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Instructor uses president's speech for essay assignment
| Obama's speech: BHS students who took part in a class assignment on the president's address are from left, Damien Austin, Sarah Kading, Kylie Roman, and Seth Judd approved of the presentation. (Thelma Grimes/photo.) |
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Last Tuesday, students from the Benson High School government and economics class watched the nationally televised speech from President Barack Obama where he addressed America's youth on the need to stay in school and work hard to succeed.
Before Obama uttered a word, it became a controversial topic as some parents and members of the Republican party criticized the Obama administration's handling of the matter.
Tom Horne, Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Arizona Department of Education, expressed his concerns on Sept. 3, five days before the speech aired.
"An important part of educating students is to teach them to read and listen critically," Horne said. "The White House materials call for a worshipful, rather than critical approach to this speech. For example, the White House communication calls for students to have notable quotes excerpted and posted in large print on a board, and for the students to discuss 'How he will inspire us', among other things. There is nothing in these White House materials about approaching the speech critically, or engaging in any critical thinking whatsoever, but only adopting a reverent approach to everything they are being told.
"In general, in keeping with good education practice, students should be taught to read and think critically about statements coming from politicians and historical figures."
At Benson High School, government instructor Casey Woodall had his students do just that. After the class watched the president's speech, they were told to write an essay about what they thought of the speech, whether they felt it was politically driven and whether they agreed with what was said.
While Horne voiced concern over the White House's telling schools how to tell students to view the speech, giving them assignment and project ideas for before, during and after the speech, the state superintendent did not criticize the message in the speech.
Several of the students also said they liked what President Obama had to say.
"I thought it was a good speech," said government student Seth Judd. "He made his point clear, and that was that education was important."
Sarah Kading said she was happy the president took the time to address students, noting that "no one ever really talks to us."
Obama is not the first president to take his message into the classrooms. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior gave similar speeches during their terms in office.
Damien Austin said he liked the president's speech, noting it is the first time he has seen a president talk directly to the students.
"I liked that it was a worldwide thing, and I agreed with what he had to say," Austin said. "We do need to work hard to be successful."
Kylie Roman said she agreed with the president's message, but not with the idea of the speech.
Roman said a lot of what the president talked about is the job of the parents to teach their children.
"Why should you wait for someone like President Obama to say it?" she said. "Why can't you go by the word of your parents? Aren't they enough of a hero to follow and make you want to do well?"
Roman and her fellow classmates agreed that the controversy surrounding the speech before it happened seemed excessive.
But, Roman said it did feel like a political move to some degree.
"He does want us as students to try hard, but he addressed seniors because he knows we are the ones that will be eligible to vote in the next election," she said.
Kading said it's important for the nation's leader to speak to young people, "because are this country's future."
When asked about the parts of the speech that really stood out, Austin said Obama's message to work hard and fight to succeed was important to him.
In the speech, Obama said, "Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
"But at the end of the day, circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
"Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future."
Bryan Bullington, principle of Benson High School, said the message Obama sent in his speech is the same thing educators try to teach students their entire careers.
Bullington and Superintendent David Woodall agreed there was nothing wrong with letting teachers show students the speech, saying that once Obama spoke, the controversy died a little bit.
Bullington, however, said the school was well aware of the controversy behind the speech, and if any students absolutely objected to seeing it, they would have been dismissed.
Bullington said the government class was given the chance to speak their own minds.
"It's a perfect example of how to allow kids to form their own opinions, rather than us telling them how to speak," he said. "I've read some of the students' work, and they did a good job of analyzing this speech."
Judd, a senior, said Obama is showing students that what they do today will be used as examples in speeches given by other presidents in the future.
"We are the future, and we are going to be making some important decisions over the next four years," Judd said. "I think that's what the president was trying to tell us."
While these students watched it, other school districts in the state gave parents the option to decide. One parent, whose family lives in J-Six, said she opted for her children not to hear the speech, noting that his message is something that should be coming from parents and teachers, and not the president.
In St. David, Superintendent Kate Mueller said the information was reviewed and the district found nothing wrong with airing the president's speech, although some parents objected and opted to have their students not listen to the president.
Last Tuesday, students from the Benson High School government and economics class watched the nationally televised speech from President Barack Obama where he addressed America's youth on the need to stay in school and work hard to succeed.
Before Obama uttered a word, it became a controversial topic as some parents and members of the Republican party criticized the Obama administration's handling of the matter.
Tom Horne, Superintendent of Public Instruction at the Arizona Department of Education, expressed his concerns on Sept. 3, five days before the speech aired.
"An important part of educating students is to teach them to read and listen critically," Horne said. "The White House materials call for a worshipful, rather than critical approach to this speech. For example, the White House communication calls for students to have notable quotes excerpted and posted in large print on a board, and for the students to discuss 'How he will inspire us', among other things. There is nothing in these White House materials about approaching the speech critically, or engaging in any critical thinking whatsoever, but only adopting a reverent approach to everything they are being told.
"In general, in keeping with good education practice, students should be taught to read and think critically about statements coming from politicians and historical figures."
At Benson High School, government instructor Casey Woodall had his students do just that. After the class watched the president's speech, they were told to write an essay about what they thought of the speech, whether they felt it was politically driven and whether they agreed with what was said.
While Horne voiced concern over the White House's telling schools how to tell students to view the speech, giving them assignment and project ideas for before, during and after the speech, the state superintendent did not criticize the message in the speech.
Several of the students also said they liked what President Obama had to say.
"I thought it was a good speech," said government student Seth Judd. "He made his point clear, and that was that education was important."
Sarah Kading said she was happy the president took the time to address students, noting that "no one ever really talks to us."
Obama is not the first president to take his message into the classrooms. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush senior gave similar speeches during their terms in office.
Damien Austin said he liked the president's speech, noting it is the first time he has seen a president talk directly to the students.
"I liked that it was a worldwide thing, and I agreed with what he had to say," Austin said. "We do need to work hard to be successful."
Kylie Roman said she agreed with the president's message, but not with the idea of the speech.
Roman said a lot of what the president talked about is the job of the parents to teach their children.
"Why should you wait for someone like President Obama to say it?" she said. "Why can't you go by the word of your parents? Aren't they enough of a hero to follow and make you want to do well?"
Roman and her fellow classmates agreed that the controversy surrounding the speech before it happened seemed excessive.
But, Roman said it did feel like a political move to some degree.
"He does want us as students to try hard, but he addressed seniors because he knows we are the ones that will be eligible to vote in the next election," she said.
Kading said it's important for the nation's leader to speak to young people, "because are this country's future."
When asked about the parts of the speech that really stood out, Austin said Obama's message to work hard and fight to succeed was important to him.
In the speech, Obama said, "Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
"But at the end of the day, circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
"Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future."
Bryan Bullington, principle of Benson High School, said the message Obama sent in his speech is the same thing educators try to teach students their entire careers.
Bullington and Superintendent David Woodall agreed there was nothing wrong with letting teachers show students the speech, saying that once Obama spoke, the controversy died a little bit.
Bullington, however, said the school was well aware of the controversy behind the speech, and if any students absolutely objected to seeing it, they would have been dismissed.
Bullington said the government class was given the chance to speak their own minds.
"It's a perfect example of how to allow kids to form their own opinions, rather than us telling them how to speak," he said. "I've read some of the students' work, and they did a good job of analyzing this speech."
Judd, a senior, said Obama is showing students that what they do today will be used as examples in speeches given by other presidents in the future.
"We are the future, and we are going to be making some important decisions over the next four years," Judd said. "I think that's what the president was trying to tell us."
While these students watched it, other school districts in the state gave parents the option to decide. One parent, whose family lives in J-Six, said she opted for her children not to hear the speech, noting that his message is something that should be coming from parents and teachers, and not the president.
In St. David, Superintendent Kate Mueller said the information was reviewed and the district found nothing wrong with airing the president's speech, although some parents objected and opted to have their students not listen to the president.
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