2010-07 BART Officer Mesherle Anticipated Verdict Announcement and Oakland Aftermath Pictures

BART Officer Mesherle Anticipated Verdict Announcement - Oakland Business closure and next morning Downtown Aftermath Pics. (Oscar Grant BART Shooting)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=panfPVgSUGg&hl=en

A True Disney Story

From the time he was born in 1901 to the time he died in 1966 Walt Disney lived in a world of fantasy. The rest of the world was lucky enough to be able to share Disney's fantasy which still lives today.

Walt Disney got his start in high school. He was the cartoonist for the high school paper. In 1919 he moved to Kansas City set on having an artistic career. He got a temporary job at an ad company and met a man that would become a very close friend and a partner in later endeavors, Ubbe Iwerks.

Together Disney and Iwerks went on to create their own studio, Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists. While it didn't last for very long, it was Walt's first experience in creating his own company. While working a temporary job at another company he learned about cutout animation and decided to be an animator. This was the beginning of what would go on to become the Walt Disney Company, a huge media conglomerate.

Disney's first venture into cel animation production was called Laugh-O-Grams. They were shown in a small local movie theater. They went on to become hugely popular. Laugh-O-Grams studio was very popular and Disney hired many other animators to work with him. Unable to manage money well the company went broke.

After Laugh-O-Grams shut down Walt Disney, along with his brother Roy O. Disney, went west to Hollywood to seek their fortunes.

Once in Hollywood, the Disney brothers started a new studio and started producing new shorts. They were the Alice's Wonderland series. They were a live-action/animated set of shorts. These movies were the basis of the Disney Brothers' Studio. It was in 1925 that he hired an animator named Lillian Bounds who became his wife.

It was also during this time that Walt created his first animated character that was a popular character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. In '28 Disney went to Universal, who owned the rights and distributed the shows, to ask for higher fees. They refused and took Oswald away from him.

While that was a personal disaster leading to his company going bankrupt again, it ended up turning into a good thing. That loss pushed him into creating Mickey Mouse. Walt personally voiced Mickey until 1947. There were several silent Mickey shorts before Steamboat Willie came about. It was groundbreaking because Mickey actually had sound. That caused Disney to start using sound in all his cartoons and pushed Mickey's popularity to zoom.

Following several other shorts Disney decided to create a feature length animated movie, his first, the Oscar winning Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Everyone thought that he was crazy but it went on to become wildly successful.

Taking the profits from Snow White, Disney started a new complex of studios for his company. The Walt Disney Studios are where the company remains headquartered. Disney Studios made several more feature length movies as well as shorts. They slowed down during WWII because the animators were working on propaganda films. It was actually during this time that Walt came up with the idea of his theme parks. He wanted to have somewhere that his animators' kids could play. He even had a plot of land for the park across the street from the studios.

After the war, Disney Studios branched out into live action films like Treasure Island, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. But there were also several animated movies made during this time, including Bambi.

Disney also partnered with another well known Company to create a show that would end up being one of the longest-running primetime television series, originally called Disneyland and eventually The Wonderful World of Disney. This was the start of Disney's multimedia empire. They also started Buena Vista during this time to distribute their own films. It was also during this time that The Mickey Mouse Club also started.

Using the TV series, in 1954 Walt revealed his idea for Disneyland Park in Anaheim California. In 1965 the announcement was made for Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida. Walt died in December 1966 before he could see the opening of that park. In 1967 the last two movies that he had a hand with were released.

Roy O. Disney took over and led the company until his death in 1971. From the early '70s through the middle '80s Disney's movies weren't as successful as they had been in the past. But they continued making movies and having television shows. They also started The Disney Channel on cable and releasing movies on videocassette. The main focus of Disney during this time was Walt Disney World. They added EPCOT center to the park.

In 1984 Micheal Eisner took over as CEO of The Walt Disney Company and started leveraging it into the media giant that it is today. New movies like The Little Mermaid reversed their fortunes, as well as new animated television shows.

The 1990s brought more parks to the Disney line up, Disneyland Paris and Disney's California Adventure Park. They continued making movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, which featured Disney's first venture into computer animation.

The 1990s and 2000s Disney also went on to make a distribution agreement with an independent animation studio called Pixar, which they went on to buy in 2006. Disney also purchased ABC television. With the purchase of Pixar Disney has started making hand drawing their movies again, beginning with The Princess and the Frog.

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century Disney has taken over the media world. They have their own radio station, music group, animation studios, movie company and cable channels. They also own ABC. Disney also owns a huge chunk of theme park and leisure activities with 7 parks or resorts all over the world and their own cruise line.

From the dream of one man who came up with a mouse named Mickey to a major media and entertainment giant, The Walt Disney Company has created fantasies for people young and old all over the world.

If you'd like to experience the world of Disney, then perhaps a vacation to one of these theme parks might just do the trick. However, before you book anything there is a guide available which can save over $1000, from Disney Park Tickets to Disney Resort Hotels. Very few people know about the advantages of this guide but it has been mentioned on TV. Just go to Disneyworld Vacations to find out more.

Reaction to Oscar Nominee Announcement Part 1

Facebook: amcurl.com | Twitter: amcurl.com John Campea and Christina Warren give their reactions to the announcement of the 2010 Oscar Nominees



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQzZQchjLNY&hl=en

Stop Announcement Sytem in H-set (Oscar)

A video of the stop announcement system in H-set Line: Northern Line (To Hornsby)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-twSfSd3wM&hl=en

My 2011 Academy Award Reel (Pre-Announcement!)

UNOFFICIAL choices! This was made before the Academy announced the Nominees and this is a personal choice. The best movies of 2010 - including Inception, The Fighter, The Rabbit Hole, The Social Network, and the Black Swan. Inception is a 2010 American science fiction film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Dileep Rao, Tom Berenger, and Michael Caine. DiCaprio plays Dom Cobb, a specialized spy or corporate espionage thief. His work consists of secretly extracting valuable commercial information from the unconscious mind of his targets while they are asleep and dreaming. Unable to visit his children, Cobb is offered a chance to regain his old life in exchange for an almost impossible task: inception, the planting of an idea into one's subconscious. The Social Network is a 2010 drama film about the founding of the social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits. The film was directed by David Fincher and features an ensemble cast including Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Brenda Song, Armie Hammer, Max Minghella, Rashida Jones, and Rooney Mara. Aaron Sorkin adapted his screenplay from Ben Mezrich's 2009 nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires. Sorkin also makes a cameo appearance as a would-be investor. No Facebook personnel, including founder Mark Zuckerberg, were involved with the project ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq_c6YBnbmU&hl=en

83rd Academy Awards Nominations

2010 Oscar nominations announcement presented by Tom Sherak and Mo'Nique. 83rd Annual Academy Awards. January 25, 2011.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEjcJcrrHOI&hl=en

2010 Oscar nominations announced

2010 Oscar nominations announced rssbroadcast.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKa3OicbhTY&hl=en

The Golden Boy's Greatest Hits and Misses

Image : http://www.flickr.com

The top boxing news story this week was Oscar De La Hoya's retirement announcement. It's major news when the greatest ticket seller that the sport has ever seen calls it quits. His fans, often referred to as "golden boys and girls" shed tears, HBO's boxing brass continues its search for an heir apparent, and hungry contenders helplessly watch their dreams of fighting De La Hoya disappear. Simply put, De La Hoya will be missed.

However, what legacy has he left in the ring? At best, De La Hoya will be viewed as a man who competed at a high level in six different weight classes (capturing 10 titles, some of the alphabelt variety) and took on the best fighters of his generation. At worst, he will be viewed as a guy who rarely won his biggest fights and went out as a quitter (on his stool against Manny Pacquiao). I view him somewhere in between. Here's why.

The Hits. De La Hoya's best wins came against two all-time greats in Julio Cesar Chavez (2x) and Pernell "Sweat Pea" Whitaker, and two former champions, Ike Quartey and Fernando Vargas. On the plus side, Oscar can legitimately say that he defeated two Hall of Famer fighters during his career as well as two "at or near-their-prime" titlists in unification bouts. The downside is that both Chavez and Whitaker were "past-their-primes," some felt that "Sweet Pea" actually beat De La Hoya (present company included), Vargas was perceived by many to be a shot fighter after his loss to Felix "Tito" Trinidad, and many believed (present company not included) that he was edged by Quartey in their bout.

The Misses. Felix Trinidad, Shane Mosley (2x), Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao represent the "what if" part of De La Hoya's career. If he had defeated them, we'd be talking about him as one of the top ten boxers of all time. Although he lost to them all, he must be credited for taking on such a challenging list of opponents. Two of these losses are debatable. His disappointing loss to Trinidad was a highly questionable decision. Despite his shameless running in the late rounds of that fight, he clearly out-boxed Trinidad for 2/3 of that fight. He also appeared to do enough in his second loss to Mosley.

Losing to Hopkins and Pacquiao is no shame. However, the manner in which he lost has greatly damaged his reputation. In the Hopkins fight, I felt that he succumbed to Hopkins's physical pressure and was more than content to let that liver shot close the show. In his weight-drained loss to the PacMan, he quit on his stool. This one cuts deepest. 

Although contemporaries like Roy Jones, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Felix Trinidad accomplished more in the ring, no fighter since Mike Tyson was able to grab the attention of general sports fans the way that De La Hoya did. He took the pretty boy thing started by Sugar Ray Robinson, perfected by Muhammad Ali, and refined by Sugar Ray Leonard to the next level to become boxing's most bankable star ever. And oh yeah, he had one great left hook.

No matter what you think about Oscar De La Hoya, you can not deny that he has helped keep boxing relevant in an age dominated by football, baseball and other combat sports like mixed martial arts. Can boxing survive without its Golden Goose? Yes, as long as it does not try to find the next Golden Boy. To quote Yoda in the second installment of Star Wars, "There is (will be) another." There always is.

Get boxing predictions advice, bet on boxing, and buy boxing tickets at http://www.fightinsight.com

DVD New Releases From Disney to Sherlock Holmes and More

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Each and every week there is a new collection of DVD new releases that come available. The new movies on DVD always have everybody exciting, and in many cases people eagerly anticipate the dates for a new DVD movie release far before it has actually come upon us!

One example of this is the new Sherlock Holmes movie. Of course we are all familiar with the classic story involving the English detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick, Watson. Well, now Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law have immersed themselves into those roles, and they to have been born for the parts.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, the new version of Sherlock Holmes is at times edgy and darkly funny, at times quick paced action and at times classic mystery and suspense. It will be available for sale in March, so mark your calendars to take home this fun new DVD movie.

Another one of the fun new movies on DVD, although perhaps on the other side of the spectrum, is the Princess and the Frog from Disney. Some Disney movies have been let downs over the last handful of years, but this is a classic that harkens back to those Disney movies that were so popular in years past.

This is a fantastic, charming and lighthearted movie that will make both kids and adults fans. It's one of the best selling DVD new releases available right now and it adds a lot of luster back to the line of Disney movies that hopefully they can continue to add on and work with in the future. It's a formula that works, and has worked, for a very long time.

A new DVD movie that will be available in March is The Informant! starring Matt Damon and directed by Steven Soderbergh. We have gotten used to Damon in action roles, but in this movie he's about as far from an action star as he could be. This movies is at time an expose and is at times a dark comedy, and it manages to be many other things in between as well.

These are a few of the more exciting and popular new DVD movie releases that people are talking about and buying up right now. The list is always changing, but you can be sure that staying on top of the latest DVD new releases is a fantastic way to always have some great entertainment at hand. When you're looking for new movies on DVD, there's no better place to turn than these weekly releases and big upcoming announcements.

At DVDsonSale.net you can find a huge selection of all of the DVD new releases at amazing, discount prices. You can find all of the best new movies on DVD so that you never get bored of your collection and you always have the latest and the greatest!

Luxury Reaches for the Sky in Airplane Hotels

Airplanes aren't known for their high levels of comfort. First-class passengers excluded, most people look forward to a long flight about as much as they look forward to a visit to the dentist. Without external aids, sleep is virtually impossible. But what if you could lie down and stretch out on an exquisite double or queen size bed? What if the bathroom was bigger than a broom cupboard and the fittings spotless? What if you didn't have to deal with other people's bratty children, or even other people at all? Wouldn't that be akin to heaven?

All of this is possible, but there is a catch: your plane has to stay grounded.

What's the point, you may ask? Well, novelty. You can count the number of planes that have been converted to five-star luxury hotels on one hand, and still have fingers to spare. Because of their limited size, room is usually limited to one couple or group, which means the number of people who have enjoyed the experience is still quite low. You'd be part of an elite group of travellers.

Visitors to Holland can try the Honecker Hotel, which used to be a four-engine Ilyushin 18 (circa 1960), an old Soviet Union model. Ben Thijssen grabbed the opportunity to create something new and exciting, and turn a tidy profit when he spotted the Ilyushin going for a measly €25,000 (R238 838). He bought it, renovated it and opened his five-star airplane hotel right on the edge of Amsterdam's Teage Airport.

There is only one long suite, but it contains every luxury item you could possibly desire, including a sauna, whirlpool, bar, flat screen TVs (plural), DVD and blu-ray player, wi-fi and a hostess who is on call 24 hours a day. Last year, a one-night stay set you back €350 (R3343), so it's probably a little more by now. Like most hotels these days, it also doubles as a conference facility and is capable of comfortably holding 15 people.

On the other side of the world, in Costa Rica, you can stay in a two bedroom suite in what used to be a 1965 Boeing 727. The airplane hotel is part of the Costa Verde Resort, located on the edge of the Manuel Antonio National Park, and overlooks a beach on one side and rain forest on the other. It's not as sleek and modern as the Honecker Hotel; instead of sparkling white furnishings you'll find the interior of the Boeing is done in a far homelier teak, but all the furniture is all hand carved.

It does, however, contain all the modern amenities, including a kitchen, dining room and flat-screen TVs (plural). Unlike the Honecker, this plane does not have its wheels firmly on the ground. It's balanced on a 50-foot high pedestal, to provide the best views.

Stockholm offers something slightly more affordable, albeit with less emphasis on luxury. Oscar Diös was an ordinary hotel owner when he heard about an unused 1976 Boeing 747-200. It was badly rundown but Diös wasn't going to let that stand in the way of adding an airplane hotel to his empire.

The Jumbo Hostel (or Jumbo Stay) is not a five-star hotel, but it's not a cheap backpackers' digs either. There are over 20 rooms that sleep two, three or four people. Like all hostels the bathrooms are communal, but there is a semi-luxury suite on the upper deck with an en suite bathroom and loo. Each room has a flat screen TV and the plane is in a wi-fi hotspot. No meals are served, but there are a couple of microwaves and a café that sells snacks and drinks.

Lastly, we have one of the greatest hoax's to hit the travel and aviation industry. Towards the end of March 2009, travellers and flying enthusiasts from around the world pricked up their ears at the news that the world's largest helicopter was also a hotel and that bookings would soon be open. The Hotelicopter, as it was named, was to contain 18 luxury soundproofed suites, each with a queen-sized bed and sheets of such fine cotton than even Jennifer Lopez would be satisfied.

The announcement was accompanied by a viral email clip of the Hotelicopter, a Russian Mil V-12, dominating the sky, as well as several images of the gorgeous interior. Some particularly bright people noticed that the images looked suspiciously as though they had been taken from the Yotel (an airport hotel chain) website. Others remarked that as only two Mil V-12s were ever built and that both were accounted for (one crashed in 1968, and the other is in a museum near Moscow), the appearance of a third was well-nigh miraculous.

It didn't take long for Yotel to admit that the whole thing was an "April Fool's joke" but that they continued to be hopeful for the future.

Phil writes about aeroplanes for the South Africa travel & adventure directory, Leeulekker.

Middle School Case Study

I met "Gloria" when I first went into my assigned observation classroom - 9th period Native American Connections. She is a 13-year-old seventh grader with brown hair and brown eyes. She is Native American. She is left-handed. She has one sister (16-years-old). She is not very tall, but is showing the first signs of puberty. I noticed occasionally that she wears light eye shadow (like white or pale pink) and lip-gloss

When I asked "Gloria" a few introductory questions, I discovered that her favorite subject is math, her favorite color is red and her favorite music is rap. "Gloria" is not involved in any clubs and doesn't really watch television.

When I asked "Gloria" for her class schedule, she did not have a copy of it; but was able to tell me what classes she takes and when. She starts her day out with PRO-Time (People Relating to Others). Then for second period it's on to reading. Third period is math, fourth period is Native American Connections, and then she goes to lunch at fifth period. After lunch is Language Arts for sixth period, science for seventh period, keyboarding for eighth period, Native American Connections - guided study for ninth period and lastly, Social Studies for tenth period.

On Tuesday, March 22, 2005 I followed "Gloria" around all day. When I first found out that I was supposed to follow a 13-year-old seventh grader around her school all day, I was nervous. I was worried that she would feel self-conscious and embarrassed that I was there; however, this was not the case.

1st Period - PRO-Time: "Gloria" showed up at 8:40 am for class that began at 8:45 am. She had wet hair, a cute black sweatsuit, and white Nike tennis shoes. She quietly went to her locker, got her notebook and went to class. She had quiet participation in a conversation with other classmates before class started. Some girls were talking about gymnastics - "Gloria" just listened. "Gloria" got out a sheet of fruit stickers, which the girls passed around to see what they wanted to wear. "Gloria" selected a sticker that looked like a bunch of grapes and placed it on her left cheek.

Class started with the Pledge of Allegiance and Announcements. The teacher then read off history/ social studies trivia questions. "Gloria" never raised her hand.

PRO-time was a free period where some kids were playing some sort of basketball game with garbage cans, and others sat around talking. "Gloria" sat in on a conversation with four girls who were discussing hair. The girls decided it would be fun to "change names." "Gloria" decided to now go by "Cody" (a boy student's name).

2nd Period - Reading: The students were given a worksheet. "Gloria" sat quietly, taking out a pen to circle the answers. "Gloria" completed the worksheet rather quickly and sat quietly, looking at her neighbor's textbook cover and biting her pencil. Then the students were instructed to exchange their paper with a neighbor to correct. "Gloria" listened very well, while looking around the classroom. One of the kids said they had the Oscar Mayer Bologna song in their head. The teacher said, "well don't start singing it or it will get in ours too." After the worksheets were reviewed, and they were transitioning to a period of silent, sustained reading, the student began singing the song. The teacher used this as an opportunity for some lighthearted transitional humor. She began singing songs for very little kids, such as from The Wiggles, Barney, etc. This amused "Gloria".

"Gloria" brought a book to read, called "Swallowing Stones," by Joyce McDonald. During the first eight minutes of this silent reading period, "Gloria" was distracted from reading (looking up) 7 times and only turned the page once. Then she put a bookmark in her book and got a Teen People magazine from her neighbor. She only looked up three times from her reading this time (the last time - to look at the clock). After 20 minutes of reading this magazine, with two minutes left of class, everyone stopped reading, and "Gloria" used this time to stretch and chat.

3rd Period - Math: The class started with a short quiz. Then an overhead was turned on showing the class schedule:

o Content Objectives - students will learn properties of various shapes

o Language Objectives - students will take notes on shape

o Warm-up - quiz

o Homework Assignment - correct test

o Materials Needed - notebook, pencil

"Gloria" did the quiz, then got out her assignment notebook. When everyone was done with their quizzes, the students traded their quiz with a neighbor. "Gloria" got all five of her questions correct. The class was reminded that the worksheets are due at the end of the quarter (in two days).

Then the class was given a lecture on polygons. "Gloria" was attentive, and took notes. She appears to get concepts quickly, then ceases to pay attention - zoning out. "Gloria" also never raises her hand; however, when called on by the teacher, she tends to know the answer. She continued to write notes then stare off into space. "Gloria" took two pages of notes.

After the lecture, the students were instructed to work on their flip charts with a neighbor, which is also due in two days. While working with her neighbor on their flipcharts, "Gloria" explained some questions the other student seemed to have about the worksheet. She seemed very comfortable and confident with the material.

Because it took the class two minutes after the teacher first tried to get them to quiet down at the end of class, she made them stay two minutes after the bell. Although "Gloria" was sitting quietly the whole time, I was surprised that she was not upset that she was getting in trouble for other students' misbehavior.

4th Period - Native American Connections: The class started out with a test - the students were supposed to have a pencil and sheet of paper out. At first "Gloria" only got a pencil out (wasn't paying full attention). There was a Native American man from the Multi-cultural Center leading class (as he does every Tuesday). The instructor said that new students were not required to take the test, and "Gloria" joked, "I'm new!" The instructor laughed, and "Gloria" got paper out and prepared for the test, which was 20 questions regarding Lakota / Sioux language, history, and culture. Some of the questions were Lakota vocabulary such as directions, and he would say a word or phrase and ask what it means. "Gloria" appeared bored through much of this. The instructor's last test question was, "Who's a better teacher, your regular instructor, or I - - - think carefully. There IS a correct answer to this!" The class really liked this joke, and when they went through the answers to the test, many of them loved telling him the answer to the last question was either him or the regular instructor, and why. He pretended to be proud or offended as applicable.

The instructor taught the students the words / message / 'tune' to the Sun Dance Song. He explained a little about the ceremony, and said that he has participated in the Sun Dance before, which is one of the Lakota's most sacred ceremonies. While they were going over this, "Gloria" was laying her head on her desk, and whined, "I don't like that [having to sing the song]." She sat there, smirking most of the time, and not singing.

At the end of the class, The instructor said the class would be learning and playing the Moccasin game next week, which is played with four pieces of deer hide and 1 chip (kind of like '3-card monty'). Each team will have seven sticks. If they guess wrong (playing the game) then they have to give a stick to the other team. They are to play until one team has all the sticks. During all of this explanation, "Gloria" was leaning back in her chair, clearly bored. Since there was a little time left-over, the class did a game with multiplication flash cards - 'Around the World'. Instantly, "Gloria" was alert and engaged, and begging to go first. The class had a great time playing this game until the bell rang.

5th Period - LUNCHTIME: When we got to the cafeteria, the children were expected to sit at assigned seats. While going to her table, a boy came up and was pushing / wrestling "Gloria" down, teasing her. It was clear that "Gloria" both liked and hated the attention. I noticed that the girls, for the most part, were all still wearing their stickers. One girl wasn't, because she said that a teacher felt that she was being disruptive by wearing the sticker on her cheek, and made her remove it from her face. The girls were still playing the game where they were to use different names.

During lunch, the girls talked about who's going out with whom. On the way to the next class, "Gloria" and her best friend "Melissa" walked down the hall shouting out to boys, ""Gloria" wants to go out with you!" "No, No! She's joking. HEY! "Melissa" wants to go out with you!" "No I don't, "Gloria" does..." etc.

6th Period - Language Arts: The kids came in and immediately started reading (without instruction). "Gloria" wrote in a notebook "Hello, my name is Cody." The teacher noticed "Gloria" wasn't reading, gave her a look, and she put the paper up and got out her book and started to read. For the next six minutes, her eyes wandered five times. She continued to zone, staring off into space, not really reading and playing with something hanging off of her notebook. She picked up her book like she was going to read, then began drawing on her notebook cover. The class stopped reading six minutes after they started, and it did not appear "Gloria" read at all during that time.

After the brief reading period, the teacher lead them through an assessment practice - working on revising and editing through the use of the overhead and a language arts assessment worksheet. They then finished reading a story called "Immigrant Kids" from their textbook, followed by a quiz. The class was learning about finding the main ideas in a story and drawing them out of the paragraphs. While the teacher was reading, "Gloria" read along. Then the class was expected to write in their notebooks the main idea and three supporting details. "Gloria" wrote like this:

MAIN IDEA

a. Immigrants had to help officers...

b. Before immigrants....

c. When the immigrants...

The teacher's instructions were suggestive that the students should write something more like:

IMMIGRANTS ARRIVE AT ELLIS ISLAND

a. Had to be examined

b. Had to answer a series of questions

c. Had to ....

She worked quietly on the next Main Idea assignment, and then had a quiz to complete. Once she was done with the quiz, she was supposed to have free reading (choice reading) - if time allowed. "Gloria" finished the quiz and went on to the word search on the back of the quiz.

7th Period - Science: This class was all about preparing for the end of the quarter by getting an assignment turned in to be graded by Thursday. The students were working on their science logs.
I noticed a trend among the teachers throughout the school day during this visit - they continued to remind the students of two things:

1. The third quarter ends in two days

2. Since "we've been talking about / doing x-y-z for 3 quarters now..." "There's only 9 more weeks of school..." "You need to start thinking like 8th graders, since you're practically there..."
"Gloria" sat, waiting patiently to have her science log stapled by the teacher, who came around to each student individually, to do this himself.

I found that "Gloria" does very well with:

o Following instructions

o Doing assignments with ease (quickly)

o Not disruptive in class - doesn't join in when others are disruptive

The students were instructed to give their logs to a neighbor, and put point values for certain types of information present on each page (basics such as page number, title, # of items expected on page, etc. - - - not for content). The student would get a 1 if it was all there, and a zero if it wasn't. When "Gloria" was done looking at the other student's science log, she sat quietly, nibbling on her nails. When "Gloria" got her science log back from her neighbor, the teacher walked by and glanced down at her paper (where the points were assessed), and said, "Good job!" "Gloria" smiled quietly to herself.

8th Period - Keyboarding: This was BY FAR the hardest class for which to shadow a student. The students work independently - there was next to no interaction with each other or the instructor (which was a substitute today). "Gloria" first worked on a Words per Minute (WPM) timed test, and was required to record her results on a log. Then she did spelling and punctuation tests, and worked on skill builders. There were a lot of options available for skill building, such as various word/ mouse games, but "Gloria" chose straight keying practice lessons (for speed/ accuracy).

9th Period - Native American Connections - Guided Study: This is the class that I normally observe on Thursdays. During this day, I noticed that "Gloria" had photos on the cover of her notebook. I asked who they are pictures of, and she said they are two cousins and three friends. One of the friends is a boy over whose picture she has written the word "hottie". "Gloria" put three more pictures on the back of her notebook (using teacher's scissors and tape), which was not exactly studying; however, the teacher did not take notice of this.

"Gloria" used this class period to complete the flip chart from math class. She was actually pretty focused for study hall. This was the quietest I have ever seen this room. Everyone appeared to be on task today. Of course, the louder students were not in the room today. Two boys and two girls were sent to go work on their language arts research papers with their teacher and/or go to the library to avoid getting an F for the quarter in that class.

I noticed that "Gloria" has one of those "hope" pink rubber bracelets on her left wrist. She has written the name of her best friend "Melissa" on it. On her right wrist, "Gloria" has a blue hair scrunchy, although she has not had it in her hair all day. Near the end of the class, the math project was complete, so "Gloria" spent the rest of the time taping pictures to her notebook. I find that observing an "at risk" student in study hall is a good setting because they are off-task so much; however, this was not the case for anyone on this day (at least not in this class). The instructor looked at "Gloria's" math flip chart when she was done and told her, "This looks really nice, 'Gloria!' "

10th Period - Social Studies: There was a student teacher, for this class. He put the following objectives up on the overhead for the day:

- Daily Focus

- Section 4 assessment

- Chapter 17

- Geo test today (Asia test tomorrow)

"Gloria" had focus issues in this class, and was writing on the desk behind her. She was supposed to be writing a hypothesis regarding "The Bedouin Tent" - from overhead slides reflecting tent terminology (i.e. mog'ad - or sitting place for men entertaining guests; ma'had - woven curtain between men's/ women's sitting place; maharama - place for women). The teacher tried to engage the students in a discussion regarding this material (i.e. "why do you think the mag'ad is used by only men and guests?"). The class was less than enthusiastic with the material. "Gloria" was staring off again, not writing answers, writing down the ideas people came up with and talking to her neighbor.

Apparently, yesterday they did group projects on page 496 of their Geography books and now were required to write in their journals regarding what they learned. The teacher instructed the students to pair off and work together. Left to their own devices, the students did not get into pairs right away, wasting a lot of time. A couple of people paired up, but most of the class worked on the task individually. "Gloria" chose to work on her own, answering questions to the chapter. All sorts of disruptions were going on in the room, but "Gloria" stayed on task. During class discussions and assessment, "Gloria" never raised her hand, and stared off while chewing on her pencil.

The students were given a Geography test covering weeks #21 through #24. The teacher told them they could prepare/ study while he sets up the quiz. "Gloria" was writing on the desk (cheating? - - -I never looked to confirm). "Gloria" completed the quiz and put her journal on the back table.

Over the weeks, I have observed that "Gloria" is typical for a girl her age, according to NMSA (2003), in the following ways:

Physical Development -

o Often restless and tired (everything is 'boring')

o Increased sexual awareness (as evidenced in her spoken and written comments about boys being "hotties" and previous observations of her assignment notebook, etc.)

Cognitive - Intellectual Development -

o Prefers passive learning (observing rather than volunteering to give answers)

o Prefers to work independently when given a choice of working alone or in pairs

o Challenges rules / authority (gum-chewing a big issue for "Gloria")

Moral Development -

o Has problem with "cultural acceptance" according to her instructors - feels is superior to other 'more Native' students

Psychological Development -

o Self-absorbed

o Aware of ethnic identity, but struggles with accepting it in herself / others

o Likes recognition for accomplishments - even a simple 'thank you' or 'good work' are important to her

o Has a positive outlook

Social - Emotional Development -

o Strong need for approval

o Strong need for peer acceptance

In speaking with "Gloria's" instructors, I learned some more interesting insights into what makes this child "tick." According to her Native American Connections instructor, "Gloria" is extremely bright. She is more motivated socially than academically. She is struggling with her identity and is a bully. She picks on other students who are more "Native" than her. She talks about them, threatens to beat them up. She is struggling with her Native American identity. By targeting the "more Native" students, she is attempting to define her place in the pecking order. In comparison to these other Native American students, her family is more affluent (more financially well to do). "Gloria" also struggles with the Lakota value system - she fails to take it seriously. She is more assimilated with white / dominant culture and torn / turns away from Lakota culture.

The instructor and I have both observed that "Gloria" likes to break minor rules (i.e. gum-chewing...she did this several times throughout the day - a teacher would call her on it and ask her to spit it out. "Gloria" did this reluctantly, but then in the next class she'd have gum again. Part of this was achieved by "pretending" to throw the gum away, and partly getting the gum from somewhere. I have no idea when and/or where the gum ever came out and was put in her mouth. It just materialized.

The Native American Connections instructor believes that "Gloria" will graduate from High School. Math engages her. She focuses and gets right to it. "Gloria's" Grandmother lives with her and she believes in the importance of education. "Gloria's" mother is less focused on education for her daughter; therefore, the child is torn as to what is best, because she doesn't want to hurt either important authority figure in her life. When I asked what the instructor thinks "Gloria" needs most, she said discipline for unacceptable behavior (inappropriate notes, bullying, etc.) for which she has received In-school suspension (ISS), Staying After School (SAS - detention), etc. as a result.

I then spoke with the PRO-time instructor, who felt "Gloria" is very quiet, shows independence - blatant disregard for rules (i.e. gum-chewing) - which is a control issue for "Gloria". She wants someone to tell her she has to spit the gum out. The PRO-time instructor said that "Gloria" definitely works below her potential. She is missing some basic skills. This instructor said that "Gloria" is good in class, is very organized (and detailed in her planner) but will be left behind because she's quiet. "Gloria's" Mom missed her 1st quarter conference (called and said couldn't make it). Her Mom came to the 2nd quarter conference and was asked by the PRO-time instructor to allow her daughter to be put in an 11th period. This is an opportunity for students to catch up on work, since they may not have time at home; plus they can get assistance with assignments with which they are struggling (like additional guided study time).

I would recommend the following for "Gloria" - increased use of games as a learning tool - according to Wormeli (2001, p.49) games are "intrinsically motivating...When people have fun, they don't realize they are learning." I completely agree. During my day of observation, all of "Gloria's" classes had the students engaged in seatwork, quizzes, and reading / lecture activities. "Gloria" seemed to really respond to the game that took place in the Native American Connections class - and that was clearly an opportunity for kids to show their knowledge of subject matter - multiplication and division flash cards.

I did not observe any "true" collaboration in any of the classes, other than kids working together on their own individual projects in math, and being given the option to pair up in Social Studies. I would like to have seen the student teacher actually pair the students up himself, so the children didn't feel they had a choice. As I indicated above, when left to their own devices, the students did not pair up; however, there is definite benefit to such activities, and I would like to see "Gloria" learn how to participate in such.

I would like to see more integration of coursework between classes - I saw no evidence of such activity; however, I did observe it on one of the Thursdays when I came to observe. The kids were working closely with some Native American individuals from Wisconsin who were teaching them to make model "Tipistolas" (tipis). Apparently the activity integrated concepts from (and was worked on during) math class, art class and Native American Connections. Later in the semester, I also observed children working on 'bead looms' in the Native American Connections classroom; however, I never learned if this was coordinated with any other class such as art or even math (patterns).

I noticed that "Gloria" never voluntarily speaks up in class; but when called on, is attentive and usually has the correct answer. This is touched on in Wormeli (2001); however, I found an interesting article regarding learning styles of Native American adolescents which also talks about this subject matter (More, 1989). In this article, Mr. More indicates that Native American culture focuses on a more "think-then-do" approach to learning rather than the traditional classroom's "trial-and-error" approach. Native American students would rather think about the question and make sure they have the correct answer before just "blurting out" the answer and getting it wrong.

I would like to see more of her teachers providing differentiated instruction, to reach children's differing intelligences. I realize that the day I observed was so close to the end of a quarter, that there was a lot of "house-keeping" being done. This may explain the 'boring' instructional techniques. According to another article that I read regarding teaching styles for Native American students (Swisher & Deyhle, 1989), Native American students "tend to approach their world visually and by quiet, persistent exploration...a style of teaching stressing overt verbal performance is alien to such a child." So lectures are not always the best way to go with these students, at least not all the time.

I don't completely agree with this perspective as it relates to "Gloria" because she showed a great deal of competence in taking notes, and was content with quiet activities. I would just like to see things "shaken up a bit" in these classrooms, to engage the students in their off-task behaviors. For example, during the Social Studies lesson, I believe that the students would have better responded to a game of jeopardy regarding the tents of Bedoins rather than a worksheet / review. I understand that the teachers needed to assess the students for quarter-end, and that grading a piece of paper is easiest; however, Middle School students need variety and creativity from their teachers and their lessons. Most of the teachers only were instructing to the "verbal / linguistic" intelligence of their students. Maybe a game like the one presented in the Native American Connections class, where the kids stood and when they got a question right, they got up and didn't have to sit again until someone else got one right. Then that person had to sit in the first person's seat, etc. It was fun, kids had to "think on their feet" and they got to move around a bit. Plus it let them reinforce material they had already learned.

According to an article I read in the Middle School Journal (McCabe & Greenwood, 2005), "People tend to avoid tasks and situations they believe exceed their capabilities, but they undertake and perform assuredly activities they judge themselves capable of handling." This appears to be true for "Gloria." When I asked her what her favorite subject is, she said Math, with no hesitation. It is evident that math comes easily for her, and that she enjoys it. In fact, I think it might not be a bad idea to try to give her a chance to perform more challenging math work.

I found that "Gloria" might not enjoy reading. Although I never asked her why this is, it is possible that she does not feel it is something she does well. This negative self-efficacy toward reading is evident in the amount of off-task behavior exhibited during periods of quiet reading time. Perhaps instead of just giving students 10 - 20 minutes of sustained reading, I would like to see more accountability for that reading. Keep a journal about what they are reading, how much they have read, what occurred during the reading, etc. With specific direction as to the application of that reading, "Gloria" may find it easier to stay on task. During her Reading class, I'm pretty sure "Gloria" couldn't tell you what was happening in her library book, but she probably knew everything from who's dating whom to what Hillary Duff or Lindsay Lohan wore to recent red-carpet events (from the Teen People magazine).

With regard to "Gloria's" acceptance of her cultural identity, I think the school is doing the right thing, having the students involved in learning about traditional Lakota culture, via Native American Connections classes. The things about bullying and self-created "class distinctions" are no different than any other 'bullying' type of behavior. The school has a strict bullying policy, which apparently she has been held accountable to in the past (ISS, SAS). I would encourage something along the lines of a behavior analysis which can be a helpful tool to focus students on acting responsibly and learn accountability (Wormeli, 2001, p. 202). When incidents occur, this form requires the student to:

o Describe the behavior / incident in their own words

o Talk about their feelings about the incident (and look at how others involved might have felt)

o Indicate what the student will do to prevent similar incidents from occurring

o List what they plan to do to re-build trust (with the other student, teacher, school, etc.)

I found that the school is filled with positive messages reminding students of the six pillars of good character (Character Counts), as well as other positive messages. I noticed that the Reading classroom had a poster regarding RESPECT, which said:

Realizing

Every

Single

Person

Expects

Consideration of

Their feelings

I really liked this message, and think that it is an easy way for kids to remember to respect each other and their feelings. I believe it should be changed to say "Their feelings and individuality".

I learned a lot through this experience, and feel that overall "Gloria" is a good kid, with a good head on her shoulders. Hopefully, she will discover a way to balance her need to be social with her need to get a good education. She requires good, positive adult role models in her life, such as her family (mother, Grandmother, sister) as well as her instructors at this school, which I think do a great job of keeping her grounded and focused as best they can. I liked the way the instructors worked together as a team, sending each other e-mails keeping on top of what each student is doing, what they are lacking, etc. In that way, the students are treated as individuals, and shown individual respect, which is very important at this age.

REFERENCES:

Jerkins, R. (2001). Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman [recorded by Spears, B.] Britney. Zomba Recording Corporation. Lyrics retrieved 05/09/05, from http://www.lyricsdownload.com

McCabe, P. & Greenwood, S. (2005). Using learning contracts to enhance students' self-efficacy for reading and writing. Middle School Journal. 36(4) 13-19. Ohio: NMSA.

More, A. (1989). Native Indian learning styles: A review for researchers and teachers. Journal of American Indian Education - Arizona State University. Retrieved 04/16/05, from http://jaie.asu.edu

National Middle School Assoc. (2003). This We Believe. Ohio: NMSA.

Swisher, K. & Deyhle, Donna (1989). The styles of learning are different, but the teaching is just the same: Suggestions for teachers of American Indian youth. Journal of American Indian Education - Arizona State University. Retrieved 04/16/05, from http://jaie.asu.edu

Wormeli, R. (2001). Meet me in the middle. Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.

Laura Sims is a mother and wife who recently completed her elementary education certification for the State of South Dakota. She believes children learn best when they are actively involved in their learning, working in groups, and using a variety of methods to develop understanding of the subject matter. She is creative, innovative, and reflective in her approach to instruction and she tries to instill a passion for being a life-long learner with her children, and her students. You may view her student teacher portfolio at http://students.usiouxfalls.edu/lasims/