As we move forward in the 21st century we must look at the many ways to fight illiteracy. The article below takes a look at literacy and its impact whether we are abled or not. The fact is we can do so much more. What if each person lend a helping hand where needed,mentor a child,volunteer by reading for a blind person,donate books to poor communities,give 5 percent of your pay to help educate someone.No gesture is too small.
Literacy for today for a better tomorrow.
One hundred years ago, individuals who could not write their names were considered illiterate. This illiteracy, which often resulted from a lack of opportunity, relegated many people to life as second-class citizens and sometimes even nonpersons. Literacy was a symbol of intelligence, and intelligence was a symbol of personhood.
Literacy involves the ability to acquire information and communicate with others. Literacy involves the ability to gain access to written information. Information which is communicated needs to be stored so that it can be refered to again later. This means that for the blind person, literacy involves all methods of acquiring, storing, and accessing information and all methods of communicating one's own ideas, opinions, and needs. Literacy includes the ability to use Braille, print, and computers as well as the ability to use readers and recorded materials to gain access to and acquire the most knowledge from information.
David Doake (1995) defines miseducation as "disempowering them (the students) and denying them the opportunity to direct and control their own learning". This definition implies that education empowers students to direct and control their own learning, to awaken their intelligence. (Doake, 1995) If this is what education is, then teachers and families must strive for this goal: to empower blind children to direct and control their learning, thus giving them the opportunity to move upward in society as full participants.
Many tools exist to enable a blind person to obtain, store, retrieve and communicate information. Not all of these tools enable the blind person to learn how to spell or how a printed page appears. These elements of literacy are foundational to the blind person's ability to communicate well with others, blind or sighted. In fact, they are so vital that their inclusion in a letter written by Helen Keller as a defense for using braille over New York Point was a convincing factor in the decision of personnel at schools for the blind to begin using American Braille; for texts written in New York Point did not contain capital letters. (Irwin, 1956).
Braille literacy has become an issue of great concern to blind adults, parents of blind children, and teachers of blind students. Authors state that an increasing number of blind people are growing up illiterate and that Braille is the answer to this problem. (Ianuzzi, 1999; Johnson, 1996; Mullen, 1990; Rex, 1989; Schroeder, 1989; Spungin, 1996; Stephens, 1989) Of particular interest are the difficulties faced by students who have low vision and can read printed letters, even if the letters must be very large and reading is very slow. Negative attitudes about braille often get in the way of the teaching and learning of braille. (Ianuzzi
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
What do Parents Want?
A fellow colleague of mine sent me this article printed in the newspaper. The article sums everything nicely that I have been saying about parents and what it is that they put teachers true. It seems that each year as a new generation of parents arise it gets worse. Unfortunately many great teachers resort to leaving the profession as their job become more stressful and very thankless. Believe me as a member of the profession the article is not at all exaggerated it hits the nail right on the head. Parents will find themselves with more and more teachers who go through the motions but do not have their heart in what they are doing. Let me hear your feed back. I would especially like to hear from parents,because I really don't think that parents realise how stressful they make teacher's jobs at time.
What teachers really want to tell parents
This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.
I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."
Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.
So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?
For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.
Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.
Please quit with all the excuses
And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.
His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.
Can you feel my pain?
Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.
Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor
And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.
This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"
Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office.
Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.
And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.
Teachers walking on eggshells
I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.
My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, "Can you believe that woman did that?"
I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's outstanding educators.
Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.
If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems.
We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible.
That's a teacher's promise, from me to you.
What teachers really want to tell parents
This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.
I screamed, "You can't leave us," and she quite bluntly replied, "Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can't deal with parents anymore; they are killing us."
Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.
So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?
For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.
Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, "Is that true?" Well, of course it's true. I just told you. And please don't ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.
Please quit with all the excuses
And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn't started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.
His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they'd been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn't help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some "fun time" during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn't his fault the work wasn't complete.
Can you feel my pain?
Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.
Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor
And parents, you know, it's OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don't set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It's a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.
This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn't assume that because your child makes straight A's that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it's the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, "My child has a great teacher! He made all A's this year!"
Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it's usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal's office.
Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has "given" your child, you might need to realize your child "earned" those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.
And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.
Teachers walking on eggshells
I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.
My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, "Can you believe that woman did that?"
I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow's outstanding educators.
Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.
If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, "I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me." If you aren't happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don't respect her, he won't either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems.
We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask -- and beg of you -- to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible.
That's a teacher's promise, from me to you.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Let's be literate about Living a Healthy Lifestyle
It is important that we educate ourselves about the present world we live in. Our lifestyle will affect our standard of living. Far too many children are suffereing from obesity. We need to encourage our childrento be active. Healthy eating also has to be a large part of it. Parents must take charge and not give in to the demands of life. Get involved with your child/children. As I said earlier,literacy is not just for reading and writing. Let's become Literate about 'Healthy Living' .The life you save could be your child.
Let's talk about this. I want to hear your feed back.
STUDENT OBESITY Changing the Culture to Focus on Nutrition and Exercise
By Balbir Kaur Gurm and Jennifer Gibson
Kwantlen University College
Nutrition and exercise are two components of a healthy body. Most people accept that "your health" is the essential element for a joyous and happy life. Food is considered one of the fundamental conditions for health by the World Declaration on Nutrition, International Conference on Nutrition, the World Health Organization, and the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Research demonstrates a significant relationship between a child's nutritional intake and a child's physical, emotion and intellectual readiness to learn. Poor nutrition is also linked to irritability and poor concentration.
Let's talk about this. I want to hear your feed back.
STUDENT OBESITY Changing the Culture to Focus on Nutrition and Exercise
By Balbir Kaur Gurm and Jennifer Gibson
Kwantlen University College
Nutrition and exercise are two components of a healthy body. Most people accept that "your health" is the essential element for a joyous and happy life. Food is considered one of the fundamental conditions for health by the World Declaration on Nutrition, International Conference on Nutrition, the World Health Organization, and the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Research demonstrates a significant relationship between a child's nutritional intake and a child's physical, emotion and intellectual readiness to learn. Poor nutrition is also linked to irritability and poor concentration.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Literacy for 2012
Take a read at the following article and send me your view on the whole notion of no childe left behind. Is this possible ? Can this be achieved in any country ? What is needed to support this valuable notion ?
photo by: amrufm 
photo by: amrufm By M.V. Fields|L.A. Groth|K.L. Spangler
Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice HallRecently the pedagogical battles have been complicated by the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002). According to Section 1001 of the 670-page document, the purpose of NCLB is “to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments” (Section 1001). The goal of high-quality education for all children is sound. But we agree with those who argue that this latest increase in bureaucratic requirements gets in the way of effective teaching (e.g., Washor & Mojkowski, 2006). Teachers feel that the federal mandates severely constrain their teaching vision and innovation. Teachers who understand how children learn and how emergent literacy develops are incensed at being forced to do what they know is wrong for young children. We want to help you figure out how to do what is right for children while meeting mandated literacy goals.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Literacy New Year
It's another year and many person's will make resolutions or some sort of goal. I want parents,educators,leaders and institutions to focus on some form of literacy this year. If you are individual challenge yourself to learn something new. Literacy is not just about reading and writing but rather becoming informed about what is around us. You can educate yourself on financial literacy, medical literacy and so on. Let's learn something new. Both yourselves and the world will be a better place for it.
We are becoming too accustom to living in a world where we make politicians,merchants,advertisers,and hollywood decide what we do and who we are.Take charge of your life and learn something new. Do this for you. Not because someone says something that means it's true or we have to accept it.
Take charge and put Literacy on your list for this year. Tell me what do you think?
We are becoming too accustom to living in a world where we make politicians,merchants,advertisers,and hollywood decide what we do and who we are.Take charge of your life and learn something new. Do this for you. Not because someone says something that means it's true or we have to accept it.
Take charge and put Literacy on your list for this year. Tell me what do you think?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Christmas here and Gone
My how time has changed. I asked my students what will they be doing for the holidays and what they wanted. It was all about toys and games. I marvel at how parents seem to say they cannot afford anything to do with education, yet they seem all too happy to get their children games,latest gadgets and games.
We are raising a generation that no longer reads,run or play outside. A generation that could not care less about anyone else. It is sad indeed. I reminded my students that Christmas was a time of sharing and giving not just getting. Of couse most of them looked at me as if I was crazy. I cannot say I blame them because if their parents are not instilling these traits in them then why would they be interested.
It saddens me how time has change and it seems as if we keep slipping further away from what was considered the norm,families reading,sharing together. Everything now is centered around gadgets and technology which seems to divide us and push us further as everyone's head and eyes are glued to a phone,ipod or some gadget.
What do you think?, is this normal or am I just an old school teacher stuck in the past.
We are raising a generation that no longer reads,run or play outside. A generation that could not care less about anyone else. It is sad indeed. I reminded my students that Christmas was a time of sharing and giving not just getting. Of couse most of them looked at me as if I was crazy. I cannot say I blame them because if their parents are not instilling these traits in them then why would they be interested.
It saddens me how time has change and it seems as if we keep slipping further away from what was considered the norm,families reading,sharing together. Everything now is centered around gadgets and technology which seems to divide us and push us further as everyone's head and eyes are glued to a phone,ipod or some gadget.
What do you think?, is this normal or am I just an old school teacher stuck in the past.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Parents Of Today
The more I teach the more I am concern about our present day parents. It seems as if morals and values of yesterday and times gone by have flown out the window. I see a genereation of parents who themselves need to be parented. We have a present day genereation that cannot think for themselves and it seems to easier to give up than even making an effort.
It's a quick fix generation that wants everything done instantly. If something is not before them in black and white they cannot think for themselves much less out of the box. Which world are these children going to be living in the next few years.Parents have become a set of whiners and they seem to think they and their children are entitiled to every and anything.
This generation is living in a bubble and they complain about every damn thing and soon as challenges arise it's easy to committ suicide than work through problems.
My questions to educational institutions are, are we here to sugar coat the realities of life or be bold in telling parents that the resposibilites lie with them to train and groom their child for the world that exist tomorrow and beyond. I am sick and tired of North America not addressing the 'White Elephant' in the room. Parents are the real problems of children today. There are parents who think their children are some kind of trophy. They cannot discipline them,control them, but yet they expect teachers to give into every demand their children make.
I have said it a thousand times,we are not growing children but adults for tomorrow. If we do not discipline and train our children today how will they become effective citizens for tomorrow.
Think about it.
It's a quick fix generation that wants everything done instantly. If something is not before them in black and white they cannot think for themselves much less out of the box. Which world are these children going to be living in the next few years.Parents have become a set of whiners and they seem to think they and their children are entitiled to every and anything.
This generation is living in a bubble and they complain about every damn thing and soon as challenges arise it's easy to committ suicide than work through problems.
My questions to educational institutions are, are we here to sugar coat the realities of life or be bold in telling parents that the resposibilites lie with them to train and groom their child for the world that exist tomorrow and beyond. I am sick and tired of North America not addressing the 'White Elephant' in the room. Parents are the real problems of children today. There are parents who think their children are some kind of trophy. They cannot discipline them,control them, but yet they expect teachers to give into every demand their children make.
I have said it a thousand times,we are not growing children but adults for tomorrow. If we do not discipline and train our children today how will they become effective citizens for tomorrow.
Think about it.
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