Get Political

Monday May 12th, 2008
Candidates Views on Education

To find ways getting political while keeping and education base I researched some of the views of some of the upcoming candidates on education in the United States.

Barack Obama emphasized how the No Child Left Behind Act was not effective, even calling it “a troubled program”. He stated how his big concern is making sure our youth can compete with countries such as China and India in the Global economy. In one of his speeches he said the problem with the NCLB act was the lack of money as well as support and pay for the teachers working to achieve this. He emphasized that these teachers devoted their lives to teaching not to helping students test therefore they should be allowed to teach.

John McCain stated that he found NCLB to be a good beginning that just needs a lot of work. His goal is that a student will be able to go as far as their ambition will take them. He too like Obama said how important it is to keep our lead in education all over the world.

Monday May 19th, 2008
Teachers in the News

To keep on the Politics on a closer level I make it a point to watch the news at lest once a day. Many stories that caught my interest were things such as presidential candidates visiting towns and schools close by along with big decisions at town meetings. One story in particular that caught my eye was on the news just tonight.

In South Bend school food service workers joined teachers and students to protest before the school board meeting. The teachers protesting have been working with out a contract all year and are worried they will watch the summer go by without one as well. The pay for the custodial and food service staff is now tied with that of the teachers. Many will have to get part time jobs in the summer just to get by. Superintendent Robert Zimmerman said that it is an issue that requires difficult choices that may require taking away some jobs. What the struck me the most was the students who were with them protesting as well. They were so inspired by their teachers they wanted to help make their jobs better.

Tuesday May 20th, 2008
Dream Act

I have been researching different acts besides No Child Left Behind that affects students. One very interesting one that I came across was the DREAM act. This stands for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors. This is a proposed legislation in the United States that would give legal status to long-term immigrants who are earn high scores in high school and want to attend college or join the armed forces.

Although it has been brought before the House of Representative and Senate several times it has made little headway. When presented to the House of Representative it has never been brought to the floor as a stand-alone vote. It has been debated however in the Senate on October 24th, 2007. It gained the majority of the votes (52-44) but unfortunately this is 8 votes short of overcoming a filibuster by the senators who were against the bill. This is a very interesting bill to me because it affects the United States, as immigration is hot topic right now, but also because of all the impact on students.

The Garden

November 1st, 2009

I have been observing the Obama’s involvement in education in America over thepast months. I have been watching new programs and reading up and their actions and interests in the students of their county. One project that has really interested me in Michelle Obama’s project of working with fifth graders on a garden planted at the Whitehouse. This spring Michelle planted this garden with the students from Bancroft Elementary School and invited them back to harvest the food. The students learned about the gardening process, cooking with the organic vegetables, and the environment. This is the first time that the Whitehouse has a garden since Eleanor Roosevelt planted her victory garden.

This was a step towards helping Americans think about eating habits and our environment. A movement started by Rodger Doiron of Eat the View, who encourages families to eat healthy and local food. Since the begging of this garden more and more family across the united states have started eating local produce or planting their own. I enjoyed watching the process that Michelle Obama went about to be an example to these school children. This was more than just a suggestion to Americans. I most enjoyed how much the president and his wife involve school children in their activities in the government. It is important that students are hands on, involved and considered when taking steps to change their future. While it is too early to actually say this garden has a strong impact on America now it is evident that there will be continued involvement of students and children in Michelle Obama’s activities and movements during her time as the first lady. This is hope that students nationwide will step up and have more involvement in the country they life in.

Finding Ways to Recharge my Batteries

Tuesday May 13th, 2008
Biking On 8th Street

"There is more to life than increasing its speed."
Gandhi

I have found the best way to forget how stressed I am about school and schoolwork is to leave campus completely. My favorite way to do this is a bike ride down 8th Street. I can remember one night in particular I had a lot of work to do and a lot on my mind but I put on some warmer clothes and got on my bike. After about twenty minuets of riding at a moderate speed that all my stress and fears had gone away.

Biking around Goshen is such a great way to not only relieve stress, but to clear my mind and get some great exercise. When I get busy I tend to stay inside work and forgetting how great fresh air is. A light exercise, like biking, doesn’t wear me out but instead gives me a fresh mind and more energy to work on the work that has me stressed to begin with. Along with biking I enjoy taking walks as well. Walks with friends are a great time for good conversation and time to relax.

Since May term has started I have gone for many bike rides around Goshen. It has helped me to keep my stress down and energy up. I think I have been able to enjoy my class and work better because I have been keeping myself healthy and free of stress.



Thursday May 15th, 2008
Sweet Rewards

Show me a worrying person and I will show you a person who
does not know how to relax."
Albert E. Cliffe

When my homework piles up and I get stressed I find the best way to get my work done is to reward myself for working hard. After a few hours of working hard I take time to relax by having one of my favorite snacks or watching a favorite TV show. I have a few TV shows I really like to watch that can be watched online as well. This works great when I have a lot of homework. I can work as long as it takes to get my work done and then watch my favorite shows online. Also I tend to really like junk food, especially chocolate, which is the perfect bribe to a paper written.

Some of my favorite things, either a favorite show or a yummy snack are a great way to relax after a lot of work. Finding ways to relax and do things I enjoy are even more important when I am busy and doing a lot of work. When I take time to do things I enjoy it puts me in a better mood, which in the long run lets me do more work.


Sunday May 18th, 2008
Friends and Family

"The time to relax is when you don't have time for it."
Sydney J. Harris

When I’m really in need of “recharging my batteries” I rely on my close friends and family. Recently I took a trip home to attend my cousin’s bridal shower. I drove the two hours home with my aunt and two cousins and ending up spending even more time with them in Goshen when I got back. My trip home was a great way to get off campus and see close friends and family in Archbold, Ohio. My family is a great support team for me when I am busy and stressed in college.

My friends, on campus and off, are always there to help me clear my mind, and most importantly laugh once in a while. I really enjoy my classes here at Goshen but sometimes I take them too seriously and get caught up in all the work. Hanging out with my friends reminds me that having fun is just as important as working. The way my friends help me relax is priceless.

Take your Education Seriously

Tuesday May 13th, 2008
Study Group

"Knowlege is not enough; We must apply. Willing is not enough; We must do."
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe


With the Midterm a Day away, I meet with a study group Sunday night at 9:00 pm. The study group was made up of about ten to fifteen people in the education 201 class. This was a new experience for me since coming to college. I have done almost all of my studying alone this year, even for big tests. I feel like this was a good way to get involved with the other students in my class as well as an efficient study tool.
Even though I found the midterm to be a bit challenging I know the study time with my classmates helped. It made it easier to want to study knowing I had a certain time and people to study with. Also a study group made my studying less stressful. One of my biggest issues with studying for big tests are when I get stuck on a tough question or section I get frustrated. It was great to have people around me that could help me out. Along with the study group I did do some studying on my own.
This class is a more challenging class compared to other college courses I have taken this year, but I am enjoying it so much that it feels like less work. The study group was a great aspect to add to aiding my workload. Although, it was a great experienced I will never underestimate my own personal, quiet study time.

May 19th, 2008
Good Study Habits

"He who studies books alone will know how things ought to be, and he who studies men wil know how they are." Charles Caleb Colton

If compared, the way I conduct myself as a student in college would be significantly different than when I was a student in high school. In high school I struggled to be enthusiastic towards my work and school activities. It seemed all I could think about on a Monday morning was what I am going to do for fun on the next Friday night. Its not that I did not want to do well in high school it was just hard for me to find things that interested me or excited me.

College has given me a whole new outlook on education and how exciting it can be. Being in classes with students and teachers who are so excited to be there and learn is contagious to me. When I am excited about a class, eager to learn and very involved it produces good habits in my life.

Since The fall in college I have started forming good habits, which have only improved as the year has gone on. I have found that when I am excited about being in a class I want to get there early. I have seen how much teachers appreciate that and therefore have made a point to try very hard to be on time if not early. Another thing that has changed with my study habits is that I don’t study for the grade I study for the knowledge. I have tried very hard this year to take in knowledge to get keep and question instead of just to repeat back on a test. College, especially this education class, has taught me to be very organized. I have found out just how great it is to be able to know where things are and make sure everything has its certain place. The excitement to learn in College has encouraged me to improve skills in my life that will stay with me long after I graduate.

Monday May 19th, 2008
Inspirational and Informal Books

"Beware of the man of one book." Anonymou


I have found that while many of my classes have great books and articles as part of the curriculum, some of the most interesting information for me is from my own sources.
At the beginning of the term I went to the Goshen Public Library and found some books that look informative as well as enjoyable. These books had some great things that paralleled what was being taught tin class and has very inspirational stories.

The first book I started reading was Chicken Soup For The Teacher’s Soul. This book was fun to read and even had a few comics after some of the stories. One of the short stories in it was the perfect fit for the meditation my group did for class. A few of the stories almost brought tears to my eyes and made me feel even more reassured that teaching was the way to go.

Another great book I picked up was Teachers With The Courage To Give: Everyday Heroes Making A Difference in our Classrooms. This book was made up a short stores written by teachers on experiences they had in their classrooms. I found this book so inspirational and enjoyed hearing how teachers can have such different events change them in the Classroom.

Learning about Cultures and Groups Comprised of People Significantly Different than Myself

Sunday May 11th, 2008
Laundry Day

Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for the future. John Dewy

On Sunday May 11th I spent the afternoon doing something I rarely take time for or even think about doing. I learned a lesson but had no official teacher; I experienced a feeling that is foreign but did not leave the town of Goshen. On this rainy Sunday afternoon I was different, I stood out, I was the minority. To learn what it is like, the experience the feelings of my students who are in the minority in their lives everyday I spent the afternoon at a Laundromat filled with people of different cultures and social backgrounds than myself.

place. What a strange feeling to go from totally comfortable to completely uneasy! It took oneWalking in the door, I immediately felt out of glance down at my trendy Vera Bradley bag I use for my book bag to realize how out of place I actually look, that I and I actually had no laundry to do. I rode along with Bryan and Ryan while they did their laundry, just to experience this uncomfortable situation. The Laundromat was about two-thirds Hispanics. The other third, although white, were obviously of low class, many looking below the poverty line. There were many mothers with you children there. The kids although happy were running around, some of the young ones kept running for the door which scared me, but the moms were all busy with the laundry or other kids, luckily none escaped.

I took a seat on the counter and started reading a book. I tried to act like I fit in but it was obvious that a well-dressed college student doesn’t make many appearances there. It may have been the gray, rainy afternoon but everyone seemed to be serious and busy. I was distracted from my book by a man talking on the payphone. I realized how everyone I am around has a cell phone and I haven’t seen someone talk on a payphone in a long time.

I understand that this brief time spent at a Laundromat does not do justice to the way a child may feel being the only one of his race for the whole school year, yet I understand that feeling uncomfortable and out of place is not enjoyable. This was a great experience to start with in learning about social justice.



Tuesday 6th, 2008
Personal Experience

“The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.” Tom Bodett quotes

Even though I have been living in Goshen now for almost eight months, I never took the time to go to the Goshen Public library. With the College library so close and the weather during the winter months, the thought to leave campus for books never crossed my mind. With a little encouragement from this project and the urge to get off campus, the Goshen Public Library actually crossed my mind as a place to go.

Tuesday May 6th I went to the library to get a library card and check out books related to my education course. I walked in, looked up education books on the computer and went to the shelf to brows. After about 5 minuets I had found a few interesting books and was ready to head to the counter. I felt like I should do something more to observed the people and cultures at the library. I was contemplating how to do this, when the girl next to me asked me if I was a Goshen College student. I told her I was and she started talking and didn’t stop for about twenty minuets.

It turns out she was a 2006 graduate from Northridge High School. While she had applied to different colleges she had been turned down by all of them because of some disabilities she had. She never really told me exactly what her disabilities were but I did see she had some books in her had about bi-polar disorder. I never caught her name but she told me of her struggles in high school as well as some family issues concerning school.

It was obvious that she may have some mental problems because she kept jumping from subject to subject telling me slightly personal information that you normally would tell a stranger you had just meet. From about a twenty-minuet conversation I picked up that she was married and working. She also had health problems such as seizures that she told me scared both her and her husband because it was unpredictable when they would occur. She also told me about her niece possibly having ADHD as a first graders and how hard that was for her and the family to deal with.

I finally politely told her I had to get going and wished her and her family well. This conversation has stayed in my mind for many days later. I have been studying and look at learning disabilities from a teacher’s point of view. I have been trying to find how to inform and teach a student with special needs but rarely did I step back and think about how they feel and how much it affects families.

While I went to the library to look to the different diversity and families who were there, I left with a new insight on issues I am greatly interested in. I feel like this is a great reminder that some of the best ways to learn is personal experience with peers.


Monday May 19th, 2008
Eating At a Mexican Restaurant"We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color." Maya Angelou




On Monday May 19th, after a busy day I got to relax and enjoy eating a great meal with some exciting people. What made this unique from other meals is that it was in a completely new restaurant with people I have never eaten with before. The restaurant was a small Mexican restaurant in Goshen. The great people I got to eat with were to of the students in my education class that are from very different cultures than myself.
Over a very delicious meal of fajitas with chips and salsa I learned about what it was like to grow up in an inner city school in Cleveland, Ohio as well as growing up in a Mexican family in Goshen. Not only was the restaurant and food something new and interesting the conversation was very educational. I got to ask questions and learn about their lives in a casual environment. This was one of my favorite activities for the blog project so far because I got to enjoy great company while learning what can not be found in a text book.

Learning From A Different Generation
October 6th, 2009

Earlier this fall I had the chance to volunteer to be an aid and visitor to a women form my church that had spent some time in the hospital. I was asked to help her and keep her company a few times in the weeks following her hospital stay. She is in her early seventies and had symptoms related to some heart surgery she had previously had. She is someone I know through the church I attend and was happy for the chance to help her and interact with someone from a different generation than me.
Donna is the mother of five girls who are all married. She has 16 grandchildren. Her husband and her live out in the country and enjoy gardening and being active in their church community. She wanted to attend college but didn’t have the money, so she worked as a secretary out of high school. On an off she took different secretary jobs as time allowed and later ended up as a youth pastor/director at her church. She has a strong faith, great laugh, and a really good apple dumpling recipe.
During my time with her I helped with jobs like dishes, gardening, laundry, cleaning, and helping to cook meals for her and husband. I also drove her to visit some of her friends one day and we also dropped off a meal to an elderly couple’s house. I basically followed her around and helped her with small tasks or performed larger ones as she instructed me. After we accomplished what jobs she wished to complete for that day, I made sure I took time to sit with her and have a conversation about life and issues that came up. She is evidence that wisdom comes with age. I could not believe how comfortable I felt after a few visits and long talks. Many of her topics ending up coming back to age and being to the end of her life. I think being in the hospital may have prompted this but also a few of her friends had past in the last couple of years. It is interesting how you view of life changes as you grow older and experience different events.
Some of my favorite conversations were about her life when she was my age. While she did not attend college, a few of her friends attended Goshen and she would come visit them on campus. It was interesting to hear her memories of a campus I now attend. I also found it very educational to compare how a young adult's life now to that of fifty years ago. I found myself asking questions about events and experience that had never been of interest to me before. We started finding experiences that were highly similar or extremely different and discussing them and how they affected us. One subject that we kept coming back to was marriage and family. I am engaged and getting married next July, while Donna is celebrating her 50th anniversary this fall. It was interested to hear what she had to say on the topic of growing up and having a family of your own. We also discussed teaching and how this gives one the chance to be a positive influence on so many individuals. It was a great few visits and I enjoyed thinking and discussing life with someone who had a very different view on life due to experience and age. This experience has led me to visit a few other elderly couples when possible.

Study Effective Teachers

Thursday May 8th, 2008
Comparing Classrooms

I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"

On Wednesday May 7th, I got the chance to student teach at Parkside Elementary School. My aunt, Jan Holsopple, is a second grade teacher there and let me observe and interact with the students for a few hours in the afternoon. Even though I had been to her classroom other times this year it was exciting to go back after student teaching at Pierre Moran Middle School. I got to compare the behavior and actions of the second graders compared to the seventh and eighth graders. There was obviously a huge difference that comes from age alone, but there were other remarkable differences that were easy to see. The students in the middle school for the most part are pretty quiet and focused on their artwork. They talk quietly to each other at their tables while they work and are hardly affected by my presents. The middle school students are in first period for an hour and besides a little restlessness at the beginning and clean up at the end are very focused on their work. The second graders were very rambunctious and energetic the whole time I was there. The all had something to say and couldn’t help but talk over each other and even Mrs. Holsopple. The second graders do not change classes every hour like the middle school students but they did change activities every fifteen to twenty minuets, but even so many were restless and distracted. I being in the room also distracted the second graders. Even though both classes had students who had questions for me the second graders had more to tell me. The middle school kids like the ask me about my experience with middle/high school as well as my past art classes; the second graders ask questions but normally followed with story or extensive information about themselves.

Since the second graders pose the challenge of stronger class management it was interesting to see the ways Jan used to keep the kids focused and on task. The middle school art students have little trouble staying on task, unlike the elementary kids who needed to be reminded of the present topic and work. When the class got loud or out of control Mrs. Holsopple used techniques to get the kids attention back. One of the techniques she used was clapping a simple pattern of claps and the students would clap back. Another one that I really enjoyed was when she would say the first part of a compound word and the kids would finish. For example she would say, “When I say cow you say boy” and then say “cow” with the kids following with “boy”. After doing a couple of these she asked who could tell her a compound word. I was really excited about this because not only did it get the kids attention it helped them learn compound words.

Another aspect of teaching that I got to experience that I have not dealt with much at the middle school was a child with emotional problems. Even though I know the students at Pierre Moran do not come from the best home lives and also have emotional issues I have not experienced seeing them disrupt a class because of this, I have only heard about it from the teachers. While at Parkside one girl was being disruptive in class and had to be told to sit in her seat. Instead she went to the corner and sat on a pillow, not following the directions. Mrs. Holsopple then told her she lost the privilege of attending the fifteen-minuet assembly that afternoon. Later she explained to me that she came from a bad family life and acts out for attention because she is lacking it at home. She explained that even though sometimes it is important to put consequences with her actions it also helps to give her more attention. An example of this was in a past week when the girl had started to act up, she put her on her lap and kept teaching. The extra attention settled her down right away and allowed her and the rest of the class to keep learning.




Tuesday May 13th, 2008
Elementary ART

A master can tell you what he expects of you. A teacher, though awakens your own expectations. Patricia Neal

I walked in the back of the room just in time to hear the last page of the book that the teacher was reading. About three-fourths of the first graders turned around to see who was entering the room, which followed by them announcing to the teacher that there was a visitor in her classroom.
It’s Tuesday May 13th and I’m spending my afternoon in an elementary school art room, what a great place to be! Caitlin Lanctot, a Goshen college graduate, is now an art teacher at Park side Elementary. She was gracious enough to let me sit in on two of her afternoon classes. This was so exciting for me, not only could I compare it to my middle school classes, but I have hardly any experience in an elementary art room.
I think the biggest difference overall from the middle school students to the first grade classes I saw was their shorter attention span. The middle school kids have projects they work on for days or even weeks depending on the project, where the first graders had projects that lasted for only their forty-minuet class period. The first class listened to a book about summer and then got paired up in groups to think of a picture they wanted to draw that described summer. They then got to go outside and draw their pictures with sidewalk chalk. While they all had come up with great ideas of swimming pools and fireflies more chalk ended up on the students than the ground. The second class learned about a tribe in Africa that was famous for their beadwork. They then had a chance to make a bracelet out of an old toilet paper roll and a necklace with plastic string and beads. This class stayed on task very well even though there were many beads that ended up on the floor.
Although they only had the attention span for a one-day project, they had almost four times the enthusiasm as the middle school students. They were so excited to do the activity planned for them. The first class was slightly distracted by being outside but the second class was focused on they jewelry and made some very creative pieces.
I enjoyed watching Mrs.Lanctot’s technique while dealing with the first graders. One thing that really stood out to me was an activity corner she set up for the kids who finished projects early. She called it the art smart corner and it was filled with things from picture books of famous arts to building blocks. When students were finished with their projects they got to go to the corner so they did not distract the other students. Also She had a game called “statue” that the kids played while waiting for their classroom teacher to come get them. To play the game one student called out a noun and the other student made a statue of this item. To play though you had to stand still and not talk, just like a statue. This was such a great experience and I loved watching the kids create!


Wednesday May 14th, 2008
Revisiting

There are few moments in my life that I felt like I did when I went back to visit my aunts classroom on Wednesday May 14th. Two students are assigned in her class to be the class greeters and shake the visitors hand, today though I got more than two second grade hand shakes. When I entered the room one of the girls Christina jumped up and ran to me and hugged me. This was followed by a handful of other students coming over and hanging me and welcoming me using my first name. What a feeling to have theses students not only remember me but want to welcome me with hugs.

I had come back for a second visit at Parkside to Mrs. Holsopple’s second grade room. While the first visit was exciting and educational the second was even more so. Now that the students knew me, I felt like I could offer them help and advice on their work. I found it was easier to interact with the students now that I knew their names and a little about their personalities. The kids were so excited to read stories they had written to me and knowing I was studying to be an art teacher, they all had drawings to either show or give to me.

Along with the great feelings I got from helping students who remembered me and were excited to see me came not so great feelings when one child acted up. In Mrs. Holsopple’s second grade class there is one autistic student. He has moments where he acts out making it difficult for the teacher as well as the students. While I was there on Wednesday he acted up and left the room and the proceeded to cause trouble in the hallway. This distracted the kids in the class as well as other classes, I’m sure. I had a talk with my aunt, Mrs. Holsopple, after class about how difficult this is for her to deal with. It has left with a lot of questions of how to deal with and teach autistic children in a traditional classroom setting.