These are my google docs to the 8th graders.
https://docs.google.com/a/uncc.edu/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Asaoxlq5GT1jdFNhbW5veElyMnBqRTljSF9DUUk3VHc&[email protected]#gid=0


I also interviewed some people from my classes, but I found that the information I received from those interviews was a little off topic, and while I it in person, it became a little difficult to guide their response.  Most people ended up talking about how they didn't like practicing, or that their parents made them take privatized lessons.  Most who took lessons had become disenchanted because it was forced on them.  However, there were two musicians that I interviewed that said that musical education had helped them very much in life, and they still play today.  However, I feel like this information is rather inconclusive.  People who still play music like it, while people who stopped playing, seem to speak of how they stopped liking it.  

and for my blog today:
I am either going to use flash to create a type of actionscript presentation, or I am going to use that cartoon program, Powtoons.  I have messed around with powtoons and a few of the other presentation programs, but I enjoy powtoons a little more because of the interface and design options.  

I am not too worried about the portfolio.  
I guess the only question I would have is--how do you think I should introduce my presentation?
since we have the material--how will the time be measured?
Th

Dear Carrie,
    I have two topics that could possibly be the direction of my research for my inquiry project.  The first topic is whether or not the implementation of Standardization is useful or helpful in a system of education.  The second topic I would like to consider is possibly whether musical education at the lower level of education is beneficial for the success of students in future academic pursuit.
    The first topic I had in mind involved standardization.  Standardization is is the process of the development and implementation of technical standards.  What I would like to focus on is this question: Is the implementation of a system of standardization useful?  I would first look into how we use Standardization in our country, and how this use effects student success in college.  I could possibly interview students on how they thought standardization played an effect in their education.  I could compare these interviews with interviews involving other students from other countries.
    The second topic is something I am personally interested in because I am a musician--A piano player to be precise.  I have personally had a fairly large amount of musical education, starting as early as pre-school.  I believe that the study of musical education from an early age positively influences the way a student will fare in school.  To research this, I would ask students who had a background in musical education to fill out a survey.  I could compare the results I found from my survey to statistics 5 years ago, and statistics 10 years ago.  I could compare these results to surveys from students who had no background in musical education.  In highschool, I had written a paper about musical education and how it influenced a student's success; I would be interested in seeing how my arguments have changed in the last five years.
    In both topics, I would like to first better my understanding of the definitions of "Musical Education" and "Standardization".  I will better define what direction I wish my paper to take, and during this defining period, I will hopefully be better able to pick a stance on one of the topics to write about.  

    Thank you for taking the time to read my Research Proposal Assignment,

Sincerely,
Justin Le

　


There are many issues in the education system that clearly need to be
adressed.  Teachers and students both need to take initiative in working to
change how education works.  To figure out how to change the education system, I
would like to look at two timeframes of education;  Pre-college and College. 



Involving the years before one might decide to attend a University, I
believe that it is necessary for students to be more critical of their teachers
from an earlier age.  I believe to be a critical thinker is one of the most
important aspects a student can have.  Another important thing I believe should
be changed is how we evaluate students.  I believe pre-college education, and
possibly even post college education, we should focus on the individual
student's growth.  You see, in my opinion it does not seem very fair to dictate
how far an individual will go based on academic success.  Everybody has to
function together, so we should not push individuals who do not excell in
schooling down.  I believe that we should not be preparing students as much for
college as we should be preparing them for learning to live in the competitive,
complex, technology ruled world we live in today.  Perhaps early schooling can
be shorter, and college cheaper and longer.


Involving college time, granted that earlier education was proper, students
should be more ready for that competitive nature that comes with a higher
education.  Since college is not required, students attending are individuals
who value higher education, and this is where they should recieve it. 

My part in this?  I am but another College student pursuing a higher d

First Journal Entry:
I just want to be average

My folks would say that they wanted me to go to college and be a doctor, but
I don't know how seriously I ever took that..(Rose 191)  This quote stuck with
me specifically.  Growing up in my family was difficult, as my mother was a very
high over achiever and both of my parents are respected physicians.  The
standards were set very high for me and often--I would find myself thinking the
same thought that Rose stated in his article--that I just wanted to be average. 



I also dealt with some problems that were similar to Rose's however.  I was
diagnosed with ADD at a very young age and given a 504 plan, in hopes that extra
accommodations would get help me succeed with my tendencies to space out.  I
would like to compare it to being in vocational classes--however, I am not
completely sure if I can, as I have not personally attended any vocational
classes.  Through separation from the rest of the class and the clear difference
in accommodations, I was singled out as something that I wasn't.  I definitely
felt during this time that I just wished I could be average--so I aimed for
that, and refused my extra commodities. 


I feel that a good method of teaching would be to separate the class into
different parts:  Perhaps one teaching method does not work compellingly. 
Classes should be divided into debate, problem solving, and lecture--along with
a deeper class discussion to unveil problems that students are having when
learning true knowledge--compared to spitting up information.