The Promise of Urban Schools / Inquiry Project

The Promise of Urban Schools:

This reading made numerous good points as to why urban education should be a concern. Many of the problems that faced urban schools were listed. It's sad to see that such problems exsist in some our of school systems, but other school districts do not even begin to experience such dilemmas.
One of the solutions talked about was how teachers must try and get the student body interested. We all know that once a child is interested in something it gives them a reason to try. I found it real interesting how an inner city Mathematics teacher got his class interested and involved. He "used mathematics to analyze zoning patterns in their city and then propose changes to reduce the disproportionate proliferation of liquor stores in their neighborhood." This example clearly shows how a teacher triggered something in the mind of his students to be involved; he gave them a problem that dealt with the enviornment they lived in. This is a great method to keep kids interested in what we have to offer in our school systems. Our goal as teachers has to be to seduce them. It is when we accomplish this, that our job of giving them knowledge will become MUCH MUCH easier.

Inquiry Project:

One of the goals listed on that handout is to identify a question to explore that are PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL. All year we've discussed inner city schools and their students. I myself am a product of this theme. I think it should be easy to find a topic dealing with this, especially when i've grown up around it all my life.