- If President Obama were to call me and ask me for five
ideas of what to do about education, I would be incredibly overwhelmed.
After I gathered my thoughts, (and got over the fact that the President
just called me) I would propose the following
ideas:
1) Restructure/redefine
"accountability" in education
2) Use standardized tests only to
measure how a school is doing in meeting the standards (criterion-referenced), not to
other schools (norm-referenced). The competition of winners and losers in
education will get us nowhere.
3) Restructure charter schools (investors
have no/little say)
4) (Find a way to) Reduce class size.
5) (Find a way to) Fund more after school
programs, not just tutoring-but sports, arts, music, etc.
- I enjoyed reading Ravitch this summer. Early on I read
the line "...in education, there are no shortcuts, no utopias, and no
silver bullets" (3). This line has stuck with me, chapter after
chapter. On one hand, I think it is important to remember that there is no
quick fix to education, and to not be easily swayed by the latest fad. On
the other hand this quote makes me wonder if we can ever find something that
truly works. I think that many of the initiatives that Ravitch addresses
have some piece of value; I wish we could synthesize all the good pieces
together. I also appreciated the fact that she respects teaching as a true
profession. So many times, we are cast-aside with comments of, "why
are you tired? Your day ends at 3:00pm,", "you get the summers
off", and "I mean, how hard can it be?", but Ravitch sees
the value in what we do each day.
- I think the best thing I can do as a teacher is be
involved at my school. There is no way to assess what your school needs if
you are not involved. I think it is important to attend all the meetings,
support other teachers as they take on new endeavors, keep open
communication with the counselors and administration, advise a club, coach
a sport, participate in wacky school spirit days, etc. Once the students
see how much you care, you've got them! As a citizen I think the most
important thing I can do is vote. I am a firm believer that you do not
have the right to complain, if you've never done anything to try and fix
the situation. I think the next best thing I can do is encourage others to
vote as well.
- One association I found in regards to
teaching foreign language is the East Bay Foreign Language Project
(EBFLP). The main office of EBFLP is in Berkeley. EBFLP does a number of
things including programs aimed to help teachers strengthen their content
and pedagogical knowledge. There are programs around technology, and
language specific seminars. EBFLP also hosts conventions that include
guest speakers, break out groups, and even have an educational vendor
showcase. The second association I found is the American Council on
Teaching a Foreign Language (ACTFL), which is located in Virginia. ACTFL
does have programs and workshops across the United States. The website
includes links to different profession development opportunities,
books and publications that may be of interest, and other sources for
information.
- A) Experiential resources I would still like to see:
All the Diego Rivera Murals, an event at La Peña in Berkeley, Día de los
Muertos celebration in Fruitvale, Cesar Chavez Celebration in San
Francisco, and La Tomatina in San Francisco.
- B) Books I would still like to read: El Pais Bajo
mi Piel by Gioconda Belli, Don Quixote (in its
entirety) by Miguel de Cervantes, La Otra Cara de América by Jorge Ramos, Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a
Cuban Boy by Carlos
Eire, and Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in
America by Juan Gonzalez.
Each of these books has a historical and cultural value.
- C) Journals I would still like to investigate: Foreign
Language Annals and Language Acquisition
- D) Still like to attend: A conference hosted by EBFLP,
A study abroad trip in Latin America
- E) See in the world: A speech by Bolivian President Evo Morales, Madres de Plaza de Mayo in Argentina, the Zapatista Colony in Chiapas, Mexico, La Moneda in Chile, Mayan ruins (Mexico/Guatemala), and Inca Ruins (Peru).
