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- EDU 308 Summer 09 Syllabus
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Group Members and Groups
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Video 2
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Video 1
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Class Vote
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Book Ad Book Choices
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 14
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 13
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 12
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- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 2
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 1
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May
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Question: How can we make a difference in the lives of poor children in our classroom?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "It is the function of religion to teach society to value human life more than property."
Fact: According to multiple studies, higher family income in all races - socio-economic standing - translates into higher scores on SAT tests.
Fact- 17% of children in the United States live in poverty. (p. 266)
ReplyDeleteWe are the most wealthy nation in the world.This is unacceptable.
Quote- Wealth is a power unsurped by the few to compel the many to labor for their benefit. Percy Bysshe Shelley (p. 270)
Question- We can't change the financial situations in our students' homes, but how can we as teachers reverse some of the problems associated with poverty?
Question: How can we help or contribute to the poverty we may face in the classroom? School can be expensive and some parents find it offensive to help. How can we better prepare ourselves for this issue?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "When employers discovered that their workers earned enough to put something by, they concluded that they had been overpaying them."-Schwarz
Fact: Despite the enourmous wealth n the United States, America ranks seventeenth among industrialized nations in low birth weights and twenty-third in infant mortality rates.
In response to Holly's question, i think not treating them any differently than other students would be good. You don't want to draw attention to their financial difficulties because it could cause ridicule. I think being aware of the money situation of all your students will help you better prepare for materials and projects. This way no one will be left out. You can think of things that apply to all students and just try to be prepared as best as you can. I think encouragment and respect needs to be given.
ReplyDeleteWhat about getting sponsors for the field trip, so no child is left at school or ridiculed for not having the money? I did that!
ReplyDeleteWhat about teaching 10 Chairs of Inequality from Rethinking Schools? What about having a class project where they study capitalism, socialism, bartering etc.? What about having them do community service tied to economic development? What about having them study different school districts budgets and what that means for each child's education and educational opportunities then? There are tons of ways to teach about "classism."
Question ~ With the economy currently being compared to that of the Great Depression why not help out the American people once again by implementing something like the Civilian Conservation Corps or the Works Progress Administration? With so many out of jobs right now why not!?
ReplyDeleteQuote ~ "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." -Franklin Roosevelt (gray box page 262)
"When children go to bed hungry in the richest nation in the world, it illustrates a failure of our institutions to fulfill their social obligations." (page 274)
Fact ~ The U.S. and South Africa ar ehte only two developed nations that don't have a universal healthcare program for all their citizens.
Fact...
ReplyDeleteOvercoming poverty can diminish psychological stress and lead to behavioral changes.
Quote...
ReplyDeleteMen in search of a myth will usually find one. Pueblo Indian Proverb
Question...
ReplyDeleteHow are children from low income families disadvantaged in school?
In response to Brooke's queston and Dr. Hendrix's comment...
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of raising money for a class field trip instead of relying on the parents to come up with the money. Even if the parents can come up with it, you don't know what the child may have to do without for needing the extra money. That idea I will store away for the future.
Quote-The greatest of evils and worst of crimes is poverty George Bernard Shaw (1856-1990)
ReplyDeleteFact- When the bodies in Lousianna were finnaly counted Hurricane Katrina took 1100 lives, lost of the dead were poor and black
My sons school went on a field trip and asked parents that could to send a little extra and everyone went this is a large school 120 in his grade. This may not work in a smaller school or a poorer district.
Its hard for a worried child to learn, children understand a lot of their situation. How do we help them focus on their studies when they live in fear due to the poverty.
In response to Heidi's question, I know that we can not change the financial situation of our students, but I do think we can teach them how to manage and budget. I think teachers spend too much time on some math subjects and not enough time on things that will help them in the long run...such as managing and budgeting their money, learning how to balance a checkbook, interest rates, and paying bills.
ReplyDeleteIn response Dr. Hendrix and others regarding field trips, something we do at our school is send extra supplies when they are requested by teachers for special events, etc. if we can afford to at the time. For example, my son's class tie dyed shirts and we had to supply the shirts. I bought the larger package and donated the extras for those that did not have one. The teacher said that all the shirts that were donated by parents as extras were used this year.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Is NCLB here to stay?
Quote: "For every talent that poverty has stimulated it has blighted a hundred."~John Gardner
Fact:Among the world's industrialized nations, the U.S. is the only one without universal preschool and child support programs.
Quote: "It is the function of religion to teach society to value human life more than property." (pg 260) I liked this quote becuase to me, it relates to all of life, not just education. As many classmates have posted, if you can provide for more than just yourslef as a taecher, other parent or community member, why not? After you're gone you can't take anything with you but you can leave an impact on others lives.
ReplyDeleteFact:In reference to NCLB..." in 2006, more than a fourth of all public schools failed to reach their AYP."...I think there may be something wrong with the expectations, as i'm sure some if not many agree ;)
Question: What's the best way to stop the cycle of poverty? Is it the governments responsibility? Individuals? Educators? Communities?
In response to Brooke's question...I think that it may be offensive to some parents to help. To me this relates to holding back women's equal wages. You as a teacher are trying to help out a child and a family in what ever way you can. If this means providing for them, especially food (becuase we all know if children's needs aren't met, they can't even function to learn) then I see you helping everyone out. Like the wages, the more the student has the more they can benifit themsleves, others, and possibly one day their community.
You're right Holly. We do need to spend time on some of the basics. I think we overlook the simple things and assume that children will learn these along the way. When my husband and I started dating he didn't know how to balance his checkbook! I was exposed to some of the poverty problems when I did my Jr. Exp. What an eye opener. One little girl had worn out her shoes and had to wear flipflops to school in November. One of the teachers noticed and bought her a new pair of shoes. One little boy lived in a home with no running water or electricity. They lived like that for a month. He was such a pleasant child and very eager to learn. These were only two of the stories. It makes my heart break. This will be the difficult part of teaching for me.
ReplyDeleteQUESTION- Many schools have lots of electives for children to take, so why is there not a course that teaches the basics of money management?
ReplyDeleteQUOTE- "For every talent that poverty has stimulated it has blighted a hundred." John Gardner
FACT- Classism refers to attitudes and discriminatory actions toward others based on their low socioeconomic status.
RESPONSE- I agree with Holly, how can these children who are the future be expected to be active and contributing society members if they can't even manage their own finances?
Question: Is it possible to break the cycle of poverty?
ReplyDeleteQuote: By 2010, Owen and Doerr ( 1999) predicted that 40% of American children will experience poverty at some time in their lives, and poor children tend to have greater needs than middle- or upper- class children.
Fact: Social activists believed that poverty was caused in part by hereditary pauperism, as if being poor was a genetic defect.
In response to Kensey: I think that is an excellent question. I would think a money management course would a lot less expensive for a school to offer than, say, an entire sports program - so why is it done done if it could benefit so many?
Abigail and Kensey,
ReplyDeleteGood points here! There was also "scientific" research that supposedly showed African Americans were intellectually inferior, but it was bad "science." There is an article called "The (Mis)measure of Man" by Gould that articulates the problems with that research. People believed it though and still do unfortunately. Jr. Achievement volunteers (along with some AAUW volunteers) teach money managament in elementary schools, but it is not a requirement. Some math teachers tie in money with their lessons, but not all of them do this. I like the Jr. Achievement kits. If you are interested, look those up and pull those into your lessons.
Question: We need to teach our students about technology and make sure that they know how to use computers. Imagine you have a student in your classroom from a low income family that does not own a computer. The family also lives about ten miles away from the school and the parents work late. If you assign a project that requires the students to use the computer, how can you make it fair for all your students?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much: it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - Franklin Roosevelt
Fact: By 2010 it is predicted that 40% of American children will experience poverty at some time in their lives, and poor children tend to have greater needs than middle- or upper-class children.
In response to Brooke's question, I think that we need to have extra material at all times for students that may not be able to provide their own material for projects (ex: markers, glue, etc.).
ReplyDeleteIn response to Chelsey, that is one way we can adapt our lessons to suit our students different cultural needs. If a student does not have access to a computer at home, allow them extra time in the classroom to get their homework done.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Heidi's fact about 17% of children in the U.S. living in poverty, I agree completely this is most definitely unacceptable! We give millions in financial aid to help children in other countries, which is great don't get me wrong, but shouldn't our first priority be our own nations starving and under-educated children?! Just like shipping thousands of hundred dollar lap tops to poor countries in Africa and others around the world why not provide these to children in our own country!?! The wealthiest nation in the world should have no starving, uneducated, health care-less children!
ReplyDeleteQuestion: How are children from low income families disadvantaged in schools?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "For every talent that poverty has stimulated it has blighted a hundred." John Gardner
Fact: Individual classism refers to attitudes and discriminatory actions stemming from prejudice against poor people.
Question: How can we help those children who come from poorer families in our classroom or school, without creating conflict?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "The test of our progres is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." -Franklin Roosevelt
Fact: One out of six children in the United States lives in poverty.
Question: Does the cycle of poverty feed off of individual behavior or institutional behavior?
ReplyDeleteQuote: The FDR quote on pg. 262 is the one I would also comment on here.
Fact: As pointed out earlier one out of six children in the U.S. live in poverty, two out of five children in the St. Joseph School District are on free or reduced lunch in the year 2009.
In response to several comments here.
ReplyDeletePoverty is something no one asks for. It takes years for individuals to get out of poverty through education and self betterment. An unfortunate thing here is that too many children grow up in an environment in which their parents tell them that they will never ammount to anything despite what teachers tell them at school. All we can do is keep spreading the message that education is the first step to leaving poverty.