Can We Fix Our Schools? YES WE CAN!

There was an article Teaching is just impossible—isn’t it. In the article an educator spoke on how she taught in the classroom, observed the classroom, tutored and tested in the classroom. She stated that she discovered that there were only two types of schools, those that are successful and those that are unsuccessful.

Successful schools are typically suburban; primarily attended by well-dressed, well-cared-for, well-prepared students with involved and motivated parents. Successful schools exude an aura of excitement and optimism, a sense of order and purpose. The buildings are bright and cheerful -- and everyone is smiling.

Unsuccessful schools seem to be predominantly urban or rural. Students are overwhelmingly poor, members of minority groups, or both. Their parents often are under-educated, under-employed, or unemployed; many are alone, exhausted, and uncertain about how they can contribute to their children's education. Unsuccessful schools exude an aura of resignation and defeat. Teachers are harried; students are disorganized and inattentive. Even the newest buildings feel dark and close -- and everyone appears afraid to smile.

The educator spoke on how she believed the saying “ that we can’t fix our schools until we fix society”. She stated that many of her friends took early retirement because they believed this as well. But the reality of it is that you cannot fix society so what is left is fixing the school.

“In "Dispelling the Myth Revisited," the Education Trust identified 4,500 high poverty and/or high minority public schools that are also among the top performing schools in their states. These are some of the poorest schools in their states. They are also the best. The bad news is that we can't, in fact, "fix" society. The good news is that apparently we can fix our schools”.

Schools can overcome obstacles and become top ranking schools by looking at the characteristics of successful schools and emulating them.

*Effective schools have strong principals who demand the freedom and flexibility to hire and fire, to set curriculum and school policy. Effective principals provide instructional leadership. They support teachers' efforts to excel through training and mentoring. They find ways to help parents support their children's academic achievement but demand that students take responsibility for their own education -- regardless of the level of their parents' involvement.

*Effective schools employ teachers who support and mentor one another. Effective teachers concentrate on academic achievement. They recognize that all students need to master a set of basic reading, math, and English-language skills. They teach those skills first, and they consistently measure their students' performance through standards-based testing.

*Effective schools have a clearly defined mission, supported by specific measurable goals. That mission and those goals are communicated to staff, parents, and students, and everyone is expected to make a commitment to promote them.

*Effective schools expect students to excel and maintain a culture of excellence.

Yes, it is harder to teach today. It is harder still to teach in schools with a preponderance of poor or minority students. Kids have changed. Parents have changed. Society has changed. Educators, however, cannot throw up their hands in defeat because they are no longer greeted each morning by students who are ready and eager to learn. Schools have to change too. Some already have.

We can't "fix" society, but maybe -- just maybe -- we can improve society by fixing our schools.

This too can work for early childhood by emulating other successful programs. The thing is what is considered to be a successful early childhood program. I am sure that there are early childhood programs that are very successful, but there are more that are striving to get there. I take into consideration all of these things since I am a pre-k teacher. I want our program to be highly successful in the educating of its students.

Childhood Poverty in Mongolia

Alternative assignment. I chose to read about the people of Mongolia, and their problems with poverty. In 1990 Mongolia transitioned from a socialist, centrally-planned one-party state to a multi-party democratic state with a liberalized economy. The rapid social adjustment hit Mongolian families hard which caused the people to fall into poverty.

·         Unemployment levels rose and inflation and prices soared. This led to the decline of the social services and welfare aid for the people. Before transition, Mongolia's social services were of a high standard and accessible to all. Now, access to health care for poor families, migrants and those in remote rural areas is poor.

·         In 1998 a major survey indicated that 36% of the population was living below the income poverty line and that poverty in Mongolia tends to be higher in many urban areas than in rural. The lives of families beneath the poverty line also appear to have got worse over the 1990s.

·         Malnutrition is a growing concern - 30% of children under five in 1998 had a low height for their age and 10% were underweight. Many children and their families also show signs of nutrient deficiency. Some 51% of the population did not have access to safe drinking water in 1998.

Despite Mongolia trying to implement a better government for its people, the old adage is true. The rich or well off are becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer.

March 30, 2010

 Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), with the cooperation of the Government of Mongolia, airlifted essential emergency supplies to children living in rural areas of Mongolia severely hit with extreme cold. Supplies included blankets, warm clothing, fuel for heating and for cooking, and hygiene kits.

Due to weeks of heavy snowfall, sixty percent of Mongolia is covered by between eight to sixteen inches of snow, with temperatures as low as negative fifty degrees Celsius. At least two million livestock have died of starvation, threatening the lives of nomadic herders, who rely heavily on agriculture and herding and who make up one third of the population of Mongolia.

Educational World Weekly Newsletter

I joined the Educational World Weekly Newsletter. This web-site has a lot of valuable resources and information in early childhood. This weeks newsletter included the feature story of No Child Left Behind: 10 Years Later. This article talks about the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001, or "No Child Left Behind.". It also discusses Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and its continuous struggles. The good news and bad news of No Child Left Behind.

Some of the positive effects of NCLB have included improvements to schools’ curricula and increasing attention paid to underserved subgroups within the student population.

Some of the law’s negative effects have included (1) a reduction in time spent on subjects not assessed by standardized tests, (2) a narrowing of content within tested subjects (for example, assigning shorter reading passages, as opposed to novels), and (3) a reduction in staff morale.

The newsletter also has a section called Early Childhood Resource. In this section there is an activity bank and it gave an idea that the schools could use to help celebrate the 100th day of school.

Encourage children to bring in canned goods. When you have 100 cans or items, donate them to a local charity.

Invite children to use paper, lace, glitter, and stickers to create 100 valentine cards. Arrange for the group to deliver them to the children's unit at a nearby hospital, senior citizens' complex, or nursing home; or mail them to servicemen and women around the globe

The link for this site is http://www.educationworld.com/

Establsihing Professional Contacts Alternative

Although I have contacted many people asking them to be a professional contact only one person responded and he said that he did not know anyone outside the US that could communicate with me. All of the other professionals that I contacted have not replied. Due to the time limit extension I was forced to use the alternative to the assignment. I am going to have to use the World Forum Foundation page and radio podcasts. I will have to use those provided directly on the site because I was unable to download the iTunes program onto my computer.

Searching for Professional Contacts

I began searching for contacts by googling organizations that were involved in early childhood programs. I found e-mail address to some potential contacts, so I sent them e-mails explaining the reason for the contact and asked if anyone would be willing to talk with me frquently concerning this course. I have not had any responses and I am hoping that someone will respond soon. If not I will have to use the alternative.

My Supports

Having a support system in place is one of the best move a person can make. I have to admit that my support system has gained in strength. My support system consists mostly of my family , but I have two friends that support me unconditionally.

My Husband is the first in line of supporters. He is supports me in ways that mean so much to me.
1. He helps with the children, he cooks, and he cleans.
2. He gives me moral support.
3. He gives me that time alone so that I can do my assignments.
4. He encourages me when I feel overwhelmed.
These things that my husband does allows me to be able to be a mom, work full time,a and be a wife. Without him helping me about around the house and with the kids I would not be able to manage it.

My parents are also supportive. They have always been big on education and, and have always pushed me to get an education beyond high school. When I decided to get my Master in ECS they were so excited for me. Recently I had a conversation with my mom telling her that I had so much on my plate that I was going to have to let something go. I told her that I was thinking about ending my pursuit of a Master. Both she and my dad told me that there were other things that I could eliminate, but my quest to get my Masters Degree should not be one of them. So they talked with me and helped lift my spirits and I have decided to continue.

Another supporter that I have is my sister Faye. she is there for me whenever I need her. No matter what it is that I need she will always help out. Just on this week she helped me. Mys on was sick and needed to go to the Dr., so I called her up and asked if she would take him to the Dr. so that I did not have to miss work and she did. Sometimes I am low on money and she will come to my rescue.She is always there for me and I know that she does all of these things for me because she loves me.

I also have two friends that do all  they can in ways of support. They lend a listening ear when I need someone to talk to. They give me good advice that is priceless. They are always encouraging me to do my best at everything that I set forth to do. They will come when I call them and they are always ready to led a helping hand when and if I should ever need one.

I have to say that the support that I have is irreplaceable and it isn't something that everyone are fortunate to have. I consider myself blessed to have such loving and caring supporters. I can truly say that I would be lost without my husband, family and friends. I have seen other's go through so many things and they do not have one person that they can turn to in a time of difficulty and get help. I have seen family turn their back on other family members and I have seen friends that break all connections an ties to the very person that they once called a friend. I am blessed that I have the support that I have because all of the relationships that I have with those that support me have been tried through the fire and have come out a pure gold.

My Connections to Play

In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.

Lev Vygotsky

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game.

Michael Jordan

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

I can remember when I was a child how we used to play. We would come home from school have a snack, do our homework, and go outside to play. We would stay outside until it was dark. We spent hours at a time playing in the streets. All of the neighborhood children would gather together to play kickball or baseball. We would ride our bikes around the block, or skate up an down the street. We would sometimes play hide-n-seek and all of those made up games. We would find some place in the backyard to build us a secret club house, and only certain people could enter. Man those were the good times. Today play has changed the children do not know most of the games that we played when we were kids. They have evolved from a time when play was made up, to a time of technological play. The children now sit in front of the tv playing video games, and those handheld games. The do not play the little clapping hand games that we as girls grew up on. They now have to have the latest gadgets to enjoy play.

These are some of the toys that I loved to play with as a child.

There was nothing compared to playing with a tea set with your friends, or baking a cake in an easy bake. When I was a little older I played with the Rubik's cube, I could never solve it though. I would come close, but I could never get all of the sides the same color.

My most favorite toy as a little girl was a baby doll. I loved to dress her up, and comb her hair.