Unit #3 Final Draft

After observing numerous articles and films, which focus on education, I have realized there are many challenges schools and educators face. Such challenges can cause a school to struggle to keep students from failing or even dropping out. I believe a reason some students discontinue their education is simply because of boredom. I have seen evidence of this in personal experiences and certain films and articles. In the film, Stand and Deliver, students at Garfield High School are uninterested in the curriculum and the teachers hardly have the motivation to change the students opinion. When a educator uses creative teaching methods it sparks a interest in a student, which we see with Coach Webb in the film Chalk. Such methods can be effective in transforming a portion of the failing student body into an academic success. Not only can this creativity be implemented in teachers but it can be taught to students. Courses like theatre, ancient and modern languages, art appreciation, philosophy and more can be classified as humanities and encourage a student to think creatively. I believe by instructors using original teaching methods and including humanities in the K-12 curriculum, schools will see more participation and improvement in inattentive students.

By allowing teachers to use creative teaching techniques in their classrooms we will see disinterested students show more participation. A great example of this is seen in the film, Stand and Deliver, where Mr. Escalante turns a group of unmotivated students into a more attentive and focused class of students. On his first day of class he is welcomed by a rebellious class who teases and taunts him. He knows that he will need to use a unconventional way of teaching in order to change their opinion on education. For example, he uses apples to teach fractions, which seems odd to the students but the creativity of the lesson has them curious. By the time a student reaches their sophomore and senior year they become bored with repetitive courses and conventional teaching methods. Mr. Escalante is aware that his class of seniors aren't interested in participating and would rather slack off during their senior year. He uses humor and wittiness to catch the students off guard; a characteristic that makes a teacher seem more like a friend than a teacher. An example of Mr. Escalante implementing humor in his teaching is when he creates a comical math problem. "...The total number of girlfriends between them is 20. How many does each gigolo have?" When a teacher uses material that students can relate to and find original they will become curious. Once they realize that a teacher is not going "by the book" they will most likely become more attentive. In the film, Chalk, Coach Webb won't be labeled as a boring teacher and would rather see her students believe they are capable. Her philosophy on teaching is to convince her student's they have the potential to make a difference. "If I make them think they have some sort of potential and they are actually good at the activity, suddenly they start thinking, hey I can do this," explains coach Webb. During the film you can see the activities she includes in her class have a positive outcome on the students; in which they began to take her class more seriously.

In the film, Waiting for "Superman", statistics show students dropping out, math scores failing and a system that is to stubborn to change for the benefit of the students. Throughout the majority of my K-12 years I experienced a narrow minded system that Waiting for "Superman" describes, so I finally began to phase out during my senior year of high school. I blame myself for my lack of motivation, but I would also hold some of the teachers accountable for my unenthusiastic attitude. This sort of teaching grows old, especially when you have been exposed to it over the majority of your K-12 years. The film points out that students who have high performing teachers are learning at a faster rate, "When you see a great teacher, you are seeing a work of art," says Geoffrey Canada. When teachers have the protection of the teachers union they seem to be less motivated to excel in teaching since they are practically invulnerable to being fired under their contracts. I experienced a history teacher who relied on tedious worksheets to make his job easy. He seemed to know very little about the subject and showed little to no enthusiasm. Opposed to my history teacher, my math instructor was very original with his methods of teaching and found ways to make learning interesting. Waiting for Superman points out that teachers like my math teacher can be found in charter schools, where they can be more flexible and have less regulations. When public schools try to be more like charter schools they face problems going against the system. My math instructor was aware that some students would classify the typical educator as boring. He decided to dismiss himself from this classification and display a more unpredictable method of teaching in his classroom. If it wasn't for a few atypical teachers, who inspired my interest, I would have had a harder time graduating.

By including humanities in K-12 education we will give students the opportunity to explore their creative talent. These courses can be classified as performing arts or social sciences, which could give a school a more creative and original environment. In a article written by Keith Gilyard, he talks about a creative arts program; which challenged students to think creatively. During Keith's visit he discovered the kids were fascinated with his career as a English professor and "...more than willing as a group to demonstrate their endeavors to make meaning through poetry, lyrics, oral interpretation, song, drawing, story writing , and dance," says Keith. Even though the class was a success and inspired the interests of art in a group a kids, the program would be discontinued. Another article, which observes a successful Latino history program, explains the preposterous decision to terminate the program. To quote the National Council of Teachers of English, "Ninety-seven percent of students participating in the program graduated from high school, compared to 44 percent nationally, and 70 percent entered college, compared to 24 percent nationally." In a segment on the Daily Show, Lewis Black points out that Robert F. Kennedy community schools spent half a billion dollars to build these modern buildings. Instead of building these exquisite facilities for an absurd amount of money lets build a curriculum that offers such successful programs like creative arts and Mexican American Studies.

I believe by instructors using creative teaching methods and including humanities in the K-12 curriculum, schools will see more participation and improvement in inattentive students. We see evidence of this in the film, Stand and Deliver, where Mr. Escalante uses humor to make the classroom more interesting and appealing to the student's. Similar to Mr. Escalante, Coach Webb has a certain philosophy she goes by to make the students believe they can succeed and make a difference in themselves. Throughout my K-12 years I have personally experienced orthodox teaching methods, which in my opinion are not as effective as a teacher who uses a creative approach to the class. I believe by including more humanities in the K-12 education we will see more kids succeed in education. The National Council of Teachers of English addresses that a Latino History program was graduating ninety-seven percent of students from high school and was later discontinued. Similar to this program, a after-school creative arts class, which had a influence on young kids, had been shut down due to a lack of funding. Lets improve the public education system, which the film, Waiting for "Superman", describes as a broken system. Superintendents need to rearrange funding priorities and look out for the students, not the adults. Successful courses need to be become higher priority and be kept in K-12 education, as well as encouraging teachers to be more creative with their teaching.




Works Cited

Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris, Mark Phelan, Virginia Paris. Warner Bros, 1988. Film.

Chalk. Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Mike Akel, Angie Alvarez, Graham Davidson, Chris Mass, Michael McAlister. Virgil Films, 2007. Film.

Keith Gilyard. "Children, Arts, and Du Bois." National Council of Teachers of English September 2012: 19-20. Print.

Keith Gilyard. "Arizona Bans Mexican American Studies Program." National Council of Teachers of English September 2012: 21-23. Print.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-5-2010/back-in-black---education-crisis. The Daily Show with John Stewart. Tuesday October 5, 2010.

Waiting for "Superman". Dir. Davis Guggenhiem. Perf. Geoffrey Canada. Paramount Vantage, 2010. Documentary Film.







      

Paolo Friere's "Banking Concept"

"The Banking Concept", Friere's perception of today's education system, where students are obligated to record and memorize. "Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor," says Friere. Before reading this article I was familiar with the idea of our education system serving "the interests of the oppressors," but isn't that the point of an education? To obtain a decorated resume after years of schooling and impress our future employer. I realize that the system is a lifeless cycle of repetitive information being thrown at me, but if I "reject the banking concept in it's entirety" than completing my career goal will be very difficult. I know in a few years I will be enjoying the career of my choice, which won't have the characteristics of the education system Friere describes. On the other hand I do think there needs to be a change, and I think a lot of educators could agree. Fortunately some people can drop out of the system and still persevere. Successful innovators like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg both dropped out of Harvard University and became their own teachers, following an idea that would make them successful businessmen. I support Friere's idea of a Liberating education, where the traditional students-teacher relationship is altered. "The students-no longer docile listeners-are now critical co-investigators in dialogue with the teacher. The teacher presents the material to the students for their consideration..." explains Friere. This new method would give the students a chance to express their concerns on a specific lesson and whether or not they find it appealing.  

Waiting for Superman notes

-Students who are less fortunate to get a education are randomly selected through a lottery type process
-Anthony is a yound kid who is taken care of by his grandmother, he is also eager to becoming educated
-Daisy has dreams of becoming a vetrenarian and her father believe she can do it, even though her family is  struggling with income
-Bianca's mother is dedicated to support her daughters education, going into college.
-The "no child left behind" proposal has not made the impact on our nation. We still see low reading and math scores.
-Either students are become more stupid or there is something wrong in the education system.
-Daisy will be facing a difficult path on her way to becoming a vetranarian, having to servive the "drop out factories."
-experts blame failing neighborhoods on failing schools, but the oppisite could be the real reason
-for the amount of money we spend on inmates we could be sending them to college for the same amount.
-There are so many regulations in education that it ends up creating a mess of priorities, the focus seems to be on money and less on the students.
-students with high performing teachers learn at a higher rate
-Teachers are protected by the teachers union which guarentees them a job for 10 years, it is practically impossible to fire a teacher when they are protected by this system.
-Under a teachers contract they can't recieve a pay raise even though they have displayed excellent results.
-Charter schools have a very high graduation rate and are on track to go to a four year college
-When public schools try to mimic the charter school system they face problems going against the system.

After watching the film I believe there needs to be a change to the teachers union. Teachers who are not performing as well as they should be do not deserve to be teaching students. Adjustments to the union would include negotioniating wages with teachers who are seeing a improvement in there students. When you have a system that does not allow a pay difference between a successful teacher and a lowsy teacher than you are not giving educators the opportunity to benefit from their hard work. Money seems to distract higher up personal from seeing how much students are struggling. They need to be less selfish and set priorities that benefit the students.

Unit #3 Rough Draft

After observing numerous articles and films, which focus on education, I have realized there are many challenges schools and educators face. Such challenges can cause a school to struggle to keep students from failing or even dropping out. I believe a reason some students discontinue their education is simply because of boredom. I have seen evidence of this in personal experiences and certain films and articles. In the film, Stand and Deliver, students at Garfield High School are uninterested in the curriculum and the teachers hardly have the motivation to change the students opinion. When a educator uses creative teaching methods it sparks a interest in a student, which we see with coach Webb in the film Chalk. Such methods can be effective in transforming a portion of the failing student body into a academic success. Not only can this creativity be implemented in teachers but it can be taught to students. Courses like theatre, ancient and modern languages, art appreciation, philosophy and more can be classified as humanities and encourage a student to think creatively. I believe by instructors using original teaching methods and including humanities in the K-12 curriculum schools will see more participation and improvement in inattentive students.

By allowing teachers to use creative teaching techniques in their classrooms we will see disinterested students show more participation. A great example of this is seen in the film, Stand and Deliver, where Mr. Escalante turns a group of unmotivated students into a more attentive and focused class of students. On his first day of class he is welcomed by a rebellious class who tease and taunt him. He knows that he will need to use a unconventional way of teaching in order to change their opinion on education. For example, he uses apples to teach fractions, which seems odd to the students but the creativity of the lesson has them curious. By the time a students reaches their sophomore and senior year they become bored with repetitive courses and conventional teaching methods. Mr. Escalante's is aware that his class of seniors aren't interested in participating and would rather slack off during their senior year. He uses humor and wittiness to catch the students off guard; a characteristic that makes a teacher seem more like a friend than a teacher. An example of Mr. Escalante implementing humor in his teaching is when he creates a comical math problem. "...The total number of girlfriends between them is 20. How many does each gigolo have?" When a teacher uses material that students can relate to and find original they will become curious. Once they realize that a teacher is not going "by the book" they will turn their attention toward the teacher. In the film, Chalk, coach Webb won't be labeled as a boring teacher and would rather see her students believe they are capable. Her philosophy on teaching is to convince her studies they have the potential to make a difference. "If I make them think they have some sort of potential and they are actually good at the activity, suddenly they start thinking, hey I can do this," explains coach Webb. During the film you can see the activities she includes in her class have a positive outcome on the students; in which they began to take her class more seriously.

Throughout the majority of my K-12 years I sustained an acceptable GPA, but I began to phase out during my senior year of high school. I blame myself for my lack of motivation, but I would also hold some of the teachers accountable for my unenthusiastic attitude. I was taking courses where instructors would use traditional teaching methods; which delivered curriculum that was expected. This sort of teaching grows old, especially when you have been exposed to it over the majority of your K-12 years. I experienced a history teacher who relied on tedious worksheets to make his job easy. He seemed to know very little about the subject and showed little to no enthusiasm. It's very hard as a student to display a interest in a subject when the teacher looks as if they would rather be somewhere else. Opposed to my history teacher, my math instructor was very original with his methods of teaching and would be considered hip to most students. He was aware that some students would classify the typical educator as boring. He decided to dismiss himself from this classification and display a more unpredictable method of teaching in his classroom. For example, would take a recess in the middle of class to go play basketball; this would help students clear their head after a long lesson and prepare themselves for the next assignment. If it wasn't for a few atypical teachers, who inspired my interest, I would have had a harder time graduating.

By including humanities in K-12 education we will give students the opportunity to explore their creative talent. These courses can be classified as performing arts or social sciences, which could give a school a more creative and original environment. In a article written by Keith Gilyard, he talks about a creative arts program; which challenged students to think creatively. During Keith's visit he discovered the kids were fascinated with his career as a English professor and "...more than willing as a group to demonstrate their endeavors to make meaning through poetry, lyrics, oral interpretation, song, drawing, story writing , and dance," says Keith. Even though the class was a success and inspired the interests of art in a group a kids, the program would be discontinued. Another article, which observes a successful Latino history program, explains the preposterous decision to terminate the program. To quote the National Council of Teachers of English, "Ninety-seven percent of students participating in the program graduated from high school, compared to 44 percent nationally, and 70 percent entered college, compared to 24 percent nationally." In a segment on the Daily Show, Lewis Black points out that Robert F. Kennedy community schools spent half a billion dollars to build these modern buildings. Instead of building these exquisite facilities for a absurd amount of money lets build a curriculum that offers such successful programs like creative arts and Mexican American Studies.

I believe by instructors using creative teaching methods and including humanities in the K-12 curriculum schools will see more participation and improvement in inattentive students. We see evidence of this in the film, Stand and Deliver, where Mr. Escalante uses humor to make the classroom more interesting and appealing to the students. Similar to Mr. Escalante, Coach Webb has a certain philosophy she goes by to make the students believe they can succeed and make a difference in themselves. Throughout my K-12 years I have personally experienced orthodox teaching methods, which in my opinion are not as effective as a teacher who uses a creative approach to the class. I believe by including more humanities in the K-12 education we will see more kids succeed in education. The National Council of Teachers of English addresses that a Latino History program was graduating ninety-seven percent of students from high school and was later discontinued. Similar to this program, a after-school creative arts class, which had a influence on young kids, had been shut down due to a lack of funding. Successful courses need to be become higher priority and be kept in K-12 education, as well as encouraging teachers to be more creative with their teaching.




Works Cited

Stand and Deliver. Dir. Ramon Menendez. Perf. Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris, Mark Phelan, Virginia Paris. Warner Bros, 1988. Film.

Chalk. Dir. Mike Akel. Perf. Mike Akel, Angie Alvarez, Graham Davidson, Chris Mass, Michael McAlister. Virgil Films, 2007. Film.

Keith Gilyard. "Children, Arts, and Du Bois." National Council of Teachers of English September 2012: 19-20. Print.

Keith Gilyard. "Arizona Bans Mexican American Studies Program." National Council of Teachers of English September 2012: 21-23. Print.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-october-5-2010/back-in-black---education-crisis. The Daily Show with John Stewart. Tuesday October 5, 2010.







      

Arts & Humanities/Latino History Program

In the article by Keith Gilyard, he talks about a particular group of students who are involved in an arts program; which is later shut down due to a lack of funding. In my opinion there seems to be a trend in targeting humanities as the first to go because of fiscal cuts. "...The proposed closing of the after-school program is part of a wave of fiscal cuts involving the humanities in too many...", says Gilyard. Keith Gilyard and I both agree that courses like mathematics, science and technology are important for global business and economic growth, however, lets not always resolve financial issues by cutting classes that influence creative minds. The Mexican American Studies program is part of the Tuscon Unified School District, in which students have the opportunity to learn about ethnic and culture groups. The ethnic studies course was banned basically due to the absurd stand against such studies by Arizona politicians, who realize that these courses somehow "promote the overthrow of the government." There must be more to this ridiculous excuse to ban a course that graduated ninety-seven percent of students. Dolores  Huerta is believed to be the perpetrator of this misconception, "In her speech she examined a broad range of social and political issues, at one point claiming, "Republicans hate Latinos," says Gilyard. Both articles are relevant to unit #3 because they discuss changes in education that, in my opinion, had a negative effect on K-12 education. I would reverse these changes, encouraging the return of the arts program and the MAS program. They both seem to be successful programs and would ignore the heartless concerns politicians have on education.  

K-12 Education; My changes

In my opinion the most important addition or change that K-12 needs is a diverse set of class's that would be as creditable as math or english. The standard curriculum should be changed in order to accommodate to students who don't do so well in the basic courses such as, math, english, chemistry and other standard courses. For personal experience I have seen myself and fellow students struggle with required courses. During junior high I had a very difficult time focusing my attention in algebra. Throughout most of my K-12 years this problem was very consistent. In order to make up for poor grades in math I concentrated on classes I enjoyed, such as, physical education, film study and pottery. I didn't take these classes for their easy grade, but I honestly enjoyed the more visual and hands on learning experiences. Another consideration teachers and schools need to keep in mind is what type of learner students are. If you have a student who is a kinesthetic learner in a math class he or she is going to have a harder time understanding the curriculum than someone who is a auditory learner. Another change I would apply to K-12 is the opportunity for teachers struggling with their class and under a great deal of stress to be able to approach a mentor or therapist for assistance. A on campus therapists or counselor for both students and teacher could be a very viable resource.

Chalk Notes

-A good teacher can make a impact on a students life
-The film follows a few teachers with their new set of students
-One of the teachers has just begun his teaching career-history teacher
-Mrs Reddell: first year assistant principal
-Mr. Stroope-3rd year history teacher
-Coach Webb 2nd year P.E.
-A administrator runs through some changes Mr. Stroope needs to work on- including sarcasm
-A few of the classrooms are a bit reckless and unorganized, especially the new history teacher
- He tries to gain respect from his students
-The schools seems like they lack the resources to help the students and teachers
-Webb tries to enforce the rules to keep the students from ignoring authority
-Webb usses a technique that gets her students get involved and want to participate
-Some of the teachers express their feelings and concerens; including what they could adjust their teaching methods.
-Mr. Stroope finds out that some of the faculty is taking school supplies for personal use, in which he tells them that it needs to stop. They are no better than some of the students they teach and need to be good role models.
-The new teacher is having a hard time with his first year; his classroom has a hard time taking him seriously and can't gain their respect
-Mr. Reddell is one of the two teachers for teacher of the year
-The new teacher has a parent teacher conference to discuss his freak out
-Webb tries to convince the assistant principal the importance of attendance and tardiness
-The faculty seems to be as disorganzied as some of the classrooms
-During a teacher of the year debate Mr. Reddell talks about the changes he would make to help the school and teachers
-The students and teacher have a slang spelling bee, which loosens tension between the teachers and students
-The relationship betweent the teachers and students begans to improve, for example, the new teacher participates in freestyling
-The school they teach at resembles your typical American high school

Mike Rose & Lewis Black

Lewis Black and Mike Rose have a few points on education that make me think of education a bit differently. When you build a school for half a billion dollars and in the meantime kids are relying on the luck of a lottery to be enrolled in an education, it makes you think, are our priorities straight? I love how Lewis Black pokes at that media, in particular NBC, who does a poor job of reviewing our current education. Meet the Press offers a tip to help a public school, "...Walk in, and ask how you can help." Before offering a total stranger a volunteer job at a public school, lets consider the 10 percent of teachers who are let go because of low test scores. "There are many factors that affect student academic performance...so canning the bottom 10 percent won't erase all the barriers to achievement." The argument that student's test scores shouldn't be the only determining factor in the future of their education goes for the same idea that teachers shouldn't be fired for their low test scores. I believe a teacher who scores high doesn't always have the ability to teach a class of students. The teacher might be well educated in math or English, but can they teach? A class of students aren't going to be interested in your curriculum if you have a poor method of teaching. 

John Taylor Ghatto

A very bold and powerful message is seen throughout the article, "Against School: How Public Education Cripples our Kids, and Why". He explains the modern education system in sort of a conspiracist point of view, in which I enjoyed reading this perspective on education. The article talks about the boundaries kids face in today's schooling, which result in no originality or innovative thinking. The ability to think critically and independently is suppressed by a mandatory curriculum and passing grades, which hinders a potentially brilliant idea. "School trains children to obey reflexively; teach our own to think critically and independently," says Ghatto. I liked how he brought up the idea of not all inventors and bright minds go through the education system. He uses examples such as, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, who didn't become who they are by going through the school system and graduating from a secondary school. After reading his article and take on our current education process, I don't believe hes completely against the system, but he insists on a change to be made both in schools and kids. I think it's great that he offers tips to avoid the "dumbing down" system. "Urge them to take on serious material, the grown-up material...all the stuff schoolteachers know well enough to avoid. Don't underestimate what your child is capable of, even at a very young age, "...there's no telling what your own kids could do." 

Sections 48 & 49

Section 48, which explains classification, pertains to the current paper assignment in how I will be explaining a series of ideas and changes that would effect the K-12 curriculum. "Classification explains how the items in a series are similar and different from the other items in series." For example, I could list off a series of additions to a school, in which I could classify each change by the possible outcome. In the series of additions to K-12, each outcome could be similar or different to another result. I could list characteristics of the school and teachers before implementing a series of changes that I would consider helpful to the school. By doing this you are preparing the reader with information about the subjects in your paper. Section 49 explains how to create a comparison/contrast paper. When you are composing this type of essay you are basically comparing and contrasting two subjects; in which you list off numerous characteristics of each item. For my next paper I could compare and contrast two schools or two teachers. I could list pros and cons of each curriculum; which provide evidence to the reader of how they are similar or different. Sections 48 and 49 could be included in the same essay. They seem to be similar methods of writing; You could compare and contrast characteristics in a classification paragraph.

Brainstorming paper #3

For paper #3 I will be discussing what sort of change or addition I would implement in K-12 curriculum. This is a thesis driven paper so I'm going to need to create a thesis that argues whether or not a certain change in the curriculum would mitigate the problems we will see in the films "Chalk" and "Superman". I believe that certain additions can greatly benefit a schools curriculum. For example, I think schools should put diversity in their curriculum, which will give the students a reason to be interested in their classes. Along with required courses like math, science and english students should have the opportunity to learn different trades. Maybe including trade school classes such as culinary arts, welding, woodworking and medical classes. These type of classes balance the curriculum and help students who struggle in math and english become more successful. Also by including trade classes you are giving students the chance to have the hand on experience with a job they want to acquire in their future. Another addition that could be made to schools is to regulate the population of students attending the school. When I attended North Kitsap High School there was a overflow of students, which forced teachers to struggle with over sized classrooms. Fortunately Kingston High School was built and helped down size the over crowded NKHS.

Paper #2 Rough Draft

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson are educators who share the same understanding of the importance of seeing their students accomplish. They both want to be assured that their teaching is effective; inserting the idea that the student have learned a viable lesson. Mr. Escalante teaches a math class that consists of a mostly troublesome teenagers. He is challenged to take on a role that will eventually turn the classes attention toward reaching a higher level of education. The role that best describes Mr. Escalante is as a mentor. Similar to Mr. Escalante, Ms. Watson plays the role of a mentor, who teaches art history at a college that has a heavy influence on the students. Ms. Watson decides to make a difference at Wellesley, broadening her students minds and influencing them to look at life a bit differently than the school encourages. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson share similar characteristics of a mentor, however, they have different methods of teaching when being a mentor to their class.

A common characteristic of a mentor is motivation, a good example of this characteristic is seen in both Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson. For example, Ms. Watson wants the best for her students, however she sees the opportunity to change the belief most girls have about their future. A majority of the women at Wellesley College believe they will at some point discontinue their education and become a housewife. Ms. Watson is motivated to help these women realize that their is more to life than putting your education aside and becoming married. In the film, "Mona Lisa Smile," Ms. Watson encourages Joan, a student who dreams of becoming a lawyer, to apply to Yale Law School. Ms. Watson practically fills the application out for Joan and later hears back that she has been accepted. Joan, however, makes the decision to get married to her fiance. Despite Ms. Watson's failed attempt of convincing Joan to follow her dreams she stays set on making some sort of difference in her students life's. Her motivation eventually pays off; changing Betty Warren's perspective on life, someone who had a strong belief in becoming a mother and wife. Similar to Ms. Watson, Mr. Escalante is dedicated and motivated to win over the attention of his rebellious class and transform them into well educated students. He knows he is going to have to work hard for his below average students, despite the skepticism from the faculty. His eagerness to successfully teach his class calculus is seen throughout the film, "Stand and Deliver," where he works around the clock. Mr. Escalante requires the students to attend a summer course in order to be ready for calculus during the students senior year. With all of his dedication the class passes their AP Calculus exam, however, the class is accused of cheating on the test and is instructed to retake the test to prove themselves. Despite the accusations, Mr. Escalante is motivated to prepare his class for a more difficult version of the test, in which they pass.

As a mentor to troublesome teens Mr. Escalante is obligated to use disciplinary action to gain respect from his class. The first few weeks of class the students try to walk all over Mr. Esclalante. They come to realize though that Mr. Escalante is different than most teachers at Garfield High School. He uses a teaching technique that keeps the class from dismissing his authority. For example in the film "Stand and Deliver" Mr Escalante notices a student trying to be humorous during a session; he decides to embarrass the student by seating her in front of the class so everyone can enjoy "the show". By enforcing discipline he teaches the students the importance of being disciplined. We see this in the film when the class starts to put in extra hours at school, working hard to prepare for the AP calculus exam. This sort of action is a good example of why, as a mentor, Mr. Escalante has the characteristic of a disciplinarian. Opposed to Mr. Escalante, Ms. Watson doesn't advocate discipline in her class as much as Mr. Escalante does. She is introduced to a already very organized and disciplined class of students. Unlike Mr. Escalante, Ms. Watson would rather see her class branch off from their predictable behavior and try to be more original with their future, instead of doing what most women in up doing at Wellesley College and becoming a housewife. A good example of this teaching technique is when Ms. Watson influences one of her most conservative students, Betty, to take a new direction after graduation. Instead of marrying and raising a family Betty considers applying to Yale Law School and going to Greenwich village with Giselle. To quote Betty Warren from the film "Mona Lisa Smile", she describes Ms. Watson as "an extraordinary women who lived by example and compelled us all to see the world through new eyes." Mr. Escalante enforced discipline in his class in hopes of putting structure in his class, however, Ms. Watson influenced her class to branch off from their mapped out life's and chase something new.

Both Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson, as mentors, share the characteristic of being optimistic. When Mr. Escalante arrives for his first day of class he would have good reason to believe that the students in his class were not going to succeed. Most teachers would have little faith in a class of disorderly students, however, Mr. Escalante kept a optimistic attitude throughout his time with the class. He knew his students had the potential to become a academic success. An example of this is when Mr. Escalante is present during a faculty meeting and bring up the idea of teaching Calculus, "Students will rise to the level of expectation," says Escalante. Even when his follow educators show disbelief in teaching a 7th grade level class Calculus, Mr. Escalante doesn't let the opinion of others change his outlook for his students potential. Similar to Mr. Escalante, Ms. Watson expresses optimism for her class of students. She teaches at a school where education means finding a husband, however, Ms. Watson sees a opportunity to make a difference. Throughout the film Ms. Watson challenges the minds of her students, despite the criticism she receives. For example, Betty Warren talks back to Ms. Watson numerous times, attempting to prove her hopes for changing the minds of her class is a waste of time. Ms. Watson stays optimistic though and doesn't give up until she sees a change in her students. In the end of the film, "Mona Lisa Smile", her class follows her as she is leaving town, thanking her for all she has done for them; changing their perspective on life.

Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson have similar characteristics of a mentor, such as being optimistic and motivated. Both mentors have the ability to motivated themselves and their students. This characteristic proves effective for both educators, for example, Mr. Escalante was a teacher who was more eager to teach his class Calculus, despite the difficulty. Ms. Watson is motivated to make a difference at Wellesley even when the teachers and students didn't appreciate her teaching methods. Both educators are optimistic of the outcome of their class. This characteristic helps both Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson look pass the negativity they receive from students and fellow teachers. Mr. Escalante's students didn't show him any respect in the beginning of the school year, however, he didn't let the students disrespectful behavior effect his optimism for the classes success. Ms. Watson didn't let Wellesley's strict syllabus, in which her students followed religiously, stop her from believing she could make a difference in her students life's. A characteristic they do not have in common is discipline, which Mr. Escalante uses in his classroom. He uses discipline in order to organize the rebellious students in his class room, where as Ms. Watson does not need to use this method because her students are already so behaved. Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson, who show similar and different teaching methods, are good examples of being a mentor.





  

Block Format paper #2

Role- Mentor
Teacher #1- Ms. Watson
Teacher #2- Mr. Escalante

Both teachers are positive examples of the mentor role
-(positive) Ms. Watson teaches her class a different understanding of art and life
-(negative) The school she teaches at doesn't see her as a good mentor to her class
-(negative) There is some conflict between her and some of the students students who disagree with her        teaching

-(positive) Mr. Escalante uses his natural teaching skills to push the students to become better educated
-(negative) Sometimes he goes to far with his jokes and plays more of a disciplinary role

Body Paragraph-
A. A characteristic that makes Ms. Watson a good example of a mentor is her motivation to open her classes eyes to new ideas and thoughts.

1. She decides to take the time and effort to change the course syllabus so that the class will become exposed to a unfamiliar type of curriculum.

2. She takes the class out of school to show them a extravagant piece of art

3. She helps one the students apply to several colleges, practically filling the applications out for her

B. A second characteristic is her intelligence, which is different compared to what the class is most used to seeing in an instructor.

1. Her ways of teaching are obviously very different than the traditional methods at the school, she approaches the students 1 on 1 more frequently with advice that isn't relevant to the course.

2. She is more of a free thinker, which she tries to pass down to her students. Introducing new ideas of their future that will take them on a more independent journey

3. Her intelligence is somewhat passed on to her some her students, who realizes how extraordinary Ms. Watson is. 

C. Toward the end of the film Ms. Watson is look at as role-model to some of the students.

1. Her students admire her effort to change the ways women look at their future; looking past the housewife image.

2. Betty in particular begins to consider her teaching as a good different, instead of holding on to the opinion that Ms. Watsons influence on the class was out of line.

3. At the end of the film the class follows Ms. Watson as she is driving away and leaving for Europe, showing her how much they appreciate the impact she made on their lives.

D. A characteristic that makes Mr. Escalante a good example of a mentor is the way he was able to take a unmotivated class of students who don't take learning seriously and turn them into a knowledgeable students. (eagerness to teach)

1. Mr. Escalante is eager to work hard for his students, filling most of his schedule with time teaching the class. meeting with the class outside of school and throughout summer

2. After he hears the class has to retake the calculus exam, he still has the energy to push the students to re-learn everything they previously went over

3. He was able to take the most rebellious student in the class and persuade him to think of learning differently.

Char. 2. His sense of humor and wittiness

1. I think his sense of humor was a great tool to be used in the class to get the attention of the rowdy class.

2. His wittiness made the students realize that he wasn't like normal teachers, which is a example of why the class had a harder time walking all over him.

3. His jokes made him unique, something the class was unfamiliar with, thus giving the students a new perspective on learning. His humor made the class more enjoyable and less boring.

Char. 3 As mentor he uses discipline to help organize his classroom and teach his students 

1. An example of this characteristic is when he doesn't let his students misbehave

2. He is able to put discipline in his students, giving them the motivation and drive to learn and score well on the exam.

3. He uses discipline to challenge his class, an example is when he convinces his class to re-take the exam, which they were very close to not pursuing.

Conclusion- As Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson fill the role as a mentor and share similar examples is why they fit this role, they also have different teaching methods when filling the role as a mentor. Mr. Escalante is introduced to a class of students who don't know how behave and dismiss authority. In this case he is obligated to punish the class immediately and enforce more disciplinarn in his classroom. Opposed to Mr. Escalante, Ms. Watson is introduced to a class of students who are very organized and seem to think their amount of knowledge exceeds that of their instructor. Almost as if the students think they have the upperhand.     

Jerry Large

Jerry Large tells about the importance of giving kids the opportunity to experience adversity, which will help children build character. He encourages the idea of comforting your children at a very young age, but there is a time to let your children become vulnerable to difficulties. Children should experience failure, "A big part of building character is overcoming failure," says Large. An example of a kids being protected from a stressful environment is the students of Riverdale. "At Riverdale, students weren't always developing the qualities that are honed by facing and overcoming adversity," says Large. He tells about how the students at a middle school in South Bronx live in stressful conditions and experience hardship. These obstacles helped the kids form character; resulting in the top scorers in New York City. The reason this sort of practice is important in raising a child is in the case your child is overwhelmed with stress from a new challenge they won't feel discouraged.     

Drafting 2nd paper

For my 2nd paper I will be discussing the difference between Ms. Watson and Mr. Escalante, as well as the similarities. As a math teacher, Mr. Escalante plays a disciplinary role in order to mold his classroom into a group of motivated and respectful students. For example, He decides to embarrass a student after she makes a snide remark, seating her in front of the classroom for everyone to enjoy the "show". He also plays the role of a coach or mentor; making sure the entire classroom works together and nobody is left behind. An example of this is when everyone in the class is able to pass the calculus exam, showing that Mr. Escalante was able to improve every students educational level. Ms. Watson plays the role of a friend and role model to her class. She is able to help certain students see past what society favored in the 1950's; getting married and becoming a housewife. The students thought of her as a different type of women, who influenced them to see the world differently. Betty writes about Ms. Watson in the editorial, describing Ms. Watson as a extraordinary women.    

2nd paper thesis/introduction

Thesis- Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson are two teachers who want to their class to succeed, but both teachers use similar and different methods of teaching to push their students to excel.

Introduction- In the film "Mona Lisa Smile" Ms. Watson is an art history teacher who challenges her students to open up to new ideas. In the film "Stand and Deliver" Mr. Escalante is introduced to a unruly class of students, however, he is able to turn his rebellious class into a academic success. These two educators want to see their students succeed, but both teachers use similar and different methods to push their students to excel. They both teach in very different cultural settings and environments, which is a challenge itself for both Mr. Escalante and Ms. Watson. In order for Mr. Escalante to tame his rowdy class he is more disciplinary, such as humiliating students who think learning is a joke. Opposed to Mr. Escalante, Ms. Watson is introduced to a very structured all women's class, who are well prepared to follow the rules. Ms. Watson concentrates on teaching the students to take more out of life and try look pass what the college encourages. Unlike Ms. Watson, Mr. Escalante focuses on turning his below average class into a group of well educated students. 

Define the roles

Mr. Escalante- Plays the role of a disciplinarian and mentor. He keeps his class in line and doesn't let his students ignore his authority. He teaches the students the importance of being disciplined. We see this in the film when the class starts to put in extra hours at school, working hard to prepare for the AP calculus exam. Mr. Escalante was a mentor to the students; He changed students minds into understanding how education can change the outcome of their lives; giving them more options in their future.

Ms. Watson- Right now in the film Ms. Watson's students question her methods, I think once they began to trust her more they will become friends. She does play a bit of a therapist role, as she is starting to become aware of her students lives outside of school and she play an impact on the outcome of some of the relationships. I think later on in the film we will see more evidence of this.

Jack MacFarland- Defines the role of a friend and mentor. He realizes Mike Rose struggles in class and helps him succeed in class, convincing him that he has what it takes to go to college. They had a mentor and mentee relationship. Mike Rose looked up to Jack as a role model, "...I worked very hard, for MacFarland hooked me. He tapped my old interest in reading and creating stories," says rose. They built a friendly relationship as well, hanging out at MacFarland's apartment "consuming my English teacher's library," says rose.

Sister MPH- Plays the role of a disciplinarian. She had a very strict set of rules and was very hard on the first grade students. It almost seemed that all Sister MPH cared about was punishing her students for not obeying the long list of rules. She was described as a someone who either didn't like teaching or hated children.      

Mike Rose "I Just Wanna Be Average" Part 2

Jack MacFarland came into Mike Roses life when he was experiencing hard times. We see a similar coincidence in "Stand and Deliver" when Mr. Escalante is introduced to a struggling group of students. These two educators worked their class very hard, filling the students schedule with assignment after assignment. "We wrote three or four essays a month...We read a book every two to three weeks...He gave us a quiz on the reading every other day," Mike Rose explains. Your going to work harder than you've ever worked before," says Escalante. Mike rose tells about how Mr. MacFarland's lectures were crafted, using a method that "slowly and carefully built up our knowledge," says Rose. Mr. Escalante also started his class at a beginning level (Math 1A) and lead the class to a more advanced level, calculus. There are two students in which are great examples that prove the effectiveness of both teacher's inventive teaching methods. Mr. MacFarland was able to help Mike Rose succeed in english and who at one point never imagined being accepted to a college school. Similar to Mr. MacFarland, Mr. Escalante sees potential in Tito and encourages him to participate. Tito scores a 5 on the AP calculus exam. Students obeyed Mr. MacFarland authority and gave him their attention when he took the podium. "Giving trouble to this particular teacher was a silly thing to do...The troublemaker would look foolish rather than daring," says Rose. This is very similar to the environment in Mr. Escalante's classroom, students soon realize that misbehaving results in being humiliated. Therefore the class begins to show respect for Mr. Esclanate.    

My reaction to Mona Lisa Smile

The film Mona Lisa Smile seems to be more of a romance/drama film and focuses on students relationships outside of school. Wellesley College is an all women's arts school; the students and faculty are under close supervision and are to follow strict guidelines. Ms. Watson definitely stands out among both the other teachers and students, being more independent of authority. "Let us try to open our minds to a new idea," Ms. Watson says after displaying a new piece of art that isn't on the syllabus. Ms. Watson wants to make a difference in her class, she wants to catch her students off guard with a more original course of study. There is a particular group of students from Ms. Watson's class that the movie follows. Giselle has her own opinions and is more liberal than some her classmates, as well as dating a professor at Wellesley. Betty is the complete opposite of Giselle and is much more conservative, similar her mother. Betty writes an editorial in the school paper attacking Ms. Watson for influencing women to choose their own paths in life, instead of becoming a wife and mother. I think the students will start to appreciate Ms. Watson and consider her advise in school and in life. She might even persuade the entire school to make adjustments to the standard curriculum; giving educators the option to create their own syllabus.        

In class exercise- using examples

1) In the film "Stand and Deliver" there are a few scenes that portray Mr. Escalante as my definition of a good teacher. In my "What Makes a Good Teacher"blog I explain how a good teacher challenges their students and pushes them to work hard. For example, in the film Mr. Escalante pushes his students to succeed; he challenges them by having the students work overtime. The class was at one point was working hard to learn calculus during there summer vacation. There were far more examples in my blog post that did not relate to Mr. Escalate's teaching methods. In my post I explain that a good teacher needs to push there class to achieve without over working them and stressing them out. In the film we see that Mr. Escalante pushes the kids to stressful levels. For example, Mr. Escalante convinces the class to retake the test; making them work consecutive hours straight to study for the retake. I also state that a good teacher needs to be friendly with the class. Mr. Escalante's relationship with the class started off a bit rough and didn't have a very friendly environment. However toward the end of the film the class and Mr. Escalante share a unique relationship. At one point during the film he has a heart attack and the class is then under the supervision of a substitute teacher. The class realizes they miss Mr. Escalante and don't know what to do without him.

2) In the handout, "What Makes a Good Teacher", Brown's criteria relates to Mr. Escalant. In the beginning of the handout Brown asks the question "are great teachers born or made?" From what I saw in the film I believe Mr. Escalante was born a teacher. During the film is seemed teaching and helping other was a part of who he was. He had a passion to help others succeed and get kids on the right track. He would go out of his way to make sure his class was going to persevere. For example, during the film he at one point was working around 60 hours a week, helping students. This shows his dedication and the idea that being a teacher is more than a job. In the film it was easy to notice that teaching was engraved in him. In the handout Brown's first classroom experience didn't go well. The students were able to walk all over him; testing his authority. Brown didn't know what to do, unlike Mr. Escalante.

3) Ken Robinson's criteria for good teaching is to let students express their creativity; don't dismiss the obvious signs of a students ability to do things differently. Just because they can't succeed in math or english doesn't mean they don't have a capability to do great things in art. Schools need to figure out that art related courses are an important part of the curriculum. This could help a student discover a hidden talent, who has been distracted with unappealing courses schools require to graduate. Ken makes a great point as he talks about a young girl who couldn't sit still in class and was thought of having ADHD. He goes on to talk about the real reason she had this problem was because she and others like her have to move to think. This is a excellent reason why students should always have the opportunity to learns arts in public schools.

4) There are a few things Ken Robinson says that give me an idea of what he would think of Mr. Escalante's teaching. Robinson would admire the way Mr. Escalante handled his class, putting on different acts to play along with the students games. He had to be creative with his teachings; trying to entertain the class with his sense of humor to get their attention. For example, the scene in the movie when he singles out the "finger man". His teaching was unique and didn't have the normalcy most classes experience. Robinson would probably rate Mr. Escalante's teaching as effective and creative.  



   

Mona Lisa Smile notes

-Catherine Watson is our main character/ takes place 1953
-Art history teacher/beginning a new school year/history of art 100
-She teaches at a all women college
-Watson seems to be very nervous on the first day; warned not to show fear
-Some of her students already understand numerous subjects that Watson had presented/They are all prepared/reading all the text/very opposite to Mr Escalante's class
-Watson is not cut out for the job/the school is beyond her experience
-The faculty is hard on Watson; she is warned they don't like independence.
-She catches the students off guard/presenting a subject they aren't for once familiar with
-Watson is aware of contraceptives
-She begins to drift away from the "normal" curriculum the students are used to
-Watson focuses in on a particular group of students; becoming involved in their lives outside of class
-She teaches the class modern art and goes against the schools traditional teaching methods (free-thinking)
-Similar to Mr. Escalante, Watson goes the extra step to help her students, for example she practically fills out a college application for a student
-Her personal life starts to compromise her job
-Betty gets married and misses a few classes and is told by Ms. Watson to attend class
-Watson gathers with the students outside of class and tells about her life
-Watson splits up with her fiance, she believes life should not revolve around marriage which Betty believes
-A slide show shows women filling the roles society encourages, something Watson would rather see change and see women improve their education.
-Watson becomes angry at the colleges influence on the women
-She wants the students to look beyond the traditional life most women go after
-Watson tries to convince Jonnie to go to school instead of becoming a housewife
-The college invites Watson to return to teach, but only by their rules. Their syllabus
-Betty gets a divorce and moves to NY with Giselle and goes after her own dreams
-Ms. Watson declines the schools invitation to come back and goes to Europe

Paper #2 Brainstorming

I haven't figured out which two educators I will be discussing in my compare/contrast essay. As I try to come up with two teachers who would work well for my topic, I brainstorm my options, be it fictional or real-life. One of my first thoughts was to use Robin Williams character from the film Good Will Hunting, Sean Maguire. Sean is a therapist who evaluates several things going on in Will Hunting's life. The relationship between Will and Sean is very interesting and the dialogue is great. Another educator I was thinking of using was Ben Sobel, who is a psychiatrist in the film Analyze This. Ben plays a similar role to Sean Maguire, however, these two therapists are approached by two very different clients. They have similar and different ways of helping their client resolve their issues. If I were to drift away from the idea of using two fictional teachers than I would consider using two educators from my K-12 years. The two teachers I have in mind were both very talented. One made sure to use humor in the classroom to loosen things up; helping the students relax and not stress. This made it easier to focus, he taught in way that the curriculum made sense. I remember after he would give a lesson he would always dumb it down for the class; making sure the kids who were struggling would understand. The other teacher I had in mind was my chemistry professor; she was a bit more serious and was very professional. She expected students to succeed and had little tolerance for any misbehavior. She wasn't lenient when grading, which pushed me to understand a subject and to always pay close attention during a lesson. 

Audre Lorde

Once Lorde began going to school she encountered two teachers who used a lot of disciplinary action in there classrooms. "Ability had nothing to do with expectation," this quote from Lorde's essay best describes her kindergrarten teacher, who didn't acknowledge the fact that Lorde's understanding of the given assignment surpassed the expectations of Miss Teacher. Instead of the teacher recognizing the extra effort Lorde put into her work, she only focuses on the fact that Lorde can't follow directions. Miss Teacher embarrasses Lorde for not following the instructions. Lorde's first grade teacher, Sister Mary of Perpetual Help, used physical punishment in her class, "...She sent a note home to my mother asking her not to dress me in so many layers of clothing because then I couldn't feel the strap on my behind when I was punished." MPH was insensitive and didn't bother considering the students feelings. MPH had no sympathy for students who struggled to learn the curriculum and their punishment wouldn't go unoticed; being placed in a group called the Brownies. "One was put into the Brownies if one misbehaved, or couldn't learn to read," says Lorde. MPH was basically labeling the students in her classroom. Similar to an experience Lorde had in her kindergarten class, she had turned in an assignment for her first grade class that exceeded expectations. Her teacher refused to believe she had done the work herself, dismissing the fact that Lorde was a smart student.    

WS sections 28-30

After reading sections 28-30 I understand some important steps to take before constructing a essay. For my next essay I will be writing a compare/contrast essay that will be a thesis driven paper. Unlike my last essay assignment I will create a thesis that relates to the topic of my paper and addresses the reader of what my paper will be about. For instances, "I have experienced all sorts of different teachers throughout my school years, in particular two teachers who's teaching styles were similar and different." This could be a start to developing my thesis. I also will be using a standard essay structure for my paper, which is explained in section 29. I will begin the essay with a introduction paragraph followed by a few body paragraphs, which will reflect on my thesis. I will use examples in the body of the essay to support my topic. The paper will close with my conclusion paragraph where I will restate my thesis. In section 30 the book displays an example of outlining an essay. This could be a great pre writing exercise to organize my points. I learned in section 29 that I will need to ask myself a few important questions before starting my paper. Who is my audience? What is my purpose? These questions will help generate ideas about my topic. In this essay I won't be targeting a specific audience, but my purpose is for whoever reads my essay will have a clear understanding of the differences and similarities of two educators.     

What makes a good teacher?

In my opinion there are a few important aspects a good teacher has to offer. Having the ability to challenge your students and push them to do well is great, but a teacher needs to be able to do this without stressing out there classroom. You want to keep a friendly and respected relationship between yourself and the students; this helps a student believe you're there to help them no matter how lost they feel in class. A teacher needs to be able to adapt to a new classroom of students. They need to be able to recognize students who are going to need more help, approaching them more often than others to see how they are doing. This goes along with knowing how to grade a student. Each student begins the class with a different level of education and improves at a different rate. When you grade an individuals assignment you might need to consider the tools they had coming in to the class and grade on how much the student has improved. A good teacher will also notice hard work and dedication from a student. Even though the student might learn at a slower rate the teacher will see effort from someone who is really trying their best to achieve. 

Paper #1 Final Draft

Over the past five years I have had the privilege to be a part of a small team of members who specialize in tree pruning. This small private business works mostly on Bainbridge Island and has been severing clients for over 30 years. I have seen myself learn a lot through my experience, learning the basics of pruning to becoming a skilled professional. Before beginning this educational experience I honestly had no interest in the trade and was just happy to be employed. Having no pruning experience, somehow I was able to get around the requirements of the hiring process. I relied on my ability to teach myself tree pruning, along with the help of some wonderful co-workers and a few classes. I have been employed by numerous employers, in which I performed tedious duties, and had never had the opportunity to learn such a viable skill. 

In 2008 I was looking for a job; a task that can sometimes seem impossible when your resume isn't as decorated as that of a college graduate. At the time, I decided to take a break from school, find a job and live on my own. I remember being extremely eager to live on my own; the kind of freedom that an 18 year old can only imagine. At one point during my job hunt I came across an add, which listed strict requirements for the applicant. It had listed requirements such as, 2+ years of pruning experience, comfortable climbing trees, educated in plant identification, etc. The list included a number a points of which I was not qualified for, however, my friend John had the work experience the employer was looking for. I sent him a notice and a month later he landed the job. The frustration of not being able to find a job really started to settle in, especially after I had landed my friend a job, who wasn't even looking at the time. As soon as I was beginning to give up the job search John calls me and tells me his plan to get me on board the crew he had been working for the last couple months. His idea basically consisted of John talking highly of me to his employer and for me to lie about my experience level during the interview. This plan seemed ludicrous.

John was the kind of person who could lie his way out of any situation. I wouldn't doubt he could manipulate the interview and work the situation to his advantage. I, however, didn't believe that plan would work, but I decided I had nothing to lose and went along. John had done his part and convinced his employer to schedule an interview with me. He began to teach me the basics of landscaping and tree pruning. He taught me the basics of pruning fruit trees, ornamental cherry and plum trees, pines, cypresses, maples; as well as shaping a tree or shrub to display a healthy, natural look. He taught me how to identify certain diseases in a tree and how to treat them. He gave me a specific list of subjects to study, in which he was certain would be brought up during the interview. The day of my interview soon came and I felt like I was going to vomit.

I remember feeling really good when my interviewer showed up 30 minutes late. As she was being extremely apologetic about her tardiness I had felt I had the upper hand. After the first 10 minutes or so I noticed the interview went completely off subject and we were talking about psychology and a few other off topic discussions. We hardly talked about my experience and when we did I was able to use what what my friend had taught me and apply it. After 30 minutes the interview began to come to a close and all I remember thinking is if I had convinced her that I am was best candidate. Instead of giving herself time to think about her decision the employer hired me on the spot. I was ecstatic.

My first couple months on the job were mostly spent with John. Our goal was to get me caught up with the rest of the crew, who obviously had the experience the job demanded. News about my inexperience spread to my other three co-workers, who decided to help me out. I was sent to local pruning classes that were held at nearby nurseries. The classes gave me a fresh perspective on pruning. To be an arborist you need to have an eye for detail when pruning, this helps the tree maintain a natural look after it has been properly pruned. By pruning, you are not only increasing their aesthetic appearance, but you are improving the health of the plant. Discarding dead from a tree or shrub promotes new growth throughout the plant; pushing more energy into live buds. I was taught the appropriate time to prune; the best time being when the tree has the greatest reserves. Trained arborists would put on live pruning demonstrations during classes, giving participants a hands on experience. After taking numerous classes and gaining a fair amount of knowledge, I began to notice an improvement in my work.

The first year of being on the crew I took on a few pruning projects, but only under supervision. Whenever I didn't feel confident in the work I was doing my co-workers were great help and would adjust a few things I had been doing wrong. Most of them had been working on the crew for several years and had a artist's eye when they pruned. They could take a overgrown Japanese Maple and shape it to resemble a bonsai look, which displayed their level of experience. We had a few clients on Wing Point that we considered our "showpieces." We kept these properties looking immaculate to display an example of our work. I remember thinking I would never have the opportunity of pruning the Japanese black and white pines that sat at the entrance of these properties, which only our most qualified employees took care of. I slowly worked my way up the chain of command as the years went by. I was able to take on more experienced projects and at one point was in charge of pruning an entire fruit orchard every winter. This was the first time I had soloed a project and made sure to prepare myself. I remember spending my free time reading pruning handouts, which explained the process of pruning different kinds of fruit trees. Pruning the fruit orchard soon became only one of the many landscapes I was responsible for. My hard work and level of detail went unnoticed, giving me the chance to take on other challenging tasks. During this moment I realized this job gave me something most jobs never did, results. I took pride in my work, the results of my hard work gave me the motivation to continue. Previous jobs would have me losing interest quickly, performing repetitive tasks that didn't require much skill. 

As time went on the original crew that I was introduced to had slowly broken up and new employees began to join. I soon filled the position of my former co-workers and welcomed new employees. I found myself enjoying the opportunity to teach my co-workers the same methods I was taught when I first began. Teaching new co-workers made me realize how much I had learned over the years. I enjoyed the diversity of the job and the different duties that came with it. After now being with my employer for almost five years I have made my way to second in command (under the owner). With this position comes a great deal of responsibility. I am now held accountable for keeping our crew in order, as well as keeping landscapes looking as good as they have all these years. I think back five years when I had applied for a job that was beyond my level of experience. It surprises me that I made it through the first few months of probation; going in with no familiarity. Most arborists go to school before putting themselves in the field, however, my approach makes me believe there are alternative ways of jumping into a new experience. You can prepare all you want before embarking on a new journey and becoming familiar with what lies ahead, but sometimes going in to a new experience, completely vulnerable, makes the adventure much more interesting. Although I have enjoyed being apart of this team of talented people, I have begun to dedicate my time to school, another learning experience.             

"Stand and Deliver" Notes

-A new teacher is introduced to a rowdy classroom, the students don't seem to care much for learning
-Most the high school students could care less for authority
-The teacher seems to have an alternative way of interacting with the students
-He is confronted by a group of rebellious students, they don't phase him.
-A fight breaks out, the teacher stops one of the gang members (finger man) from getting involved
-He teaches math, very simple math
-He mocks some of the students, going along with their games
-Singles out finger man, challenging him
-The school has an overall low GPA, lacking resources
-One of the gang members is interested in learning
-The math teacher wants to make a change in the school
-He embarrasses students, trying to change their humerus behavior
-He wants to teach the students that being interested in learning is "cool" being dumb and careless is embarrassing
-The teacher uses humor to motivate to the class/he doesn't follow the normal rules most teacher follow when interacting with a classroom. He is not afraid to humiliate students and avoid confrontation
-He proposes the idea of teaching calculus and higher level math
-There is a bright student in his class
-He starts teaching calculus to his now senior class
-The teacher is "real" with the students
-The class works overtime
-Claudia struggles in his classroom
-His life begins to become occupied with teaching most hours of the day
-A substitute teacher fills in for him, after suffering a heart attack
-The class passed the calculus exam
-The students are accused of cheating on the exam, making the school look bad
-The teacher blames descrimination as being part of the reason the students are accused of cheating.
-They re-take the test and pass again.

Best/Worst teacher

My best teacher would have to be my 3rd and 4th grade teacher, Mrs Parrot. She had a very positive attitude and had a way of making myself and all the other students believe we all had the chance to succeed. She seemed to mold the class of students in to a very respectful and driven group of students. My worst teacher would be my highschool math teacher, Mr. Anderson. He was a subsitute teacher who was promoted to a full time teacher. Mr. Anderson had horrible ways of teaching math and confused students. This was partly because he would find himself also lost or confused with the lesson he was teaching.

Main idea of paper #1

The main idea of my first paper was to tell the reader, through my experience, that life can take a unexpected change when you put yourself in a vulnerable or uncertian position.

Paper #1 rough draft

Over the past five years I have had the privilege to be a part of a small team of members who specialize in tree pruning. This small private business works mostly on Bainbridge Island and has been severing clients for over 30 years. I have learned the basics, and beyond, of becoming an arborist through my experience with my current employer. Before beginning this educational experience I honestly had no interest in the trade and was just happy to be employed. Having no pruning experience, somehow I was able to get around the requirements of the hiring process. I relied on my ability to teach myself tree pruning, along with the help of some wonderful co-workers and a few classes. I have been employed by numerous employers, in which I performed tedious duties, and had never had the opportunity to learn such a viable skill. 
In 2008 I was looking for a job. A task that can sometimes seem impossible when your resume isn't as decorated as that of a college graduate. At the time I decided to take a break from school, find a job and live on my own. I remember being extremely eager to live on my own; the kind of freedom that an 18 year old can only imagine. At one point during the job hunt I came across an add, which listed strict requirements for the applicant. It had listed requirements such as, 2+ years of pruning experience, comfortable climbing trees, educated in plant identification, etc. The list included a number a points of which I was not qualified for, however, my friend John had enrolled in a few related classes and had the field experience. I sent him a notice and a month later he landed the job. The frustration of not being able to find a job really started to settle in, especially after I had landed my friend a job, who wasn't even looking at the time. Right about the time I was beginning to give up the job search John calls me and tells me his plan to get me on board the crew he had been working for the last couple months. His idea basically consisted of talking highly of me to his employer and for me to lie about my experience level during the interview. This plan seemed ludicrous.

Johne was the kind of person who could lie his way out of any situation. I wouldn't doubt he could manipulate the interview and work the situation to his advantage. I, however, didn't believe that plan would work, but I decided I had nothing to lose and went along. John had done his part and convinced his employer to schedule an interview with me. He began to teach me the basics of landscaping and tree pruning. He taught me the basics of pruning fruit trees, ornamental cherry and plum trees, pines, cypress, maples; as well as shaping a tree or shrub to display a healthy, natural look. He taught me how to identify certain diseases in trees and how to treat them. He gave me a specific list of subjects to study that he was certain would be brought up during the interview. The day of my interview soon came and I felt like I was going to vomit.

I remember feeling really good when my interviewer showed up 30 minutes late. As she was being extremely apologetic about her tardiness I had felt I had the upper hand. After the first 10 minutes or so I noticed the interview went completely off subject and we were talking about psychology and a few other off topic discussions. We hardly talked about my experience and when we did I was able to use what what my friend had taught me and apply it. After 30 minutes the interview began to come to a close and all I remember thinking is if I had convinced her that I am the best candidate. Instead of giving herself time to think about her decision the employer hired me on the spot. I was ecstatic.

My first couple months on the job were mostly spent with my friend. Our goal was to get me caught up with the rest of the crew, who obviously had the experience the job demanded. News about my inexperience spread to my other three co-workers, who decided to help me out. I was sent to local pruning classes that were held at nearby nurseries. The classes gave me a fresh perspective on pruning: To be an arborist you need to have an eye for detail when pruning, this helps the tree maintain a natural look after it has been properly pruned. By pruning you are not only increasing their aesthetic appearance but you are improving the health of the plant. Discarding dead from a tree or shrub promotes new growth throughout the plant; pushing more energy into live buds. I was taught the appropriate time to prune; the best time being when the tree has the greatest reserves. Trained arborists would put on live pruning demonstrations during classes, giving participants a hands on experience. After taking numerous classes and gaining a fair amount of knowledge, I began to notice an improvement in my work.

The first year of being on the crew I took on a few pruning projects, but only under supervision. Whenever I didn't feel confident in the work I was doing my co-workers were great help and would adjust a few things I had been doing wrong. Most of them had been working on the crew for several years and had a artist's eye when they pruned. They could take a overgrown Japanese Maple and shape it to resemble a bonsai look, which displayed their level of experience. We had a few clients on Wing Point that we considered our "showpieces." We kept these properties looking immaculate to display an example of our work. I remember thinking I would never have the opportunity of pruning the Japanese black and white pines that sat at the entrance of these properties, which only our most qualified employees took care of. I slowly worked my way up the chain of command as the years went by. I was able to take on more experienced projects and at one point was in charge of pruning an entire fruit orchard every winter. This was the first time I had soloed a project and made sure to go in to it with the acquired tools. I remember spending my free time reading pruning handouts, which explained the process of pruning different kinds of fruit trees. Pruning the fruit orchard soon became only one of the many landscapes I was responsible for. My hard work and level of detail went unnoticed, giving me the chance to take on other challenging tasks. During this moment I realized this job gave me something most jobs never did, results. I took pride in my work, the results of my hard work gave me the motivation to continue. Previous jobs would have me losing interest quickly, performing repetitive tasks that didn't require much skill.  
As time went on the original crew that I was introduced to had slowly broken up and new faces began to join. I soon filled the position of my former co-workers and welcomed new employees. I found myself enjoying the opportunity to teach my co-workers all that I had learned over the last few years. I enjoyed the diversity of the job and the different duties that came with it. After now being with my employer for almost five years I have made my way to second in command (under the owner). With this position comes a great deal of responsibility. I am now held accountable for keeping the White and black pines looking as good as they have all these years. I think back five years when I had applied for a job that was beyond my level of experience. It surprises me that I made it through the first few months of probation; going in with no familiarity. Most arborists go to school before putting themselves in the field, however, my approach makes me believe there are alternative ways of jumping into a new experience. Although I have enjoyed being apart of this team of talented people, I have begun to dedicate my time to school, another learning experience.             



  

  

Benjamin Franklin essay

I enjoyed reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. I found the style of writing to be interesting and enjoyed the opportunity to try and comprehend the old english style of writing. It gives the reader an idea of how writing has changed over time. The essay was somewhat of a challenge; trying to translate the text so I could understand what the author was saying. I enjoyed reading about Benjamin Franklin's early childhood. Small details of his life can sometimes be shadowed by his more important achievements, I enjoyed reading these details throughout the essay; "I was employed in cutting wick for the candles, filling the dipping mold and the molds for cast candles, attending the shop, going of errands, ect," says Franklin. The essay could be described as a prequel to the great achievements and inventions he would be recognized for later in life. I enjoyed reading about the relationship him and his father had. Franklin's father seemed to disagree with some of his decisions, such as becoming a scholar instead of a serving the church, a career his father preferred. I found this essay to be entertaining and liked learning more about one of the founding fathers.

How Malcom X's, Franklin's, and Rose's essays are different

The difference between Malcom X's, Franklin's, and Rose's essay is each of the authors are at a different time in their life while they are confronted by a new learning experience. Malcom X was going through a hard time in his life during his journey of becoming a avid reader. He was placed in prison and went through the horrible experience of being locked up while discovering what would become his passion. Franklin was living a fairly normal life during the time he discovered his love for reading and writing. He had the option of choosing what sort of learning experience he wanted to go after, unlike Malcom X, who was confined to a small area where you were limited to what you could do. Rose was much younger than Malcom X and had is whole future ahead of him. Both Rose's and Franklin's experiences took place at two very different times; in which you can tell when comparing the writing styles of the essays. Rose was put into his learning experience by accident, If he were not mistaken for another student named Rose he would have never had the oppurtunity to learn about Voc. Ed. and the diversity of people in the program.

Cubing educational experience

Describe it-
About 5 years ago a friend of mine got me a job working with a landscaping crew that specializes in pruning. The members of this small team new all about arbiculture and were very experienced. I knew very little about this line of work, but my fellow co-workers decided to teach me. They had been enrolled in classes related to this line of work and were very educated. The team put me through a few classes in Seattle and Bainbridge Island where I learned the basics of becoming a arborist. They taught you how to shape a tree or shrub and what shape the tree or shrub would best respond to. The classes taught how to prune fruit trees to encourage better fruit production. How to thin out trees/shrubs; ridding deadwood, which pushes the plants energy into the live growth. There are numerous tips and methods that were taught within these classes. Most of my experience of becoming a pruner/arborist however came from working on the field. I got a lot of hands on experience by working closely with my co-workers.

Analyze it-
A arborist is usually a very visual person. They have a good idea of what they want to do before beginning to prune a tree. They can visualize a finished project in their head. A arborists uses a few tools that help prune a tree or shrub. Pruners are your most important tool, along with a hand saw and extended pull saw/pruners.

Compare it-
A arborists can be compared to a everyday gardener. Some people enjoy working in a yard of their own and teach themselves how to maintain healthy trees. I have worked at a few houses where the owner had showed me a few shrubs they had pruned on their own; to my surprise they had been done correctly and looked great.

Apply it-
Now that I have spent 5 years working as a pruner/arborist I have made great use of my new skill. I enjoy working in my own yard. I have also obtained a few side jobs, for example, Once a year around February I help a client prune their fruit orchard. They appreciate someone who knows what they are doing, resulting in a great finished product.

Cubing group exercise

Cell phones Compare it-

Cell phones are a device that can be compared to a computer or tablet. Cell phones these days can perform some of the same functions as a PC; such as going online or chatting with friends. Their are numerous applications that can be installed on to a phone that can be compared to programs on a computer. Both cell phones and computers have came along way and have advanced over time. They both seem to be always upgrading to a more sefisticated machine that makes our lives easier and convienent. However, Both of these devices can cause a lot of stress for someone. With technology comes system malfunctioning and technological errors. This can quickly turn into an inconvience that can be very stressful.

Notes-

Describe it- Putting a vivid picture in to the listener's head. describing the object with details. learning about the subject.

Analyze- How the subject works. It's functioning parts and the purpose they serve that makes the device work as a whole.

Apply it- How to use the subject. where and when the subject can be used.

Zip-lock bags describe it

This bag is made out of a plastic material and is usually clear. The bag can come with two different zippers; one simply join both ends of the bag or using a small plastic track that seals that bag by sliding it over to the other side. they come in different sizes and colors.

Notes-

Analyze it- How to use these plastic bags. Going into detail as to how each bag can be used; keeping foods fresh. The advantage of using a zip-lock bag.

Apply it- What can you do with this subject. Trying to be creative with ideas of what can be done with it. This helps the listener take on new ideas that they never thought of.

Comparing it- This subject can be compared to other objects that serve a similar purpose.  

Using blog posts to generate ideas and text

By using blog posts to generate texts and ideas I can help myself construct my first formal paper. I could consider using blog posts to practice prewriting. I could do this is by doing a timed write followed by a layout of my essay via blog post This is a method I have used in the past to help me transfer thoughts into text. For this essay, I would ask myself what significant educational experience have I had? What has it taught me and what can I take away from it? I would then give myself a duration of time to generate as much text as I can, without pausing for grammatical and spelling errors. This technique helps let your thoughts flow. Once you're finished and time is up you will go back and read what you have written. During this time you will find new ideas and thoughts you have created, which will help construct your paper. Once I have a completed a few timed writes and I feel I have a adequate amount of text, I can organize my essay. Blog posts could also be used as writers/reading workshop. This exercise is normally done within a group of classmates in which you read each others essay's and share new ideas and thoughts that help one another improve their paper. This exercise could be done by a student posting their rough draft where others can see and comment on. These comments could generate new ideas that the writer never considered. Reading others rough drafts could also help the reader discover new thoughts and ideas.

"I just wanna be average" by Mike Rose

-Mike Rose describes his experience in vocational track as a place where teachers were less motivated to teach and students sought out their own interests; not so much traditional school curriculum. The environment wasn't that of normal school classrooms. There wasn't order and rules didn't seem to phase the students, "Spanish was a particularly rowdy class, and Mr. Montez was as prepared for it as a doily maker at a hammer throw," Rose says. Personally, I have had a few teachers who match the description of those described in the essay. For example, the high school football coach taught my history class and lacked the necessary tools to be a teacher. On numerous occasions we would catch him sleeping at his desk while we would work on a stack of tedious handouts he had given us.

-Voc. Ed. brought in kids from all sorts of different backgrounds, which gave the program a lot of diversity. Everyone had their own type of intelligence; drifting away from the standard curriculum to follow their own interests; "If you're a kid like Ted Richard, you turn your back on all of this and let your mind roam where it may," Rose says. The reason Rose had a hard time in math was because of his past learning's. He blames the fact that he had been taught ineffective ways of doing algebra, as well as not focusing in elementary school.

-Everyone is different, thus school is a different experience for each person. For Ken Harvey found himself in a place where a lot was happening at once. A place where you can be quickly labeled as "slow" or smart; the opportunity to excel excites some, others not. A place where there are kids from all kinds of backgrounds with different beliefs. As Ken Harvey finds himself in a place where you can achieve or fail he decides to settle for average; his way of coping with the pressure it seems. As for the other students, they also have their own way of dealing with the pressure. Like I mentioned in the above answers, each student seems to have their own interests; in which they follow to keep their mind free from stress and pressure school comes with. They decide that settling for average and "acting stoned" is a defensive tool that "neutralizes the insult and frustration of being a vocational kid..." Says Rose.

-What can be disorienting about college is a students learning type vs the instructor's teaching methods. Sometimes you can have a teacher who teaches mostly through long lectures; therefore a student who is a kinesthetic learner is going to have a hard time understanding the lesson. I took a class where the instructor would lecture us on a subject for a long period of time and followed it with assignment. The auditory learners would mostly understand, opposed to the visual learners, who were lost after the first five minutes of the lecture. The solution to this problem is for students to practice different learning styles and for teachers to consider having a variety of teaching styles.

-My educational experience is similar to that of Mike Roses because I too had the experience of working with a diverse team of members who were from different backgrounds and had different beliefs. During my learning experience of becoming a arborist I had the opportunity to learn about my fellow co-workers, which became another learning experience.