Shauna's Final Reflection

Overall, our presentation went well. We had trouble in the beginning since there was so much information about immigration. We had several different options on what exactly to teach. I think that using graphs, statistics, and charts to teach is a great way to get students interested in a topic. They can be used as a hook or they can be used throughout an entire lesson. I liked finding all of the information that we could use in our presentation; however, our presentation should have presented the class with more information about the topic. Even though we learned a lot, I am not sure if the class did from what we showed them. For example, we only asked a couple of questions that actually taught the class about the topic. We used more information from data from the class rather than teaching about immigration. It would have been good if we created a hand-out for people to analyze and then create the graphs/charts. I knew that people learned a little about the topic, but I wanted to teach more about it. We spent a little too much time explaining the different types of graphs and charts instead of focusing on the important information. The class had a great review of different types of charts/graphs, but may not have learned about immigration enough to be able to form an opinion. By the end when I asked whether or not people thought that immigration was a problem in this country, I was not sure that people had enough data and facts to formulate a strong opinion. I think the class enjoyed being able to choose which type of graph to make and learn a little more about immigration. The topic of immigration was very interesting for my partner and me. It is something that we hear about all the time, yet we lacked knowledge of some of the basic facts. After researching the topic, we were able to talk about it more and have an opinion about it. I learned a lot of information about the other current events as well, which are very important for teachers to know about. I liked the fact that we were all given different topics and strategies. Each presentation went well and it was great to hear from everyone. The whole class clearly did a lot of research and they were knowledgeable about their topics. Overall, this was a great way for people to learn more about current events and also to become more interested in them in the future. Since this project, I have become more interested in the news and in current events in general. It is important to use these topics in our classrooms someday and we should start to learn about them as soon as possible. Even though topics such as immigration are large and sometimes hard to jump into, with time and research anyone can gain a full understanding of what is happening in the world. The events that we learned about in class are issues taking place today. This was a great way for people to learn more about them and also to see how easy it is to research them and learn about them. Current events will certainly be a part of my classroom someday.

Kat's Final Reflection

During this presentation, I though that most of it went well. First, I worked well with my partner with my partner which is always plus because we both where always on task and knew what we needed to do. To get started on teaching the lesson we had so difficulty, but really tried to take your advice in polling the class about our topic to make the graphs. I also was able to find out some statistics to make other graphs. I think it is hard to teach charts and graphs on a foreign subject because a helpful hint in the book is to make them on information that students know about. I think our idea to have people make their own graphs was a better idea then to just look at graphs because that gets boring. our lesson was hands on and informative. the challenges would be the lack of knowledge of immigration. I think if we did this after a unit on immigration it would have been better. also the time constraint was a little tough to follow to describe the charts and graphs then to construct them, I also wish I could have talked slower and explained a little more. I learned that you need to take every lesson slow and make sure you do not get frustrated when students are confused. I will always remember to take my time to explain the lesson. I learned that the students did not really know a lot about the topic and if they didn't read the blog then they wouldn't really know what is going on. I would need to keep that in consideration. Having a more constructed directions would be something I would so differently if I was teaching it to a young class. I think for this exercise and for people to learn about the different graphs individually, the less direction were okay. I would also maybe give background information on immigration before starting to get their prior knowledge turning. Without this assignment I would have been in the same boat as most people with limited information. As a whole, I liked the blog prompts better than the presentation part. the presentation part lets you know that the other students are learning what you are, but I felt more comfortable in the blog situation. I learned a lot more about immigration than I thought I would. I know may not be totally confident in knowing all the information about immigration, but I think I have a good base to continue my learning. I am a little more interesting in the news and current events, but it still isn't my strong suit or my favorite topic. I will try to engage more in my community issues because they do impact me and my surroundings more than I thought before. I sent one email to a politician but there is much more I can do. I am on the right road to becoming an active citizen, but I wouldn't say I am completely there. I would like to learn and do more for my community before I call myself that with total confident. I am glad to be done with the assignment, but excited to learn more about my topic by myself.

Immigration Concept Map

Take Action

Katharine Says:

Looking online for something to take part in regarding immigration was an uplifting experience. there are many websites with prompts for telephone calls and emails to send to local representatives to get them aware of the issue and to jumpstart immigration reform. For my take action I found a website, http://act.americasvoiceonline.org/page/content/vote/ where there were many different take action links related to immigration. I decided to send one to House Speaker John Boehner telling him to vote on  path toward citizenship. I decided to send one to him because it seems like the idea, but has blocked votes to have this reform go forward. I also hear a lot about him in the news when it came to the Government shutdown, so I decided to go right to the source. Immigration reform is close to being passed so calling or emailing the representatives or political figures about them will show them that we do care and want change. The more people to take action the more notice these political people will receive. This could be the information they need to pass these bills. It took me literally five minutes to find this site, fill out the email and send it. This is nothing in the scheme of things. I am glad I could be one more voice to tell someone to push towards immigration reform.

Reflection:

Before I started research and learning more about immigration today I new very minimal. And from the beginning my thoughts really had no back up evidence. Doing this blog made me realize that current events are actually something teachers should teach students and immigration is one I will bring up. Immigration if different from centuries before so children should know the difference. They should also know about the laws that we have and don't have and see how these effect the people. I think that history is being made today with the talk of reform and that will be an important part to bring up in our classrooms. Most people come from someone who immigrated so it can be related to a wide range of students. For older grades, maybe doing a blog like this one will keep them researching and leaning more. I know I learned more than I thought I would. I have done blogs before for other classes, but this is the first one for a cause and event that effects everyone today, even if you cannot see a direct relation.

Take Action

Shauna Says:

For the blog, I decided to look online to see what I could do. I found a website- http://standingonthesideoflove.org/immigrants/ and read what their purpose/goals are. At this time, they are focusing on immigration reform. They also look to make changes for any groups of people that they believe are being dehumanized through acts of exclusion or oppression. I went to the “Take a Stand” section of the website and found that by typing in my zip code, I could write an email to members of Congress in order to ask them to make a change. They even gave me a template that I can choose to use or to adapt for the message. I liked the idea and decided to send a message to all of the members of Congress listed. This included Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, and John Tierney. I like this website since they make it easy to send a message to members of Congress. I like that you can change what you would like to say or send in what they have already written. By simply adding in your address information, you can make your voice heard. They also list telephone numbers which could be an even better way to contact Congress members and talk about the issues at hand. It allows people to take action and practice democratic values without having to fear consequences. This is a great website and I believe that it gives people the chance to stand up for what they believe in. In closing, I also found a link from this website to another website- notonemoredeportation.com. I signed the petition to help stop deportations and the separation of families. There are many simple ways to get involved. There is a definite need for immigration reform and anyone can help in making a change happen.

I would definitely teach students about social justice issues. Through learning about social justice, students learn about many other important aspects of everyday life. For example, they learn about respect for others. All teachers should provide time for students to talk about their cultural background. By doing so, the teacher can create a safe and comfortable classroom for all students in which all students respect one another. Students learn to listen and they learn about empathy through many social justice issues. They need to learn about ways that they can make changes for what they believe in, such as participating in social movements, because that is what our country is all about. Every person deserves to have their voice heard. If students learn at a young age that their voice can make a difference, they may continue to stand up for what they believe in throughout their lives. If no one were to speak up for their beliefs, even by simply voting, our democratic government would not be functioning since it would not be a representation of “the people”.

 

Immigration Interviews

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Interview with Katharine's Dad

 

I interviewed my father. His name is John and he is letter carrier. He is a simple man, but is usually never the parent I interview for school project so this was the first time I got to ask him questions. When I told him it was about a current event and immigration he kind of got a little nervous since he doesn’t know much information about either, but he said he would give it a shot and for next time to interview him if it had to do with sports.

Is this a problem you think is important?  Why/ Why not?

Yes it is important because there it is a lot of people here in the states and a lot of people trying to come over. There are just too many people. I think about how in the beginning we used to be the melting pot and can understand it when people say they want to live in a free world, but some may take advantage of us and this country. It is important to regulate this and fix it so we as American citizens who have been here their whole life get what they need to and are still safe.

Do you think others in our community this is an important problem? why/ why not?

Yes I think people in my community would agree with me and see it as a problem that there are too many people here.

What policy, if any, does government now have to deal with this problem?

I am sure there are policies out there I just do not know of any. (I then informed him of the idea of the California passing reform policy for immigration and what it is trying to do so I could ask him the remaining questions and his feelings.)

What are advantages of this policy?

The advantages would be to have it be passed. I agree with all the criteria so they have to learn English, pay debts, have a background check and wait the allotted years to become a citizen. When my ancestors came over seas many years ago when immigration first came about, they had to learn English to survive, there was no choice. Grammy, (My grandmother) would tell me stories about her family learning to speak English because the directions were never in Polish, their native language. It should be the same for people today.

What are disadvantages of this policy?

No not at all.

How might the policy be improved?

Every policy could be improved, can’t it? I don’t know how, but every one of them could use improvement.

Does the policy need to be replaced?  Why?

It isn’t in place yet so it should to be put in action.

What disagreements, if any, about the policy exist in this community?

Oh, I am sure there are disagreements about this topic and I am sure people all have different views about it. It is a controversial topic, I just don’t know much about it

Where can I get more information about this problem and the different positions people take on this problem?

I am computer illiterate so I don’t know if there are places to look online for them and I don’t know for sure. I am just a simple man who doesn’t spend much time thinking about these laws, I have family to take care and that is what I need to worry about.

 

My reflection:

This interview went pretty much how I expected. He was going to be a little confused, try to answer the questions, but only get a good sentence out of him. I can see where I get my thinking. My family, as you can see is really not informed about current events. We are much more into worrying about our own people, in our own world with the people we want to surround ourselves with. I do not think that is a bad thing, except when it comes to doing projects on certain current situations. My father kind of talked about how when people where coming over through Ellis Island, our ancestors, was different than what we have going on with immigration today. I can kind of agree with that. They both were coming over to make their lives better, but now a days I think certain, not all, people take advantage of the system and do it the wrong way. There needs to be a right way to do things so everyone can follow them so the people already here can be safe and they people becoming citizens as well. That is the biggest thing here, putting actual rules and laws about citizenship and immigration in place and then following them.  My father also seemed to know little about this topic, not surprising. My father watches the news, but that is mostly sports highlights and weather so he can be prepared for his work day. I really do not know what else to say about his interview because I don’t really feel any differently and I knew for the most part what he was going to say. The father like daughter I guess.

 

 

 

 

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Interview with Shauna's Dad

 

 

I chose to interview my father as well. His name is Michael and he is an engineer. He is interested in politics so I wanted to see what he had to say about this topic. He is usually excited when anyone wants to talk about politics or the government with him but I wasn’t sure what his feelings were toward immigration.

 

 

Is this a problem you think is important?  Why/ Why not?

 

 

Yes this problem is completely important. Many people are not educated about these types of things in the US. If the country continues to grow in the way that it is today I think there are going to be some serious problems. Americans should be taken care of first in our country. Too often it seems that we are worried about everyone else when there are people struggling to survive here who can’t receive the help that they need.

 

 

Do you think others in our community this is an important problem? why/ why not?

 

 

Yes. Many people talk about immigration today and usually it is seen in a negative light. People who know immigrants are more likely to support immigration but those who do not often oppose it.

What policy, if any, does government now have to deal with this problem?

There are many different types of policies that deal with immigration. For example, there is one called the investment policy which makes it possible for immigrants in the upper class to invest in businesses in order to get passports or become permanent residents; however, our government is often known for breaking human rights laws in the policies that we have.

What are advantages of this policy?

The advantages of the investment policy, which doesn’t only have to do with immigration but it is often tied in with it, is that it favors local investors rather than depending on people around the world. Today we often look to others for everything that we need so when we can do something ourselves I really think that its important.

What are disadvantages of this policy?

I’ve heard that since it is usually wealthy immigrants who can take advantage of this policy it can actually encourage organized crime. If something goes wrong in their home country, they simply come here and they are safe. If this is true, and I’m not exactly sure of the details, it’s clearly not a good policy for the country. It seems that there are ups and downs to it but I would have to do more research in order to find out the truth about it.

How might the policy be improved?

The policy could be improved if it could somehow benefit other immigrants, not only the wealthy ones who are possibly only wealthy because they are involved in organized crime.

 

Does the policy need to be replaced?  Why?

This policy shouldn’t be replaced since it is important in other ways to the government. I do think that it can be changed though.

What disagreements, if any, about the policy exist in this community?

I really haven’t heard anyone talk about this policy in relation to immigration. I just happen to know a little about it because I am interested in politics.

Where can I get more information about this problem and the different positions people take on this problem?

The internet is usually the best bet. That would be the first place I would check.

 

My reflection:

The results of my interview with my father were interesting. I am still not completely sure about how much he knows about immigration. He seems to have some knowledge about it, but I also know that he is a fairly strong republican so I expected him to be completely against it. He talks about the government a lot with the people at his work. He sometimes comes home and talks all about topics that the rest of my family has no idea about. I actually like to listen to him talk about it sometimes but at the same time I know that since he’s a republican I only see one side of everything. I know my father is worried about this country and he might have been hiding his true feelings since he knew this was an interview for my class. In reality, I am pretty sure that he does not think that anyone else should be coming to the country. He votes republican whenever he can and he has debates with people in my extended family which can get very intense. I have seen him get very emotional about these types of topics so I usually choose not to talk about them with him. He is a very caring person, but he thinks that some huge changes have to be made.

 

 

Intro On Immigration Today and Our Thoughts

The aspect of Immigration is under the executive branch of government. Organizations such as Homeland Security and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement are included under this branch. Homeland security is an organization whose ultimate goal is to keep the United States of America safe and secure from harmful factors. The foundation of this organization is to protect, make sure there is resilience, and to facilitate customs and exchanges. They have five missions, but for the sake of the topic of immigration we will focus on their job to secure and manage our borders, enforce immigration laws and even preventing terrorism and enhancing security. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (or ICE) is the investigative branch of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was created in 2003 and now has more than 20,000 employees throughout the United States and in 47 foreign countries. Their main goal is to promote security through criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws. This includes governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration. ICE works under the leadership of John Sandweg and aims to prevent terrorism, enhance security, and ensure that the borders are protected through interior immigration enforcement and trade.

In recent news, the topic of immigrations has come up a bit this year. What has been coming up is immigration reform which is basically a change in the immigration policy. The idea of this has brought up controversy between parties and people in the USA. Polls have been conducted to help push the Republican Party to react to having an immigration reform and push it to a path of citizenship. The poll results in the polls taken in California shows that a majority of the people are in favor of this reform for undocumented immigrants to get citizenship if they paid fines, learned English passed background checks and waited thirteen years. The results also stated that the people would have a more favorable view to the Republicans if this was to be passed. They know this needs to be done, so they have taken the approach to work on these bills in pieces. Ultimately, the House needs to reopen so this issue can be looked at to further the lives of immigrants and future people coming into the USA.

Another recent event regarding immigration was the immigration rally on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Despite the Mall being closed due to the government shutdown, thousands of protesters engaged in civil disobedience in order to call on congress to allow millions of illegal immigrants to apply to become US citizens. The march was called “Camino Americano”, or the “American road”. The event consisted of speeches from congressmen and other activists, a performance from the band Los Tigres de Norte, and then a march toward the Capitol building where people were arrested. Over 100 people, including congressmen, were arrested for crowding, obstructing and incommoding. Dozens of people blocked off a major street, showing what they are willing to put on the line for immigration reform. This event was controversial in that many saw it as people demanding respect for illegal immigrants who have broken laws. Some were upset that the concert was able to go on just a week after veterans struggled to get access to the World War II Memorial. Protestors saw it as a chance to effectively end deportations for many of the illegal immigrants around the US.

Katharine’s View:

When it comes to my views about immigration, I really never thought to deeply on the subject because the matter personally has no effect on me. I think that it an important topic in general because this is the country I live and there is possibility that immigrants can live in my neighborhood, but other than that I have not really thought too hard about it. My friend’s bother works as border control in California which seems like a harsh job, but I feel that it is necessary to have. I think that people coming to our country illegally is the problem. If a person has a passport, visa or goes through processes to become a citizen than why not join is America. I think that we shouldn’t turn certain people away from having citizenship because that is not right and an act of discrimination, but there needs to be rules in place in order for people to come to this country and live as people. The recent ideas for the new immigration reform, in my eyes, are a perfect example of how to become a citizenship.  They should pay debts, every American has to. Our native tongue is English so everyone should speak it. They should be safe and loyal to this country if they want to live here, so a background check is key. They should wait thirteen years, I don’t know what they would be waiting for so I would need a little more knowledge of this part of the reform to have to full heartedly agree. I think I agree and disagree with each side of the argument. I don’t think we should turn away people that want to live here, but they need to do it the right way and not illegally with the help of the government.

Shauna’s View:

I have thought about immigration before, but it is hard to take a position within such a controversial issue. Even though many of us may know a family who is here illegally, most people would not want to have people that they know deported from the country. It is difficult to decide who is allowed to come to or stay in the US. Americans have built the country up to what it is, and it is hard to allow other people to come here and use what many feel is theirs. In my opinion, people should certainly not be allowed to come to the US illegally. Border control is a necessity in today’s world. The problem lies in who should be deported and who gets to stay. For example, many illegal immigrants have had children who are considered to be US citizens. If a child’s parents are forced to leave, the parents have to decide whether they should leave the child here or to take him/her with them. It is not fair for children to be left here by themselves, but where do we draw the line? This is an issue in which many people tend to express their opinions about but really do not have the background knowledge in order to do so. For instance, many people say that they are stealing our jobs when in reality they are doing the jobs that no one else would be doing otherwise for such a low pay. I think that people who want to live here and work to support themselves should be allowed to come here. On the other hand, people who want to come here and live off the government should not be able to come here. There are too many US citizens today who depend on the government. People who wish to come here illegally or to simply live off the government rather than working should not be allowed to come here.

About the Authors

About Me: Katharine

Hi, my name is Katharine and I am twenty-one years old. I am a senior at SSU with a major in Elementary Education and English. I am not a big fan of current events and social studies, but I am always ready to learn something new. In my free time I am usually around friends and family, or one of my cats

About Me: Shauna

Hi my name is Shauna and I am currently a senior at SSU. My majors are Elementary Education and Sociology. I like learning about current events and I hope to be able to spend more time learning about them when I am out of school. I work about twenty-five hours per week and take five classes so I really enjoy my free time whenever I can have it. In my free time I enjoy being with friends and family.