http://www.startribune.com/local/north/114869614.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUnDayc_MDCi_oO4aDk87EaDUr
This article is interesting. I picked it as a local article because it is so close to home. I know that Anoka Hennepin is having money issues just like many other school districts are right now. I think that this is something we will see happening in other parts of the country and state as well. In big cities like New York the Mayor and the city all ready run the school district. I think in a cash tight time like today what they are doing in Anoka County is a good thing.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Freedom Writers
1) This is a hard question to answer because I think that she actually achieved those hopes and aspirations. She was hoping to make a difference and help the kids and she actually did that.
2)The challenges she confronted at the beginning of the year were gangs, social differences, and anger. These groups of kids hated each other for no reason. They were programmed to be this way by society and their families. I think this was the biggest challenge and that was breaking the social "norm."
3) She had a student who's father was arrested for a crime he didn't commit although he was in a crime. This made this student very angry at police and white people in general her name was Eva. Another case was a student that was living alone on the street because he was kicked out for joining a gang.
4)As the student got interested in learning their academic performance went up.
5) Erin tried to find ways to make the students relate to the teacher and to trust her so that they could get along and start learning. These kids do not trust many people but once they do its a big deal.
6) Some of the teaching methods that the Erin tried were to get the kids involved. Not just preaching at them from the front of the room Erin had activities and trips things to pull the kids into their education and get interested. Also Erin did not follow the set curriculum she related her class to the kids everyday life's to get them interested in her class.
7) She looked for stories that were real that connected to the children. The Holocaust being the largest gang ever and the stories about gangs really got the kids interested and she also showed them that there is more than just their neighborhood by taking them on trips.
8) The other teachers and administrators in the school were anything but supportive. Erin had to go to the school board to get support. Her direct supervisor just wanted to throw her weight around and didn't care about the kids and the other teachers told her she was crazy for trying to help the kids improve their lives.
9) Erin expected the kids to learn and cared that they did learn and that improved the kids academic progress because I think that no one actually cared about them before.
10) I learned the lesson that you can never give up and that you can make a difference if you try hard enough you can help these kids grow.
This film was very moving and motivating to be honest. This is a film that I had never seen before but after seeing it I am glad that I watched the film. When I first saw the interaction in the class room between the students I did not think that there could be a change. But with common sense I knew something was going to happen. I never expected the change to be so dramatic. To see children coming from that area with those backgrounds to be able to go to college or even live past high school was amazing. Just when you think that there is not that many good people in the world you see a film like that and you have something to smile about. Practically everyone had given up on those kids their parents, teachers and friends all checked out and where not supporting them at all. I think that from watching this film I learned some key lessons that will help me with my career. The biggest thing that I learned is to not give up. Even if you have to give it all you have you can succeed. I also remembered that these are just kids and we can always help them or guide them towards a better life. I just hope that I can be half as effective in my career as the people in this film. This was a fantastic movie.
2)The challenges she confronted at the beginning of the year were gangs, social differences, and anger. These groups of kids hated each other for no reason. They were programmed to be this way by society and their families. I think this was the biggest challenge and that was breaking the social "norm."
3) She had a student who's father was arrested for a crime he didn't commit although he was in a crime. This made this student very angry at police and white people in general her name was Eva. Another case was a student that was living alone on the street because he was kicked out for joining a gang.
4)As the student got interested in learning their academic performance went up.
5) Erin tried to find ways to make the students relate to the teacher and to trust her so that they could get along and start learning. These kids do not trust many people but once they do its a big deal.
6) Some of the teaching methods that the Erin tried were to get the kids involved. Not just preaching at them from the front of the room Erin had activities and trips things to pull the kids into their education and get interested. Also Erin did not follow the set curriculum she related her class to the kids everyday life's to get them interested in her class.
7) She looked for stories that were real that connected to the children. The Holocaust being the largest gang ever and the stories about gangs really got the kids interested and she also showed them that there is more than just their neighborhood by taking them on trips.
8) The other teachers and administrators in the school were anything but supportive. Erin had to go to the school board to get support. Her direct supervisor just wanted to throw her weight around and didn't care about the kids and the other teachers told her she was crazy for trying to help the kids improve their lives.
9) Erin expected the kids to learn and cared that they did learn and that improved the kids academic progress because I think that no one actually cared about them before.
10) I learned the lesson that you can never give up and that you can make a difference if you try hard enough you can help these kids grow.
This film was very moving and motivating to be honest. This is a film that I had never seen before but after seeing it I am glad that I watched the film. When I first saw the interaction in the class room between the students I did not think that there could be a change. But with common sense I knew something was going to happen. I never expected the change to be so dramatic. To see children coming from that area with those backgrounds to be able to go to college or even live past high school was amazing. Just when you think that there is not that many good people in the world you see a film like that and you have something to smile about. Practically everyone had given up on those kids their parents, teachers and friends all checked out and where not supporting them at all. I think that from watching this film I learned some key lessons that will help me with my career. The biggest thing that I learned is to not give up. Even if you have to give it all you have you can succeed. I also remembered that these are just kids and we can always help them or guide them towards a better life. I just hope that I can be half as effective in my career as the people in this film. This was a fantastic movie.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Minn. House takes up alternative teacher licensure
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=900178
This whole article frustrates me a lot. I am frustrated due to the fact that I am in college to become a trained teacher. There is much more to teaching than knowing the curriculum. For example, my father is an electrical engineer and he knows much more about math than anyone I have ever met. But the problem is he cannot teach math because he cannot relate it to children. Trust me I have asked him several question but he is always over my head. I hope that we as a nation not forget the importance of college educated teaching professionals. I also find it funny that in a time that our state, and nation is struggling to compete world wide this is our top priority. We need to get to the specific issues rather than argue political rhetoric that is really not going to help the situation that we are in now.
This whole article frustrates me a lot. I am frustrated due to the fact that I am in college to become a trained teacher. There is much more to teaching than knowing the curriculum. For example, my father is an electrical engineer and he knows much more about math than anyone I have ever met. But the problem is he cannot teach math because he cannot relate it to children. Trust me I have asked him several question but he is always over my head. I hope that we as a nation not forget the importance of college educated teaching professionals. I also find it funny that in a time that our state, and nation is struggling to compete world wide this is our top priority. We need to get to the specific issues rather than argue political rhetoric that is really not going to help the situation that we are in now.
Why do I want to be a teacher?
There are a couple of reasons that I want to be a teacher. I will take you back in time a little bit to when I made this decision. I started out college as a marketing major and wanted nothing more to be a big shot in business. But after a year of college at SCSU I thought about what I really want to do. After careful consideration I moved back home and started coaching football at our local high school. After a day of coaching I realized the true reasons why I wanted to be a teacher. Yes, I like working with kids but it is much more than that. I want to be a teacher because I want to be part of what makes this country great. This country like all the others in the world are built on the education of others. I want to help kids that others throw to the side and forget about because they are, "different." Through my experiences of coaching I spent several hours working with EBD students and what I saw was kids who want to be part of something (football) but are afraid that I will just throw them to the side once they act out. I have learned a great deal from these kids also those experiences just verified why I want to be a Special Education teacher.
Hello
Hello my name is Andrew Heidemann and I am a student at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. I am going to school to be a Special Education teacher.
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