Forced to focus on the things that really matter.

[MeachTheMonster]

Never said it did. I'm just pointing out that "we need more computers" isn't a solution to the plight of poor people in America.

Who made that claim in the first place?

Like I said I don't like doing that, but we're comparing high and middle income communities with low income. In America that has always been tied to race...I'm certain you would agree.

you used a story about black people using twitter, to prove that poor people are represented by world star hiphop.

The point being that Black people over representing on social media indicates that access to technology is probably not the biggest factor when addressing the achievement gap.

Who said it was ?

 

[boskey]

you used a story about black people using twitter, to prove that poor people are represented by world star hiphop.

I did not do that. I used the Twitter story and WorldStar as examples to prove that black folks (who tend to be poorer than the average american) have access to technology and that access to technology is not a magic cure for the achievement gap.

But we're going in circles now. So peace.

 

[HoustonHeat]

You might have a very narrow definition of "poor". One that I'm not sure is that relevant to America in 2013.

People living in low income communities are more connected than ever, homey.

Just read an article about a building collapse yesterday - even poor garment factory workers in Bangladesh have cell phones, it is no longer an indicator of one's economic class or financial access.

Y'all keep trying to equate more resources to mean "books and computers" it goes way beyond that. Books and computers are a physical representation of a schools ability to provide students what they need. But we all know school and educational development depend on a lot more than that.

You said yourself that your mom was able to turn a class around. That's a RESOURCE schools need money to hire quality teachers. Teachers need to be paid well in order to give their all to the kids.

Resources are better nutrition plans for the kids. Resources are counseling programs to help the kids deal with their home situations. Resources are afterschool activities and new proven lesson plans. And the list goes on.

I don't really know where you are trying to go with me. Perhaps you are confusing me with other posters or trying to use my post to respond to another poster.

I'll just post what I posted earlier: "mass parental support allows teachers, technology, and tools to do a better job for the student" and that funding provided to improve home life may result in better academic performance.

I stated that from my mom's experience as a teacher, stable homes is what she saw was the highest indicator of student ability and success besides a dedicated teacher. For her, it was a bigger factor than computers and textbooks or co-curricular programs. Once again, I'm not saying resources aren't needed and won't help, but I'll take a veteran teacher's analysis of what is the most impactful over an arm chair revolutionary.

 

[Skooby]

Better them than me.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Just read an article about a building collapse yesterday - even poor garment factory workers in Bangladesh have cell phones, it is no longer an indicator of one's economic class or financial access.

I don't really know where you are trying to go with me. Perhaps you are confusing me with other posters or trying to use my post to respond to another poster.

I'll just post what I posted earlier: "mass parental support allows teachers, technology, and tools to do a better job for the student" and that funding provided to improve home life may result in better academic performance.

I stated that from my mom's experience as a teacher, stable homes is what she saw was the highest indicator of student ability and success besides a dedicated teacher. For her, it was a bigger factor than computers and textbooks or co-curricular programs. Once again, I'm not saying resources aren't needed and won't help, but I'll take a veteran teacher's analysis of what is the most impactful over an arm chair revolutionary.

Just like the others you are conflating two seperate ideas. It's common sense that parents have an impact on their childs development. But that has absolutely nothing to do with what a school could/should do for students.

And the idea that parents are the biggest influences on child behavior has been thoroughly disproven by science.

Do Parents Matter?: Scientific American

The belief that parents have a great deal of power to determine how their children will turn out is actually a rather new idea. Not until the middle of the last century did ordinary parents start believing it. I was born in 1938, before the cultural change, and parenting had a very different job description back then. Parents didn’t feel they had to sacrifice their own convenience and comfort in order to gratify the desires of their children. They didn’t worry about boosting the self-esteem of their children. In fact, they often felt that too much attention and praise might spoil them and make them conceited. Physical punishment was used routinely for infractions of household rules. Fathers provided little or no child care; their chief role at home was to administer discipline.

All these things have changed dramatically in the past 70 years, but the changes haven’t had the expected effects. People are the same as ever. Despite the reduction in physical punishment, today’s adults are no less aggressive than their grandparents were. Despite the increase in praise and physical affection, they are not happier or more self-confident or in better mental health. It’s an interesting way to test a theory of child development: persuade millions of parents to rear their children in accordance with the theory, and then sit back and watch the results come in. Well, the results are in and they don’t support the theory

Children 'learn most from peers not parents' - Telegraph

Phys.Org Mobile: Peer pressure stronger than parents






And since you won't believe a "arm chair revolutionary" (which I'm not, I work in the education system, specifically to help underprivileged kids) i'll let "veteran teachers" tell you.

We Need Better Resources, Say Teachers | Scholastic.com

Not surprisingly, teachers who reported dissatisfaction with their careers were more likely to report a need for more resources: 84 percent called for more resources for children with behavioral issues and 74 percent needed more help for special education students.
But even among self-described “satisfied” teachers, the need for more school resources was notable. Just over half of satisfied teachers called for more help with special education students and students in poverty. And almost two out of three reported a need for more guidance and assistance with behavior issues.

 

[HoustonHeat]

And the idea that parents are the biggest influences on child behavior has been thoroughly disproven by science.

That's not what I said either

And once again, no one said teachers don't need more resources. You are thick as shyt my friend. I'm sorry you just took all that time cutting and pasting links on articles for nothing.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Just read an article about a building collapse yesterday - even poor garment factory workers in Bangladesh have cell phones, it is no longer an indicator of one's economic class or financial access.

Disconnected, Disenfranchised, and Poor: Addressing Digital Inequality in America | Working-Class Perspectives

Research conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that those with limited income and education are most likely to not use the internet or even understand how to use a computer. Internet use is clearly tied to economic status and education. While 95% of upper- income households use the Internet, 37% of lower-income households do not. And while 4 % of college graduates do not use the internet, 48 % of those without a high school diploma do not. About half of non-users identify cost and lack of computer skills as the primary barriers.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

That's not what I said either

And once again, no one said teachers don't need more resources. You are thick as shyt my friend. I'm sorry you just took all that time cutting and pasting links on articles for nothing.

Right, move goalposts and deflect when confronted with real proven information.

Thanks for playing

 

[HoustonHeat]

Disconnected, Disenfranchised, and Poor: Addressing Digital Inequality in America | Working-Class Perspectives

Right, move goalposts and deflect when confronted with real proven information.

Thanks for playing

Again, that's not what I said either. Are you applying someone else's posts to me? I'm the one with the turquoise avatar next to my name.

Proven information? Which one of my statements are you trying to disprove? Do you even read?

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Again, that's not what I said either. Are you applying someone else's posts to me? I'm the one with the turquoise avatar next to my name.

Proven information? Which one of my statements are you trying to disprove? Do you even read?

This one

it is no longer an indicator of one's economic class or financial access.

And this one

the number one factor in determining if a child can adequately learn and perform well is how stable, consistent and supportive their home life is. Period.

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

Thank you.

I certainly realize that there are SEVERAL factors that affect a child's willigness/ability to learn but new computers and books isn't one of them. People would just rather just disagree (although they can't deny it's true) and speak about some totally off topic shyt.

Sad to say that poor education in the black community is a social issue and no longer a resource issue...

Take Alabama for instance, every inner city school in Alabama's major city has been torn down and rebuilt with state of the art facilities and books over the last 15 years, but guess what?

Test scores and graduation rates are lower than ever. Title 1 schools stay getting money and majority of the kids get 3 square meals a day from the school for a reduced price or flat out free.......


And we still failing at an absurd rate

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Sad to say that poor education in the black community is a social issue and no longer a resource issue...

Take Alabama for instance, every inner city school in Alabama's major city has been torn down and rebuilt with state of the art facilities and books over the last 15 years, but guess what?

Test scores and graduation rates are lower than ever. Title 1 schools stay getting money and majority of the kids get 3 square meals a day from the school for a reduced price or flat out free.......


And we still failing at an absurd rate

do you have data to back up these claims?

Edit: here I found this.
http://www.media.alabama.gov/AgencyTemplates/education/alsde_pr.aspx?id=3381

Of the goals outlined for the SREB Challenge to Lead Initiative, ensuring readiness for learning throughout school, raising achievement and closing gaps among subgroups, preparing all students for college and careers, and improving college completion, are key (see detailed information on each of the all encompassing 12 SREB goals below). The report shows that Alabama has reached impressive milestones in several areas that sets the state apart from other SREB states, and in several instances – the entire country. Alabama’s statewide public prekindergarten program was one of only two in the nation to meet all 10 nationally recognized standards of quality.

In 2003, the achievement gap in early grades (fourth-grade level reading) between Alabama students and the rest of the nation was 10 percent. By 2009, that gap had narrowed to 4%. In that same time, the gap between Alabama and other SREB states narrowed from 8 percent in 2003 to 2% in 2009. The progress shown in Alabama’s black students taking the National Assessment of Educational Proficiency (NAEP) test shows a 13 percent increase in reading since 2003.

Looks like the money is working

 

[???]

People always huffing and puffing about things they will NEVER change...



It's all good though...

 

[Seea]

You can be forced to focus after experiencing poverty and/or homelessness in North America. I always find it interesting that no one ever looks at people in their own countries in the developed world to see images of decline and feel any type of way.

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

do you have data to back up these claims?

Edit: here I found this.
Alabama Department of Education Press Release


Looks like the money is working

I could have sworn I stated that Alabama's major city had rebuilt most of the inner city high schools......and the students were still failing..

Yet you post info in regards to Alabama as a whole

Birmingham\Bessemer\Tarrant probably got 2 high schools older than 10 years between em......Either the building is new or completely renovated

Carver, which was constructed in 2001, was supposed to be a state of the art facility....

Woodlawn is still old as dirt, but its a magnet school and still outperforms 90% of the Bham\Bessemer\Tarrant schools with brand new facilities.......

All of these schools are well below the states average Grad Rate........And test scores are