Much was made of President Obama's speech to school children on September 8, 2009. In case you missed it, here it is. The transcript may be found here.
The comment section contains TAL 101 students' reactions to and reflections on the President's speech, the media firestorm over the event, and more.
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ReplyDeleteReflection 1: President Obama’s Speech to School Children
ReplyDeleteIt is almost always difficult to pick a definitive side to a sensitive social topic, and this proves no different in recent news with President Obama’s speech for America’s Students. It struck a nerve for when it hit the public that his speech was intended to be played in every school across the nation. It seems that this is all with good intent and for the best, but it was in the early days of the news on his speech when word came out that the original speech was very provocative. I think that this fear of presenting it to students came from this early move that may have been too bold for conservative towns and schools.
I believe that every school has the right to choose whether or not to change the class plans and show the speech. Chances are that in those local areas the people in charge of the schools know more about the population they are dealing with than someone who has never been there or spent very little time there. I find it difficult to imagine it being required to show the speech, that defeats the purpose of a democratic government, and taking away the choice is taking a way a right. Once a right is taken away it is never regained. Taking away rights is not something I take lightly and the rights that I still have are one of the reasons why I love my country so much.
Now that I have stated my grounds on whether or not schools should have the option of showing the speech or not I want to point out that the entire situation was inflated to be a much bigger deal than it actually turned out to be. President Obama’s speech was very good and very motivating. I think it was directed at a good age group who could hopefully appreciate it and take his words into consideration. I listened very carefully because I think he is a very talented person and has the grounds to be effective in conveying his point because he has personal experience with overcoming adverse conditions for learning environments.
I think it would be nice to have integrated more about respect although he was able to touch upon it a little bit I feel like it is one of the most import things that I have learned because it is impossible to get far in life with out being respectful and being respected. It is a great power one which President Obama uses much to his advantage himself, in his ability to influence so many.
Schools that did choose to show the speech had to deal with another issue: what to do about the children whose parents wished them not to see the speech. Now as much as I believe in not taking away rights parents have to accept that by sending their children to school they are putting their kids in the care of another and trusting that person’s judgment. If it is the schools decision to show the speech that is part of the lesson for the day. It is not acceptable to pull a student out of class because the parents do not wish for their child to read one of the required books. I feel as though it is along the same lines. If a parent is really so adamant about their child not seeing the speech than there are always ways around watching it, especially if a parent has a very valid reason for their child not partaking in the class activity.
At a young age I feel that the speech may not have made much of an impression and at the high school age students can make the decision for themselves if they want to watch the speech and if they really didn’t, well, take an 18 minute bathroom break.
Nastasha Lauren Pollard
ReplyDeleteReflection Paper #1
I believe President Obama’s speech, “My Education, My Future” was exceptionally well-spoken and has the potential to positively impact our youth. I commend President Elect Obama in his crusade of hope in our youth and in hive strive to inspire all of us to believe in what can be. I feel President Obama’s speech will empower the youth, as they have a clearer vision on the importance of an education and how it can help them make their own impact on the world. His speech speaks that we can all live a better life, and that the power of thought, vision, and persistence will make this happen. I feel that the President reached out to many different children connecting to an audience of youth who come from all different places and have their own individual experiences. This motivational speech gave hope and promoted confidence in those who had a negative attitude towards their education or who had been struggling and given up.
Aside from the speech being significant for our youth, I feel it also has significance on the parents and teachers who watched. It might of sent a message to a parent who was not encouraging their child. It might of reminded those teachers of what is important in the classroom. That it is about inspiring the students, and pushing this critical and analytical thinking to create minds that will question and investigate to make changes for our future. It isn’t about just teaching to the test or about being ignorant to who their students are, and why they might be struggling. It might of reminded them to be aware that their students come from all different experiences, and that they might need to learn more about their students to individually understand them and differentiate learning. Overall, the speech had genuine points to it that made it very purposeful and beneficial for everyone to watch.
They’re was and still is controversy over the President’s speech being presented. From my knowledge, some parents felt Obama would be pushing to much of a “political agenda” on the youth and didn’t want their children to watch it. Some parents said they hear enough of this from us, why do we need our President telling them too? Some parents and critics were saying school time is pressure and Obama is taking away from that with his speech. When I heard all that news, that really came as a surprise to me, because I do feel some parents are being ridiculous. I think people are being silly when you have a problem with our President of the United States wanting to take time to give a personal speech about the importance of education to our youth. Why would you not want your child to hear these encouraging words? I think the speech has even more significance being given by the President himself, because most children see him as one of the most essential leaders. I don’t see this speech as being a ‘political agenda’; it was real. Yes there is need for improvement in our education system but he was not addressing the children with statistics and negativity, or any nagging. And yes, I’m sure a multitude of our youth hears similar words from their teachers and parents, but some don’t. Some need to hear them again. Some need someone like the President as proof to relate to them and show he came from difficult circumstances and was able to overcome. They need examples like J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, which most all youth is familiar with, to see her obstacle overcome. The speech was about 20 minutes. That isn’t too much time to take to listen to President Obama’s words. I think all schools should have shown this speech. I must say I do feel that some parents did not want their children to listen to the speech of someone they disagree with on different policies, and that are not happy to see Obama as our elected President. That is sad. Is that what they want to teach their children? To not listen to a speech that they themselves would give their son or daughter, just because it is someone they disagree on about other policies. Children should be exposed to all sides and not only the side of their parents. This is how things like racism and sexism breed into the child by not exposing them to information without prejudicial influence. Children are pure and open to all until parents brain wash them to believe what they have been taught to believe and the cycle continues.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I looked into that bothers me is why the two Presidents that proceeded Obama have given similar, but not in my opinion not as well-said, speeches on the essentialness of education, yet they weren’t as critically attacked or questioned? Could this be a racial issue? Do some parents not want their children admiring or looking up to or taking advice from an educated black man? Even after President Obama delivered a healthy, powerful, motivating message that all children could benefit from, the mainstream media did not want to condemn the ignorant ravings of these so called conservatives. As adults what message are we giving to American children when we tell them they should not listen to or respect the President of the United States. This is not about teaching them to listen and then question, this is about teaching them not to respect others. When past presidents have demonstrated poor oratorical skills, often miss pronouncing words, and emulating behaviors that we should want to protect children from, we did not hear from these parents or critics. No one claimed the need to protect their children from the president’s message. Aside from this, one of the effects of racism in America has always been that blacks in positions of power or fame have always been held to higher standards. Nine months of the Obama presidency has been a perfect example of this. The scrutiny by the mainstream media, helping to inflate and inflame this issue of President Obama wanting to talk to school children about having goals, working hard and staying in school, is a sad day for America. Some people think the election of an African American president has proven that race-relations in this country has improved. Although it has in numerous amounts and great merits, and for sure has allowed all young children of color to aspire and dream, there is improvements that still need to happen. These are just some thoughts that ran through my mind. In my opinion, the media gave way too much attention to this speech.
ReplyDeleteI only have one critical remark to make about his speech. However, I realize this is something that isn’t exactly easy to address since it is abstract from the theme of the speech and could of created some problems in the President’s office or controversy among people. Obama said statements that had to do with making sure you work hard to be successful and that there’s not much you can do without an education. In some senses, I agree with the essential part of having somewhat of an education, but I do disagree when it comes to our society’s vision and definition of what success and hard work is. It is true that you don’t necessarily need a complex education or college education to do certain jobs, or to contribute to our country. Real estate investing, which requires a financial education, or plumbing is not necessarily information that you will learn by getting a college education or working hard in school. However, you can be very successful. So in part, I wish these alternatives routes to success could be mentioned, although it is difficult to speak on because most people are stuck in this one pathway to success. For me, although I am in college trying to earn a degree that is required to become what I want to become, I recognize the other ways to success outside the norm of our society’s education system.
ReplyDeleteOverall, President Obama’s speech was brilliant and sincere. It was similar to any speech a father or mother or mentor, would give their son or daughter or mentee. It wasn’t politically addressing in a cynical way about our education system. It was very inspirational, and reached out to a whole range of audience specifically children, letting them know they haven’t been forgotten.
All in all I felt President Barack Obama was very well spoken throughout his speech to schoolchildren on September 8, 2009. Despite the fact that I do not agree with many of his policies, opinions, and plans, I felt his speech was harmless and generally well intentioned. I thought he effectively made his point about working hard to achieve success and overcome barriers by his inclusion of personal stories and childhood troubles, along with stories of students who have overcome the unthinkable to go on to higher-level education. Furthermore, he spoke very strongly and passionately, and because of his excellent speaking skill he held the attention of so many people and made an impression with his tone and voice.
ReplyDeleteAside from this, however, both before and after the speech I continued to feel that it was not entirely necessary. Although he was very impressionable, I do not feel he could single handedly sway these children, especially those between kindergarten and twelfth grade who still live at home. I honestly feel that there are other things he should be focusing on instead of telling all students they are expected to stay in school and go on to college and even beyond. Realistically, our country is the way it is because not everyone goes on the college or to get a Masters or PhD. If everyone were to suddenly be able to do so and choose to do so who would work in grocery stores or cash registers or even fast food restaurants? America is the way it is because not everyone has the same expectations, dreams, and life goals. In addition, for a large part of the speech it seemed as though Obama was talking down to the kids. It appeared that he was almost telling them that if they ended up working in a grocery store or at a register they were letting down the country.
The speech did stir up a big controversy and I think the amount of media coverage that was present and available was completely expected and standard. Just as the election got everyone riled up, so did Obama’s speech to schoolchildren in America. Across the country newspapers were printing articles about the big controversy, but every paper said the same thing about how or why parents supposedly did not want their kids exposed to these politics and ideas. In reality I think the opposition to Obama speech is because everything surrounding President Obama is seemingly unknown and different, which scares a lot of people. Because he is such a liberal person, along with the idea of race, America is presented with a situation some people do not know how to handle or deal with. To some extent I do think many peoples reactions would be different to such a speech if it was given by someone else; however, for the most part I think there still would have been a large controversy and some people still would have wanted their children to be excused.
Finally, even though I have stated that I do not feel Obama’s speech was especially needed, if it had to be given I think it should have been something parents watched with their children. Parents play a large role in their kids lives and childhoods and succeeding and working hard in school is something parents need to support and help children out with. Directing the speech towards families would have, in my opinion, given it more direction and really could have helped parents see that they need to facilitate a learning environment for their kids. Although Obama hinted that your home life and problem should stay separate from school and your future, this is not realistic. The two definitely meet and affect one another greatly and therefore parents are a large component of a child’s ability to excel.
Before the speech was made, I was very skeptical to watch it or hear about it. I do not agree with most of Obama’s policies and figured it was going to be very partisan in its message. Plus, there was a large amount of controversy caused by the media. However, some of my views on the speech changed after I had watched it.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing the speech, I feel it is not as controversial as it was made out to be. The message was not extremely liberal or full of Obama’s own propaganda. The speech was not as racial as I thought it would be either. Yet, I felt some of the examples he used were a tad extreme. First off, he continues to use his own childhood experiences as a sob story to evoke some kind of sympathy in his views. He also points to three children who have overcome severe obstacles and are able to go onto high education and hopefully one day have a great career for themselves. These stories were heartwarming; however, this is not the case for many students watching the speech. Many children do have rough upbringings or face difficulties especially with poverty or disabilities, however many stories are not to this extreme, and it can be hard to for many students to relate this to their lives.
I also felt that some of his goals are not agreed upon by all students. Obama puts a strong emphasis on doing well in school so that he or she can be accepted into college and become a professional, such as a lawyer, teacher, or doctor. He emphasizes the opportunities given today as compared to the times of his parents. However, not everyone aspires to go to college. Plus, if every student in the country went onto to college and became a professional, the people who do jobs such as being a cashier or janitor would not exist, throwing off the balance of this country. I did not agree when Obama made a comment criticizing regarding the silly dreams of young children and told them they were not possible. It is important and harmless for little kids to fantasize about being a basketball player or movie star. We all did it.
This brings me to my next point of the appropriateness of the speech. I do feel this speech was appropriate for schools and that parents did not need to become offensive or seek alternatives. I believe the reason parents did not want their child to watch the speech was simply because they dislike or do not agree with Obama. I also feel, however, that the speech should have been giving starting at an older age instead of being shown to all students, maybe starting with third or fourth grade. It was a bit much for a kindergartener or first grader to really understand. It was a good experience though for the younger grades to see the President and understand more about him.
All in all, I feel the speech was unnecessary but not harmful or controversial in any way. It was a good experience for children of America to see their President in action, although I feel Obama has bigger things to focus on than speaking to students about responsibility in education. It would be more important if he took this effort and put it in action with educational reforms and programs.
President Obama’s speech to the children of the United States spurred a fair amount of controversy. In my opinion, the debate surrounding the speech was unnecessary. The message conveyed by the President was nothing more than a typical encouragement speech that any school system or parent may deliver to students. The goal was to encourage children to work their hardest, because with determination comes success.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading the speech, I did not think it was necessary for the President to nationally announce the purpose of education and the results of hard work. After hearing the speech I still do not believe it was completely necessary, but I do not believe it was harmful or politically bias. To all the parents and teachers who believe the speech was harmful to the students, I would ask them how? Was the President’s message unjust or untrue? Would parents and teachers not give the same speech to encourage their students? In my opinion, parents and teachers pass on the same message that was conveyed through the speech. There was nothing questionable in the speech, and the majority of students have heard the same message multiple times before.
In my opinion it was appropriate for school systems to show the speech. The speech may have spurred interest in many students to work harder. The president included examples of successful students who are relatable to children. School systems should not have granted the option for students to opt out of watching the President. If the principle of a school system delivered the same speech, there would not be such controversy and students would be obliged to listen.
Parents and teachers may have had issues with the speech due to their dislike of President Obama and his policy matters; however, this is no excuse. It is not justifiable to prohibit a child from watching the President’s speech because one disagrees with his views. In order to successfully educate a child, the child must be exposed to various opinions. Even though Obama’s ideas may contradict those of parents and teachers, a child should be able to form their own opinions and thoughts, and one can do so by exposure to various beliefs.
I believe parents who did not want their children to hear the speech need to ask themselves what message was controversial in the speech. Furthermore, what line was offensive, political or untrue? The speech was simply to teach kids that success comes from determination, and every student should embrace this idea.
Reflection #1-We Are What We Learn
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to President Barack Obama’s speech, it reminded of the many pep talks my parents would give me before the start of each school year. Obama discussed very important ideas that all students and adults a like should follow: setting goals, getting an education, working hard, and even washing your hands. He gave inspirational examples of people who overcame failures and later succeeded, such as J.K. Rowling and Michael Jordan. I thought this speech was very relevant to students from these examples he spoke about and he even mentioned X-box and twitter.
Overall, I think this speech was very important for students to view in school. If they didn’t view this speech in school, the students probably would not have watched it at home. This speech’s purpose is to inspire all students so they will follow Obama’s idea of “the responsibility each of (us) has for (our) education.” The reinforcement of this idea of working hard to succeed is important to hear at home and in the classroom so students will not give up in school. Obama tried to make the students feel important and describe their responsibility for the future. He encouraged students to develop their “talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our (America’s) most difficult problems.” This speech was made to give students hope and to show that even the President believes in them, as well as students’ teachers and parents.
Although I agreed with everything the President said in his speech, I think it’s unfair to force every child to watch it, especially if it contradicts the parent’s views. For example, I know in Broward County, Florida, where I went to school, every student was required to watch the speech. I think students should be educated on what is going on in the world around them, as well as their schoolwork; however, I know some parents were upset that their children were watching the speech without their supervision. Many parents were afraid the president could persuade their child to believe in different views than their own; however, parents had the opportunity to read the speech on Monday before the speech aired so they had no excuse to be afraid of the content. These are all fair arguments, but I could not find anything that would go against parents’ views, unless the parents did not believe in their child to set goals, get an education, and to succeed later on in life. Parents need to put their political opinions aside for a minute and actually listen to the content of his speech. He didn’t mention his healthcare policy or how he feels about war.
I also think parents overreacted about this speech since they didn’t like the idea of an organized gathering to watch the president speak in school. People found this reminiscent to what Castro would do, with a set up lesson plan and speech; however, the content in Obama’s speech is similar to what a principal would say to students at the beginning of each school year. He simply wanted the children of America to try hard in school and set goals.
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ReplyDeleteWhile the President of the United States of America may be a political figure, addressing the subject of education is not a politically charged subject. Any influential figure may speak to children about how it is beneficial to stay in school and receiving an education will help them with their futures. In fact, The New York Times quoted a school principal as stating that it is the type of address that he would give his students. So does this mean that parents are going to keep their children home when the principal speaks? Are they going to turn off the television when a public service announcement comes on urging kids to stay in school? Does this mean that parents don’t care about their children staying in school? By keeping them away from a message that may inspire them, regardless of the figure speaking, it implies that parents just don’t care all that much about their children’s education.
ReplyDeleteA speech on education from a successful and powerful Black man could be inspirational to many students who come from underprivileged, discriminated, undereducated, minority backgrounds. Any child watching might think that if he overcame adversity and rose to become president, maybe they can too. What parents forget is that when children are young being President of the United States is the coolest thing ever, next to being an astronaut. If the President can use his power to motivate and inspire kids who look up to him, then kudos to him.
Yes, he is a political figure and many people may disagree with his political party, his beliefs and some of his actions, but when it comes down to it kids don’t understand half of that. They see him as a powerful figure with a cool job. In fact most kids want to grow up and be just like him. In that same New York Times article a student was quoted as saying something to the effect of how she thought the speech was really cool. Other children questioned about the speech mentioned how, when it came down to it, what Obama was saying was that kids should stay in school because the outcome is a better future with more knowledge and opportunity. If that’s the message kids got out of the speech what is so wrong with that?
President Obama’s speech was entirely appropriate, especially being given on the first day of school for many students. It was not an interruption to a curriculum already in the swing of things since at the beginning of the school year no one is quite in the swing of anything yet. Frankly, I believe that it was inspiring. For students to hear of the hardships that a man who grew up to become President faced, should make them feel that they could overcome their own adversities and achieve anything. Putting his speech into simple, straightforward terms, Obama was able to get across to students of all ages in every grade. Rather than using more professional language and losing the interest of his audience, he manifested his ideas into terms that were easily understandable to his wide range of listeners.
The content of the talk was right on target. President Obama was not telling his listeners they need to rely on schools and teachers and their parents for an education, but rather themselves. To tell students to take responsibility for the education and learning they receive is an important point, because if a student is not open to learning and puts that responsibility on others, then no teacher can get through. In class we have talked about the interaction of teaching and learning and using student experiences to teach them. But this cannot happen if students are not engaged and open to lines of communication with educators. This shared responsibility means that students who expect an education must participate in their own learning and realize that there are expectations for not just their teachers but themselves as well. They are responsible for getting to school, focusing in class, doing their homework and absorbing the material. While the delivery of information is up to the teachers and schools, students must be receptive to what is sent their way. It is their success or failure that they are, at least in some way, in control of.
ReplyDeleteThere is much to be improved upon when it comes to education, in the government, in schools and with teachers, but if students don’t stick with their education then there really isn’t a point in getting all of that fixed. Sure the education that kids receive in elementary, middle and high school does not always focus on what students are good at or excel in, but in order for them to get to a place where they can explore those options, they need the educational foundation that school provides. Regardless of the teachers you have or the curriculum you learn, to get into college you need the basic elements of elementary, middle and high schools, if for no other reason than to say on a transcript that all of those years of schooling were completed. I know firsthand that college is where the good stuff is; here I can take classes I want to take on subjects I am actually interested in. But I would not have gotten here without a high school diploma.
When it comes down to it I really do not understand any reason that a parent would withhold their child from hearing this speech. This is a message that every parent should instill in their child. Unfortunately, that is not the case, which is why President Obama’s address has importance. For those students who do not receive that message or inspiration from their immediate surroundings, hopefully Obama’s message mattered and held some sort of weight for them. Even if it only made a difference to a handful of students, the speech was effective. As The Miami Herald stated, the only real reason parents would prevent their children from listening to this address is “Obamaphobia.”
On September 8, 2009 President Obama made a speech to schoolchildren. The main point of his speech was that students should have educational goals and strive do their best. For days the media and schools gave a lot of attention to his speech. School districts faced scrutiny from parents and had to make a decision about whether it would be seen in schools. After the speech the media coverage continued and those who saw the speech were left to reflect on what they saw. After viewing the speech I did not see any objectionable material and would want the youth of the nation to see it. I believe it is important to see that people in places of power care about schools and the future of the students and to remind the students why they go to school. To many, the message he spoke sounds basic and repetitious. But, a reminder never hurts and for some this message is rarely or never heard.
ReplyDeleteThe objection of some of the media and public to the speech being delivered by the president to children in schools seems unjustified to me. Obama was not the first president to give a speech directed to schoolchildren. It makes sense for him to deliver a speech since he is one of the most, if not the most, important figures in the country today and because of this his message is influential. This may scare some because he is a political figure. But, it was not his intention to sway his audience to his ideology. The message was neutral: educational goals, try your best, responsibility, and wash your hand so the flu doesn’t get spread. Schools had to make a decision about airing the speech live in classrooms. Some schools feeling the pressure of parents, skeptical media, and uncertain about the content decided not to show it. Other schools gave parents an option of having their child watch it. While other schools showed it to all students in attendance. I am from Wilmette, Illinois right outside of Chicago and the hometown of Obama’s Chief of Staff.
The schools in the area all showed the speech and there was little debate about it. My area is a bubble of Obama love since he is from Illinois even if one does not agree with him. Most people are proud that our senator was able to achieve such success. The school that I went to is also one that does not struggle with students dropping out or not attending: the graduation rate in 2008 was 99.2% and the attendance rate was 99.5% according to 2008 Illinois District Report Card. The lack of outright debate over showing the speech by the school district and according to my mother the minimal news coverage compared to other places is a contrast to many other places including Miami. I was socked and confused by the amount of attention the speech received. The amount of time and thought over what was in the speech after it was released (before it was aired) and the worksheet that went along with it seemed to be too much and unnecessary. In Miami-Dade county parents were given the option to write a note to excuse their children from viewing the speech where as in Broward country the speech was viewed by all. The decision by Broward County’s schools upset many and led to significant coverage.
ReplyDeleteI understand that it is each parent’s choice to decide how to raise their child and wat to expose them to. I just do not understand why they would object to the topics in the speech. It is also near impossible to keep a school child from knowing about Obama and to limit knowledge of him and the political matters of the day is near impossible and in my opinion is a disadvantage to the child. Knowing what is happening in the world is important. Being exposed to information is how one can make ones own opinion. My parents influenced my political ideology. They influenced me by allowing me to know about different issues, letting me make my own judgments, and then discussing them. I do not always agree with my parents, but they are great people to share my opinion and debate with since they often cause me to think and justify my position. It is hard to know what you believe when no one questions you. Therefore, President Obama’s positive speech to students was a terrific way to start of the school year and the media coverage and turmoil in schools seems unnecessary especially after watching and reflecting on it.
After watching and reading President Obama’s speech to schoolchildren across the nation, it’s clear to me that he believes in the students. In his speech there were no comments affiliated with a policy or specific political party. He shows that education is bi partisan and that everyone should worry about the future of our country. I do believe that President Obama was correct in delivering this speech because he can provide so much inspiration to students across the America. Obama is the first black President who had to overcome many obstacles to be where he is. In his speech, he hints at having a no excuses mentality by mentioning three students who have dealt with challenges their whole life and are not letting those challenges affect who they want to become.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I spoke to my younger brother and asked him if his class watched President Obama’s speech and he said they did not. After watching the speech, I am still confused as to why all the schools wouldn’t show the speech. When schools give the excuse that they don’t want their students to be exposed to politics that is contradicting the decision not to show the speech is political because that decision is biased on the school district’s beliefs. The speech was focused on motivating kids to do better in school and challenge them to discover their special talent. I think that schools across America would want their students to hear this message from the President. As far as alternatives to not watching the speech, I don’t think there should have been alternatives. The only alternative to not watching the speech would be to continue class as scheduled because that is what President Obama wanted in the first place. For teachers to be able to teach and students to be able to focus on school and take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
As far as the parents not wanting their children to see the speech I think that that is a selfish act. People can argue that it was because of President Obama’s race or because he hasn’t been such a good President as of lately. I think that people were afraid of what the President was going to say and that it would affect their children in a way that the parents didn’t want. Like I stated earlier, I don’t think anyone’s children could be swayed in a negative direction when talking about school. For everyone to make such a big deal about President Obama speaking to schoolchildren across the nation goes to show that the nation is very insecure about what the President can or cannot say when speaking publicly. In the beginning of President Obama’s speech, he states that it is many students first day of school. On the first day of classes, teachers don’t usually begin teaching. They discuss what will be taught throughout the semester and help students transition into a new year. That’s why it is so confusing to me as to why parents wouldn’t let their children listen to the President of the United States speak about education.
Overall, I thought that President Obama did a great job by making sure his speech didn’t raise any eyebrows. The majority of his speech focused on the students responsibility in school and tied that to the fact that this nation is dependent upon what students make of their educational opportunities. The true test is to see if the speech will have an effect on students grades and to see if students take on new challenges and try to discover who they really are and what they really want to be in life.
The President’s Educational Approach: A Reason for Chaos?
ReplyDeleteHow many times has the President addressed the American people, how many times will any elected President receive criticism, and how much insecurity can penetrate our thinking to the point where every little move has become a controversy? It’s as if the leader of our nation has no right to discuss publicly significant matters that affect us all no matter what religion, race, social status and even political party. The media succeeded in scandalizing Obama’s speech to the point where school districts felt compelled to take a side. Last time I checked, schools weren’t divided by democrats or republicans because what kids are there for is knowledge and learning.
I applaud President Obama for taking the initiative to direct his educational concerns and opening himself to the young people of America. However, there were several aspects of his speech that left me questioning how effective his message would be. At instances he would point his finger as if he was reprimanding the children and without a doubt I was a little unsettled because he was indirectly giving an order or command. In the blink of an eye he transformed from a helpful ally to a passive sergeant ordering his troops. Later on, he supported his opinions with the phrase that we as students must take on successful careers because otherwise we’d be disappointing our country. Obama’s words went too far at this point because to be honest I believe most people aren’t thinking about our red, white, and blue when they fail to graduate or when they actually do. In the end, America is unaware of who lets us down or who drives us to medical advancements because either those at the bottom of the pit or those high up on the social ladder tend to make up the exception. The fact that he made it seem like a weight on our backs didn’t give me a sense of responsibility to the American people but the notion that if I work only I will acknowledge the grandiosity of my achievements.
Ergo, the educational repartee was nothing out of the ordinary that I wouldn’t hear a teacher, a guidance counselor, or any parents say. Stay in school was the underlying point. Was it really necessary for so much drama among school districts and parents? The inability to set aside political viewpoints and to comprehend that the worst harm to our children is ignorance is devastating. We limit ourselves to what we want to hear without considering that sometimes those who challenge our beliefs offer just as much as we do. Those parents who wanted to shut their children’s ears and keep them in the untouchable bubble are the same ones who think they can continue taking short cuts from the present. These who took the time to write an excused letter for their child, wrote a momentary protection pass that will expire before they know it. They can keep trying to save their kid but sooner than later they will be exposed to one of the president’s discussions or they will hear by word of mouth what their parents tremendously feared. People just couldn’t accept that his main spectators would be young minds although there was no political substance whatsoever.
Yes, everyone can do something for the betterment of our society and thanks to our intellectual capacities we have the power to revolutionize this era with new inventions, theories, and discoveries. However, that is what people wish to avoid- a change of ideas in our accepted social structures. Those who can provoke doubt are unaccepted. Parents want to pass on their thoughts in their genealogical party so they become wary when another adult comes along and questions what they’ve already taught. To teach children to accept what their peers say is one thing, but to inhibit them from forming their own opinions has no excuse. It does take maturity and clarity for any adolescent to grasp a political idea but to listen to a speech on the importance of education is not brainwashing us to choose a side on the next election. To be even more honest, most of the teenagers in the crowd were either taking pictures of President Obama, texting, or just bored. Maybe not all the students across the nation were in the same circumstances but I bet a few truly took the time to get a little something out of it.
ReplyDeleteIn effect, I wish at times individuals took education more seriously and instead of being overly preoccupied with the media next time we must make the effort to assess real issues affecting our children.
When I first learned about the President’s back to school speech and all of the commotion surrounding it I was simply confused. I did not understand what the fuss was about because I could not come up with reasons of my own to explain what could be wrong with our President, the leader of our country, basically telling kids to work hard and stay in school. I watched the speech, waiting to hear controversial material that is “too political” for young kids to listen to, but I was surprised with what I heard. President Obama merely said encouraging things such as “Every single one of you has something to offer” and “Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.” Can anyone argue that these phrases have negative or bias undertones? I’m sure many people could come up with an explanation but seriously, what are parents afraid of? Is it that they cannot allow their children to be inspired and admire someone that they do not agree on everything with? Or maybe they are worried that someday their children will vote and make decisions without them?
ReplyDeleteWe live in a world where dramatic changes have been made in extremely short time periods. This could not have been possible if everyone always agreed with what their parents believed in. When women were denied the right to vote, there had to be parents who approved of this law and taught their children to accept life the way it was. If every daughter and son listened and agreed with these parents, progress would never be possible. I am not saying that children should not be exposed to their parents’ belief system. I think that they absolutely should be, but I believe strongly that everyone has the right to see and hear all of their options. There is not only one right way and someone’s personal beliefs should be made over time and experience.
I do think it was important for school systems to show the speech to their students. Because it was given during the school day, it would be neglectful not to give them a chance to watch it. I also however, believe that parents have the right to send a note into school requesting that their child did not watch the speech. In spite of all of the pre-speech uproar, I thought the speech was tasteful. My favorite part was when President Obama told the students to not allow one thing define who they are. He said, “If you get in trouble, that doesn’t mean you’re a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn’t mean you’re stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.” I think that a huge problem exists with kids who get it into their head that they are bad so they have to continue to do bad things or that they are not smart so there is no point of trying. Having the president of the United States tell them that he has done things he isn’t proud of and has taken the second chances given to him has the potential to make a different in many of their lives. For the kids who are living in bad family situations hearing him say, “Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up” could be inspirational. I believe this speech was a good idea, that it can be only beneficial, and the worst impression it could have left on a student would be simply no impression at all.
By the time my last class ended this past Tuesday, I was more than anxious to go back to my room to relax and visit the White House website. It was common knowledge that President Obama had given his infamous speech to American school children earlier that day at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. With all the hype and heavy anticipation surrounding the speech in the few weeks prior, I was expecting a powerful address that was sure to spark controversy, challenge the norms of our current education system, and inspire teachers and students to think critically and diplomatically in the new school year. What I got was something completely different.
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing the nine-minute address, I was left very confused with my feelings—or lack thereof—toward the President’s overall message. The conviction behind Obama’s words wasn’t particularly earth-shattering. The points that he made were not radical or out of the ordinary, and they did not leave me inspired to think critically toward any aspect of our education system. Rather, I was simply given a placidly ordinary amount of motivation to do exactly what I’ve always felt was just expected of me: to work hard in school in order to move on to bigger and better successes in the future. Overall, I was left frustrated and almost disappointed with my own indifference. At that moment, I realized that I was interpreting the motive behind the speech for exactly what it was: an opportunity for the President to have an intimate chat with American children at the start of the school year, and to give students a reminder to put their best foot forward in everything they do.
This got me thinking. Despite all the negative publicity fired at Barack Obama in the days preceding the speech, as well as the cautious actions taken by school districts and parents to prevent students from seeing it, the overall experience was incredibly benign. The media, and the American people, inflated the entire event into something that it truly was not. Obama had no intentions of promoting his healthcare plan, the status on the war in Iraq, or his opinions of the American education system; the event was by no means a political campaign. His only goal was to remind the students of our nation that the origins of success live and breathe within the walls of the American school building, and that it is their duty to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them while within those walls.
Obviously, the speech left me a bit confused. What was the reason for all of the hype? Why were parents frantically calling school districts in outrage and demanding that there be an alternative for children who would not be allowed to view the speech? Why were the districts complying? As innocuous as the event turned out to be, I still had a decent grasp on the answers to these questions. It comes as a miniscule surprise to me that the parents of today’s school children would be fearful of President Obama’s nationwide address to students. The current generation of children is notorious for being sheltered, safe and sound from any conflict or difference in opinion. Simply the fear of the unknown was reason enough for parents to want to guard their children from the President’s words. Some parents stood by the idea that they did not want opposing politics being fed to their children in the school setting. Even if the President had worked his personal political views somewhere into the nine-minute long address, the idea of being open to different opinions is the intended ground upon which democracy thrives.
ReplyDeleteBut, there were no politics being forced down any child’s throat. There was no persuading, nor brainwashing, nor trickery taking place. The President was simply talking to the children, simply giving them a nudge in the right direction to start the school year. And for that reason, I think the speech was completely appropriate, and that all children should have watched it. Not because the speech was life changing or remarkable, because it wasn’t; not because it sparked a new birth for the education system in our country, because it didn’t; not because it was truly necessary to begin the year in the correct way, because it wasn’t. Rather, it was a harmless but positive kickoff to the new school year, and the President deserves credit for that. Perhaps if the American people could have taken the speech simply for what it was, they would have realized that as well.
The main topic of conversation for the past couple of weeks has been President Obama’s speech to children in schools across the country. Much controversy surrounded the speech because many people believed the speech would contain political content. Some parents feared that the president would push his political agenda and attempt to influence children to support him. School districts across the nations were faced with the decision of making the speech mandatory, optional, or completely excluding it from the lesson plans.
ReplyDeleteIt was repeatedly said that the speech would not contain any political topics but many were skeptical. Many schools chose not to show the speech during the school day fearing the parents would be upset and trying to avoid any conflict within the teachers and parents. After I watched the speech, I couldn’t understand why there was such a big uproar. I thought the speech was very appropriate for schools everywhere. While I watched the speech, I kept thinking this is something a principal, a teacher, a parent usually tells the kids and so I thought it was great that the President was addressing the same basic issues.
The speech was short and inspiring. I do not think it was inappropriate in anyway for President Obama to deliver this speech. The schools that chose not to show the speech really excluded the kids from participating in a little piece of history. I know the high school I attended chose to make the speech optional and I wish they had shown it in every class. I think that sometimes teachers need that little extra push to help motivate students and who better than the President? Obama said many encouraging things throughout the speech but I really liked the line, “You can’t let your failures define you, you have to let your failures teach you.” Like I previously said, it is something you usually hear from your parents or teachers but this time it was coming from our President.
Some parents did not want to let their kids watch it because they do not agree with President Obama’s political views. Although I do not think that should be a reason to not letting your children participate in watching the speech the parents do have the right to choose. After all, everyone is free to make his or her own decisions. Even though parents could choose to not let their kids watch it, I think parents should let the kids expand their knowledge in every way and let them build their own views. My mom is the type of mother who would have not let me watch the speech. Throughout my life she has tried to make my beliefs and opinions identical to hers and as I got older I noticed I had to make my own opinions based on my own experiences. I can understand that parents want to guide their children and keep them out of harm but this speech contained nothing harmful.
In conclusion, I think it was a great gesture for President Obama to talk to children across the nation and encourage them to work hard and stay in school. Other Presidents had spoken to children before and I’m sure future Presidents will as well. I am glad that many children got to watch it regardless of all the controversy that surrounded the speech. After all, this is history and everyone should be allowed to participate in it.
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ReplyDeleteReflection Paper 1
ReplyDeleteOn September 8, 2009 President Obama chose to make a public address to school children across the nation based on the idea of staying in school and working hard to achieve your goals. Although nothing the President does is entirely un-political, I do believe that Obama’s speech was for the most part simply as he intended it to be. I did find it interesting that he chose to implore children to work hard “for themselves and for their country” I don’t think that there is anything wrong for him to encourage patriotism and the improvement of our country through education, but it seems that a lot of the criticism that I heard for people against hearing the speech is that it was “too political” or and “attempt at brainwash”. It seems ridiculous to me that people should find anything inappropriate about children hearing their president speak, especially public school children whose education receives funding from the government.
I think that there was nothing wrong with Obama choosing to give this speech. I only hope that it means that he will be able to do something about educational funding however, in order to give more children the opportunity to fund the higher education and training he encourages everyone to strive for. One criticism I do have of his speech is that he kind of makes it seem like it is easy to succeed and get ahead if you just put in enough effort, even if you come from humble beginnings. I believe that this isn’t necessarily always the case. Just because you work hard doesn’t mean that you are going to be able to get a full ride to college. I think that Obama’s speech is very much biased towards the meritocracy idea that we discussed in class. However, I still don’t fault him for encouraging students to strive to be their very best and being enthusiastic that effort alone will propel them forward.
To me it seems foolish for parents to not want their children to see President Obama’s speech in school. I think that this is such a big issue because people are very critical his presidency. There is still a lot of racism and prejudice that fuels this as well as plain old political differences. However I feel that the policy issues are probably most strongly used to mask more of the prejudice issues. I find it astounding that we can insist that children stand up and pledge allegiance to the flag of America each and every day, but not want them to have allegiance or even just plain respect for our president. How often is it that a President of the United States of America even chooses to directly address the non-voting aged citizens of this country?
It saddens me a little that there was so much controversy over this speech, especially once I was able to read its contents. And although I don’t see the harm in it, I do think that it is part of the beauty of the freedom of this country that if a particular school district decided for whatever reason that they didn’t want to show it then they didn’t have to. But, if a school district did choose to show it, I think that the parents should have had to choose to keep their child home or let them see it. I don’t think districts should have had to be responsible for having an alternate activity for children whose parents didn’t want to see it.
One final aspect of Obama’s speech that I did find a little inappropriate was the send off. Considering that Obama’s proposed venue of choice was for children to see this speech in school, and seeing as we believe strongly of a separation of church and state, especially in public schools, I thought the “God bless you and God bless America” to be inappropriate. I think that it just leads to potential criticism and while I don’t find anything particularly offensive about a blessing, I don’t think that school was the proper venue for those words.
When we first began discussing the speech President Obama was planning to make to young students across America, I have to admit I hadn’t heard too much about it. I sat back in class and listened to the comments made about the speech and didn’t think it was too much of a big deal at the time. It interested me a bit but I never imagined our President making a speech to kids would be such a controversial issue across the country. I read in to it a little deeper through articles on the Internet and became aware of the many uncertainties parents, teachers, school administrators and similar figures had with him speaking to America’s youth. I immediately questioned if it was because they thought he would try to persuade kids to take a certain political stance? Or if it was because they didn’t agree with his policies on health care or the war? Or could it possibly still be because he is African American?
ReplyDeleteI will never know the exact answer as to why these people were against showing his speech at school or why parents forced their children to be preoccupied with an alternate assignment but I do know that I completely disagree with any decision made to not view the speech. Events, such as this one, are so important for young children to witness. They need to be aware of how our country works, who the President is and the things he does as President. It should be up to them whether they like him and what he says, not just up to their parents to shut them out of world events because of a concern that they may pick up a different belief than themselves. For adults to feel the need to shelter children to the extent of not allowing them to hear their own President speak to them is absurd and comes merely out of fear of difference.
When I finally watched the speech, it caused me to be even angrier with anyone who didn’t allow their student/child to watch the speech at school. There was no mention of anything political or persuasive towards the democratic party throughout the speech. President Obama, in no way, included any of his political beliefs or showed any bias towards any political idea. He simply took the stage as a parental type figure to explain to the youth how important it is for them to contribute to society by bettering themselves and not allowing external conflicts to get in the way of accomplishing their goals. It was very uplifting and I think only positive consequences will come from the words he expressed. It was also clever to have the African American student body school president introduce him, again to show a minority figure doing well for himself. Obama related himself to the audience of youths by talking about his not –so-perfect upbringing and instilling hope into everyone watching that they too can become successful no matter what conditions they grow up in.
One of my favorite quotes from the speech was “you can not drop out of school and in to a good job.” I took this to not only mean that dropping out of school will not get you a good job, but also that dropping out of anything in life most likely won’t bring you any successes or into any good future. The sole purpose of this speech was to get kids motivated to set their own goals for their own education and to reach them. A large number of students who watched this television broadcast have probably never had a parent tell them that they need to take responsibility for their own education and find ways to do it. They are just told to go to school every day and then come home (and probably told to be good too). But a speech like this one can really make a difference in a child’s life by opening up the thought that they are the ones who control their education, their life, and their future. In watching this Presidential address to the American youth, I believe every child (and even every adult) should have watched it with no problem and only found benefits in seeing it. President Obama did a great job in the deliverance of the speech and I hope a great number of kids watching took it to heart and will accomplish great ventures in life now as a result!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the text of President Obama’s speech to school children I had one principle thought; it was ridiculous that there was such negative uproar. I found nothing wrong with talking to school children about working hard, setting personal goals, and taking their education seriously. I found nothing wrong with telling our children that they can be somebody; and finding something they enjoy, realizing their strengths, and building on those is as important as focusing on their general education. So what was the big deal? Why were parents angry that he wanted to discuss with our youth how they should stay in school and work hard to succeed? Isn’t that the basic ideal of our country, work hard and you will succeed?
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree with any of the reasons why parents would be upset about President Obama’s decision to talk to our children. I never feared he would try to underhandedly push his political agendas on schoolchildren, if for no other reason because that would be political suicide. It does not bother me that our president wants to try to instill, in our youth, a healthy desire to learn and succeed. Considering past attempts by former presidents such as Regan, who spoke to me when I was in school and who did not keep politics out of his speech, I don’t understand how this time around should bring such controversy. He is our president, like it or not, he is a major public figure and if he can inspire a child to succeed where other attempts have failed then more power to him.
Yet so many people thought differently. Some were angry for no other reason than dislike of him, politically or personally. Others were angry because of fear, fear of indoctrination and whose fears stem from a misunderstanding of what it is to be altruistic. And then there are those who understood why he spoke to their children in a way no one else could, and they were embarrassed. They were embarrassed because he chose to speak directly to our children because he has lost faith in the present and by talking past us, directly to our children, he is talking to the future.
I don’t believe that his decision to give his speech was ever suppose to raise the question of whether or not we as a society agree with President Obama’s policies. It was his effort to reach out to kids and ask them to be an active participant in their education, so that the future could be better than the present. I don’t believe his message was intended to brainwash the youth of America, but to instill a seed of hope and desire to improve on themselves and in turn the future state of our nation. After reading through his speech, as critically as my non-political brain is capable, I found the content to confirm my thoughts. And if my only discourse with the speech was that, at times, I found it a little condescending in jargon then I can say he did a good job of planting that seed. I can appreciate that it was meant as a positive message for our youth; and close to one, I presume, he gave to his own children before beginning the school year.
ReplyDeleteIf having the president talk to our youth, about what they can do to improve themselves and their education has a positive impact on even one child's future, then I am all for it. If having the president speak to students gets them debating and forming opinions about politics, and in turn how they can possibly improve their future, I think it’s fantastic. If the result of all of this media is that children start taking an active roll in building their schools, their education and themselves then again I say I am all for it. That is what his speech was about. A speech encouraging personal responsibility and acknowledgement of a society at odds and the need for our children to succeed in the classroom in order for this nation to succeed in the future.
To watch the leader of our country stand before us and deliver such a motivational speech was extremely revitalizing. He imparted a reminder to our students that they are our future, and we all depend on them. Education is the foundation for the future. Learning, inventing, questioning, creating, and discovering, is what bring us from one generation to the next.
President Obama is reminding all of us, by acknowledging the struggle facing our youth, that it is everyone’s job to keep working hard and pushing ourselves to succeed. Giving up is easy, but we can’t give up on our nation, our children, and our future. Persevering when times are difficult is a challenge. It takes hard work, dedication, and courage to be successful. I know the hardships my children face, now and for the future. Everyday I encourage them in their endeavors to build their knowledge and utilize their talents. I am not the only adult in their lives who does so, but for many other children that same encouragement does not exist. I remind them that it is their responsibility to work as hard as they possibly can to succeed, but so many others are not reminded. I remind them that they are our hope for the future and I am proud that Obama has the foresight to remind all of our children that they are our future, and we are dependent on their success.
I think that it is ridiculous that some schools opted out of showing President Obama’s speech. I noticed that schools that did decide to show the speech also had an alternate plan for those that were not allowed to watch the speech. They were either sent to a different room or their parents kept them home from school. However, I would like to know what accommodations were made for students who go to a school that did not show the speech. What if these students wanted to see the speech, what if they didn’t have the option of staying home to watch it because their parents simply could not afford to take the day off? Or what if they didn’t have access to a computer or internet to view the speech? How is it fair to them that they were not given the same opportunity as those students that had options? I thought education was about creating equal opportunities, isn’t that the point of no child left behind.
ReplyDeleteI both watched and read the President’s speech and I heard nothing that would make me think that children should not hear what he had to say. Unless you don’t want someone to tell your kid to stay in school, work hard, take responsibility, and get a good education, then you’re child shouldn’t have watched the speech. Those parents that didn’t want their children to watch Obama’s speech make me question the kind of message these parents are sending to their own children. Is it that parents don’t trust their own children to think for themselves or should I say think critically? I thought that this was what education is about, teaching children to think critically about what they see and hear around them. It’s impossible to teach children to think critically if we don’t give them the opportunity to do so.
I also didn’t see any of the schools or parents asking the children whether they wanted to watch the speech or not. Personally, if I was in grade school still and heard that we had the option of watching the President speak or doing school work, I would choose the speech no matter what he was talking about. Not only would I not have to do boring school work but I might actually learn something. One thing that bothered me about the big uproar parents created about the speech was why aren’t parents this involved in the rest of the curriculum that is being taught to their children. If parents were this involved in the rest of their student’s academics then maybe their children would be doing better in school and the drop out rate wouldn’t be so high.
I recently read some newspaper articles on the responses students and parents had to Obama’s speech and found my self looking for a good reason to not allow children to watch the speech. The two main reasons parents gave were that the speech would be about socialism or it would be too political and they didn’t want their children to hear it because of this. I then found an article asking students, who did watch the speech, what they thought. The students that I read about all found the speech powerful, inspiring and encouraging and didn’t understand why parents made such a big fuss. Some students also commented that the speech made them want to work harder in school and made them realize they had to take responsibility of their own education – the purpose of the speech.
I still don’t understand why schools and especially parents made a big deal about a speech on education. Why is it that kids are allowed to watch MTV, outlandish reality shows and violent, gory movies but can’t watch a twenty minute speech from the President about the importance of education? Parents feared what message the President might send to their children; instead of questioning the message they’re sending to their own children by allowing them to watch these ridiculous things instead of something educational and of importance, like the speech. In the end, I still question whether the school boards that opted out of showing the speech did what was right for the children or what was right for the parents.
Reflection: President Obama’s Speech for American Students
ReplyDeletePresident Obama delivered a message intended to be seen by all American students and parents. It was a message of inspiration and was meant to instill responsibility. Controversial topics, such as abortion, religion, and gay marriage were not discussed. Therefore, I believe that all students should have seen the broadcast and all parents should have been content with the showing.
Naturally people are going to disagree with the speech and its showing. I believe it was completely appropriate to allow the opportunity to see the airing. All schools and teachers should have provided a chance to see it. It should have been ultimately up to the parents. Contact between parents and teachers should have determined whether the parents own students would watch the broadcast. Alternatives should have been provide for those who were not allowed to view President Obama’s speech.
The speech was no where controversial in my eyes. It was a method of motivation from the President of the United States that would easily reach all of the students in America. Regardless of Republican or Democratic, Barack Obama is the president and the leader of our country. His speech was an attempt to jump start a movement and better the educational experience of the future of America.
I think that parents who did not want their children seeing the speech misjudged the goal that President Obama intended to be reached. I believe the reason it was such a big issue was because it was given by our colored, Democratic president. His beliefs and opinions are clearly known by anyone who paid any attention to the 2008 election and events preceding it. Barack Obama is our president and his attempts to reach out to the country’s future should be respected.
The presentation began with a student speaking and explaining his own experience with education. He is a responsible, committed, and passionate student who recognizes and takes pride in the results of his hard work. Having a student speak I believe was a very good idea. It gave someone that the students all across America could relate to and look up to. They saw that it is possible and working hard and holding yourself to high standards is very beneficial in the end. Also, President Obama spoke on his own educational journey. He grew up underprivileged and dealing with a lot of home issues and today he is the President of the United States. He expressed that a lot of people look on their family life at home and use it as an excuse as to why they cannot succeed. President Obama’s speech discussed that student’s are responsible for contributing to the quality of their education. He praised the students and encouraged them to find what they are good at and enjoy.
Some critics accused Obama of overstepping his authority. Obama serves and represents everyone within the country he governs. I personally do not understand how, as president of America, motivating the children of America is too extreme and unnecessary. Near his conclusion, President Obama said “at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents and the best schools in the world, and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities.” Schools and teachers are experiencing reform and parents are looking to find change and a better future. Students must now do their part as well.
Reflection Paper 1
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe it was appropriate for the President to deliver this speech because it’s great for children of a young age to become aware of politics and to even be introduced to who our President even is. When I was growing up, I was never really introduced to politics in my family, so having a six year old brother in first grade that was able to experience the speech is awesome. When it comes to the question of should schools have shown the speech, I believe they should have with the exception that children can be offered other activities while the speech is going on. I know in my brothers school, notes were sent home to the parents and depending on whether or not the parent wanted their child watching the speech or not, they would sign the letter and send it back stating whether it was okay or not. At the elementary level, especially my brother’s age, half of the children have no idea what the president’s role even is. I think a lot of it is how the parents raise their children and what their household rules are. We grow up being lead around by our parents and we learn a lot of what we know from them, so parents making a decision on whether they want their child watching the speech or not is appropriate. I think parents who did not want their children to watch the speech are ridiculous. The only reason I can see a parents not wanting their child involved, is if they completely are against Obama and his beliefs. A good idea for a parent would have been to watch the speech first and then if they see good things in it, allow their children to watch the speech on the internet so they can be a part of understanding the Presidents message. Personally I do not understand the big issue, I think it’s a great thing for a leader to step up in an economy like this and address to the young minds the importance of going to school and working hard and never giving up. Maybe if it was pushed more, or shown how important school is there wouldn’t be so many drop outs. When talking with my brother I asked him his thoughts on it and though he does not know much about politics, he said “It was cool. It was neat watching the President tell us to just work hard and stuff like that...It was just interesting.” I think every child should have been able to watch the speech; though they might not have understood the message, or even followed along, it was a good experience to see the President of the United States talking directly to them and showing them that he is not just some big deal kind of guy and he truly cares on seeing our people succeed.
Just a few days ago, President Barack Obama addressed the majority of our nation’s schoolchildren in a speech that received much undeserved media attention and criticism. Some school districts had all of their students watching the speech, some declared viewing the speech optional, and other districts just flat-out disallowed students from seeing the President speak. It’s almost unfathomable to consider the fact that certain politicians and media outlets were dubbing this speech as something of a second coming of the Third Reich, with images of German school children saluting Hitler. Criticism of the speech before it was even given was unwarranted and unfair in my opinion. I suppose the nation’s steadily decreasing trust in President Obama may have something to do with the harsh remarks, but having seen the speech, calling it anything but expected and ordinary is a little outrageous.
ReplyDeleteWas President Obama’s speech appropriate? Undoubtedly so, as I didn’t feel there was anything wrong with it. In fact, I wish I had a checklist of the topics he discussed, comparing it to the exact same speech my parents would give me every time I slacked off and earned a grade lower than I should’ve gotten. Responsibility, hard work, overcoming challenges, setting goals for myself, and even a token Michael Jordan quote.
People are forgetting that this speech was directed at schoolchildren. I wonder how many kids in each class across the nation were either asleep or daydreaming during the speech. You can’t forget about the children who eagerly absorbed all of the information the President put forth, only to have it seep out of their brains once they turned on the same television and Xbox that Obama talked about as obstacles. But I happen to think there were still plenty of students who were inspired by President Obama’s words, and they may end up succeeding in small part because of it. Barack Obama has a very powerful, almost hypnotic way with words, so it is slightly understandable for his critics to lash out at him for directing a speech at the youth of our nation, for they couldn’t really foresee what he was going to say. I honestly couldn’t find the hidden socialist agenda behind the speech, but maybe I’m missing something. To me, it just seemed like he was repeating the importance of the American Dream.
I find it interesting that Obama is so stalwart in his belief of the American Dream, that anyone can achieve their goals if they work hard and put their mind to it. There were countless students out there watching this speech while sitting in cheap, tattered desks in an underfunded school system, with barely any books to follow a curriculum. These kids will never see their American Dream come true. Although President Obama overcame a tremendous amount of adversity, and in turn, found a great deal of success, his case is very rare. Obviously he wasn’t going to tear apart the American education system in a speech directed at a bunch of school children, but to see him deliver this speech is almost boring. Just the way he entered, looking like the cool, hip leader of a new generation. I wanted to hear something different and fresh, but all I got was the same old speech.
Obama had to give that speech. If he didn’t give that speech, the conservative media would have been correct in their assumptions, for Obama would have been spreading an agenda to the youth. I hope that when presented with a different audience, Obama will garner the courage to speak of the critical issue of race and education. It’s sad to think about how many black and Latino students listened intently to the President’s speech and genuinely believed they would be able to follow in his footsteps and succeed one day, when nearly everything is designed so they fail.
Sophronie Dantica: Reflection 1
ReplyDeleteParents across the nation had mixed reactions about President Barack Obama speech to school children, which ranged from honored to outraged and frightened. Critics feel that Obama is using this speech to indoctrinate the nation’s school children. Many conservatives believe that this is another attempt at creating a socialist culture. I am also a conservative, but I have to say that my views differ from them.
Before, I read or heard the speech the media surrounding the speech made me feel that the president was trying to push his policies on school children. However, this soon changed when I sat down and not only watched, but read the speech. I felt that this was a remarkable speech basically telling school children to work hard, behave and stay in school. I did not find anything wrong with anything that President Obama stated in his speech. I felt that it was very appropriate for the president to deliver this speech. The president is usually looked upon as a man of great authority and one that doesn’t have to care about the “little people”, in this case school children. I think it is great that a president is dedicating his time to motivating students. I don’t feel that he was pushing any of his policies or advertising socialism. He was just merely telling these kids to do what it takes to succeed and make their society and America proud.
The media surrounding this speech in my opinion was ridiculous. The parents that did not want their children to view this broadcast in school, had no reason to be outraged or fearful. Of course parents should have the right to opt out their children, but when I thought about it more deeply, they shouldn’t have. Regardless of your political views and your opinions towards President Barack Obama that shouldn’t have played a role allowing your children to be encouraged and motivated by their president.
I don’t understand why this speech was such a big issue.
The parents that didn’t want their child to view the speech were mostly conservatives and people who did not share the same views as the president and they did not want their children to be persuaded into the policies and the views of the president. They felt that this was the president’s intent for addressing school children: to get them to think like him and believe in his policies, but when I listened and read the speech, I did not find any trace of politics. The speech was practically harmless.
Overall, the buzz about the president’s address to school children was unnecessary. Although, parents have every right to be fearful of any address that the presidents make to their children, there was no need for outrage or fear, because the speech was just motivating student to work hard, behave and stay in school. All the things that parents and educators believe in and can agree on with the president regardless of party affiliations.
Reflection Paper
ReplyDeleteLast Tuesday, our president, President Barak Obama, decided to give a speech to all students from the ages of preschool to twelfth grade. It was a rather simple and straightforward message regarding the effort that should be put forth by each student in regards to their studies. He spoke about how you should not let your background, living situation, or peer pressure stop you from making school work an important, if not the most important, part of your student life. He was extremely straightforward in his word choice and didn’t beat around the bush about anything. He seemed to do a great job at making sure that no matter what political party you choose to side with, it would be pretty hard to argue much of anything he said to the students. So, then why exactly did the country make such a big deal of this whole event? The president of our country wants to give a ten minute talk to students about making sure they try in school. What’s the problem? I think every parent knew that he wasn’t about to get into hard core political issues if he is speaking to preschoolers who may have not even accomplished the task of tying a shoe. So then what exactly was all the fuss about? Some schools actually felt it necessary to refrain from watching it, and some schools felt that they needed to send a permission slip home with the kids. It’s actually rather humorous. Parent’s expected schools to entertain their children if they didn’t want them to view the speech. Why do parents think it’s their place to decide what the school’s responsibilities are, and when did it become the school’s job to make sure that parents and communities are completely pleased with them at all times? I believe that each school should have showed the speech and that if parents weren’t comfortable with the idea, then they can stay home and entertain their children themselves. This was a speech directed toward the students. The president chose to give the speech at a time where he knew children would be in school. Therefore, his intentions of wanting students in school to view the speech were made very clear. Does anyone else find it extremely disrespectful that administrators and parents felt it acceptable to shut out their own president…? I am totally not saying that because he is our president we should agree with and accept everything he wants for us, but with something as uncontroversial and unbiased as a speech to students of all ages about doing their homework, it really shouldn’t be an issue. I believe that the real cause of all this commotion is due to the fact that people are bitter. The person they wanted to govern their country is still a senator. And now they have someone who views things a little different than they do as their president. As someone who wouldn’t have voted in favor of President Obama, I can still say that this whole situation should not have been an issue whatsoever. I can still say that Obama’s ideas and convictions were presented very well and every bit worth listening too. In the end, he is still our president, so obviously he has some sort of knowledge and skills that got him there.
Historically, the lines of communication between the president and the population have been limited. It’s not like the average American can call the oval office and directly speak with the President, nor is that idea realistic. When communication does occur between the President and the people, the setting is formal, the context is predetermined and very connected to a political agenda, and the President does all the talking. It’s no wonder that some Americans were a little hesitant to embrace Obama’s “Message for American Students”. However, many Americans, blinded by their mistrust in politics and politicians, neglected to see Obama’s genuine intention for this speech.
ReplyDeleteHowever it is unreasonable to truly believe, as many critics of this speech did, that Obama was trying to push his political agenda on America’s youth. If he was, he was probably speaking to the wrong audience since nearly all K-12 students are unable to vote. Furthermore, the message he sent to children called for them to “take ownership of [their] learning”; he described the necessity for children to take an active role in their education. Not only is this message important for children to hear but it was also appropriate. While the president was telling students to pay attention in class, you could pause the video and see students looking down consumed by the screen of their cell phone—an unfortunate reaction to hearing a speech made by one of the most influential people n the world. However, despite the lack of attention from the audience, I cannot think of a better figure to deliver a speech to America’s youth than their president. The notion that “the future of America depends on [its children]” resonates a lot more effectively coming from the president than it might coming from a parent, or a teacher.
I am shocked that so many parents were so opposed to their children watching the Presidential speech in school. Although right-wing situates have always been against the established federally controlled education system, I think that too many people viewed this another Obama campaign speech, rather than an attempt to inspire and motivate America’s students. If anything Obama was pleading for our future generations to stay in line and to “make [their] own destiny, [their] own future.” This speech was most certainly not any sort of partisan or biased address, rather an attempt to bridge the gap between politics and politicians and a part of the population, America’s youth, who is so often neglected by the government.
Yolanda Richard
ReplyDeleteTAL 101 Section D
Professor Diem
This speech that President Obama gave to American students was an amazing speech in my opinion. I think that Obama’s goal was to encourage students to do well in school and not allow the circumstances of life to determine their destiny or slow them down. This speech definitely made me want to pick up my books and work harder. He made me feel like I had the opportunity to be as successful as those in the majority group. However, when I look beyond the surface of his speech I feel like he has marginalized several issues that impact the outcome of the lives of these students. I think that he may have presented his speech in a way that might have been detrimental to some students as opposed to a help.
In Obama’s speech he defined this nation as a nation where students can excel despite their circumstances. He gives himself and his wife as examples. Obama and Michelle are exceptions to the rule in my opinion. I think that such statements do encourage students to do better and impact society but I wonder if these statements also set students up for a false hope. This nation is a land of complete opportunity to those who it already favors. The scales of opportunity are tilted to the majority. There are several social and economic inequalities in American society that disadvantages subordinate groups. This means that not all students truly have completely equal opportunities to do well and get ahead in society. For example, richer students have the resources for private tutors and access to extracurricular activities outside of school. Poorer students attending poorer schools may not have resources for tutoring programs or teachers willing or qualified to maintain one. Several students may not have parents that are willing or qualified to help them with their homework or have the funds to hire a tutor. This pushes students to depend on other means of help that may or may not be effective. Obama makes a promise that he will try his best to get students the resources they need to do well, however, I think that the help that is needed may not be fully given. The war and the economy are two huge current issues that I believe will suck up a lot of the money needed to truly enrich all American schools. Congress decides where our tax dollars go not Obama. Therefore, I believe that Obama has the intentions of encouraging students but he functionally marginalizes the circumstances and inequalities in society that keeps students within their current economically and socially disadvantaged positions.
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ReplyDelete“I expect great things from each of you.” When Obama said this the first thing that popped into my mind was pressure. I felt like Obama said this speech in a capitalistic mindset. He makes it seem that if an individual fails it is solely the individuals fault. His speech presupposes that individuals are an island in them self, which allows him to speak to all students on an equal level. This is strategically good for Obama’s speech, yet functionally detrimental. These students are a part of economic, ethnic and racial groups outside of school. Thus when he makes references to responsibility, success, expectancy; he fails to realize these are concepts that have also been defined within our different social groups. Therefore, not only do students have to prove their efficiency to the capitalist system, but they must also prove they are successful to their social group. I experienced this greatly throughout high school. I attended a predominantly Hispanic school. I had all AP and honors courses. I was almost always the only African American in class. I often felt like I had to prove my intelligence to my white professors, Hispanic classmates, and my fellow African Americans in school and the surrounding community.
In conclusion, I loved Obama’s speech. I believe that any student hearing it and accepting it at face value will definitely be encouraged to do better in school. However beyond the surface I think that this speech marginalizes the very issues that need to be addressed in order to truly create a nation of equal opportunity for all students.