the fulfillment people needed. He saw work as a large part of life that molds people into who they are. Students are taught skills needed to become useful, working adults. In high school, students are asked to pick a path according to their plans after high school. This influences which classes they are required to enroll in and pass. As college students, majors must be declared so the right path can be chosen.
Picking an innovator was not as difficult. I chose John Dewey because of his educational theories. In his book Dewey’s School and Society (1899), he stated that he believed experience was a better education than simply drilling and reciting information and facts. This is something used today. As educators we plan different activities into our lessons; because we know some students learn better by a hands-on experience. I use as many hands-on activities as I can, especially when teaching math. I find when the students can see something concrete it helps them with the abstract of many math equations.
Something commonly used in education today is connecting the lesson to a real life situation for our students. In Experience and Education (1938), John Dewey said he thought a child’s education should be based on the world outside the classroom. He also stated in the same book that a child’s psychological and physical development needed to be a base for education. When I read this I immediately thought of differentiated instruction. My most used differentiated instruction technique is when I am asking questions. I choose my question according to the skill level of the student I am asking.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
New beginning
Well I now truly feel as if I am a Graduate student. I have started my first online class and yesterday I went to my first on ground class. This was after a day of teaching a classroom full of 4th graders. I not only am taking 2 graduate level classes and teaching full time; I also am a single parent to a wonderful son who is 13. I am already starting to see I am going to have to be on top of my time management game to make this work. I know I can do this.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Welcome
My name is Angie. I am currently attending Graduate School at MTSU. I received my Bachelor's Degree from MTSU. I am teaching 4th grade and love going to work everyday. It is always a new adventure in the classroom. My son is in 8th grade so high school is a blink of the eye away. I am working to get my Masters of Education. I feel this is important for the advancement of my career.
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