Cheating Scandal In Atlanta Public Schools

I recently read an upsetting article which was about a cheating scandal in Atlanta public schools. In short, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that teachers and principals erased and corrected mistakes on students’ answer sheets. Area superintendents silenced whistle-blowers and rewarded subordinates who met academic goals by any means possible. As a result, throughout a decade, low scores on state curriculum tests increased high enough to bring national acclaim.

At initial read, this article was hard to believe. I understand that there are pressures by the nation, the state, and the district for schools to perform well on standardized tests. However, instead of putting all that energy into dishonesty, administrators and teachers should have been focusing on how to better prepare and educate the students.

I feel that the students were given a huge disservice, and the adults in this district made a very poor decision with tremendous effects on many. As educators, we not only teach academics, but we strive to teach our students to make wise decisions, to live in honesty, to act with integrity, and to always try our best. The actions of the select educators in this district set a very poor and disappointing example to not only the students of this district, but to the student of the nation. I truly hope from this situation that discussions arise about the pressure associated to scoring well on tests, and that this can be a learning experience for all.  

Games and Learning

From reading research articles by James Gee, I have become aware of the benefits, which games can bring to learning. Not only do most students enjoy playing games, it has been proven that games can help students gain a deeper understanding for the concept being taught. The central paradox of deep learning explains that it will not work to try to merely tell new learners everything. Learners will not be able to fully understand concepts and retain the information being taught if they are simply spoken to. Instead, Gee’s research states that games can be used to help students experience what is being taught. With that said, Gee is not speaking of any random game. The game being utilized as a learning tool needs to be one that has a specific educational goal, and one that is mindfully chosen and assessed by the teacher.  

Gee conducted a study using a game called Supercharged! which had outcomes to prove that games can improve the students’ understanding. The experimental group outperformed the control group in that they were better able to recall the information using examples from the experiences they encountered during the game. This shows that incorporating games into academic subjects such as science can help students recall, transfer and better comprehend concepts. 

Teachers can utilize games in their classrooms to supplement their lessons and help students understand better through visual and experimental presentations. Additionally, students engage in deep learning through activities and experiences more than mere facts and information alone. 

Current Parenting Strategies in Relation to a Teacher's Past Experiences and Culture

As I have been working in the elementary school setting in Irvine, I have come to conclude that culture plays somewhat of a part in parenting styles, expectations and outlook on education. I have observed that majority of the students have support at home and a structured set of expectations. However, there are also a handful of students in every class who do not seem to have an established set of expectations in the home setting. As a result, I feel that the students come to school in the classroom setting without the exposure to structure, rules, and/or consequences. 

In the Korean culture, a teacher is an individual who is respected and looked up to. Having parents who immigrated from Korea, whatever my teacher said, went. If the teacher said I needed to improve in a certain area, that same day, I was enrolled in an after-school learning center or a private tutor was hired. If I had any sort of behavior issue, I had serious consequences at home and an apology letter to the teacher would be mandatory. If the homework assignment was to read for 20 minutes a day, I had to read for an hour. 

With that said, now that I am a teacher, I am recognizing that my mentality on education, teachers, and school differ from many of the students I have who are apart of a different generation.  I feel that some of the differences are attributed to the fact that I was raised in America with Korean parents with the same culture and values of Korea.  I do see similarities to how I was raised in other Korean-American students. However, there are also those students who have outrageous behaviors which I find to be mind boggling.   When I was younger, saying, "No, I don't want to" to an authority figure would have never been an option. Screaming and/or throwing a fit would have never been an option. However, now those actions can be observed in most classrooms. Not only can it be seen in the classroom, but it can be seen in how the children respond and interact with their parents at school. From my experiences, I understand that a teachers role is to educate students. However, I also feel that because some parents aren't providing their children with distinct outlines of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, it has also become the teachers job to do so. 

It could be that I feel this way because of my culture and experiences. Other educators may not agree. However, I think that all students should be raised with respect for their teachers and parents, which should be exemplified in their actions at school and home. 

My Open-ended Educational Related Thoughts

For the past week, I have had so much going on! There has been many assignments due for the Masters program. On top of that, I started teaching summer school in Irvine for 27 kindergarteners. Watching that many four and five year olds is hard work! I arrive at the school site around 7:30am until noon, then have class from 1pm until 7pm. It has been a bit overwhelming trying to juggle planning and preparing my lessons as well as trying to make it to class on time, being attentive and engaged while in class, and staying awake at night trying to complete all the assignments which are due. I wish I had weekends to spend doing my classwork, but unfortunately I have personal reasons to why I can not. This packed schedule of mine helps me practice managing my time as efficiently as possible. =)

In class, I have been learning a lot which I can apply to the classroom. In EDUC207, I learned a lot from reading many research articles about basic math facts. Basic math fact fluency is critical to learn and something that all elementary school teachers should be trained to teach successfully. The professor is the creator of the FactWise Program, and at the school I use to work for, I was the FactWise teacher. I like learning about the research behind FactWise because I can relate to all that is being taught by thinking back to my experiences. In EDUC240, I have been learning so much about Google Docs, blogging, and so much more which I feel is very relative to the classroom setting. In the past few classes, I have learned so much and I am excited to see what else I can learn which can be applied in the classroom setting. 

Although my life is currently hectic with all that is going on, I am glad that I have a job, and that I am able to gain knowledge which can be directly applied to my profession. 

ED 240- Technology in my educational experience!

Looking back at my educational experience, I don't recall using much technology  in the classroom. In the primary grades, I remember enjoying and listening to audio books on a cassette tape player with headphones. I remember listening and reading along to Frog and Toad are Friends. It use to be my favorite story, and I believe that I have the audio book to thank for that. My experience listening to a prerecorded person reading the story made it so much more enjoyable than listening to the familiar voice of the classroom teacher. At the upper-grade and secondary levels, I do not recall being able or required to type out papers or even having a computer lab. It was through AOL and chat rooms during middle school where I learned how to type using two fingers. Somehow those skills transformed into my current typing ability that has brought me quite far. 


During high school was when I started to type essays and use Microsoft Word. From then on, I basically learned as I was required to use various technologies to complete assignments. Many times, I would Google questions such as, "How do I change the margins on Word?" in order to learn how to utilize different tools. 


Currently, as an educator, I am impressed with all the technology available in the classrooms. Many of the students in Irvine are fortunate enough to have Document cameras, Projectors, and computers in every classroom. This also allows the teacher to supplement their lessons with streaming videos from educational websites such as United Streaming and show actual pictures of different places in our world through Google Earth. 


I am excited for the future to see how else technology enhances our educational system!