Hodgkinson Article

Some states have 65% of their 19-year-olds addmitted to college whereas others have only 25-30%. What can be done to encourage students to continue their education? Diversity has become increasingly prominent in discussion. The article notes that the most diverse states are California, Texas, and Florida. I guess people are migrating out to these states. These three states are growing at a very rapid pace. I found it interesting that whites will become a minority of the U.S. population around 2050. By that time most of us will be retired, but it is still an evident fact. Hodgkinson makes a good point when he talks about economic desegregation. An economic floor needs to be built under every child. I agree with this idea. There needs to be an equal investment in each childs eduction.I thought the Demographic tips for teachers were very helpful. Demography has a large impact on education. All of these demographic changes will have a large impact on all of us. Statistics are proven to be very helpful, knowing statistics will help us become better teachers. We need to know who our students are. We also need to know who our parents are. By knowing the background of each child as a future teacher I will be better prepared to deal with daily issues.

Educating an Alien

Schools have grown a lot over the course of the years. There are four types of schools. These schools are public schools, private schools, magnet schools, and charter schools. The public school system is set up into districts and are available to those who live there. The public school system is the most popular, 88 percent of students in America go there. The private school are privately run institutions attended by those who apply and usually pay tuition. They don't benefit as much from the state financially like public schools. 12 percent of the students attend private schools. Magnet schools have specialized curriculum designed to attract students of diverse racial and ethnic back rounds. Charter schools are publicly funded and are governed by a group under a contract or charter that exempts them from certain government regulations
Our students are made up of a variety of racial ethnicities. The ages range from four to early twenties. There are also a variety of programs for adults and immigrants. One third of public students are from low income families. Four out of every ten public school students are children of color. One in every ten public school students is a English language learner.
Our teachers are pre dominantly women. 80 percent of teachers are women. Half of public school teachers have advanced degrees and over ten years of experience. Low income students are taught by less experienced teachers and high income students are taught by more experienced teachers. Teachers in catholic schools don't have to have a teaching degree to teach. High rates of teachers changing schools and leaving the profession are the cause of teacher shortages.

The First Reading

I found the first reading to be interesting. It was helpful looking at statistical data. Graphs and tables are always helpful, at least for me. All teachers should know the stats. behind schools. We need to know who our students are, and we need to know many other things to be able to become a valuable teacher.

First day of class!!!!

The first day of class is always nerve-wrecking. I always keep my fingers crossed and hope the professor is reasonable. I think our class is going to have a good semester with Prof. Goldstein, she seems cool and down to earth. I haven't done the reading yet, but I plan on reading some of it tonight and finishing it up on Wednesday. As of right now I really don't have much to reflect on. When I'm done with the reading I will refelct on my thoughts.( There are lots of tables to look at for this weeks reading.)