Blog #5

I read the article Green Schools Don't Make the Grade by Todd Myers.  In the article, he criticizes the money that is spent for "green schools", and states that he doubts it will increase student performance, reduce expenses, or reduce emissions.   He also compared the cost of the "green schools" to nongreen schools, and states that the "green schools" cost more to operate.

The problem that I have with this article is that Mr. Myers only compared three schools for one year, and they are all located in the northern part of the United States where they experience a very cold climate.  Would the results be different if the schools were located in the southern part of the United States?

I am not sure if spending 20 billion dollars on making schools "green" is worth it without more research, but administrators can make schools more energy efficient without spending millions of dollars. At our school, our administration has formed a "green team" consisting of several students and two volunteer teachers.  These teachers have received special training, and they are implementing strategies to reduce wasted electricity and help make our school "greener."  All teachers are required to use a power strip for all electronic equipment, and must turn everything off after school.  The teachers also lower their air thermostat daily, and turn off the lights when the classroom is empty.  The "green team" picks up trash twice a week.  Our librarian also encourages the students to recycle.  She has bins in the hallway for recyclable materials encourages the teachers and students to bring cans, paper, plastic, and other recycle materials to the bins.

Another strategy that could be used is to change from harsh cleaners such as bleach to all natural cleaning products.  As a Canadian newscast demonstrates, cleaners such as Lysol and Bleach can trigger asthma attacks and other health problems in children.   The information is located at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO2xONIbv24  .   The name of the newscast is Toxic Brew of Chemicals in Your Home.  Although the studies were completed in homes, the results also effect children at school.

Blog 4

I agree with Adam Wexler in the article Multiculturalism in School Curriculum that teachers do not need to teach multicultural groups as a separate entity, but as a part of the curriculum during a particular unit of study. When a particular group is singled out, it can cause problems in comprehension. For example, if a teacher is studying World War II during Social Studies and Martin Luther King during Black History month, the students could confuse the two time periods and not understand the time line of American History. Also, with the high rate of different ethic groups in some classrooms, it would be impossible to represent all different nationalities. A friend of mine who teaches ESL in Knoxville has 21 different nationalities who speak 21 different languages. There is not enough time to cover all 21 nationalities plus the required curriculum mandated by the state.

I teach fourth grade social studies. The changes in the curriculum since I was a child amazes me. For example, we were taught that Christopher Columbus was a hero. In the textbook that I am presently using, the author describes in detail how the Taino Native Americans were taken as slaves and forced to give up land for the new settlers who arrived as a result of Columbus' discovery. It also describes how the thousands of Taino Native Americans were forced to give up their land, freedom , and religious believes, and died of smallpox.

This pattern of revealing white culture as “the bad guy” continues throughout the curriculum. 

From Herando Cortes and the conquering of the Aztecs to Civil war, there were many people of all cultures who mistreated others because of their nationalities and ethnic groups. I agree that it was wrong, but not every white person was cruel. Because the way the curriculum is presented, I think it can be used as a means of social control unless the teachers present history in a way that shows that people of all ethnic groups are good and bad.

In my own classroom, I am constantly reminding the students that there are heroes and villains in every situation from every ethnic group. For example, I tell the students how the Spanish destroyed Tenochtitlan, but I also stress how a white priest named Bartholome de Las Cass preached against the enslavement and mistreatment of the native people. In the Civil War, blacks and whites fought in both the Union and Confederate armies. Also, many of the participants in the Underground Railroads were white people who provided “stations” for runaway slaves. A white couple named Levi and Catherine Coffin from North Carolina helped over 2,000 slaves escape to freedom and started a school for slaves.

In conclusion, I think multicultural education needs to be taught as part of the curriculum, and that all sides of the story should be presented to the students.

Blog #3

Diversity in the Classroom

After reading the required information and reflecting on the diversity in my classroom, I was outraged by the opinions of the authors. In the article “Mississippi Burning: Race, White Nationalism, and American Culture”, T.J. Tobia implies that the white culture is almost extinct, and that our culture is being destroyed by minorities. He quotes other raciest as saying that in the future, white culture will no longer be the dominating force in American. He refers to an article from an Atlantic magazine titled “The End of White America.” The author states that minority celebrities such as Tiger Woods, Will Smith, and The Cheetah Girls are overtaking our culture.

I personally disagree with the views of T.J. Tobia. Our American culture is a mixture of all different races, cultures, and languages, and backgrounds. Tiger Woods is a famous golfer because he spent hours perfecting his swing. Tiger's nationally is not what made him a champion, it is his talent, persistence, and determination. Minority and white celebrates both have to work extremely hard to accomplish their goals and dreams. I feel that people of all races have helped shaped our culture. Our music still is influenced by artists like Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, and BB King. Gifted athletes such as Michael Jordan and Vince Young are excellent roll models for future athletes of any nationally.

This mixture of American culture is one of the reasons we can enjoy such diverse entertainment.

In the article from The Institute of Historical Review, Samuel Taylor sates that the curriculum taught in the American school system is abandoning a single identify and deliberate forcing multiple national identification. I totally agree that the curriculum has changed to show a multicultural society.

However, I think the new curriculum can help teach children to overcome obstacles in their lives. For example, we discuss how George Washington Carver had to walk eight miles to attend a school that accepted African Americans. He was also sent away from a college because of his skin color. Carver changed schools, and was the first African American to graduate with a Master's Degree. Through his experiences, he was able to help both black and white farmers and helped invent about 300 new products for peanuts.

There are many people from all nationalities in our country's history that helped develop our history. From Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth to Wilma Rudolph , America is shaped by these brave individuals who overcame numerous obstacles to accomplish their goals and dreams.

Blog #2

Blog #2

How do I help students learn the grammar they need?

Teaching grammar is a very important to help ESL students communicate. The depth of my instruction in grammar depends on the student's level of English proficiency. The ESL student must have a vocabulary level that enables the student to comprehend sentences and sentence structure of the English language before teaching grammar can be effective.

Once my students reach a certain level of English proficiency, I use both the deductive and inductive methods of teaching grammar. Deductive teaching is a rule-driven, top-down approach . I use a mini-lesson and slide presentation to explain the grammar rule in detail. During the lesson, I provide the students with many examples that we complete together as a group. The students then practice sample problems by themselves, and I ofter individual assistance when necessary. We then check the assignment together, and I explain the answers thoroughly.

Inductive teaching is a rule-discovery, bottom-up approach to teaching. After I feel the students have mastered a particular grammatical structure , I let them examine text using the grammatical rule. The students highlight the information that was presented . Then, the students participate in a group discussion about the concepts that were previously taught. The students explain why the grammatical

rule is important for comprehension. The inductive approach to teaching helps the students make their own explanation about the material presented.

Blog Entry #1

Definition of Multicultural Education
Multicultural Education is very important in our diverse population. Multicultural education is education chosen intentionally to help students appreciate the similarities and differences among cultures in an interdependent society.  It also allows students to step outside their every day routine and experience a new world through the eyes of someone from a different background.  Multicultural education can help students understand different ethnic, racial, religious, cultural,  and economic situations from many geographical areas.  Multicultural education can prepare students to deal with a large intercultural society.

I think one of the main challenges in multicultural education is overcoming the stereo types that are associated with certain ethnic groups. The students at my school have many preconceived ideas about any race other than white.  I teach in a school that is 95% white and until recently an all white staff.  Two years ago our principal hired a black music teacher.  Many parents complained, and I heard several students say that they did not want to go to music because the teacher was black.  However, he earned their respect and helped to change their mental image of African American culture.



The challenges facing classroom teachers are great, especially when striving to implement multicultural practices in their classroom.  Teachers must overcome social bias, cultural stereotypes,and language barriers while trying to explain numerous state standards and preparing students for standardized tests. 

One activity that I would recommend to help develop multicultural acceptance is to celebrate Christmas Around the World the week before Christmas break.  We always "visit" Mexico, Germany, China, and Japan.  We sample foods, make crafts, listen to music, and study their holiday traditions.  The students enjoy the experience, and it provides a safe opportunity to teach multicultural education. A great site for introducing holiday traditions around the world is http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Christmas_Around_the_World/index.shtml

Introduction

My name is Jena.  I am currently teaching fourth grade and ESL at my school.  I teach in a school with about 580 students in a rural area in Flintville, TN.  I am also earning a certification in ESL.

Six years ago I adopted a child from overseas.  She did not speak any English, and no one could communicate with her.  She was very frustrated and overwhelmed by the new language.  She learned English quickly. She is now very fluent in English, and helps me work with my ESL students during after school tutoring.  Because of this experience, we share a heart for children who are learning a new language.

My goal is to earn my ESL certification and move to a bigger city with more ESL population.  I would also like to work with ESL adults at a community college.