What does it mean to be a professional? by Lareina Jackson

Teachers have an important role in the lives of children. Although children have many teachers in their lives, such as parents, ministers, older friends, ect., teachers are expected to give children/students important knowledge they can’t learn just anywhere.
When considering teaching as a profession there are a set of recognizable characteristics on page 494 in the text. Teachers are hired with a fixed salary and schedule. Teaching is a low paying high security job. In the school system teachers sit low on the chain of command. Like other professionals teachers are expected to take responsibility for their actions and are open to criticisms of their performance. In some schools the professionalism is deviated, but in some ways the standards met the requirements for teachers to be considered professionals.
There are organizations such as the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to help get teachers recognized as being professionals. The organization provides support for superior teachers and establishes standards for teaching practices.
The role teacher’s play in our society cannot be replaced. Teachers are trusted to educate our children. They are expected to be committed and most teachers spend their own money on school supplies. Teachers are expected to be highly qualified. Not just anyone can be a teacher. According to the guild lines of “evolving profession” there is a process for teaching to become a full profession. Teachers should be more prepared for the job to be considered a full profession. The teacher has to be educated in the field which they teach and know what they are doing as well as know their job.
I believe the NCLB act is preventing our teachers from becoming better teachers or using their teaching skills to their full potential. The NCBL is creating bad teachers. The teachers are spending more time in the classrooms focusing on the state standardized tests. Teachers are going over test taking skills and teaching what the child needs to know to pass the tests. This leaves less room for creativity in the class room and not giving the teachers a chance to really excel. The time and money spent on NCLB could be spent on special programs to help our teachers become better teachers.
“Teach like you are the last best teacher they will have.” Olga Gomez
“Appraisals are where you get together with your team leader and agree what an outstanding member of the team you are, how much your contribution has been valued, what massive potential you have and, in recognition of all this, would you mind having your salary halved.”
Theodore Roosevelt

Are Teachers Professionals? by Clinton Cruice

Today a debate is going on over whether or not teaching is a profession. Some believe that teaching is not a profession for several reasons. The first of which is that students are not only educated by teachers, they can gain information from television programs, YouTube, and from any other person they meet. Teaching also does not require as much specialized training as other skilled trades. Teachers also do not have much autonomy because what they are required to teach is not decided by the teachers, but instead is designed by others. In the school structure teachers are also the second from the bottom in terms of amount of power, above only students. Teachers cannot refuse to teach certain students, because they are assigned to them, however other professions like doctors and lawyers can refuse to offer their services to clients they do not want to help. Teaching is also a high security, but low paying job, while other professions are low security, high paying jobs. Those who support teaching as a profession give several reasons to give credibility to their position. They say that because professionals are supposed to provide a service to others, teaching is a profession because teachers make many material sacrifices, so that they can be devoted to their service. They also believe that teachers possess a unique set of skills that are required to teach the young. These skills which are passed on to the students are considered essential to operate in modern society. These people also believe that teachers have a large amount of autonomy because they decide which parts of the curriculum they will focus on, and which parts they will only do an overview of. The ways in which the material is taught is also left up to the teacher. And after the first few years of teaching at a school they gain tenure, and are no longer routinely observed. I don't think that it matters whether or not teaching is considered a profession because all it really is is a title. And being able to call yourself a professional does not change anything, it does not help you do your job more effectively, and it does not give you more money. So in my opinion teachers should stop wasting time arguing over whether or not teaching is a profession, and should instead learn to develop more effective teaching techniques.

CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN by Becky Bowser

The harder the challenges, the more glorious the triumph.

Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

Everyone has challenges and problems. Success lies in dealing with them promptly and thoroughly.























Mt. Everest rises to approximately 29,035 feet making it the highest mountain on the earth.

A very famous blind mountain climber named Erik Weihenmayer quotes:

“One thing hasn't changed in the twenty years I've been rock climbing and that's the reach. We calculate and predict. We hope and pray. All our measurements lead us to believe we'll find what we are looking for, but we know there are no guarantees. It's that moment when we've committed to the reach, and we know it's almost impossible to turn back."

Another amazing fact about Eric is that he is the first blind person to climb Mt. Everest, and during that climb, he led a group of Tibetan blind teenagers with him to about 21,000 feet, then he continued with a few blind guides up the mountain. To get ready for the climb up Mt. Everest, it took him weeks of preparation such as eating a good diet, getting plenty of rest, performing strength exercises, taking motivational training, writing down goals, and practicing rope training. Many will give up on their first attempt at the climb. Some may get scared or fall and may not want to experience that pain again. There are many who won’t give up, but will look forward to the challenges and the rewarding sensation of completing that goal and reaching the top.



I would like to show you a video of Dan Osman (February 11, 1963 – November 23, 1998), an Asian American extreme sport practitioner, known for his dangerous sports of "free-soloing" (rock climbing without ropes or other safety gear); and "bungee jumping" (falling several hundred feet from a cliff then being caught by a safety rope), for which his record was over 1000 feet. His mountain climbing skills will always be remembered in the hearts of his family and friends. Here’s a quick side note about Dan. The mountain that you will be watching him climb is called Bear Reach in Lover’s Leap, California. This would take the average mountain climber 3 hours to climb with ropes. Dan did it in four minutes without any ropes.



Dan Osman Speed Climbing - The funniest bloopers are right here

No one said teaching is an easy job. Unfortunately most first year teachers overlook the challenges, and then walk into their classrooms unprepared and incapable of handling the challenges of teaching. 1/3 of teachers leave their profession in the first three years of teaching. Just like a mountain climber, a teacher has to prepare themselves for the climb.

So, what are some of the challenges that you may face as a first year teacher? Shortages of money,lack of supplies and planning time, overcrowded classrooms, stacks of administrative paperwork,plain frustration, parents who won’t support you by attending conferences, diversity of student achievement and ability levels, a difficult principal, difficult student body, teacher’s meetings, teacher evaluation, feeling humiliated by making a mistake, being on an emotional yo-yo ride, working in a school with a high drop-out rate, meeting the emotional needs of students as well as their academic needs, piles and piles of papers to grade, dealing with an unruly student, constant interruptions, and being a young teacher whom the children may have a harder time respecting because they consider him/her a peer.

In the next video, there is a small clip from the movie titled, "Dangerous Minds," with Michelle Pfieffer. Michelle plays LouAnne Johnson, the true story of an ex-marine who doesn't give up on 34 inner city sophomores students who were called the class from hell. LouAnne Johnson inherited this class from a teacher who'd been pushed over the edge, and had said that these kids had blood on their hands. She was warned that her new assignment would be dangerous, but where the school system saw 34 unreachable kids, Johnson saw young men and women with intelligence and dreams. Johnson broke the rules to give these kids belief in themselves, and the ability to beat the odds when statistics said they'd never graduate. This is a remarkable memoir of a tough, dedicated, inventive teacher, whose inspiring story later spawned a hit movie and television series. LouAnne Johson faced the challenges and didn't give up. To learn about 25 other teachers who changed the world, you can visit, http://www.teachingtips.com/blog/2008/07/02/25-teachers-who-drastically-changed-the-world/





Your first year or your future years as a teacher may feel like total chaos, but there is always hope. Here are some tips for the first year teacher mentioned in Those Who Can, Teach book. (chapter 14, pages 483-487)

• Make a study of your strengths and weaknesses. For example, if shyness is your weakness, start speaking to people right now before you begin managing a classroom.
• Keep a teaching journal where you can write your teaching thoughts and suggestions. A journal serves as a constant reminder that you are preparing to actually be in charge of your own classroom, and can serve as a personal record. Plus, as years go by, you can reflect upon the challenges you faced, and may in return, help a first year teacher.
• Maintain proper frame of mind such as realizing that you are someone who is untested and who has a great deal to learn.
• Find an experienced teacher who can mentor you daily.
• Make your students’ parents your allies. Difficult parents will be a part of your teaching experience, but if you maintain the proper attitude by making the parents your friends, then you have already conquered the difficulty.
• Take Evaluation seriously. When you are being evaluated, be yourself, not someone else. Show the principal or administration the type of person you are when THEY are not in the classroom. Professor Robert Leblanc won a Seymous Schulich Award for Teaching Excellence in this article where he wrote about 10 points on how to be a good teacher all the time, not just on evaluation days, such as good teaching is as much about passion as it is about reason. It's about not only motivating students to learn, but teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful, and memorable. It's about caring for your craft, having a passion for it, and conveying that passion to everyone, most importantly to your students. You may read the other 9 points if you visit this website. http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/topten.htm
• Take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest. A teacher friend of mine goes to bed at 9:00 every school night. Be bacteria or virus aware. You will be around more germs than you want to know about that are creeping around in your classroom. Proper hand sanitation, Vitamin supplements and airborne are just a few ways you can help yourself fight germs. This website lists great tips to keep yourself healthy during your teaching career.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2036559/back_to_school_health_tips_for_all.html?cat=5

Will you be part of the 1/3 of teachers that quit their climb in the first three years? Or, will you be the one who faces the challenges and who climbs to the top of your teaching career? What can you expect the first year of teaching? Challenges. Finally I would like to encourage all of us future climbers by remembering, “Life is all about the climb.”

What Are Your Job Options in Education? By Idania Duarte

Teaching is a large occupation, representing 4 percent of the entire civilian work force. There are more than twice as many K-12 teachers as registered nurses and five times as many teachers as either lawyers or professors. Factors influencing teacher supply and demand are: Student Enrollment in Schools, Class Sizes, Geographical Location, Subject Matter and Grade Levels Taught, Retiring Teachers, Teacher Turnover, Returning Teachers and Economic Conditions. One of the greatest teacher supply-and-demand problems concerns minority teachers. At a time when the minority school-age population is increasing = rapidly, the number of minority teachers is decreasing. The shortage is severe now and appears likely to become worse. This shortage of minority teacher is problematic for several reasons. First, the growing number of minority children deserve to have positive minority role models who can help guide them in a world still plagued by racism. Second, white children also need to have minority role models to help them overcome the effects of stereotyping and racism. Third, it is important for our country's well-being to have a teaching staff that reflects the diversity of racial and ethnic backgrounds in our country's population. A large employer of teachers is the U.S. government. The Department of Defense operates 224 elementary and secondary schools in seven stats, Puerto Rico, Guam, and fourteen countries around the world, making it the twenty-second largest school district in the United States. These schools enroll approximately 106,000 students and employ about 9,000 educational personnel. Private education is a highly significant part of the American educational system. There are more the 26,000 private schools with an enrollment of more than 6 million preschool, elementary, and secondary school students and a staff of 413,000 teachers. What are teachers paid? We might answer this question by saying, "Not nearly enough." No one ever went into teaching because of the lure of big money. Most of teachers' satisfactions come from being of service to others and helping students learn. The 2001-02 average salary of classroom teachers in the United States is estimated to be about $44,600. Many indicators point to a strong demand for teachers in the coming years. Impending retirements in the current teaching force and increased school enrollments are encouraging signs for prospective teachers. America has become an education-oriented society. This means we are committed to more and better education, to life-long learning in and out schools. More than seventy years ago, President Calving Coolidge said, "The business of America is business." Today and into the future, the business of America is education. Teaching is where the action is and will continue to be!

What Are Your Job Options in Education?

There are many positions in the educational field that you can choose from. When thinking about education as a career, many people think about teaching. Teaching is the more opportunistic position in the educational field. It has a mass variety of areas not only where you will further educate students but as well as yourself in the long run. Some perks about teaching is receiving private scholarships and federal funding for teaching programs only problem the school in itself has a small budget. Another advantage is not having to work on weekends, holidays, and during the summer. The down side to that is you would work about 50 hours a week. Everything advantage has its disadvantage. Teaching is not the only job you can take up in the education. You can be an education administrator where you would provide vision, direction, leadership, and day-to-day management of educational activities in schools, colleges and universities, businesses, correctional institutions, museums, and job training and community service organizations. There is also the educational, vocational, and school counselors who work at the elementary, middle, secondary, and postsecondary school levels and help students evaluate their abilities, talents, and interests so that the students can develop realistic academic and career options. What is important to keep in mind are the students. As an educator, try to keep their interest high as possible. Present day education should not be prehistoric and dull. Everything in this world is evolving, so utilize every opportunity that comes your way. This video shows a great importance with technology whether it be text messaging, myspace, even twitter, these forms of technology are a good way to reach out to the students.

State Educational Reform by Diana Duarte

This call for excellence in schools has had many effects, such as the increase in graduation requirement, an increase in learning time, including other effects. States began requiring more years in core subjects, to obtain a high school diploma science and advanced math courses are required. "Social promotion" was eliminated, that is moving students through the grades so that they could stay with their own age groups independently of their performance. As reported by the US department of education academic credits earned in high school have increased as a result of those changes. Quality instruction time, rather than time spent in class is the key to quality schooling as thought by many teachers. In response, school days were lengthened to six and a half to seven hours, and the school year was lengthened to an average of 180 days of school per year. Unlike Japan and Germany, having about 240 days of school, no states have put into the idea of year-round education, though it has been thought of, lengthening the amount of schooling is extremely costly. Some people insist that the long ten week summer vacation is hardest on children in poor families. This is because camps and recreational activities, including enrichment programs are out of reach for them. A very important reason why people are concerned about year round education is disrupting established family life patterns and summer opportunities for teachers’ professional development, something I consider very important. There are also people proposing standards based education. As a result of the NCLB incentives, 49 states have adopted some sort of standard.
And here another report on it.
This state wide tests have been used as educational report cards that allow policymakers and the public to see how the schools in different districts are performing. And here is another view point of NCLB.

Education REFORMED?!?!?!? by ~BIGMATT~

Have you ever had a teacher that was so incompetent that you felt that you were wasting your time by sitting in class? On the other hand, Do you remember that great teacher you had that made you feel special, made you feel like you could do anything? What one teacher do you remember the most? Was it the one that made you feel like you could achieve greatness, or was it the one that made you feel like you were wasting your time? For most of us, the teacher that made a positive influence was from grammar school. And unfortunately, the later teacher we can remember from our collegiate or high school years. Whatever happened to “you get what you pay for"? Now I do not mean to sound so harsh. Yes, we are giving the college thousands of dollars to learn the skills we need for either continuing education or a career. But what about our kids? We pay thousands of dollars in taxes every year to fund the public schools. And since we are funding those schools, shouldn’t we have some say as to what goes on in them? My daughter’s fourth grade teacher, Paul Plumb, is a great teacher. He is one that I would gladly pay to have to teach my kids. If it were up to me, every teacher would be like him. Yet too many times, we end up sending our kids to school to be taught by someone who has a bunch of initials after their name, and no real life experiences. They can talk a good talk, but most of them are still trying to learn how to walk. If we are paying these so called teachers, shouldn’t we be the ones giving them the interview for the job? I mean come on, we are entrusting them with our children’s well being, right? And since we pay their salaries, shouldn’t we be the ones able to fire the bad ones? Yet, this is not the case. And in most schools, the average salary for a teacher is the same across the board for the bad teachers as with the good teachers. Who’s to say which ones deserve the job? We need a system that would allow new teachers to have to earn their stripes, if you will, before they make the money that teachers like Mr. Plumb deserve. This way, we could give to those teachers who deserve the money, the money they well earned. This would help to weed out the teachers with poor teaching skills. And make the teachers who really want to teach, strive for their salaries and tenures. A good teacher costs as much as an average one, whereas halving class size would require that you build twice as many classrooms and hire twice as many teachers. Your child is actually better off in a "bad" school with an excellent teacher than in an excellent school with a bad teacher. The students of a very bad teacher will learn, on average, half a year's worth of material in one school year. The students in the class of a very good teacher will learn a year and a half's worth of material in the same amount of time. Teaching should be open to anyone with a pulse and a college degree—and teachers should be judged after they have started their jobs, not before. It needs an apprenticeship system that allows candidates to be rigorously evaluated. Given the enormous differences between the top and the bottom of the profession, you'd probably have to try out four candidates to find one good teacher. That means tenure can't be routinely awarded, the way it is now. An apprentice should get apprentice wages. But if we find eighty-fifth-percentile teachers who can teach a year and a half's material in one year, we're going to have to pay them a lot—because we want them to stay. The notion that smaller classes would make better classes is a deeply held article of faith in American political and policy circles. Politically popular, class-size reductions are especially welcomed by teachers.

Smaller classes mean higher demand for teachers, resulting in more jobs and higher pay.

Smaller classes mean smaller workloads. It is more effective to have a good teacher in a large class than a poor teacher in a small one. Better students tend to be found in larger classes because schools adjust class size to student behavior. A few researchers, most notably Eric Hanushek of the University of Rochester, have found that teacher quality is the most important variable in determining educational outcomes for the typical school. Blanket policies of class-size reduction are inefficient and wasteful. A targeted approach would be best. The primary theme of education reform should not be class-size reduction. Instead, the focus should be on improving teacher quality. Stricter hiring and promotion standards for teachers should be coupled with higher teacher salaries. It is wasteful to spend money on all students when the greater benefits of class-size reduction only accrue to disadvantaged or special-needs children. How can we improve education in the United States so that the new century will not end as the last did, with the United States falling consistently behind other countries in student performance? The answer, in a nutshell, centers on teachers. Without improving the average quality of our teachers, there is little hope of improving the system. The evidence suggests that child behavior is very sensitive to teacher quality. Data from the Texas Department of Education provide authoritative evidence that good teachers improve the quality of the classroom experience and raise performance scores. The biggest obstacle here is that teacher quality is not closely related to any characteristic on which salaries are based. The solution is to have a large pool of applicants, a flexible turnover policy based on teacher performance, and higher teacher salaries to attract the pool and compensate for a reduction in job security. More competition is needed in the educational arena.

Allowing a choice, so that students could move from failing schools to more successful ones, would be helpful. The money could follow the students, allowing failing schools to be replaced by more successful administrators and teachers, who would take over the same physical classrooms.

To conclude, we need to improve our education system. And in order to improve our schools in the twenty-first century, it is first necessary to attract more high-quality teachers. This can only be done by improving their compensation and by introducing a type of marketplace accountability into the system. Competition should be allowed to prevail so that the weak aspects of the educational establishment can be eliminated. Enabling the best part—talented, well-prepared teachers—to flourish. We need to implore the governor and our senators to re-instate those funds that have been cut from our education system. Those funds are needed to acquire the good teachers, like Mr. Plumb of Pueblo Del Sol Elementary School which I have spoken about.

“Teach a child HOW to think, not WHAT to think.” - Sidney Sugarman

Themes in American Education by Amanda Anderson

There are seven major themes in American educational history: local control, universal education, public education, comprehensive education, secular education, changing ideas of the basics and expanding definitions of educational access and equality. Like before, there are contemporary issues that come from these same basic themes.
Local control originated in New England during the colonial times, but spread in the 19th century creating the school district system. Currently, an issue with local control is the question “What should be the role of the federal government regarding education?” Universal education is the second theme. Education was originally for very few privileged children, white males. Later on in the 19th and 20th century, girls, minorities, immigrants, and disabled children were allowed into elementary and secondary education. This is very different than today where education is available to almost anyone. A question for universal education today is, “How can we ensure the quality of education regardless of whether students live in wealthy or poor district?”
In the Colonial period, there really wasn’t a whole lot of public education; it was more private and available for the middle to upper classes. It was in the early 20th century that when the idea of public education became common. For comprehensive education in early education the basics were all that were taught: reading, writing, and arithmetic. Those subjects were enough to prepare the students in adulthood; today classes have grown where we still learn those basics but there are more classes to prepare students for today’s adult world.
The reason for education in the early Colonial period was for religious purposes, to train students with a religious background. In the 18th century American education became more secular to manufacture more socially accountable citizens. Today religious studies stay mainly in the private schools. The sixth theme is changing ideas of the basics; education will have never ending change. Colonial education focused on literacy and classical learning, while practical skills were more important in the 19th century. With all the technology advances of today’s society, education has added studies in the sciences and computers. The last American educational theme is the idea of expanding definitions of educational access and equality. In earlier education the idea of educational access was to enroll as many students as possible by building schools in places where more children lived. Today, rather than focusing on the location of schools, we focus on equal access to poor students compared to wealthier students.

The Influence of Psychological Theories by Brenda Bermudez

Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and human behavior. Psychology has influenced the work of teachers by giving its focus on how we students learn.
Behaviorism and constructivism psychology are two particular theories that have influenced schools around the country.
Behaviorism is a psychological theory asserting that all behaviors is shaped by environmental events or conditions such as sounds, words, or people. Behaviorist instructors made up predominately of multiple choice questions to measure to see how well students have learned. Also the instructors give feedback to the students. The student is also expected to practice a specific skill until leaned is successful. After learning the skill the specific skill they will move on to another subject to start the cycle all over.


It reminds me when I started high school here in the United States with the support of my instructor and also classmates I learned to speak English faster then expected. They welcomed me with open arms, and treat me equally like the others. For me this proved that environment has a big influence around how the students will learn and also how fast the can learn.
Constructivism a theory based on research for cognitive psychology, which people learn by constructing their own knowledge through in active learning process rather then simply absorbing knowledge directly from some other source. According to constructivism theory knowledge cannot be transmitted from the instructor to the student, but rather is constructed by the student and after reconstructed as new ideas become available.
My first language being Spanish I had to double work by myself to learn the English language. I would read books out loud each night, and that taught me different words and how to sound out them out. When it was time for me to read out loud I didn’t hesitate because I was confident in myself. Constructivism is a theory I’ve and I believe it is helpful.

What Are the Philosophical Foundations of American Education? By Briana Martinez

The word philosophy is made up of two root words: (philo) which stands for "love" and (sophos) stands for "wisdom". Philosophy is love and pursuit of wisdom by logical means and moral self-discipline.
There are four different Philosophies of education. Perennialism and essentialism are the first two philosophies which stress the importance of subject matter knowledge in education.
Perennialism which is a particular view of philosophy that sees human nature as constant, with few changes over time. Perennialism is education promotes the advancement of the intelligence as the central purpose of schools. The educational process stresses academic firmness and discipline.
Second essentialism is American philosophy of education that began in the 1930s and 1940s. Proponents believe that an educated person must have this core of knowledge and skills and that all children should be taught it.
The last two Philosophies of education are opposite of the first two which are romanticism and progressivism they first look at the leaner rather then the curriculum.
Third is romanticism which is a child-centered philosophy of education that condemns the influences of society and suggest instead that a child's natural curiosity and the natural world should be used to teach.
Fourth is progressivism is a form of educational philosophy that sees nature as ever-changing. Because the world is always changing and new situations require new solutions to problems learners must develop as problem solvers.
With reading this chapter and actually really thinking about it, it makes me wonder what will be my philosophy or what is my philosophy? I figured out that my philosophy is going to take time, thought, and also energy, but one I thing I know is I've already started my philosophy and that is me picking education for a career choice.

Corporal Punishment

Ch. 8 What Are the Ethical and Legal Issues Facing Teachers ?
By: Vanessa Garcia
The ethical issues that teacher faces is more than just doing the right thing. Teachers must teach students to respect one another and as a consequence teachers have a special ethical relationship with the students’ power. This power is the influence that teachers have on children and with it children are mark. This power can be easily abused and that’s why there’re codes and ethics to guide teachers to the right pad. Some of these cods and ethics are appreciation for moral deliberation, empathy, knowledge, reasoning, courage and interpersonal skills. On the other hand, we have a personal code of ethics that helps us get by day by day and sometimes we use it thinking that is the right one but we should never forget that everyone is different and that maybe what we learn growing up is not the right thing to do.
A very big change from when our parents went to school is corporal punishment. I remember my parents telling stories about teachers hitting them with a ruler, or smacking them in the head when they got smart with them. Some of the stories I heard are even to the point that kids were beat up by the teacher to the point that the student needed medical aid. Now it is illegal in most states and ban by most districts and it is a very controversial issue since it is not 100 percent illegal. In some districts teachers might be able to use “moderate” or “reasonable” corporal punishment to establish discipline; here is when the code of ethics comes in place. When is it ok to paddle a bully or smack someone that stole? The subject is still a controversy and until it’s settle teachers should research the laws and policies to be able to assist every situation without any issues.

Ch. 8 What Are the Ethical and Legal Issues Facing Teachers ?

By: Leslie Valencia




Teacher's today are facing a variety of ethical and legal issues in the classroom and in the work area, but in order to face these issues correctly a teacher must be ethical in his/her teaching. There are certain characteristics of ethical teaching, 6 to be exact,and by following these characteristics, the teacher will be more equipped in responding to ethical and legal issues. Some issues a teacher might face can be ethical dilemmas in which the teacher is expected to respond ethically such as if the teacher sees a student with drugs, or if a student complains about certain behaviors another instructor might have. An instructor should show appreciation for moral diliberation, empathy, knoledge, reasoning, and also have courage to face those ethical dilemmas in a proper manner.

A legal responsibility that teachers have in addition to preventing harm to students, is to safeguard them from abuse and neglect from their parents and other adults. It is very difficult but if a teacher reports any suspicions, they can prevent greater harm to the child. This a particularly difficult issue that teachers sometimes deal with becuase it is a very delicate situation, a teacher does not have to be certain that a child is being abused before he/she makes a report to the principal. Child abuse is an area where it is much better to act and be wrong.




To protect a teacher from reaction to an incorrect report or from the anger of an offending parent, the reporting is kept confidential. Teachers are granted immunity from accusations of slander or any possible libel suit. Without this protection teachers would be more hesitant in reporting their suspicions.




Another big ethical issue is prayer and scripture in school. In the mid 20th century, religious activities such as bible reading and prayers were common in public schools. In 1963 though the Supreme Court rueld both as being unconstituional and to violate both clauses of the First Amendment. Thomas mcDaniel recommends a religious neutrality principle in the classroom and offers four guidelines for putting into practice. This principle does not exactly mean that the public school must completely ignore religion. These are some ethical and legal issues that teachers face and are facing, but yet have acces to guidelines and by following the ethical characteristics of teaching will be able to manage through.

Ch 7 What Should Teachers Know About Technology and its Impact on School

By Lezlee Villalobos


The use of technology in the classroom has gained attention as an issue in education. As our society continues to embrace new forms of communication, networking, and computer technologies, our schools are scrambling to keep up. Technology is not new to education, in the early 1800s; a technological innovation was introduced to classroom that would prove to have a profound impact of teaching. During the nineteenth century, however, classroom structure began evolve from a one-room orientation to the graded classrooms we know today. The twentieth century brought a variety of technological devices that helped teachers use pictures in the classroom. In the 1980s, when microcomputers became affordable, many software products were introduced to drill students on basic skills, and some educational visionaries predicted the end of classroom instruction and the end of the teaching profession as we know it. Of course, it never did the use of technology helps with the instructional process.


Students can use computers not just for drill, but also in ways that promote creativity, collaboration, and higher-order thinking. Schools are being pressured to use technology in classrooms for parents, students, teachers, businesses, global competition, governmental agencies and digital divide. Technologies can help teachers change their role from dispensers of information to facilitators of students’ learning. The placement of technology within the educational setting affects how it can be used. Technology can be use in all subjects helping the student’s learning and also it helps students with special needs. Integrating technology means bringing the tools of technology into daily learning and teaching activities. These tools can help change the classroom from a teacher-centered to a more cooperative and student-centered environment. Issues involving equity, teacher education, infrastructure, and budgeting will need careful consideration as technological tools become more and more integrated into classroom instruction.

Chapter 7

What Should Teachers Know About Technology and Its Impact On Schools
By: Stephanie Grimm

Remember back in your childhood when your parents or even grandparents talked about, “Back when I was in school we had to…” I remember my comeback would always be, “What? Back when you still had to use the hammer and chiseler?” Boy! Were we stupid or what? Now that I am in college I now know the technology that we students used in high school are much different than the technology used in college. I’ll be the honest one and say I was amazed when I first stepped into the introduction to education class. I remember me thinking, “Why is the class monitored? Where is the other class that was not mine? I better pay attention to myself so I don’t look stupid on camera!” I already knew that most schools were behind on technology but I never knew just how much. If schools improved their technology up to junior college standards;I wouldn't had complained about going to school in the first place.

Technology has helped improve our lives; especially to those students with special needs. I can now see how technology has changed within those classrooms. Back when I was about seven years old I remember a boy in my class. He was smart but he couldn’t speak well and it was often difficult for teachers to understand what he was saying. To help him improve on communication skill he learned sign language. Since I was in the same resource class with him I learned some of the language. Then in high school, when I was allowed to be and aide for the severely special needs children; the girl I worked with also had communication problems due to Autism. Unlike the boy who used sign language, she had a device that would speak for her. Now-a-days, with technologies rapid movement, students with special needs can be more independent in their work.



But when thinking about all the wonderful things that technology can do, there are students and even teachers who will abuse the privilege of technology for their own personal reasons. Such as communicating with friends and escaping school work. I would skip out on the time that the teacher has assigned us to do research and just played on the internet.

What Makes a Teacher Effective?

Chapter 6, by Courtney Benavidez

“How we think shows through in how we act. Attitudes are mirrors of the mind” - David Joseph Schwartz

It takes many tools to become a strong, effective teacher in the classroom. For one, the teacher must become a decision maker. Teachers have to decide the different techniques on subjects to use because it is important to keep the students interested in what they are learning. Teachers have to be enthusiastic about what they teach so that the students will want to learn more about what is being taught. There’s a quote that says “Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier” by Susan Rabin, which makes a lot of sense. Teachers are the leaders of the classroom and they have to send out a positive message about learning new things. If the teacher is excited about the subject, the students will be as well. Another huge part of being effective in the classroom, is the teachers attitude. It is crucial to have a good attitude and personality towards students so they know that the teacher cares. It’s very important to treat all kids fairly and be compassionate towards them. An effective teacher should be extremely patient as well. There is always going to be kids who need extra help and the teacher has to make sure that all the students understand what is taught. I think going around the classroom seeing how each student is doing is important so the teacher knows how well every student is doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MInPwzg6TiQ



In this Fred Jones video, he works out the math problem from beginning to end so everyone understands it. It’s a fun and easy way to get the whole class involved. For over 30 years Fred Jones has been studying successful teachers to see how they make learning and teaching so easy. His objectives are classroom management and making teaching fun for both teachers and students in an easy, effective way.

“For teaching to be enjoyable, you must be able to simply relax and teach. Classroom management must be built from the ground up so that problems do not occur” -Fred Jones

Great Teachers

Chapter 6: What makes a teacher effective?
By: Lucy Lucero

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." William Arthur Ward

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being." Johann W. Von Goehte

What makes a great teacher, is the question every new teacher should ask. Every new teacher would like to know how they can be great and make a difference. There are so many ways teachers are effective and that is by being a reflective decision maker, knowing the subject matter, using theoretical knowledge and good classroom management skills. I believe those are important skill to have, but I'm going to talk about things that are left out like caring and personality. Those are qualities a teacher should have. New teachers' are motivated and ready to teach. Teacher's that have been teaching for a while enjoying teaching students who have passion and want to learn. I believe a great teacher is one who shows they care and enjoy doing what they love and that is to teach. A great teacher always reflects on what they could do better or things they could do different to meet the needs of the students.



A teacher's personality is also important. Personality plays a big role in teaching. Students feed off the energy of the teacher. If the teacher has fun and loves teaching, the students have fun and want to learn. If the teacher is there just to be there, then the students will have the same attitude and won't care. Students need to know the teacher cares. Students could be something amazing and accomplish great things when they know someone cares. A great teacher cares and inspires. They want to see the students make something of themselves. Later in life, the student knows which teacher made a difference in their lives and finds a way to let that teacher know. Even the little kids know a great teacher when they see one and that is how a teacher knows they were successful in teaching.

What Is Taught?

What Is Taught? Julia Escogido

Curriculum

What is taught? The school curriculum, consists of all classify and purpose experiences of the students for which the school accepts all kind of responsibilities. It is the key to our future, is the responsibility in our hands. What we learned from school and teachers, and how the way that it was taught was. Which were the methods of teacher to teach? What challenge and encourage the students receive from school and teachers. What we teach and what we use to teach will have a profound effect on student’s and community future. School and teachers have to be responsible in all aspects; they have to use adequate equipment, textbooks, good curriculum, and knowledge in all subjects. Math, Science, Reading, Writing, Physical Education and more are elemental for students. Teachers must to give their students adequate information about each subject to make an easy way to learn. Something very important is that teachers know about student’s needs. What is the best form to understand and teach them? Students learn attitudes, values, beliefs and different behaviors. So this is why teachers and student must have good communication. Teacher’s goal is that, their students learn what he taught. School has to create a good environment for students, and they will be success when they graduate. Each subject is very important for a student that is the key to achieve anything in life. For example, Language Arts include, reading, writing, listening, and speaking, these areas are very important for each student. These areas are the basics for, learning. A student must to know each area and understand it. Then, a student will to learn any other subject, such as Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education and more. In Mathematics students learn numbers, symbols that represent values. Solve problems to understand and compare equations. It is helpful to use many skills constructivist approaches, conceptual reasoning, and also students learn how to use calculator and computer. In Science students learn the scientific methods and the importance that it has. It is important to understand the genetic, cells body, the environment. Social Studies, students learn study of people, their behaviors, beliefs, values, cultures, history, and governments. Also, is very important Foreign Languages, students learning how to compare other countries, different cultures, attitudes, languages, and behaviors. The Arts, a student learn to create, the ability to use the imagination and has the capacity to choose other areas, such as dance, music, visual arts, and theatre. Physical Education and health are very important, students learn how to be active doing exercise, how prevent and how can be safe from bad habits, such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, sex abuse, illnesses, and change students’ attitudes and behaviors to get them safety. Also electives are very important for student’ future, they could be ready for the career. Finally, Career and Technical Education prepare student for employment after high school graduation. Technology is part of learning; it will be changing and developing our planet for our benefit. Students have equal opportunities for success. They receive the same education to achieve their goals. Curriculum can be different in schools, but it is so important for development of each student.

Music in Education

Chpt. 5-What is the Present Curriculum?
By:Michelle Levesque

"Without music, life would be an error"-Friedrich Nietzsche
"Music is the art of thinking with sounds"-Jules Combarieu

With the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act, an important subject within curriculum standards was weighted with less importance as subjects such as math, science, and the language arts. The one subject that has the ability to tie those fundamentals together as well as many other areas of hidden curriculum, that subject is music. The effects can be seen close to home here in Sierra Vista where it was decided that music, along with other facets of the arts, would be cut from the elementary schools in trying to deal with the district budget crisis.

In a time when the outcome of high stakes testing determines the success of not only the student, but also the school, music should be valued rather than being one of the first subjects on the financial chopping block. Since standardized testing seems to be of the utmost importance to those in charge of shaping our education system, here are some facts that support the success music education has with student academic testing and achievement. Studies done at Universities in Texas and Georgia show students who participated in instrumental based education scored higher than their nonmusical counterparts on standardized testing. The Neurological Research Institute’s findings showed where students with music-based lessons scored 100% higher on mathematical standardized testing. Music majors have the highest acceptance to medical school, even above biochemistry majors. Music can even change the way our brains process parts of spoken language. These are just a sampling of the multiple studies that have been done to support the positive influence music has from an academic standpoint.



Aside from the boring statistics on standardized testing and academic achievement, music can be the gateway to the world, culturally and historically. Music is the universal language; it is the one thing that can be found at the root of any culture at any point in history. Music can open the doors of discussion to the location, people, celebrations, language, and history of the area of the song or genre students are studying. It can be a way for students to fluently express themselves emotionally, either by connecting to a song they hear or writing music and/or lyrics that reflect issues they deal with on a daily basis. It’s a way for people to connect in general, how many of us have friends that share the commonality of a type of music, song, or specific music artist.



What about just enjoying school or for some just a reason to attend? And the hidden curriculum that music touches upon? Improved memory, everyone has learned the lyrics to their favorite song, or remembers a lesson that was set to music. In my case, I will always know all 50 states in alphabetical order, because of music. Students have improved speech through singing, self esteem at accomplishing a skill, motor skills through rhythm, and self discipline through practice. Not to mention, creativity, passion, cognitive skill, creative thinking, and better behavior. All of which could have a blog of their own that show the affect music has on their development and how important music is to everyone’s education.

Social Problems

Chapter 4: What social problems affect today's students!
By:Evelin Tanabe


A parent’s involvement in a child’s life is very important. Today there are many risk factors that might get in the way of a child’s success, whether it’s a child not living in a household of high school dropouts of living in a household with single parents below poverty line. Now a day there is such a high rate of divorce in the United States that more than half of today’s marriages will end in divorce. This results in one less person at home monitoring, guiding and supporting the child.
School systems must be more accommodative toward children with single parents. These children are taught in school that the “typical” family contains of a mother and father. In many cases students don’t have one or the other; in other situations some students don’t have either or. I think this really hits home for me, coming from a single parent household where I did didn’t grow up with a father figure. I felt as if the whole world came crashing down on me. Kids do not only face issues at school with concentration but in all the personal issues a child might bring upon themselves in situations like this. For example, at school the younger kids are asked to make greeting cards for mother’s or father’s day. What happens when the father is not in the picture? The hurt feelings of a child who’s mom or dad can’t make it to a big game because they have to work long hours to maintain the home and put food on the table. Or even the need for a female figure when a young girl might feel uncomfortable talking to her father about changes in her body. These are a few examples of how a child might feel different and set aside from all the other children at school. Many kids blame themselves for problems their parents are having much like divorce. Therefore, we must realize that the problems that students face at home impact their attitude towards school and life itself.
All children experience a parents divorce or death differently depending on age and on the support you receive from other family members, teachers or even school counselors. These students are “at-risk” and do have a higher possibility to become part of gangs, rebel out, go threw depression, isolate themselves from peers and family and are more likely to become pregnant and dropout of high school. These deprived students need support and reminders that someone does care and provide encouragement to their success.
The music video I chose is about a typical divorce and how she sees herself when she was a little girl. The little girl says, “Mommy I’ll do anything!” in order for her parents to say together. Like in many cases this results and shows how children blame themselves for divorce and how it can lead to anger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LM_K1FpPvg

Ch. 4 What Social Problems Affect Today's Students?

Bullying

With all of the horrific stories about mass murders happening at schools and students bring weapons, know wonder why kids and adolescents are afraid of going to school, even know there is only a one in a million chance of having attack at school. Today the number of violent attacks has been associated with gangs. The department of Justice has estimated that there is close to 24,000 gangs in the United States at this time.

When people think of bully’s they think of a big tough guy or the school jocks picking on the little nerdy kid and pushing them around but after a while that individual will fight back. Take Columbine for instance when Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went to school and started shooting up and bombing the school which killed 13 students and wounded 23 all over being bullied for years.

Today in this technology era we have a new type of bullying called cyber bullying that has taken over the social networks like MySpace and Facebook. Another sad story is the Megan Meirer’s story; a 13 yr old girl who committed suicide after a boy named Josh posted bulletins about her on his MySpace and sent her harassing messages. After talking to her parents about what was going on and them not understanding Megan run upstairs and hung herself, all because of a tragic lie. After Megan’s death her parents later found out that Josh was made up person and the individual be hide Josh was Megan’s ex best friend’s mother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZgpmuz2MQc

Differences

Chapter 3- Who Are Today’s Students in a Diverse Society, By Michelle Hernandez

Racial identity defines us all. It defines who we are, where we have come from, and influences our everyday life. What does it mean to you, if anything; and how does it shape our decisions in everyday life? Some people are proud of their race and know exactly where they have come from, Investigating their family history to find those answers. However, others may not be sure where they have come from or choose not to be classified. Which ever you choose, racial identity affects us all.
We all face unique situations such as being asked to proclaim a specific race or to support a specific heritage, but their are people who have biracial or multiracial backgrounds. Tiger Woods for example, considers himself as a “Cablinasian,” a mixture of Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian. Is it necessary for people to be identified as one specific race or to identify other people ourselves? Society is quick to place labels on ones ethnic background when in fact, it is just our background. It is our history, it’s where we have come from; but does not limit us to what we can achieve. I believe that no one should be placed in a box. Through out his life, the famous Michael Jackson dealt with this issue daily, being questioned constantly of his appearance and the color of his skin. Would his success be any less if born a white male?
The United States is based on diversity and is culturally changing. Years ago the idea of having an African American President would seem absurd; However through time and acceptance we have adapted to these necessary changes. We all have backgrounds, history, and a heritage; and it is important for each of us to contribute and share those qualities with the rest of the world.

Michael Jackson - Black Or White
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI9OYMRwN1Q

Schooling Vs. Education

Chapter 2 - What Is a School and What Is It For, by Denisse Escarcega

John Taylor Gatto: Schooling Is Not Education - Part 1 of 5



Chapter 2 brings up a question that fascinates me both as a teacher and a student – what IS the difference between education and schooling? Mark Twain’s quote, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education,” really got me thinking. How much are schools supposed to teach to their students? How much do students learn outside of the classroom? Is one type of education more important than the other? Should both types of learning be separated, or is there a way to bring them together? I came across an interview of John Taylor Gatto, an award-winning teacher and author, which I thought tied in very nicely with this topic. His thoughts on education and his approach to teaching are quite shocking and thought-provoking in the sense that he pushes students and teachers out of the comfort zone that we have gotten used to in the typical classroom. I would never dream of putting a couple of teenage girls in a truck-driver’s care for a day, but if I stop to think about it I realize that those girls probably learned more in that day than they did in a whole year of sitting in a classroom. This makes me wonder if I’m depriving my students of powerful learning experiences and opportunities by playing it safe and sticking to routines that I am comfortable with. We tend to teach the way we were taught, but are we doing a disservice to students by doing so? Mr. Gatto brings up some very powerful statements in this interview. His comments on how we are all lonely living in networks, not communities, was really interesting. I often think about the popularity of social networking sites and how we all interact with each other in a very isolated way. I also liked his thoughts about how we reward talkers – we pay “talkers” well and we admire people who are good talkers. This makes me wonder how we can go about creating and rewarding thinkers, instead. It’s easy for some to talk without really thinking, but it’s not so easy to get people to think. Mr. Gatto’s thoughts on how schools are creating people who are useless to themselves and to others as well as his thoughts on how schools are a sorting mechanism that create a caste system, complete with “untouchables”, was quite jarring. These are not things that we want to hear, much less admit to being true, but what if he’s right? How does this happen? How can we change it? Overall, I felt this interview was very effective at getting me to stop and think. As an educator and a student, I can appreciate the importance of that even if I was a little uncomfortable with hearing what he had to say.

For more information about John Taylor Gatto and his work, go to http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/.