The Conclusion of the Tale

In reviewing the articles and blogs I have commented on throughout this course, I think that this has been an excellent way for me to be exposed to a wide variety of issues concerning education.  My topic involving the students who fall through the cracks in the educational system, really enlighten me to the diverse spectrum of reason for this phenomena.  I was able to look at the rates of student failure from the perspectives of educational opportunities from the prison cell, No Child Left Behind issues, discriminatory policies, race and socioeconomic issues, and language divides.  I think that this wide perspective allows me to think of ways to deal with this issue of illiteracy and failure from different vantages.  I think the information I have received during the past weeks will be helpful to finding individualized answers for the individualized problems of my students. 

The opportunity to respond to some of my classmates blogs allowed me to get their ideas and opinions on many controversial issues.  I think that issues like censorship and banned books are very interesting and worthy of our time and investigation. 

I liked using the RSS Agregator to compile the articles of interest.  This is a tool that I will continue to use for both my personal and professional development.  Even though I am planning to teach in an elementary setting, I think that using a technology component is important to expose myself and my students to the world and other opinions.  I think that having the ideas of others as close as a computer screen will be a great asset to my classroom and a lot of fun for my students.   I also think that information is the key to ending fear.  I know that the exposure we have had to all of these educational issues will go along way to debunk the myths that create fear.

The Value of a Man in a Jacket at a Conference…

Who is this Jacqueline Woodson woman?  This was my question before experiencing her style, poise, personality, and most importantly, her words.  Now, I feel quite compelled to buy every book she has written.  Ms. Woodson’s words, whether spoken or read, are so powerful.  I felt that she gave a very realistic message about writing.  I appreciated her earnest way of explaining her dedication to the process of writing.  I had never thought about writing as being a right that each person has.  The ability and freedom to express yourself is a gift that we should pay attention to.  Ms. Woodson’s words were amazing.  It is hard to imagine that she had so much feeling and intensity inside of her. 

The next seminar I attended took a close look at the use of Literature Circles with both Reluctant Readers and Literature Lovers.  I thought that this seminar was clever because it addressed both ends of the literature spectrum.   The leaders began by giving techiques for bridging the gap between the cannon and “fun” reading.  The presenters suggested utilizing the “fun” literature to promote engaging the students in literature, and then allowing the students to draw their own conclusions about the content and quality of their choices.  She suggested using non-threatening methods of Dialogue Journaling and writing prompts specific to the ideas the teacher is trying to convey.  One of these prompts could be “explain the main character of the story”.  This seems to be a simple directive, but character analysis can be done on any character.  The facilitator pointed out that sometimes this level of analysis will allow the student to review their choice of literature from a more critical perspective….isn’t that what we’re after?

The second part of this workshop present us with a panel of over achieving high school students.  They pointed out the some of the tools that their teachers use in literature circles that seems to be effective.  This part of the workshop was less organized, but I think that they conveyed the message they were after.  Time and choice are key issues for students who enjoy literature. 

The other workshop I attended looked at encouraging students to share their writing and giving them tools for peer editing.  Christine Dawson gave LOADS of tips and strategies for developing a creative writing program.  She demonstrated several of these techniques by having her audience write quick, prompt based poems, and then allowing us to share them.  She explained a poetry writing device called synethesia or using a sense in an unexpected way.  I have already tried this technique on my students at church.  We described what Peace would taste like.  She also had some great tips for students to use when peer editing in a non-threatening way.  We were able to practice these techniques as well as listen and response techniques.

Overall, I feel like our journey to Lansing was well worth the trip.  I was able to gain a knowledge and appreciation for both the reading and writing componet in language arts.  All of the techniques and strategies offered by the speakers were realistic and practical for any classroom.  I appreciated their enthusiam and excitement for their students and their learning styles, and I was greatful for the opportunity to be able to capitalize on their knowledge and experience.    

How do you Measure their worth?

Although the purpose of this blog is not to discuss the “No Child Left Behind” initiative, I think that this form of legislation has a huge impact on the success of our children.  Having said that, I reviewed this article by Marc Fisher that addresses the ever widening crack NCLB leaves behind.  It is a fact that teachers do not teach in vacuum, and as hard as we try to equalize education for all students, it is necessary to individualize their education to meet their specific needs. 

No Child Left Behind is built on a lie. Not every kid will go to college, no matter what you do. So you can either lower the standards enough to pretend that everyone is succeeding, or give up on the lie.

Even though these words are tough, I think that they ring true to the situation of some students.   The authors words expose us to another aspect of NCLB.  Are we doing our students any favors by allowing our testing standards to be set  so low?  I remember how remedial the classes were that were manditory for all students.  I remember how many of the teachers did “everything possible” to make sure that it wasn’t their class that prevented a students from graduating

Unfortunately for everyone involved, there is too much at stake.  The students lose knowledge, the administrators lose money, and the test loses credibility. 

Staking everything on a test doesn’t produce a flowering of inspired teaching

Requiring teachers to produce such significant results limits their abilities to teach beyond the test.  It is unfortunate that the government has waved the financial “carrot” in front of those responsible for the education of our young people.  The financially strapped districts need the bonuses offered by the steady improvement of their schools to increase and support their budgets.  Need facilitates the choice to reduce the demands of required classes for students. 

So where does this leave students who struggle academically?

The theory is that somehow, when told the exact number of children who are lagging in achievement, teachers will agree to render the magic that they have thus far withheld and — poof! — those kids will become smart, cooperative and productive.

Obviously, this is not what happens.  But these students are Left behind simply by ignoring their needs and “dumbing down” the information required for graduation.  The implications of this article require us to take a hard look at the disservice we are doing to our students.  Is it better to pass them without the knowledge they need?  Aren’t they still falling through the educational cracks? 

 Very few (if any) educators will admit that there are a few ….Ha Ha Ha!!– problems with NCLB; however, the idea that manipulating the degree of difficulty assigned to a course in order to pass a student is not a valid answer to the NCLB problem.  It is our job to prepare our students for the “real” world using real information.  Our students have enough trouble developing the skills necessary for literacy and critical thinking, by not providing a solid knowledge base, we are truly adding to the problem of students graduating without the skills they need.

In Fairfax’s ‘No Child’ Fight, A Refusal to Leave Children Behind

By Marc FisherClick here to read the complete article.

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New scores for High School readers

Why aren’t reading scores higher?  This is the question asked in the NY Times article regarding the latest report on declining scores on standardized reading test given to high school students.  I think that much of this study reflects a trend toward product and not process. 

Today’s high school students are taking seemingly tougher courses and earning better grades, but their reading skills are not improving, according to the results of a national assessment released here today that cited grade inflation as a possible explanation.

I’m not totally convinced that grade inflation is a viable reason for the discrepancy between the test scores and the grades of the students.  I think that a more realistic explanation would include the idea that the emphasis the reading portions of these test fail to give an accurate account of the progress of the students.  The students are being engaged in more difficult classes, perhaps, requiring less pleasure reading which encourages reading fluency and comprehension practice. 

Darvin M. Winick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the exams, said in a prepared statement that the findings “provide little comfort,” and “suggest that we need to know much more about the level of rigor associated with the courses that high school students are taking,”

The study presents an interesting dynamic with regards to the literacy rates among high school students.  This report reflects a negative trend toward students being unable to extract basic information from a train schedule.  This information makes me question the contributing factors to this decline in abilities.  How can our students receive higher grades on tougher classes without the ability to perform the most basic skills?

The share of students lacking even basic high school reading skills — meaning they could not, for example, extract data about train fares at different times of day from a brochure — rose to 27 from 20 percent in 1992. The share of those proficient in reading dropped to 35 from 40 percent in 1992.

This study raises interesting questions about the emphasis put on high school students to perform.  How can we fail our students on practical matters, while encouraging them to work harder on subjects that are more demanding?  Are the students unable to build their basic skills because of the emphasis put on more complex subjects.  The perspective offered by this article is very unexpected.  I think that this introduces another facet to an already complicated subject of students falling through the cracks of the real world.

Grades Rise as Reading Skills Drop in H.S. Study

By DIANA JEAN SCHEMO

Published: February 22, 2007

To read the complete article, click here.

Is Illiteracy in our Future?

This article from the Christian Science Monitor illustrates the growing trend of retired baby-boomers being replaced by poorly educated and illiterate immigrant workers.  I think that this argument is central in the debate about how to deal with a workforce, and their children, that doesn’t speak English as a first language.  I am concerned that if we don’t find a productive way to educate immigrants and other non-English speaking members of our society, we will develop some of the negative attributes described by this article.

If they can’t reverse the trend, then it could spell trouble for a large swath of the labor force, widen an already large skill gap, and shrink the middle class.

The gap that the author speaks of is exactly what we, as teachers, are trying to avoid in the classroom.  The emphasis on providing a quality education for all students is made much more difficult when combined with a language barrier.  I think that this should definitely be a priority for all teachers.  The influx of different nationalities requires us to take a really hard look at the way our educational system is organized.  I think that something drastic will need to happen to alter the course we seem to be on.

What they hope to do, they say, is call attention to urgent issues that affect not just many Americans’ lifestyle, but the sort of democracy based on an informed middle class that the country was founded on.  

More than half of the immigrant Hispanics lack a high school diploma.

The author of this article makes some suggestions about how to deal with the problem of educating this segment of our society.  They look to the educational system for continued growth and development.  We need to evolve our programming to create room for this growing population.  Many of the positive programs that we have in place need to be expanded upon and evaluated for their value.  Unfortunately, this requires funds and dedication, both of which are hard to find without restructuring the entire system.

Coming US challenge: a less literate workforce

A larger share of workers will have minimal reading skills in 2030 than today, according to a report released Monday.

By Amanda Paulson | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

To read the complete article, click here.

VERMONT PRISONS IN EDUCATION

While surfing though the hundreds of articles on my Aggregator, I came upon this article in the Washington Post.  This may be a bit off of my original topic, but I think that this is a very savy way to deal with a very challenging problem.  Many students who drop out of school turn to crime as a way of life.  In the state of Vermont, the department of corrections requires all inmates under 22 years old, who haven’t completed High School, to attend 20 hours of classes per week, while in prison. 

“Most states tend to abandon incarcerated youth and don’t provide much in the way of ongoing education,” said Sam Robinson, an official at the New England Commission on Independent Schools.

While requiring their “captive” students to earn their diplomas, the state of Vermont is hoping to reduce the amount of repeat offenders.  I believe that this may be the best way to deal with the problem of reforming these young people.  Without education, these young adults are released back into society without the hope of transcending the lifestyle that put them in jail in the first place. 

“We are having an effect on the youth population we reach in the facilities because they’re not coming back in,” said Community High School Principal Steve LaTulippe, who went to work for the Corrections Department a year after retiring from his 30-year career as a teacher in South Burlington.

Making a difference in this crime prone segment of our society can have the ability to alter the future of these people and the world.  The statistics of uneducated repeat offenders is staggering.  Just taking an interest in these non-traditional students makes the difference.

Community High School board member Dwight A. Davis said that whenever he asks inmates if anyone had ever taken an interest in their education, they say no.

“As an educator, that’s difficult for me to accept,” Davis said. “A lot of our kids, if they had one caring adult, they would succeed. Unfortunately, they don’t. If we can correct that, we’ve corrected a gross error.”

I think that this type of education is invaluable for those students who slip through the traditional cracks of education.  I think that if more prisons were equipt to deal with the educational deficit most of its prisoners face, many of these people would have opportunities beyond crime and drug abuse.  This is a great way to deal with a difficult problem…congratulations Vermont!!!

In Vermont, Prisoners Go To High School Behind Bars

from washingtonpost.com – washingtonpost.com Education by Wilson Ring

To read the complete article, click here.

Don’t Discount the Dropout

The efforts of some will benefit all.  High school drop outs are a major componet in the study of literacy in this country.  This article, from the Christian Science Monitor, reveals the benefits of finding these failing students and providing another opportunity for high school completion.  The current drop out rates in the United States vary from 30 to 50 percent.  These rates have been determined to be unacceptable in some communities.  Alternative learning resources are being used to make connections with these students.  As teachers, we need to be especially aware of these dropout rates.  As mentioned in the article, many of the students do not make a connection with the school, learning, or teachers.  Without this connection, students have very little to keep them in the education system.

Chris Ahnert left high school because he figured he didn’t have the credits to graduate, anyway.

Aziz Animashan left after he got kicked off the basketball team – the only thing keeping him there.

Stacy Del Real didn’t want to go back to the same environment where, she says, “there were bad things happening all around me.”

These students need to become integrated in programs where they are safe, and the subject matter makes that connection.  These concerns are being met in numerous ways.   Learning needs to be facilitated in ways which allow students to become engaged in the subject matter.  The emotions of fear and anxiety reduce the levels of learning by preventing students from being able to completely immerse themselves in the text. 

The high numbers – combined with research showing dropouts are far more likely to be in prison, on public assistance, or jobless – have many educators thinking about how to keep those students from ever leaving.

Communities who validate their youth and the value of an education have taken on the challenge of providing an environment conducive to learning.  They have seen the need to provide an education to this lost element of society.  In a study conduct in a small community in Ohio proves the need for this type of programming.

Another program was spearheaded by a county – not typically a player in education policy. Deborah Feldman, the county administrator for Montgomery County in Ohio, says she realized several years ago that half of their budget was going toward criminal justice and human services, but they were doing nothing to keep people from entering those systems. 

The high numbers – combined with research showing dropouts are far more likely to be in prison, on public assistance, or jobless – have many educators thinking about how to keep those students from ever leaving.

With the research indicating such a strong correlation between the rates of crime and violence and the dropout rates, it is definitely in our best interest to find out why students are choosing to dropout, and find a solution to this epidemic problem.  Is it possible that by encouraging our students to make connections to literature and other subjects, we can directly affect the rates of crime?   It may be worth the extra time and money needed to find these “lost” students and teach to them in a contextual way.

The dropout rate in the US officially hovers around 10 percent. By Amanda Paulson | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

Click here to read the complete article.

Hello world!

This is my first blog on this site.  If I ever figure this out, it’s going to be a lot of fun.  I have decided to look at the literacy rates and reasons among High School students in the United States.  It has always amazed me to see students fall through the crack when it comes to reading and writing.  I find it hard to believe that anyone can graduate without the basic skills needed to be literate.  Afterall, twelve years is a long time to fake it. 

I plan to use sources from the New York Times– Education section, the Washington Post, Google News and numerous blog sites.  I think that I will probably use other sources, but these are the main resources I will be commenting on.

I think that researching some of the causes and facts about illiteracy will allow me to be a better, more aware teacher.  I am looking forward to developing these skills.  And hopefully, help someone who needs it.