Monday, May 18, 2009

Big Picture Chapter 7

Comment on this chapter using the following format:
1.a salient sentence or passage, and why it stood out for you
2. a question you would like to ask the author
3. one or two key ideas you got from this reading, and why you believe it/they are important

10 comments:

  1. Quote:
    "It was a perfect example of the wrong way of thinking: that parents are the amateurs and school people are the professionals. That school people know what is right for kids, and parents just get in the way. And to that, I respond, who are we to make decisions for other people's kids? (p. 144)

    I feel that it is very important for parents to be involved in their kids education because kids need to feel that love and support from their parents. I'm glad that Dennis sees this as a priority. I completely agree that public schools work against parent-teacher relationships. Although some parents haven't had the training that the professional teachers have, they still know their child better and more personal than the teachers and that I feel should be our number one priority.

    Question:
    I find it very intriguing that you involve parents in the decision-making for your school, such as how should they refer to their teacher. How does this process work and are there some decisions you are strictly opposed to involving parents?

    Key Idea:
    Most important, the principal sets the tone, the attitude, and the atmosphere of the school, and determines the influence teachers can have.

    This is COMPLETELY TRUE!!! Unfortunately, the one principal my high school had that truly involved himself in the lives of his students was accused of putting date rape drugs into one of the students drinks. The accusations were never proven but he lost his job nonetheless because of the media explosion. This particular principal during this tragic event had almost our whole community supporting him. I can even remember attending a school board meeting that was broadcasted on local news stations because we wanted him to know we believed in him. It makes me sad to think that when principals do actually try to reach out and make a change in their school, they often open themselves up to false accusations and criticism.

    On a even sadder note, after the loss of this principal, my school went through three more before I graduated. All who had the mindset of your typical "traditional" school principal who believed children should be seen and not heard.

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  2. QUOTE: “When a student applies to The Met, both the students and his or her parent or parents have to write an essay explaining why they want to be here.” Page 135.

    It seems to me like this practice excludes a large number of students whose parents are not active in their kids’ lives. I know that most of the time, parents get a bad wrap, but they have never truly been given the opportunity or been encouraged to participate actively in their child’s education. I get this. But there are also a large number of talented, bright students our there who would benefit tremendously from a school like The Met, but whose parents wouldn’t write an essay for them to get into school for money, much less for the benefit of their child.

    If there had been a Met when I was in school, I wouldn’t have gotten to go.

    QUESTION: Is there a loose interpretation of parent involvement? Do kids who don’t have parents who are willing to be involved, have the opportunity to get other adults involved? Have you had situations like this arise?

    KEY IDEA: I think the key idea here is the idea that, usually, parents really do know best. In good situations (read situations where the parent isn’t THE problem), parents can give educators better ideas of where to start with their kids. I also think that one of the underlying themes is that not only does parent involvement help to improve the child’s educational experience, but it can also help to break the cycle of poverty.

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  3. Quote:

    “It was the perfect example of the wrong way of thinking: that parents are the amateurs and school people are the professionals. That school people know what is right for kids, and parents just get in the way. And to that, I respond, who are we to make decisions for other people’s kids?” (p. 144)

    This passage depicts how the majority of people in schools feel about parental involvement. Littky’s response question is perfectly valid, and understandable. It is interesting that schools fight over this issue instead of work together. Parents know their kids since they have lived with them their entire life, and schools know how to educate. Parents need to be involved in helping their kids through school. This is critical to a student’s education.

    Question:

    Why do you think a lot of schools are close-minded about allowing parents to integrate and contribute to their son or daughter’s education? Do you think the only reason is ‘E’ educators believe they know best?

    Key Idea:

    Parents are a key entity in raising their kids, and caring about their sons or daughter’s education. We need to figure out a way to include them, and keep them knowledgeable about student’s progress. Parents need not be enemies. Working collaboratively with them will influence school culture, and support for students. We are here to do what’s in the best interest for the students, and working with parents as allies is part of that best interest.

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  4. A personally significant sentence or passage, and why it stood out for you:
    “First, parents become members of their child's Learning Plan Team, alongside their child, his or her internship mentor, and his or her advisor. Every quarter, they serve as panel members at their child's exhibition and are asked to give critical feedback on their child's progress. Finally, at the end of the four years, exhausted and elated from their intense participation, the parents get up in front of the school and sign their child's diploma along with the principal, the board chairman, and the state commissioner of education” (137). Oh Wow. This is incredible. As a parent, I have fought to be a part of my kid's lives. I remember how shocked my daughter's K teacher was when I volunteered to help and followed through. Having parents involved goes against everything society seems to be pushing. I lead the youth ministry at my place of worship. Two families refuse to send their kids because of the way I run things. I encourage and sometimes even require parent participation in everything. I have two single moms who have responded and show up rain or shine. The others want to drop their kids and go to the gym, etc. I use parents as small group leaders during discussion times. We all learn. But, it isn't a very popular concept. I can't say that I agree that this is entirely the school system's fault though. They have enabled this mentality of someone else raising my kids, but the government and welfare systems are also large contributors. Schools can change this though, and should.

    A question you would like to ask the author:
    How can a teacher acting alone help bring about these changes?

    One or two key ideas you got from this reading, and why you believe it/they are important:
    This chapter focused on ownership. It is about taking things a step further than just allowing the student to own their own learning to utilize every source of learning possible. Learning doesn't just take place in the school, and what is being taught will never be “learned” if it is not being supported or reinforced in the home. It is just common sense to bring the whole family into the process. Why aren't we doing this?

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  5. “It was a perfect example of the wrong way of thinking: that parents are the amateurs and school people are the professionals. That school people know what is right for kids, and parents just get in the way.” P 144

    I know my parents have experienced this when dealing with my old high school principal who is now my sister’s current principal. First, at least in my high school, mothers were the parent that needed to be dealt with and fathers were the parent to be listened to. When the father walked into the building things seemed to happen. As a future mother I tend to resent that attitude. Any parent that walks into the building deserves to be listened to and should never feel that they are taking time away from any administrator. Part of the administrator’s job is to listen to the parent and to help in any way they can. The school should be happy to see a parent wanting to be involved; they shouldn’t dread the appearance of a parent.

    What if there are parents that still have no interest in being involved in their child’s life? How do you deal with them? We read the excerpts from the parents application letters, but what about the children in Providence whose parents don’t want to take time to write a letter, aren’t those the kids that need the MET the most?

    Key Idea: Parental involvement should be a key part of any school. Parents should not simply be dealt with as quickly as possible. They should be a very important part of their child’s school and should be listened to always, not only when there is a problem. Parents should feel that they are enrolled in the school as well, and should have the same pride in their child’s education that the school has in their child.

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  6. Quote: [He has bought the lie that school is to be tolerated to get to the fun stuff]. What ridiculous thought process is this? And, more importantly, who is perpetuating it? This sounds just like all the "weed out" programs like A&P (at AC) that are meant to break a person before actually moving on to their passion. Why is this needed? I feel its a control mechanism, and should be put away. At the very least, those who believe this is the only way to operate in a large scale should be shot (I mean... fired).

    Question: Where is the line? Now we are in charge of educating parents as well? We need a bigger pay raise. (That isn't a question)

    Key Idea: The focus of this chapter is of the parents and their need to participate so that everyone may succeed. As my question reveals that I think too much may be laid down upon teachers, I think the emphasis on parents in this chapter underlies the fact that Littkey says everyone depends on Everyone so that EVERYONE will survive and flourish in one of these type of schools. I have always questioned the power structure- how is it that the ones who least deal with the kids and parents have the most decision making power? I'm also blaming teachers and faculty, because they don't make the effort to listen to the parents. I blame parents, though, for not taking enough power themselves.

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  7. "... We'll only really change our education system when we extend decision making down to the next level, to the community and to the parents." p. 13

    While this quote points to an important idea in reforming education, I HATE that we consider the parents and the community the next level "down" from the school.

    Have you ever had parents who got too involved, or involved in the wrong way? What did you do about it?

    I really liked this chapter, and I think parent involvement is very important. However, I kept thinking about the abuses of parental involvement that traditional schools, especially small ones like Decatur, foster. In such competitive arenas, concerned parents have no option but to get dragged in. I actually had one of my friend's moms not speak to me because I ended up with a better GPA than him at the end of freshman year. He ended up being our valedictorian, so whatever. I also kept thinking about my friends in high school who were really good learners, and wanted to go somewhere in life, but didn't have parents around or didn't have parents who cared. I guess this ties with Starla's comments. The MET seems great, but what about the kids without even parts of a traditional family?

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  8. Quote: "That parent conference day marked the first time the parents were really seen as integral to the education process."

    Having parents who are supportive and active in their child's education can greatly impact the child's outlook on their education. They are likely to feel more motivated if they see that their parents are showing support for the child's interests and goals.

    Question: How do we get parents who are uninvolved in their child's education to suddenly change and become a part of it?

    Key Idea: I think the key idea from this section is how involved families are very important in helping teachers do better at their job. When a student feels supported by his/her family they are going to want to do well for them, and it will cause the teacher to be able to teach the student more things. If every parent of every student in a school was active in their child's education, there is no telling what kind of impact it would have of the school. However, this involved can be detrimental if the parents are pushing their child too much or trying to make them do something they don't want to. Also, abuse could be a result if the achievement isn't there. So while involvement is always good, it needs to be the right type of involvement.

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  9. QUOTE:

    “A kid once said to me, ‘I don’t like it, because I can’t trick them [my parents and advisor] or play them off of each other, but I know it’s good for me that they are always talking to each other about me and my work.’ Engaging families in education engages each student and activates a built-in support system that works to help both students and teachers do a better job.” (p. 144).

    It is so important to have parental involvement in a child’s education. Like the above quote from the kid says that his parents and advisor talking to each other and keeping up with his work and him that it’s good for him. Having the built-in support system for the kid also helps because they have someone to turn to besides their teachers to help them with a problem and help advise them. Having parental involvement, not just for kids that are difficult but for all kids, is an essential part of education that has been greatly overlooked by many of the educators today!!

    QUESTION:

    How do you get parents involved who don’t really want to be involved?

    KEY IDEA:

    A key idea that I picked up on in this chapter is the idea of the importance of parental involvement on the school and on the student. Parental involvement for a student can greatly increase their chances for enjoying school and help the student when problems arise. Like Littky said parents, teachers, and principals have to have good communications in order to have a successful school that will benefit the students and their academic careers.

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  10. Key idea: The commitment is to keep finding ways to involve parents in the real decisions we make every day about the school.

    When parents are involved they have an ownership in their child's education and schooling process. Many times I hear about angry parents coming up to the school about how their child was treated unfairly. This way they are involved in every part and don't have to just take their child's word about what took place. They already know and they work with the teacher to help their student succeed.

    Quote: "Few parents feel comfortable just going in to talk with their child's principal. Sitting in the principal's office shouldn't be a scary experience, but for a lot of parents, it is" (146).

    Many parents blame the teachers for the actions that were taken in disciplining their child. What they don't know is that the teacher is just following what the principal has put in place. If they do not agree with what is going on it is the principal they should talk to.

    Q: How do you work with parents that have no interest in being involved in their child's education?

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