Team 1: Poverty Presentation

After listening to and doing team one's activities it was clear that they set a high bar for what we needed to do, as well as how important this issue really was. I loved all the different activities that they gave us to do, especially the hands on activity of having us put money, where we would spend it. The only thing I didn't like about this activity of someone that maybe could be improved upon if it was done again, would be a little bit more realistic numbers, and if we were told in the beginning that we could use other resources. I think it would be really beneficial to have someone search online, housing options, and heating help that you can obtain from resources online and in the state. I think trying to find these resources would really add to the challenges of poverty and make it an even better lesson. I think this lesson really hit the big points about poverty and would be a great lesson to teach to all teachers.

Four Philosophies

Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism, Existentialism are the 4 different types of philosophies that a teacher can live and teach by in their classroom. An Idealism approach gives more importance to thoughts, feelings ideals and values than to the child and his activities. They firmly hold that curriculum should be concerned with the whole humanity and its experience. A Realism Approach suggests that teachers focus on teaching their students the scientific method of problem solving and the teachers are considered to hold all the knowledge. Pragmatism's curriculum is based on problem solving according the scientific method and values are situational or relative and the student ha more say. In existentialism it is based on classroom and dialogue in which stimulates awareness that each person creates a self-concept through significant choices; the values are based on human free-will.


 When looking at these four philosophies I noticed that Idealism and Realism were a very concrete type of teacher and reminded me of the old fashion teachers that did not allow for a lot of variance. When reading about Pragmatism and Existentialism, I noticed that they two philosophies were more of the common day teacher, and where we are trying to go. I was also instantly drawn to these two types of teaching, because I felt like it was describing me in a nutshell. After taking a survey about which type of philosophy best fits us, I found out I am an even mix of both pragmatism, as well as existentialism. I think that these two fit me the best because of the fact that I am a very kinesthetic learner and love doing things hands on, and let kids try new things, and work with others. So I think my background and the way I learn, directly correlates with the way I will teach. Pragmatism is all about learning from the environment  which I think every school should implement anyway because it is one of the most critical things we may ever learn as we live in this world. To go along with environment, existentialism allows students choice, and responsibility. Both of these work in hand in hand, and can clearly see now why I got even scores on both of them.

A Nation at Risk

A nation at risk I think entails what most of my philosophy about education as well as life. In the two articles titled "A Nation at Risk" and "25 years after A Nation at Risk" they explain that in 1983 most kids were illiterate, and we were competing with other nations, because we were falling behind in all standardized tests. In 2004 after the no child left behind act came out, we have spent almost double on each child and have seen absolutely no improvement, if anything we have seen a decline. I'm going to go out on a rant now, but in my opinion at least 50% of this problem has nothing to do with school but with home life. I  believe that most problems in life and in school, stem from the home life. I do not think parents spend as much time with kids anymore because they expect the school to do it, and the schools just don't have enough time in a day. There was a point when parents pushed their kids to go to school, and do their work and make sure they excelled. It then turned to parents not being home because of work, and leaving kids with babysitters, etc. I don't care if you spend a million dollars per pupil, there is not enough time in a day to teach the kids all they need to know, as well as prepare them for standardized tests. I believe that there needs to be more integrated curriculum, so that kids can learn multiple things from a subject at one time, in order to not repeat the same thing over and over again. Another huge problem now, is discipline. So many kids get kicked out of school or detention. In the early 1900's kids just didn't dare to mess up because they got hit.. there needs to be some sort of in between because right now, education as well as the rest of the world has just lost everything and gotten way out of hand, where simple things like respect, schooling, and attitude are just not longer a thing.

Teaching Hope: REJUVENATION

For my first entry I chose to read and write about story 115. In this story kids from California, were pen paling to other kids in West Virginia. It started out as just two people talking to each other about everyday things, and it turned into really personally letters being signed with love, and your friend. These letters also wrote very personal in nature as well. These kids were starting to open up about their lives, things that are very personal, such as not meeting their dad, or their  parents dying, or opening up about their gender. These kids were not finding common experiences with one another to connect with. Not only have they connected with the person, they are now going to be visiting that person and school. This will open these kids up to other cultures and experiences around them. I think that this is an awesome way to show kids that they are not alone, or also that there is so much more out there in the world.
I was also intrigued by story 113 as this was about reading journal articles out loud of children who had wrote them, but to stay anonymous about who's it was. She read several articles out loud about how their parents were addicts, or their friend has died or living in poverty. Once these were all read the kids were amazed at the fact that all of that had happened in their class with the people, and everyone else wanted theirs read as well. This created a culture where, everyone could talk about their feelings outloud without having to even say their own name.

Episode 1 Reflection

Episode 1 talked about the years 1770-1890 and included all of the laws that took place to shape education. Schools are where people learned the meaning of democracy and practiced it. This episode covered a large range of education, but while watching this episode my mind started to think. What disappoints me in this day in age, is the fact that students feel forced to go to school and to college, because everything in converging and saying that you need a college education. Many people are going as far as saying if you do not go to school you are "uneducated" and "dumb" I have a HUGE issue with this. Some of the smartest people I know have grown up with their own business working hard to make a living and honestly there is nothing better then a person going out and doing something, instead of being taught. I think the kids now are robots and do not think or do things by themselves. I hate the push the media, the government and everyone else is doing towards education, I do believe that education is important but believe in tech schools, and doing that specific job, because experience is always better. I wish that we would go back and inherit some of the things that we lost. The fact that boys got 10 licks for making fun of a girl.. now public shaming is accepted. Things were just not tolerated then, no leniency. Kids now are always disrespecting others, think they are so smart when in fact I think we are raising a dumb generation. Mixing the present, with some of the things from the past, may be our past option looking forward.