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What do you think the president wants us to do? Does the speech make you want to do anything? Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us? What would you like to tell the president?
This is excerpted from the lesson plans page for K-6th grade students. I think this speech will be for the most part okay but the "lesson plans" set the kids up for what could come later.
Quote:
What do you think the president wants us to do?
Why is Obama establishing himself as an authority figure in the classroom? In a child's mind, having an adult "want" you to do something equals obedience or disobedience. Most children will choose to obey an authority figure at this age.
Quote:
Does the speech make you want to do anything?
The question I would ask is should a speech make you want to do anything? If it can be established that an authority can make someone do something just through speech, what comes next?
Quote:
Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?
Now that we've established that the president has the right to command you in what you do, is this thing he's asking possible? If the message is "Study hard and stay in school" of course it is. The command and the logical probability that it can be accomplished will cement in the child's head that we should do what the president says.
I'm old enough to remember coming home from school and spouting to my parents that communism was a good thing. I had teachers who believed it and so pushed that agenda on their students. Obama is pushing an agenda and there are many teachers out there who will run with it. My kids will not be subjected to this.
One problem: There are many DEMOCRATS and Independents hold their kids out of school
Also, there are MANY Republicans sending their kids to school.
I think a lot of people are trying to paint things with too broad of a brush.
I don't know as we know the political leanings of the people keeping their kids out as the speech hasn't happened yet. Judging from the letters in my local newspaper (Denver Post), most of those threatening to keep their kids out are conservatives.
I do agree that this whole mess of having to have signed permission slips to hear a speech from the POTUS will have future ramifications.
This is excerpted from the lesson plans page for K-6th grade students. I think this speech will be for the most part okay but the "lesson plans" set the kids up for what could come later.
Why is Obama establishing himself as an authority figure in the classroom? In a child's mind, having an adult "want" you to do something equals obedience or disobedience. Most children will choose to obey an authority figure at this age.
The question I would ask is should a speech make you want to do anything? If it can be established that an authority can make someone do something just through speech, what comes next?
Now that we've established that the president has the right to command you in what you do, is this thing he's asking possible? If the message is "Study hard and stay in school" of course it is. The command and the logical probability that it can be accomplished will cement in the child's head that we should do what the president says.
I'm old enough to remember coming home from school and spouting to my parents that communism was a good thing. I had teachers who believed it and so pushed that agenda on their students. Obama is pushing an agenda and there are many teachers out there who will run with it. My kids will not be subjected to this.
The WH changed the wording of that. There is no reference to "what they can to do help the President". That was removed in favor of "what can you do to help yourself".
In Arizona schools, if the parent keeps the student home rather than watching the speech, the child will NOT be required to "make up" that day - nor are they going to be penalized in any way.
Why are you answering for Monkey wrenching??
How do you know that poster is in Arizona?
You really think kids skipping school is a good idea?
Well, hopefully Obama can change the minds of irresponsible parents.
I don't know as we know the political leanings of the people keeping their kids out as the speech hasn't happened yet. Judging from the letters in my local newspaper (Denver Post), most of those threatening to keep their kids out are conservatives.
I do agree that this whole mess of having to have signed permission slips to hear a speech from the POTUS will have future ramifications.
And that is exactly what the media wants us all to believe. To actually admit that there are Democrats considering keeping their kids home that day would mean admitting Obama's unwavering support group actually does disagree with him occasionally. A revelation that would do wonders for everyone in America.
See, one of the major problems I have with some people is their "blind" support of anything Obama says or does. And on the opposite side, I don't like listening to people who "blindly" oppose Obama's every word or action. Admitting when your president has gone a little too far is a good thing. It shows everyone that it isn't just one political faction in oppostion of the president, and it sends a message to your president that his party will not just follow the leader.
And on the opposite side of the spectrum, a conservative admitting he/she doesn't have a problem with something Obama has done will help send the message to the entire country that we aren't all just against Obama, we simply don't agree with his first few policy moves. I myself am neither Dem or Repub, neither Lib or Cons., I am simply an American with a plethora of political views that can't possibly be held under a certain set of party principles. On one hand, I am conservative. But on the other, I am very liberal. I think there are a lot of Americans who fall under this description, and we should discourage each other from accepting a particular political label. I am simply "Me"
And as far as any ramifications of having permission slips signed to participate in this program, I will simply say my child has never been able to do "anything" special without a permission slip or at the very least, a letter sent home to the parents. Anything that doesn't adhere to the usual school agenda is addressed and a letter is sent home accordingly. This shouldn't be any different. If my child's school will send a letter home to let me know they are having an assembly in a week which will include a speech from our local mayor, they should certainly let me know they are planning to take part in a nationwide presidential address aimed at our K-6 grade students. Especially when it comes with an agenda for the teachers to use to help their children interact with the president and properly react to his statements. School rules are already very tight, children literally can't take part in anything, from an assembly to a classroom party without the permission of the parents. So there really isn't any room for new ramifications, since the system is already so restrictive.
I am glad my kids are old enough to be at work that day because I wouldn't want them being exposed to that Pelosi. I would have to keep them out of school that day if they were in, also.
In all honesty, I agree that Obama shouldn't be taking time to be broadcast in the schools ... however, at the same time, I find posts like yours quite hypocritical. If parents who consider themselves on the conservative side of the coin were TRULY conservative, then they shouldn't be sending their children to public schools in the first place! If they enrolled them in higher quality private schools, or home schooled them, they wouldn't be exposed to Washington, DC rhetoric in the classroom ... and parents wouldn't have to wrestle with the burden of whether to keep them in school or have them stay home.
Bottom line is: if you are a true conservative, why would you send your kids to government run public schools where kids are exposed to more of the socialist agenda??? That's about as hypocritical as being against government run health care, but looking forward to getting Medicare & Social Security upon retirement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LibertyandJusticeforAll
Obama speech is all apart of of the socialist and communist idealogy. Start them early.... you will never change the minds of those old enough to know history but you can get those young enough and change the hearts and minds of those who dont know the truth. Free heatlhcare, government dependancy and how its important to listen and understand your government officials.
Big Brother and Big welfare just another part of the plan. Its called control. To control the masses you must find those who are stupid. Society in america is full of stupid people you can that the media and government for that one. After all who has been running education for the last 50 years. Government, public schools.
In comes the department of education the NEA and the rest of the socialist to guide us to complete submission.
Obama is nothing more then a slogan. Bush was the man who gave us the Fear and homeland security and Obama is here to move it right along to the next phase.
Government control and nothing more.
Now, this I agree with!!! Kudos to you. The entire concept of public education is socialist to begin with ... and both Democrats & Republicans favor increasing funding for this burden (or at the very least, keeping it running as it is). I for one am tired of my money constantly being siphoned from me to pay for supposedly educating kids that aren't mine. It's all about more government control, and making the rest of us subsidze it.
And as far as any ramifications of having permission slips signed to participate in this program, I will simply say my child has never been able to do "anything" special without a permission slip or at the very least, a letter sent home to the parents. Anything that doesn't adhere to the usual school agenda is addressed and a letter is sent home accordingly. This shouldn't be any different. If my child's school will send a letter home to let me know they are having an assembly in a week which will include a speech from our local mayor, they should certainly let me know they are planning to take part in a nationwide presidential address aimed at our K-6 grade students. Especially when it comes with an agenda for the teachers to use to help their children interact with the president and properly react to his statements. School rules are already very tight, children literally can't take part in anything, from an assembly to a classroom party without the permission of the parents. So there really isn't any room for new ramifications, since the system is already so restrictive.
When my kids were in school (youngest graduated in 2005) we had to sign permission slips for field trips, movies with "adult" themes, etc. We never had to sign permission slips for any assembly (many of which featured motivational speakers), pep rally, regular in-class movies, etc. When the Columbine shootings happened, the schools ran the TVs pretty much all day, with no permission required from the parents. Ditto 9/11.
No one will really say why parents find this speech insulting, inappropriate and arrogant.
First of all, I read all the supplemental materials yesterday. I wanted to see what this was all about.
Here is my take on it.
Parents are insulted. I have talked to two black parents who were also insulted, so even tho the picture is being drawn that only right wingers are insulted, that is patently incorrect. I also have talked to three DEMs who are insulted.
And here is why.
The speech emphasizes "reaching goals" and what it takes to be "successful." And the whole point, according to the White House, is to encourage kids not to drop out of school. And Obama uses a play on his campaign slogan, "Yes we CAN" as the building block.
From the materials:
“When you set a goal, you envision a target that you are going to reach over time. Goals
are best when they are “Challenging,”* “Attainable,” and “Needed” (CAN)."
So Obama is using CAN as the basis for goal setting and playing on his campaign slogan comes across as indoctrination to a lot of people. If it doesn't seem like that you, fine. But if someone else sees it differently, does that give you the right to dismiss them and refer to parents who have those concerns as being part of the "silly season" as the White House has done?
Parents who are objecting resent that since this speech is targeted to "at risk" kids who are most likely to drop out of school . . . then that means that once again, high performing kids in classrooms are being brought down to the lowest common denominator - with the biggest effort going to kids who come from families with little or no emphasis on education.
In other words, the kids that the message is geared to comprise one group of students - at risk kids, who are mostly minority children. This is not a message that is necessary for children who are dedicated to their education. Yet, everyone is being subjected to it. Involved parents feel they are teaching this at home and they don't need the President spending more taxpayer $$$$ by coming into the classroom and encouraging ONE GROUP of students. He is talking down to the students who achieve by saying - "I am concerned about those kids who are not doing well." Sadly, that is what has been going on in classrooms for decades . . . teachers are constantly teaching to the least successful in the class, in an attempt to "raise them up" and the dumbing down of our classrooms has been part of the attempt to "level the playing field" (one of Obama's favorite phrases).
Now, if you don't see it that way - GREAT! My son is in college. I don't have a dog in this fight, as it were. I just explaining to you all what I have heard voiced by parents who do have kids in school.
What Obama and his advisors have not figured out is . . . this speech is gonna turn off a lot of children, who already feel they get the short end of the stick in the classroom, since more resources go to the low-performing students than the high-performing students already. And sitting there and seeing your President make it clear that he only cares about ONE GROUP of children . . . well, that is gonna send a message that either the Prez has not considered - or he simply doesn't care about.
No one will really say why parents find this speech insulting, inappropriate and arrogant.
First of all, I read all the supplemental materials yesterday. I wanted to see what this was all about.
Here is my take on it.
Parents are insulted. I have talked to two black parents who were also insulted, so even tho the picture is being drawn that only right wingers are insulted, that is patently incorrect. I also have talked to three DEMs who are insulted.
And here is why.
The speech emphasizes "reaching goals" and what it takes to be "successful." And the whole point, according to the White House, is to encourage kids not to drop out of school. And Obama uses a play on his campaign slogan, "Yes we CAN" as the building block.
From the materials:
“When you set a goal, you envision a target that you are going to reach over time. Goals are best when they are “Challenging,”* “Attainable,” and “Needed” (CAN)."
So Obama is using CAN as the basis for goal setting and playing on his campaign slogan comes across as indoctrination to a lot of people. If it doesn't seem like that you, fine. But if someone else sees it differently, does that give you the right to dismiss them and refer to parents who have those concerns as being part of the "silly season" as the White House has done?
Parents who are objecting resent that since this speech is targeted to "at risk" kids who are most likely to drop out of school . . . then that means that once again, high performing kids in classrooms are being brought down to the lowest common denominator - with the biggest effort going to kids who come from families with little or no emphasis on education.
In other words, the kids that the message is geared to comprise one group of students - at risk kids, who are mostly minority children. This is not a message that is necessary for children who are dedicated to their education. Yet, everyone is being subjected to it. Involved parents feel they are teaching this at home and they don't need the President spending more taxpayer $$$$ by coming into the classroom and encouraging ONE GROUP of students. He is talking down to the students who achieve by saying - "I am concerned about those kids who are not doing well." Sadly, that is what has been going on in classrooms for decades . . . teachers are constantly teaching to the least successful in the class, in an attempt to "raise them up" and the dumbing down of our classrooms has been part of the attempt to "level the playing field" (one of Obama's favorite phrases).
Now, if you don't see it that way - GREAT! My son is in college. I don't have a dog in this fight, as it were. I just explaining to you all what I have heard voiced by parents who do have kids in school.
What Obama and his advisors have not figured out is . . . this speech is gonna turn off a lot of children, who already feel they get the short end of the stick in the classroom, since more resources go to the low-performing students than the high-performing students already. And sitting there and seeing your President make it clear that he only cares about ONE GROUP of children . . . well, that is gonna send a message that either the Prez has not considered - or he simply doesn't care about.
Goal setting knows know bounds. My husband is an Executive with an MBA and uses a similar method of goal setting for his professional and personal life. It's not just for people "at risk".
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