Finding Out About Our Students

In visiting Arts High School yesterday was a very interesting and quite enjoyable event. I was extremely surprised to see the well behaved and well carried students, regardless of just a high school in Newark, but a high school in general. I was amazed to see that the students actually get to study their particular area of enjoyment and learn it at the same time learning general subjects as well. I think this is an ideal high school because it gives each student a different perspective on their own lives and lives after school. In a way this makes a student feel more in control of themselves and important in society as an individual with opinions instead of just a number in the school system.
I think when doing the inquiry project that this high school would project different opinions than other high school students just because of the way these students are brought up in this different type of environment than others and this can portray a different opinion on the question of How is after school curriculum beneficial to students? Some questions that I would ask would be to see the relationship between sports related students vs non and what sports have done overall for these students.
In collecting data, will consist of many primary accounts of personal interviews on subject matter as well as observation of events involving students such as games and diary's of students opinion's on the subject matter as well. This can also incorporate teachers' opinions on their own students in sports as well as students not engaged in these sports by levels of grades and attitudes.

How-to Perfect-ify Urban Schools

The reading of Promises for Urban Schools was quite interesting. It had ideas as well as statistics that I was possibly unaware of regarding urban school systems. In understanding that all schools share the same wants as far as an education for their students, it is harder and with more discrepancies in urban schools. It stated that urban schools are more other than not the low-income students and families and families of color. I found it interesting that the Senior Fellows were working so closely on analyzing ways on correcting these problems. I also liked how it added that the fact of adding music and poetry and other forms of art related activities in a child's curriculum is bettering for the whole of a child in school. It mentions a lot of potent points such as an urban school students can be seen as being dominated and punished by hall posses and restrictions and lock-downs that may have to occur. However, I feel this is necessary to portray and hold down order in the schools. I do not think the school systems would be so harsh except that the school must call for these actions by the actions of its students. This I feel has to do with respect of the students or rather lack of respect towards others and the school. I feel parents need to take a more open stance on their children's lives and actions and teach respect and how to act as part of a curriculum. I believe there is a way to promote better urban schools but it requires a long and hard as well as dedicated effect of both parent and student and not only fall on the shoulders of the school systems.

Who Are Our Students?

Explaining who our students are in society of the United States can be understood with the word Idiocy. Idiocy can describe the right or wrong way of how or what is the problem when teaching children in school. Put differently, even though "Idiocy" is not meant the exact same way as it once had been, it still has a negative effect in school. In explaining who are our students, we can tie together the faulty notion of what Idiocy has had on these individuals.
Students of all ages, for the first time in Kindergarten, meet diverse races of children and this can either be the crucial point in their lives to be taught the negative effects of Idiocy towards each other. As explained in "Teaching Against Idiocy," written by Walter Parker, is the starting point where children become aware of new, public relations that extend outside their home life. Alexis de Tocqueville talks about students whom lose sight of their own freedom that makes them each an individual. We can analyze his quote from Parker’s text, "These people think they are following the principle of self-interest...the idea they entertain of that principle is a very crude one, the more they look after what they call their own business, they neglect their chief business, which is to remain their own masters" (Parker, 2005). He seems to be speaking of students becoming aware of Idiocy and the fact they are so concerned with taunting towards other students, in light that it will have them socially more accepted by their peers. However, with the consequence of the loss of their "self-interest" which is the freedom of individuality they once had, now is owned by others’ enjoyment. Students can be looked at as Play-Doh, waiting to be molded in any shape by the creator. However, these students, like the dough, can easily harden up without the right care and supervision needed to preserve this delicate material.
In answering the question of who are our students, bases its lessens and preparations of the teachers and parents in order to provide the right environment and social extent of teaching, in problems and scenarios in order to determine who and how are future leaders will develop.

Classroom Mayhem

Today's class this week was a bit off. It, to me, started off in a harsh way. Well a test, per say, is part of schooling and being tested on our preparatory skills but it was almost rushed and forced upon with little time to prepare and even then, finish. But, that's life I guess. The topics of the day were interesting and I do enjoy when we, as a class, get a chance to go over the last reading for the week. I feel the professor is a very educated woman who knows what she wants and what she talks about by the way she answers questions and asks them by relaying them to the class in a way where they can be answered and understood. I do like that confidence about her, coming from someone of myself who has a tremendous amount, and the way things seem to get taught and understood to move on to the next lessons to be practiced. However, the one thing that I did have a sour feeling about was the short paper we had to write about in an hour out of a short quotation. I understand we need to be quick on our toes and be assessed of our writing capacity but it felt like I was participating in a race that needed to be completed in a short amount of time and it was a little bit pressurized. But again, I guess that's learning fast; if I had to prefer, I would like better to feel a little bit more relaxed to be open to asking and answering more questions if I felt a bit more excepted and not judged as a whole class. I guess well see how things go, like she said, it takes six weeks for a student and teacher to bond and become trustful of each other so I guess we have two weeks to go...