"Las notas hay que sudarlas"

I think that the title of the article is literally describing what our students will have to do to get good grades or just the grades they need to pass to the next level. I agree that this is a good method to lift high our educational standards. The problem here is: Will the students be in the disposition to "sweat" their grades? Will all the teachers care if their students will pass or not to the next level?
I believe that the DE of PR did not think about this before implementing the new grading method. We all know that there are students that do not care to be "left behind", and that there are also teachers that don't care to "left behind" students. This will bring a lot of problems in the public schools. We are going to see a lot of students failing. The worst part of this is that not every parent cares and helps their child or children in the educational process. I know that the repercussions are going to be really big, but this is the DE. It shouln't impress us, right?

Xiomy

"La notas hay que sudarlas"

It’s incredible to read this article. I believe this new way to grade students using percents will decrease motivation. Why? Because those students that get 90 summed up to another 90 will be an 89% percent. They will feel that although they tried they did not succeed. So they really have to “sudar las notas”. But although I don’t agree with it, I believe it will help the students work hard and be prepared for college if they feel like doing so.

Also, I believe it will make education in Puerto Rico be more reliable in the matter that the students will have to be more applied in order to receive a good grade in a class. But on the other hand some students are a bit slower than others and they will be affected. Only focusing on grades is not going to help education be better since there are other problems that affect it for example: students not feeling motivation, or help from their parents, social problems that affect them between others. What will happen when students start failing and dropping out because of this new way of grading? But this is really not their fault it’s the governments fault. They want to take over education believing they know what is happening when they have never been in a classroom observing how true life is in one for a student and a teacher. Lets have them go to a classroom and observe how real life is in one. That way they really will see what they have to assist and will give ideas that will help education instead of un helping it and making it harder for students and teachers to succeed.

"El Plan Bilingüe"

This idea of preparing teachers in math and science to give their classes in english is a bad idea. The first thing is that they have to find bilingual math or science teachers, or prepare them first in the english language and then prepare them in the material of education they are going to teach. In the other hand, Puerto Rico is not a good nation to establish this method. We know as future english teachers that puertorican students are not motivated in learning english. Most of them do not know english! I can't imagine our students taking their science and math classes in english. This would be a disaster! It is really a bad idea!

Xiomara Machado

El Plan Bilingüe

“El plan bilingüe” will be implemented by Fortuño as part as his future aspiration to the government chair. According to him, bilingual education will help to reform and promote bilingualism in the Department of Education. Although it will be a political issue, since in congress implementing English in Puerto Rico is necessary for it to become a federal state. And a hard task to find teachers certified in other subjects in Puerto Rico in the English language. Also, implanting this plan will be a hard task in a country where English is taught as a second language.

Implanting bilingual education in Puerto Rico is a political issue. Since, English is seen as a way to convert Puerto Rico into the 51st state. One of the biggest debates of converting Puerto Rico into a Federal State is the impact of the total incorporation of the United States and the official use of Spanish. Although congressmen point out that English should be reinforced mainly in education and not for the island to become a federal state. The bilingual plan according to what Fortuño expressed in an interview would be implemented as an announcement of his future aspiration to become governor of Puerto Rico, as a plan if he wins. The bilingual plan would take about twelve years to build in a student from 1st grade up to 12th grade. Fortuño pointed out this idea after Newt Gingrich expressed that for Puerto Rico to become a state it needs a government that functions in English. Although Fortuño clarified that he did not point this plan out to help Puerto Rico become a federal state, but as a plan for his aspiration to become governor. But we know better than that!

"Las Notas Hay que Sudarlas"

As for the article "Las Notas Hay que Sudarlas" I actually agree with it when it says that the public system changing the way they grade the students is going through a correct path. I studied in a private school and the way they graded us is the way that is being done now in public schools as well, and no matter what we had to struggle as much as possible in order to succeed, and at the end when you know that you achieved your goal you feel satisfied and accomplished. I think this new way of grading the students will somehow open their eyes so they can notice that they cant lay back and do nothing and expect to pass the class, now they have to get up and work hard in order to succeed academically because if they dont, they fail, its as simple as that. I know that students also depend on their parents as motivation and encouragement to keep on going, but many times we see how the parents of the students are the ones actually holding them back, sometimes parents are the ones who tell their students that they shouldnt study and they wont do anything good in life. As future teachers we need to get to know our students, know where they are coming from, because if we get a situation like the one I just explained, as teachers we need to be the motivation for that student, encouraging that student to study and participate in order to succeed. As future teachers we need to help our students as much as possible, letting them know that your not only the teacher but also a friend that they can trust and go to, as a teacher we also need to produce that desire of achieving goals in our students, letting them know straight forward that if they dont work hard and study, they wont pass the class, letting them know that if they truly want to pass they have to give 100% because as a teacher I am a facilitator, but I wont pass the student if I know he or she is giving me 0%. Im the type of person that just as the title of the article says, in order to get the grade you have to sweat, which means that you have to work hard for it, and I believe that in order to get what you want in life you have to work hard for it, never giving up, and that is something that as future teachers we truly have to teach our students about.

Usefulness of Education Research Questioned

Hello all its Juan Luis. According to the "Usefulness of Education Research questioned" article, I agree with my classmates when they say that education cant be taken over the government and politicians, those people dont even know what is happening in the schools. The department of education needs people that are true educators and have the desire and motivation to work with all the situations that happen. As for the law of No Child Left Behind I sincerely think it simply holds back the schools and students to keep succeeding, its great that it wants everyone to be at a same level of knowledge and all that, but we are not robots, we are human beings, and we learn in different ways, some learn faster while others slower and that is just something that NCLB cant see. I also dont understand why they would want the students that are doing well on the public schools changed to the private schools, those students should stay where they are because they are the ones that can serve as examples and motivation for the rest of the students, the schools can even use them to help the other students suceed academically as well. Due to this we see how the government cannot take over the Department of Education since I bet that once those politcians graduated from high school they havent stepped into a classroom ever since.

"El Plan Bilingue"

Hello all its Juan Luis, my reaction towards the article of "El Plan Bilingue" would be that I actually agree with Joraida. I think that English should be taught in Puerto Rico as a second language, since our native and primary language has been and should always be Spanish. English is a great language that opens the door towards many opportunities in life but we should never forget about our roots. And aside from English I encourage everyone to learn many other languages since through this way we can communicate and understand people from other countries that have cultures different from ours. I think that as long as English is being taught as a second language and the teachers get to motivate and encourage the students to take the classes, they will be able to learn. I studied in a private school where the only class in English was English, the rest were all in Spanish, but our English teacher was so good, that she is like a role model to me, she would do many types of creative activities where we would learn while having fun, and she would even have us do essays of 2 or 3 pages long and we would never complain because the way she gave us the material and subjects was an interesting and appealing way. We would also do many activities like roleplay and mini dramas, as well as write poetry and other types of group activities. I guess thats one of the major factors that influenced me to become a English teacher, since she inspired me so much in her way of teaching. So I guess that there is no need to have bilingual schools in Puerto Rico, because in my opinion it depends on how the teacher is with his or her students, because if the teacher doesnt encourage or motivate their students to learn that second language, they will simply never care about learning it. The teacher needs to be a friend of the students, but also let them know that they have to respect him or her. He or she should find new ways of giving the class, catching the interest in the students and encouraging them to keep assisting class.