Education for the Future

(Krista Hawkey, Special Education; Danny Greene, Early Childhood Education; Joe Ciani, Middle Childhood Education)

With the Presidential election only mere days away, many students wonder what their future might hold and whether their field of choice will still be out there. For those planning on becoming a teacher, their main concern is what each candidate plans are for the educational system for the United States.

The campaign of John McCain and Sarah Palin has set up a list of things they hope to have accomplished during their term if they are elected into the White House. One of McCain’s main focus’ is taking funds from Title II, under the Educational Act, wants to take funding and provide teachers willing to transfer to a more challenging school distract with a bonus.

Krista Hawkey, 21, fourth-year special education major, says that the bonus’ are needed. “I think it’s a good plan since there are a lot of schools in our area that need the help and support,” she said. “I know that Cincinnati Public is one of the districts desperate for help.”

The Barack Obama and Joe Biden ticket have devised a plan that will help those students who plan on attending college for teachers. The pair will create the Teacher Service scholarships that will cover four years worth of undergraduate education. With the scholarship the students who receive it must complete four years in a high-need location or field.

Danny Greene, 22, fourth-year early childhood education major, says he sort of agrees with Obama’s plan. “I like that Obama is giving the scholarship to those people who want to go school for teachers,” he said. “But I don’t like the fact that he is making people go to certain schools.

For Sarah Palin, special education has been an issue that has hit close to home. On Oct. 24, Palin announced that she would give $45 billion, over the next five years, to fully fund the Disabilities Education Act. She also listed off a three part agenda that will help clearly define the course she wants to take with special education. Palin wants to put the power back into the parents hands by giving them more choices, she wants to have IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and refocus and reform the education system itself.

Joe Ciani, 22, fourth-year middle childhood education major, has his doubts about the McCain/Palin plan. “That’s a good thing because a child with special-needs needs the funding,” he said. “But McCain has already vetoed one of the bills for special education. So who knows who to believe?”

Through Ciani believes that McCain/Palin can’t follow through with their promise, Obama/Biden have little mention of special education in their education plan. “I definitely don’t feel good about Obama having nothing to do with special education,” Hawkey. “Because something needs to be done with special education right now. I am happy that Sarah Palin is attempting to put that into effect if she elected.”

Barack Obama has called for a change of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. He plans, if elected, to move away from the standardized testing that has been used for NCLB because he believes that teachers “should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles.” Obama wants the teacher to be able to follow a child’s progress more clearly by working with the child individually, instead of through a group.

"In reality it is hard for there literally to be no child left behind,” Ciani said “I know that if Obama gets elected NCLB is going to be revamped. One test isn’t going to give a good sample of the testing. We’ve all messed up one time or another on a test because we weren’t feeling good, weren’t in the mood for a test or just couldn’t focus. So I don’t think that the standardized testing is really helping any of the students.”

In only a few days the citizens of the United States will decide the next president. Only time will tell if either campaign will be able to follow up on their educational plans.

“Of course education is important,” Greene said. “Because we are teaching our children to be the future leaders of this country.”

For more information on the McCain/Palin education plan visit: http://tinyurl.com/2q9uaz. For Obama/Biden visit: http://tinyurl.com/ywbgqc.

Key Points of John McCain/Sarah Palin's Education Plan

1. Centers for Excellence in Head Start: Develop a head start program that is government funded that will help get children on the right path heading into Kindergarten. The hope is that schools will create a curriculum that will go hand and hand with the new program.
   
2. Provide Health Care for Children in Low-Income Families: Government funding will help insure that children in low-income families can receive the proper health care, with consent of the parent. The hope is that children will receive the health care through local clinics and college hospitals so that they will be as healthy as possible.
3. Reestablish Title II Funding: 60 percent of funding will go towards bonus' for teachers willing to relocate to a more challenging educational setting. 35 percent will go to principals and teachers so they can focus funding towards specific school needs. The final 5 percent will go towards recruiting the top 25 percent of the graduating classes.
   
4. Special Education Funding: Over the course of five years a total of $45 billion will go towards ensuring that the Disabilities Education Act is fully funded. A three part agenda will be set up as follows: More choices for parents when choosing schools, full funding for IDEA and efforts to reform and refocus the special education program.

Key Points of Barack Obama/Joe Biden's Education Plan

1. Reforming No Child Left Behind: The focus will be taken off of passing standardized testing through filling in the bubbles and switched to a more student focused, individual, agenda that will make sure the student is prepared for college.
   
2. Reducing Dropout Rate: To reduce dropout rates they will help ensure that schools can set up a personal education plan for students wanting to dropout. The plan will focus on what the student wants to do, so that they stay.
   
3. Tax Credits for College: Offer a $4,000 tax credit to college students willing to work 100 hours of community service.
   
4. Working for Teachers: Obama/Biden will set up a plan to recruit, prepare, retain and reward teachers for simply doing their jobs. They will develop scholarships for those going into education field that will require work in return and they will also create a voluntary assessment program to help ensure that teachers are prepared for the classroom. They will also encourage more experienced teachers pairing with new recruits to share knowledge. An reward those veterans mentoring new teachers with a salary increase or bonus.
   

My life line is back....

I'm just going to post a few pictures now and do some text later on... I'm a little upset with some of the quality because my camera kept taking them at 3 MP and not 8 MP like my camera really is...

A New Way of Interpretation

The University of Cincinnati has a new bachelor degree to add to its already extraordinary selection of majors offered. Interpretation and deaf studies (IDS) is the latest edition to the large variety of programs provided by the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services.

Jean Koverman, assistant academic director of sign language interpreting and deaf studies, is a certified interpreter for the deaf who is helping to build this new program.

“We have two different programs running at the same time,” Koverman explained. “One is an online degree BA program for working interpreters and (the second) is an on-campus interpreting BA.”

Currently IDS is working in cooperation with Cincinnati State to provide the best education for their new students.

“Cincinnati State has a fantastic program,” Koverman said. “It seemed a natural progression to offer those wishing to further their education in sign language interpreting be afforded the opportunity to take classes in this field.”

Derek Vore is one of the first students to be enrolled in the IDS program. Formerly a Spanish major, he decided to switch because of his lack of interest in the culture.

“I was glad that they now have the interpreting program because I really like sign language,” Vore said. “If they didn’t start it I would have most likely dropped out of school.”

Vore has already experienced first hand the type of work he will be doing after graduation.

“When I was in Psychosocial Aspects of Deafness, I got to take a class where there were three interpreters in the classroom,” he explained. “There were two for the teacher and one for the students. So I got to experience the culture and the work I’d be doing first hand, while still learning about it.”

It’s not uncommon for an IDS class to be taught by a deaf instructor. A deaf teacher teaches even some of the beginner sign language classes. Despite the difficulties of having a deaf teacher, Vore says, “I could not have asked for a more knowledgeable and experienced professors.”

“I like that it’s new and that we are in a joint consultation with Cincinnati State,” he said. “We are having teacher’s from both schools teaching us and giving us the best experience we possibly could have.”

Vore has learned enough during beginner and intermediate sign language courses that Koverman and her colleagues believe that he is ready to help out the younger students. He is the only hearing person working at the American Sign Language lab.

“I enjoy tutoring baby signers,” Vore said. “It’s also a learning experience working with three other deaf students. So I’m learning a lot more vocabulary, as well as, their culture.”
Koverman says the best part of the new program has been the enthusiasm of the students.

In the next few years she hopes the new course is, “busting at the seams,” Koverman explained. “We are hopeful that by offering these courses, students will discover an interest in sign language and the Deaf community, as well as, expanding out course offerings and available degrees.”

There are three different programs being offered under the special education banner. Two BA degrees: one online while the other is on-campus, which require at least 91 credit hours in the specific field. There is also a deaf studies certificate that is a total of 30 credit hours.

For more information you can contact 513-556-6161 or email through SLIdeaf@uc.edu

(Photo: Derek Vore, far left, shows new signers the proper way the sign is performed.)

Rocking The Youth Vote

The University of Cincinnati campus was crowded with volunteers urging students to register to vote in the upcoming election, Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Various groups were stationed around campus asking the usual, “Are you registered to vote?” and “At your current address?” questions. Some stopped to hear what they had to say, while, others replied with a simple, “yes” and continued moving onto their original destination. Each organization had their own personal views on the upcoming election while others simply just wanted the youngest population eligible to vote to register.

Kathleen Cogan, 26, is currently working in partnership with a student run organization called It’s Your Call. It’s Your Call is a completely nonpartisan organization who are working with students to give other young adults the chance to have their voices heard.

“I think that students have a big say,” Cogan said. “Over the past three elections a lot of students have turned up in huge numbers. We just want to make sure people are registered so they can vote.”

Other local campaigns such Moveon.org are in support of Barack Obama. Kevin L., 23, 4th year history major, is a registered voter working with moveon.org.

“I’m working for moveon.org which is in support of Obama, but not paid for by his party,” Kevin L. said. “We are just trying to get the youth to register to vote so they can have their voice heard.”

A nationwide organization that has been in the frontlines of the youth movement is MTV’s Rock The Vote campaign. Rock The Vote was founded in 1992 in “response to a wave of attacks on freedom of speech and artistic expression.” With the backing of the mainstream media, the campaign has been a huge success. Stars such as Sean “Diddy” Combs and Snoop Dogg have gone out to help encourage young adults register to vote and have their voice heard.

Celebrities aren’t the only people in charge of the Rock The Vote. A number of adults have taken to the Internet to vent their feelings on the issues pertaining to society today. Blogs have become a personal extension to have your opinions heard. Through the Rock The Vote website, they have set up blogs for young adults to post their thoughts on the campaign trail.

Nick Brown is one of the bloggers telling his story on blog.rockthevote.com.

“The ‘youth vote’ gets disparaged pretty regularly, and it’s true that we haven’t turned out as much as we maybe should have in the past,” he wrote in his blog. “But you have to remember that the campaigns themselves wouldn’t exist without the fiendishly devoted young people who act as their shock troops. For every apathetic kid who claims that his vote just doesn’t matter, there is a half-crazed activist fighting against the injustices of the world. “

Cogan also agrees that the youth have a strong input. “We know that students want to volunteer,” she said. “It’s all peer to peer based. Right now we are trying to get as many volunteers as possible today to help with registering people this last week before deadline.”

This year the Rock The Vote campaign is looking to sign up two million new voters. As of Oct. 2 they have 1,870,988 new young adults registered for this year’s election.

Voter registration concludes on Oct. 6 nationwide.

(Image: An It's Your Call volunteer urges a UC student to register to vote.)