by David Safier
Schools across the country are going to suspend business as usual during the Inauguration ceremonies and participate by watching and discussing and writing about the historic event.
It's a sign of the times that anyone should have to justify taking students away from their normal tasks to focus on the Inauguration. Here's a statement of what should be obvious to everyone:
“We are totally committed to reading, writing, science and history,” said Linda Lane, deputy superintendent of instruction in Pittsburgh. “But we also know that some history doesn’t come out of a book. Some history you get to be part of.”
I guess you have to explain how something can be important for students if it's not on the high stakes test at the end of the year.
Here is one of the many items on my Obama Wish List. I want him to record short videos that will reside on YouTube but will also be offered to schools in a full screen format. They will be tailored for different grade levels, but all will have the same basic message. Far be it from me to put words into the word-master's mouth, but this is the gist of what I want him to say:
"Your teachers are working hard to give you the skills you need to be educated adults, to become people who will be qualified to work in good jobs and will understand the duties and privileges you have as a citizen of this great land of ours. Your parents want the same for you, and I encourage you to involve them in your education, discussing what you learned each day in school and going over your schoolwork with them. But the most important person in your education is you. No one else can read that book or write that paper or do that math homework. I want you, right now, to make a commitment to be the best person you can be while you're at school, to work as hard as you can, to ask for help when you need it, and to always try and be a little better today than you were yesterday. . . ."
And so on. Today's technology used by a President who can look people in the eye and make them sit up and listen is a powerful tool.
Hail to the Educator in Chief!
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Any and everything we can do to get students interested in government and the role of government in their lives should be done. In a democracy, participation is the name of the game. It can’t start too soon!!!!
I really expect every student in the US to watch the Inauguration Tues. morning in school. No press release necessary. I like your idea of the You Tube videos by Obama. You never know…