Closing Blog

Blog Assignment:

Oh President Obama, we must…

1)      Establish a national university for the professional development of educators and policy makers.  This university will not directly monitor educational reform, but will be a forum for educational professionals and policy makers to discuss outside the direct influence of lobbyists. .

2)      Be real about national results.  The jukeing of state by state statics are out of control and need to be publically challenged.  Then publically reward the states that set high standards.

3)      Get rid of the utopian thinking.  Having lofty ideals is admirable, but achieving everything is impossible.  100% “proficiency” will not be possible until we have 100% buy-in.  I’m not sure that is possible with a post-modern society.  Therefore, we must provide opportunity to all, not mastery.

4)      Get rid of Arne Duncan, the guy is a tool.

5)      Get in the conference hall and back common sense agreements between unions and school districts.  Negative portrays in the media will hurt unions and you need their support.  Help them help themselves and plan for some concessions so they save public face.

2)

I attended the AVID Summer Institute this last week and I found myself in a particular situation.  I was participating in the Culturally Relevant Teaching segment and we were conducting a Socratic Seminar.  One of the articles that we had read claimed that too much of the curriculum that students learn is “western” based and should be augmented to suit the needs of our students.  On principle, I agree that learning should be student centered and their buy-in is nearly the most important component of any course.  But I found myself arguing from the conservative vantage point. 

Ravitch’s argument of institutional change and conservatism in education found a home in my voice.  Instead of changing curriculum, I argued for the maintenance of high standards and applying the curriculum to specific circumstance.  I argued that Plato still needs to be taught because educators have a professional responsibility towards other educators and the expected knowledge that students will carry with them to the next grade or collegiate level.  I fail to believe that we, as individual educators, can take personally vain idea that we have the capacity to majorly change a curriculum because they are from a different culture.  There is power in the western canon.

Ravitch’s argument lies on the fact that the American Education System is not broken, it just suffers from a lack of high expectations because we are missing the main points.  We are focusing on the testing of high expectations instead of creating a society of professional and capable educators.  We are searching for a fast solution to a hard problem, students and teachers are not working as hard as previous generation.  This is compounded by the (now decreasing) American monopoly on capital and opportunity with world markets.  Other countries are making/allowing/motivating their youth to a level that equal or above that of American children.  But Ravitch believes the core ideas are still strong and the applicable solution to the ills of the education system.  If teachers have high standards, administrators assess with high standards, and policy makers allow for common sense structural changes, dramatic changes will not be necessary.

3) 

School teachers have the opportunity to work deeply and personally with a person for 181 days in order to teacher them content, resilience, responsibility, and respect.  I can’t think of a more noble and important responsibility.  I believe that a teacher who takes their job seriously is the front line against idiocy and societal self-destruction.  Therefore, as people with important positions, we must use the old adage and “think globally, act locally”.  We must problem solve in our own situations and help students on an individual basis.  We need to check our self-righteous behavior in regards to both best practice and radical reform in hopes that we don’t move too quickly or become resolute against change.  By doing this, we can provide hope and structure for future generations and their ability to participate economically and in our democracy.

4)

American Historical Association

The American Historical Association provides monthly mailers with publications from leading historians.  It also provides an extensive annual conference that has up to 300 presentations with new research.  The membership is steep, but the association does cater some of its efforts towards k-12 teaching.  They offer a booklet “Perspectives on Teaching” that presents about history specific viewpoints and skills.  It also provides packaged lesson plans.  In addition, I stumbled upon a letter from a Superintendent to all new history teachers.  It provided an interesting take until what it “takes” to be a history teacher. 

Romantic Novel Association

I began searching for associations that deal directly with Romantic literature, please notice the capital “R”.  Instead, I found the Romantic Novel Association which unfortunately should be the romantic novel association.  This page helps writers participate in activities and workshops that help develop a sense of the romantic and how to write compelling romantic fiction.  The website states that 90% of all readers need some form of romance in the novels that they read and this is a resource that could help the average reader satisfy those hungry readers.  All joking aside, even this association could provide different types of structures and methods for developing and implementing a writing workshop.

5)

Places that I would like to see in the Bay Area:

1.       Tule Lake War Relocation Center

a.       Even though this is not in the Bay Area, a pilgrimage or hike to this area would be an interesting trip.  I could bring along some of the literature about the relocation camps and relive the terrible migration suffered by Japanese Americans during the period. 

2.       The Google Teaching Academy

a.       The Google team holds a workshop that puts technology into the hands of teachers.  Even though it has an exclusive admission process, I would like to participate and take tech to the next level in the classroom.

3.       Bay Area Writing Project

a.       They have summer workshops that look interesting.  I’ve seen a lot of their essay development stuff, but I’m excited to see what they come up with regarding common core and new projects. 

4.       John Steinbeck’s House

a.       Salinas would be worth the trip and spending a weekend finding out more about the great author.

5.       Central Nigeria Unmasked at the Cantor Arts Center (Stanford)

a.       This sculpture show could provide some valuable information for comparative government.

Books:

1.       The J-Curve

2.       No Matter How Loud I Shout

3.       Graceland

4.       The Greater Strategies

5.       Wild Swans: Three Chinese Daughters

Journals:

1.       Foreign Affairs

a.       I’d like to actually find time to read the copies I get.

2.       Perspectives on Teaching History

Conferences:

1.       I’d love to attend the American Art History Association’s Conference.  They have some amazing speakers and the art provides great structure for my historical thinking.

2.       As mentioned before, I’d like to get into the Bay Area Writers Workshops.

Places I’d like to see in the World:

1.       I would love to make a trip to China.  My knowledge of the Far East is minimal and I would like to expand that area of my studies.

2.       I would love to go to London and do the Shakespeare thing.  I’ve never been to the globe.  A historical theme journey of the city would be amazing.

3.       I love Russian literature.  I want Moscow to become safe and then I could travel there with little fear and see the landscape where the soul develops.

4.       Athens is on the schedule for next summer.