Blogs

Third Quarter
I read the article More Pupils are Learning Online, Fueling Debate on Quality. This areticle was about a school in Memphis, where at least one online class is required. People believe that online classes save more money for the school and that the school does not need to worry about hiring teachers. This school says that online classes allows for not only make-up classes but also more electives and Advanced Placement classes. Online classes are also used for classes that do not have enough students signed up to take them. Officials for Memphis City Schools say that they want to give students the skills they will need for college. Most colleges have online courses and are becoming even more common. Most people believe that online courses are just a cheap way to cut corners. The are not doing anything for the students but are benefiting everyone else thats should not be benefiting from this.

I read the article Obama Takes Aim at Inequality in Education. This article talkes about how President Obama called for a renewed effort to eliminate the achievement gap between African-American students an others. He states that "too many of out kids are dropping out" of school, and that "this is not a white, black, or brown problem and that it is everyones problem." The main goal of Persident Obama is to reduce the high-school drop out rate.

I read the article Unions Move In at Chicago Charter Schools, and Resistance is Swift. This article was about how teachers in charter school in Chicago have been forming unions over the past two years. The union leaders are saying that the growing charter movement is changing public education and may leave teachers without a voice on issues such as working conditions and curriculum. This union is one of the first public school system's major union has directed the effort, according to the American Federation of Teachers. This union could play a huge role in shaping the relationship between teachers and charter school operators. Leaders say that they hope they can avoid widespread unionization by letting teachers have a voice in running their schools.

I read the article Why Blame the Teachers? This article was about how teachers, their pension and their unions are becoming big targets for budget cutters. In some states, lawmakers are trying to change teachers rules for tenure and school districs are laying off teachers left and right. Teachers have become critisized for being ineffective and over paid.

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Second Quarter
I read the article More Autism Schools Proposed in New Jersey. This article was about how they are trying to create additional specialized public schools for educating children with autism in New Jersey. The govenor said that creating "centers for excellence" in every county could save money for the school districts and ensure a higher quality of education for the kids. There is a debate on whether creating seperate special schools for children with autism is hurting or helping them. Most say that it will hurt them. Most believe that children with disabilities gain academic and social skills from interacting with their peers that do not have disabilities. But creating these schools can be costly. They have highly trained and experienced staff members.

The article I read was Virtual Classrooms With No Teachers. This article was about how schools in the Miami-Dade County are creating e-learning lab programs. E-learning lab is when classes are taught online. This is mostly used for students who are home schooled. They are now incorporating these lab programs in traditional schooling. This is a problem because most of the students who are in these classes did not know that they were going to be in virtual learning classes. These classes were made because of the state's class-reduction amendment. This amendment states that there is to be no more than 25 students in each class. With the e-learning lab programs there can be well over 25 students in each class. Theachers are beginning to realize that these types of classes may not be to everyones advantage, but the schools continue to keep them.

The article I read was Teacher Training, Taught by Students. This article was about the Brick Avon Academy in Newark. This school along with 19 other low-performing schools are creating a role reversal training program for the teachers. This training program is funded by a federal grant and is being run by the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education. The whole idea of this program is to have the teachers be in the students shoes. This ia a day long workshop where the teachers sit and watch their students teach a mock lesson. By doing this the teachers can study their students methods and language. They can also discuss what stratagies work and which one do not for the student. This also gives the teachers a good view of what motivates and what interests their students so they can gear their lessons more towards what they like. This program also gives the teachers a good sence of how the students learn best. Some students learn best by doing group work and others learn best with hands on activities. Teachers also learn how to encorporate students ideas into their lessons. Many teachers have learned that it is not always what the teacher says but also what the students have to say as well.

The article I read was New York Archdiocese Says It Plans to Close 27 Schools. This article was about how The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced that 26 elementary schools and 1 high school will be closing at the end of the year. These schools will be closed due to declined enrollment and money. The 27 schools that are being closed lost a total of $10 million this year. Most parochial schools are dependent on their tuition. Their tuition can range from $3,000-$6,000 per student. Out of the 27 schools, one of them is right here in out neighborhood. St. John The Evangelist Catholic School will not be reopening next fall. The archdiocese has promised to fine other Catholic Schools for all the students to attend.

The article I read was $10 Million to Provide Extra Help in Schools. This article is about how the city has set aside $10 million dollars to give extra help to the thousands of students who failed standardized tests last year. The money will be distributed between 532 schools. This money will benefit over 50,000 fourth through eighth grade students. The use of the money for each school will be left up to the principal. Whether it be for small-group classes, individual lessons, books or web-based programs these will all benefit the students. They do not yet know where the money is going to come from, but Mayor Bloomberg guarantees that it will br ready by next month. The reason for the high failure rate of these tests last year was caused by the rise of standards for passing in the state. This money is a great first step in helping students, but just as Zakiyah Ansari, a parent leader for the Coalition for Educational Justice, said " we have to make sure this money goes exactly where it is needed, not to more teaching to the test".

The article I read was To Really Learn, Quit Studying and Take a Test. This article was about how new research has found that taking a test is not only to assess how much you know, but it is also a very affective way to help people learn. This method of learning is proven to be more successful than anyother studying technique. Repeatedly studying the material is the most common way that student study. Researchers reported that this method seems to give students the illusion that they know the material better than they actually do. The retrieval practice appears to " make things stick in a way that may not be used in the classroom " said Dr. Kornell, but " this way of learning is going to last for the rest of their schiiling and potentially the rest of their lives".

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First Quarter
Blog #1. Title: What are the Benefits of Enrolling My Child In A Neighborhood School Versus A School Only for Students With Autism?

The topic i chose to do my blog on this week was whether people should enroll their children with autism in a neighborhood school or in a school for only students with autism. There are both pros and cons to this topic. Some pros would be that you will not have to worry about your child having a long bus ride to his/her school. Also the child will be placed in classes with neighboring children. This means it will be more likely for the child to be socialy involved in activities outside of school more often than they would be in a school farther away. There are also some cons to this debate. If your child with autism goes to a neighborhood school, there is only going to be a few other children with autism. Also your child will be placed in a class with whatever other children who have autism. This may not work too well because your child might not feel comfortable in this class and may not do as well as he/she would in a school just for children with autism. I believe that sending your child to a school just for autistic children would be best. A specialized school for autistic children has a variety of educational approaches for teaching each child in different ways. Your child will be able to learn and grow with the help of specialized teachers.

Blog #2. Title: Are General Education Classrooms or Special Education Classrooms Better for a Child with Autism?

My topic for this weeks blog is whether General Education Classrooms or Special Education Classrooms are better for children with autism. The belief of many people is that each child is different. The parents and teachers should think about the childs strengths and weaknesses and then determine which setting would be best for their child. The belief that IEP goals should balance academic learning as well as development of behavior skills is also important. No matter what class they are in they should learn the basic skills that are needed for independence and self-care as well. I believe that whether or not the child is put into general education or special education is determined by the severity of autism. If a child is placed in general education, the teacher should know how to break down the lesson in order for the child to be able to comprehend what they are learning. The teacher needs to know how the student learns best so he/she cam accomodate the child. I believe that each child should be given a chance in general education to see if they could grasp the concept of the lessons and if not then be placed into sepcial education. This should only be done if the school is currently equipped to handle autistic children is general education.

Blog #3. Title:How Can Computers and Software Be Used To Help Educate Students with Autism And Autism Spectrum Disorders?

This blog discussed how Computers and Computer Software are helpful in educating students with autism or autism spectrum disorders. This is a great way for students to learn who have a hard time with fine motor skills like writing. Giving students a computer to type out their answers to questions and on test can be very beneficial in the way that the students dont have to be confronted with the task of writing which the may not have the fine motor skill for yet. For some children educational software can be used to teach pre-academic skills such as reading or math skills in a fun new way. Some things you want to watch out for if your letting your student use a computer is making sure they have a buddy with them working together. It is good to have a buddy with the student so that the student does not get stuck on repeating the same question or repeating the same answer over and over again. The typical peer working with the student will want them to move on to the more challenging aspects of the program. There are also some computer software that is available for word prediction. This is not recomended because the students should be learning how to spell on their own and should not have the computer do that for them. Overall having students with autism or autism spectrum disorder use computers for tests and classwork is a great wat for them to learn.

Blog #4. Title: How Do I Ensure The Safety Of My Child With Autism At School And Make Sure They Are Not Teased Or Bullied?

The safety of children with autiam in school is becoming a big concern for parents. Some parents struggle with whether or not they should tell the school that their child has autism. This is greater in high functioning autistic children, but the best thing to do is to let the school know. The parents think that if they look and act like everyone else, they don't want to put a lable on their children. Letting the school know that your child has autism is better for the safety aspect of them being in school. Bullying is a bigger problen in older children in school. Students with autism may not always pick up on if they are getting teased, they may think that the kids doing the bullying are trying to be their friend. There are some available anti-bullying programs but these are more geared to the whole school rather than children with autism. Some ways to try and cut down on the amout of bullying, is to start including children with autism in regular classes as early as possible. This allows the other children to grow up knowing how children with autism acts and behaves. If your child is being bullied, whether they have autism or not, you must make sure the teacher is aware so that they can look out for it and try to prevent it from happening.