Orange County Register Story: US Holocaust Memorial Museum CA Teacher Forum

While I was participating in the Southern California Education Forum on Holocaust Education, Cameron Andrews, a writer for the Education section of the OC Register wanted to ask me questions for his upcoming article.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum California Teacher Forum / Orange County Register Story Questions

What grade(s) do you teach?
I currently hold a single-subject credential in the Social Sciences as well as a supplemental in English-Language Arts. Being a substitute teacher at the moment, I prefer to substitute at the middle or high school level.

What school do you teach at in the Irvine Unified School District (optional)?

N/A

Why are you attending the California Teacher Forum?

I am attending the California Teacher Forum on how to teach the Holocaust because I am hoping to be provided with a variety of great resources and presentations on how to approach teaching the Holocaust to students in this present day and age. Not only that, but the Forum provides lectures and information sessions from professionals whose expertise is in this delicate subject matter. Other than presentations from experts, attending the Forum will also allow me to collaborate with other teachers as well as any organizations that concentrate on Holocaust education (i.e. USC Shoah Institute for Visual History and Education, Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation, to name a few). As you can see, the California Teacher Forum offers educators, such as myself, a vital outlet of sources to share and learn from, which will benefit everyone in the long run, especially the students for whom we teach.

What are your expectations?
Since it is my first attendance in a California Teacher Forum, my expectations are mainly geared towards the question of how will I be able to teach the Holocaust to students, especially considering the many challenges educators face nowadays (which will be explained in one of the later questions). If I walk out of this event at the end of this 3-day forum knowing more about Holocaust education than when I first stepped in, then the California Teacher Forum has met my expectations. Once the Forum began on the first day, within the first few seconds of hearing Peter Fredlake, the representative for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, speak his welcoming remarks, I immediately knew that this educational forum would meet my expectations and much more.

Have you attended the California Teacher Forum before? If so, what did you like best about the experience?

No, I have never attended the California Teacher Forum before, so this was definitely an exciting experience for me. I have always been fascinated about the Holocaust (when I was a student myself and now even when I am the educator) and I know students share the same fascination. Why? Because the Holocaust is considered one of the most significant examples throughout history where we doubt humanity's love and respect for our fellow human beings and ask questions as to why we let such an atrocity occur. As for what I love best about the experience, it was definitely learning about all the available resources out there, resources I never knew existed, that would assist me when teaching about the Holocaust. These resources are not just loaded with facts and data or primary sources, but they also offer sample lesson plans and curriculum to model off of or to adapt to students. The sample lesson plans/curriculum are designed to help students improve or develop their critical thinking skills. A great example would be the testimonials by partisans, armed resistance fighters, available on the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation. This resource enforces one of the most vital aspects about teaching history--introducing multiple perspectives. Who knew there existed Jews as well as non-Jews who resisted the German forces?

What’s the biggest challenge in teaching the Holocaust to today’s students?

There are many challenges today when it comes to teaching the Holocaust to students. I believe the biggest challenge would be related to what students take from this learning experience and whether or not they took the knowledge they learned and applied it to the ethical/moral choices they make in life. This proves difficult because educators have to find a way for students to emotionally connect to the Holocaust rather than believe that it is just an event that occurred in the past full of statistical data and information to memorize and regurgitate. Students have to realize that the Holocaust is much more than that, and that is where most educators, such as myself, may come across roadblocks. We may have students from inner-city communities who have their own challenges in life and have no interest with what occurred in the past to people they never meant on the other side of the world, students from affluent communities who have trouble understanding since it is so vitally different from the environment they grew up in, or we may have a mixture of students with different backgrounds who just can not relate. They need that emotional connection to really benefit from learning about the Holocaust. How do we take Holocaust statistics and place a face on it so that the students may develop that emotional connection? Can we maybe relate it to current events around the world? Then again, that produces another challenge--making sure not to trivialize the Holocaust by comparing it to the modern day genocide that continues in the present. And if we do have a successful curriculum in our hands, will we have enough time to cover it all and still meet the national standards as well as the benchmark deadline? Many people may think that teaching the Holocaust may be simple, but teaching it EFFECTIVELY is another matter.

Anything else that you would like to add?

The Holocaust is one of the topics students truly enjoy and remember throughout their lives. As a result, educators should take this opportunity to hopefully build the moral character of our students, the future generation, through Holocaust education. I believe the Social Sciences and Language Arts are taught so students may take these teachable moments and develop into citizens who make the right choices when it comes to moral/ethical decisions they have to make it life, not only on the domestic home front but also throughout the global community.

 All the supplementary materials offered through the workshop. 

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Article submission by Cameron Andrews. 

Orange County Teacher Learns Teachable Holocaust Moments

A three-day educational forum, “11th Annual Southern California Teacher Forum on Holocaust Education: Teaching about the Holocaust” presented by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum recently in Los Angeles helped more than 120 California teachers learn how to teach the Holocaust and how to make it relevant to students who don’t think this history applies to them.

“Part of the job of teaching the Holocaust is making students aware that genocide did not stop in 1945,” said Mark Gudgel, a member of the Regional Education Corps, a group of master teachers drawn from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Teacher Fellowship Program that implements educational programming on a national level. “Our program also examines the mass killings perpetrated in Rwanda, Bosnia and Sudan in recent years.”

California is one of six states that require Holocaust education in secondary schools.

Some of the world’s most prominent experts in the Holocaust and genocide spoke to teachers to provide insight to teaching methodologies, content, and contemporary issues associated with history.

Diana Nguyen, a teacher in the Irvine Unified School District, believes the biggest challenge in teaching the Holocaust is finding a way for students to connect its lessons to their everyday lives.

“As educators we face students who may have their own challenges in life and have no interest with what occurred in the past to people they never met on the other side of the world,” said Nguyen. “We have to find a way for students to connect to the Holocaust rather than believe that it is just a past event full of statistical data and information to memorize and regurgitate.”

Teachers learned of resources such as lesson plans and curriculum, guidelines of how to present this history in a thought-provoking and responsible way, and the museum’s online free resources at http://www.ushmm.org.

“Our mission is to encourage students and teachers beyond statistics and facts to emotionally connect with individual, relatable stories of Survivors,” said Peter J. Fredlake, Director, National Outreach for Teacher Initiatives, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Tools like the online video testimonials of Survivors and identification cards profiling the experiences of people who lived in Europe during the Holocaust help students to personalize the historical events of the time.”

Nguyen sees in her students a fascination with the Holocaust and believes that this is a ripe opportunity where students may take these teachable moments and develop into citizens who make the right choices when it comes to moral and ethical decisions they have to make in life.

“The Holocaust is considered one of the most significant examples throughout history where we doubt humanity's love and respect for our fellow human beings and ask questions as to why we let such an atrocity occur.”

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Federal support guarantees the Museum’s permanent place on the National Mall, and its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors.

Article: "What Happens When a 35-Year-Old Man Retakes the SATs"

Simply HILARIOUS!!!

Link: http://deadspin.com/5893189/what-happens-when-a-35+year+old-man-retakes-the-sat

Article: L.A. Unified cuts most summer school classes

L.A. Unified cuts most summer school classes
-- Jason Song

April 15, 2011

Los Angeles school officials announced Friday that they will cancel the majority of their summer school offerings for the third year in a row because of budget shortfalls.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which is facing a nearly $400-million deficit this year, already issued preliminary layoff notices to more than 7,000 staffers earlier this spring.

Classes will still be offered starting July 6 at some high schools for some current sophomores, juniors and seniors who are either failing or need to go to adult school. Some online classes will also be available, as will meal programs at some campuses.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/04/district-cuts-summer-school-classes.html

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The possibility of summer school being offered during the summer is extremely important, especially in disadvantaged, low-income communities. There are several reasons for this importance:

1. It gives students the opportunity to catch up in their studies. 
2. It allows students a safer place to occupy their time during summer when school is not in session. This is especially useful when gang initiations are active during the summer. 
3. It keeps them off the street, out of possible trouble (not for trouble they might create, but trouble from other external forces). 

I'm just glad at least the meal programs are continuing because most of the time, those meals the schools offer might be the only decent meal the student might have for that day. As for the online classes, no comment. I just prefer face-to-face student-teacher interaction. Teaching and learning is more efficient that way.

If I was employed in LAUSD as an employee and chose the 12 month payment plan, I would have loved to offer academic workshops for free (writing workshops are my fave).

Article: LAUSD must boost graduation rates, new superintendent says

L.A. Unified's new chief outlines ambitious agenda
Supt. John Deasy promises swift, substantial and specific increases in graduation rates, attendance and test scores. Other goals target English comprehension, attendance, and suspension rates.

By Jason Song and Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times
April 16, 2011

In his first official day on the job, Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy promised swift, substantial and specific increases in graduation rates, attendance and test scores in the nation's second-largest school system.
The graduation rate must rise from 55% to 70% in four years; the percentage of middle and high school students who test as "proficient" in math must nearly double; and the percentage of students who pass courses required to attend state four-year universities must nearly triple, he said.

Other ambitious goals announced Friday apply to English comprehension, attendance and suspension rates.
If the district achieves the goals, "we've done a bit of a moon shot," Deasy said in an interview Friday. "If we come near them, we're doing great. If we don't, then we will have failed … And if we fail, we should be held accountable."

Some goals overlap with bonus clauses in Deasy's contract. He could, for example, receive a $10,000 bonus if the number of graduates rises by at least 8% in a given year.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reiterated Friday that he would pursue measures to support changes in the school district aimed at rapid academic improvement.

Speaking to a downtown meeting of California newspaper publishers, the mayor said he would lobby for changes in state law that would alter the rules for evaluating teachers and for granting tenure to teachers.
He also wants state laws amended so that layoffs, when necessary, occur based on instructors' performance rather than seniority.

School board member Yolie Flores said she thinks Deasy's targets are reachable, even during an ongoing budget crisis.

"I don't want to be naïve … but it's doable if he has the right team around him," she said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lausd-20110416,0,1358742.story

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These ambitions all have great intentions--we want the best for our students, we want them to do well in school, and we want them to strive for higher education after graduating from secondary school. 

My concern is if it can all be achieved within four years. In my opinion, it is definitely not doable unless dramatic changes within the school system itself occurs. First of all, with all the budget cuts within education recently, the quality of education our students will receive will eventually decrease in quality. There will be less resources available for students, less teachers which might create larger class size, and less community involvement with non-profit organizations readily available (i.e. after-school programs, etc.). Secondly, to make high achievement inevitable, certain actions might take place. For example, "dumbing down" the curriculum will result in more students passing and graduating high school. "Teaching to the test" to ensure students score at least proficient on the standardized tests is also another option. As all educators know, "dumbing down" the curriculum and "teaching to the test" do not help our students in the long run. "Dumbing down" the curriculum, in  a sense, give the students the assumption that we do not have high expectations for them. We all know that if we have high expectations for our students, they are more likely to achieve at a higher level compared to having low expectations or no expectations at all. As for "teaching to the test," if we emphasize the importance of the results of standardized tests, then it won't allow many teachers to be creative. Also, with so much emphasis on standardized test scores nowadays, teachers rarely have the time to teach more productive and worthwhile lesson plans that will help our students develop critical thinking skills, critical thinking skills needed to survive college life. 

Plus, other than dramatic changes within the school system, the community also has to do their part in creating a safe environment for our students to live in. The environment at home can be an extremely important factor  in student achievement. If they have too many stressful situations to worry about in their personal lives (i.e. crime rates, supporting the family financially, loss of loved ones, etc), then most likely, their education is not going to take priority. Ensuring that our students live in a safe, learning-friendly environment at home can not be achieved within four years. 

Overall, even though the goals might be difficult and far out of reach, there is that possibility however minuscule it might be. Passionate teachers make a difference. Passionate teachers are capable of creating miracles within the classroom, within the school, and within the students. If there are enough passionate teachers overachieving in their jobs, all their efforts put together, may in fact, make a difference when it comes to achieving this goal. 

Praise all passionate teachers out there!

Article: Careers that are built to last

Career #5 - Teachers
Average Pay: $53,150 to $55,150

Teachers play a vital role in shaping the futures of our children. As a teacher, you'll plan lessons, grade tests and papers, and meet with parents and school staff to discuss your students' academic progress. You may even incorporate new media into your lesson plans.
Why it's built to last: We'll need new teachers to replace retirees and to handle the growing number of students. State and local budget problems aside, the U.S. Department of Labor expects a large number of teachers to retire over the next decade. They also expect high enrollment in rapidly growing southern and western states.
How to get started: You'll need at least a bachelor's degree to get started. If you're interested in teaching in high school, consider majoring in the subject you plan to teach while you take your teacher preparation classes. Many teacher education programs include a student-teaching internship where you can get valuable classroom time with an experienced teacher.

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/careers_built_to_last.htm?kid=1G1TK

LA Times - "American teachers: A noble profession"

Teaching, the most important profession
An average high school graduate has spent 10,000 hours at school in the company of 20 teachers. It's no wonder almost everyone has a story about a teacher who changed his or her life.

By Susan Straight

April 3, 2011

At a time when teachers and their unions are under fire across the nation, my eldest daughter just had a much-anticipated interview with Teach for America. She will graduate from college in May and hopes to be a teacher in the fall.

She was worried that I'd be disappointed she didn't feel a desire for graduate school.

But I was thrilled. Since graduating from college in 1984, I've taught GED courses, English as a second language, composition at a city college and now writing and literature at a public university. I have loved every year, and I don't think there's a more important profession.

Think about it: We aren't legally mandated to spend as much time with any other kind of person as we are with teachers. An American who graduates from high school has been taught by more than 20 teachers and has spent more than 10,000 hours in their company. It's no wonder almost everyone has a story about a teacher who changed his or her life.

Still, with all the contempt and anger being hurled at teachers right now, it's alarming to be sending a daughter into the crossfire, especially when new teachers are the first to be threatened with pink slips.

The growing scorn for public school teachers is at every level of education. Teachers are blamed for bad test results, for disrespectful students, for failing schools. They are thought to be lazy, draining public coffers with their monthly salaries and pension benefits (although they actually contribute to their pensions like everyone else).

Last fall, a video posted by blogger Shannyn Moore showed Sarah Palin and her daughter Willow confronting a woman protesting during the filming of Palin's reality TV series on a fishing dock in Homer, Alaska. When Palin asks the woman about her profession, she replies that she is a teacher, and Palin and Willow, who is of high school age, exchange knowing looks. Palin turns back to the woman. "Oh — a teacher," she says, her voice oozing condescension.

This kind of conservative contempt for public school teachers began decades ago with white flight (remember the private schools that sprang up in churches and homes in the southern states during integration in the 1970s?), and it continues today. In Southern California, it can be seen in the flight of so many families to religious schools — not just the traditional Roman Catholic schools but numerous new church-affiliated facilities. I've been told by parents of students who attend private religious schools that public schools are beyond redemption, and they resent their tax dollars subsidizing poor-quality education.

Meanwhile, parents often consider their kids' teachers as mere service providers. Last fall I met a teacher at an exclusive private school on New York's Upper East Side who told me parents pressure her to ignore bad behavior, missed assignments and cheating, in the belief that nothing is more important than their children's success. One of my best friends, a second-grade teacher at the public elementary school I attended, told me about a student who consistently returns math work undone. "I don't do math," he said. "My mom says I don't have to." My friend explained: "The state says you have to do math." But the child was adamant: "My mom says I don't."

A teacher at my youngest daughter's public high school told me parents often call and email to protest assignments. My child just "isn't feeling Dickens," one said. "He needs to be reading something he can relate to."

At the very moment my daughter hopes to become a teacher, Detroit is talking about closing half its public schools. In Rhode Island, teachers are being laid off wholesale. California has issued thousands of pink slips.

All over the world, people sacrifice to send their children to school. Afghan girls are threatened yet still walk to school; Chinese children are sent to schools in faraway cities by parents desperate to give them better lives; Kenyan students study by kerosene lamp in one-room schools built by grateful parents.

Here, access to a free education is an essential part of the American dream. I was sent to kindergarten at 4 by my mother, a Swiss immigrant. She taught me to read when I was 3, worried that the school wouldn't admit me unless I was already literate. I went daily to a kind teacher who let me read advanced books in the corner. I remember her hair, her lips when her mouth moved, and her fingernails. Decades later, she remembers me, and says I told her stories.

I believe it. Because teachers are often therapists, friends, mentors, coaches, sometimes providers of food and school supplies or holders of secrets. And in that way, they are some of the most important people in children's lives.

And sometimes, despite all the disrespect that's out there, teachers are appreciated. Last week, I got an email from a Cambodian American student from San Bernardino who now teaches English in South Korea; she was writing to say thank you.

My students, many of them first-generation immigrants, have brought me gifts and invited me to their weddings and New Year celebrations. I have gotten calls of thanks from their parents. And sometimes they have called me not by my name, but by the most reverent word they could summon: Teacher.

I try to imagine my daughter in a classroom this fall, looking out at the faces of children who are thinking of numbers and letters and secrets. I remember the woman who taught me to form the alphabet, the man who taught me long division. I remember my sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Wolf, playing Cat Stevens songs on the guitar. And I wonder about the children who may one day remember my daughter's teaching, and in what ways she may have changed their lives.

Susan Straight's new novel, "Take One Candle Light a Room," is about an orphaned young man whose life is changed by teachers.

 

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-straight-teaching-20110403,0,4000050.story