https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra for EDUC-1100 en-us 2022-09-27 05:47:46 UTC 2022-12-14 05:51:00 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f913.png camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2416587277 In this article from The Educators Room, Sarah Styf discusses educating students on the importance of voting. She begins by describing the cycle of hearing that young people aren't turning up to vote every election, before explaining that rather than judge the kids themselves on not voting, she focuses on educating students on the importance of voting and choosing elected officials by voting in presidential and local elections. By doing so, educators are ensuring that students know the change they can make as voters. Styf encourages educators to do things like register their students to vote as soon as they are old enough, start a civics club, and thoroughly explain how to vote. She ends this article with an important fact - students properly taught about voting in high school are more likely to become active voters. I think that this article makes a fabulous point that learning about voting is just as important as voting because students need to know what they are doing and why it is important to them. ]]> 2022-12-11 01:38:28 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2416587277 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417283887 Statewide Assessment Results Show Pandemic Impact, Highlight Areas to Focus Support by David Jespersen discusses the results of a statewide assessment that shows that Nebraska students didn’t have as much of a setback as others in the nation and scored well across the board on testing. It goes on to list how Nebraska schools compared to other states on testing in English, science, and math, but the main point I drew from this article was that there is a dire need for more focus on marginalized groups and their education, especially after the impact of Covid-19. Disabled students, students of low income, as well as English learners all saw a decline and were all below 31% proficient in math. Because of the results of the assessment, the state prioritizes certain schools, which means that they receive more materials and funding to ensure student success. 15% of schools were classified as in need of support to improve. It ends with a statement by Commissioner Blomstedt, saying that there are certain groups of students that aren’t performing as well as they could and that there needs to be a focus on those students so they get the resources and aid they need. Despite being hard to understand in a way, this article is very informative of how students are doing in the state and I think that it is interesting to see what percentages of proficiencies are like in different grades, It is good to see that assessments are being made so that the student grups struggling get the extra support they need. ]]> 2022-12-12 04:29:50 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417283887 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417300836 Journey to Inclusion Project by David Jespersen discusses the Nebraska Department of Education’s announcement that the first week of December will now be celebrated as Inclusive Schools Week annually. This week serves as a celebration of the progress that Nebraska schools have made in being inclusive and offering all of the resources needed to those that need them to ensure their success. It then goes on to list different ways the Journey to Inclusion project benefits students, teachers, and families by offering accessible materials, a guide of evidence-based strategies to aid students with disabilities, and special training for teachers. I think that the Journey to Inclusion Project is great and has a lot to offer students and schools. When it comes to performance on testing, it is shown that disadvantaged students and students with disabilities are in need of more aid, so I think that it is great to see action being taken in a way that is well-informed and accessible. ]]> 2022-12-12 04:57:40 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417300836 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417322077 Equitable Dress Code Missing From Schools by Lilly Behbehani talks about how K-12 schools have restrictive dress codes that can have a negative impact on students. A study by the government Accountability Office shows that female students, students of color, and LGBT+ students are more likely to be affected than their classmates. Rules on “revealing” and “distracting” clothing can be vague and up to the interpretation of the teachers, which can be unfair. Students of color are more likely to be dress coded over their hair and head coverings, and LGBT+ students are likely to be dress coded for things like nail polish and makeup that they use to express themselves. It then ends on how the dress codes can effect students by removing them from the classroom and making them feel as though their school is not fair or safe, and how this problem might be fixed. I think that dress code can be really complicated in the eyes of schools, however, it can often be overused and I agree that students should have a little more freedom in their attire. There should be specific, set rules for public schools that are fair, appropriate, and foster an accepting environment. ]]> 2022-12-12 05:30:40 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417322077 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417327596 Amanda Litvinov’s Out-of-Pocket Spending on School Supplies Adds to Strain on Educators goes over how educators are having to spend their own money on school supplies that their students need to succeed, and the amount of money they will need to spend a year is expected to go up. This strain on their wallet is adding strain to their job and even turning some away from the profession. It is estimated/found that educators are spending anywhere from $300 to $800 on supplies for their students. Thankfully, educators can take up to $300 on their deductions, however, there is more that needs to be done to assist schools and educators in purchasing these things rather than out of pocket having to be an option. It really blows me away how much teacher spend, and I never would have thought of all that goes into a classroom that they have to buy it if weren’t for this class. It is really scary to imagine having to spend that much to work, and it shows that there is far more that needs to be done to bring funding into classrooms.]]> 2022-12-12 05:40:14 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2417327596 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419830383 What's in the so-called Don't Say Gay bill that could impact the whole country by Laurel Wamsley explains what is in the new legislation that has been introduced and what it could mean for institutions and literature across the nation. The bill, “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act”,  was introduced and co-sponsored by 32 Republicans wth the goal to prohibit the use of federal funds to fund any sexually-oriented program or literature for children under the age of ten. Any discussion of sexual education, gender identity, being transgender, or sexuality will be prohibited. This is expected to go nowhere in the system as of yet because Biden would veto it, however, this is a dangerous bill that can result in the marginalization of LQBTQ+ children and their families. I believe that yes, parents should have a say in what they want their children learning, however, this bill can go further than it seems to on paper, and may result in children never being able to learn about identity and orientation in school. Learning about the LGBTQ+ community can help broaden students’ perspectives and make them more open minded, as well as help them in the on journey of seld-identity. ]]> 2022-12-13 22:19:39 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419830383 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419921092 The Culture Wars are Pushing Some Teachers to Leave the Classroom by Scott Neuman talks about James Whitfeld, the principal of a predominantly white school in Dallas-Fort Worth. After George Floyd’s death, he wrote an email to his frends and colleagues about systematic racism and what can be done about it. Due to laws in motion that relate to critical race theory, gender identity, sexual orienation, etc., Whitfelt put himself in a touchy situation despite receiving good responses at the time. A year later he was accused of promoting innappropriate ideas and his contract was not renewed. The article goes on to discuss how the politics surrounding education are pushing many out of or away from the profession. Whether it be the conservitive or liberal agendas that push them away, teachers are feeling as though they can’t speak without repercussions or being fired. There are many examples in this article, like Matthew Hawn, who was fired for discussing white privilege or Alexander Ingram, who defended LGBTQ+ students and was accused of being a pedophile and groomer. I think that while every educator should be cautious of what they talk about, discussing LGBTQ+ identities as an idea and things like race and politics should not result in someone losing their job or being labeled as a pedophile by parents that don’t support the LGBTQ+ community. When it comes to these decisions I think that open-mindedness and broadening horizons should stay in the forefront of our mind. It is important for children to be exposed to these ideas in an educational way. ]]> 2022-12-14 00:49:04 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419921092 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419954834 In this article by Diaa Hadid, she discusses a secret book club of about a dozen teenagers in Kabul, where the Taliban has taken control and restricted education. In this book club, they read Anne Frank and deeply connected with her story, having to hide, reading and writing in secrecy, and living in dangerous, oppressive environments. Volunteers organize the book club hoping that reading and writing will help these young students cope with what they have witnessed in Kabul. Multiple girls speak on how they connect to Anne Frank's story and how one even wants to write their own story so people know what the Taliban has done to women like her. I think this article does a fantastic job of pointing out the importance of education and literature and the consequences of oppression in the government. Everybody deserves an opportunity at education and despite what is "allowed", these people continue to learn knowing that it is important. ]]> 2022-12-14 01:27:00 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419954834 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419988344 "Virtual Charter Schools See Enrollments Rise by Valerie Strauss discusses the rise in enrollment in online charter schools since the beginning of Covid-19. Despite the benefit of having an option of alternative schooling, charter schools online have proven to be the worst in regard to performance. These students that attend alien charter schools are shown to have performed significantly less than students at brick and mortar schools, and on top of that, there is less participation in state testing and attendance could be taken weekly or monthly - or manipulated since attendance determines how much money the charter schools get. I think that it is clear charter schools need to be held to a higher standard if they are to run because student success rates need to be high. There should be action being made to ensure that if these students want alternative online schooling, they are still receiving a good education and engaging with their studies enough and adequately. ]]> 2022-12-14 02:05:14 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2419988344 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2420067530 This article by Lauren Camera discusses the struggling school system in the United States because K-12s throughout the nation don't have enough qualified individuals applying for open positions. Because of this, schools are having a hard time keeping up with all that they need to do teaching and non-teaching-wise. Math, special education, transportation, and custodial are among the hardest roles to fill. In response, schools, the government, and institutions are working on making getting qualified to teach easier as well as trying to make teaching look like more of an appealing career. Lastly, people are calling for school-employees to be treated and paid more fairly for all of the hard work that they do. I think that this article does a great job of going over how the lack of employees affects them. I do think they should touch on more reasons why people aren't applying, however, I guess that is implied by "make it look more appealing" and "pay them better". Teaching and working for schools is extremely hard work and it is nice to see that plans are being implemented to attempt and aid schools in staffing and running. I have hopes that these plans will get more people to consider education as a career. ]]> 2022-12-14 03:39:15 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2420067530 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2420130220 6 Ways to Involve Families in Elementary School Classrooms by Kaitlyn Fullerton lists and explains 6 ways that educators can encourage parent interaction. There are more simple things on the list like inviting them into the classroom to meet and talk and video conferencing, or more "fun" things like asking that they write a letter about their child as a person and student, have space in the classroom for pictures of students' families, send home cards with questions for parents to ask their children, or sending emails with good things about their student frequently. I really like this list and think these are all fabulous recommendations. My favorite is definitely sending home cards for the parents with questions to ask. All too often parents say "how was your day" and get the "fine" response. I think parents and students would be happy to have more initiative to converse. On top of that, I think sending "good thing" emails is a great idea. I absolutely love the idea of sending home affirmations and praise, and will definitely be taking this recommendation to the classroom. ]]> 2022-12-14 05:24:28 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2420130220 camronguenter https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2420142689 This article by Emma-Kate Schaake discusses the banning of books and how there have been 681 attempts to ban 1,651 different books. She explains that these attempts are a clear attempt to silence marginalized groups and stop children from learning about people and situations unlike themselves. Schaake goes on to say that 9 out of 10 of the banned books of 2021 feature a person of color or LGBTQ+ member. To combat this damaging movement, she recommends that we continue to support intellectual freedom and that people go to their local libraries and request books that are banned or by authors of color or LGBTQ+ authors. I completely agree with Schaake and think that there should be a fight to keep a diverse canon of books in our libraries and used in schools. It is so important that young readers are given an opportunity to learn about the things/people around them, respectively.]]> 2022-12-14 05:47:41 UTC https://padlet.com/camronguenter/k3olkth24305mkra/wish/2420142689