The Finland Phenomenon: The 3 biggest differences in the way teachers are prepared in Findland vs. the U.S.

This is a very good documentary that shows schools that do work. It shows schools in Finland that are succeeding in leaving no child behind and are giving a high level education for EVERY student in the country. One of the reasons why Finland has found the way to productive schools that work is in the way future teachers are prepared to be teachers.

First of all, the business of teaching is taken seriously. There are very high standards to get into a teaching college. Only the best can be admitted to these schools. Second, every teacher has to have a masters degree. It is a requirement if you want to be a teacher. Third, training to be a teacher is done differently. The training to be a teacher really prepares future teachers to enter the field and be able to teach ALL students and ensure that none are left behind.

Waiting for Superman: What kind of teacher do I want to be?

The documentary, Waiting for Superman had a big impact on me. It was sad to see that every single child in the United States can't succeed in school because our damaged school systems and teachers unions won't let them.

One lesson I have learned from this documentary is that you can't have a great school without great teachers. A bad school can not change unless good/passionate teachers are involved. There are failing kids within these school systems and it is the obligation of the school and the teacher to help these kids succeed.

 I want to be a very good teacher. I want to be passionate about my job and help kids succeed. I want to strive to make every child in my class the absolute best. I will never leave one kid behind. I will not be selfish about my time, I will be totally selfless and give every minute to the kids that need it. There will be no excuse, every student that I teach will need to achieve at a high level. Somehow, I will make learning active and fun for my students. I will have faith in myself that I can make a difference in this mess of an educational system. I will try my hardest in my studies at SCSU so that I will be educationally the best teacher that I can be. I will do everything that I can do to help EVERY student succeed.

The Global Achievement Gap: Chapter 5

Chapter five answers the question, What does it take to bring out the best in young people today, both in school and in the workplace?

Some believe that young Americans lack work ethic and others believe that they are just differently motivated today. 

The first main point of the chapter has to do with young Americans growing up differently, otherwise known as "growing up digital". Therefore, young people who have grown up using the web relate to the world and to one other in ways that are very different from those of their parents' generation. So why are we still teaching these generations in the same way as older generations when the two worlds are so different?

The second main point of the chapter includes new learning styles. The use of the internet and other digital technology has transformed both what young people learn today and how they learn. It is confirmed that students are increasingly impatient with the lecture style of learning and the reliance on textbooks for information and crave more class discussions. Also, with the mass amounts of information available through the web, we find a new kind of learning assuming pre-eminence, learning that is discovery based. Today, kids want to experience and watch how other people are doing things, then try it for themselves.

 The third main point of the chapter includes tipping the balance to the positive side of the world wide web so that kids can use it in positive ways to be actively engaged learners. What is needed to tip the balance to the positive side is an older generation that better understands what drives the younger generation and has learned how best to harness and focus its energies.

The fourth main point is how to turn this generation of kids into producers. In order for young people to respect school and learning, we need to think more carefully about what we're asking them to learn--to ensure that schoolwork is not busy-work or make-work but real, adult work that requires both analysis and creativity.


The fifth main point includes positive mentors both in the workplace and within schools. This is very important! In both the workplace and in school kids want to engage as active learners and creators, and they long for adults to be coaches and mentors. Mentoring is a huge motivational tool. Kids need someone to show an interest in them and give them feedback. The way to bring out the best in young people is to give them the right mix of challenge and support, combined with thoughtful adult mentoring.

Group presentation 6: Ch. 9, Governance and Finance: Regulating and Funding Schools

I didn't attend class today because I wasn't feeling well, so I didn't witness this group presentation first hand. However, by reading through the blogs of others in the class I think that they did a very good job with this chapter. It seemed like a hard chapter to give a presentation on, but this group did very well. School finance is a very important part of a school and it makes a big difference in the quality of a teachers' professional life.

Group presentation 5: Ch. 8 The organization of American Schools

This group did a very good job. They outlined the chapter very well. They talked about the organization of a school, all of the employees involved within a school, and what their jobs entail. They also talked about the different levels of a school system, such as elementary, middle, and high school. They touched on the qualities of an effective school, such as, good school and class sizes, interactive instruction, monitoring of student progress, and a safe and orderly environment. They also talked about virtual schools, which includes kids from kindergarten trough college. Classes are taught online. I don't agree with this education approach, I feel that it is better to learn directly from a teacher. They talked about a 4 day school week, which seems kind of beneficial, because it has fewer dropout rates and attendance is much higher. It also has negative effects on the students though. It could be a controversial subject. They also touched on full-day kindergarten, which i think is super beneficial for students. It is very good for the overall development of the kids.

Cathleen Black Is Out as City Schools Chancellor

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/cathie-black-is-out-as-chancellor/?emc=na

First of all, I agree with the public and think that Ms. Black should not have been hired in the first place because she lacked sufficient knowledge on the subject of public schooling. There was time and the children future wasted with it. I think that dismissing her was a very good idea.

Second, I think that Mr. Walcott will do a better job as the new chancellor. He has a lot of experience within the public school system and he has kids and grand kids in the public school system, which I think will lead him to try harder to make these schools succeed. Being a chancellor of the terrible public school systems is a trying job in which not very many people of succeeded. All we can do is hope for the best from Mr. Walcott and hope that he has what it takes to change education for the sake of the kids in the school system.

Field Experience: Day 6

Today was another good day. All of the kids in the classroom are getting to know me now. They all ask me for help on their daily activities and even call me by my name Ms. Quamme. It is very fun getting to help them learn and play. They are always so excited when they accomplish a task or get an answer correct. I love being around their enthusiasm. I got to know Braedon today (a boy in the class who needs a little extra help because he can't concentrate very well on a task and sometimes refuses to listen). He is an awesome little kid. He has such an imagination and can draw pictures really well. I met with my group today and they were all very excited to meet. They told me they had been waiting for me to come since I left last week. It is very rewarding to get to hear them say that. They love the lessons I go over with them. Today we spoke about poetry and they were very good at finding the rhyming words. They are all such smart individuals. It was also picture day today, which had the whole class a little more hyper than usual. They all were in their best dressed, and I must say they took a very cute class picture. Braedon refused to be in the picture, we tried very hard to convince him to be in it but he still didn't want to. However, he did take an individual one, which made all the teachers happy because he would make it in the yearbook. Overall, I loved today. I feel the same way the kids in my group feel, I already can't wait to be back in their class next Monday.