1. Measure of America 84-109 (part 2 of chapter 2)read and complete handout- bring your completed handout to class. 2. Nickel and Dimed 193-240 read- Socratic Seminar for Class 6 group 3 3. Read chapters 1 and 2 Long and Bright Future- Seminar for Class 6 group 2 4. Paper #3- complete- you only need to have 3 research/journal/book references in your paper. Please have a reference page for this paper. 5. Remember to read 110-131 for class - Measure of America
Watch Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond talk about being internationally competitive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQNUqVYJofE Post a comment You can also look for her articles( would be a great source for your paper:-))
Her book, Education and the Flat World, would be an interesting read.
This video explains some of the reasons that America is loosing ground internationally in education. We currently rank 35th in math and 29th in science, and we are loosing ground in reading and language arts. This is really appalling since we are one of the richest countries in the world. Dr. Darling-Hammond sees stark differences in what high acheiving countries do in the classroom compared to what America does. I was actually jealous to see what goes on in a science classroom in Japan! High acheiving countries focus on inquiry and reflection in every field while we spend time hammering in basics on hundreds of areas (our standards are a mile wide and inches deep).
I have to think that the NCLB act is basically at fault here, as I have always beleived that testing, testing and more testing(multiple choice) is a ridiculous and ineffective way to teach. As Dr. Darling-Hammond points out: as American students do better and better on state assessments they are at the same time doing worse and worse on international assessemnts, which are clearly a better measure of what kids are able to do. Why don't we just use the international assessments as our state assessments, with some adjustments made to make them fit with curriculum?
Soutions mentioned: common core standards and new assessements. I tend to think this is not near enough. With the reauthorization of NCLB is seems the problems will perpetuate. Remember Georgia calls its standards Georgia Performance Standards but there is actually no performance going on and the corresponding CRCT is strictly multiple choice. I think that treating teachers as professionals (including graduate training and better pay), more planning time, and a switch to performance based (project based) learning that focuses on inquiry, reflection and deep understanding will improve education in America and will also improve students' and teachers' engagement and attitudes!
I love the idea of project based learning. There are not many (if any at all) elementary science classes that do hands-on activities anymore. They will say there is not enough time. They focus on terms and expect the students to understand what they mean only by the definitions. But, by incorporating hands-on activities to prove why somehting does or does not happen would help the students to have a better understanding.
This video raises many ideas as to why our education system is not succeeding as we probably should. I LOVED the part of the video where Linda Darling-Hammond discussed project-based learning in science! During my undergraduate at LaGrange we were required to take a Science Methods course. The students in our class each presented 3 projects and experiments that could be used in a science classroom. I loved the project-based learning in Science, but as Darling-Hammond discusses, it is hard when much of the curriculum is driven toward Reading and Math instead of Science. I also agree with her ideas on the multiple choice testing. From a personal standpoint I have never been a great test taker because of multple choice testing. I have always performed much better on critical thinking questions than multiple choice and I love using critical thinking types of assessments with students. It is a great way to test because not only are you assessing their knowledge, but often times students are sharing their personal thoughts on topics.
I agree that our education system does not promote high order thinking. I agree that our students should do experiments, research, investigate, and inquire. Students should reflect, analyzed and write to explain their views. If we are to compete with the international community our students need these skills. Multiple choice testing does tell us what the student is thinking and why. I like project based learning and hands on activities.
I think that we have to foster that behavior at an early age. By the time students reach high school, they have created ideas and attitides on how they feel about hands on activites and projects. I feel some of my students love the labs, and that is how they learn. I do about 4 labs a week in my class. However, I found the majority of the kids in my class think that they want to do the labs, but in reality they do not understand the amount of work that a lab involves. My students want me to baby step them through the instructions and sometimes even refuse to read them. They are begging me for worksheets by the end of the first nine weeks. Some of my kids connect what we are doing in the lab with what we are learning about in notes, and they do much better in science than in other classes. But I would argue that most do much better with worksheets. I don't have enough time in 18 weeks to teach them to appreciate labs and actually use them to gain knowledge. Not to mention project work! haha I gave up on that a long time ago. One or two people in a group doing most of the work!! This leads to parent teacher conferences and to many headaches for me to deal with...so everyone is responsible for their own work. I learn hands on. I teach hands on. But I find by the time students get to me, it is too late to try and teach them how to actually learn in that way. Last year I cut projects completly, and my test scores went up. Also I also had a lot more people pass my class because they no longer have zeros from projects bringing down their grade. And I had an extra week to review for the EOCT.
I liked the video interview with Linda Darling-Hammond. I thought the most interesting thing she said was that we spend entirely too much time re-teaching concepts that should have been taught in previous grades. I remember being frustrated as a student that we were learning the same things year after year. Even more frustrating was when classmates would tell the teacher "we never learned this." I liked that she reiterated a point that I have always thought about our curriculum...it's an inch deep and a mile wide. We never get fully in depth with material because we just have to breeze through it and get through the curriculum. I wish that money wasn't such an issue so that we could do standardized testing at the end of the year instead of in APRIL so we would have more time to teach the content.
Darling-Hammond's video is most interesting information. I have, like everyone in education, heard of our poor international placement in education. This video starts identifying some of the differences, but you can only communicate so much in a video clip. From my international experience I know of some differences in European education. One difference is some countries in Europe have two high school tracks. One track is for a vocational career and the other is a university track. In England high school students take exams after their 10th grade. If they fail, their high school education is complete and they train for a job. If they pass they are entitled to two more years in school to complete their preparation for entrance to a university. The video clip has definitely peaked my interest in learning more and her book is on my reading list.
The problem in science is the mile wide and inch deep structure that our current standards give. I am actually going to try, for my thesis, to apply project based learning (design based learning) to compare resuslts against scripted inquiry. The biggest problem is TIME. It take much longer than we have to cover a topic to do a designed based or project based instructional method. I read one journal where they spent 5 weeks covering electricity by building an alarm system. I have one week to cover electricity or I dont finish the standards.
In the video featuring Dr. Darling-Hammond, math standards of some other countries were called lean. Our math standards are anything but lean. It is such a concern that American students are not ranked near the top when compared internationally. How can we turn this around? Dr. Darling-Hammond also said that in Finland, teachers are trained to teach for deep understanding while concepts taught in American schools seem to be only an inch deep and a mile wide. Also mentioned was the reteaching of concepts from grade to grade. Students often comment on this repetition of material.
I thought that her comments on the standards in our school systems verses the standards in other countries was interesting. I have seen this with the math curriculum that I have to teach. Our standards are not clearly worded and sometimes very frustrating to understand. There are also too many of them. She is correct about having to constantly review previous material because the students did not master it to begin with. They are only being taught what they need to pass a test.
I think America is definitely developed country. Americans continuously keep thinking and trying to improve. Even though American students have poor academic achievement compared to other OECD countries, I think you have great thinkers to improve present situations and support students. As we, Korean educators do, American educators try to benchmark better education system from other countries. I think try and error can make better educational system for our students’ future. However, we need to consider a certain educational system can suit for only in a certain country.
After watching Dr. Darling-Hammond's video, it was very interesting to learn many facts about our nations testing abilities and strategies. I thought it was awesome to learn that some questions don't do multiple choice, like not at all. The world would be a better place without multiplie choice. I loved how the classrooms focused more on project-based activities, rather than reading from a book stuck at a desk. I wish that I could get the opportunity to go to other schools around the world and learn different teaching methods, lessons, and project-based ideas that help students grow, mature, and prepare for the future; however, that would have to result in me learning more than one language! :)
Do policy makers talk about the fact that the US is losing ground in every area in regards to globally competetive performance in education? I understand that it would require a massive overhaul (and change in the policies themselves), not to mention more money than is available but we need to change how education is delivered to our students and how it is assessed. Like Dr. Darling-Hammond mentioned, we must reteach the content in third, fifth, seventh and tenth grade because we never take the time to teach the material in depth so that our students achieve a true understanding.
Her thoughts of re-teaching each of the standards in each grade level is spot on, especially in Math wher I see students in high school having not mastered the fundamentals fractions, decimals, and even multiplying and dividing. I agree that our standards are currently a mile wide and an inch deep whereas we need to work towards having less standards and master those before we move on. I think we are at least making strides in that direction with the Common Core, but we need to continue to make it better. I also liked her statement about multiple-choice tests. It's the process and not the result that kids learn from...that's why i try to teach kids it's important to show your work in Math.
Darling-Hammond shed light on serveral of the reasons why Americans are behind. Some of the reasons she discussed are currently being examined in our system. A common core for reading, language, and math are being created and new assessments will be fomed by our federal government. She menitoned several other things that need addressing as well, like more planning time for teachers. In some countries they're receiving upwards of 20 plus hours per week. I am lucky to get two. We also need a rigorous teacher training program with high expectations. I love that their teachers are paid as well as engineers. Unitl America realizes the importance of teachers and the importance of the job they do, which is to build leaders of tomorrow, it will be difficult to move forward.
I enjoyed watching Linda Darling-Hammond’s video and agree with a lot of what she is saying. I am very surprised that we rank so low internationally when America is the place everyone wants to be. America should offer their students the highest quality of education compared to all other countries. I think we are slowly moving in the right direction. The new Common Core Standards will concentrate more on teaching deeply the first time rather than re-teaching in every grade level. I think the new Common Core will allow students to think critically, investigate, inquire about things, and hopefully be involved in some project based learning. Compared to other countries, teachers do not get the support and training in America that we need. I was shocked when Linda Darling Hammond mentioned teachers are equivalent to engineers and get 25 hour planning time a week. We could accomplish so much in this time.
YIPPEEE Linda! You must have read my thesis...higher order thinking baby! One thing that I thought was interesting is actually something that has been tried (sort of ) at my school...taking longer to actually teach and master a topic. She said that in some countries the teachers take a quarter of a year to teach one topic instead of the spiraling /touch it and come back methods used in the US. Side bar: I think in fairness to the US - we need to consider that we are being compared to other countries that have 1/1000 of the population we have - Finland - and we are split up into 50 or so states that really like to have control over everything. Back to the topic teaching length, our fifth grade team picked the top 75% of content that would be tested on the CRCT and taught only that - their scores went up and the kids seem to have retained the info on their 6th grade tests...I would love to teach overseas and really soak up some of their strategies, have all of that time to plan and talk to my colleagues. It would also be fun to have the respect and pay of the engineers...just say'in.
Higher order thinking is a concept that is not pushed today in schools. A lot of what is taught is directed straight to the CRCT.The content is skimmed on in just about every grade level, I believe someone else said "a mile wide and an inch deep." If we could teach our kids to think critcially they would retain more of the content.
The movie is an excellent source of information about America's obesity problem. The part of the movie that surprised me is the parents along with their children picketing Sesame Street for introducing vegetables as a healthy alternative. I guess even educated and informed people will resist change when it involves the threat of having their cookies taken away.
Killer at Large Documentary When I first heard about the 12 year old girl getting liposuction I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. My first thought was, “What parent would let their child do that?” But after hearing the child talk and if I knew that she had changed her eating and exercise habits I might let her have the surgery as well. Her heart-breaking story about not being accepted because of her weight also makes me look to our judgmental society that we live in. The society that judges someone based on what their scales says versus what they contribute to society or how they live their life is disgusting. After seeing the girl gain the weight back, she obviously has other issues that are causing her weight problem besides a hereditary problem.
We have to make a change within our household. We can try to educate those around us but we can’t change the nation immediately but we can start within our home by teaching our children how to have healthy eating habits. Proof of our unhealthy nation is in the numbers: 60 million people are obese. It is such a huge problem because obesity leads to reduced kidney and liver function, heart disease and diabetes.
We are entering into a “toxic environment” when referring to our food industry and nutritional habits. Again, I feel like we need to start within our homes and with our families then work to change the policies within our nation.
Doctors are giving us the prescription to good health (eat less + exercise more + less stress = good health) now it is our job to follow it to help ourselves and our family.
I also was surprised that parents would allow their 12 year old to have liposuction. At the age of 12 I feel like the parents should be able to step in and HELP the child lose the weight. (Assuming there were no underlying health issues) I feel like surgery should be a last resort for weight loss. Also, people have to realize that surgery is not an end-all for weight loss. You do lose it quickly, but you have to change your lifestyle in order to keep the weight off. I think people assume that surgery is just a miracle and they will be skinny forever. I fault the parents in this situation for not helping the girl.
It was interesting and shocking video. Liposuction scene was really shocking to me and I couldn’t understand the 12-year-old-girl’s parents. Why did they neglect their little daughter and why they tried to find a solution in that way? Through the video, I realized even if someone has been operated the liposuction, he or she can be turned back to obesity if he or she cannot change his or her eating habit. I think American diet has too much calories. Compared to its high calories, it makes feel little full and satisfied, I think. So they eat more and overindulgence can be one cause of raising obesity. I think we need to be a smart eater. The abolition of selling sodas in school was a wise choice. We need to keep enlightening people, who can choose wise eating habits.
The movie was interesting and also disturbing. I would have liked to have seen more background information about the 12 year old's lifestyle, especially when she was younger and completely under the control of her parents as far as what she ate and her daily routines. The doctor didn't seem to question how the little girl became so overweight. Liosuction seems like an extreme response and almost abusive, when there are alternatives that are more appropriate for a child. Additionally, after she had the surgery and was feeling "thin", she chose to portray herself vamping for the camera and trying to look sexy. It was all very torrid to me. I have friends whose child was strangely overweight, from birth on up, and they struggled with how to help her. I believe that doctors determined that it was genetic despite haveing thin, beautiful parents and siblings. A very tough situation for them. Now that she is 17 years old, she seems to have finally conquered the problem by eating very healthy and excersizing. It was a long process that started in her childhood when it was obvious she was so much larger than her peers and her family. Her parents supported her by loving her no matter how she looked and finding appropriate ways to manage the weight. She will never be super thin, but she is beautiful inside and out and has grown into being a confident, caring teenager!
I agree with Bette's formula for good health: eat less + exercise more + less stress = good health! It's hard enough to do this for yourself, but to also be responsible for your children (teenagers) and help your husband, Whew! Society encourages energy drinks, fast processed junk food, and sedentary lifestyles in the computer age. So basically, to follow the formula for good healthy, you are in conflict with American society's message! I think it is time for the government to step by changing what is served in school lunches and with public service announcements supporting healthy eating habits and exercise.
I agree with your first post. The parents of the 12 year old girl were never questioned about what the child ate. The parents were thin. It seems to me that parents give their children whatever they want so they will not have to deal with their tantrums. This happens in other areas as well, not just with food.
I agree with Bette's thoughts on the 12-year old girl and also your formula for good health! My first instinct was to judge the parents of the girl because of the decision they had made, but when I actually heard the girl's story it is heart-breaking. What is also sad is that many kids today have to go through these kinds of situations.Our society is very judgmental and it is very sad that it is that way.
The most frustrating thing for me about the video was my personal response concerning the 12 yr old that had lipo. The parents attiudes, her attitudes, and the eventual return of the weight just hung me up. Maybe I havent really absorbed the fact that eating to obesity my be just as much as an addictive behavior as crack. Which would really say something about the church in America because they are more likely to be fat according to the video. The very ones who preach the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit are the ones who lack the most self control...or at least find a way to be more socially acceptable in their addiction. When people have asked me about my opinion of smoking I have explained that I think it wrong based on what I just mentioned about being the temple and reference the scripture. But I also conclude with saying that you wont hear me say much about it because I eat McDonalds WAY more than I should and Ive heard some say that a single french fry is as equally harming to the body as a single cigarette.
I think Angela, even though she did not say it directly, makes a good point. I read her point as being that if given more time then a more permanent solution to the girl's weight would have been effective. For example, 12 some people are still waiting for baby fat to go away before moving into those adolesent changes that produce a slimmer body. There are many physical changes that happen between 12 and 22 that could be complete life changers as far as how you are going to manage your health. I am not completely against lipo or gastric bypass but I think that serious time and consideration should be given as to how to create a lifestyle of health not a surgery to fix your lack of it. I know that I had to spend about two to three years learning how to eat, exercise, eat with other people at resturants, eat a social events, and cook to figure out how to manage my diabetes. And I am considered a "easy" diabetic to treat. I fit the models given by modern medicine....what if I wasnt "easy" to treat? If it took me that long, isn't reasonable that someone overwieght might also take YEARS to figure out how to control the problem?
I agree with a lot of my classmates about the topic of liposuction and the 12 year old and how they don't go together. At first, I too, blamed the parents for allowing their child to get that big. They cooked her meals, feed her lots of food, and (truly) tried to help their child with her weight. I didn't believe the parents at first, but since both of them were not obese and looking back it pictures, the truth seemed to show. I felt bad for this family. It's crazy to think that this child tried all the weightloss programs and nothing seemed to work. To me, I felt this surgery should have been a last result, at an older age. I know that there had to be a program out there that worked and something that the family had to be committed too and not just the daughter. I have learned that trying to be healthy is a personal thing, but with the support of family and friends, it helps to stay motivated! I think this 12 year old didn't have that or much of it; unfortuantely, making this girl take the easy way out-liposuction.
I have noted that several people have commented on the child's eating habits prior to and after surgery, etc...does anyone else think that the producers of the film left that out on purpose? I do not know why they would do this or what political gains they would have...but that is a pretty big factor in a physician's decision to go ahead with the surgery...You would think it would have been included.
Killer at Large... Weight is a hefty subject for me...As I listened (but did not watch) the lipo portion of the video I almost longed it was me on the operating table...another quick fix...My whole life I was crazy skinny - ate whatever and never exercised ( I played the violin - not many calories burned during an orchestra concert:)). I truly started putting on weight once I hit 30 - like a switch went off - aka metabolism. Then I got an infection requiring lots of steroids and antibiotics (IV for 2 months),2 hip surgeries and that really did some damage. With my busy life and now with grad school on my plate - it has been very easy to stop and get my grilled chicken sandwiches and some sort of caffeine. The problem is - no matter how much I am working out or not eating - the weight REALLY loves me and will not leave. My sister on the other hand grew up playing soccer and even has a Nat Champ ring...she just thinks about working out and her body pops back into tip top shape. I go back to the lifestyle choices that we make even as children affect us for the rest of our lives. My sis has muscles, I do not (except in my fiddling fingers). The lipo girl does not seem to be active in anything but looking cute for the boys (something that is probably important to all young girls) but maybe if her parents had her active in sports or even volunteering - anything to get her up and moving, she would not have as much time to eat as much and be burning calories...and not in need of a very serious quick fix at such a young age.
Seeing the 12-yr old girl having the liposuction was very disturbing in several ways. It's disturbing to me that her parents would allow for a girl of her age to get in the physical condition that she is in. The parents seemed to be in fairly good physical condition and should be able to recognize that their daughter is not outside playing, running, doing the things kids should be doing. If that were the case, she wouldn't have gotten this way. 2nd off, it's disgraceful that the parents aren't seeming to support her more than they are. It seems to me that if she has the parental support, love and care from home, that she will realize she is beautiful no matter how big she is. Her weight should be more of a health issue than a beauty issue. I think it's disgraceful that the parents have allowed the girl to keep thinking the weight is a beauty issue and let her go through with the liposuction. As we can see, and probably have seen in our own lives with friends or family, having the lipo without a change in lifestyle, really is not going to change anything.
Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond had very interesting points when comparing the curriculum we use to the curriculum of other countries. What really stuck out to me was the standards that she talked about and how we had so many standards that we teach repeatedly over grades instead of building on knowledge that was previously taught. We are finally making the shift for students to think criticially and reflect on their experience, which countries ranked ahead of the United States have been doing for years. I also thought it was interesting that she made a point about the amount of time that teachers have to plan in high achieving countries. Also, she noted that a teacher's pay in a high achieving country is that of an engineer.... WOW! Hopefully integrating the common core standards will help the United States to start performing as the higher ranking countries do.
I have always known that obesity was becoming a problem, but I did not realize how serious the problem actually is before taking this class. In the movie, Killer at Large, it states that "2/3 of the country is obese." It made me wonder what foreign people think when they see us visiting our country for the first time. I would like to know more background of the story of the 218 pound girl whose parents allowed her to get liposuction. If you noticed her parents were not obese and I wonder why they did not stop her from eating all the time throughout her childhood. After all her parents are the ones stocking food in their house. In the movie, Brooke Bates states that "food is her comfort." I think many Americans can relate to how she feels about food, but in my personal opinion there are other ways to find comfort that are much healthier. Also, I think the increase in obesity correlates with the increase in technology we have seen in our country. Children do not go outside and just "play," they come home from school to sit on the computer, play games on the tv, watch tv, or play on their iphones or ipads. With budget cuts happening in many schools one of the first few things to get cut is p.e., art, and music. This means if children aren't getting any activity at home, now they are no longer getting activity at school.
Money is also the other issue I think that fuels obesity. At McDonalds the cheaper the food, the more money you spend, in turn the more calories you are taking in. I was shocked to see that a McDonalds kid's meal is the appropriate proportion size for adults. It made me debate that really any restaurant I have been the the proportions are very large! The movie also stated that people with the least money eat the most because they can buy more processed food than fresh food. In our schools, it is cheaper for the budget to buy processed food instead of fresh food. Vending machines in the school are making a "killing" so to say because of the number of students buying unhealthy food items. One of the vendors states that "they can't keep up" and they were at the schools about every other day. My favorite reply to vending machines in the schools was when the teacher stated "money trumphs common sense." People are no longer looking at the picture of obesity and the problem this is causing among America's youth, they see the money they get from America's youth becoming obese.
Is there a way to end obesity in America? Will people give up McDonalds and other fast food chains that are serving processed food? Can the people in America on lower budgets even afford to eat healthy? I think that losing weight is not a process, but a lifestyle change. You cannot change for only the time of your diet, but in order to keep the weight off you must change the way you live your life. And I think that people are not going to change until they make the personal decision that they want to change.
I certainly hope there is a way to end obesity in America. I also believe lifestyle changes will be required, and many people will have to change everything about their lives. I agree that these changes cannot be temporary. Families will need to educate themselves about the dangers of eating the wrong foods everyday. Many do have the technology to do research about eating healthier. Smaller changes to start might be an easier beginning, but efforts would need to be sustained.
I know that family budgets are a major concern. But, as Maggie pointed out in class, frozen vegetables are reasonably priced and cook quickly. Change is difficult, but I think that awareness is a first step. Perhaps movies like this one will help change to begin. I hope Americans wake up to this problem, and I hope it is soon.
Yes, I agree that people cannot change until they make the personal decision that they really want to change. To make them to want to be so, I think we need to keep enlightening them what is a wise choice to protect our bodies. I think obesity was caused by ignorance of seriousness. Nobody wants to be hurt themselves on purpose, I think.
Many of us have been through big life transformations by exercising and eating right. Although having a good workout routine is important, what most of us struggle with is eating right. This is so hard for most of us because it takes a lot of work. We are surrounded by poor food choices. A Double Cheeseburger for $1. Really!? I used to be ALL over them. No more.
I agree with Carolyn. It's so difficult to eat healthy when there are so many convenient and cheap food around to tempt us. You start to crave all of those unhealthy foods and it's hard to stop eating them and just stick to veggies! That's why a diet only works for as long as you're dieting. Once you start eating those foods again your back to being unhealthy. You have to make a lifestyle change if you want to get healthy and stay healthy.
Obesity in America is a huge problem. I enjoyed the movie and I am now thinking more about food in the United States. The discussion about venues that now carry snacks and food made me think. I thought about how food has slipped into so many places. There is food in the large hardware stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and even pet stores. These stores must sell the snacks and realize a profit, or they would not offer them. Why are we eating so much and so often in our country? I also thought about the parents who protested the removal of unhealthy foods from the schools. They came to the school and handed food to the students. Again, why do we think we need to eat so often? How many times do teachers see parents active and involved about the wrong stuff? Their behavior was really difficult to believe. Our discussions and readings have certainly helped me to take a closer look at what I am eating and serving at home. I wonder, are Americans addicted to food? Addiction is something that seems to remove any concern for consequences, and this seems to be the mindset of many Americans. I hope that these types of programs get the attention of many, so that we can make better choices and start to gain health in America. I believe it is a crisis.
Your comment about food being everywhere we go really got me thinking of how many times that I might see a coke machine or vending machine and think that I will just get a snack to go. The temptation of unhealthy sodas and food items in vending machines are everywhere. I wonder if we took the vending and soda machines out of places if people would notice or if they would go about their day as usual.
When I was a kid I was super healthy because my mom didn't really have junk food in our house, it wasn't accessible to me. But when I was at school and esp when I started driving junk food from vending machines was everywhere. I gradually gained weight without even really realizing it because junk food was so accessible. It would be such a great idea to take vending machines away or at least provided healthier alternatives like the baked chips and granola bars. Sometimes you are hungry and if a candy bar is all that available then you get the candy bar.
Jana, I agree with you!! Seeing the coke and snack machines make the idea of getting a small snack simple, easy, and convenient. It's nice when you give in to the temptation of getting a snack from the vending machine only to discover that you are short a few coins and you so wished that it took pennies. (Because if it did, you would have enough money.) I always think, "Well, I guess it was not meant to be then!!" :)
I also agree that the easy access to unhealthy food is astonishing. The vending machines are every where and so is fast food. I never realized a lot of this until I watched the video. Growing up, my schools did not have vending machines etc. Now I go through cycles of craving candy bars and then getting tired of them. The idea that the crave can be taken care of with just a walk down a hall way can get really tough for those trying to choose a healthier option. I agree with you that the junk food is extremely accessible.
I agree with you Vickie. Obesity is a crisis in America, but what better opportunity we have than to help out the next generation by working with the students of today
Obesity is a growing epidemic. It's taking our country by storm, especially the southern states where we love our fried food! If our education system is to move forward we must address this issue, beginning with our school cafeterias.
I just sent this out in an email, but thought I would also post. On the handout I gave you, please omit doing the table. We'll address that in class. ba
The thing that really made me think yesterday was about how we have gone from having to forage and hunt for everything that we ate to having food everywhere we go. We now have an over abundance of food available and we for the most part do not have to do anything pysical to acquire it. Also food has become very social. Every event that you go to or host there is food, especially in the south. We look at food as a comfort in good time and bad. I was also very disturbed about the protests about taking unhealthy snacks out of schools. It really upsets me to see my students, 14 and 15 year olds, already extremely overweight. In the generation of video games, and entertainment at our figure tips, kids don't play like they once did and pysical activity seems to become a chore. This study has definately started me thinking about this problem and what I can do to help myself, my family, and the students in my classroom.
This movie terrified me but also helped to explain a lot of things. I saw how difficult it is to eat healthy when we are constantly bombarded by advertisments and vending machines. I was also interested in how they explained that eating all of the food we are offered is almost like an old instinct that humans have. They had to eat everything that they killed immediatly because a) it would go bad, b) they didn't know when they would get their next meal. Now though, we have constant access to food and so that old instinct is now having a negative affect on us. The other thing that I hadn't noticed before but is now painfully obvious is that food companies are trying to constantly make us think its time to eat. Food is everywhere you go and when you see it you think, I should eat because my stomach isn't stuffed at the moment. But you don't need the food!I just feel like I'm being subtly programmed to eat and eat a lot and I don't like it.
I don't remember who her guest was (maybe Dr. OZ?), but several years ago I saw something on Oprah about weight loss (go figure!). Anyway, the specialist said that when we have those cravings when we're full it's our body telling us, "I am going to burn calories right now. I am either going to burn the ones you give me, or burn them off your butt . . . you choose." Every time I think I want to eat, but I am not really hungry, I think of that! :)
The issues with farmers and food subsidizes stood out to me. In the Midwest farming isn't diversified anymore. Famers are basically paid to not grow anything except corn. Corn of itself isn't bad, but when you look at all the foods that are produced because of the corn, esp high fructose corn syrup, it makes corn start to not look so good anymore. "Go big or get out," was the message that the government sent to farmers. It isn't sustainable for a small farmer to grow a variety of crops anymore. Farmers need to make money too so they in turn plant all corn in their fields. And then the corn is fed to the cattle (but that's a whole other issue)!
If you look in the grocery store it can be hard to find local foods, sometimes even foods from America. So much of our diet is made up of food imported from other countries esp Latin America. It's expensive to bring those foods here. In my own family we try to eat local as much as possible. We have a small garden and get the rest of our vegetables from a local farm Pine Mountain. We still get fruit from the grocery store though. I really think the a simple solution that all of can do is consume less and buy local as much as possible. It really can make a difference.
The video was very disturbing!! It truly makes me second guess myself when I want to run by Chick-Fa-La or Zaxbys. I have done away with McDonalds for months now after hearing of what it does inside your body after a year. Professor Ault told us in class that a study was done on what McDonalds actually does inside your body. Someone bought a hamburger and fries and placed it in a container with the date on it. A year later, they opened the container to find that the hamburger and fries had not changed and looked exactly like they did when they were bought a year ago! That grossed me out so I have banned McDonalds. I am sure that the other fast food places do the same, but no one has proven it, or at least brought it to my knowledge:)!! I was shocked to hear that a 12 year old got lypho. It makes me wonder what type of diet plan they had her on prior to the surgery to see if she could lose any weight on her own...
I agree, I wish we could have seen what steps the parents took before resorting to surgery. They did say a little something about trying different kinds of diets I think, but nothing about exercise. Unfortunately, my bet would be that little was done to help that sweet girl before her parents went to extreme measures.
I agree about the 12 year old having lypho. Surgery seems to be just a quick fix and does not get to the root of her problem. It only took a few months for her to gain weight again which tells me that she did not "fix" anything about her weight.
This movie was definitely increased my awareness of the problems America is facing with obesity. After watching the movie yesterday it made me much more aware of the food I am eating also. What really hit home for me was the point in the movie where the two teachers were discussing the vending machines in the schools. I do agree that this is something we should think about. I can remember in high school all the drink machines and vending machines we had and how many times I was guilty of going to those machines to get snacks or drinks. It is sad that unhealthy eating is basically a way of life for many Americans. Also, it is disturing that it has gotten this out of control over the years. This video raises my awareness of healthy eating habits and really helps me to realize the benefits of discussing with your students the benefits of eating healthy.
The movie made me want to go get a spear and start chasing for my food again lol. I agree with all the comments so far the 12 year old girl outweighing both her parents together, just kidding, and how her parents were joking about it and almost glorifying it, unreal. Having taught in a high school setting for seven years I would not allow any carbonated drinks or candy in my room, you could drink bottled water and have an apple or some fruit in my classroom. I would watch kids coming down the hall chugging moutain dew and throwing the bottle away before coming into my class room, "gota get my fix before Coach McGreal's class". We as educators should try to instill as many good habits in our students as possible. Or at least try to limit the bad!
This movie gave me mixed emotions, at first it made me really hungry and all i wanted to do was go to Wendy's after class and get a hamburger. But after seeing all that the 12 year old girl went through, I did not even want to drive my truck home. All I wanted to do was exercise and make sure I am living a healthy life. One part that stood out to me in the movie is when it talked about that everything can be to much or to less. What I mean by that is, yes it is ok to try and live a healthy life, but by doing it to much, the idea of to skinny can get stuck in your head that all you think about is your weight and you begin to think any weight is bad. I believe there is a fine median with being to skinny of to large.
I didn't even eat lunch after watching this video! I had planned to go grab something (ok,ok...fast food) during our break between classes, but I just felt too guilty! A few things that I thought were interesting during this video. 1. The surgeon general called obesity "the terror from within." Another talk show host went on to say that obesity had called more people than Bin Laden. It's sad that Americans are dying from something that can be prevented. I just think of all of the cancer, Alzheimers, etc patients that WISH there was a lifestyle change that they could implement to get better. YET, people are CHOOSING to kill themselves with obesity. SAD 2. We are programmed to eat as much as we can due to our ancestors being hunter-gatherers. I feel this sensation often....especially when I have a bag of chips in front of me and I am doing homework. I just have this NEED to finish the bag...even if I am not hungry. It's nice to know that it's simply because I am programmed that way..good excuse to eat! However, I wonder how long it will be before our brains change since we no longer live in a time where we don't know when our next meal is going to be. 3. When we see food, we feel like we need to eat. I always thought that stores just had drinks and snacks to make things convenient for their shoppers. Shopping...Thirsty? WOW, how convenient you have a fridge at every register! However, if those weren't there I might be more likely to wait until I get home and have a glass of water. I rarely purchase water at a gas station or check out because they are ridiculously over-priced. 4. My favorite: sugar effects the same area of the brain as illegal drugs. No wonder I HAVE to have my diet mountain dew every morning. I'm addicted! I probably keep Pepsi in business. Caffeine and sugar are drugs..what if we outlawed them just like we did other drugs??? 5. A question that I wish the video would have explored is WHY are religious people more apt to be obese? The video just threw that statistic out there and left us hanging on the reason. I wonder if it's because people have reassurance that even if they aren't accepted by our society that they are accepted by their god.
Overall, loved the video. Can't wait to see the rest!
In my opinion, what those parents did that that poor little BABY girl is child abuse. Beyond the ridiculousness of a twelve-year-old having lipo-suction, the comments that the parents made about their daughter being fat or skinny were insensitive and probably part of the psychological problem that the little girl is really dealing with. If those parents wanted to help their daughter, why wait until she reached 250 pounds? Why not show her how to eat healthy (and I’m not talking about dieting)? I wonder what kinds of activities they encouraged her to become involved in so that she was active enough to stay healthy. And, so what if she ended up being heavier that her mother (or whomever she is comparing herself to)? It makes me worry so much about my little girl (even though she’s only two) and the kind of self-image she will have. I know that as her mother, it is my job to set a good example for her and make sure she knows what a beautiful creation of God’s she is. Another interesting point that was made (which I have heard of before, somewhere) is when they likened addiction to food to addiction to drugs, and alcohol. It is easy to see someone who abuses drugs and tell them that they need help, but when Cookie Monster tells kids that cookies are a sometimes snack, parents are outraged??? So many people are sending such the wrong message to their children, I am not sure how that can be reversed.
Jillian, I completely agree with how you view these parents. Didn't the girl say that the reason she ate so much was to keep her mind off of all the fighting that the parents were doing? Those parents did not think they had anything to do with this problem. They blamed it on DNA. How sad!
I'm really enjoying reading your comments. I liked the part in the movie when someone stated that obese people are great people, smart, and really shouldn't be blamed. It takes more than just exercising or will power to solve this problem. I think our society judges overweight people. "Oh, shame on them." And that is so wrong. It's a complicated issue. And I don't think just exercising more will solve it, but everyone should exercise. After watching the movie, I felt guilty for laughing at the WM clip. But it's so easy for me to feel guilty.:-)
The movie made me really sad and disappointed in America. The part about the corn industry getting subsidies from the government was shocking. Research has proven corn is what is causing this obesity epidemic in America and the industry making us fat is getting rewarded. I really feel that people need to be educated, but they have to take the initiative to educate themselves. The government and food industry are not going to be honest with consumers. Politicians talk about the obesity problem facing Americans, but nothing is ever done. Our children are suffering! Something needs to be done.
Dr. Darling- Hammond stated that other countries use higher order thinking questions to solve problems in the classrooms. This is not always the case in America. Other countries use school based assessments and home assessment. I read up on this while working on my thesis, where parents respond to how a student is liking a method of teaching or grading. In America the focus is on Reading and Math, Science sometimes get left behind. I do think we need to concentrate more on project based learning in science instead of memorizing information to pass a multiple choice test.
This is a story about how obesity is killing us in the United States. As the Surgeon General states, “is the terror within.” The first story is about a 12 year old girl who gets liposuction. Unbelievable! Personally, I think her parents went too far. There are no quick fixes. Surgery, pills, etc are only temporary. It is important to teach our kid’s good food habits. Food is fuel for our bodies. We need to tell our kids all the time, “this food” will make you healthy, big, and strong! Start teaching young! This isn’t to say that kids can’t have some cake at a birthday party or ice cream. But like everything in life, moderation. It should be special, not every day. There was a great focus on school lunches and how the government subsidizes only for meals above 600 calories. The power of vending machines in schools is enormous. This is BIG business to corporations. When Schwarzenegger pulled junk food vending machines from schools in California, there was candy and soda trade going on outside of schools, not unlike drugs. Wow!!!
I was shocked that a 12 year old girl went through liposuction and was more shocked that her parents wanted her too. Most of the blame for that girl’s obesity has to go towards her parents. Providing your child with a balanced, nutritional meal will shape the way they will eat when they make their own food decisions. Sixty million people are considered obese in America. This explains the high rate of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. I agree with the video when they said the poorer you are, the unhealthier you eat. Junk food is a lot cheaper and easier to prepare. We need to continue to try to educate parents about the horrible effects that eating this food has on their families body and future.
I think that it is going to have to start with behavior change within the house hold as many of my classmates have said. If there is not a demand for junk food or all of these "corn" products, then they will stop making it. From there it will start the change. There would have to be enough people doing this to actually make a difference. Obesity is such a huge problem and it overwhelmes me trying to address the solutions. I think there was some effort made when the law passed requiring restaurants have to tell how many calories are in their food. This caused me to make better decisions when eating out. I think that a lot of people would be extremely surprised if they actually understood what is in their food. In my opinion the list of chemicals in the product is no longer enough.What do they mean? The average person does not really know what they are eating, and if they did maybe it would make it easier to change their behavior.
The movie make me reflect about obesity... Since I arrive here, I´m more wondering about calories, my weight, the food that I´m eating, I really can´t believe how easily I´m gain weight... I can't believe that people love to live like that, eating a lot of unhealthy food, and they LOVE IT... as the people that were protesting because they wanted the cookies again in the school... I heard yesterday, thet in NY will ban drinks more that 16 ounces, so that is going to help a little bit, but If in the same restaurant we have the free refill, how is going to help... you can buy a "small" drink and refill it 4 or 5 times... I just hope that this problem can be moderate, and all teh people understand about the damage so big that we are doing by not taking care of our health and our children´s health, letting them eat anything, just because we do not want to spend time cooking
Unfortunately, my husband and I used to eat out quite often because it was convenient, but with our income changes, we have had to cut back and eat more at home. Just knowing that home meals are so much healthier and better for you and fast foods are purposely feeding to obesity, the idea is appalling. I'm not a fan of knowing that company's are manipulating and secretly messing with the so called "quality" food that will later on hurt me. It makes me feel deceived. We all ready need to make a change in our lifestyles, even if we are not obese. There's always something we can do to better ourselves, like spreading our knowledge on this widespread epidemic and putting an end to it.
The movie has really made me reflect on my own behavior as well. I too can shame myself so much and that never solves the problem. The more I blame myself and beat myself up about it, the move I give in. So, the answer to solving this problem might now be a proactive blame and shame game of the people like the movie states. I think proactively motivating and positive encouragement of healthy food options would make me eat healther. This is just my personality though and that is why I really liked the part in the video where they discussed it not being the peoples fault. I too agree that it is a terror within. Just like the 12 year old girl who after the surgery felt so guilty for gaining some of the weight back. She also said that she eats because of a certain reason and because that reason hasn't been addressed directly, she still struggles with overeating. I just thought that her comment about this was really interesting and made me look at the root as well. I also did not realized that a kids meal at McDonalds was the correct portion for an adult!! That has really hit home for me because I never order the kids meal! Plus it always seems cheaper to just get the larger sizes because your getting "more bang for your buck". haha
Linda Darling - Hammond Video = I loved this video and completely agree with a lot of what she has to say about our education system. Just like the book that we are reading for class , Nickel and Dime, if our students are going to be applying for these jobs that do pay minimum wage; then, I believe that it would be best to prepare them to interview for those positions. The interviews that are discussed in this book seem to be more of a personality based interview where the applicant has to be able to answer critical thinking questions instead of multiple choice questions. Also, I believe that she made a great point when she talked about having to re-teach a skill over and over each year because they did not get it all the first time. I think that if students were able to divce into the specific subject and skill for a longer period of time; then, they would understand it better. If they develop a deeper understanding about the specific subject being taught then they will be able to not only experience learning, but find meaning in what they are learning. If they are able to become more independent in their learning then they might find meaning in learning. To me I believe that finding meaning in everything you do including learning, should be the goal. I also agree with the thoughts about teachers. She made an interesting point when she discussed the teachers having the ability to mold and shape the curriculum to their own method of teaching. It gives teachers more freedom to teach! However, the idea of adapting another countries "school system" would be challenging because the United States is different in so many ways. I agree that through constant effort, our education system will eventually find a way that fits best for us and makes us more competitive internationally.
As for the Linda Darling- Hammond video, I have to say that I totally agree with her. I think that part of the problem with education today is that we, as teachers, have so much to cover each year, therefore, many things get rushed through. What if instead of teaching a small section of a topic one year and building on it each year, we take that topic and cover it all at once? Darling- Hammond mentions that and uses fractions as an example. I remember learning about fractions in elementary school and then building on that knowledge every year. By the time we would start fractions again the next year, I had forgotten what I learned the year before, making it impossible for my knowledge to be built on. I think having a deeper understanding of a topic is essential for retention, but for this to be possible, we have got to quit rushing through the curriculum.
As for the Killer at Large documentary, I found it very insightful. I agree with what Dr. Alexander said about the misconceptions of obesity in our country. I have struggled with weight my whole life and I am one of the most active people I know. I eat healthy (for the most part) and I am always on the go swimming, hiking, white water rafting, etc. yet I still struggle with my weight. My mom, on the other hand, eats nothing but junk food and doesn't do much physical activity and has never weighed more that 120 pounds in her life. It isn't always about lifestyle... it also has a ton to do with genetics. I really enjoyed the video and I agreed with much that it had to say about the convenience of eating fast food and how sometimes that is the only options because of financial reasons on top of a busy lifestyle. A salad at a fast food restaurant costs $6 but a cheeseburger with bacon is only $1...thus the temptation to eat unhealthy.
1. Measure of America 84-109 (part 2 of chapter 2)read and complete handout- bring your completed handout to class.
ReplyDelete2. Nickel and Dimed 193-240 read- Socratic Seminar for Class 6 group 3
3. Read chapters 1 and 2 Long and Bright Future- Seminar for Class 6 group 2
4. Paper #3- complete- you only need to have 3 research/journal/book references in your paper. Please have a reference page for this paper.
5. Remember to read 110-131 for class - Measure of America
Watch Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond talk about being internationally competitive.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQNUqVYJofE
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You can also look for her articles( would be a great source for your paper:-))
Her book, Education and the Flat World, would be an interesting read.
This video explains some of the reasons that America is loosing ground internationally in education. We currently rank 35th in math and 29th in science, and we are loosing ground in reading and language arts. This is really appalling since we are one of the richest countries in the world. Dr. Darling-Hammond sees stark differences in what high acheiving countries do in the classroom compared to what America does. I was actually jealous to see what goes on in a science classroom in Japan! High acheiving countries focus on inquiry and reflection in every field while we spend time hammering in basics on hundreds of areas (our standards are a mile wide and inches deep).
DeleteI have to think that the NCLB act is basically at fault here, as I have always beleived that testing, testing and more testing(multiple choice) is a ridiculous and ineffective way to teach. As Dr. Darling-Hammond points out: as American students do better and better on state assessments they are at the same time doing worse and worse on international assessemnts, which are clearly a better measure of what kids are able to do. Why don't we just use the international assessments as our state assessments, with some adjustments made to make them fit with curriculum?
Soutions mentioned: common core standards and new assessements. I tend to think this is not near enough. With the reauthorization of NCLB is seems the problems will perpetuate. Remember Georgia calls its standards Georgia Performance Standards but there is actually no performance going on and the corresponding CRCT is strictly multiple choice. I think that treating teachers as professionals (including graduate training and better pay), more planning time, and a switch to performance based (project based) learning that focuses on inquiry, reflection and deep understanding will improve education in America and will also improve students' and teachers' engagement and attitudes!
I love the idea of project based learning. There are not many (if any at all) elementary science classes that do hands-on activities anymore. They will say there is not enough time. They focus on terms and expect the students to understand what they mean only by the definitions. But, by incorporating hands-on activities to prove why somehting does or does not happen would help the students to have a better understanding.
DeleteThis video raises many ideas as to why our education system is not succeeding as we probably should. I LOVED the part of the video where Linda Darling-Hammond discussed project-based learning in science! During my undergraduate at LaGrange we were required to take a Science Methods course. The students in our class each presented 3 projects and experiments that could be used in a science classroom. I loved the project-based learning in Science, but as Darling-Hammond discusses, it is hard when much of the curriculum is driven toward Reading and Math instead of Science. I also agree with her ideas on the multiple choice testing. From a personal standpoint I have never been a great test taker because of multple choice testing. I have always performed much better on critical thinking questions than multiple choice and I love using critical thinking types of assessments with students. It is a great way to test because not only are you assessing their knowledge, but often times students are sharing their personal thoughts on topics.
DeleteI agree that our education system does not promote high order thinking. I agree that our students should do experiments, research, investigate, and inquire. Students should reflect, analyzed and write to explain their views. If we are to compete with the international community our students need these skills. Multiple choice testing does tell us what the student is thinking and why. I like project based learning and hands on activities.
DeleteI think that we have to foster that behavior at an early age. By the time students reach high school, they have created ideas and attitides on how they feel about hands on activites and projects. I feel some of my students love the labs, and that is how they learn. I do about 4 labs a week in my class. However, I found the majority of the kids in my class think that they want to do the labs, but in reality they do not understand the amount of work that a lab involves. My students want me to baby step them through the instructions and sometimes even refuse to read them. They are begging me for worksheets by the end of the first nine weeks. Some of my kids connect what we are doing in the lab with what we are learning about in notes, and they do much better in science than in other classes. But I would argue that most do much better with worksheets. I don't have enough time in 18 weeks to teach them to appreciate labs and actually use them to gain knowledge.
DeleteNot to mention project work! haha I gave up on that a long time ago. One or two people in a group doing most of the work!! This leads to parent teacher conferences and to many headaches for me to deal with...so everyone is responsible for their own work.
I learn hands on. I teach hands on. But I find by the time students get to me, it is too late to try and teach them how to actually learn in that way. Last year I cut projects completly, and my test scores went up. Also I also had a lot more people pass my class because they no longer have zeros from projects bringing down their grade. And I had an extra week to review for the EOCT.
I liked the video interview with Linda Darling-Hammond. I thought the most interesting thing she said was that we spend entirely too much time re-teaching concepts that should have been taught in previous grades. I remember being frustrated as a student that we were learning the same things year after year. Even more frustrating was when classmates would tell the teacher "we never learned this." I liked that she reiterated a point that I have always thought about our curriculum...it's an inch deep and a mile wide. We never get fully in depth with material because we just have to breeze through it and get through the curriculum. I wish that money wasn't such an issue so that we could do standardized testing at the end of the year instead of in APRIL so we would have more time to teach the content.
DeleteDarling-Hammond's video is most interesting information. I have, like everyone in education, heard of our poor international placement in education. This video starts identifying some of the differences, but you can only communicate so much in a video clip. From my international experience I know of some differences in European education. One difference is some countries in Europe have two high school tracks. One track is for a vocational career and the other is a university track. In England high school students take exams after their 10th grade. If they fail, their high school education is complete and they train for a job. If they pass they are entitled to two more years in school to complete their preparation for entrance to a university. The video clip has definitely peaked my interest in learning more and her book is on my reading list.
DeleteThe problem in science is the mile wide and inch deep structure that our current standards give. I am actually going to try, for my thesis, to apply project based learning (design based learning) to compare resuslts against scripted inquiry. The biggest problem is TIME. It take much longer than we have to cover a topic to do a designed based or project based instructional method. I read one journal where they spent 5 weeks covering electricity by building an alarm system. I have one week to cover electricity or I dont finish the standards.
DeleteIn the video featuring Dr. Darling-Hammond, math standards of some other countries were called lean. Our math standards are anything but lean. It is such a concern that American students are not ranked near the top when compared internationally. How can we turn this around? Dr. Darling-Hammond also said that in Finland, teachers are trained to teach for deep understanding while concepts taught in American schools seem to be only an inch deep and a mile wide. Also mentioned was the reteaching of concepts from grade to grade. Students often comment on this repetition of material.
DeleteI thought that her comments on the standards in our school systems verses the standards in other countries was interesting. I have seen this with the math curriculum that I have to teach. Our standards are not clearly worded and sometimes very frustrating to understand. There are also too many of them. She is correct about having to constantly review previous material because the students did not master it to begin with. They are only being taught what they need to pass a test.
DeleteI think America is definitely developed country. Americans continuously keep thinking and trying to improve. Even though American students have poor academic achievement compared to other OECD countries, I think you have great thinkers to improve present situations and support students. As we, Korean educators do, American educators try to benchmark better education system from other countries. I think try and error can make better educational system for our students’ future. However, we need to consider a certain educational system can suit for only in a certain country.
DeleteAfter watching Dr. Darling-Hammond's video, it was very interesting to learn many facts about our nations testing abilities and strategies. I thought it was awesome to learn that some questions don't do multiple choice, like not at all. The world would be a better place without multiplie choice. I loved how the classrooms focused more on project-based activities, rather than reading from a book stuck at a desk. I wish that I could get the opportunity to go to other schools around the world and learn different teaching methods, lessons, and project-based ideas that help students grow, mature, and prepare for the future; however, that would have to result in me learning more than one language! :)
DeleteDo policy makers talk about the fact that the US is losing ground in every area in regards to globally competetive performance in education? I understand that it would require a massive overhaul (and change in the policies themselves), not to mention more money than is available but we need to change how education is delivered to our students and how it is assessed. Like Dr. Darling-Hammond mentioned, we must reteach the content in third, fifth, seventh and tenth grade because we never take the time to teach the material in depth so that our students achieve a true understanding.
DeleteHer thoughts of re-teaching each of the standards in each grade level is spot on, especially in Math wher I see students in high school having not mastered the fundamentals fractions, decimals, and even multiplying and dividing. I agree that our standards are currently a mile wide and an inch deep whereas we need to work towards having less standards and master those before we move on. I think we are at least making strides in that direction with the Common Core, but we need to continue to make it better. I also liked her statement about multiple-choice tests. It's the process and not the result that kids learn from...that's why i try to teach kids it's important to show your work in Math.
DeleteDarling-Hammond shed light on serveral of the reasons why Americans are behind. Some of the reasons she discussed are currently being examined in our system. A common core for reading, language, and math are being created and new assessments will be fomed by our federal government.
DeleteShe menitoned several other things that need addressing as well, like more planning time for teachers. In some countries they're receiving upwards of 20 plus hours per week. I am lucky to get two. We also need a rigorous teacher training program with high expectations. I love that their teachers are paid as well as engineers. Unitl America realizes the importance of teachers and the importance of the job they do, which is to build leaders of tomorrow, it will be difficult to move forward.
I enjoyed watching Linda Darling-Hammond’s video and agree with a lot of what she is saying. I am very surprised that we rank so low internationally when America is the place everyone wants to be. America should offer their students the highest quality of education compared to all other countries. I think we are slowly moving in the right direction. The new Common Core Standards will concentrate more on teaching deeply the first time rather than re-teaching in every grade level. I think the new Common Core will allow students to think critically, investigate, inquire about things, and hopefully be involved in some project based learning. Compared to other countries, teachers do not get the support and training in America that we need. I was shocked when Linda Darling Hammond mentioned teachers are equivalent to engineers and get 25 hour planning time a week. We could accomplish so much in this time.
DeleteYIPPEEE Linda! You must have read my thesis...higher order thinking baby!
DeleteOne thing that I thought was interesting is actually something that has been tried (sort of ) at my school...taking longer to actually teach and master a topic. She said that in some countries the teachers take a quarter of a year to teach one topic instead of the spiraling /touch it and come back methods used in the US.
Side bar: I think in fairness to the US - we need to consider that we are being compared to other countries that have 1/1000 of the population we have - Finland - and we are split up into 50 or so states that really like to have control over everything.
Back to the topic teaching length, our fifth grade team picked the top 75% of content that would be tested on the CRCT and taught only that - their scores went up and the kids seem to have retained the info on their 6th grade tests...I would love to teach overseas and really soak up some of their strategies, have all of that time to plan and talk to my colleagues. It would also be fun to have the respect and pay of the engineers...just say'in.
Higher order thinking is a concept that is not pushed today in schools. A lot of what is taught is directed straight to the CRCT.The content is skimmed on in just about every grade level, I believe someone else said "a mile wide and an inch deep." If we could teach our kids to think critcially they would retain more of the content.
DeletePost a comment about yesterday's movie. Respond to a classmates's comment.
ReplyDeleteThe movie is an excellent source of information about America's obesity problem. The part of the movie that surprised me is the parents along with their children picketing Sesame Street for introducing vegetables as a healthy alternative. I guess even educated and informed people will resist change when it involves the threat of having their cookies taken away.
DeleteKiller at Large Documentary
DeleteWhen I first heard about the 12 year old girl getting liposuction I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. My first thought was, “What parent would let their child do that?” But after hearing the child talk and if I knew that she had changed her eating and exercise habits I might let her have the surgery as well. Her heart-breaking story about not being accepted because of her weight also makes me look to our judgmental society that we live in. The society that judges someone based on what their scales says versus what they contribute to society or how they live their life is disgusting. After seeing the girl gain the weight back, she obviously has other issues that are causing her weight problem besides a hereditary problem.
We have to make a change within our household. We can try to educate those around us but we can’t change the nation immediately but we can start within our home by teaching our children how to have healthy eating habits. Proof of our unhealthy nation is in the numbers: 60 million people are obese. It is such a huge problem because obesity leads to reduced kidney and liver function, heart disease and diabetes.
We are entering into a “toxic environment” when referring to our food industry and nutritional habits. Again, I feel like we need to start within our homes and with our families then work to change the policies within our nation.
Doctors are giving us the prescription to good health (eat less + exercise more + less stress = good health) now it is our job to follow it to help ourselves and our family.
I also was surprised that parents would allow their 12 year old to have liposuction. At the age of 12 I feel like the parents should be able to step in and HELP the child lose the weight. (Assuming there were no underlying health issues) I feel like surgery should be a last resort for weight loss. Also, people have to realize that surgery is not an end-all for weight loss. You do lose it quickly, but you have to change your lifestyle in order to keep the weight off. I think people assume that surgery is just a miracle and they will be skinny forever. I fault the parents in this situation for not helping the girl.
DeleteIt was interesting and shocking video. Liposuction scene was really shocking to me and I couldn’t understand the 12-year-old-girl’s parents. Why did they neglect their little daughter and why they tried to find a solution in that way? Through the video, I realized even if someone has been operated the liposuction, he or she can be turned back to obesity if he or she cannot change his or her eating habit. I think American diet has too much calories. Compared to its high calories, it makes feel little full and satisfied, I think. So they eat more and overindulgence can be one cause of raising obesity. I think we need to be a smart eater. The abolition of selling sodas in school was a wise choice. We need to keep enlightening people, who can choose wise eating habits.
DeleteThe movie was interesting and also disturbing. I would have liked to have seen more background information about the 12 year old's lifestyle, especially when she was younger and completely under the control of her parents as far as what she ate and her daily routines. The doctor didn't seem to question how the little girl became so overweight. Liosuction seems like an extreme response and almost abusive, when there are alternatives that are more appropriate for a child. Additionally, after she had the surgery and was feeling "thin", she chose to portray herself vamping for the camera and trying to look sexy. It was all very torrid to me. I have friends whose child was strangely overweight, from birth on up, and they struggled with how to help her. I believe that doctors determined that it was genetic despite haveing thin, beautiful parents and siblings. A very tough situation for them. Now that she is 17 years old, she seems to have finally conquered the problem by eating very healthy and excersizing. It was a long process that started in her childhood when it was obvious she was so much larger than her peers and her family. Her parents supported her by loving her no matter how she looked and finding appropriate ways to manage the weight. She will never be super thin, but she is beautiful inside and out and has grown into being a confident, caring teenager!
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DeleteI agree with Bette's formula for good health: eat less + exercise more + less stress = good health! It's hard enough to do this for yourself, but to also be responsible for your children (teenagers) and help your husband, Whew! Society encourages energy drinks, fast processed junk food, and sedentary lifestyles in the computer age. So basically, to follow the formula for good healthy, you are in conflict with American society's message! I think it is time for the government to step by changing what is served in school lunches and with public service announcements supporting healthy eating habits and exercise.
DeleteI agree with your first post. The parents of the 12 year old girl were never questioned about what the child ate. The parents were thin. It seems to me that parents give their children whatever they want so they will not have to deal with their tantrums. This happens in other areas as well, not just with food.
DeleteI agree with Bette's thoughts on the 12-year old girl and also your formula for good health! My first instinct was to judge the parents of the girl because of the decision they had made, but when I actually heard the girl's story it is heart-breaking. What is also sad is that many kids today have to go through these kinds of situations.Our society is very judgmental and it is very sad that it is that way.
DeleteThe most frustrating thing for me about the video was my personal response concerning the 12 yr old that had lipo. The parents attiudes, her attitudes, and the eventual return of the weight just hung me up. Maybe I havent really absorbed the fact that eating to obesity my be just as much as an addictive behavior as crack. Which would really say something about the church in America because they are more likely to be fat according to the video. The very ones who preach the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit are the ones who lack the most self control...or at least find a way to be more socially acceptable in their addiction. When people have asked me about my opinion of smoking I have explained that I think it wrong based on what I just mentioned about being the temple and reference the scripture. But I also conclude with saying that you wont hear me say much about it because I eat McDonalds WAY more than I should and Ive heard some say that a single french fry is as equally harming to the body as a single cigarette.
DeleteI think Angela, even though she did not say it directly, makes a good point. I read her point as being that if given more time then a more permanent solution to the girl's weight would have been effective. For example, 12 some people are still waiting for baby fat to go away before moving into those adolesent changes that produce a slimmer body. There are many physical changes that happen between 12 and 22 that could be complete life changers as far as how you are going to manage your health. I am not completely against lipo or gastric bypass but I think that serious time and consideration should be given as to how to create a lifestyle of health not a surgery to fix your lack of it. I know that I had to spend about two to three years learning how to eat, exercise, eat with other people at resturants, eat a social events, and cook to figure out how to manage my diabetes. And I am considered a "easy" diabetic to treat. I fit the models given by modern medicine....what if I wasnt "easy" to treat? If it took me that long, isn't reasonable that someone overwieght might also take YEARS to figure out how to control the problem?
DeleteI agree with a lot of my classmates about the topic of liposuction and the 12 year old and how they don't go together. At first, I too, blamed the parents for allowing their child to get that big. They cooked her meals, feed her lots of food, and (truly) tried to help their child with her weight. I didn't believe the parents at first, but since both of them were not obese and looking back it pictures, the truth seemed to show. I felt bad for this family. It's crazy to think that this child tried all the weightloss programs and nothing seemed to work. To me, I felt this surgery should have been a last result, at an older age. I know that there had to be a program out there that worked and something that the family had to be committed too and not just the daughter. I have learned that trying to be healthy is a personal thing, but with the support of family and friends, it helps to stay motivated! I think this 12 year old didn't have that or much of it; unfortuantely, making this girl take the easy way out-liposuction.
DeleteI have noted that several people have commented on the child's eating habits prior to and after surgery, etc...does anyone else think that the producers of the film left that out on purpose? I do not know why they would do this or what political gains they would have...but that is a pretty big factor in a physician's decision to go ahead with the surgery...You would think it would have been included.
DeleteKiller at Large...
DeleteWeight is a hefty subject for me...As I listened (but did not watch) the lipo portion of the video I almost longed it was me on the operating table...another quick fix...My whole life I was crazy skinny - ate whatever and never exercised ( I played the violin - not many calories burned during an orchestra concert:)). I truly started putting on weight once I hit 30 - like a switch went off - aka metabolism. Then I got an infection requiring lots of steroids and antibiotics (IV for 2 months),2 hip surgeries and that really did some damage. With my busy life and now with grad school on my plate - it has been very easy to stop and get my grilled chicken sandwiches and some sort of caffeine. The problem is - no matter how much I am working out or not eating - the weight REALLY loves me and will not leave. My sister on the other hand grew up playing soccer and even has a Nat Champ ring...she just thinks about working out and her body pops back into tip top shape. I go back to the lifestyle choices that we make even as children affect us for the rest of our lives. My sis has muscles, I do not (except in my fiddling fingers). The lipo girl does not seem to be active in anything but looking cute for the boys (something that is probably important to all young girls) but maybe if her parents had her active in sports or even volunteering - anything to get her up and moving, she would not have as much time to eat as much and be burning calories...and not in need of a very serious quick fix at such a young age.
Seeing the 12-yr old girl having the liposuction was very disturbing in several ways. It's disturbing to me that her parents would allow for a girl of her age to get in the physical condition that she is in. The parents seemed to be in fairly good physical condition and should be able to recognize that their daughter is not outside playing, running, doing the things kids should be doing. If that were the case, she wouldn't have gotten this way. 2nd off, it's disgraceful that the parents aren't seeming to support her more than they are. It seems to me that if she has the parental support, love and care from home, that she will realize she is beautiful no matter how big she is. Her weight should be more of a health issue than a beauty issue. I think it's disgraceful that the parents have allowed the girl to keep thinking the weight is a beauty issue and let her go through with the liposuction.
DeleteAs we can see, and probably have seen in our own lives with friends or family, having the lipo without a change in lifestyle, really is not going to change anything.
Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond had very interesting points when comparing the curriculum we use to the curriculum of other countries. What really stuck out to me was the standards that she talked about and how we had so many standards that we teach repeatedly over grades instead of building on knowledge that was previously taught. We are finally making the shift for students to think criticially and reflect on their experience, which countries ranked ahead of the United States have been doing for years. I also thought it was interesting that she made a point about the amount of time that teachers have to plan in high achieving countries. Also, she noted that a teacher's pay in a high achieving country is that of an engineer.... WOW! Hopefully integrating the common core standards will help the United States to start performing as the higher ranking countries do.
ReplyDeleteI have always known that obesity was becoming a problem, but I did not realize how serious the problem actually is before taking this class. In the movie, Killer at Large, it states that "2/3 of the country is obese." It made me wonder what foreign people think when they see us visiting our country for the first time. I would like to know more background of the story of the 218 pound girl whose parents allowed her to get liposuction. If you noticed her parents were not obese and I wonder why they did not stop her from eating all the time throughout her childhood. After all her parents are the ones stocking food in their house. In the movie, Brooke Bates states that "food is her comfort." I think many Americans can relate to how she feels about food, but in my personal opinion there are other ways to find comfort that are much healthier. Also, I think the increase in obesity correlates with the increase in technology we have seen in our country. Children do not go outside and just "play," they come home from school to sit on the computer, play games on the tv, watch tv, or play on their iphones or ipads. With budget cuts happening in many schools one of the first few things to get cut is p.e., art, and music. This means if children aren't getting any activity at home, now they are no longer getting activity at school.
Money is also the other issue I think that fuels obesity. At McDonalds the cheaper the food, the more money you spend, in turn the more calories you are taking in. I was shocked to see that a McDonalds kid's meal is the appropriate proportion size for adults. It made me debate that really any restaurant I have been the the proportions are very large! The movie also stated that people with the least money eat the most because they can buy more processed food than fresh food. In our schools, it is cheaper for the budget to buy processed food instead of fresh food. Vending machines in the school are making a "killing" so to say because of the number of students buying unhealthy food items. One of the vendors states that "they can't keep up" and they were at the schools about every other day. My favorite reply to vending machines in the schools was when the teacher stated "money trumphs common sense." People are no longer looking at the picture of obesity and the problem this is causing among America's youth, they see the money they get from America's youth becoming obese.
Is there a way to end obesity in America? Will people give up McDonalds and other fast food chains that are serving processed food? Can the people in America on lower budgets even afford to eat healthy? I think that losing weight is not a process, but a lifestyle change. You cannot change for only the time of your diet, but in order to keep the weight off you must change the way you live your life. And I think that people are not going to change until they make the personal decision that they want to change.
I certainly hope there is a way to end obesity in America. I also believe lifestyle changes will be required, and many people will have to change everything about their lives. I agree that these changes cannot be temporary. Families will need to educate themselves about the dangers of eating the wrong foods everyday. Many do have the technology to do research about eating healthier. Smaller changes to start might be an easier beginning, but efforts would need to be sustained.
DeleteI know that family budgets are a major concern. But, as Maggie pointed out in class, frozen vegetables are reasonably priced and cook quickly. Change is difficult, but I think that awareness is a first step. Perhaps movies like this one will help change to begin. I hope Americans wake up to this problem, and I hope it is soon.
Excellent thoughts!! Two thumbs up.
DeleteYes, I agree that people cannot change until they make the personal decision that they really want to change. To make them to want to be so, I think we need to keep enlightening them what is a wise choice to protect our bodies. I think obesity was caused by ignorance of seriousness. Nobody wants to be hurt themselves on purpose, I think.
DeleteMany of us have been through big life transformations by exercising and eating right. Although having a good workout routine is important, what most of us struggle with is eating right. This is so hard for most of us because it takes a lot of work. We are surrounded by poor food choices. A Double Cheeseburger for $1. Really!? I used to be ALL over them. No more.
DeleteI agree with Carolyn. It's so difficult to eat healthy when there are so many convenient and cheap food around to tempt us. You start to crave all of those unhealthy foods and it's hard to stop eating them and just stick to veggies! That's why a diet only works for as long as you're dieting. Once you start eating those foods again your back to being unhealthy. You have to make a lifestyle change if you want to get healthy and stay healthy.
DeleteObesity in America is a huge problem. I enjoyed the movie and I am now thinking more about food in the United States. The discussion about venues that now carry snacks and food made me think. I thought about how food has slipped into so many places. There is food in the large hardware stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and even pet stores. These stores must sell the snacks and realize a profit, or they would not offer them. Why are we eating so much and so often in our country?
ReplyDeleteI also thought about the parents who protested the removal of unhealthy foods from the schools. They came to the school and handed food to the students. Again, why do we think we need to eat so often? How many times do teachers see parents active and involved about the wrong stuff? Their behavior was really difficult to believe.
Our discussions and readings have certainly helped me to take a closer look at what I am eating and serving at home. I wonder, are Americans addicted to food? Addiction is something that seems to remove any concern for consequences, and this seems to be the mindset of many Americans. I hope that these types of programs get the attention of many, so that we can make better choices and start to gain health in America. I believe it is a crisis.
Your comment about food being everywhere we go really got me thinking of how many times that I might see a coke machine or vending machine and think that I will just get a snack to go. The temptation of unhealthy sodas and food items in vending machines are everywhere. I wonder if we took the vending and soda machines out of places if people would notice or if they would go about their day as usual.
DeleteWhen I was a kid I was super healthy because my mom didn't really have junk food in our house, it wasn't accessible to me. But when I was at school and esp when I started driving junk food from vending machines was everywhere. I gradually gained weight without even really realizing it because junk food was so accessible. It would be such a great idea to take vending machines away or at least provided healthier alternatives like the baked chips and granola bars. Sometimes you are hungry and if a candy bar is all that available then you get the candy bar.
DeleteJana, I agree with you!! Seeing the coke and snack machines make the idea of getting a small snack simple, easy, and convenient. It's nice when you give in to the temptation of getting a snack from the vending machine only to discover that you are short a few coins and you so wished that it took pennies. (Because if it did, you would have enough money.) I always think, "Well, I guess it was not meant to be then!!" :)
DeleteI also agree that the easy access to unhealthy food is astonishing. The vending machines are every where and so is fast food. I never realized a lot of this until I watched the video. Growing up, my schools did not have vending machines etc. Now I go through cycles of craving candy bars and then getting tired of them. The idea that the crave can be taken care of with just a walk down a hall way can get really tough for those trying to choose a healthier option. I agree with you that the junk food is extremely accessible.
DeleteI agree with you Vickie. Obesity is a crisis in America, but what better opportunity we have than to help out the next generation by working with the students of today
DeleteObesity is a growing epidemic. It's taking our country by storm, especially the southern states where we love our fried food!
DeleteIf our education system is to move forward we must address this issue, beginning with our school cafeterias.
I just sent this out in an email, but thought I would also post. On the handout I gave you, please omit doing the table. We'll address that in class. ba
ReplyDeleteThe thing that really made me think yesterday was about how we have gone from having to forage and hunt for everything that we ate to having food everywhere we go. We now have an over abundance of food available and we for the most part do not have to do anything pysical to acquire it. Also food has become very social. Every event that you go to or host there is food, especially in the south. We look at food as a comfort in good time and bad.
ReplyDeleteI was also very disturbed about the protests about taking unhealthy snacks out of schools. It really upsets me to see my students, 14 and 15 year olds, already extremely overweight. In the generation of video games, and entertainment at our figure tips, kids don't play like they once did and pysical activity seems to become a chore.
This study has definately started me thinking about this problem and what I can do to help myself, my family, and the students in my classroom.
This movie terrified me but also helped to explain a lot of things. I saw how difficult it is to eat healthy when we are constantly bombarded by advertisments and vending machines. I was also interested in how they explained that eating all of the food we are offered is almost like an old instinct that humans have. They had to eat everything that they killed immediatly because a) it would go bad, b) they didn't know when they would get their next meal. Now though, we have constant access to food and so that old instinct is now having a negative affect on us. The other thing that I hadn't noticed before but is now painfully obvious is that food companies are trying to constantly make us think its time to eat. Food is everywhere you go and when you see it you think, I should eat because my stomach isn't stuffed at the moment. But you don't need the food!I just feel like I'm being subtly programmed to eat and eat a lot and I don't like it.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember who her guest was (maybe Dr. OZ?), but several years ago I saw something on Oprah about weight loss (go figure!). Anyway, the specialist said that when we have those cravings when we're full it's our body telling us, "I am going to burn calories right now. I am either going to burn the ones you give me, or burn them off your butt . . . you choose." Every time I think I want to eat, but I am not really hungry, I think of that! :)
DeleteI will forever try to remember this!! I ALWAYS eat when I am NOT hungry!! Love this thought:)!!
DeleteThe issues with farmers and food subsidizes stood out to me. In the Midwest farming isn't diversified anymore. Famers are basically paid to not grow anything except corn. Corn of itself isn't bad, but when you look at all the foods that are produced because of the corn, esp high fructose corn syrup, it makes corn start to not look so good anymore. "Go big or get out," was the message that the government sent to farmers. It isn't sustainable for a small farmer to grow a variety of crops anymore. Farmers need to make money too so they in turn plant all corn in their fields. And then the corn is fed to the cattle (but that's a whole other issue)!
ReplyDeleteIf you look in the grocery store it can be hard to find local foods, sometimes even foods from America. So much of our diet is made up of food imported from other countries esp Latin America. It's expensive to bring those foods here. In my own family we try to eat local as much as possible. We have a small garden and get the rest of our vegetables from a local farm Pine Mountain. We still get fruit from the grocery store though. I really think the a simple solution that all of can do is consume less and buy local as much as possible. It really can make a difference.
The video was very disturbing!! It truly makes me second guess myself when I want to run by Chick-Fa-La or Zaxbys. I have done away with McDonalds for months now after hearing of what it does inside your body after a year. Professor Ault told us in class that a study was done on what McDonalds actually does inside your body. Someone bought a hamburger and fries and placed it in a container with the date on it. A year later, they opened the container to find that the hamburger and fries had not changed and looked exactly like they did when they were bought a year ago! That grossed me out so I have banned McDonalds. I am sure that the other fast food places do the same, but no one has proven it, or at least brought it to my knowledge:)!!
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to hear that a 12 year old got lypho. It makes me wonder what type of diet plan they had her on prior to the surgery to see if she could lose any weight on her own...
I agree, I wish we could have seen what steps the parents took before resorting to surgery. They did say a little something about trying different kinds of diets I think, but nothing about exercise. Unfortunately, my bet would be that little was done to help that sweet girl before her parents went to extreme measures.
DeleteI agree about the 12 year old having lypho. Surgery seems to be just a quick fix and does not get to the root of her problem. It only took a few months for her to gain weight again which tells me that she did not "fix" anything about her weight.
DeleteThis movie was definitely increased my awareness of the problems America is facing with obesity. After watching the movie yesterday it made me much more aware of the food I am eating also.
ReplyDeleteWhat really hit home for me was the point in the movie where the two teachers were discussing the vending machines in the schools. I do agree that this is something we should think about. I can remember in high school all the drink machines and vending machines we had and how many times I was guilty of going to those machines to get snacks or drinks. It is sad that unhealthy eating is basically a way of life for many Americans. Also, it is disturing that it has gotten this out of control over the years.
This video raises my awareness of healthy eating habits and really helps me to realize the benefits of discussing with your students the benefits of eating healthy.
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ReplyDeleteThe movie made me want to go get a spear and start chasing for my food again lol. I agree with all the comments so far the 12 year old girl outweighing both her parents together, just kidding, and how her parents were joking about it and almost glorifying it, unreal.
ReplyDeleteHaving taught in a high school setting for seven years I would not allow any carbonated drinks or candy in my room, you could drink bottled water and have an apple or some fruit in my classroom. I would watch kids coming down the hall chugging moutain dew and throwing the bottle away before coming into my class room, "gota get my fix before Coach McGreal's class".
We as educators should try to instill as many good habits in our students as possible. Or at least try to limit the bad!
This movie gave me mixed emotions, at first it made me really hungry and all i wanted to do was go to Wendy's after class and get a hamburger. But after seeing all that the 12 year old girl went through, I did not even want to drive my truck home. All I wanted to do was exercise and make sure I am living a healthy life. One part that stood out to me in the movie is when it talked about that everything can be to much or to less. What I mean by that is, yes it is ok to try and live a healthy life, but by doing it to much, the idea of to skinny can get stuck in your head that all you think about is your weight and you begin to think any weight is bad. I believe there is a fine median with being to skinny of to large.
ReplyDeleteBlake Craft
I didn't even eat lunch after watching this video! I had planned to go grab something (ok,ok...fast food) during our break between classes, but I just felt too guilty! A few things that I thought were interesting during this video.
ReplyDelete1. The surgeon general called obesity "the terror from within." Another talk show host went on to say that obesity had called more people than Bin Laden. It's sad that Americans are dying from something that can be prevented. I just think of all of the cancer, Alzheimers, etc patients that WISH there was a lifestyle change that they could implement to get better. YET, people are CHOOSING to kill themselves with obesity. SAD
2. We are programmed to eat as much as we can due to our ancestors being hunter-gatherers. I feel this sensation often....especially when I have a bag of chips in front of me and I am doing homework. I just have this NEED to finish the bag...even if I am not hungry. It's nice to know that it's simply because I am programmed that way..good excuse to eat! However, I wonder how long it will be before our brains change since we no longer live in a time where we don't know when our next meal is going to be.
3. When we see food, we feel like we need to eat. I always thought that stores just had drinks and snacks to make things convenient for their shoppers. Shopping...Thirsty? WOW, how convenient you have a fridge at every register! However, if those weren't there I might be more likely to wait until I get home and have a glass of water. I rarely purchase water at a gas station or check out because they are ridiculously over-priced.
4. My favorite: sugar effects the same area of the brain as illegal drugs. No wonder I HAVE to have my diet mountain dew every morning. I'm addicted! I probably keep Pepsi in business. Caffeine and sugar are drugs..what if we outlawed them just like we did other drugs???
5. A question that I wish the video would have explored is WHY are religious people more apt to be obese? The video just threw that statistic out there and left us hanging on the reason. I wonder if it's because people have reassurance that even if they aren't accepted by our society that they are accepted by their god.
Overall, loved the video. Can't wait to see the rest!
In my opinion, what those parents did that that poor little BABY girl is child abuse. Beyond the ridiculousness of a twelve-year-old having lipo-suction, the comments that the parents made about their daughter being fat or skinny were insensitive and probably part of the psychological problem that the little girl is really dealing with. If those parents wanted to help their daughter, why wait until she reached 250 pounds? Why not show her how to eat healthy (and I’m not talking about dieting)? I wonder what kinds of activities they encouraged her to become involved in so that she was active enough to stay healthy. And, so what if she ended up being heavier that her mother (or whomever she is comparing herself to)? It makes me worry so much about my little girl (even though she’s only two) and the kind of self-image she will have. I know that as her mother, it is my job to set a good example for her and make sure she knows what a beautiful creation of God’s she is.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting point that was made (which I have heard of before, somewhere) is when they likened addiction to food to addiction to drugs, and alcohol. It is easy to see someone who abuses drugs and tell them that they need help, but when Cookie Monster tells kids that cookies are a sometimes snack, parents are outraged??? So many people are sending such the wrong message to their children, I am not sure how that can be reversed.
Jillian, I completely agree with how you view these parents. Didn't the girl say that the reason she ate so much was to keep her mind off of all the fighting that the parents were doing? Those parents did not think they had anything to do with this problem. They blamed it on DNA. How sad!
DeleteI'm really enjoying reading your comments. I liked the part in the movie when someone stated that obese people are great people, smart, and really shouldn't be blamed. It takes more than just exercising or will power to solve this problem. I think our society judges overweight people. "Oh, shame on them." And that is so wrong. It's a complicated issue. And I don't think just exercising more will solve it, but everyone should exercise. After watching the movie, I felt guilty for laughing at the WM clip. But it's so easy for me to feel guilty.:-)
ReplyDeleteThe movie made me really sad and disappointed in America. The part about the corn industry getting subsidies from the government was shocking. Research has proven corn is what is causing this obesity epidemic in America and the industry making us fat is getting rewarded. I really feel that people need to be educated, but they have to take the initiative to educate themselves. The government and food industry are not going to be honest with consumers. Politicians talk about the obesity problem facing Americans, but nothing is ever done. Our children are suffering! Something needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteDr. Darling- Hammond stated that other countries use higher order thinking questions to solve problems in the classrooms. This is not always the case in America. Other countries use school based assessments and home assessment. I read up on this while working on my thesis, where parents respond to how a student is liking a method of teaching or grading.
ReplyDeleteIn America the focus is on Reading and Math, Science sometimes get left behind. I do think we need to concentrate more on project based learning in science instead of memorizing information to pass a multiple choice test.
This is a story about how obesity is killing us in the United States. As the Surgeon General states, “is the terror within.” The first story is about a 12 year old girl who gets liposuction. Unbelievable! Personally, I think her parents went too far. There are no quick fixes. Surgery, pills, etc are only temporary. It is important to teach our kid’s good food habits. Food is fuel for our bodies. We need to tell our kids all the time, “this food” will make you healthy, big, and strong! Start teaching young! This isn’t to say that kids can’t have some cake at a birthday party or ice cream. But like everything in life, moderation. It should be special, not every day.
ReplyDeleteThere was a great focus on school lunches and how the government subsidizes only for meals above 600 calories. The power of vending machines in schools is enormous. This is BIG business to corporations. When Schwarzenegger pulled junk food vending machines from schools in California, there was candy and soda trade going on outside of schools, not unlike drugs. Wow!!!
I was shocked that a 12 year old girl went through liposuction and was more shocked that her parents wanted her too. Most of the blame for that girl’s obesity has to go towards her parents. Providing your child with a balanced, nutritional meal will shape the way they will eat when they make their own food decisions. Sixty million people are considered obese in America. This explains the high rate of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. I agree with the video when they said the poorer you are, the unhealthier you eat. Junk food is a lot cheaper and easier to prepare. We need to continue to try to educate parents about the horrible effects that eating this food has on their families body and future.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is going to have to start with behavior change within the house hold as many of my classmates have said. If there is not a demand for junk food or all of these "corn" products, then they will stop making it. From there it will start the change. There would have to be enough people doing this to actually make a difference. Obesity is such a huge problem and it overwhelmes me trying to address the solutions. I think there was some effort made when the law passed requiring restaurants have to tell how many calories are in their food. This caused me to make better decisions when eating out. I think that a lot of people would be extremely surprised if they actually understood what is in their food. In my opinion the list of chemicals in the product is no longer enough.What do they mean? The average person does not really know what they are eating, and if they did maybe it would make it easier to change their behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe movie make me reflect about obesity... Since I arrive here, I´m more wondering about calories, my weight, the food that I´m eating, I really can´t believe how easily I´m gain weight... I can't believe that people love to live like that, eating a lot of unhealthy food, and they LOVE IT... as the people that were protesting because they wanted the cookies again in the school... I heard yesterday, thet in NY will ban drinks more that 16 ounces, so that is going to help a little bit, but If in the same restaurant we have the free refill, how is going to help... you can buy a "small" drink and refill it 4 or 5 times... I just hope that this problem can be moderate, and all teh people understand about the damage so big that we are doing by not taking care of our health and our children´s health, letting them eat anything, just because we do not want to spend time cooking
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, my husband and I used to eat out quite often because it was convenient, but with our income changes, we have had to cut back and eat more at home. Just knowing that home meals are so much healthier and better for you and fast foods are purposely feeding to obesity, the idea is appalling. I'm not a fan of knowing that company's are manipulating and secretly messing with the so called "quality" food that will later on hurt me. It makes me feel deceived. We all ready need to make a change in our lifestyles, even if we are not obese. There's always something we can do to better ourselves, like spreading our knowledge on this widespread epidemic and putting an end to it.
ReplyDeleteThe movie has really made me reflect on my own behavior as well. I too can shame myself so much and that never solves the problem. The more I blame myself and beat myself up about it, the move I give in. So, the answer to solving this problem might now be a proactive blame and shame game of the people like the movie states. I think proactively motivating and positive encouragement of healthy food options would make me eat healther. This is just my personality though and that is why I really liked the part in the video where they discussed it not being the peoples fault. I too agree that it is a terror within. Just like the 12 year old girl who after the surgery felt so guilty for gaining some of the weight back. She also said that she eats because of a certain reason and because that reason hasn't been addressed directly, she still struggles with overeating. I just thought that her comment about this was really interesting and made me look at the root as well. I also did not realized that a kids meal at McDonalds was the correct portion for an adult!! That has really hit home for me because I never order the kids meal! Plus it always seems cheaper to just get the larger sizes because your getting "more bang for your buck". haha
ReplyDeleteLinda Darling - Hammond Video = I loved this video and completely agree with a lot of what she has to say about our education system. Just like the book that we are reading for class , Nickel and Dime, if our students are going to be applying for these jobs that do pay minimum wage; then, I believe that it would be best to prepare them to interview for those positions. The interviews that are discussed in this book seem to be more of a personality based interview where the applicant has to be able to answer critical thinking questions instead of multiple choice questions. Also, I believe that she made a great point when she talked about having to re-teach a skill over and over each year because they did not get it all the first time. I think that if students were able to divce into the specific subject and skill for a longer period of time; then, they would understand it better. If they develop a deeper understanding about the specific subject being taught then they will be able to not only experience learning, but find meaning in what they are learning. If they are able to become more independent in their learning then they might find meaning in learning. To me I believe that finding meaning in everything you do including learning, should be the goal. I also agree with the thoughts about teachers. She made an interesting point when she discussed the teachers having the ability to mold and shape the curriculum to their own method of teaching. It gives teachers more freedom to teach! However, the idea of adapting another countries "school system" would be challenging because the United States is different in so many ways. I agree that through constant effort, our education system will eventually find a way that fits best for us and makes us more competitive internationally.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Linda Darling- Hammond video, I have to say that I totally agree with her. I think that part of the problem with education today is that we, as teachers, have so much to cover each year, therefore, many things get rushed through. What if instead of teaching a small section of a topic one year and building on it each year, we take that topic and cover it all at once? Darling- Hammond mentions that and uses fractions as an example. I remember learning about fractions in elementary school and then building on that knowledge every year. By the time we would start fractions again the next year, I had forgotten what I learned the year before, making it impossible for my knowledge to be built on. I think having a deeper understanding of a topic is essential for retention, but for this to be possible, we have got to quit rushing through the curriculum.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Killer at Large documentary, I found it very insightful. I agree with what Dr. Alexander said about the misconceptions of obesity in our country. I have struggled with weight my whole life and I am one of the most active people I know. I eat healthy (for the most part) and I am always on the go swimming, hiking, white water rafting, etc. yet I still struggle with my weight. My mom, on the other hand, eats nothing but junk food and doesn't do much physical activity and has never weighed more that 120 pounds in her life. It isn't always about lifestyle... it also has a ton to do with genetics. I really enjoyed the video and I agreed with much that it had to say about the convenience of eating fast food and how sometimes that is the only options because of financial reasons on top of a busy lifestyle. A salad at a fast food restaurant costs $6 but a cheeseburger with bacon is only $1...thus the temptation to eat unhealthy.