During this semester we have learned about numerous different critical issues in education, which are still ongoing today. We will all encounter a scenario with numerous of these issues in our careers, but now we have the knowledge on how to deal with or counteract these issues with the information and resources provided to us. Whether it be making our classroom a more welcoming environment or implementing mindfulness strategies into our day-to-day lives, I can say for certain we have all learned valuable knowledge from not only the modules but each other as well. Reading each other’s posts each week has helped me gain a new perspective on the topic at hand, further developing my own opinions. I hope everyone had a great semester and I wish you all the best with your academic careers!
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Image from: https://twitter.com/thatsawrapshow
Part One:
Teaching our students goes beyond being in the classroom, as community outreach is crucial to a student’s career. Establishing a connection with the students and parents could be the difference between a student continuing their education or dropping out early. The best way to establish this connection is through establishing an open line of communication with parents. For example, setting up parent-teacher conferences, phone calls, emails, or weekly reviews for parents to look through can help give them a better insight into how their child is doing in the classroom (American Federation of Teachers, 2007). However, many parents may be unable to make in-person meetings due to work or other personal conflicts, so teachers could get creative with establishing an open line. They can use apps such as Remind, where teachers can send mass text messages to whoever has signed up to receive them (Provenzano, 2016). However, there may be obstacles along the way. If you are in a school with a high population of ELLs, their parents may not understand English, making communication difficult. However, if provided with good resources, such as translators or even reaching out to the parent in general, it makes a huge difference. Most parents want to be involved in their child’s education, such as discussing homework and offering support, which the teacher can help do by opening that important connection (Reading and Beyond, 2011). I got to see how this connection is established in my own community when I attended the Levittown Public Schools Board of Education meeting. They hold these meetings once a month to allow the public to voice their opinions on happenings in the district, in this meeting were many complaints about a certain rule that gambled with their student’s current seats in Pre-K. However, the meeting was delayed because the board wanted to recognize students who were awarded for the past winter sports season as well as one of the high school’s valedictorian ceremonies. The room itself was also decorated with artwork from one of the middle schools, which one of the board members took the chance to point out to the people in attendance.
Part Two:
After reading and watching the content for this week, I have an idea of how I want to communicate with my students and their families. I like the idea of opening a Remind, in which I would make one for students, and the other for parents only to give each group information that is relevant to them. If any parents feel as if they are unsure of what they could ask me, I would provide them with example questions such as “How will you respond if or when my child struggles in class?” or “What are the best school or district resources that we should consider using as a family to support our child in the classroom?” (Heick, 2013). I want to establish that parents and students are more than welcome to talk to me about anything they feel is concerning them or just to chat about how their day has been, as high school students may need that feeling from their teacher if they are going through issues because it will help with their overall well-being, as high school can be challenging for students to through not just academically, but emotionally as well (Greater Good in Education, n.d.). 
Image from: https://merithub.com/article/tips-for-teachers-to-build-relationships-with-parents-c7e7hvst2n9l28ne18tg
References
American Federation of Teachers (2007). Building Parent-Teacher Relationships. Washington D.C.: American Federation of Teachers. https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/parent-engagement/articles/building-parent-teacher-relationships
Greater Good in Education (n.d.). Positive Family and Community Relationships. Greater Good in Education. https://ggie.berkeley.edu/school-relationships/positive-family-community-relationships/
Heick, T. (2016, August 24). Parents: 19 Meaningful Questions you should Ask your Child’s Teacher. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/19-questions-for-parents-terry-heick
Provenzano, N. (2016, August 30). Tech-Enhanced Parent Engagement. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tech-enhanced-parent-engagement-nicholas-provenzano
Reading and Beyond. (2011, April 22). ELL Parent Involvement [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-aLWOk9Og&list=PLvzOwE5lWqhRPzheyprYHcA8SZl9Qvnpz&index=4
The debate over technology, specifically cell phone usage in the classroom is constantly being argued, with advocates of both sides feeling very strongly about their respective opinions. Some believe that social media is ruining our lives and we have become so connected to our phones and social media, which has been designed to specifically get us addicted to using the sites and gaining “likes” on them, therefore phones should be outright banned in schools (Willett, 2019). However, others will say that instead of banning phone use, there should be a better plan to control students using their phones, even saying that they could be beneficial to the learning experience (Klein, 2019).
In my opinion, I think that schools should not outright ban phones in schools, as there is a benefit to technology integration in the classroom. For example, teachers can design specific lessons that combine technology and learning in a healthy way, such as by having students create social media accounts for historical figures and reenacting what they learned about them (Previte, 2020). Technology and cell phone usage can also be used in the classroom to teach lessons through websites such as Nearpod or Peardeck which require students to take an active role in the lesson through interactive features the teacher can implement into the lesson. As our society continues to become more reliant on technology and develop and improve upon existing technology, I do not see any reason why schools should be outright banning cell phones from schools. Instead, they could promote healthy usage of social media to students.
It is an unrealistic view to think that students will adhere to cell phone or social media bans at school. Instead, teachers should aim to guide their students with healthy social media habits to follow. The Tips for Healthy Social Media Use for Parents and Teens, give simple, yet helpful tips such as telling teens to not post when they are feeling strong emotions, setting time limits on certain apps such as Instagram or TikTok if they are feeling increasingly reliant, or ditching their phone when hanging out with friends or family so they do not feel the urge to check it (Tips for Healthy Social Media Use: For Parents and Teens, 2023). By promoting these healthy behaviors, teens will be more likely to pick up on them and set them to use in their own lives, which will make a difference in the long run.
References
Klein, A. (2019, September 6). Schools say no to cell phones. But is it a smart move? Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/technology/schools-say-no-to-cellphones-in-class-but-is-it-a-smart-move/2019/09
Previte, A. (2020, Febuary 4). Harnessing the Influence of Social Media in the Classroom. Resilient Educator. https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/harnessing-social-media-classroom/
Tips for Healthy Social Media Use: For Parents and Teens (2023, January 20). University of Utah Health. https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2023/01/tips-healthy-social-media-use-parents-and-teens
Willett, R. (Director). (2019). Plugged-In: The Toxicity of Social Media Revealed. [YouTube Video]. Brick in the Wall Media.
Image from: https://www.teachthought.com/technology/6-ways-social-media-will-change-classroom/
For this post, I reviewed Stanford Medicine, Safety First’s lesson on Cannabis usage. The lesson itself is a Canva slideshow that can be broken down into three sections: an explanation of what Cannabis is and the various methods it can be used, the benefits and harms that come out of Cannabis usage, and harm reduction strategies. Along with the slideshow is a Kahoot game, a facilitator guide, talking points that break down each slide and give pointers on what to say, and a short discussion guide to hand out to students at the end. I like how the lesson goes in-depth on the differences between Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid strains as well as how different ways of smoking or consuming Cannabis affect your body in different ways. This would be beneficial to me as a future secondary educator because I think many middle and high school students do not exactly realize the different types of highs you experience from smoking a joint compared to consuming an edible. Another aspect of the lesson I liked was how they gave small clips of what exactly happens when smoking or ingesting Cannabis, along with a description of what could happen if you choose to smoke or consume Cannabis.
Although the lesson is strong, there are some things I would change or add to it, further strengthening the impact of it. For example, I would take out the video included about Cannabis and COVID-19 and instead briefly discuss the legalities surrounding Cannabis. As it is slowly becoming more legalized in the country, I feel as if students should know the laws about it that are specific to the area I will teach in. A weakness I spotted in the presentation is that it only briefly mentioned being wary of receiving tampered Cannabis and saying to be weary of it having high levels of THC. I would instead elaborate on this but replace high levels of THC with Fentanyl. Deaths by Fentanyl increase due to people doing any type of drug, not knowing they have been laced with the deadly drug. I want my students to be aware of this high risk if they choose to experiment or use Cannabis since most of the time these students do not know the exact source of where the drugs are coming from.
Stanford Medicine, Safety First’s lesson on Cannabis usage is a strong one that would be great to teach middle and high school students but could be improved upon to make it a more effective lesson.
References
Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab. (n.d.). Safety First – Lesson 7. Stanford Medicine. https://med.stanford.edu/halpern-felsher-reach-lab/preventions-interventions/Safety-First/safety-first-lesson-7.html
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References
Long, R. (director/ producer). (2012) Room To Breathe [film]. ZAP Zoetrope Aubry Productions.
Schwartz, K. (2019). Nine ways to ensure your mindfulness teaching is trauma informed. KQED Mindshift. LinkLinks to an external site.
NY Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks- Equity Revisions (2022 November 14). New York State Department of Education.https://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/documents/SELBenchmarks2022.pdf
Why is Mindfulness Needed in Education. (n.d.). Mindful Schools. LinkLinks to an external site.
Freeport UFSD
Number of Students
6,342
Financial Transparency
Proposed budget as of 2023-24: $238,750,337
Class Size
12:1 student-to-teacher ratio
4-Year Graduation Rate
90%
Standardized Test Scores (ELA and Math, include % taking the tests)
Grade 3 ELA: 43% scored level 3 (proficient) or level 4 (advanced proficient)
Grade 3 Math: 59% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 4 ELA: 42% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 4 Math: 63% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 5 ELA: 25% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 5 Math: 36% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 6 ELA: 46% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 6 Math: 43% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 7 ELA: 28% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 7 Math: 17% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 8 ELA: 45% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 8 Math: 17% scored level 3 or 4
Grade 8 Science: 41% scored level 3 or 4
Total elementary/middle ELA %: 72.1
Total elementary/ middle Math %: 70%
Accountability Status
Local support and improvement made in progress
Per Pupil Spending
$25,263
Ethnicity
71% Hispanic or Latino (4,496)
21% Black or African American (1,360)
4% White (280)
2% Multiracial (105)
1% Asian or Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander (81)
0% American Indian or Alaska Native (20)
Median Household Income
$100,507
Average Property/School Taxes
8.63% property tax
16.33% school tax
Average Home Price
$510,000
After watching the documentary and seeing the stories of Roque, Kasey, and Anthony, I felt very disheartened from seeing their situations, but also hopeful that there is potential for students who were previously homeless to be on the path to success in their lives. Two themes I noticed while watching it as well as reading the two articles I chose are that homelessness affects marginalized youth the most, but there is also hope for these students and they will be able to get themselves into better circumstances.
Homelessness amongst youth has been rising in numbers, with a jump from 54,030 in 2009 to 95,723 in 2017 12th graders classified as homeless (Cai, 2020). Seeing this reminded me of how many of the shelters in the film were forced to turn children away at night simply because there was not enough room to comfortably house everyone as well as another house having a six-month waiting list to get inside (De Mare, Kelly, and Taber, 2014). Amongst this group is a high concentration of LGBT, minorities, and children with disabilities, with some living out of cars or sleeping on couches (Cai, 2020). As seen in the documentary with Kasey’s story, she left home due to the immense amount of homophobia she faced from her mother and grandmother because she identified as a lesbian, she then moved into a shelter and then got kicked out due to breaking curfew (De Mare, Kelly, and Taber, 2014). Roque’s story is also a truth for many children as we
ll, with their parents getting deported and then being forced out of their home or living situation. Seeing their situations reminded me of Pearl Jam’s Even Flow, which is a song narrating the life of a homeless man living on the street. The lyrics “Oh, someday yet, he’ll begin his life again, life again life again” (Pearl Jam, 1992) mean that this man wishes to help himself get back on his feet and reclaim his life once again, despite his current situation.
The next theme I observed from the documentary and article is that there is still hope and happiness to be found, despite these dark situations the children are in. New York State is awarding certain districts with grant awards, with some worth over $500,000 to help the large amount of homeless youth in their districts (O’Hare, 2022). This month is being put to creating tutoring and health care services in their districts so their students have access to these programs free of charge. In the documentary, it warmed my heart to see the kids bond together over playing games, creating songs, or ju
st talking with each other. I was also happy to see the end of Roque, Kasey, and Anthony’s stories, with each of them taking steps in the direction they want to go in, whether it be attending college or being able to live in their own apartment (De Mare, Kelly, and Taber, 2014). This amount of hope and happiness reminded me of Dr. Seuss’ “Oh the Places You’ll Go!”, the book about how you will end up where you want yourself to be, surrounded by people you want to be by, reminding me of Anthony saying how he cut off a lot of his friends who weren’t supportive of him trying to better himself.
Homeless students and youth are an ongoing epidemic that must be solved, whether it be through monetary or housing solutions, but hope is a strong feeling that can be seen in any situation, no matter how grim.
Image from https://hopegrows.org/news/why-is-hope-so-important/
References
Cai, J. (2020, July 27). Homeless Students in Public Schools Across America: Down but Not Out. National School Boards Association. https://www.nsba.org/Perspectives/2021/homeless-students
De Mare, A., Kelly, K., & Taber, K. (Producers), & De Mare, A., & Kelly, K. (Directors). (2014). The homestretch [Streaming video]. United States: Bullfrog Films.
Dr. Seuss. (1990, January 22). Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. https://benavidez5thgrade.weebly.com/uploads/8/6/7/3/86734958/oh-the-places-youll-go-by-dr-seuss.pdf
New York State Education Department. (2022, August 17). New York State Department of Education Awards $7.1 Million in Federal Grants to Programs Supporting Homeless Students. http://www.nysed.gov/news/2022/new-york-state-education-department-awards-71-million-federal-grants-programs-supporting
Pearl Jam. (1991). Even Flow
. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxKWTzr-k6s
This week, I got to learn more about Anxiety Disorder, specifically Panic Disorder. As future educators, it is our job to be prepared to help students with many mental health issues, as this one has deadly potential. As I have experienced panic attacks, they made me feel as if there is an imminent danger nearby, with heart pains that could rival that of a heart attack. Sometimes I would be alone and had no idea how to calm myself down from having a panic attack, wishing someone would be there to help. This is where we can come in as educators, with the proper training and knowledge that can help our students if they experience a panic attack in our classroom. No student deserves to be left behind, especially the ones who are most vulnerable and experience this disorder.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1i4ctpdFa7gGzEd-iXUIQDCYlkEdqxW8Pp5Sab5QslXE/edit?pli=1#slide=id.g2b84e93ae4a_0_0
References
Conditions, Anxiety Disorders (n.d.). National Alliance on Mental Health. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions
Hasan, S. (2023, June). Panic Disorder Factsheet (for Schools). KidsHealth. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/panic-factsheet.html
Panic Attacks and Panic Disorders. (2018, May 4). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
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References
Countering Hate Speech Online (n.d.). Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/lesson/countering-hate-speech-online
Dupej, H. & Embry, M. (2020). Dark cloud: The high cost of cyberbullying. TELUS Wise.
Tips for Teachers: Warning Signs a Child is Being Cyberbullied or is Cyberbullying. (2021, May 21). stopbullying.gov. https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/tips-for-teachersLinks to an external site.
Wilkey Oh, E. (2019, March 25). Teachers’ Essential Guide to Cyberbullying Prevention. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-cyberbullying-preventionLinks to an external site.
Image from: Campus Safety Magazine https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/webcast/how-to-prevent-and-respond-to-targeted-school-violence/
The first ever lockdown drill I can remember was when I was in first grade. My teacher was trying to quiet us down as we students were more confused rather than scared of the situation happening. Throughout the years of elementary through high school, I soon learned the real reason behind the drills, seeing endless news stories of school shootings, protests, the “thoughts and prayers” given, and empty promises by lawmakers to make change, just for the cycle to repeat again.
While reading through the article from Pew Research, I was surprised to learn how popular the support for metal detectors in schools was, with 79% of teens being in favor of them (Graff, 2018). I understand that the metal detectors do keep the students, but would this impact their mental health? It almost seems like a prison environment with having students go through metal detectors just for them to get an education. This also reminded me of one scene from the documentary that showed an administrator showing how switching schools over to uniforms can be effective in preventing school violence because it gives students less of a chance to hide weapons in baggier pants (Moore, 2002). These two policies are similar because they both directly impact the student, whether it be through a uniform or requiring students to go through metal detectors. Although I have not had direct experiences with either of these while in school, I have heard of installing metal detectors in schools before, it just makes me question why it falls more on the schools to protect their students, meanwhile actual legislation that could be put in place fails to get passed after every school shooting that happens in this country. Yes the schools themselves should always have the student’s safety in their best interest, but it is upsetting to see the same thing occur over and over again.
I was not surprised to hear that from a survey given by the CDC, 9% of high school students have not gone to school for at least one day in fear of their safety being threatened at school (CDC, 2021). I vividly remember one day in high school when our school got a threat from a student on social media saying that he was going to come to school with a gun and shoot up the school. On that day, there were not many people at school because of how afraid everyone was of that threat becoming true, as well as an increased police presence that day, with officers in and outside the school on the chance that something would happen. Luckily, nothing happened and the student was taken in for disciplinary action by the school. This student was bullied by many others at school, which is also an attribute believed to be why the two Columbine shooters did what they did (Curwin, 2013). The topic of bullying and relating it to school violence has always had a correlation, in which if a student is more heavily bullied and exiled by their peers, the more likely they are to commit a violent crime at school.
As a future educator, I want to do my best to make my students feel safe and welcome at school, despite all of the violence they see on the news, which makes them and Americans in general feel more unsafe and suspicious of others (Moore, 2002). If I notice a student being heavily picked on, I will guide them to the resources they need to help with any mental health issues, as well as report any behavior I find suspicious. Hopefully, by the time I become a teacher, I will not have to worry about the threats of shootings any longer, but for now, I do.
References:
Graf, N. (2018, April). A majority of U.S. teens fear a shooting could happen at their school, and most parents share their concern. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/04/18/a-majority-of-u-s-teens-fear-a-shooting-could-happen-at-their-school-and-most-parents-share-their-concern/Links to an external site.
Moore, M. (Producer & Director) (2002). Bowling for Columbine [Film]. United States: Dog Eat Dog Productions/ YouTube https://watchdocumentaries.com/bowling-for-columbine/
Preventing school violence. (2019). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/schoolviolence/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Fyouthviolence%2Fschoolviolence%2Findex.html
Curwin, Richard. (2013, January). Crossing the Rubicon: Violence Comes to School. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/crossing-rubicon-violence-in-schools-richard-curwin