Final Blog Post

1. Once I get over the shock of the President of the United States calling me on the phone for some unfathomable reason, I do have some recommendations that I think should help improve the state of education in this country. My very first recommendation (and the most important one) is to get rid of the high-stakes testing culture. My second recommendation would be to make sure that the people who are making education decisions are people who have a education background, and not businesspeople. Schools are not businesses, and they cannot be managed in the same way. Educators understand how schools work and can make appropriate decisions based on that knowledge. Thirdly, I think we should stop putting all of our educational focus into language arts and math. These aren’t the only subjects that are worth knowing. Students need to have a full, well-rounded education including science, social studies, art, music and more. My fourth suggestion would be to make sure that all school receive equitable resources. I know that this is extremely difficult, and I don’t have any suggestions on how to accomplish it, but I do think it is important. Lastly, I would suggest that the standards across the states are not only similar, but are great standards that are specific and don’t shy away from controversy.
2. Most of Ravitch’s book has been meaningful to me. I have always felt strongly about a lot of the issues that she talks about in her book, but I have been bad at explaining to myself and other why I feel that way. I didn’t have the facts to back it up. Now after reading the book, I feel validated and more assured in my opinions on education. I can definitely back up my arguments in conversation now. Her book also at times made me very angry about the state of the education system. However, instead of discouraging me from entering the system, it encourages me to keep teaching, so I can make a difference for my students.
3. Looking at all of the problems that there are, I am very overwhelmed and I can’t see what I can do on a large scale. I have never been a political person, and trying to change laws and policies have never been something I am interested in. However, I am determined to make a difference for the students in my own classroom. I can teach them the best that I can, and make sure that they get a great education from me.
4. Nsta.org- National Science Teachers Association. This association publishes books and journals for science teachers of all grades, from elementary to college. It also hosts conferences and professional development for teachers. This association also does work to advocate for science teachers and science education. Nctm.org- national council of teachers of mathematics. This association is the public voice of math education, according to its website. Its goal is to ensure equitable, high-quality math learning for all students. They provide professional development and research, as well as lessons and resources on their website for teachers of all grades.
5. As a multiple subject teacher, I am going to look at things I would like to still do in all subjects, not just science
1. Lawrence Hall of Science, Elkhorn Slough near Santa Cruz, Hayward Interpretive Shoreline Center, San Jose Tech Museum, and the DeYoung Museum.
2. Mostly, I want to read children’s books that I could recommend to my students or books that past students have recommended to me: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Chronicles of Narnia, the Charlie Bone series, Origami Yoda and Darth Paper.
3. Science Scope journal and Science and Children journal.
4. I would love to go to one of those gardening conferences in Santa Cruz that Jocelyn was talking about during her presentation. I would also be interested in attending one of litquake’s events on writing in San Francisco.
5. Washington D.C., Boston historical sites associated with the revolution, the end of the Oregon Trail Museum in Oregon, Death Valley, and Plymouth Rock.
6. I gained a lot of valuable insights and advice from all of the feedback on my presentation, especially a lot of ideas for my capstone project and where to look next for more information. I also got a lot of great information from listening to the other presentations. Not all of it applies to what I teach, but a lot of it is useful to know.