Gender in education

Does gender effect education in boys. Their is some arguement that boys struggle more than girls in education. However, I think that if is someone is having trouble in school it is not related to their gender but it is because they are having difficulty in school or that the school that they are attending needs to be innovated. According to the issue, Is There a Crisis in the Education of Boys, “Sara Mead, a senior policy analyst at Education Sector in Washington, D.C., assembles long-term data from the federally sponsored National Assessment of Educational Progress to show that the “crisis” emphasis is unwarranted and detracts from broader social justice issues” (Noll, 2009, 15th ed., pp. 286-287). If boys are seen struggling more than girls in schools it is not because of their gender. For them to succeed academically they need to make sure the boys are placed in classrooms where they can focus and make a change in their academics if they are behind. The 2000 Annual Report of School Safety shows that the innovation of a safe school is important and states that “The Safe School environment and Safe School policies elements help provide a friendly, emotionally secure environment. Technology and security devices provide an array of services to students, families, and faculty, in a safe secure environment” (Riley & Reno, 2000). With safe schools and the right innovations in schools students will have the opportunity to be in an environment that is success friendly. Gender is not the reason students do not succeed in school it is a personal work ethic and being in a school friendly environment will encourage students to succeed.

Should public schools be redefined?

The question of whether public schools should be redefined is a controversial issue. Although the amount of funding in many public schools is low this is not something the school can have control over. According to American Education, “The problem is that how much money spent per public school student varies between school districts because of differences in local property taxes. There are differences between school districts in the value of the property to be taxed and the amount a community is willing to tax its property” (Joel Spring, 2008, p. 346). School funding in public schools will not increase if the school is in located in a low income community because people are not willing to pay higher taxes. A public school does not need to be redefined if it has a moral education and a challenging standard curriculum offered to the students. According to the issue, Should “Public Schooling Be Redefined?, “Gatto condemned the public school system for its emphasis on obedience and subordination rather than unleashing of the intellectual and creative powers of the individual” (Noll, 2009, 15th ed., pp. 154-155). If a public school is not succeeding and it provides the best education it can and opportunities for the students that school should not be redefined because it will not change to efforts of the students in the school.

High-stakes assessments

The question of whether high-stakes assessments improve learning in schools is a controversial issue that is seen in schools today. Many teachers in school districts feel that they spend more time testing their students than instructing them. Should high-stakes assessments determine if students can progress to the next grade if the student has passed every test given by the teacher? When standard tests are given in each grade and the students perform poorly on the test the teachers and the administrators are the ones that are blamed. Therefore, the teachers that work in schools with high-stakes assessments are encouraged to focus their learning activities in the classroom on what the students will be tested on the standard tests. I feel that if students can pass the tests that they are given by their teachers in their schools to move on the next grade or graduate from college is the standard that schools should enforce. I do not feel that one test can decide this capability of learning that a student has. I agree with Ken Jones when he argues in the issue Do High-Stakes Assessments Improve Learning, “the current accountability approach, relying on the use of high-stakes tests mandated from above, is detrimental to local school improvement and erodes democratic principles” (Noll, J.W., 15th ed., pp. 132-133). I also feel that when schools use high-stakes test that it takes away from what students would normally learn in a certain class because the teachers are focusing on what the high-stakes test require the student to learn.
According to American Education, “both teachers and administrators are motivated to ensure that classroom instruction complies to academic standards and provides students with the specific knowledge and skills required by the tests” (Spring J., 2008, p. 219). Although high-stakes tests are a driving force in the schools systems I feel that they are limiting the amount of information that students should be learning in the classroom. Funding in schools is another issue that is associated with high-stakes assessments. According to last weeks debate, “if schools do not comply with standardized testing, they lose funds. Teachers and Principals gets bonuses for improved scores.” The amount of financial aid and federal powers over local schools does not match up. The money that is invested in education needs to be more effective. I feel that high-stakes testing puts to much pressure on students because they are threatened with the consequences of failure with just one test to determine this. Not only does it put an immense amount of stress on the students it also puts stress on the teachers because the majority of the time they are blamed if the students do not pass the tests. Therefore, high-stakes assessments are not an effective way of teaching.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Are zero tolerance policies effective? No, I do not think that a zero tolerance policy can lead to safe schools. I think that a zero tolerance policy lacks flexibility and many times the students are accused for things that they should not be accused for. I agree with Alfie Kohn when he argues that “not only are zero-tolerance policies ineffective, they are also harmful-creating fear rather than a sense of security and trust and replacing programs that are effective in treating the root causes of youth violence” (Abbeduto & Symons, 2008, 5th ed., pp. 362-363). A zero tolerance policy causes a strict emphasis at the wrong root of the problem and causes the students to be in fear of things that would be considered innocent and not pertain to school violence. The policy does not focus on the main causes of youth violence because it is focusing on little things that are not causing the violence that is seen in schools today. Violence in school is not something that can be detected by monitoring the student’s every move. It would be more effective to focus on the main signals that come across as violent. According to Diversity of Learners and Settings, “There are good reasons to dwell on rampage school shootings even though they are rare. They are an unprecedented kind of adolescent violence. We do not understand why they happen and have barely begun to consider their long-term consequences” (Newman K., 2004, 444). Schools are among the safest places for children to be and with a zero tolerance policy many innocent students are blamed for things that should not be the focus of school violence.

Bilingual Education

Bilingual education programs help non-English speaking children succeed. Bilingual education programs can help children develop different ways of knowing and seeing the world. These programs will help children understand how big the world is and that other countries have differences from the one that they live in. These programs are important for children who move from another country to the United States. According to American Education, “people can be bicultural, switching from a holistic to a Western worldview. This is what many children from Confucian-based and other collectivist societies must learn when entering U.S. schools. They must learn to be bicultural” (Spring J., 2008, p. 157). When children that are immigrants make the transition from collectivist societies to the U.S. society it requires for the transition to be bicultural. I agree with Professor Stephen Krashen when he says, “good bilingual education programs provide background knowledge of subject matter and literacy in the child’s native language” (DelCampo, D.S., & DelCampo, R.L., 7th ed., pp. 264-265). I feel that bilingual education programs are the best way to educate non-English speaking students.

eBooks

According to the artcile in Multimedia and Internet@Schools, Jan./Feb. 2009, "Ebook and 21st-Century Learning," ebooks are the newest way for teachers and students to look up book and accress a digital library. This article subject is on Ebooks and how ebooks are becoming the new library resource for the 21st Century. Ebooks are the electronic versions of books in the library that can can be accessed by students and teachers on the internet. Ebooks provide access to students to become more informed on their technology literacy and research. Ebooks are available to students and teachers 24/7. They help bring lessons to life, engage struggling readers, and connect technology and learning. Ebooks make it easier for students to do research and writing assignments because they can be accessed all the time and this works for students that have hectic schedules. Ebooks increase the technology driven aspect that is needed in every classroom!

Swine Flu

The fear of Swine Flu entering schools is increasing as the return on school approaches many student and teachers. According to NSW health, "there have been 3,648 confirmed cases of swine flu and a total of 17 people have died from swine flu." It is important for parents and teachers to work together as school approaches for the fall to avoid an increase in swine flu among the students. Schools play an important role when teaching children how to maintain a good hygiene and and how to understand the ways to minimize the spread of infections. This summer there have been hundreds of children sent home from overnight camps because of the rapid increase of swine flu like symptoms. Number of officials think that the number of swine flu like symptoms that have been seen in camps across the U.S. this summer is just a preview of what is going to partake in elementary and secondary schools and for students that are moving into dormitories. Health officials are predicting the increase of the flu in the fall with the U.S. population having to wait until long after the start of school for the treatment of swine flu to exist. Schools districts and universities are working towards ways to alert the public on swine flu before the school year approaches. They are going to to this by holding education campaigns with updated statistics, discuss worst-case scenarios, and how to prevent these worst-case scenarios. "School closures would occur only by order of the superintendent or the county health department and only if so many children were sick that it was impractical to keep classes running," said Dr. Kimberly Uyeda, director of student medical services at the Los Angeles Unified School District. Many campuses are stocking up on supplies like paper masks, hand sanitizer, food, and water. After many camps were cancelled and had to send campers home the increase of Tami flu among the campers increased. Many campers were required to bring Tami flu and this might be something that is seen in schools if swine flue continues. Schools are educating students on how to properly cough and sneeze so it does not spread bacteria. How to prevent the spread of the virus in schools can be educated, however it is important to take personal responsibility and take care of your hygiene.