Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Defefending Cyber Schools

Southmoreland School District Superintendent, John Halfhill is wrong. In an editorial he wrote in the Pittsburgh Tribune. He makes the point in the article that cyber schools are stealing money from his District and not delivering a good education.

In reality cyber schools are taking the unwanted failing students from school districts like Connelsville, and providing them with remedial attention to bring their grades up. Students leave school districts for specific reasons. Many of these students leave our school after they gain skills, and then re-enrol in their prior school district.

The real question is who should determine how educational dollars are spent? Cyber schools take the student’s perspective in maximizing alternatives for them to choose the best possible strategy to catch up.
Mr. Halfhill would do better to improve his own school district instead of going on a witch hunt against cyber schools. The cyber school movement is still very young. We are still in the testing stage of cyber education. Over time I believe that cyber education will prove to be an excellent alternative for students who are...

•    bullied
•    pregnant teenagers
•    in need of working at their own pace.
•    in need of different kind of school schedule based on the demands of a professional career.

Many school districts have already accepted this and began to open their own cyber schools to meet the needs of these students that have fallen through the cracks of traditional education.  Mr.Halfhill would do well to follow the advice of my mother who always said ..." If you can't beat them join them.

Pat Parris

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Thank you, Gracias, Coing!

Thank you everyone!


Thank you in Spanish is Gracias, but I bet you did not know that thank you in Ngobe is Coing.

 Many people helped and showed support for our festival in Boquete's

 Central Park on Saturday, January 30th. We also performed the skit Sunday in San

 Felix, Santa Cruz and Monday at the Oma & Guaba villages in the Comarca,

 reservation. This is the third year we have worked on our tri-lingual coloring books. We are excited for the future as we have met new partners this year to expand our coloring book into short paragraphs next year.

 We helped some people in Panama, but the real lessons of learning

 were caught by the students who attended this trip from Pennsylvania
 Leadership Charter School.


(http://www.palcs.org/leadershipdevelopment/panamaspanishprogram.html)


When I debriefed them after the event they told me that they learned about how tolerance

 between cultures was increased when language barriers were bridged. (My words)


 The following people helped us make these events possible.

 Habla Ya Languge School
 The Mayor of Boquete
 The Health Department at Boquete
 Panamonte Inn
 Cafe Ruiz
 Amigos
 Bistro Boquete
 Sugar and Spice
 De La Boulaneria
 Nelvis
 Hotel Rebequet
 Delicious Del Peru
 Art Cafe La Crepe
 Restaruante El Sabroson
 Restaurante Lourdes
 Geovana Y. Cabellero de Cable and Wireless
 Pizzería a Mi Modo
 Feliciano Tourist Guide
La Casa Del Café
Restaurante Las Orquedas
Charron Mexicana
La Posada Boquetena
Tammy’s -
 Dr. Alan Hand and his mission
 Padre Adoni & CAP FOR. In San Felix
Oma Village
Guaba Village
Hostel Gaia
Hostel Boquete
Pension Topas

 Here is a video I just created to describe our service project

 in Panama this year! My students created and developed a tri-lingual

 reader in Spanish, The indigenous language of Ngobe, and English. We wrote

 a mime skit that the students choreographed and performed in front of

 three audiences here. They also used their Spanish lessons to ask

 restaurant owners for donations to feed the people at the rally.

 They were successful in recruiting 17 restaurants, feeding 200 people

 and distributing 400 coloring books with crayons. After we performed in

 Boquete on Saturday, we performed again in Santa Cruz on Sunday

 night and San Felix . The next morning we visited the small villages of Oma and Guyba in the Comarca  and performed there also.


http:/locker.palcs.org/~pparris/panama/panama%202010/Rally%20Mime%20skit%20and%20tri%20lingual%20readers.wmv


 Our team is preparing to depart on Friday morning. We wish all of

 our Panamanian friends happiness as we are changing the world one life at a time,


 The Panama Service Learning Team


 Pat Parris

 Sarah Aungst

 Eliya Hurd

 Jeremy Cluster

 Stevie Parris

Joesph Loftus

 Anna Simth- Nichols

 Rececca Altieri


¡Gracias todos!


Muchas personas ayudaron y apoyo mostrado para nuestro festival en el Parque Central de Boquete el sábado, 30 de enero. Nosotros también realizamos la escena satírica el domingo en San Felix, Santa Cruz y el lunes en el Oma & aldeas de Guiba en el Comarca, la reservación. Esto es el tercer año que hemos trabajado en nuestros

libros para colorear trilingües. Somos emocionados para el futuro como hemos encontrado nuevos a socios que este año para expandir nuestro libro para colorear en párrafos cortos el año próximo.


Ayudamos a algunas personas en Panamá, pero en las lecciones verdaderas de aprender fueron agarradas por los

estudiantes que asistieron este viaje de la Escuela de Fletamento de Liderazgo de Pennsylvania.


(http://www.palcs.org/leadershipdevelopment/panamaspanishprogram.html)


Cuándo yo los di parte después el acontecimiento ellos me dijeron que ellos aprendieron acerca de cómo tolerancia entre culturas

fue aumentada cuándo barreras de idioma fueron recorridas. (Mis palabras)


Las personas siguientes nos ayudaron hacemos estos acontecimientos posibles.


Habla Ya Languge Educa a El Alcalde de Boquete El Departamento de la Salud en Azúcar de Restaurante de Café de

Posada de Boquete Panamonte Ruiz Amigos Boquete y Especia Del Hotel de La Boulaneria Nelvis Rebequet Crespón

Delicioso de Café de Arte de Del Perú La Antojitos el Restaurante mexicano Restaruante El Sabroson Restaurante

Lourdes Geovana Y. Cabellero de Cablegrafía y Pizzería Inalámbrico un La Casa Modo Feliciano Tammy Café Guía

Turista M Del Restaurante Las Orquedas Charron Mexicana La Posada Boquetena -


El Dr. Alan Mano y su Capellán de la misión Adoni & TAPA PARA. En San Albergue juvenil de Albergue juvenil de

Aldea de Aldea de Felix Oma Guiba Gaia Boquete


¡Aquí está un video que acabo de crear para describir nuestro proyecto del servicio en Panamá este año! Mis estudiantes crearon y desarrollaron a un lector trilingüe en español, El idioma indígena de Ngobe,

y de inglés. Escribimos una escena satírica de mimo que los estudiantes coreografiaron y realizaron adelante de tres audiencias aquí. Ellos también utilizaron sus clases de español para preguntar a

propietarios de restaurante para donativos para alimentar a las personas en la reunión. Ellos tuvieron éxito a alistar 17 restaurantes, alimentando a 200 personas y distribuir 400 libros para colorear con

crayolas. Después de que realizáramos en Boquete el sábado, nosotros realizamos otra vez en Santa Cruz el domingo por la noche y San Felix. A la mañana siguiente nosotros visitamos las pequeñas aldeas de

Oma y Guiba en el Comarca y realizamos allí también.


http:/locker.palcs.org/~pparris/panama/panama%202010/Rally%20Mime%20skit%20and%20tri%20lingual%20readers.wmv


Nuestro equipo prepara para partir el viernes por la mañana. Deseamos toda nuestra felicidad panameña de amigos como

cambiamos el mundo una vida a la vez,


El Servicio de Panamá que Aprende el Equipo


Toque Parris Sarah Aungst Eliya Hurd Jeremy Grupo Stevie Parris Joesph Loftus Anna Simth- Nichols Rececca

Altieri