Promising Futures

Abstract
Promising Futures: A Call to Improve Learning for Maine’s Secondary Students is a comprehensive report put together by the Department of Education and the Maine Commission on Secondary Education. Originally published in September 1998, the document reviews the effectiveness of Maine high schools by looking at schools that were doing well and schools that were struggling. In order to provide a better chance for all schools, this document highlights six Core Principles and fifteen Core Practices that all schools should embrace. The six core principles include the following:

1. A safe, respectful and caring environment
2. High universal expectations with a variety of learning opportunities
3. Understanding and actions based on assessment data
4. Teacher practice which values and builds upon the contributions and needs of the learner
5. Equitable and democratic practices
6. Coherence among mission, goals, actions, and outcomes

These six core principles create a list of goals for schools to reach for. In order to reach these goals, they can follow the fifteen core practices highlighted in this document. They break the practices down even further: statement, rationale, essential elements and a snapshot from within the classroom. The first eight focus on learning and teaching practices. The final seven focus on school practices that support learning and teaching. There are, however, other certain practices that are getting in the way of the core fifteen. These include, but are not limited to, the following: confining schedules, teachers being responsible for too many students, ineffective study halls, etc. The fist step to fixing our schools might be to eliminate some of these older practices and start embracing change. The document closes with a the belief that schools can’t necessarily do this on their own. It provides a number of helpful tips for involving other people and groups in the process. The document also opens and closes with a profile of a high school student as positive changes are taking place within the school.

Reflection
I found this document to be both interesting and encouraging. There may be some schools in Maine that still haven’t reached the proper level, but I believe this document does a good job determining what changes need to be made. I particularly enjoyed the section with the fifteen core practices. I like how the practices highlight the importance of individuality and that all students learn differently. Teachers need to understand that different students will make sense of the material in a different way. It is important to embrace this in the classroom as much as possible. Of the fifteen practices, I believe I connected with practice 12 the most. As a student who never really felt like I was academically on the same level as other students, being aware of developmental stages plays a strong role in my philosophy. Core Practice 12 stresses the importance that “Every staff member understands adolescent learning and developmental needs, possesses diverse instructional skills, and is a constructive model for youth.” I agree with this completely. It is important to meet the needs of all students. In order to do this, it is important to understand that all students are going to be at different stages of development.

A Nation at Risk

Abstract
This article points out how far behind we were with schooling in the 1980s. Other countries were way ahead of us in business and commerce, as well as education. Without a good education, however, our citizens wouldn’t be able to make informed decisions, which would negatively impact our economy. With a number of heart wrenching statistics, this article shows that the US certainly has some room for improvement. The article, of course, lead to a lot of disagreement in the world of education. This is discussed in the article published twenty-five years later. A lot of educators believed the article was too harsh. Others however, believed it was completely necessary in order to progress education to the next level.

Reflection
Although a lot of people believed the original article to be too harsh, I think it was necessary to get the ball rolling. Some issues tend to get pushed aside when people get too busy with other things. Education isn’t something that should ever be pushed aside. Without education, our nation couldn’t possibly progress. Regardless, the tone probably could have been slightly more positive. The second article talks a lot about how harsh the original article was, but I think it’s important to remember that the school system probably wouldn’t be where it is now if it wasn’t for the article.

Mixing and Managing Four Generations of Employees

Abstract
The author of this article puts a lot of focus on the differences among different generations. People from different generations will be more likely to remember certain things in history differently. Hammill claims that there are now four different generations (Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y) working together at the same workplaces. In this article, he highlights some of the most significant differences: values, communication, education, dealing with money and family. These differences can affect a lot of what goes on at the office. He discusses the basic life differences but also goes in depth for the differences in workplace characteristics. Towards the end, he gives the reader a few work situations to consider and reflect on.

Reflection
This article was certainly very interesting. It never occurred to me that there were four different generations working together as one. It’s interesting to consider how different values can truly be. I think the perfect example of this is at a school. There are almost always the Baby Boomer teachers who aren’t willing to try anything new and refuse to take crap from anybody (especially students). Then, you have the Generation X teachers who try to be slightly more hip and get the students to like them. They may look up to the Baby Boomer teachers as mentors. Finally, you have the Generation Y students who are obsessed with technology, but still willing to put enough energy into getting the work done. The Veterans are usually in places of authority, either principal or headmaster, and put a lot of value into being respected and getting the job done accurately.

Diversity, Learning Style and Culture

Abstract
This article begins by explaining the difference between uniformity and diversity. Uniformity is exposing every student to the same exact material in the same exact way. Diversity is allowing students to learn the same material in different ways. It also discusses the importance of taking advantage of the skills students have. The article then goes on to introduce the four categories of style differences: cognition (perceiving knowledge); conceptualization (ideas and thinking); affect (emotional response and values); and behavior (actions). These four things have a lot to do with how people learn. Finally, the article touches on the importance of culture and the diversity within. Students will be raised in different ways and their lives outside of school will have a huge impact on their lives inside school. This is very important for teachers to keep in mind.

Reflection
This article was certainly very interesting. I especially liked how it stressed the importance of having an even mix of uniformity and diversity. Although it is important that all students learn the same material, it really isn’t necessary that they all learn it in the same way. Some might not do so well with lectures, while others may not feel comfortable with a hands-on experience. It is very important to provide students with options, giving them a sense of comfort, as well as a sense of control. I also really liked how they broke down the four categories: cognition, conceptualization, affect and behavior. It makes it very easy to understand normally complex subjects.