gary's blog

COMMUNITY SERVICE

2007-12-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed the community service experience because i got a chance to tutor student in math. I had to help little 5Th grader who was having problems with fractions. I gave her a formula for changing mixed number into improper fraction. After a few example she picked it up. When we were done with her homework she wanted to keep working so i gave her a few tough problems and sure enough she got it right. This really made me glad because she use what i taught her with no problem. Things like this is what keeps me on path to becoming a teacher.

TEACHER SHADOWING

2007-12-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

This week I finish my shadowing part of my community service. It was a great experience. I got a chance to sit in the class of Mrs. Oblitas a six grade math teacher. She was a great inspiration because for being 5 feet tall she really doesn't get intimidated by the students in class that a few were almost 6 feet. I was able to pick up a few helpful hints and tips on being a teacher and classroom management. She has a great personality and that really is seen by the kids because that keeps the kids interested in her work. The class was really great because all the kids were very different, from cultures and to looks. Seeing all these kids come together and work together was really interesting because all the kids bring in different thing to the bowl. After going through the shadowing experience this has really made me want a teacher even more. Being able to see the whole teacher experience in action was phenomenal.

CASE STUDY 3 JANE VINCENT

2007-11-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

The case study was about a teacher having a tough decision to make on william lawrence semester grade. The teachers had to vote on a grading system for all students and she was one that was really for this decision. Willie was short a few points to get an A for the semester and she was thinking if she should give it to him or not. The principal asked her to really think on what she would do. In my opinion I would give Willie the extra points. Students work really hard for their grades and if a person tries hard and fails its the worst feeling ever. She would be destroying his hopes to do better in the future. Also I would have the principel on my back to help me out if any promblems came up.

CASE STUDY 2 JULIE AMERO

2007-10-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

This article really shocked me because of the sevire consecuences to her actions. If it was me in this situation I would have just unpluged the computer and face the consecuences of unpluging a computer than to have to go to court for exposing kids to pornografic material. I really dislike how although Julie went to the vice principal and to the principal the next day but in court they didn't acknowledged what she had done first. In my opinion I think that they were just trying to push the fault away from the school for not having all the resources to prevent situations like these from happening.

FIRST AVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ORIENTATION

2007-10-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

I was really thankful that we got a change for an orientation at first ave. elementary school in Newark. Being able to go to the school before having to go for our teacher shadowing was really helpful. The school is huge so that was a big help because we got a tour so we can learn our way around. Principal Orsini is a great people person and he made me feel conferable during that visit, I would really like to work with a principal like that. Also we got a chance to speak with different department and associations in the school system. I really got a lot of information from the department like the PTA and also the teacher's union. It makes me at ease to know that the union has many benefits and are would be very helpful through out my entire carrier in teaching. This was a wonderful experience.

Should Bilingual Education Programs Be Abandoned?

2007-10-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

This is a subject that i am really concerned on because I'm a product of bilingual education. Year by year the population of immigrants is rising in this country. By immigrants i don't just mean Hispanics that also includes Asians, Europeans, Africans, and many other ethnics backgrounds. Bilingual programs help us to establish a quicker learning process of the English language. With out these programs we would be lost. I was in bilingual classes fro 3 years. I know you it feels to be alienated and to feel out of place. These classes gave me the skills i need to survive in the American way of life. Now i don't mean to be too dramatic but it was hard getting a job or communicating with people outside my house. You are a product of your society now and if society wants to take these programs way it would be a big lost. They would ask you to learn on your own time but does anyone really have time now a days. Its very convenient to have these programs in school as part of our every day curriculum and that my OPINION.

Newark schoolyard killings

2007-10-08T10:45:00.001-07:00

I really like this article because it tries to take pressure off of Newark. It gives you a map showing were it took place and all the areas that is near. Its not just a Newark problem, its close to south orange, maplewood, and irvington. Newark has chance in the pass 20 years and the crime rate has really lowered. Now just because of this little incident we don't have to start to look at Newark like a bad town again. Newark has just finish their railroad system and the NJPAC plus the new devil's stadium. These are all great things that might not live up to its expectations because people are going to be scared of going to Newark. Homicides are going to happened anywhere. Don't let this little incident push us away from the beautiful town of Newark.

melinda grant case study 10.3

2007-09-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

My opinion on this situation is that since melinda is a first year teacher, she should take advantage of this predicament. Her friend barbara has her own way of doing things and that all's about the testing. You only get to be a first year teacher once and melinda can take advantege of this by trying out anythings she feels like doing. If she does something wrong she can always use the excuse, "sorry i'm new at this". If she gets fired she can find a job anywhere, since she is a first year teacher she can start at a low paying rate so anyone would hire her.

video clip one

2007-09-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

my opinion on the first clip is that teachers do anything to help their students learn. although competitive games is one of the best way but it has its ups and down. No matter how old the child is, most of them can't accept to lose in a game. They all learned from the review and they'll all do well on their test but we need to find better ways to help the students with their learning process.