EDU 302

The Joys of Christmas

2010-11-16T02:29:00.001-08:00

So it's that time of year again- time to put those coats that wrap around you multiple times on and enjoy the magical sensation of winter, with the white glistening flakes falling on the ground, warm apple crisp straight from the oven, and Christmas right around the corner. Sorry for all of you stressed about Thanksgiving, but I just can't help but wish for that time of year where everything seems like it did when you were younger, magical and slightly mysterious, where the sounds of bells and sleigh rides race through the streets in a cacophany of trumpet blares and flute trills, where lights are strung up all through town, making streets look welcoming and homey, and with snow racing to the ground, fat puffs of downy softness that tantalize your tongue with the thought of the cool soothing taste of winter as it blankets the ground like a quilt made of goose feathers, so light and airy that you are afraid to step on it in case it is just a dream. I love this time of year, for it is the one time that I really get to spend with my family, my boisterous small family who are often very spread out now that my sister and i have grown up and my mother is retired. Yet, Christmas is that time of year where nothing can go wrong, where you feel safe and cossetted in your house, as you watch the wind howl and descecrate tress outside, a fire cheerfully smiles at you inside, lapping at the doors of the woodstove, warming both the house and the hearts of the inhabitants, and where the smell of warm soul food fills the air, with turkeys and meat glistening with the rich fat and protein of their own juices, of mashed potatoes whipped into a frothy conconction, the butter melting upon the mounds of rich whiteness, staining it yellow, swirling its lusciosness in artistic patterns that make the potatoes look like mountains, cropped with a yellow peak, and the desserts, splendid and majestic, so beautiful it is hard to cut into them for it is a little like slashing into a major work of art. This is what I have been waiting for for the entire year. This is what makes leaving home okay, that knowing that this is what I will come back to, that this will never change, for it won't. It will always be the same.
We might have different things to eat and there might be some years where the presents under the tree are a little sparse, like our pockets in this time of crises, but that isn't what matters. What will always be there for me is the knowlege that i have a place to go home to, where worries cannot find me, where i can rest in peace, and that I will always be loved, regardless of what gift I give people. In our family, it isn't so much about the gifts (that is not to say that my parents do not give me lovely gifts, or that I do not enjoy this), but Christmas is about more than that. It is about love, it is about sacrifice (for those who are Christian), and it is about the familal joy and comfort that humans can take and give each other. It is about the family coming together and celebrating their life, and this is what I love about Christmas. Even in Farmington, which is where I live now in the dormitories, Christmas is beautiful. The days leading up to vacation, I often spend walking the streets, drinking in the sights and smells of this season. I walk all around town, my ugg boots making fresh tracks in the pristine snow, untouched by any hand or foot for my friend and I are often the first ones to tread on the white canvas in front of us. Bundled up against the cold, our noses and cheeks turning bright cherry red, and our lips becoming a slash of red in otherwise pale cheeks like poppies among the brown ground, and we look like children again, vibrant, alive and excited, with red lips as though we had just eaten a popsicle. My roomate's brown eyes are dancing as if doing the Irish jig,and snow pools on her head, dusting her dark straight hair with shimmery highlights. She looks like a cookie, all fresh and slightly dusted with confectionary sugar, and I can't help but laugh at the sight of us in our coats, looking for all the world like fat robins as we are swaddled and wrapped in layer after layer of fabric, concealing whatever shapes we once had. Mirth bubbles up like champagne from my chest, and like music, my laughter rings out in the quiet silence of the street in a timeless dance. The bells toll from the church and my roomate and I stop and listen, afraid to move in case we break the spell of enchantment that comes upon us as we hear the sweet chiming of innocence and peace caroling through the winding pathways, its haunting cords slicing through the darkest recessess and shadows to bring light and fulfillment to everyone who hears it.
So let us hope that this Christmas will be like all other Christmases, and let us hope for a white Christmas! And remember, don't get too stressed about presents and material goods, but instead emphasize what Christmas is really about (whether you are Christian or not), for it is not a holiday that should be used to discriminate against any other religion. Instead, for eveyrone out there, think of Christmas as a time of love and peace, where you can reuniting with family, and return to childhood innocence for a little while. Enjoy the snow and remember the magic of it all, when you were child and saw your first snow storm, and listen to the music for it is light and airy, and its melodies raise us up and allow us to escape our humdrum lives for a little bit. During Christmas time, we are like birds, soaring above whatever miseries we have, content to float in a mindless splendor.
SO HAPPY HOLIDAYS FOR ALL!

21st century teacher reflection

2008-12-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Being an educator of the 21st century is a difficult challenge. Everyday, there is new information to be learned and processed. My fellow teachers and I will have to become comfortable with technology and its role in the classroom. Therefore, it stands to reason that we, as teachers, need to prepare our children and teach them how to use technology to deepen their knowledge and make them more prepared to face the word, using flexibility, creativity, and above all, patience to help our students learn and grow as people.

Technology is an amazing tool for students. By integrating technology into the classroom, my students will be able to research topics more in depth and will become actively engaged in school and in the classroom. Students can use technology at their own pace and can do really cool activities online such as the metamorphosis project, in which they do their own art project, exploring tools around them to create their own kind of original art. Students that struggle to read could use interactive reading sites to help them read books, such as at Scholastic. These sites are wonderful tools because they supply scaffolding for the students. Students can listen and then read or can first try reading before listening. Other sites, such as funbrain can help students with their math, making problem solving and equations into games.. This kind of hands-on interactive learning helps students become more independent and it fosters in them a love for learning.

However, in order for technology to be integrated into the schools, teachers must be prepared. I feel that I have a responsibility to become comfortable with technology so that we may use it in the classroom. This means that I will become a student as well, learning alongside my class as we explore the intricacies and advantages of using technology. However, it will not be an easy ride. Teachers have to put up with a great deal of stress. Teachers are always busy, trying to incorporate many different strategies in order to keep their students’ engrossed all the while being interrupted by announcements, field trips, and specials. Because of this, I feel that I need to deviate from the traditional teacher roles and become more flexible. I will try to make my classroom as hands on as possible and will encourage my students to think critically about the world around them. I feel that a more progressive style classroom is more effective, especially when integrating technology. By giving them a more progressive education, students will be able to use technology in order to do more in depth research. I also feel that teachers need to be flexible. I know that to be an effective teacher, I must learn how to be flexible, and how to adapt quickly. I also know that I will have to be creative in order to integrate technology and everything else that needs to be taught. However, by integrating technology and by using a progressive system, I can give my students a lot more responsibilities as well. They can learn to lead the class and become more active learners, using their own tools to discover and learn.

By giving them full reign on their education, I am giving them leadership skills that will serve them well as adults. By teaching them about technology, I am giving them the ability to succeed. I feel like the classroom needs to be a true place of learning, not only for the students, but also for the teacher. It will be a place of discovery from both spectrums, young and old, as they learn together, using the wisdom of the adults and the young eyes and fresh minds of the students to problem solve.

Pre-Assessment for Natural Disaster Unit

2008-11-14T07:43:00.001-08:00

2008-10-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, my name is Maggie Campbell and my home is in Belfast, Maine, and I live with my sister and my mother and father. I am a sophmore in college, and I am learning how to be a teacher. I love to read, write, ski, swim, and hike. In fact, I like almost everything that is outside. My favorite season is fall because I love the colors of the leaves, and I love the weather. It is cold but not too cold! I also love school! I hope you are having a great time in school, and I hope you keep up all the good work!

Computer Conference

2008-10-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

1. The first session that I went to was the pre=service teacher kickoff session. This session was really helpful and I really liked the quote that he started off with: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be". - Wayne Gretzky Then he explained that this quote could be used for teaching as well. Teachers should not just stay with the traditional approach, but should be progressive. Teachers should challenge their students and be prepared. This means becoming comfortable with computers. Some things that I learned from this session were a few technological things that I could use in the classroom. He talks about using flicker, which is a great image website, and can organize people’s images using tags. This means that students could use this program to organize pictures. Flickr can also be used to include parents in their students’ lives. Parents would be able to see what their children are doing in the classroom, and will be able to become more actively involved in their children's lives.

2. Another thing that I learned was also in this class. I had never realized how you could use some technology in the classroom. Mobile phones and I-pods had never really struck me as a useful tool in the classroom, but the presenter gave us some ideas for using these programs. For example, itunes has thousands of podcasts that are available and that people could subscribe to. These podcasts can be used to teach lessons on grammar and other things like hat. Skype is another example of a tool that can be used. By using Skype, students can communicate freely with other people, maybe even people from other places. For parents, teachers can send out emails, blogs, and aim messages to get them more actively involved in their kids’ learning. All of these uses of technology allow the parent to see first hand what their child is doing and what they have been learning.

3. During the key speaking, I learned a lot of useful information about why people should use technology. The speaker made a good point that computers and technology are portals to the rest of the world. Students have to learn how to work together and be more collaborative. She also stated that in 2020, knowledge would double every 72 hours. This astounded me. That much knowledge pretty much makes books obsolete. By the time the textbooks are written, they would be incorrect. Learning this, I knew that teaching without technology is no longer an option. In order to learn everything that these children are going to know, they are going to have to be able to use technology to its fullest. Yet, by doing this, these students are going to have so much more possibilities. They are going to be able to relate to people that are different, and schooling is going to be more student directed.

4. While in the pre-strategy program, I also learned about the program JING. JING is a great program that allows students to communicate with others. It allows people to snap a picture of anything and put it on your desktop and then record it. This movie can then be shared with anyone. Teachers can use this to study their students, and to make sure that their students are paying attention. For example, when a student is doing something, you could video the child doing the activity, while they talk, recording their thoughts the whole time. By doing this, the teacher will be able to get insight into the student’s head. The teacher will be able to look at this and see what the student learns. The students can learn and explore how to verbalize their reasoning and the teacher can see where the student is coming from.

5. Another program that I thought was really cool and that was technology based was something called Literactive. This program can be used for struggling readers or even just regular readers. It provides reading material to students and it is online. These programs help students read and understand what they are reading. Since I am teaching kindergarten, I thought this program would be amazing to use, because it helps the students start to recognize words. Yet, there are tools that if clicked, will read to the student, highlighting the word, and speaking it out loud. It can even be used for more advanced children because you can turn the extras off, and the student actually has to read the whole sentence. Furthermore, the student has the opportunity to take their learning in their own hands because they can pick their book.

6. When I went to my third session, the presenter told us how important games were to learning. He said that teachers needed to use more creativity and need to use educational games more often, such as cribbage, where you have to use concepts in order to win the game. An example of a game was magnetic poetry. Magnetic poetry is an amazing game because it can be found both in a board game and in an online game format. This gives students opportunities to explore rhyming words and to characterize words. Younger students can use this to group words with the same beginning letters, or when they are beginning to learn how to organize words under headings. It can also be used for more advanced students, in order to compose poems and songs.

7. During the second session that I attended, I learned about many math resources that would help students who are struggling. Most of the programs that the presenter showed us were free open source software, and were great educational resources. In this class we learned about a website MISTM, which is a math portal. Here, teachers can find all sorts of information and teaching resources. In this class, she shared software called geogebra. This software is interactive, and students can explore points, segments, vectors, lines, and functions. They can experiment with equations and coordinates, along with many other mathematical concepts because this software is a mix of geometry, calculus, and algebra.

8. Another thing I learned during this second session is about a website called curriki. This is an online program that is specifically used for educational purposes. This program is used as a teacher resource, and there are many lessons and plans that teachers can use in their own classroom. This program is set up so that everyone can use it. This equals out the playing field a little bit, equalizing differences because any teacher can access these tools. It is very similar to wikipedia because users can post, edit and comment on articles.

9. One of the most helpful sessions I went to was Jim’s best of the web. This was probably my favorite session of all times. It was so helpful. The presenter talked about the lack of creativity in the classroom and how this was negatively impacting education. Then, he gave us several websites that can be used to re-engage students, making them actively interested in what they are learning. He gave up over 50 websites to use, all of which can be used to make students more active in their own learning. These websites are great tools to use!

10. Another thing that I learned during this computer conference is about a website called SpellingCity. SpellingCity can be used to help prepare students for vocabulary tests and is very simple to use. One presenter mentioned how good a site this is. Kids can become excited about spelling again and can study and explore the words through this site.

This was an amazing experience and I felt that I really learned a lot about using technology and why it is important to use in the classroom. The presenters were all prepared and did a really nice job presenting a lot of information in just a little time. Walking around, I was able to see all the tools that teachers have at their disposal now, and I saw some really cool inventions. One such invention was the crayon ink, in which crayons are used instead of ink, which is better for the environment.

Webquest Ideas

2008-10-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here are my webquest ideas. My class will be studying the Holocaust, which means all the webquests that are written below deal, in some way or another, with this issue.

1. Hollywood Productions Introduce: Holocaust Horror
a. Topic: Students will explore the Holocaust and will learn where it took place, the events that led up to this horrific event, and how Jewish people were treated.
b. Grade Level: Eighth Grade
c. Task: You are making a movie!!! Everyone has been patiently awaiting this big event and the movie is proclaimed to be the best in the world. The box office believes that this movie will be off the charts and everyone knows it is because of the people that have been cast in the movie. With an internationally known actress, a famous artist, and an amazing scriptwriter, what could go wrong? RIGHT? It is up to you to make sure that this movie is the blockbuster it is supposed to be. Don't let the director down!!!
d. Roles
a. Scriptwriter- it is your job to write a script that will make this movie rise above all other movies. To do this, you must research the times and make sure the script stays real to the time period.
b. Backstage Artist- It is your job to make the set seem as realistic as possible. Therefore, you must put all of your artistic skills into this project, making the backgrounds feel like Germany and using props that would be used in that time.
c. Actress- it is your job to portray the young girl, Anne Frank. You are the main lead so it is important that you get this right! You must be Anne Frank, with all of her emotions, feelings, and actions!! Don't mess up!

2. Gestapo, not Gazpacho
a. Topic: Students will discover what life is like for Hitler's army before, and after the Holocaust.
b. Grade level: eighth grade
c. Task: You are growing up in war torn Germany. When you are young, you were pressed into Hitler's youth group and when you became older, you became a Gestapo, a secret agent. Then, the war ended and people around you changed. An interviewer wants to ask you questions and you are tired of being hounded so you answer his questions about your life.
d. Roles:
a. Child in Hitler's Youth- it is your job to tell the interviewer how you became part of this organizations and what responsibilities you are given
b. Gestapo adult- it is your job to tell the interviewer what your life entails and how people treat you
c. Nazi after Holocaust has ended- it is your job to show the interviewer what has happened to Hilter's army and to describe how different the world is and how people treat you!

3. HIDE AND SEEK
a. Topic: Students will investigate what Jewish people went through when they tried to escape Hitler's regime
b. Grade level: eighth grade
c. Task: Your family is in trouble. The Nazis are searching for Jews and are sending them to the Death Camps. Your family knows that if they end up in the death camp, they will die! You need to get your family saftely out of Germany!
d. Roles:
a. Father- it is your job to provide for your family. You are looking at maps, trying to decide where the saftest place to escape would be!
b. Mother- it is your job to make sure your family stays hidden until the time that you need to leave! Your job is to find a family that will hide you until the time is right.
c. Child- it is your job to hide and make sure you have left no trail! You must keep track of food and money and when the Nazis are close on your heels, you must find places to hide for your family!

4. DEATH TRAP
a. Topic: Students will learn about the concentration camps, how they were built, and why.
b. Grade level: eighth grade
c. Task: The Germans are implementing their final solution plan. Hitler wants to destroy all Jewish people. You have been hired to create death traps, places where the Jews will be sent to be killed.
d. Roles:
a. Engineer- your job is to build the concentration camps, making sure that there is no way for the Jews to escape.
b. inventor- your job is to find and make weapons and other killing machines.
c. Spy photographer- your job is to take pictures of the machinery and of the concentration camps so that the outside world can see what is going on.

The purpose of technology in an inclusive classroom

2008-09-11T20:38:00.001-07:00

As a teacher, I feel that technology plays a huge role in the classroom. Every student that is in a classroom is going to have different strengths and different weaknesses and there is no way that a teacher can be an effective educator without the use of technological aides. These assistive techniques and items give children a level playing field and allow students who previously were on the fringe of the classroom to actively participate. Technological items such as a pencil grip, fraction bars, Tango, and Alpha Smart are but a small core group of items that make teaching more effective and allow students to work on their weaknesses, as well as giving students with learning difficulties the ability to succeed.

In any single classroom, there will always be a child that needs more help than others. Assistive techniques allow children who are struggling to work at their own pace. For example, the Tango program gives children who have trouble with language a chance to work on voice inflections, vocabulary, and pronunciation. The students who use this do not have to deal with the pressure that comes from trying to keep up with the class but can take their time and truly learn the concepts. These forms of technology allow the children to set the pace, giving them the time and practice that a teacher sometimes cannot supply. Computer software programs do the same thing. These technological aides have access to limitless computer software programs that teach lessons in a fun, interactive way that children love. Anyone can use these, which is perfect in the classroom. The more advanced students simply move on to the more difficult things while the students who struggle can move a slower pace. Therefore, even the more advanced students can be challenged when using these programs because these programs are individualized and have many levels. There are also many simple tools that I can use in my classroom such as pencil grips, which help children develop fine motor skills,word processing, for children who have trouble writing, or audio books, for children who have trouble reading. These assistive techniques open doors that were previously closed to teachers because, with these new advances, teachers can engage their students and make lessons more interactive and exciting. They teach children who have disabilities but can also be used to challenge the more advanced children, making sure that they stay busy and engaged.

As a teacher, I feel that these tools are important. I know that there will be times that children will need more practice with a concept or skill. By introducing these aides to the children, I will have more time to help individuals and will be able to give the students that are struggling a little more practice and instruction. By using the aides, all of my children can participate and feel good about themselves. Even children who have disabilities will be able to succeed. Devices such as Tango allow children to develop their communication and language skills that they need in a fun, interactive way. By using these devices, children will gain self-confidence and will be more eager to participate because there will be no fear of failure. My students will succeed and hopefully, due to the tools that I used, such as the aides, and my teaching abilities, they will be able to appreciate learning and will enjoy school!

The 21st century teacher

2008-09-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

I believe that being an educator in the 21st century means being prepared to teach with various resources, including technology, in order to engage students. Using technology that students use daily and incorporating them into daily lesson plans will make students feel more engaged and maybe more actively involved because they feel that they are learning something valuable and something tangible that they can take with them and use later on.

Students have developed incredible skills with computers, ipods and other electronics. They use computers daily and are incredibly proficient. If teachers want to make their students more involved and better learners, computers and other electronic devices are, in the 21st century, necessary. The computer has connections to many programs, all of which are geared toward learning. These programs are often fun, combining lessons with games, intriguing students. These programs also are often individually based so that if someone is struggling, they can continue to work a little longer at the area that is giving them the most difficulty. Using the computer gives students access to a lot of information and also connects students to people around the world, allowing them to communicate and to share information easily and quickly. Furthermore, if teachers use the computers and technology, they are enabling their students to learn something that will stay with them forever.

By making exciting lesson plans that incorporate their skills on computers and ipods, teachers are guaranteeing that students will be more actively involved. For example,
on one of the youtube videos, people talked about using ipods for their lessons. Kids could all bring in their ipods and pick a song, listen to the lyrics, and then use the message of that song or a lyric to write a creative piece of literature based on that theme. By doing this, the teacher is actively involving the student. They are more motivated because they can be creative and they were able to maybe pick a song that related to their lives, therefore connecting life and reality with schoolwork. The assignment would be completely theirs. This would also teach students to link things that happen in their personal lives to events in history or other subjects.

To be an effective teacher in the 21st century, teachers must use all sorts of resources to get students more interested. In this time and era, there are so many things to do and so many forms of entertainment that it is hard to make kids excited about learning but if teachers would take something personal and connect it to school, they might be able to get the kids interested. In high school, a lot of busy work is given and many students get frustrated with this, thinking there is no purpose in the homework. To be an effective teacher in the 21st century where students are busy with video games, movies, social time, sports, music and all of the other extra curricular activities available, they have to come up with ideas that grab the student’s attention and how better to do that than with the very items that are making kids pay less and less attention to school. It is no longer acceptable for teachers in the 21st century to use the lecture format in school. Kids in this century want to be heard. They have been raised to think and to have opinions and when teachers simply lecture, they have no chance and their voices are stifled and many tune out and don't listen. More creative projects, hands on ideas, and progressive teaching are needed. Kids need to be treated as equals and as young adults who have good ideas. Being more productive and having a more open classroom, where there is lots of discussion enables the students to get involved and to take part in their education. The role of the 21st century teacher is no longer like a parent giving advice and information to kids but has changed to a more Socrates method where the kids use their own knowledge to decide for themselves, making them think and link.

Therefore, it is the duty of the 21st century teacher to incorporate the items and interests that students have outside the classroom and bring them into the classroom in order to engage them more so that they don’t lose them. They need to have a more progressive classroom in which the students have more control in the learning process and in which the students can experience making their own decisions and backing it up with facts. Technology will get their attention and then teachers must hold it by having a room that is open to new interpretations and creative outlooks.

First day of sophmore year, 1st semester

2008-09-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today is the day! Classes started and summer has just officially ended. I am now a sophomore at the University of Farmington and the year is already starting out extremely busy but fun. Yesterday I unpacked for school and for a while, I thought that I would never stop unpacking but after three hours, everything was put away. Now, everything is in its designated space and the room is clean and practically sparkling- a good start for the year. Summer was great this year and I am certainly sad to see that it is over but hopefully they will just continue to get better!

blog f

2007-12-13T16:54:00.001-08:00

SED 125 and EDU 125 have shown me that teaching will be a challenging job and that it does require work, effort and patience. Yet, they have also shown that teaching is a rewarding experience. Learning about education and about the diversity found in classrooms has made me even more determined to become the best teacher I can be. I want to be like the teacher in Freedom Writers and I want to be an inspiration and get through to my kids. I want to show them that learning can be fun and that everyone can succeed. EDU 125 made me think about what kind of teacher I want to be and how I am going to run my classroom. Before I took this class, I had known that I wanted to be a teacher but I never thought about what it meant to be a teacher. It takes a lot more planning and hard work than I originally thought. Before learning about the philosophies, I would not have been able to think about what I expect from myself and from my students but now I have an idea of how my classroom will run.
I now have a starting point. I know that I want my classroom to be a safe place where no one is afraid to speak and I want my students to learn how to be respectful to each other, no matter the differences. I will not simply force them to learn but will allow them to become actively involved in their own learning through experiments. They will become independent and not dependent on me because I will simply be in the background, their guide should they need one.
This class also made think of what challenges will lie ahead. I have gone to school in a mostly white area, middle-class to poor socioeconomic standing, in a very small town. There was not a lot of diversity. There were maybe 2 black children and 3 Hispanic and a total of about 6 special needs students, many of whom I rarely even saw. As a teacher, I have begun to realize that I might get people with different learning abilities, people with different cultures, races and heritages and that I must be able to teach each and every one of them. Before this class, I had never thought of this but now, I have begun to think about this situation and have been thinking of how to teach everyone so that they all learn.

I think, in high school, when you are deciding your career, it might seem easy. I mean, teaching 3rd graders, how hard can that be? However, what I and probably many of my peers thought was that it sounded easy because, after all, how hard can 3rd grade math be? What I have realized after taking this class is that it is not necessarily the content that is hard but it is explaining how to do it that is difficult. It is always much harder to explain how you got an answer than to just do it out. This is the teacher’s job though. We are expected to know how to break things down so that all the students understand it. We have to be able to teach in a variety of ways so that everyone can succeed. Furthermore, as a teacher, I am going to have to try and be creative so that I never run out of experiements. My job is to teach so that everyone is interested. I have to make learning fun, which is a lot of work sometimes. I also have to learn how to teach subjects that I was never good at, such as math.

I realized, after taking these classes, that there is a lot more to teaching than simply reading out of a textbook and lecturing. It takes hours of planning and decision-making and hours of deciding how to teach in several different ways to become a good teacher. Yet, I know that I will not give up because despite the hard work and the disappointing pay, it is worth it because the children are worth it. All the hard work that you do will be paid in full when you see a smile of triumph and happiness from a child that gets it or even when a child who has struggled finally understands it. All the money in the world could not be better than seeing your students finally understand what you have been trying to teach them.

2007-11-30T18:13:00.000-08:00

Black History. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.galegroup.com/free_resources/bhm/bio/washington_b.htm.

Booker Taliaferro Washington on Education. (1998). Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/
0442.pdf.

Life After the 13th Amendment. (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2007, from http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/douglass
/part5.html.

McElrath, J. (n.d.). Booker T. Washington. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://Afroamhistory.about.com/od/
btwashington/a/bio_btw_2.htm.

Reece, D.M. (n.d.) Washington, Booker T. Retrieved Novexmber 10, 2007, from http://www.learningtogive.org/papers
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Washington, B.T. (1939). Up From Slavery. New York: Doran and Company.

Blog E

2007-11-29T18:18:00.001-08:00

As a student in Belfast Maine, I found that there was not much diversity in our town and school. Most of the students that went to Belfast were middle-class to poor white Caucasian people. There were very few African Americans, Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish people. Looking at other schools, I wish we had the diversity that other schools did because you can learn so much from other’s cultures. When I came to Farmington, I met a couple people from different cultures. I think this is important because you are given an opportunity to see what other people in other countries are like. They have different manners, different ways of talking and have had many different experiences, even in school. One of my best friends from Farmington originates from Japan and she is amazing. She has a very different way of looking at the world, which is very refreshing. Always polite, her culture has taught her to be empathetic to others and to look at the positive. I think that diversity is important because we can learn things from other cultures.

I believe that diversity is important because it teaches students to respect others that are different from them. It makes them listen to new ideas and they have to learn how to get along with people that they don’t usually hang out with. Sometimes we can learn from people from different cultures. My friend from Japan makes me want to better myself. Her culture and upbringing as made her a friendly, kind and caring individual. She always sees the positive side and is an incredibly hard worker, a trait that is seen more and more from people that come from Japan. I try to learn from her and work hard, and try to be optimistic like her. Her culture has affected her and because she is my friend, it affects me as well.
I know that in this day and age, there is going to be much diversity in the classroom. As more and more students migrate to the United States and from different backgrounds, it would be stupid to assume that you are not going to have different races and cultures in your classroom. In order for everyone in my class to succeed, I must create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and is not scared because they are different. Everyone must feel supported and welcomed. One way to make feel comfortable in the classroom is to dispel any stereotypes you or your students have developed. Do this by showing how different everyone is and how you cannot judge a person simply by the color of his or her skin or by the place they were born. Play games to show what your students have in common (for example, ask different questions such as, what is your favorite color etc).

When these students are in the classroom, I will make sure that they know that their comments and opinions are wanted and are valued. I want my students to participate in class discussion and by creating a safe environment, I hope that students will feel free to voice their opinions. For students that do not speak English or English is not their first language, I will try to help. When there are tests, I will help these children, reading to them the questions and answering any questions that occur from the reading. I will also offer help outside of class for any students that are struggling with the language. I will hold discussions in small groups, so that students can cooperate with each other. Furthermore, I will also try to encourage other students to learn about the diversity in the classroom by giving assignment and teaching in class about these cultures and will show them what each culture has to offer us.

my notes for the 2nd step of research

2007-11-14T13:41:00.002-08:00

Person A- Booker T. Washington

Birth date and place:
Booker T. Washington was born in Virginia, as a slave on a farm in Franklin valley (1). He was born in 1856 and never knew his father (2).

Age, Date of death:
Booker T. Washington died in November 1915 (2). No one was sure what he died of but the theories are that he was either overworked or had a nervous breakdown (2).

Where did he live most of his life? He lived a long time in Virginia as a slave (1).

What roles did he play in the field of education? He was a teacher at Hampton and believed in an industrial education (3). He did believe in the lecture format, where students simply learned by listening or in learning things such as the English language but instead, believed that a true education would help students learn about the real world and how to work (3). He even created a school, the Tuskegee Institute (3.). He was also an advocate for his race and an activist (4). He was a wonderful speaker and he spoke about the economy and about it being self-sufficient. He also suggested the use of literacy tests (4). He also wrote a book called UP From Slavery. (1).

Educational Beliefs? - He believed in self-determination and economic independence, and job skills (4). He also believed that blacks and whites should not be segregated in the economy (4).

What schools of thought did he agree with?
Progressivism, because Washington believed in hands on approaches. He wanted to increase social skills, and learning about real life (5).

What should of though did he disagree with:
Essentialism because the teacher is the center and the material learned in class is the normal sort, like language etc. It gives students the basic studies and gives students traditional values. The students do not have a choice in what they learn but are expected to do it anyway. This is used in a lecture format (6).

How do you see effects of this person in education? - His ideologies made what we know of as technical schools, a very hands on approach to education.

1. Washington, B.T. (1939). Up From Slavery. New York: Doran and Company.
2. Reece, D.M. (n.d.) Washington, Booker T. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from
http://www.learningtogive.org/papers/index.asp?bpid=133.
3. Booker Taliaferro Washington on Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/1998/edu/home/btw.htm.
4. McElrath, J. (n.d.). Booker T. Washington. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/btwashington/a/bio_btw_2.htm.
5. Progressive Education. (n.d.). Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www.tcs.pvt.k12.ca.us/page.cfm?p=21.
6. Essentialism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2007, from http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/essentialism.html.

Frederick Douglass

Birth, date and place: Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, which was about twelve miles way from Easton, which was located in Maryland (1). He was born (as far as experts can find out because most slaves did not know their age) on February 1818 (2).

Age, and date of death: He died on Feb. 20th, 1895 (2). The cause of death was a heart attack at his home in Anacostia (3).

Where did he live most of his life? He moved around but was mostly living in Maryland. He first lived inner Easton but was separated and was sent to Baltimore, Maryland. He then went to New York City and then when he raised his family when to Massachusetts (2).

What roles did he play in the field of education? He was an abolitionist and an activist as well as a supporter of civil rights. He also believed in the idea of African Americans being equal and that women were equal and deserved the same rights as everyone else. (2). He also wrote a book (1). He also spoke about the role of education in his speech at Manassas, Virginia called Blessing so f Liberty and Education (4).

Educational Beliefs: he believed that education was important and that all people should have the benefit of education. He believed that African Americans could learn and could be good at jobs that were not just menial labor. He believes that people need to discover their potential and the best inside them. He also stated that education meant freedom. (4).
What school of thought did he disagree with? Progressivism- because he believed that African Americans were better than just menial labor but could become better by learning through traditional methods (5). He believed that the African American could learn through this method because it would encourage reasoning and would train the mind. In fact Frederick Douglass believed that everyone could go to college (6).
What school of thought did he agree with.
Essentialism because he believed that learning traditional information would give African Americans the step up, allowing them to be more than just laborers.

Contributions to education: He worked all his life to make sure that African American schools could succeed, allowing African American students to thrive (7).

Effects of this person: His ideas contributed to a multicultural education. He also inspires people, especially the poorer African Americans who do not have a good school where they live to become educated. He was a slave and had to teach himself and yet, he became very intellectual, proving that people of all statuses can succeed (7).

How they are similar and how are they different- Both Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass believed that African Americans were equal and that they both deserved a chance to be important in society. They were both influential leaders who spoke out against inequality. However, Booker T. Washington was willing to deal with white people. He was non confrontial and only wanted the whites to recognize African American’s potential. He did not care so much for the segregation issue and really couldn’t care less. However, he did want the African Americans to have a better life than they were living already. He was much more well liked because of his nonconfrontial views. Frederick Douglass wanted racial equality in everything, not just in the economy. Furthermore, he fought for women’s rights and believed that everyone should be given the opportunity to have an equal educational opportunity. In fact, their philosophies were very different. They had the opposite philosophies, one hands on and one more for the lecturing style.

Works Cited

1. Douglass, F. (1994). Autobiographies. New York: The Library of America.
2. Frederick Douglass. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.winningthevote.org/FDouglass.html.
3. McElrath, J. (2007). The Life of Frederick Douglass. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/frederick
douglass1/a/bio_douglass_f.htm.
4. Douglass, F. (1894). Blessings of Liberty and Education. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/ index.asp
?document=543.
5. Essentialism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.edst.purdue.
edu/georgeoff/phil_am_ed/ESSENTIALISM.html.

6. Frederick Douglass Charter School 2002-2003 Annual Report. (2002-2003). Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/reports /2003/annual/0442.pdf.
7. Altenbaugh, R.J. (1999). Historical Dictionary of American Education. Retrieved November 12, 2007, from http://books.google.com/books? id=U_HSk9Yhe
BYC&pg =PA115&lpg=PA115&dq=frederick+douglass+contributions+
to+education&source=web&ots=pXizWThpg3&sig=Z1Eh5E5ZVIwf8
lxSYkWwaHzjG9o#PPR4,M1.

my notes for the 2nd step of research

2007-11-14T13:41:00.001-08:00

my notes for the 2nd step of research

2007-11-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Blog C- Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass

2007-11-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

Both Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass shared many similarities. They both were born in slavery, they both became mostly self-educated, and they both believed in the power of education. The only difference was that they had different ideas about education.
Frederick Douglass was born a slave. He was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1818. His mother was a slave as well and they lived on a big plantation in Maryland. Growing up, he rarely saw his mother because she was sent away to work on another neighboring plantation. Instead, he grew up with his grandparents until he reached the age of six, when he was split apart from his loved ones and given to the Loyd Plantation and then later, Baltimore. There, he served a man by the name of Hugh Auld. Auld’s wife, Sophia began to teach Douglass how to read and write until her husband forbade her to teach him anymore, as it was against the law to teach a slave. Douglass realized that the white owners did not want him educated because it would lead to revolt. He began to understand that education could lift people up and would give African Americans the power to thwart the stereotypes and take their place in the world: equal and strong. He began to self-educate himself, secretly studying every time he could.
Later, Douglass was sent to another master, Edward Covey, a brutal man, who was incredibly cruel to his slaves. Douglass tried to escape but his first try did not succeed. His second escape was much better. Taking identification papers from a friend that was a sailor, Douglas pretended to be a sailor and went to New York City. Here, he lived out his days, continuing to speak out for his fellow slaves and tried to show them the importance of education. He showed them that education would give rise to freedom and liberty. By being educated, African Americans would realize what they were capable of and would no longer be content to be slaves. Furthermore, through education, African Americans could show the white people that they were not dumb but were as capable as anyone else to learn and develop. By becoming educated, Douglass stated that a man would become a greater person. Education gives you the opportunity to grow and develop and to be the best that you can. Education get rid of ignorance and stereotypes and allows us to understand the world and people around us.
Douglass believed that everyone was equal and that education should be given to everyone. It should not be withheld for any reason. His belief was that everyone was equal and everyone should be given the same opportunities so that they could have the chance to better themselves.
Booker T. Washington had very similar views. Also born into slavery, Washington was born in 1856 on a tobacco farm. His mother was a cook while is father was a white man from a neighboring farm. Booker T. Washington, like Douglass, was not allowed to go to school. Instead, he was allowed to carry books for Burrough’s daughters to school but he was not allowed in the schoolhouse. However, this changed when in 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was created. Booker went to school after his job ended (he worked in a salt mine). Later, he was given a job by a wealthy woman who helped him learn. When he became 16, he walked several miles so that he could enroll in a new school that taught black students. He later became an instructor there and became known as one of the nation’s first black educators in Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He, like Douglass, believed in educating everyone, but his approach was more hands on. He believed that education should be used as a tool for a job. His ideas were similar to what we now know of as technical schools. His view of education was that education should teach people things they will need to know in life. His approach was practical methods that would help African Americans in their jobs later on.

Web Cites Used:

http://afroamhistory.about.com/od/frederickdouglass1/a/bio_douglass_f.htm

http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=543

http://www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html

http://www.nps.gov/archive/bowa/btwbio.html

http://northbysouth.kenyon.edu/1998/edu/home/btw.htm
http://www.ushistory.net/washington.html

Book Sources:

Douglas, Frederick. Autobiographies. New York: LIbrary of America, 1994.

Washington, Booker T. Up From Slavery: an Autobiography. New York: Doubleday, 1963.

Blog B- Economic Opportunity Act

2007-10-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Economic Opportunity Act was created in 1964 to combat the poverty found in America. At this time, the US economy had surpassed anything seen before. The country was more wealthy than ever before and yet there was a huge gap between the rich and the poor and there were still many people left behind, continuing to live in the cycle of poverty because, without better opportunities for education and training, people cannot break out of that cycle. President Lyndon Johnson created this act as part of his program called the Great Society, which was geared to get rid of the gap between the rich and poor. Johnson believed that in order to make the US better economically and socially, each individual should have the opportunity to get out of the poverty cycle. To do this, Johnson believed in giving everyone the opportunity to learn and educate themselves. The Economic Opportunity Act gave people the opportunity to educate themselves, to get the training needed for better paying jobs, and to live a better life than they previously would have.

In fact, the Economic Opportunity Act had several programs that were included such as the Job Corps, which provided education and work for young people, ages 16 to age 21. Also created was the Neighborhood Youth Corps, which also gave jobs to young adults from poverty stricken districts. The Economic Opportunity Act also started the Work Study program, which is still being used today. This gave money to colleges so that students how came from families with very little money could get jobs, which gave them money to spend on books and stuff that they might need. Another thing that was created was the Adult Basic Education, which gave money to state education agencies so that people who are 18 or older could learn how to read and learn other things that are necessary for jobs. This enabled people who were not able to go to school or who did not pass high school training to get help so that they could get a job that would pay well. Yet another program was the Assistance for Migrant Agricultural Employees, which provided migratory workers and their families with housing, job opportunities, and education programs.

Later on, when the act was revised, the Economic Opportunity Act created the Head Start program. The Head Start program was created to help children become successful in public schools. It created kindergarten, infant programs, and nursery school in order to get the children ready for school and prepared for school.

The Economic Opportunity Act has done so much for education and has led to everyone having an equal opportunity to learn and grow in school. It has given so many programs to society that around to this day, in order to make education a tool for everyone.

Web Sites Used

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-47676/history-of-education#303320.hook
http://faculty.virginia.edu/sixties/readings/War%20on%20Poverty%20entry%20Poverty%20Encyclopedia.pdf
http://cascades.jobcorps.gov/WhatandHowToJC.html
http://jschell.myweb.uga.edu/history/legis/econ.htm
http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/751/769950/Documents_Library/eoa1964.htm
http://www.nascc.org/PDFs/AbtAssociates-Feb1997.pdf
http://www.questia.com/library/education/head-start.jsp
http://www.naepdc.org/issues/AEAHistort.htm
http://ug-finaid.northwestern.edu/work-study/information/program.html

Blog A- informal education

2007-10-25T17:55:00.000-07:00

It was at nighttime, and I was cuddled up with my mother, leaning my head against her shoulder. My sister was on the other side, staring intently at the pictures before us. Although neither one of us could read, we loved to sit there, next to the warm fire, listening as my mother told the story so that it would come alive for us. These moments were very common, giving both my sister and I a basis in language and in reading that would give us an edge as we started school. My parents never believed in television and instead encouraged us to use our imaginations through books. As a result of this, Anne and I were very good readers and I have learned how to use books for entertainment and for research. Without my parent's help, I do not believe that I could have been the reader I am today.
Another lesson I learned was not from my parents. Instead, I learned this lesson from my best friend, Sarah. Sarah is one of those people who is friends with everyone. She is kind, sweet, and always makes you feel special. When I am upset, she is always there to help me, to support me, and to advise me. Sometimes, I do not like to listen to her advice because it seems harsh but I know that she does it because she loves me. A truthful person, she never lies to me. If I ask her something, she will tell me the truth, even if it is not something I want to hear. Yet, Sarah is never malicious. She never talks about people in a negative way and always remains upbeat. She is loyal to her friends, and is the first to defend me when I need it. When I came to college, I knew that I was going to miss her. She had been my support; without her, I was not sure how to survive. Even now, after meeting wonderful people, I wonder if I ever will meet someone like her. Looking back at my memories, I realize what a role model she is. She is someone to model yourself after. By trying to act and behave like her, I feel that I am becoming a better person, less judgmental and more approachable.
Another lesson I learned began in my freshman year. I was a scared 14 year old, stepping out of my comfort zone. It was the second week of school and I had decided to join the swim team. I did not know anyone on the team and was scared out of my mind. I had never swam competively and I was afraid that I could not keep up. Walking into the room to meet the rest of the team and my coach, I had to step out of my comfort zone and do something I had never done before. It was the best choice in my life. Swimming taught me time management and responsibility. To swim, you were required to be there at every practice at a certain time, no excuses. Furthermore, swimming lasted about two to four hours a day, making it mandatory that I learn how to manage my time. Balancing my homework, a social life, music and swimming gave me the ability to balance my time through the day. Then, when I was a junior, I was given the responsibility of being captain. Being captain was a huge commitment. I am the kind of person that likes to fulfill my obligations fully. What this mean to me was that I had to be well liked, positive, supporting, and I also needed to be responsible for everything to run smoothy. Taking my responsibilities seriously, I met with all the girls, trying to be amiable. I would joke around with everyone, as a result becoming very popular with the team. This made me improve my social skills and how to interact with people that I might not necessarily talk to in any other situation. Furthermore, as Captain, I was expected to make everything smoothly. This meant that I had to order the suits (and decide what kind of suit would work best for the team), goggles, and cap, as well as hosting team dinners and organizing functions so that the team was more united. I also had to, during the meets, make sure that everyone was ready to go and that they were ready to race when it was their turn. At the end of the year, I made everyone something (a card etc) to make them know that they were appreciated. I also had to get the coach a gift and make a collage. All these things made me a better person and made me someone who was friendly to everyone, who was responsible and showed good leadership qualities.

1st day- trial and error

2007-10-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, this is Maggie, and this is my first time blogging.