RJA #14 : Annotated Bibliography, Part 2

Here are some additional sources for the
annotated bibliographies :

Bransford, John D. Donovan, M. "How Students Learn" : History, Mathematics,
and Science in the Clasroom. Washington, D.C. The National Academic Press,
2005.

This is the second in a series (the previous being, "How People Learn") of
guides on the teaching process. The word "guide" is used because this
book is written as an instruction manual for teaching. It list a number of
concepts that will assist the prospective teacher in aiding his or her
students for maximum learning potential. A clear cut choice as a
necessity for this research paper. It list the properties of a solid instructor
as well as giving an insight into the look into what a teacher is required
to do. Thus giving a look into the teacher's side of their job.


Farber, Barry A. "Crisis in Education" ; Stress and Burnout in the American
Teacher. San Fransisco & Oxford. Jossey-Bass Publishers. 1991.

A book was needed that would deal strictly on the stressors of being a
teacher, and the troubles that their job entails. This is indeed that
book. The author, Barry A. Farber, uses his experience in teaching
and in psychology in writing this book in an easily readable flow.
Farber also uses examples from several schools with different
socio-economical backgrounds, to present a broader view. To go
a step further into the reasons behind teahcer burnout, he includes
a historical look back into the decades to illustrate what has lead up
to current events involving stress in teaching. This book even
list factors to stress that are associated with relocation and
teaching in urban schools. Both are factors in the main
research paper.


Holt, John. "The Underachieving School" New York, Toronto, London
Tel Aviv. Pitman Publishing Corporation. 1969.

The author was indeed a critic of the education system in this
country, and at some points in this book he is harsh. This is a
very straight forward and un-sugar coated look on the factors
that cause some schools to not achieve. The writing is clearly
very one sided and at some points, argumentitive. However,
Holt does make use of his time on the stage and points out
various problems with schools that the general public would
not even consider. The onyl drawback about the book is its
age. Being published in 1969, it is obviously dated. There are
references to African-Americans as "colored" as well as
other references that are not exactly "PC".


Palmer, Jim. "Accountability Through Student Tracking" ; A
Review of the Literature. Washington, D.C. The American
Association of Community and Junior Colleges. 1990.

This is a straight forward book on tracking high school
graduate admissions into the junior college system.
Even though the research project is on primarly K-12
schools, this book had a purpose fo it. It categorizes
different groups and certain percentages on who
graduates high school and goes on to attend college.
The most helpful resource in this book was how it list
admissions based on gender and race as well as what
district he or she is coming from.


Wagner, Robert B. "Accountability in Education" ; A
Philosophical Inquiry. New York. London. Routledge,
Chapman and Hall. 1989.

Wagner takes a view on why teachers are help
accountable for how their students perform, and
how a teacher's attitude can play a huge role in
the big picture. The book does state that the
teacher should not be held on total accountablility
(with the parents playing an equal if not bigger role),
but it does list the administrative reasons for
accountability. It also touches on the moral of the
instructor and how important it is to keep at a
high level without distractions. Once again, a
short book by most standards (at 143 pages),
but written in effective form. However, the book
could have benefited from more visual aids.


Meyer, Jeremy P. (2009, August 16). "Teacher placement
can add to disparities ; Forced assignments, mostly to low
income DPS schools, can lead to no one being happy". The
Denver Post, A-01. Retrieved October 20, 2009, from
http://www.denverpost.com/archives.

This is the article that started my idead for my argumentitive
paper. It discusses the current dilemma in the Denver Public
School system (and many others out of state). The forced
reassignment of teachers to poorer schools, and the
resentment in the teching community. This ill will is in
danger of spreading to students, many whom are already
facing socio-economical and family issues outside of the
classroom.

Slide Share Info.

Here is the link to my slideshare :

http://www.slideshare.net/wallybug

Extra Credit Assignment #3 : Create a Squidoo Lense

I have created a Squidoo lense for my research project.
Here is the link to my Squidoo :

http://www.squidoo.com/forcedteacherreassignments

Extra Credit Assignment #2 : Create a Twine Account

I have created a twine account for help with
my research. Here are the posted link(s) :

http://www.twine.com/user/wallybug

Extra Credit Assignment #1 : Zakta Guide

I have posted my Zakta guide on the first page
of my blog.

Here are the links :

www.zakta.com/wallyworld

www.zakta.com/guides.php

RJA #13b : Annotated Bibliography , Part 1

Here are the annotated bibliographies showing
four different text used for my research paper :

Fibkins, William L. "Students In Trouble" Schools Can Help Before Failure.
Lanham, Maryland. The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group,
Inc. 2005

This a suprisingly short book (182 pages and four chapters), but it was
insightful on the troubles that many students face in their everyday lives
outside of school. Even though this book does not deal directly with a
teacher's forced reassignment, it does mention the factor on how
inconsistencies at home can contribute to a student's outcome in
school and how a constant shuffling of staff in a poorer school can
have a negative effect on the student as well. The author includes an
incredible number of references for a "short" book on a large subject.
A straight forward approach is taken, and it is written in a way that is
easy to understand. The personal opinion's of the author was present.


Flood, James. Anders, Patricia L. "Literacy Development of Students in
Urban Schools" Research and Policy. Newark, Delaware. Inter-
national Reading Association. 2005

While the previous text was opinion based and shorter, this selection
was longer and is based on direct policies needed for student learning in
urban and poorer schools (which is what my research paper is focused on).
This was more of an official guide to teaching in urban facilities, and i am
sure that it may be required reading in many districts. The editors are
respectively from cities that have a large amount of urban schools
(San Diego, CA and Tuscon, AZ) which adds to the books legitimacy.
It is a no-nonsense approach on the obstacles teachers face in urban
schools, and how the teacher's attitude toward their assignment is key
on their student's future success, or failures.


Weil, Danny. "School Vouchers and Privatization". A Referance handbook.
Santa Barbara, Ca. ABC-CLIO, Inc. 2002

The current issue of school vouchers I felt had be included in my
research, because it did play a role on teacher reassignments. The book
is informative like all of the others in my research, but it did offer a very
important chronological table in the progress and background of the voucher
system. The book is written in a neutral format, which presents arguments
and supportive statements on the subject. I felt that I needed to include more
than one side of the issue, to support and even challenge my arguement. The
book states that less than par instructors are moved from a privatized schools
and are sent to poorer shcools, thus making the education of the poor more of
a challenge for them.


Wooster, Martin Morse. "Angry Classrooms, Vacant Minds". What's Happened to Our
High Schools? San Fransisco, CA. Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy.
1994.

Here is a book that was short in size, but gave me a side of the argument from
the teacher's side in various issues, including forcd reassignments, which is what is what
I needed for my research. It states the obstacles faced by teachers and what they are
lacking in to help their students succeed. It does give a history for the last fifty years
on what causes teachers to be disgruntled and what has been done to pacify them.
Even though the book was written in the 1990's, most of what it interprets does stand
in this decade as well so it is not too dated.

RJA #13a : Field Research Report

I was able to interview former and current teachers
in different school districts in two different states.
Here is one of the questions I asked all of them and
their response to my question :

Question :"Do you feel that if a teacher was reassigned
to a poorer school was it based on their
individual performance or the needs of
their school district?"

Answer #1 : "Their was definite prejudice on who got
moved. Not based on their gender or race
of course, but how administration saw
their performance."

Answer #2 : "It seemed that the one's who didn't cut the
mustard with their jobs, got moved."

RJA #12c : Introduction Check

I have posted comments regarding the introduction's
on Katelyn's site as well as Elizabeth's site. Both
of the intro's were strong

RJA #12b : Presentation Plan

Here is an overview of what my presentation will
include. This may be updated, but should be
final by week's end :

1. Main idea along with argument.
2. Reasons for argument.
3. Disclaimer on what I argee with.
4. Any visual aids.
5. Brief history of subject.
6. Effects.
7. Interview results.
8. How to solve and aid issue.

RJa #12a : Progress Report

I have completed my outline for my research paper,
and I have a stable idea on how to complete the first
half by the beginning of next week. I have an argument, and
the support for that argument as well. I should have
the final draft ready by the first week of December.

I still need to complete my interviews of three
former teachers to include in my research, as
well as any visual aids needed. I also need to
revise my outline to be more argumentitive.
The new outline will be ready by the end of
this week.

RJS #11c : Thesis Statement Check.

I posted opinions on two of my fellow classmates
blogs regarding their thesis statements, and any
constructive opinions as well.

Here are the two sites :

http://kebenglish.blogspot.com/
http://michelle-eng122.blogspot.com/

RJA 11b : Visual Aids

Here are five choices of visual aids that I could, and
probably use on my research paper.

1) Powerpoint : This is very popular to use for any
kind of presentation, and it is a good
way to simplify a presentation.
2) Books Used for Research Paper : Actually showing
a copy of whatever text is used in the
assignment can legitimatize any
research results.
3) Copies of Reports : Specifically, statistics from any
organization (such as a school district
projection sheet). Of course, these must
be approved to be used by whatever
entitiy involved.
4) Media Clips : Whether it is via audio or video, using
clips from documentaries and maybe
even movies can help keep the audience
interested in whatever presentation and
help the instructor understand the subject
of the paper and the author's viewpoint.
5) Websites or blogs used in research.

RJA #11a : Introduction

When an individual decides to become a teacher (no matter
what level of school they are going to teach), they are making
an "unofficial" committment to their future students as well
as themselves. One part of that committment is helping out
where their help may be needed the most. That help may be
needed more in poorer urban schools, where students are
challenged more on a daily basis due to socio-economic and
family issues. Many teachers are "forced" to teach at these
schools due to a forced reassignment from their districts, and
many complaints have surfaced from the teachers being moved.
It must be clarified that there is nothing wrong with wanting to
have a preference in where one wants to teach. That notion is
valid and is by all means warranted. However, if one choses to
become a teacher they should be prepared to contribute their
talents wherever needed the most. This paper will go over the
many key points in this situation. First, the importance of
accepting whatever reassignment is given to them and being
contempt in helping those students and schools that need it
the most, and why some are chosen for reassignment. Next,
the negative factors that come along with being an uncontempt
teacher in a new environment and the their effects on the
teacher, staff and students. The next point will be on how to
help these instructors perform better for the students ; some
factors can be fair or over monetary compensation or other
means to help the teachers work at full capacity.

RJA #10b : Argument

Here is my argument for my research topic :

"A teacher is a role model for the individual. They
have a direct as well as a indirect impact on how
a person will function in society for the rest of
their lives. For one to want to become a teacher,
they must make the oath to want to be involved
in human development, and the key word is
"want". They are making a very important
committment. Thus, when making such a
oath to themselves they should teach where
ever they are needed the most. Sure, there is
by no means nothing wrong with wanting to
teach in whatever district they want to try to
teach in, but sometimes they are most needed
in schools that are poorer. Since there are a
large number of teachers being reassigned to
districts they may not want to be in, they may
not be teaching at their full capacity and may
be disgruntled which may have a negative
impact on the students and staff. However, if
a teacher that is reassigned is fairly and maybe
even over compensated for their forced re-
assignments, they are more likely to perform
better and maintain a positive attitude about
the move and work harder in districts where
the students are faced with problems at, and
away from school. In other words, they will
live up to their personal committment of
wanting to teach.

RJA #10a : Thesis Statement

Here is the thesis statement for my research paper
on forced teacher reassignments :

"Teachers should be contempt with forced reassignments
to poorer schools or wherever their talents are needed
the most, if they are provided with adequate or even
generous compensation for their forced moves; thus
giving the teachers involved the incentive to perform
their best in their new school environments."

My research question for this was :
"Why are teachers unhappy with forced reassignments to
poorer schools?"


My claims, reasons and blueprints is :
"If a person decides to become a teacher, he or she should
accept the responsibility of teaching (if necessary) where
they can make a positive difference, no matter what
school is in their district and no matter if it is a "poor"
or a "rich" school. To make a teacher involved in a forced
reassignment perform at his or her best, they must be
fairly if not over compensated. Some people do perform
better at their work if they are compensated for it.