Posted: Wed, Sep 9 2009, 12:10 am EDT Post subject: Re: Presidnet's back-to-school speech -- why did Cranbury censor it?
Guest wrote:
Quote:
Why did Cranbury not play the President's address to students? They didn't even bother sending a notice to parents that they were going to opt out.
Why would they send a notice to parents that they were opting out when they never sent a notice to parents about it at all?
Then those parents don't read. It was a national address intended for schools everywhere to play. Even if the backward deep South where they censored it for political reasons the schools typically notified the community of their decision.
Posted: Wed, Sep 9 2009, 12:47 am EDT Post subject: Re: Presidnet's back-to-school speech -- why did Cranbury censor it?
Guest wrote:
Guest wrote:
Quote:
Why did Cranbury not play the President's address to students? They didn't even bother sending a notice to parents that they were going to opt out.
Why would they send a notice to parents that they were opting out when they never sent a notice to parents about it at all?
Then those parents don't read. It was a national address intended for schools everywhere to play. Even if the backward deep South where they censored it for political reasons the schools typically notified the community of their decision.
Even in the deep south, parents with open minds can still replay the video online to your kids, its all over Youtube, etc. Dont let party politics or the media circus stop your kids from at least listening to someone elses point of view POV. Its a good lesson to teach them even if you dont agree with his POV, its something you can discuss with them. A mind is a terrible thing to waste, a closed mind is already wasted.
Posted: Wed, Sep 9 2009, 7:47 am EDT Post subject: Re: Presidnet's back-to-school speech -- why did Cranbury censor it?
Quote:
A mind is a terrible thing to waste, a closed mind is already wasted.
Agree!
I watched the speech and found it to be similar to my view. Kids in Cranbury school knew well about Obama even before the election.
For some unknown reason, my kids tend not to listen to their parents , but more receptive to lectures by others (e.g., the teachers). It will definitely help my kids if they watch and listen to the speech.
Menu of Classroom Activities
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(PreK-6)
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009
Before the Speech
• Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be president?
To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
• Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
If you were the president, what would you tell students?
What can students do to help in our schools?
Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.
• Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech
• As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the president trying to tell me?
What is the president asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
• Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:
What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else?
Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
• Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.
After the Speech
• Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher-paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.
• Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:
What do you think the president wants us to do?
Does the speech make you want to do anything?
Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
What would you like to tell the president?
Extension of the Speech
Teachers could extend learning by having students:
• Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.
• Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.
• Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
• Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.
• Participate in school-wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.
• Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.
• Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
• Graph individual progress toward goals.
Posted: Wed, Sep 9 2009, 8:05 am EDT Post subject: Re: Presidnet's back-to-school speech -- why did Cranbury censor it?
Here is my take from someone who disagreed. I do not like politicians speaking in the class room. My view is the same whether it is Regan, Bush or Obama. I do not disagree with the speech content, just the approach.
The President has various mediums to use including television networks. I would much rather have sat down with my kids at night to listen to him speak on the very same topic then to have him speak to kids during school hours. The other issue I do have is the original topic for the paper students were to write and while I think they did a good job revising the topic, it was clear that the original topic would have led to political discussions occurring which is inappropriate in my opinion for the smaller kids.
It is not the Presidents party or politics, but that I think a separation between public schools and politics should exist.
Menu of Classroom Activities
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(PreK-6)
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009
Before the Speech
• Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be president?
To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
• Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
If you were the president, what would you tell students?
What can students do to help in our schools?
Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.
• Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech
• As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the president trying to tell me?
What is the president asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
• Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:
What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else?
Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
• Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.
After the Speech
• Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher-paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.
• Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:
What do you think the president wants us to do?
Does the speech make you want to do anything?
Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
What would you like to tell the president?
Extension of the Speech
Teachers could extend learning by having students:
• Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.
• Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.
• Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
• Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.
• Participate in school-wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.
• Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.
• Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
• Graph individual progress toward goals.
What eactly don't you like? You didn't specify and it wasn't obvious or self-evident.
Posted: Wed, Sep 9 2009, 9:31 am EDT Post subject: Re: Presidnet's back-to-school speech -- why did Cranbury censor it?
Guest wrote:
Here is my take from someone who disagreed. I do not like politicians speaking in the class room. My view is the same whether it is Regan, Bush or Obama. I do not disagree with the speech content, just the approach.
The President has various mediums to use including television networks. I would much rather have sat down with my kids at night to listen to him speak on the very same topic then to have him speak to kids during school hours. The other issue I do have is the original topic for the paper students were to write and while I think they did a good job revising the topic, it was clear that the original topic would have led to political discussions occurring which is inappropriate in my opinion for the smaller kids.
It is not the Presidents party or politics, but that I think a separation between public schools and politics should exist.
The OP's point wasn't for or against the speech itself. The point was, it is odd the school would opt out of a program a vast majority of schools in the nation were participating in without any kind of notice on their website or letter to parents or discussion, etc. Parents are left to wonder whether this was a fully discussed decision of the school board by vote, the unilateral decision of the Mr. Haney -- and what were his grounds, personal or professional -- or was each teacher left to their own decision and does that make it more political, etc.? There was a lot of media coverage about school districts who opted out of the program and a vast majority did so for political reasons. It seems odd that our school kind of sluck their opposition under the radar by just skipping it without any notice.
Menu of Classroom Activities
President Obama’s Address to Students Across America
(PreK-6)
Produced by Teaching Ambassador Fellows, U.S. Department of Education
September 8, 2009
Before the Speech
• Teachers can build background knowledge about the President of the United States and his speech by reading books about presidents and Barack Obama. Teachers could motivate students by asking the following questions:
Who is the President of the United States?
What do you think it takes to be president?
To whom do you think the president is going to be speaking?
Why do you think he wants to speak to you?
What do you think he will say to you?
• Teachers can ask students to imagine that they are delivering a speech to all of the students in the United States.
If you were the president, what would you tell students?
What can students do to help in our schools?
Teachers can chart ideas about what students would say.
• Why is it important that we listen to the president and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?
During the Speech
• As the president speaks, teachers can ask students to write down key ideas or phrases that are important or personally meaningful. Students could use a note-taking graphic organizer such as a “cluster web;” or, students could record their thoughts on sticky notes. Younger children could draw pictures and write as appropriate. As students listen to the speech, they could think about the following:
What is the president trying to tell me?
What is the president asking me to do?
What new ideas and actions is the president challenging me to think about?
• Students could record important parts of the speech where the president is asking them to do something. Students might think about the following:
What specific job is he asking me to do?
Is he asking anything of anyone else?
Teachers? Principals? Parents? The American people?
• Students could record questions they have while he is speaking and then discuss them after the speech. Younger children may need to dictate their questions.
After the Speech
• Teachers could ask students to share the ideas they recorded, exchange sticky notes, or place notes on a butcher-paper poster in the classroom to discuss main ideas from the speech, such as citizenship, personal responsibility, and civic duty.
• Students could discuss their responses to the following questions:
What do you think the president wants us to do?
Does the speech make you want to do anything?
Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
What would you like to tell the president?
Extension of the Speech
Teachers could extend learning by having students:
• Create posters of their goals. Posters could be formatted in quadrants, puzzle pieces, or trails marked with the following labels: personal, academic, community, and country. Each area could be labeled with three steps for achieving goals in that area. It might make sense to focus first on personal and academic goals so that community and country goals can be more readily created.
• Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals. Teachers would collect and redistribute these letters at an appropriate later date to enable students to monitor their progress.
• Write goals on colored index cards or precut designs to post around the classroom.
• Interview one another and share goals with the class to create a supportive community.
• Participate in school-wide incentive programs or contests for those students who achieve their goals.
• Write about their goals in a variety of genres, such as poems, songs, and personal essays.
• Create artistic projects based on the themes of their goals.
• Graph individual progress toward goals.
I did not post this and this is the first time I have seen this. I am not a teacher nor do I have kids in school yet. However, based on the above my only concern is does this detract from what time the teacher does have to get the regular lessons accomplished. I could see how this may fit in with older children, but k-4 or k-5 I think this may be too distracting from the core.
Posted: Wed, Sep 9 2009, 9:57 am EDT Post subject: Re: Presidnet's back-to-school speech -- why did Cranbury censor it?
Guest wrote:
Here is my take from someone who disagreed. I do not like politicians speaking in the class room. My view is the same whether it is Regan, Bush or Obama. I do not disagree with the speech content, just the approach.
The President has various mediums to use including television networks. I would much rather have sat down with my kids at night to listen to him speak on the very same topic then to have him speak to kids during school hours. The other issue I do have is the original topic for the paper students were to write and while I think they did a good job revising the topic, it was clear that the original topic would have led to political discussions occurring which is inappropriate in my opinion for the smaller kids.
It is not the Presidents party or politics, but that I think a separation between public schools and politics should exist.
I couldn’t disagree more. I vote Democrat sometimes, Republican sometimes and Independent on occasion. I believe in voting for the person and the platform, not the party. My point of view has nothing to do with politics or which party the President belongs to or even whether I support this particular President.
My fundamental disagreement is your position suggests that the President is only a politician, not the leader or our country. The elected leader of our country speaking to students is not “politics in the classroom” unless the speech takes partisan political positions (which this one did not) or unless parents or teachers make it political by thrusting their own political biases into a non-political discussion. The idea that President Obama (or any President) is automatically political is ridiculous. That is the kind of partisanship that is destroying our country – the idea that the man himself, by mere virtue of his party, is something to automatically oppose if you belong to another party.
Any person becoming President is a politician to get to that position. And some more than others continue to insert their political party agenda into their job. But almost all, on occasion, are simply acting as our leader. That is the job – they are the leader of our country, not merely the head of a party. When Bush had to initially respond to the 9/11 attacks, a vast majority of people didn’t go around saying not to listen to him because he was a politician. When I was in school and the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, my school interrupted normal lessons and brought TV’s into the classroom to follow the initial coverage and we all watched President Reagan speak about the tragedy. No one – or virtually no one – made a fuss that Reagan was exploiting the situation to insert politics into the classroom. He was the leader speaking to his nation. Period. The President should be able to do that without everyone who politically opposes him saying they don’t want any communication from him of any kind. And, BTW, what a terrible, terrible message we are sending to our children, regardless of who is President, to suggest that they are merely a political figure and that the office carries no respect. Strongly disagreeing with the President’s positions is American. Disrespecting the office itself as merely a political one is not. Shame on people for reducing this country that way. The far right likes to declare everyone who doesn’t agree with them as traitors and themselves as patriots. But real patriots respect the authority of the position and don’t undermine the fundamental leadership of our country by reducing everything to politics.
, but more receptive to lectures by others (e.g., the teachers). It will definitely help my kids if they watch and listen to the speech.