Kathaleen White (Katie) Exploration One
English 102.048 PoWeR Mini-Unit 3
Instructor: Melissa Keith
During my research I spent time in classrooms observing the instructor and students. I listened to the students’ conversations and body language. Many were so overwhelmed with the amount of homework that they no longer were retaining ANY knowledge in lecture. I wonder, where did the idea of homework arise? Have any studies been done regarding whether it’s beneficial or not? What is the reasoning behind homework? Does it help to increase knowledge or just provide more class time that the teacher doesn’t need to supervise? Is there a specific age or time that homework is beneficial or harmful? Is there an amount of time spent on homework that helps or hinders? How does homework affect students emotionally or physically?
Merit pay is one of the hot topics right now in the educational world. Where did the idea of this start? Do they take into account demographics, socio-economics, or individual student background? What if a teacher has a room full of students in the second grade that begin the year at first semester KG level. She is able to work with them and helps them to achieve first semester 1st level? Is that teacher’s pay negatively impacted although she DID her job? Is merit pay based solely on standardized test scores?
Standardized Testing: who the heck is considered the AVERAGE/MEAN group? Are tests unfair to students from different backgrounds because the questions aren’t asked regarding things that they are familiar with? How are these tests devised? Who gets to choose the average student base? Who interprets scores? Why is that in an “advanced society” we still ignore the things that history teaches us? Cookie cutter students don’t help a nation to prosper. Innovation brought through hands on learning creates great nations. Why does progressive education of the 21st Century reflect the 1880’s?
Question, question, question. I have thousands of them, but for ones that I have a strong opinion seem to be ones to focus an argumentive essay on.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
unit 3 exploration 1
In my research I found all I needed on how international students benefit the country they live in and the one they go to. What I left out was the possible negatives of going to a new countries. This argumentative research paper needs to breath as much of positiveness as negativeness to prove I’m not bias. So I will learn more there.
A few questions I came to ask were:
1.Are countries more into spreading their culture to other countries or more into diversity? I have found here that both are equal. In many different eras yes there might have been a time where they just wanted to show off their culture but for now they’re more into diversity. Perhaps it’s only due to the fact that laws require them to have lots of diversity in college.
What interests me is that I find in personal life that our country only cares about showing off how great we are. I remember one day when Bush was president he went to Russia and told them to copy our ideals. Russia shut him up by telling him we have issues ourselves.
2.Do international students miss their families and native cultures when they travel to other countries? I’ve mostly found a no as the answer to this question. Many Asians feel it is appropriate for them to leave their families and explore a new life. Others just feel it’s necessary for them to learn survival.
What interests me is that I would not miss my family but I would continue to think about them. What’s funny is that I always forget what they look like when I travel away from them.
3.Most of the information I found is on engineering. Is that the only field they are interested in? No. In one source I found that most are into seismology as well. After listening to a brief conversation in the campus id office I found several came just to Boise State to learn more on respiratory care.
What interests me is how devoted they are to one topic that they would travel to another country to learn it. They are leaving not only their family but cultures they’ve grown up in.
All of these questions can really only be answered by interviews and observations. As you can see by my responses these questions came from observation.
A few questions I came to ask were:
1.Are countries more into spreading their culture to other countries or more into diversity? I have found here that both are equal. In many different eras yes there might have been a time where they just wanted to show off their culture but for now they’re more into diversity. Perhaps it’s only due to the fact that laws require them to have lots of diversity in college.
What interests me is that I find in personal life that our country only cares about showing off how great we are. I remember one day when Bush was president he went to Russia and told them to copy our ideals. Russia shut him up by telling him we have issues ourselves.
2.Do international students miss their families and native cultures when they travel to other countries? I’ve mostly found a no as the answer to this question. Many Asians feel it is appropriate for them to leave their families and explore a new life. Others just feel it’s necessary for them to learn survival.
What interests me is that I would not miss my family but I would continue to think about them. What’s funny is that I always forget what they look like when I travel away from them.
3.Most of the information I found is on engineering. Is that the only field they are interested in? No. In one source I found that most are into seismology as well. After listening to a brief conversation in the campus id office I found several came just to Boise State to learn more on respiratory care.
What interests me is how devoted they are to one topic that they would travel to another country to learn it. They are leaving not only their family but cultures they’ve grown up in.
All of these questions can really only be answered by interviews and observations. As you can see by my responses these questions came from observation.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
educated mind response
Much of the evidence that was presented showing what works in which areas and why different types of teaching and programs work, was interesting and piqued my curiousity. However, some of the evidence presented seemed to be to the point of discrediting the opinions and viewpiont of the people/communities that adminster them.
4. The section headings direct the reader towards a certain destination: That bilingual education is necessary. No room for doubt is left with the title headings. They are a very step by step initiation to the topic and actaully very concise headings if you want to find out specific information from the article.
4. The section headings direct the reader towards a certain destination: That bilingual education is necessary. No room for doubt is left with the title headings. They are a very step by step initiation to the topic and actaully very concise headings if you want to find out specific information from the article.
Head start response
In Head Start, I believe that the summary (What needs to be done?) was especially hard hitting given the facts and statistics reported in Current government involvement forward. At first I believed that the essay was kind of boring due to it's very factual nature and the research supported multiple sides of the issue. It seemed like the writer was undecided. However, when the essay was summarized, the point was driven home: "Privileged children should be the only ones to go to preschool...", "Given these numerous statistics that show the government could end uip making money and benefit society if they fully funded head start...Why is Head Start not already fully funded?"
I think that the essay could have benefited from some more personality when delivering the facts to keep it from losing me as a reader. It seemed to be too long in its present form but with some wit, I would have been engaged from beginning to end, instead of just having a mild revelation at the end of the essay.
I think that the essay could have benefited from some more personality when delivering the facts to keep it from losing me as a reader. It seemed to be too long in its present form but with some wit, I would have been engaged from beginning to end, instead of just having a mild revelation at the end of the essay.
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