Blogs


 * Website: Freakonomics**


 * Blog Reading #2:**
 * Article Title:** Greece Presents Austerity Budget for 2011
 * Article Author:** David Jolly

This article was about the greek goverment and that the International Monetary Fund after it reached a brink of default it collapsed. So they dicided to present a draft on austerity budget for 2011 that promised to raise more tax revenue while ending public- sector salary cuts. According to the draft submitted to Parliament by Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, the state aims to raise €5 billion, or $6.8 billion, from new tax measures, while it will cut spending by €1.5 billion. I think its an idea that they need to think carefully because alot of money will be invovlved. Either if its getting rid of amounts or raising amounts. There are people that might struggle with this new tax meausure. I belive it might be the key to helping their goverment.


 * Blog Reading #3:**
 * Article Title:** Freed Miners in Chile Tell of Ordeals and Plot New Lives
 * Article Author:** Alexei Barrionuevo

I've been following this news on t.v for quite some time and finally an article appeared on the website. It's crazy that thirty- three men have been trapped down there and now slowly are going back to their families and loved ones. In the article, it says that the men have kept journals and it gave the stories of each men. A couple that was shocking to me was a guy named, Raúl Bustos, a 40 year old mechanic that had managed to escape one disaster — the February earthquake — only to find himself in another. Several miners, like Mr. Gómez, 63, who had lost parts of three fingers in the mining accident. I hope these people are truley okay and Im glad they found away to rescue these men.


 * Blog Reading #4:**
 * Article Title:** State Is Likely to Ease a Rule on Extra Help for Students
 * Article Author:** Sharon Otterman

This article was about the feild of edcuation and talking about if you failed state standarized test that they should offer tutoring or extra help. There has been thousands of students failing because they feel the test have been harder. They have stated which is shocking that since the budget is cutting there is no money to put to help the stuggling students. I feel horrible because there are students that need the help and no one can assit them. I think they should figure something out like if a teacher has a free period and willing to help go over what the students are struggling in so they are able to pass these tests. I hope the New York Board of Regents can be a tad easier for students.

( 2nd Trimester Blogs)


 * Blod Reading #1:**
 * Article Title:**A School fights for Life in Battered Haiti
 * Article Author:** Margaret Williams

This article was about the school of College Classique Feminem which had eight portable classrooms that could not fit 13 grades. I watched a video that they had which showed me with the start of the opening bell rang, the students, from first graders in hair ribbons to seniors in lip gloss, formed neat lines in the dusty courtyard. In a rousing rendition of the national anthem, they sang, “For the country, for our forefathers, let us march united.” Then Chantal Kenol, a director, raised a bullhorn. But after that, news came crashing that the director states, “We’re postponing the start of classes until next week,”. The buidling needs improvement and fixing. It's sad that finally these students are coming back to school all happy and excitied to learn that now the building might not be the safe location after all.


 * Blog Reading #2:**
 * Article Title:** More Professors Give Hang-Held Devices to Monitor Students and Engage Them
 * Article Author:** Jacques Steinberg

This article was very intresting to read because it talked about the technology in a classroom at Northwestern University. A teacher at this school can see who is late for class, and will know who is not paying attention. Every student was given a palm size, wireless device that looks like a TV remote. When they walk in to the class with the clicker they can click if they are present or not. They then use the numbered buttons on the devices to answer multiple-choice quizzes that count for nearly 20 percent of their grade, and that always begin precisely one minute into class. Later, with a click, they can signal to their teacher without raising a hand that they are confused by the day’s lesson. Keep reading in the article, it states, "But the greatest impact of such devices — which more than a half-million students are using this fall on several thousand college campuses." To me thats crazy! What happened to writing notes in your notebook? Im not a big fan of technology and i would hate to walk in and have a clicker. I feel that a teacher should just call out the names of students and do the attendance outloud to get a picture of their face. I think teacher's and students are becoming lazy and too invovled in devices. I like plain and simple way of learning and with more technology that is coming, I feel that eventually it's going to back fire on them.


 * Blog Reading #3:**
 * Article Title:** California Court Backs Illegal Immigrant Students
 * Article Author:** Ian Lovett

This article was talking about a supreme court case that was recently ruled on monday saying that illegal immigrants can be eligible for the same reduced tuition at public colleges and universities as legal residents of the state. Currently, students who attend at least three years of high school in California and graduate are eligible for in-state tuition at public schools, which can save them as much as $12,000 a year compared with students who come from other states. Of course there is going to be alot of say on this subject because their are immigrants and there are americans who are paying alot of money that are out of state that are citizens. While these immigrants get it easy, I belive that it's fair for everyone to get an education and that everyone deserves to learn. So no matter how much conflict this will be between people and their money situation. They came here to benefit and learn so everyone should be able to get the education. It's a sticky situation to be discussing because there not citizens, but still have to pay an amount. Nothing is for free and as a teacher you want to educate them all.


 * Blog Reading #4:**
 * Article Title**: Lessons of Hate at Islamic Schools in Britain
 * Article Author:** John Burns

In London, a british network of more than 40 part time Islamic schools and clubs with 5,000 students has been teaching from a Saudi Arabian government curriculum that contains anti-Semitic and homophobic views, including a textbook that asks children to list the reprehensible qualities of jews. I didn't even think this was possible to have a curriculum based on these two topics that should not even be discussed in a school atmosphere. To have a textbook taking about these two things is ridiculous and students should not even be focused on that. Students should be doing their basic math, english, social studies, and language arts. I think that curriculum should be checked by the government and made sure that it's acceptable for young students to be reading as well as getting involved because there such huge issues that have been discussed through out the world.


 * Blog Reading #5:**
 * Article Title:** A Mission to Transform Baltimore's Beaten Schools
 * Article Author:** Sabrina Tavernise

In Baltimore, they have the worst school systems in the the country. Fewer than half its students graduated, enrollment had fallen precipitously and proficiency levels were far below the national average. In 2007, the school board hired Andres Alonso, a Cuban immigrant with a Harvard degree who had strong views on how to change things. In three years, he pushed through a sweeping reorganization of the school system, closing failing schools, slashing the central office staff by a third and replacing three-quarters of all school principals. Not everyone likes Dr. Alonso’s methods, and many find that his brassy self-confidence can grate. I think that it takes a lot of courage to take charge and try to figure out how he can help and make students realize that its very important to acheive and try hard. As an immigrant with a a harvard degree, I would give him respect because you know that he probably had a long jouney trying to get to that posistion. To take this position and try to address the situation takes a lot of work and I give him the best of luck to try to change things around.


 * Blog Reading #6:**
 * Article Title**: New Guidelines Make Teachers Tenure Less Automatic in New York City

=**Article Author:** Fernando Santos =


 * " **In most schools across the country, tenure is not something to be gained, but something to be lost. every new teacher earns it, including in New York City, where all a principal has had to do to give a teacher almost guaranteed lifetime employment is to check a box on a computer program. Under guidelines released Monday, principals are directed to base their decisions on an elaborate system that measures teachers’ success in and outside the classroom, including student performance on standardized tests" says the article that I'm reading. I feel that tenures can be unfair because their are new teachers trying to find jobs but can't get them because their a bunch of teachers with tenures. What stinks is that if they are "bad" teachers, were stuck with them because they have tenure. I feel like tenure is good for teachers because it gives them an opportunity for security. But there is a down fall, were stuck with bad teachers and the school wouldn't be able to hire new young teachers. Tenure is a sticky situation but I think that once you have reached the 10 year mark, the principal and the board should re examine them and see if they deserve it or capable to teach.

Third Trimester Blog Readings!

Blog Reading #1 Article Title: A School Topples Hurdles to Learning Article Author: Sarah Maslin

Taking the trip to pinesbridge was a great experience. All the teachers gave the student's a lot of opportunites to excel and learn under their circumstances. Reading this article, made me think of pinesbridge. This school was called Henry Viscardi School which was located in Albertson, NY. Viscardi is one of several private schools in New York that enroll severely disabled children, using technology and on-site medical care to keep its students, some of whom are incapable of speech or even movement, in the classroom. The school has 185 students and this school has a similar goal to pinesbridge. It stated, “We have the same expectations for our students to achieve academically and for them to fully participate in the whole educational experience. What we do differently is determine how the student can best access that, given their physical disabilities." I'm glad that their are schools out there that principles and teachers come together and help these individuals be the best they can be. It's great that schools and people exist like this!

Blog Reading #2 Article Title: Leader of Teachers Union Urges Dismissal Overhaul Article Author: Trip Gabriel

This article was talking about tenure. It stated, " Responding to criticism that tenure gives even poor teachers a job for life, __[|Randi Weingarten] __, the president of the __[|American Federation of Teachers] __, announced a plan Thursday to overhaul how teachers are evaluated and dismissed.It would give tenured teachers who are rated unsatisfactory by their principals a maximum of one school year to improve. If they did not, they could be fired within 100 days.Teacher evaluations, long an obscure detail in an educator’s career, have moved front and center as school systems try to identify which teachers are best at improving student achievement, and to remove ineffective ones." I feel this movement is true, there are some horrible teachers out there but under the security of tenure, were stuck with them hoping that they retire. Even though, having tenure is safe and secure, student's can suffer. Some times I wonder how you can get rid of bad teachers. I believe teachers have a way of teaching and some students enjoy it and others my not. How do you define, what is a good teacher and a bad teacher? I also wonder when they hired these teachers, did they not see how they perform with a class, how they act. Sometimes I think they hire people just for the heck of it. Tenure to me is a good and bad thing.

<span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Blog Reading #3 <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Title: Harvard and Princeton Restore Early Admission <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Author: Tamar Lewin

<span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">I found this article about Harvard and what they declared last thursday. I thought this was intresting since you went to harvard, this might be new news to you. Harvard and Princeton announced Thursday that they would revive their early admission programs, allowing high school seniors who apply by next Nov.15th to get a decision by Dec.15 without having to promise to attend thje college if admitted. I think that's very smart because early admission should be knowing if you get accepted or not so than your able to make other choices if you do or not want to attend that school. Even if that your top choice, you can apply rolling because if their going to accept you from early admissions, why wouldn't they accept you in rolling. I thought this was intresting because I'm a senior, who did rolling to all my schools because if i got accepted, how do i really know that I want to go.

<span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Blog Reading #4 <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Title: For Detroit Schools, Mixed Pictures on Reforms <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Author: Michael Winerip <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> From reading this article, Detroit schools are struggling and more students are leaving. The most shocking parts of this article is what I read, " DETROIT — In 2009, Detroit public schools had the lowest scores ever recorded in the 21-year history of the national math proficiency test. The district had a budget deficit of $200 million. About 8,000 students were leaving Detroit schools each year. " The things running through my head is how could this possibly happen, and how can people help. Everyone deserves to be provided a chance and an opportunity to help these students get better. Maybe they should fire teachers, and rehire new teachers. There are so many possibilites but not much people can do anymore.

<span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Blog Reading #5: <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Title: In Getty's Exclusive Preschool, It's tough to fly from gilded age <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Author: Elizabeth Stevens <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> This article was CRAZY! A family of Getty's have run an invitation-only. free preschool for the offspring of some of San Francisco’s most powerful families, including their own grandchildren. Families cannot apply for admission. They are chosen, in sort of a toddler’s version of being tapped for Skull and Bones at Yale. This pre school has been around since 1997 until recently and their pledging that its a recreation group; not a school. This preschool that their running has seven full time teachers. I didn't even think this was possible or could happen. I thought you would have to get in inspected and watched at to see if things are running properly. I wonder if they are going to shut the place down. Who would send their children there and how do they choose who the invities go too. There are situations in the world that you never know and why people do them.

<span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Blog Reading #6: <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Title: Obama's Focus on Antibullying Efforts <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Article Author: Jackie Calms <span style="font-family: georgia,'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> There have been many student's dieing for bullying but do I think obama should get involved? hmm.. well I know he had speech on the news a couple of days ago regarding this issue. He wanted parents, communites, and students to stop but I think the school should take charge. Schools meaning principles, assistant principles, and teacher should be aware of what's going on their school. If you were to do an english project, have students read a book about bullying and understand how hard and difficult it is when someone is being bullyied. I feel ery bad for the recent students killing themselves, these students are wonderful and should not feel like they should ever be bullyied. Schools should make more groups, and help the community have anti- bullying seminars to make sure people understand the message. I hope that it's stops very soon, and schools around the world do something about it.