Here's the link to my google doc of summary of basic writing essay:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZg2EnfEYHlcZGZremo1OTVfMXQzOHp3d2Zr&hl=en
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
My Comments to Course Blog (1-5)
Comment 1: (Response to "Teacher Tenure Based on Test Scores" February 18, 2010)
Though this is in all honesty a very interesting program for high school students to graduate earlier and with an associate degree as well, I don't really think it solves the problem of "High School Dropouts". If anything, as Humaira and Alex said, it adds more to that problem because in this way, these exceptional students with exceptional test scores will be given more attention to in a way to expedite their graduation process while the students with real problems and with no true value for education in the first place in high school, are just left behind as usual. As Barbara mentioned in class, which teenager doesn't really hate high school? I mean if not hate, but it is definitely not the place of their choice to begin with. Additionally, at that age, though it really depends on their backgrounds, they don't really understand the value of education. So what is my solution to this problem????? The hiring of highly-educated, motivated, and caring tutors!!!
Though many people may not really comprehend the importance of the correct way of tutoring, it needs to be brought back into attention somehow. I know tutors are available already in high schools and that for free as well, but how do we really know how educated and qualified these tutors really are? A tutor can play a very crucial role in a student's academic and personal life! Unlike most teachers, tutors have the chance to develop a personal relationship with the students and be their mentor academically of course, along with other things in life, especially in a teenager's life. These tutors could be college students or college graduates even... experienced enough about the "life outside of high school" but at the same time, young enough to understand where these troubled students are really coming from.
Comment 2: (Response to "DailyNews: MTA bigwigs may cut free passes for students to ride subway and busses" March 1, 2010)
Wow this is outrageous!
"We had to cut the budgets of all agencies and entities and still wind up ... short of our goal," Paterson said. "New York is running out of money." Why is it that the first place they look to cut the budget is taking away from the very poor who's kids get free metro cards? After all, it is the students coming from lower-income families who will mostly be affected by this and eventually quit coming to school. Even the really good students who actually cared about and valued education at one point will have to drop out of school if they come from a low-income family.
Comment 3: (Response to "Braille Literacy: Open Forum" March 27, 2010)
Thank you again, Megan for your amazing presentation. I learned so much about Braille literacy now. I actually did my research paper on Braille Literacy and as I reread the articles you gave us I realized just how easily people can forget that Braille to you is what print is to us. As Ray Weiss's article was mentioning,
"What happens when the computer dies for people who can see? You go back to pencil and paper. When the computer goes out for us, it's Braille."
If Braille is constantly compared to print, then it will be appreciated more and not as easily rejected.
Comment 4: (Response to "Preparing for Success" April 7, 2010)
Quote:
"Additionally, ESL instructors need to be aware of the diverse issues that learners are likely to encounter in the workplace. For example, an ESL class that is serving highly educated refugees and immigrants will need a different focus from one that is serving agricultural workers with limited education in their country of origin..." -pg. 31
Response:
The quote went on to explain how 'highly educated' learners may be interested in getting credentials verified etc and the ones with agricultural backgrounds may need information about getting GED etc. This can be beneficial in many ways I think. Firstly, of course if the classroom is going to be useful to immigrants then this must be one of the best ways. After all, where else can they get these types of information? Also, this can stimulate conversation by learners amongst each other so in this way they can also find friendship with each other and 'get together' outside of classes and in this way practice their English. Furthermore, this is "Freirian" approach because as Mr. Ruben Rangel pointed out to us in the workshop, teachers must first get to KNOW their students before being able to teach them. In this way, the teachers learn a new aspect about their students and it motivates other types of discussions in class relating to peoples' needs.
Comment 5: (Response to "Mike Rose, Marilyn Sternglass and Jane: The Need for Teaching Critical Literacy" April 23, 2010)
This is a very crucial point that Megan is making here, I think, about her sister who is willing to implement the curriculum, because very few teachers are genuinely committed to doing such a thing. As we all know, Humaira is not one of those people, and she takes matters into her own hands to do with the students what SHE thinks will benefit them more. It is also true about the tracking of students in High School. i was in the 'normal' classes (not honors) and it was so obvious that the teachers and administrators just did not care too much about challenging the students in these levels too much.
Actually, guidance counselors would bluntly suggest the seniors in the 'non-honors' classes to just apply to junior and community colleges. The students, defeated, thinking that if they try out 4-year colleges they will just not be successful, would listen to them. In fact, I witnessed a couple of my high school friends who were in the same classes as I were who went to community colleges after graduating and then after taking a couple of classes, they just dropped out. Some were able to transfer to 4 year colleges afterwards, but a lot just lost interest. They couldn't convince ME to aim low for myself because I come from a family that really values education and not going to college just wasn't an option. I'm not saying that I didn't even want to go, but I was definitely not as inspired about learning back then as I am today.
In 11th grade though, I was very fortunate to have an English teacher who truly cared for her students in ALL levels ( she taught honors as well) and she always encouraged us to write as much as possible and urged us to think critically about the materials that we read. Even today, whenever I visit her, she tells me of her always changing curriculum, and how she implements it as much as possible according to the students' interests, abilities, and society and what is happening currently in the United States and the world.
Though this is in all honesty a very interesting program for high school students to graduate earlier and with an associate degree as well, I don't really think it solves the problem of "High School Dropouts". If anything, as Humaira and Alex said, it adds more to that problem because in this way, these exceptional students with exceptional test scores will be given more attention to in a way to expedite their graduation process while the students with real problems and with no true value for education in the first place in high school, are just left behind as usual. As Barbara mentioned in class, which teenager doesn't really hate high school? I mean if not hate, but it is definitely not the place of their choice to begin with. Additionally, at that age, though it really depends on their backgrounds, they don't really understand the value of education. So what is my solution to this problem????? The hiring of highly-educated, motivated, and caring tutors!!!
Though many people may not really comprehend the importance of the correct way of tutoring, it needs to be brought back into attention somehow. I know tutors are available already in high schools and that for free as well, but how do we really know how educated and qualified these tutors really are? A tutor can play a very crucial role in a student's academic and personal life! Unlike most teachers, tutors have the chance to develop a personal relationship with the students and be their mentor academically of course, along with other things in life, especially in a teenager's life. These tutors could be college students or college graduates even... experienced enough about the "life outside of high school" but at the same time, young enough to understand where these troubled students are really coming from.
Comment 2: (Response to "DailyNews: MTA bigwigs may cut free passes for students to ride subway and busses" March 1, 2010)
Wow this is outrageous!
"We had to cut the budgets of all agencies and entities and still wind up ... short of our goal," Paterson said. "New York is running out of money." Why is it that the first place they look to cut the budget is taking away from the very poor who's kids get free metro cards? After all, it is the students coming from lower-income families who will mostly be affected by this and eventually quit coming to school. Even the really good students who actually cared about and valued education at one point will have to drop out of school if they come from a low-income family.
Comment 3: (Response to "Braille Literacy: Open Forum" March 27, 2010)
Thank you again, Megan for your amazing presentation. I learned so much about Braille literacy now. I actually did my research paper on Braille Literacy and as I reread the articles you gave us I realized just how easily people can forget that Braille to you is what print is to us. As Ray Weiss's article was mentioning,
"What happens when the computer dies for people who can see? You go back to pencil and paper. When the computer goes out for us, it's Braille."
If Braille is constantly compared to print, then it will be appreciated more and not as easily rejected.
Comment 4: (Response to "Preparing for Success" April 7, 2010)
Quote:
"Additionally, ESL instructors need to be aware of the diverse issues that learners are likely to encounter in the workplace. For example, an ESL class that is serving highly educated refugees and immigrants will need a different focus from one that is serving agricultural workers with limited education in their country of origin..." -pg. 31
Response:
The quote went on to explain how 'highly educated' learners may be interested in getting credentials verified etc and the ones with agricultural backgrounds may need information about getting GED etc. This can be beneficial in many ways I think. Firstly, of course if the classroom is going to be useful to immigrants then this must be one of the best ways. After all, where else can they get these types of information? Also, this can stimulate conversation by learners amongst each other so in this way they can also find friendship with each other and 'get together' outside of classes and in this way practice their English. Furthermore, this is "Freirian" approach because as Mr. Ruben Rangel pointed out to us in the workshop, teachers must first get to KNOW their students before being able to teach them. In this way, the teachers learn a new aspect about their students and it motivates other types of discussions in class relating to peoples' needs.
Comment 5: (Response to "Mike Rose, Marilyn Sternglass and Jane: The Need for Teaching Critical Literacy" April 23, 2010)
This is a very crucial point that Megan is making here, I think, about her sister who is willing to implement the curriculum, because very few teachers are genuinely committed to doing such a thing. As we all know, Humaira is not one of those people, and she takes matters into her own hands to do with the students what SHE thinks will benefit them more. It is also true about the tracking of students in High School. i was in the 'normal' classes (not honors) and it was so obvious that the teachers and administrators just did not care too much about challenging the students in these levels too much.
Actually, guidance counselors would bluntly suggest the seniors in the 'non-honors' classes to just apply to junior and community colleges. The students, defeated, thinking that if they try out 4-year colleges they will just not be successful, would listen to them. In fact, I witnessed a couple of my high school friends who were in the same classes as I were who went to community colleges after graduating and then after taking a couple of classes, they just dropped out. Some were able to transfer to 4 year colleges afterwards, but a lot just lost interest. They couldn't convince ME to aim low for myself because I come from a family that really values education and not going to college just wasn't an option. I'm not saying that I didn't even want to go, but I was definitely not as inspired about learning back then as I am today.
In 11th grade though, I was very fortunate to have an English teacher who truly cared for her students in ALL levels ( she taught honors as well) and she always encouraged us to write as much as possible and urged us to think critically about the materials that we read. Even today, whenever I visit her, she tells me of her always changing curriculum, and how she implements it as much as possible according to the students' interests, abilities, and society and what is happening currently in the United States and the world.
Assignment #1
Here's the link to my first research paper that I did on Braille Literacy for this class (google doc):
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZg2EnfEYHlcZGZremo1OTVfMGhoeDU0NHM3&hl=en
http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AZg2EnfEYHlcZGZremo1OTVfMGhoeDU0NHM3&hl=en
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