Interviews on Reforms - Assignment Example

? Interviews on Reforms Interviews on Reforms Introduction The people interviewed include teachers and parents. The sample was based on 10 schools across America. This was to cover for diversity. During the interview, discovery on various aspects on public school reforms include the advantages of public schools, and the factors that recommend for reforms. What are the strengths (if any) of the American public school system? The comparison between homeschool, private schools and public schools comes with analyzing the American curriculum. Public schools compose of children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This type of community is comprised of mainly adults. Public schools provide an opportunity to meet and interact at different negotiation points. It becomes easy for students to interact with individuals from diverse values and backgrounds. Public schools comprise of students with a diverse range of abilities and disabilities. The backgrounds provide individuals from different cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic background. The diverse environment exposes the students to different levels of interpersonal and communication issues. The numbers of students in a public school provide students with a different environment as compared to that provided by home schools and private schools. Students are able to engage in team projects and competitive sports with a diverse platform (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). What are the major problems in need of reform or improvement? The public schools are faced with challenges that require reforms. Schools face challenges ranging from the structure, curriculum, the school’s mission, experiences and specifically. The first problem faced by American public schools is the school size. 70% of schools in America have an access of up to 2500 students. This compromises the quality of education received by students. The ration of students to teachers is as large as 100 students per teacher. Minimized attention comes with high dropout rates due to the overcrowding problems. The issue of the public curricula also comes as a concern for the reformists. The structure of the public schools curricula fails to impart on the academic and knowledge skills. To improve the structure, the schools require improvement on the subjects provided, including the period taken to complete the curriculum. The missions of schools have hindered the progress of school improvements. The mission of public school is to prepare the students to adopt into the high school curriculum. Interdisciplinary units and lesson plans increase in complexity on an annual basis. In relation to curricular demands, student diversity and accountability, the lesson plan and activities are bound to change. Working on Social Studies, Technology, Art and Drama curriculums indicate a better diversity for the students. The curriculum demands for new state frameworks that require continual change. Standardization tests set through district policies dictate the instruction methods used and how they address the needs of English language learners. Linguistics of English come with a diverse implication in designing programs intended to range the learners according to their abilities. The importance of targeting a certain population while outlaying the lesson plan depends on various aspects. The rationale on interdisciplinary aspects while setting a lesson plan needs to consider different aspect including the language and culture, learning styles, active participation, learning strategies in specific areas of the lesson, development of thinking skills and transfer process, student empowerment and parental involvement (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). Recommendations: What do you think will “fix” the problem? Learning styles Learning styles involve using sheltered language while implementing learning strategies. It allows students to develop the subject matters through English language. Through using different learning styles, teachers apply comprehensive lessons aiding in the development of different proficient levels. This aids in the development of a strong English basis and communication ability. Use of different learning styles technique to instruct gives the learners an extensive knowledge of the area of study. Interdisciplinary and lesson activities set through different learning styles increase the concentration of students during study sessions. Students react to different learning styles differently. Working with a target population makes it easy for the teacher to interact with students at different levels. Teaching styles may involve relating the students to the subject matter by asking questions. The teacher uses the answers provided to gauge the understanding level of the students. If the students are from set target population, it becomes easier to analyze and group them using the level of understanding. If the teacher lacks background information, it becomes difficult to choose a learning style to apply with the students. Management of learning styles depends with the students’ level of understanding, the number of students in the classroom, and the communication level. Learning styles make an analysis of life experiences and personal connection. The teacher uses different learning styles such as the use of visuals, guest speakers, field trips and hand-on experience (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). Active participation Setting lessons and activities in-group targets comes with involving the students into the learning program. English language learners benefit from modeling and reinforcing different learning structures. Peer interaction in the classrooms elevates the growth of the classroom as a whole. Targeting a student population involves using authentic and meaningful language. Language success in the classroom allows to language and academic growth. Active participation through interaction gives the students a chance to develop and understand the different cultures. Positive cross-cultural activities enable students to learn the diversity of languages and cultures presented in the classroom. Programs that separate students based on language dominance create a division of cultures. Students interact in various aspects including Social Studies, Technology, Art and Drama. Through interaction and cultural knowledge, students learn the difference cultures presented in the classroom. Active participation stimulates self-confidence amongst students. Students learning through groups interact more, gaining understanding on different levels of communicating with each other. Student learn best when they are involved through communicating. Activities in interdisciplinary causes more understanding if the teacher uses interaction. The activities involve integration and joint participation. Peer interaction motivates collaborative learning through the mixed groupings in the content and language used. Participation is through pairing the students in pairs, small groups of triads. This facilitates the learning of linguistic and instructional demands of learners. Social theorist analyze that students learn more when teachers use active participation (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). Are there things that can be done that wouldn’t cost more money? Reforms in public schools can be carried out in different aspects including learning strategies in specific areas of the lesson and development of thinking skills and transfer process. Learning strategies in specific areas of the lesson A lesson consists of different areas including the introduction, the main study, practical and analysis. The different sections have different set learning strategies while implemented. Content are instruction comes with analysis of three goals. The “goals of integrated instruction” analyze learning strategies using the language, content and general skill goals. Content goals strategies involve conceptual learning of skills and knowledge requires in the specific areas of the lessons. Language goals strategies involve use of precise vocabulary words and patterns use in constructing sentences that communicate. Acquiring general skill goals strategies means students attaining skills that promote the taught language and content. The strategy of using content at different levels involves learning how to communicate in the subject language. Students learn to communicate using the content and concepts hence constructing relevant meanings. Subject matter strategy allows students to communicate using concepts and content in a meaningful construction. This is not through drills isolated at the end of the lessons. Learning content ensures learners to produce meaningful and purposeful contexts of learning. Instructional approaches involve the use of strategies that use progression of abstract thinking. Students learn to communicate in oral and written languages. Specific areas of study involve learning through thematic and interdisciplinary approaches allowing students to translate concepts in different areas. Through strategy analysis of aspects, students learn to relate theory on practical aspects (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). Development of thinking skills and transfer process Acquiring development of thinking skills and transfer process takes place through a set curriculum. The aim is to acquire comprehension through reading and interpreting. A reader interacting with the text constructs a meaning only if they develop the skills and transfer process. The ability to understand and interpret a given meaning comes with the curriculum set and the display. Reading uses texts but through discussions, point of views, main ideas and interpretation enables a student to develop thinking skills. The skills acquiring process occurs when teachers check for accuracy when students summarize information. A student enhances the abilities to acquire information, arrange events, come to conclusions and review points of views. The students in different levels of study enhance their readability context through gaining cognitive ability in a second language. Students still interact with groups creating more interaction levels while ensuring they relate to personal experience. Acquiring and developing skills comes through reading and observing the given topic. The teacher ensures growth of students by reducing the gap between students. Breaching the gap enables the student to read and record the texts effectively. Students improve on locating and processing of written information while maintaining the purpose of reading and learning strategies. Comprehension strategies assists in developing and acquiring skills needed to relate to different cultures. Students discover a better understanding of thoughts and ideas to relate to in different backgrounds (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). What keeps schools (districts, the state, etc.) from fixing the problems that exist in the schools? The schools go through a series of changes involving students’ empowerment and parental involvement. Student empowerment Student empowerment improves the attitude acquired by individuals. Using small target populations, students acquire confidence in reading and interpreting information. Students get knowledge on the important aspects in life maintaining a clear formality in assuring their self- motivation. Equality gained through English learning language assists students with interaction with their teacher. Teachers provide students with formulating strategies require analyzing content material and instruction. Through studying and interacting active model listening skills, students are empowered to maintain eye contact with the speaker. Eye contact ensures students interpretation of gestures used while talking. Teachers direct students on using textbooks, referential material or the environment while interpreting theory taught in class. Students’ empowerment enables them relate with their immediate environment as they acquire and develop the skills. Students learn to take notes, present outlines or seek information from their teachers. Enhanced communication levels enhance confidence to communicate amongst their friends. Students improve on communication and the ability to link with peers through gaining confidence of study. Student empowerment enhances teacher-student interaction with equality at all levels. Setting a curriculum that provides students to equal access to the lessons and activities requires mediated structures, and academic interventions. Empowering new students to react to proficiency create a cycle of complete and proficient students. Empowered students are motivated to continue growing and managing different learning programs (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). Parental involvement Involving parents in making decisions that concern their children is vital in analysis. Parents and teachers unite to shape the behavior of children. A critical aspect in the development of content learning and language comes through setting an environment that assures communication. Ensure students get room for negotiation in situation molds the character. Parents help in giving teachers information on the child’s cultures and language study levels. Information gathered assists teachers in grouping students into manageable groups. While ensuring that the students participate, it is vital for the teacher to initiate participation among students. In collaboration with the parents, Teachers help students express their ideas, needs, intentions and thoughts. The teacher understands the students hence enhance their ability to interact and communicate with individuals. Building communication skills of children improves the children chances of formulating life strategies. Refined communication skills of a student’s acquire by gaining interest in personal skills by the parent and teachers. Strategy building makes information known to the teacher and the parent concerning the strengths and weaknesses of the students. Teachers build on the strengths to counter the weaknesses. These strategies include negotiation of verbal and non-verbal communication. This assists in expanding the knowledge of the student in relation to the environment. Parents’ involvement assures the growth and development of skills developed by the student (Turnbull, Turnbull, & Wehmeyer, 2008). Conclusion American public schools receive large amounts of funding which allows then to build latest facilities. The schools are able to purchase equipment’s that are not available in private or homeschools. Public schools provide students with a variety of teachers. Students may be assigned with one class teacher, but have additional teachers to handle different students. Public schools provide students with a diverse curriculum including clubs. This opportunity provides the students to engage in diverse opportunity. Reference Turnbull, A., Turnbull, H. R., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2008). Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today's Schools. New York: Prentice Hall. Read More