Firewall and technology

Firewalls are blocking many of the useful sites out their we could be utilzing within our classrooms to spark student interest.  If they want us to prepare our students to be better prepared to create and collaborate with on-line tools they need to allow us more reign within the classroom to utilze sites that would allow us to teach the students utilize these types of sites.  Also some teachers, schools, or school districts have more freedom than others on utilzing certain websites, why is this so?  Shouldn't all schools be able to use the same sites so that all students would be prepared in the same way to make them all well rounded candidates for the future?  Firewalls are hindering our abilties to present up-to-date technological opportunities to our students, and that is sad, isn't there something we can do about it?

School Nutrition

School meals and how nutrious they are can have a huge effect on our students and their behaviors within our classrooms.  I work with a very low-income district.  We serve free breakfast to all of our students, about 68% receive free or reduced lunch, and with this percentage we could serve dinner as well, but that is such a huge task to take on that we have not went there yet, but we might possible have to in the future.  Therefore, with so many families needing assistance, nutrition is very important at school, eating the right foods to stay healthy because at home they normally not getting much to eat, if anything at all.  Furthermore, many of the times the food at home is not all that healthy for them,so in reality it is not helping out the child in the long run.  So with congress approving a school nutrition bill for after school meals, will we be feeding our students dinner as well?  We shall see...

Students need to be partly responsible for their own education

Based on an Edutopia article it got me thinking about this idea and how students need to be held accountable somewhat for their own education.  We can do everything in our power to teach well, incorporate technology, assist students, but if they are not willing to try they will not gain anything from our efforts.  Therefore, they need to speak up in the classroom, ask lots of questions, let the teacher know where you are struggling, think of school as your workplace and dress for success, find ways to relate to your reading and writing, try your best to challenge your brain, be in class, and collaborate with others around you.  In order for students to truly be successful they need to become involved in their own learning along with the teacher and hopefully their parents at home.  However, if they become more involved they will ultimately become more successful in school in which self confidence will sky rocket!

Laptops vs. Textbooks

There was an article on Edutopia asking about a poll on whether laptops should replace textbooks.  If it was up to me I would say yes.  If all students had the capability to get their hands on a laptop for daily use I feel they would be more beneficial than textbooks because textbooks become so outdated quickly.  Right now we do not have a math book in our school, we create our own lessons that fit the GLEC's and our curriculum and incorporate areas in everday life where math would appear, we try and relate it to their lives.  Then we also use technology to enhance their understanding of material, but if everyone had a laptop instead of a book I think we would be further ahead of the game and moving forward in the right direction for these students future.  Also for English we hardly use our textbooks, but we could use the laptops to download e-books for free and students could be up to date with newer reading material that fits in with our genre units, that would be outstanding.  What are your thoughts on laptops vs. textbooks??

Literature Circles in Middle School?

Should Literature Circles be used in Middle School?  An article from Edutopia states that Literature Circles for her 7th grade class gave students passion and joy for reading.  Also they provide good collaboration among students and allows them to make choices about thier learning, which is very necessary.  Furthermore, they get to talk a lot and debate ideas.  Another main push for them mentioned is that they are fun.  Now I have a question, they sound great but how many people use them in their room on a daily basis?  I feel that I have so much curriculum to cover and we use Macomb Units in my school so how can I hold lit circles when they are all supposed to be reading the same book?  Anyone with any suggestion for me, because I would like to try it but have not used them before?

PISA - Program for International Student Assessment

On Dec. 7th we will be getting a closer look at why students in the US are not matching up to other countries based on PISA and standardized tests based on 15 year olds from a host of countries.  During this presentation of data they will talk about how the results are important for our nations future and try and explain why we are not near the top of the pack in education.  This is an interesting idea, but how is it going to help us in education?  Are we just going to throw in new programs again with no real funding and expect they be instated in our school systems and that they will magically fix all of our problems like "No Child Left Behind?"

India....and math?

Reading an Edutopia article about "Online Learning- The Next Great Debate?" it discusses how Brittish kids are working with online tutors in India for math and are doing remarkable.  Also the tutors are affordable and the schedules are flexible for parents.  They are making the Open University sites with these tutors free to anyone no matter where they live which is aiding in a lot of students understanding of math material because there is always someone to ask for help.   Therefore, is this idea of having students take classes or get tutors from India a threat to us as educators?  Soon with all teaching of maerials be available to students that way from other countries and will it be cheaper for the families than the education we provide?  It is definitely something to ponder over.