Inquiry Project Events

During the course of the semester, I volunteered by tutoring Italian II to a student. I was surprised how far behind he was for the course, since he had not even mastered basic skills in Italian I. It was impressive to see his progress during the time that I had helped him, which was almost once a week. Although he did not manage to get better than C+ on the tests each week, his teacher allowed anyone who did not to take the test over again the following week. We would work on what he missed on the previous test which would prepare him for the retake, and he generally got B+ on those tests. It was a good experience and it felt good to know that I was able to help.

For one of my community events I attended a high school football game. I have pictures, but I'm not computer literate enough to figure out how to put them up here! Perhaps they will make their way to the poster! It was interesting for me, because I had not gone to a football game since I was in high school about five or six years ago, and I was never one to be involved in my school community. The most interesting part about going to the game was that the bleachers were completely segregated. Not by race, but by age! The students were on one side and the parents sat on the other. I was informed by my younger sister that it was not appropriate for me to be sitting with the students!

The other community event I attended was a concert performed by the Newark Boys Choir on December 16,2007. The Newark Boys Chorus School is a private school in Newark, NJ. They have performed in numerous venues, and have even been on Good Morning America! They sang a diverse repertoire, including African folksongs, traditional classic music, and jazz. I would recommend everyone to go see them if they have a chance!

Lastly, my experience at Newark Arts High School was quite an interesting one. Originally, I had not gotten in touch with my cooperating teacher, Richardson. Stressing out because it was the last week of classes, another dance teacher had sent me an email saying he would be pleased to have me come and observe. I sent him an email saying when I was going to come, and if there were any problems to contact me. I was excited and looked forward to seeing a dance class in a public arts high school. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I was informed that it was a "B" day and that teacher was not there! The original teacher I was assigned to observe was there, but she acted like she had no idea who I was! It took a while for us to finally get into a class to observe, which was quite frustrating. I didn't get to see a dance class, because the dance teacher said it wasn't a good day for me to observe. My partner and I ended up with an English teacher, Mr. DeSousa, who was fantastic! Unfortunately, my inquiry topic question had to do with the arts, and I would've liked to have visited that classroom. It was definitely an experience though!

Inquiry Project

I feel like I haven't blogged in a while. And I am feeling really uneasy about this project, as the semester is almost winding down! I can't believe this semester has flown by. Is anyone else feeling stressed about this project or am i just crazy?!

Ed.gov Disappointment

Although our assignment for class is to blog about anything we have read on either ed.gov or edlawcenter.org, I want to blog about something I did not read. Ed.gov has a ton of information in basically anything pertaining to education, whether it be for parents, teachers, administrators, or students. There are a variety of articles regarding education, a toolbox for teachers, and information for parents. I browsed through looking for the teacher's toolbox and different resources that are available to teachers. I was extremely disappointed to find NOTHING on dance education. As a future dance educator, I feel that dance is important to instill in students, whether it be about the history of dance or a dance lab. In general, I do not find much information on dance education, but I thought that with all of the information on ed.gov, they would undoubtedly have something. Movement and the arts is so important for children, and I have stressed it several times in my different blogs. Some children may not be able to express themselves like they can through dance, and it is disappointing dance is often left out of the curriculum and government websites, since it is often seen as an "unimportant" subject. So, in terms of the teacher resources, unless it is pertaining to working with students, parents, and administrators, I did not find that website as helpful as a teacher of a different subject might find it.

Observing for Inquiry Project

So I have come up with a few different questions for my inquiry project as listed in my previous blog. While I liked the idea of how the arts play a role in standardized test scores, I don't think that I will be able to get enough of my research from observing, nor do I think I will have enough to write about for at least eight pages! So, over the course of the day I will think about which of the topics would be the best to choose for this project. I also had another idea/question. I was thinking about how curriculum from other courses are incorporated with dance. More specifically, how do dance teachers incorporate what students are doing in math or history with dance. Another idea is what kinds of teaching methods to dance teachers use in a public school dance class. In a studio, there is no curriculum and it is purely a "dance lab". In a public school, teachers will have to follow a curriculum, administer exams, and get students to work in groups and alone to name a few.

Going a little off topic, I feel really overwhelmed by this project!!! I have all of these ideas, yet I'm not sure if I am on the right track, and which of the questions I would like to answer.

Getting back, observing in class last week was helpful for my upcoming visit at Newark Arts High School. It made me realize how different I see/observe from other students in my class. It is important not to be subjective, and write everything down that I hear, see, smell, etc. in the school as a whole. I will note everything I can, use the report cards, and even teacher/ student interviews to help me collect the information I need for this project.

Narrowing the Curriculum?

After reading Narrowing the Curriculum, I was not surprised by the facts illustrated. It spoke mostly about how many schools have had to cut out physical education, art, and music among the few from the school day in order to have more time for math and reading. This is done to boost the scores of standardized tests, so that those schools receive ample funding under the No Child Left Behind Act. I have many negative feelings about this act, as it impairs schools rather than helps them. The schools with adequate progress continue to strive, while the schools who do not score high enough are penalized and continue to be in a slump.

In the October 15, 2007 issue of Newsweek, there was an article entitled, "To Catch a Cheat", which opened my eyes to a whole other issue. Its sub headline reads, "The pressure is on for schools to raise test scores. Some, it seems, are willing to resort to anything". It tells of teachers, principals, and administrators who help students cheat on standardized tests. In 2005, 700 schools had suspicious test scores! I was really surprised to read about this, and it is something I never would have thought goes on. It is an interesting article, one that I would recommend for all to read!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/42454

Inquiry Project

As a dance education major, there are many aspects of the arts which I am curious to research and learn more about. Since MSU is the first college in New Jersey to offer this as a major, most teachers are not specifically certified to teach dance. As of right now, there are not too many schools in New Jersey offering Dance as a course. I am curious to see how many do in fact offer it, and if any are planning on beginning a dance program. Generally, the arts is often one of the first subject areas to get cut out of a school's budget. The fact that it is not offered in many schools and may be eliminated due to school budget, boggles my mind. Aside from all of the positive things dance teaches children, it needs limited funding. A room, music, and teacher are all that are needed.

Martha Graham stated, "If I could say it, I wouldn't have to dance it". This quote from a famous modern dancer sparked interest for me to research more about the importance of dance education in the lives of children.

Some other questions I have thought about:

• How do the arts impact standardized testing scores?
• What challenges do dance teachers face dealing with children of disabilities?
• Why are males less likely to participate in dance and what can be done/ how can the course attract males to participate?
• How do children who participate in the arts compare to children who do not? (academically-overall outcome)
  
• Can the arts help motivate children to learn?
• Are critical thinking skills developed by participating in the arts?

As I think more about this project and dance I will post more questions that I think about!

Security in Schools...Is it Enough?

Another school shooting, and even once is too many times. Since this past shooting though, I have heard a lot of different discussions about what should be done in the future when this happens. Both the Jersey Guys (101.5fm) and a tv morning talk show brought up the question, "When will teachers be carrying guns?" Another thing mentioned was a need for national security requirements. Personally, I don't think that teachers will carry guns. How would that be promoting a safe environment since there are "whacko" teachers out there. Let's face it, there will always be violence in our world, and it may not ever be likely to ensure every student in the country that he or she is safe from this. Also, if our schools aren't run by the federal government, I can't imagine there being a federal security requirement. The Jersey Guys also brought up that when "Code Blue" was announced on the P.A., many ran instead of going into lock down, which brought up a lot of discussion as to whether people should be required to stay locked down in a classroom or run. I know that if I was ever in that situation, regardless of what I was told, I would RUN! I don't understand how huddling together in a classroom is more effective. In the school I attended, the doors had glass windows on it. That would not be very hard to break through at all. I feel that if I were to run, it may be harder for someone to shoot me than if I was stuck in a corner with a large group.

Overall, it is obvious there are many opinions on this topic. I am curious to see what will be done as a result of the continuing school violence. I am also curious as to how increased security in schools will affect the hidden curriculum.