I have started taking this technology business to heart and I have found some really interesting things because of it. Following a link posted by one of the teachers I am following on Twitter, I eventually found the transcript of the speech President Obama will be giving to America's students tomorrow afternoon. I was curious as to why the speech was posted a day in advance and did a little extra Google searching. The White House released it a day early so that parents and schools could pre-screen it and decide whether or not to show it during the school day.Apparently this speech has caused some controversy, as you can see in this article. Just do a Google search for "Obama addresses students September 8" and you can find lengthy debates taking place on several blogs. Some people have taken issue with the "Classroom Engagement Resources" supplied by the White House, which you can find here.
I don't really have any problem with President Obama addressing the students- I don't remember ever hearing a president talk directly to me as a student and I think it is a nice gesture to reach out to America's young people. He sets high expectations, expecting the best effort from every student- I hope all teachers already planned on doing the same thing. However, I do wish that he had addressed his plans for the future of education in America. From his speech we know what he expects from the students, that they take responsibility for their education and that they put forth their best effort, but we really don't know what to expect from him or the government. It will be interesting to read about parent, teacher, and student reactions to the speech after it is given tomorrow afternoon.
The above links are short reads and if anyone has time to look at them, I would be really interested to hear what you think about both the speech and the ensuing debate about it.
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Hi Angie. I read the article you posted and feel a little shocked by some of the responses from Republicans, especially the Florida GOP guy. He is mad that Pres. Obama is using taxpayer dollars to spread socialism. Does this statement have any credibility? Since when did politicians start caring about how much taxpayer dollars they spend on either side of the aisle. Personally I have no problem with what Pres. Obama is saying to the students, I think he is a good role model whether you agree with his political views or not. I do feel ashamed that a pep-talk to students, which as you mentioned is not the first made by a president, has generated such harsh and bitter feelings from Republicans. How are we supposed to function as a country with such petty attacks? Has this been going on for so long that we think it is normal? Instead of working together on issues, our nation's leaders think it should be their way (Democrat or Republican) or nothing. It seems that the extreme Left and extreme Right will eventually rip our nation in two. Sorry, this has somehow turned into a massive vent session. I need to stop , haha
ReplyDeleteI am glad someone posted about this. I watched the speech yesterday and I am at a loss as to how it could create so much anger and controversy. If I had heard this as a K-12 student I think I really would have appreciated it. I can remember when I was younger feeling that there wasn't much I could do to be involved or make a difference. I would have liked feeling that the President was rooting for me to grow up and contribute to the country. It's sad that people are trying to make this a partisan issue and paint it as a bad thing. At a time where we hear so many negative things about the state of education in the media, I found it refreshing yesterday to hear a hopeful and inspirational message from the President.
ReplyDeleteI think that not allowing students to watch the speech is bizarre. As future American citizens, teachers should encourage students to listen to any president's message. If students are not allowed to listen and analyze messages delivered by the present, how will they learn how to become effective citizens living in a democracy?
ReplyDeleteIf something controversial is delivered in the speech, the teacher should use that as an opportunity to have students think critically about the message.