rachel mowery's blog

Single-Sex Classrooms?

            While I agree both boys and girls require different methods of teaching and have brains that develop in different ways, I do not think single-sex classrooms are a necessity.  Yes, they would hone in on certain learning strategies targeted to just girls or just boys, but in the long run do not think it would make any drastic changes.  The article goes on to make a point, “Girls in single-sex educational settings are more likely to take classes in math, science, and information technology. Boys in single-gender classrooms -- led by teachers with training in how to lead such classrooms -- are much more likely to pursue interests in art, music, drama, and foreign languages.”  Instead teachers in today’s school should become more familiar with the differences in girls and boys’ brains and encourage them just as much to do what they want in life as they would in a single sex classroom.  If girls are shown that they CAN be scientists, football players, etc. and boys are shown they can be poets, nurses, etc. they will not carry the common stereotypes single-sex classrooms are trying to erase.  The article states, “In order to improve academic performance and broaden educational horizons, you'll need to understand the subtleties of gender differences in learning”.  While single-sex classrooms can work towards this, so can co-ed classrooms.  Even though the intention is good, separating the sexes in school would not bring girls and boys together, but make each feel superior to the other.  They would not experience the typical learning environment, causing social problems and more.  While some students would thrive in an environment such as this one, I believe more would not.  While the two sexes are very different, we are equal in superiority, therefore should not be separated and divided.

College Applications

            I agree with Schwartz in his article when he says that getting into certain schools is more of a competition rather than a true depiction of one’s strengths and weaknesses.  From birth, some parents want the best for their children.  While that is understandable, some parents go too far out of their way paying thousands of dollars to help their child be “the best”.  From this, children learn quick fixes rather than having pride in both their strengths and flaws.  Parents push their children so much that it is all they are used to.  Schwartz makes a valid point when he states, “Students choose classes that play to their strengths, to get easy A's, rather than classes that might correct their weaknesses or nurture new interests” (Schwartz).  They then learn to only take classes they know they will do well in and do not challenge themselves in the more demanding classes they are unfamiliar with.    

            Just because your child doesn’t get into Yale or Harvard, does not mean they will never succeed in life.  A student who attends a community college has the potential to make more money and be more successful than a Harvard graduate.  In fact, a study done shows that at first the Harvard graduate with the same degree as a community college student will make more money, but within five years, their salary will equal.  Therefore, if your child truly is brilliant, Ivy Leagues are just a way to showcase their strengths in a more revered way.  But, if your child does not have the grades to get into one, there are other ways to make their way in the world.

 

Protecting the Powerless

            From the top ten CNN heroes, Betty Makoni stood out the most to me.  I believe protecting the powerless is one of the greatest acts of human kindness, and she is doing just that.  As the founder of the Girl Child Network, she has provided a safe haven for girls who have been sexually abused.  Centered in Zimbabwe, this organization has saved 35,000 victims in the last 10 years.  That is 35,000 girls who will not be subjected to the constant fear of sexual abuse and will be able to heal and have a loving family to support and protect them.  Not only are they traumatized from what has happened to them, but many times they are given a disease such as HIV.  Staying silent is not the answer.  When faced with such evil and cruelty, a young girl needs serious therapy and unconditional love.  In Makoni’s Network, when a girl first comes in she is given medication, put in school, and given counseling.  Powerless at what was done to her and powerless to forget, she needs enormous support, which Betty Makoni devotes her life to.  But, being a hero is not always the easiest task.  Makoni says, "The youngest girl I ever came across was a day-old baby who was raped”.  In Zimbabwe men with AIDS believe they can be cured if they have sex with a woman, which is selfishly untrue.  Part of Makoni’s mission is to spread the word that this cruelty is occurring and end these horrific acts.  This selfless type of love is what everybody should strive to give in their lives.  Given such opportunities and power, we are called to help the powerless, who have no say and who cannot stop certain things.  Whether people are powerless within a dictatorship or powerless to sexual abuse, we have the resources to help them lead a better life and show them that they are loved and cared about.   

Personal Finance Course

             I believe financial education in high schools would be beneficial and helpful in students’ success.  While people have gone into the real world without a financial education, they have found ways to learn and make a living whether it be in business or any other job.  But, in order to create more of a financial savvy nation and see the success of many more businesses, the economy is bound to thrive, prevent a recession, and even a Great Depression.  Even though students may not be independent in their lives yet, they can use this information to give to their parents and use it for reference when they actually enter the working class world.

            “Meanwhile, personal finance became more complicated, credit card debt increased dramatically and families began opting into risky adjustable-rate mortgages they didn't understand to buy homes they couldn't afford, all elements of the recent meltdown of the economy” (Armario).  With these issues in the economy, it is of even greater demand to learn about properly managing your finances and giving yourself a budget.  People nowadays think they can just put as much money on a credit card as they want and pay the prices later.  Furthermore, people buy things they truly do not need.  There is a huge difference between need and want in today’s world, and if students can learn the difference and realize what they can afford within a certain budget they will not have to face the severe effects of these choices.  If high school students are given this chance to get educated on this topic, they will be better prepared for their independent lives on their own and more successful in their endeavors. 

 

            While the earthquake in Haiti was tragic and disastrous, I do not believe it occurred due to the extreme poverty in the nation.  The earthquake was a natural disaster that we have no control over.  Earthquakes are not caused to take out poverty, but occur due to simple shifting of the tectonic plates of the Earth.  A massive earthquake just occurred in Japan, but that does not mean they did anything to deserve it either.  It is just a side effect of living in this world and we are powerless to stop it.  But, as a nation we can give aid and help rebuild these damaged countries to the best of our ability.  It is up to each one of us to show compassion for our neighbors and share our wealth with the underprivileged and needy.

            I believe America (Red Cross, UNICEF….etc.) should be helping and contributing to their re-growth.  Being a superpower, the United States promotes human dignity and shows that all people are equal no matter what their race or gender may be.  If the United States was an underprivileged country destroyed by an earthquake, wouldn’t you want help and aid from other countries?  I believe what America is doing is a good thing and by helping this nation we are promoting love for our neighbor and world peace.  But by helping these people, we should also work with the nation to build stronger, more reliable buildings that can withhold a major earthquake.  While we cannot prevent the disaster from happening, we can take precautions to prevent massive damage as seen in the earthquake in Haiti.  We can do this by generous donations from the American people who are given so many blessings.  The least we can do is share our wealth and help out others in need.

Growing Up Scripted

            While the author explains that life was much more carefree and “freer” (Doyle) 30, 40, 50 years ago, I ultimately disagree with his opinion to change laws to make schools less demanding and easier for students, and recreate that “old world”.  Yes, students in this day in age have countless responsibilities, endless homework, and a huge stress to be successful in life.  It can at times be extremely overbearing and problematic, but they also shape your character and the person you will grow up to be.  I think the most important thing when looking at this topic is effort.  If effort is put in and the student works to the best of their ability, they should be given credit for that.  But, there are also the lazy, unmotivated students who need extra help and attention to inspire them to take all the opportunities given to them.  This doesn’t mean the Department of Education should lessen the workload or the towns should create a better environment, but instead for the teachers to work extra hard with these students. 

            When looking at depression, suicide, and anxiety statistics, each person should be aware of their limit.  If they are simply unable to handle the pressure and it becomes too much, mentors should be there to individually guide them with their workload and activities.  “For starters, we could repeal the No Child Left Behind Act, offer free public education through college, eliminate most standardized tests, reconfigure town planning to make neighborhoods accessible to bicycles and pedestrians, and slash homework requirements” (Doyle).  While this is a nice idea in a general point of view, it is somewhat unrealistic to me in this modern day society.  Instead of changing the entire system, adults should be focusing in on the students who are having a hard time.  But, with that statement comes the need for good, inspirational teachers, guidance counselors, and mentors as well.  

            Ultimately, as Americans we ARE free.  We have countless freedoms other nations in the world would give anything to have.  We have schools for every child, and whether they are the best or the worst, they at least give everyone an equal opportunity to learn and broaden their horizons.  While college is expensive, at least we have the freedom to study what we want and go to the school of our choice with options like financial aid and scholarships.  I believe we should take into consideration the opportunities provided for us, and make our own decision of how we would like our lives to play out.

 

            There were many compelling inventions in 2010, but lab grown lungs seemed very interesting to me.  Instead of creating a toy or new technology, lab grown lungs have the potential to save a life with more research and improvements.  While the Ipad was popular all around the world and paralyzed people were given a chance to walk, these lungs give science hope that soon they will be able to replace diseased lungs with new ones, without needing a donor.  Using biostimulators that can copy body conditions, a rat lung was created, ultimately compared to 95% of a human being’s lung.  Through seeding connective tissue with stem cells, and nutrients to create a lung that was capable of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. While a human lung has not been replaced yet, this scientific invention has such an enormous potential to eventually benefit a human being. Never before has this been done, and if they can create a lung 100% like one of a human beings, this could be huge.  It would allow patients not to have to spend years on a donor list waiting for a person to die so they can get their lungs.  While creating human body parts has always been looked at as scientific fiction, this invention is proving that idea wrong and giving way to more discoveries in the medical field.

MyScene Dolls

            My favorite childhood toy was my MyScene Barbie dolls.  Every one of my friends had one, and once I got my first one, I just started collecting them.  I would play with them everyday and create my own scenarios.  I bought clothes, and cars, and houses for them, and thought it was all so cool.  I would play house with my friends for hours and have the best times.  One time I lost one of my dolls, and thought it was the worst thing ever.  Looking back today, I realize how funny my “problems” were and the simplicity of life as a young and impressionable girl.  This was before I started going on the computer a lot, and life definitely seemed simpler.  Nowadays, children are given phones, laptops, and other electronics that keep their eyes clued to a screen all day.  At their age, I was simply playing dolls with my friends and creating our own games instead of having a computer create them for you.  Once given these electronics, they become addicted and do not know anything else.  They influence young children so much that it is becoming a problem in today’s society.  Looking back, I am glad I wasn’t introduced to a computer as a young child, but instead given the chance to invent my own experiences and use my imagination to the fullest with my friends.  I believe if I were given a computer, I would have not only had the experiences I did, but would become addicted as well. 

College Athletes and Cheating

            I believe we all have different callings in life, whether it is going to college for 8 years to become a doctor, going to business school, or even being a professional athlete.  These are all dreams and aspirations of thousands of students all throughout the United States that should not only be accepted, but respected as well.  Every person offers the world different talents and that should be taken into consideration when debating issues such as cheating and failing grades in school.  But, at the same time, both are very wrong.  They show schools that a person simply doesn’t care enough to either do their work or try their best.  As in the case of Florida State allegations and many other schools around the nation sometimes cheating is ignored, hidden, or brushed off.  This is not only inappropriate but unfair to the athletes doing all the work and still playing well.

            But to me, academic fraud and poor grades are on two different ends of the spectrum.  If a person is plagiarizing or cheating I believe there should be no mercy when recruiting for sports and things of other importance.  It is a very serious offense and students who think they can cheat the system should not be given the worthiness or esteem to be placed on a professional college sports team.  As for poor grades, if the effort if shown and the student continuously tries and hands in work, I believe there shouldn’t be any penalties or preventions of them playing a sport they love.  In this case, a student could simply just not have the “brains”, but instead is gifted with the “physical talent” to make a career for himself in professional sports.  As I said earlier, each person has different talents, and if effort is shown and students don’t try to cheat the system, I believe there should be no harsh punishment when considering them for sports.

 

 

                   Looking back on the past twelve years, I have had a vast array of different teachers; teachers that I could tell loved what they did, and teachers who only did what was necessary for the “subject”.  Coming across all kinds of teachers has given me great respect for them and what they do each day.  However, the best teachers have pushed me beyond my limit and taught me with depth rather than quantity.  These two traits undoubtedly define that of the “great teachers” for me at least.  Throughout elementary school and high school, I have always been a hard worker in school and in life.  But, the times I was pushed beyond my “limit” were the times I learned and grew the most.  I believe there is always more you can do, whether it is in the classroom or in everyday life, and having motivational teachers there to push you further and further only makes you better.  Secondly, I believe teaching the depth of a certain subject is much more valuable.  While most teachers know the basic knowledge associated with the subject, the deeper a teacher goes into the material, the more the student can get out it in the long run.

                As for unhelpful traits, I would put into the category those teachers who constantly give “busy work” and those who don’t offer their time to their students.  In terms of busy work, I believe it is the easy way out, and rather explaining the material through discussions is much more helpful.  I also believe teachers should always offer help to students after school and be open to extra help, if needed.  Overall, teachers do not receive the credit they deserve and educate students so they can be successful in whatever they want to do in life.