Due by 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 29

Blogging Assignment for April 29

Teach for America, Incorporated, is an organization that provides an alternative path toward teacher licensure by recruiting the “best” of the nation’s college graduates, providing them with a five-week intensive teacher training, and then places these students into troubled urban and rural districts. Knowledge is Power (KIPP) schools are charter schools that have developed a track record of success. According to their web site, KIPP has “66 KIPP schools in 19 states and the District of Columbia serving over 16,000 students.” Both of them have garnered their share of criticism over the years, but before one can criticize, one must learn about the two organizations.

First, read these web pages:
Teach for America, “About Us”
Teach for America, “The Corps Experience”
Teach for America, “Becoming an Exceptional Teacher”
KIPP’s Home Page
KIPP, “About KIPP”
KIPP, “What is a KIPP School?”
“What ‘Yes, We Can’ Should Mean for Our Schools”, an op-ed piece written by KIPP’s founders

If you are interested, by all means check the other related sites to learn more about these two organizations. Then, respond to these questions: Are there qualities about TFA and KIPP that you think are positive and constructive? What are they? Explain. Are there qualities about TFA and KIPP that you think are negative or destructive? What are they? Explain. Why do you think either of these programs would be controversial? Your writing should be 150-200 words long. I encourage you to read and respond to the postings of your peers as well.

Due by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, April 22

Reading and Blogging Question for Wednesday, April 22
When the Congress passed the original No Child Left Behind Act in 2001 (it was reauthorized in 2007), it changed forever the K-12 educational landscape. It is a long and detailed document, which you can find at the U. S. Department of Education web site>. I encourage you to browse the site and read at least one short section that is interesting to you. (For instance, you might be interested in the section devoted to Teacher Quality.) In addition to one section that you will read from the No Child Left Behind web site, I would like you to read these two short articles. The first is from the Education Research Newsletter and provides you with a pros and cons overview of No Child Left Behind. The second is from the New York Times and provides you with a recent editorial about the stimulus package and the current proposals to strengthen No Child Left Behind. (The articles were distributed in class on Tuesday, April 14, and you can also find them loaded in the Content feature on the course D2L.)

Blogging Options (Due no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 22)
Pick one of the following three options and write a short (150-250) word response. Begin by letting the others know which argument you are responding to.

A) In response to the section you read in the No Child Left Behind section of the U. S. Department of Education web site, did anything strike you as controversial? Useful? Damaging? Briefly summarize the portion you read, discuss it, and provide an explanation of your position.

OR

B) Having read the NCLB pros and cons in the Education Research Newsletter, review the four areas (assessment-driven reform; standards-based assessment; assessment-centered accountability; and high-stakes consequences). Which “pro” argument seems particularly strong and why? Which “con” argument seems particularly strong and why?

OR

C) Having read the New York Times editorial, do you think investing an additional $100 billion into education will make a difference and improve the education U. S. children experience? Why or why not?

Due by 11:59pm on Wednesday, April 15

This reading was distributed in class on Tuesday, April 7, but you can also find it as a .pdf file in the course D2L within the Content feature.

James A. Banks, "Improving Race Relations in Schools: From Theory and Research to Practice"
(from Journal of Social Issues 62.3 (2006): 607-614)

This article serves to introduce an entire issue of the Journal of Social Issues devoted to improving race relations in schools. James Banks, the author of this chapter, is a pioneering figure in multicultural education. Your task is to read the chapter while highlighting topics and authors that you would want to read to inform further your education. Quote word-for-word from the article the topic and authors of interest (please include the page number). In a short writing (150-200 words) explain why you think the topic and authors might be of interest to you. You need only post this week to receive full credit for this assignment.