posted on September 4, 2009 10:03:57 AM new
"It's one thing for a president to encourage all kids to work hard and stay in school – that's a reasonable use of the bully pulpit. It's another thing entirely, however, to have the U.S. Department of Education send detailed instructions to public schools nationwide on how to glorify the president and the presidency, and push them to drive social change. Frighteningly, this is what President Obama has done."
posted on September 4, 2009 10:35:05 AM new
welcome to the RT "new" user
"The Vendio Round Table =
A place to kick back, relax, and have fun! Share a story, tell a joke, write a poem, make a friend..."
OR - participate in lively debate with your own thoughts and feelings
OR - copy/paste all of the wacko diatribe's from your favorite website in hopes of getting a rise out of those who don't agree with you, which accomplishes.... amusement?
nice user name.
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not vintage4u on eBay
not vintageu on Vendio
posted on September 4, 2009 12:06:50 PM newFrighteningly, this is what President Obama has done."
He hasn't "done" anything. He's not speaking to students till next week. I don't recall anybody getting excited when President Bush addressed students, or any previous presidents for that matter. This is just another case of the hard right raising a ruckus about the president because they can. Sadly, a lot of schools will kow-tow to the birther nutballs who call them on the phone with complaints about not wanting their children "exposed" to this propaganda. They'll back away from it because they just don't have time to deal with frivolous nonsense.
By the way, since you're new here you may not know that I'm an educator. I retired as head teacher from my school last year and now serve as a curriculum consultant for the district. The link below is an exact copy of the materials that we received from the Dept. of Education with suggestions how teachers "might" use the speech as a teachable moment. After careful reading, please let me know how this is in any way an attempt by the president to "further his socialist agenda".
My district is extremely conservative. We have sent home a flyer explaining that we plan to air the speech and inviting parents to attend classroom sessions if they'd like to. We've also asked anyone with concerns to call the schools in advance. So far, nobody's called.
This is another sham, another tempest in a teapot, just like the ridiculous tea parties, birth certificate uproar, and outbursts in town halls. Get over it.
posted on September 4, 2009 01:38:44 PM new
Thanks for the link and explanation, Profe. It is so refreshing to read the facts instead of half-truths and hyperbole.
posted on September 4, 2009 02:47:52 PM new
"Pledging Alliegence to Whom?"
There is also a video that has surfaced -
"Another reason for concern, regarding how students may submit to the propaganda placed before them, involves a video that hasn't yet been known to be shown in New Jersey schools but in Eagle Bay Elementary School, in Farmington, Utah. The video contains many well-known celebrities, many of whom say laudable things—like standing up for motherhood and fatherhood (who wouldn't?) or, as former New York Giant Michael Strahan said (at the 1:10 mark): to consider [him]self an American and not an African American."
'Tucked in among the pledges—or platitudes, depending on one's view—are other pledges. They include I pledge to be of service to Barack Hussein Obama (at 3:19) and I pledge to be a servant to our president (at 3:56). The Utah principal who showed the video to highlight service as the school's theme for the year did not preview the video, and later apologized for showing the video. The specific word he used, when he viewed the video along with the students was “oops.”'
posted on September 4, 2009 03:49:52 PM new
Here's more stuff you could copy and paste from that article!
Menu of Classroom Activities
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(PreK‐6)
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009
Before the Speech
•
Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be president?
To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
•
Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
If you were the president, what would you tell students?
What can students do to help in our schools?
Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.
•
Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech
•
As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note‐taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the president trying to tell me?
What is the president asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
•
Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:
What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else?
Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
•
Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.
Menu of Classroom Activities (PreK‐6)
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
2
After the Speech
•
Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher‐paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.
•
Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:
What do you think the president wants us to do?
Does the speech make you want to do anything?
Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
What would you like to tell the president?
Extension of the Speech
Teachers could extend learning by having students:
•
Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.
•
Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.
•
Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
•
Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.
•
Participate in school‐wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.
•
Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.
•
Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
•
Graph individual progress toward goals.
posted on September 4, 2009 04:18:09 PM new
So, vintageu, since I know you didn't read my link, which part of vintage4u's C/P do you find offensive or subversive? C'mon now, let's hear it.
Notice all those "could" and "might" suggestions? I can tell you that they will be at very best shortened and modified by most teachers due to time constraints. Teachers today are so focused on quarterly outcomes mandate by state compliance with No Child Left Behind that they won't be able to pay more than modest attention to this whole deal.
Waiting for a reply from you that isn't what somebody else said. Are all your opinions based on the last person you spoke to?
posted on September 4, 2009 04:52:28 PM new
vintageu--So, this is what you are upset about? I don't see anything subversive, fascist or socialistic in this. All I read were suggestions and the types of questions asked of students on a daily basis. Apparently, it has come to the point where everything President Obama says or does is attacked--probably to try to prop up the Republican party.
posted on September 5, 2009 08:11:26 PM new
What in h--l can be wrong with the president addressing schoolchildren? Other presidents have done that, and what I know about Obama's intentions is that he wants to encourage kids to stay in school, etc.
I'd like to know how many teachers or former teachers are here in Vendio. I too am a former teacher, and it would have been wonderful to have Kennedy, LBJ, or even Nixon give my students the same message.
_____________________
"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who ***dared to dissent*** from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, ***may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."*** --Eisenhower
posted on September 6, 2009 11:17:03 AM new
Looking at the posts of those who attempt to dominate this board, I'd say that the majority of those who post here are teachers, former teachers or children of former teachers.
posted on September 7, 2009 08:09:37 AM new
What does "attempt to dominate this board" mean? Replying to posts is hardly an attempt to dominate a board.
posted on September 7, 2009 11:01:29 AM new
vintageu--You consider it dominance when someone responds to a post with an opinion? Would you like it better if everyoe just agreed with anything you posted?
posted on September 8, 2009 08:13:00 AM new
Waiting to hear from you vintageu. Newt Gingrich has just endorsed the speech. Got any original thoughts on how subversive it was? Are our children being led down the path to communism?
posted on September 8, 2009 08:50:45 PM new
"STUDENT: Hi, my name is Sean. And my question is, currently 36 countries have universal health coverage, including Iraq and Afghanistan, which have it paid for by the United States. Why can't the United States have universal health coverage? "
you may not know that I'm an educator. I retired as head teacher from my school last year and now serve as a curriculum consultant for the district. The link below is an exact copy of the materials that we received from the Dept. of Education with suggestions how teachers "might" use the speech as a teachable moment. After careful reading, please let me know how this is in any way an attempt by the president to "further his socialist agenda".
