The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
Look at that expression. For some students -- a lot of them, perhaps -- it's one particular class or activity that gets them to school nearly every day, says Will Okun in his latest blog post at the New York Times. As an example, he describes North Lawndale College Prep's "insanely popular" video journalism project "Hoops High," who covers basketball and is broadcast on CLTV every week. What's that course at your school -- or what could it be?
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Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 1:38 PM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
Honest , consistent and teachers that do not waste student's time is what gets young people back in class.
I do not cheat my students and they respect that. I let them learn what they need to succeed. In turn we work together to get them to where they want to go and what they need.
Do not rip off your students and they will be fair to you.
I do not cheat my students and they respect that. I let them learn what they need to succeed. In turn we work together to get them to where they want to go and what they need.
Do not rip off your students and they will be fair to you.
Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 1:43 PM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
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Advance Carpentry I (Junior)
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Hyde Park Computer Refurbishment - AfterSchoolMatters
Hyde Park Wood Workers - AfterSchoolMatters
Advance Carpentry I (Junior)
Advance Carpentry II (Senior)
Hyde Park Computer Refurbishment - AfterSchoolMatters
Hyde Park Wood Workers - AfterSchoolMatters
Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 2:50 PM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
I usually watch NBA and march tournament w/ the volume turned down, but not hoops high. Lots of laughs, especially the fan interviews. Too bad it's only on cable!
P.E. takes rank at my school, although the class alone requires a good teacher. I teach Sci which is also popular, but fraught with misconceptions when new students enter, wish I had as much room as the P.E. teacher, or a ground floor classroom.
P.E. takes rank at my school, although the class alone requires a good teacher. I teach Sci which is also popular, but fraught with misconceptions when new students enter, wish I had as much room as the P.E. teacher, or a ground floor classroom.
Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 6:16 AM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
"...One major reason schools are hesitant to initiate extracurricular programs like video production or photography is that these classes do little to address the administrators’ chief concern: test scores..."
Glad this part got in. But I can't figure out why the column had to refuse to identify the public schools that have these activities (and there are, of course, many more than Okum talks about) then provided another piece of puffery for "North Lawndale College Prep" (including a shot from inside the Collins High School auditorium, which is in the process of being privatized by North Lawndale College Prep and AUSL, following the libels and slanders against Collins that Duncan orchestrated to facilitate the giveaway two years ago).
A more interesting question is how completely has CPS abolished independent school newspapers from the city's general high schools, and how far cutbacks in journalism classes have gone in the general high schools. At this point, most public high schools in Chicago have neither serious journalism classes nor a regularly published newspaper. Oh, there are some thingies that come out praising the principal, reporting some celebrity BS, and filling a couple of pages with horoscopes and maybe Dear Abby type stuff. But one of the things the Daley administration's been enforcing at the youngest years is a ban on the training of CPS students in news reporting. (Sports rarely counts; it's always been the second favorite "news" page for totalitarian regimes).
Also, the story is simply wrong about the "deficit." Arne proclaimed that $180 million at a media event where he tried to ignore some key questions about how he concocted the latest round of these "deficit" lies. When I finally asked my main question that day, it was this: "Arne, what's the current amount of dollars in the Reserve fund?"
The answer was $400 million (more or less) and some additional lies from Pedro Martinez, claiming that "the bond rating agencies" "require" a certain percentage level for CPS to sustain the ratings.
When an op ed reports "facts" as important as a "deficit" proclaimed (again and again and again) by Arne Duncan, someone should at least apply the old rule of Chicago reporting:
"Check it out!"
Or, more colorfully rendered by City News Bureau (before its demise):
"If your mother says she loves you, check it out!"
Next thing you know, someone will be "reporting" that the Chicago teachers pension fund is broke and should be replaced by some thingy being promoted by Wall Street and the same people who brought you CDOs and other exotica.
Whoops...
That was yesterday's Chicago Tribune lead editorial. They just got out in front of the lies this week.
Glad this part got in. But I can't figure out why the column had to refuse to identify the public schools that have these activities (and there are, of course, many more than Okum talks about) then provided another piece of puffery for "North Lawndale College Prep" (including a shot from inside the Collins High School auditorium, which is in the process of being privatized by North Lawndale College Prep and AUSL, following the libels and slanders against Collins that Duncan orchestrated to facilitate the giveaway two years ago).
A more interesting question is how completely has CPS abolished independent school newspapers from the city's general high schools, and how far cutbacks in journalism classes have gone in the general high schools. At this point, most public high schools in Chicago have neither serious journalism classes nor a regularly published newspaper. Oh, there are some thingies that come out praising the principal, reporting some celebrity BS, and filling a couple of pages with horoscopes and maybe Dear Abby type stuff. But one of the things the Daley administration's been enforcing at the youngest years is a ban on the training of CPS students in news reporting. (Sports rarely counts; it's always been the second favorite "news" page for totalitarian regimes).
Also, the story is simply wrong about the "deficit." Arne proclaimed that $180 million at a media event where he tried to ignore some key questions about how he concocted the latest round of these "deficit" lies. When I finally asked my main question that day, it was this: "Arne, what's the current amount of dollars in the Reserve fund?"
The answer was $400 million (more or less) and some additional lies from Pedro Martinez, claiming that "the bond rating agencies" "require" a certain percentage level for CPS to sustain the ratings.
When an op ed reports "facts" as important as a "deficit" proclaimed (again and again and again) by Arne Duncan, someone should at least apply the old rule of Chicago reporting:
"Check it out!"
Or, more colorfully rendered by City News Bureau (before its demise):
"If your mother says she loves you, check it out!"
Next thing you know, someone will be "reporting" that the Chicago teachers pension fund is broke and should be replaced by some thingy being promoted by Wall Street and the same people who brought you CDOs and other exotica.
Whoops...
That was yesterday's Chicago Tribune lead editorial. They just got out in front of the lies this week.
Sat Mar 29, 2008 at 6:29 PM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
"...One major reason schools are hesitant to initiate extracurricular programs like video production or photography is that these classes do little to address the administrators’ chief concern: test scores..."
oh my god - students who learn video production and photography might be applying math and reading/writing "for real" for the first times in their lives! Believe me, it would SHOW on their ISATs.
and to think that sentence came from a JOURNALIST, without any question of the assumption of validity of “admins’ concerns”!? How could that journalist be so clueless about learning that feeds into his own craft?
and how bout this: ignoring media and journalism skills in young people basically disenfranchises them from the democratic process. of course, to get them beyond the celebrity obsession, they’ve got to be heavily coached by people who know what they’re doing
well at least we have the Mikva Challenge!
oh my god - students who learn video production and photography might be applying math and reading/writing "for real" for the first times in their lives! Believe me, it would SHOW on their ISATs.
and to think that sentence came from a JOURNALIST, without any question of the assumption of validity of “admins’ concerns”!? How could that journalist be so clueless about learning that feeds into his own craft?
and how bout this: ignoring media and journalism skills in young people basically disenfranchises them from the democratic process. of course, to get them beyond the celebrity obsession, they’ve got to be heavily coached by people who know what they’re doing
well at least we have the Mikva Challenge!
Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 3:09 AM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
How many general high schools in Chicago still have "newspapers" that are published at least once a month? Print is still the basis for most other media activities, even it it's in story boarding. And without access to sustained print materials, people are in danger of mistaking synaptic spasms for sustained reality.
Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 11:36 AM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
Chiming in with yet another wishy-washy outlook on an issue.
First and foremost, I am charmed by the kids and their enthusiasm for Hoops High, and meant to watch the broadcast yesterday but spaced it. I'll check it out soon though.
I also think it's completely depressing that there aren't more things like this going on in schools (although I know there are others, as George mentioned) because of COURSE it's classes--and the passionate teachers who develop, find the funding for, and lead classes like these--that are a HUGE draw for kids otherwise rather uninterested in school. And it's not just poor, inner-city kids--my own kid only likes school on Thursdays when she has drama.
I STILL don't understand why CPS ended all the shop-like programs. I loved the kids who were in Senn's automotive sequence--yeah, they weren't often inspired by Shakespeare, but they came to class and made an attempt to pass, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to continue in shop if they weren't. I believe it's why athletes need to have weekly grade checks too, though I knew plenty of coaches and schools who didn't seem to understand the power those checks COULD have and therefore just blew them off, much to teachers' dismay...
And I can't agree more with "Low-income urban students know they attend substandard, second-tier schools that lack the technology, resources and extracurricular programs commonplace in schools of more affluent communities. And yet we continue to expect these students to prioritize education when budgetary and funding inequities demonstrate that urban education is neither a local, state, or national priority".
But. I also understand what several of the posters are saying over at the NY Times who wrote things like "I’m an African American who grew up in a housing project. I worked hard and went to an Ivy League school. Nonetheless, life is tough in this economy even for someone with skills. I don’t think anyone is doing poor kids a favor in not emphasizing the nuts-and-bolts" and "It is not government’s job to motivate people to succeed".
I, literally, have to nag my kid every day to get ready for school, and have had to tell her--time and time again-- the horrible reality of "sometime you just have to do what you have to do, even when you don't feel like it". Teaching kids tenacity is HARD. And while I agree with the 80% of success is showing up, it's about finding the intrinsic value of school/learning that's going to make the biggest difference in how long our kids will succeed for--and far past the school years.
So. I am down with programs--and funding of programs--that entice kids. Programs which inspire them to dream big and find their voice. But I'm also a big supporter of upholding the idea that to succeed, a lot of times you need to put your nose to the grindstone and do well at (or simply get through) whatever task is in front of you.
And to teach our kids--and their families--to use their power to MAKE urban education a local, state, and national priority!
First and foremost, I am charmed by the kids and their enthusiasm for Hoops High, and meant to watch the broadcast yesterday but spaced it. I'll check it out soon though.
I also think it's completely depressing that there aren't more things like this going on in schools (although I know there are others, as George mentioned) because of COURSE it's classes--and the passionate teachers who develop, find the funding for, and lead classes like these--that are a HUGE draw for kids otherwise rather uninterested in school. And it's not just poor, inner-city kids--my own kid only likes school on Thursdays when she has drama.
I STILL don't understand why CPS ended all the shop-like programs. I loved the kids who were in Senn's automotive sequence--yeah, they weren't often inspired by Shakespeare, but they came to class and made an attempt to pass, because otherwise they wouldn't be able to continue in shop if they weren't. I believe it's why athletes need to have weekly grade checks too, though I knew plenty of coaches and schools who didn't seem to understand the power those checks COULD have and therefore just blew them off, much to teachers' dismay...
And I can't agree more with "Low-income urban students know they attend substandard, second-tier schools that lack the technology, resources and extracurricular programs commonplace in schools of more affluent communities. And yet we continue to expect these students to prioritize education when budgetary and funding inequities demonstrate that urban education is neither a local, state, or national priority".
But. I also understand what several of the posters are saying over at the NY Times who wrote things like "I’m an African American who grew up in a housing project. I worked hard and went to an Ivy League school. Nonetheless, life is tough in this economy even for someone with skills. I don’t think anyone is doing poor kids a favor in not emphasizing the nuts-and-bolts" and "It is not government’s job to motivate people to succeed".
I, literally, have to nag my kid every day to get ready for school, and have had to tell her--time and time again-- the horrible reality of "sometime you just have to do what you have to do, even when you don't feel like it". Teaching kids tenacity is HARD. And while I agree with the 80% of success is showing up, it's about finding the intrinsic value of school/learning that's going to make the biggest difference in how long our kids will succeed for--and far past the school years.
So. I am down with programs--and funding of programs--that entice kids. Programs which inspire them to dream big and find their voice. But I'm also a big supporter of upholding the idea that to succeed, a lot of times you need to put your nose to the grindstone and do well at (or simply get through) whatever task is in front of you.
And to teach our kids--and their families--to use their power to MAKE urban education a local, state, and national priority!
Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 8:18 PM
The Class (Or Activity) That Gets Kids To Come To School
One of the events that took place at the March 26 Board of Education meeting last week was that a parent (Amy Lux) from the Beverly area gave Arne Duncan a copy of a book written by an Ivy League professor the demonstrated how children who participate on sports and other physical activities also do better in "academics."
Ms. Lux has been going to Board meetings every couple of months demanding that the Board actually honor its "policy" that children should have daily recess and regular physical education. Every time she appears, it's the same old song and dance. She is told to get together with Calvin Davis and Rachel Resnik, and if I want I can get a nice photograph of the three of them agreeing that CPS kids should get the same recess and sports opportunities as kids from the wealthier Chicago suburbs.
But nothing changes. Duncan continues to waste (yes, that's the only word) hundreds of millions of dollars on programs ranging from "High School Transformation" to "Turnaround" thingies, while depriving Chicago students of many of the things that children in the suburbs can take for granted -- everything from recess and sports (at all ages, and at all levels) to school newspapers.
Anyone who wants to repeat the Big Lie that there isn't enough money in the budget should check out how many tens of millions of dollars are going into completely worthless programs to lord over teachers and others. Go from Comstat to Transformation and it's all the same. Dollars for teacher bashing corporate fantasies; nothing for programs that work and which would make childrens' lives better.
Ms. Lux has been going to Board meetings every couple of months demanding that the Board actually honor its "policy" that children should have daily recess and regular physical education. Every time she appears, it's the same old song and dance. She is told to get together with Calvin Davis and Rachel Resnik, and if I want I can get a nice photograph of the three of them agreeing that CPS kids should get the same recess and sports opportunities as kids from the wealthier Chicago suburbs.
But nothing changes. Duncan continues to waste (yes, that's the only word) hundreds of millions of dollars on programs ranging from "High School Transformation" to "Turnaround" thingies, while depriving Chicago students of many of the things that children in the suburbs can take for granted -- everything from recess and sports (at all ages, and at all levels) to school newspapers.
Anyone who wants to repeat the Big Lie that there isn't enough money in the budget should check out how many tens of millions of dollars are going into completely worthless programs to lord over teachers and others. Go from Comstat to Transformation and it's all the same. Dollars for teacher bashing corporate fantasies; nothing for programs that work and which would make childrens' lives better.
