Blog 6

1.  Following the resignation of Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, I spoke with President Obama and offered him the following pieces of advice:

a.  Dismantle the Department of Education.
With the money saved:
b.  Provide Federal incentives for students in order to graduate in low performing schools.
c.  Lower/eliminate income tax for teachers.
d.  Incentives for better nutrition in school.
e.  Subsidize professional development for teachers.


2.  Ravitch has been meaningful to me because she has created a platform for me from which to argue.  I feel strongly about some of the things she has written and I have done my best to poke holes in her arguments.  For example, regarding San Diego:  Ravitch gave only one side of the argument.  What did the Board members say that agreed with the Superintendent?  What were their reasons for agreement?  What other measurables existed that may have been used to tell a different story?  Using measurables to account for learning is very hard to do in a large scale.  It can be used for and against you.

3.  As a teacher, I can do my best in the classroom everyday with the students entrusted to my care.  Teachers cannot get bogged down by the problems at-large.  If they do, they are doing their students a disservice.  As a citizen, I can get involved in school board meetings or get on the board of an educational foundation.  I can advocate for educational initiatives that I feel strongly about.

4.
a.)   www.socialstudies.org - National Council for the Social Studies

• Democratic principles and values: the very foundation of social studies
• Diversity and Inclusiveness: The organization affirms cultural diversity, combats discrimination, and recognizes multiple perspectives
• Global Interconnectedness: an understanding of the relationships between and among peoples and countries around the globe
• Intellectual excellence: rigorous thought and inquiry
• Open and reasoned civil discourse: an environment conducive to airing a variety of opinions and views in a respectful manner
• Pursuit of Knowledge: the shared desire for continuous learning and improvement
• Altruism and Commitment: compassionate, ethical, collaborative, and service-oriented citizens

b.)  http://www.uft.org/committees/atss - Association of Teachers of Social Studies 

The mission of the Association of Teachers of Social Studies/UFT is to provide a network through which Social Studies educators and other related professionals can advocate for Social Studies education and share scholarship, information, strategies and practices related to those issues that are both important and relevant to Social Studies instruction.

5. 

a.) Experiential Resources

i.  local history programs/curriculum for high schools in Bay Area

ii.  subsidized field trips

iii.  shadowing opportunities

iv.  intern opportunities

v.  high school - elementary school partnerships for student mentors

b.)  Books by Kevin Starr (state historian)

i.  Americans and the California Dream

ii.  Inventing the Dream: California through the Progressive Era

iii. Material Dreams: Southern California through the 1920's

iv. Endangered Dreams: California through the Great Depression

v.  Cost of Dreams: California on the Edge

c.)  Journals

i.  The Journal of the California Historical Society
A quarterly journal published by CHS since 1922, California History features illustrated articles by leading scholars and writers focusing on California and the West from pre-Columbian to recent times. The journal regularly features compelling essays augmented by content-rich images, book reviews, CHS collections, and commentary—all examining the ongoing dialogue between the past and the present.

ii.  The History Teacher, currently in its 45th volume, is the most widely recognized journal in the United States devoted to the teaching of history. Published quarterly (released in November, February, May, and August), it features informative and inspirational peer-reviewed analyses of traditional and innovative teaching techniques in the primary, secondary, and higher education classroom.
d.) National Conferences
i.  The World History Association Conference:
http://www.thewha.org/future_wha_conferences.php

ii.  National Council for History Education Conference:
http://www.nche.net/conference


e.)  Places in world I should visit relative to my content area: For comparison, the development of wine regions of the world
i. France
ii. Italy
iii.  South Africa
iv. Chile
v.  Portugal