Education Week- POST #2- Tuscon Students Aren't Deterred by Ethnic Studies Controversy

I was attracted to this article because last month I read, "Arizona, Tuscon at Odds Over Ethnic Studies." It was interesting to read that 1400 students are now signed up for these ethnic studies classes, nearly double the enrollment from last year. I am amazed that state officials appear to be paying very little attention to how students feel about these classes. When 70% of the school's population is Latino, how can you not talk about the Mexican perspective on issues? It almost feels a little bit like going back in time to when all the Indians were forced into "white" schools and had to dress and speak like "the rest of us." One would think that the time of creating cultural uniformity was so far in our past, this idea of what is happening in Arizona would be absurd. I am glad that Tuscon teachers are standing together to fight this ruling which clearly violates the first and fourteenth ammendments. I agree that this policy is racism in action, as it targets only one school district and one group of people, Mexican-Americans. I hope the Tuscon schools can continue focusing on their students and provide them with a sense of empowerment through a curriculum they can identify with.

Education Week- POST #1- Rhee Reflects on Her Stormy Tenure in D.C.

I was initially drawn to this article because I am fascinated on the role of politics in education. I had an amazing opportunity to work as an intern at the Department of Education during my undergraduate years. While I was there the staff was preparing for the transition between Stan Bunn and Susan Castillo as Superintentant of Education. I quickly learned that the changing of administrators can stop policies in the process of being formed and sometimes reverse those that already exist. As an example, during my internship I worked with the CAM design team and the vision of the Certificate of Advanced Mastery was never fully implemented the way it was intended under Stan Bunn's reign. Susan Castillo took the focus of educational policy in a totally different direction and from what I hear in the staff room at Sheridan High school, many educators hope there will be another change in administration soon!

When I started reading this article, I was leary about some of the policies enacted by Michelle Rhee, chancellor of D.C. schools. Personally, I have never been in favor of any actions that focus on paying teachers based on performance. However, after reading about some of Ms. Rhee's accomplishments, I began to rethink the issue. The quote at the end of the article by Ms. Rhee stating that she was devastated by the election results, not because of the impact it may have for her, but because of the impact it will have on the students made me feel like her methods deserved a second reflection.

I was very impressed with the increase in graduation rate and the increase of the number of students taking the SAT to enter college that occured after the controverial changes Michelle Rhee made. While many also appreciate the increase that also occured with test scores, I find that to be less of a measure of student success. I do agree with some of the critics that Ms. Rhee may have opened herself up for some criticism by not having regular and clear communication with her staff and the public to let them know what her goals were, why specific changes were being made, and the positive results that stemed from those changes. The cost savings from some of the changes would have also been beneficial to communcate to tax payers, especially. Publicizing even small accomplishments is important for individuals in a position of leadership to show that they are being effective and making progress.

In conclusion, I was impressed with results of the changes Ms. Rhee made in Washington D.C. I hope that the next person elected to her position will also have the best interest of students at heart, and will look closely at the successful outcomes of the policies Ms. Rhee enacted, before rushing to judgement.

OTEN Conference

I attended the 2010 OTEN Conference on September 25th at Pacific University in Forest Grove. The keynote speaker was Tim Lauer, principal of Meriwether Lewis Elementary School in Portland. He took his audience back in time by illustrating with examples the beginning of computer technologies and then brought us back to modern day applications. Technology is constantly changing and it's important that we as educators are always open to learning new methods. Technology is a very powerful tool because it can bring in outside resources to students without the need for them to leave the classroom. It can also be a connection for people across time and space.

The first breakout session I attended was presented by Serena Fryer and was titled Interactive White Board Technology. She is currently a first grade teacher at Joseph Gale Elementary School and part of the Ed Tech team. As part of a grant she receives a classroom full of free technology and then has to share her knowledge and expertise with other teachers. Highlights from her session include:

1) Learning about Smart notebook software

2) Learning about math manipulatives and how to create interactive math lessons

3) Leaning about using a tennis ball as a writing tool for students with limited fine motor skills

4) Learning how to create visual aids for songs and storytelling

5) Learning about the Infinite Cloner tool making graphing activities practical and easy for large groups

6) Learning how to share and find lesson plans created for the smart board on the internet

The second breakout session I attended was presented by Jerry Johnson from Corban University and was titled Visual Learning with Concept Maps. I did not leave this session with nearly many great ideas for activities I could use in a classroom but I did learn about a few new web tools including: VUE, Webspiration, and Inspiration. These different types of software allow you to create concept maps which are graphic representations of ideas and how they relate to each other.

See the video below for more comments on the OTEN Conference.

Post #2- Applications of Blogging in Education

There are many ways blogs can be used in classrooms to enhance student's educational experiences including:

1) As a forum for communicating and relaying information between students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community.

2) As a digital portfolio. It could be used to document student's journaling on various topics. It could be used to show and store student performances as video clips.

3) As an interactive tool for students during classtime. Students can engage classmates in discussions that could be far different than ones that would normally take place in a classroom. More students could have an opportunity to share their thoughts and there would be an opportunity to reflect on statements made before replying.

I could personally forsee myself using a blog as both a digital portfolio for students and as a method for communicating with parents. Many teachers give out their e-mail addresses as a primary way for parents to contact them. However, I would prefer using a blog so that I could answer common questions just once, and everyone would be able to view my response. A blog would also be a great place to post updates and annoucements for parents. It would give parents one place to go to for all the information they could want about their student.

Post #1- Personal Bio

My name is Elizabeth Blake and I have enrolled at Willamette University with the intention of attaining my masters degree in early chldhood and elementary education with a special education endorsement. I have three children ages 7, 5, and 4. My oldest two boys have autism and have been involved in early childhood special education services since my middle child was 18 months old. The experiences I have had with my own children in the educational system have really inspired me to want to get into education and to help others navigate their way from diagnosis to receiving the critical intervention services necessary to help ensure the student will have all the support needed to complete K-12th grade. My children were lucky to have a wonderful autism specialist working with them who had children of her own on the autism spectrum. The advice she gave us seemed so much more significant since she had actually lived it and put her knowledge into practice. That is exactly what I hope to share with others!

I currently work full time at Sheridan High School as the After School Program site coordinator. I wear many different hats and do many different tasks, but my favorite part of the job is engaging a constantly changing group of students after school everyday. It's fascinating to have conversations with them about all the issues in their lives and then talk with them through their different choices and options.  It amazes me how many students jump from emotion to reaction with out stopping to take part in the critical thought process. I also enjoy conversations about where students hope to be after they graduate. My personal goal is to help all the students I interact with to have a goal for themselves in life and to discuss with them some of the steps they will have to take to acheive their goals. 

In addition to my roles as a student and teacher, I am also a wife and mother. I spend my spare time at football practices and games, assisting with homework, and running errands. Life is busy and chaotic, but I wouldn't have it any other way!