The Other Side of the Screen

It is so easy to say something mean to someone over the computer instead of face to face. People feel like they are safe and protected behind the screen. But in reality children do not care and they can be viscous over the internet. People say things and do not realize that what they say actually hurts people.

A fourteen year old named Trishia Prabhua had created software that will block cyber bullying from happening. She wants to help people to rethink what they about to post, to help people realize that what they say is hurtful. There are so many people on social media especially this day in age where it is so easy to get your hands on technology. Cyber bullying happens in all ages, but 40% of 12 to 18 years olds had admitted they would post offense messages on social media rather than older people. Based off of her research, 52% of people in the United States are being cyber bullied, 38% of those people have reported suicidal tendencies.

I believe schools should teach that things you say do hurt others. I think it has just been something people handle when the situation comes up and isn’t discussed before it happens. Teachers and parents should be proactive and teach different ways to talk to people. Instead of being negative they should be positive. I think that this software system will help children of all ages think about what they are saying before they post it.

I also think that teachers should focus more on helping children have the confidence to stand up for themselves. This could help eliminate some of the bullying issues people face. Also they should teach children that it is okay to tell someone if something bad happens to them. We should teach them it is important to help them know they will not get in trouble if they speak up. Help children to feel safe on the internet and off the internet.

"Rethink Before You Type" - Trisha Prabhu 

The Importance Between Pretend Play and Real Play with Guns

Some children talk a lot about guns and play a lot of pretends with their hands as guns. You see it everywhere not just in the classroom. I saw it today walking through a grocery store. When a child is playing games with their friends such as cops and robbers, some people tend to get nervous when they hear the play. Children do pretend to shoot people but it does not mean they are actually going to in real life. That is why you should supervises your child's play. So you can know the difference.

In society today, parents may not supervise the TV or video games their children are involved in. This means children are highly exposed to certain violent video games as well as shows. When children play they do copy what they see. So children do pretend to shoot people with guns. Although it is incident play, it becomes an issue when children know more information then you know. For example if they know certain kinds of guns or how they can get their hands on an actual gun.

You hear stories on the news on how children accidentally shooting relatives because they had a gun in their hand. Children do not actually know how to use it so it is important to keep guns in a locked safe and out of reach of children. This will save the lives of children and others around them.

Parents and guardians should watch what their children are watching or playing. A game could be innocent or it could be a real threat. If it a threat they child should get help. It is important to keep your child safe as well as others around them. 

Sneaking in School on the Go

With the holidays coming up it is easy for children to forget about school. For elementary school students they need to continuously keep up their, math, writing, science and reading skills over break. As parents it is easy to help your children during breaks. Here are 4 different ways you can help your children keep up with their studies:

1. Pretend to play school: The child would want to be the teacher at first but then you could give them math work sheets. Children love to play pretend. You can take advantage of keeping their imagination going.  
2. Read: Anytime you have down time you could read to your child. You could read to your child in the car while you are traveling to different family houses. Your child could also read independently before bed. It is important to help build your child’s vocabulary.
3. Cook together: An extra pair of hands in the kitchen is not a bad thing. Your child could help you cook and they could learn while doing it. Children learn by doing. Cooking involves math by measuring each ingredient. Also it could help with their vocabulary by reading the ingredients or reading from a cook book.
4. Homemade cards:  Grandparents and other family members would love to receive homemade cards. This would allow your child to be creative but also work on their writing skills.

Learning can be fun and hands on. Everything we do in our lives which involve math, writing, reading and science so we should encourage our children to do the same.  This will help with the child’s education as well as a bonding experience between the two of you. 

The Simple Truth

Dear High School Juniors and Seniors,

I know at Thanksgiving and Christmas or other major family gatherings you are always asked the dreaded question of, “What are you going to be when you grow up.” The thing is you and I both know you already know what you want to be. But when you start responding to their question of what you want to be, they tell you, you can’t be that.  

See you know what makes you happy, you know what you would enjoy doing for the rest of your life. It is usually something you are very passionate about and would love to do for the rest of your life. But in society today, that is not enough. You have to have the highest pay, or you have to be the most successful.

I want to be a kindergarten teacher, but every time I tell my family that I always get the speech of I will never be able to afford anything and I will be broke for the rest of my life. My identical twin sister on the other hand, is going to school to become a nurse. She is the family’s favorite. All I get told is, “I better make sure I marry someone rich”. But money isn’t the reason you should go into a certain occupation. The love and passion for what you do is why you should go into a profession.You want to wake up every morning and enjoy going to work. Why would you want to be miserable doing something you don’t want to do every day. I enjoy working with children and teaching them from the beginning. I want to teach because "to teach is to touch a life forever." So I am going to follow my dreams and become a kindergarten teacher regardless of what my family says or thinks because that is what makes me happy.

If you want to travel, travel. If you want to be a musician, do it. As you apply to college just remember it is your life and you should do what makes you happy. When you are young it is the time to experiment and find out who you really are. Enjoy your life and be happy. Follow your dreams and don’t let anyone tell you what you can’t be in life.

Sincerely,

The Future Kindergarten Teacher  

Rethinking Further Education

            In earlier generations, only the more fortunate or extremely intelligent students could dream about attending college. However, in today’s society, college seems like a necessity to get most jobs. Many people continue their education after they get their high school diploma because they think “I’m never going to get a job without a college degree.” Even though college is a new “trend,” there are still many graduates that think outside the box in order to succeed on the life path that they choose to take,

            One popular path that is taken is to start your own business and become an entrepreneur. It seems simple enough right? If you are passionate enough about something, why not make a career out of it? Everyone has something that they feel strongly about, so this is why lots of people create businesses. Not only are they easy to start (making them a success is the hard part), but there are businesses for services and products, which essentially makes the projected targets limitless.

            Another thing that is becoming more and more popular is going to trade school. Anyone who is good with their hands can go to vocational school to learn the trades of plumbing, becoming an electrician, etc. Not only does trade school take a shorter time to complete than college does, but most people who go to this type of school tend to have pretty good salaries.

            Attending college really is not the right path for everyone, and it seems fair to assume that it is. Just because someone has a college degree does not entirely mean that they are well equipped to do their job after graduation. Everyone is different, and it really comes down to preference. It is time we realize that college is not the only option after high school, and there are many different ways to become successful.

Don’t Separate, Integrate

When you separate children that are when people start to realize something is different.  For example you have the traditional classroom and then you have a classroom just for children with special needs. Classrooms have started mixing children with learning challenges into regular classrooms instead of isolating them.  This benefits both of the children.

When you segregate the children with learning disabilities they will not learn how to function in a non-disabled world. Every child should learn from the general education curriculum. Instead of having children in a different classroom you could add a second teacher or an aid into each integrated classroom to help the children. This would support both groups of children by allowing the teacher to teach the children and have an aid in the classroom to assist all of the children during the lesson.

The pros of having inclusion classrooms include: (http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr320.shtml#sthash.OP749DvY.dpuf)

•          Inclusion improves learning for both classified and non-classified students. When youngsters who have learning problems are included, students without disabilities often do better academically. A teacher is more apt to break instruction into finer parts or repeat directions if he or she has a youngster in the room who deals with deafness, blindness, or a developmental disability.
•          Children learn to accept individual differences. The best way to help children overcome their misconceptions about kids who have disabilities is to bring them together in integrated settings.
•          Children develop new friendships. Children with disabilities who are included in regular education develop friendships in their home communities. Special education students sent to regional special education programs may become oddballs in their communities.
•          Parent participation improves. When children with disabilities are integrated into local schools, parents have more opportunity to participate in that school and in the community where the school is located.
•          It's a matter of civil rights. Students with disabilities have a legal right to attend regular classes and receive an appropriate education in the least restrictive environment.

We shouldn’t make children feel different in the world. By having mixed classrooms the children will see each other together and learn that it is okay. This would help with bullying that goes on in school. Every child would get the assistance they need and have the same education. 

Learning Differently

 

A learning disability is a condition giving rise to difficulties in acquiring knowledge and skills to the level expected of those of the same age. When a student has a learning disability they have a harder time in school than other children. These types of students are assessed by their schools through a wide variety of testing throughout their education. These tests are assessing what kinds of learning disability the student has or if they even have one. When the results are put together teachers work up a system for the student and a way for them to get the best out of their schooling.

When students enter their teenage years and the level of difficulty in school increases it increases twice as much for students with learning disabilities. The fast pace schooling of high school and college is typically a lot to handle for these types of students. When students are not given the best type of help they tend to fall behind in school and are not able to keep up with the rest of the class. In these cases most of the time students result in dropping out of school as a whole. There is a high rate of students dropping out of schools for reasons they cannot control. These reasons need to be met and there needs to be a better system for these students

Here are some facts about students with learning disabilities from Medline Plus

• Around 80% of teen learning disabilities revolve around reading
• 35% of teens with a form of learning disability fail to finish high school
• Special education for teens with learning disability costs roughly around $10,000 a year
• Over 60% of teens with a learning disability are unable to find a job even a year after they finish high school
• One quarter of young adult population, 25%, doesn’t have the reading skills needed for the most typical jobs
• Two top reasons why adults cannot get from welfare and find a regular job are substance abuse and learning disabilities

We need to stress the importance of special education in our school systems. We have an obligation to pay attention to these students, and not see them as a whole but work on the individual because everyone is different and all learning disabilities can vary. There is a great deal of need for special education. The system provides confidence in students and lets them know that there is someone there for them to help them through their struggles. By providing special education and care we will be benefiting all students.

4 Reasons Why Studets Drop Out Of School

 

1. The family
   - In many cases students who drop out of schools come from families who do not stress the importance of schooling. Often time’s students who drop out come from parents who have also dropped out. Students with low income families often take it upon themselves to leave school and move on to a job to help support the rest of their family members.
    
2. The student themselves
   -Many students have a hard time dealing with school. In many cases children have such a negative outlook on schooling that they give up on it as a whole. Children have a tendency of falling into self-destructive ways such as getting involved with drugs, alcohol, and other crimes. These activities can cause students to fall into the drop out population. Many students don’t see a need for school and are not motivated enough to attend, and would rather find a job and leave school. Bad behavior in school can result in suspensions and or expulsion leading a lot of children to just give up on school.
    
3. The school
    - The school itself is one of the most important aspects of a student’s level of motivation to stay in the educational program. The disciplinary actions enforced on students can affect the way that students view schooling. In many cases students with a bad attitude are kicked out of class and then suspended for their actions, when they are suspended they miss out of school. When they miss out on school they tend to be less motivated. With the lack of substantial guidance
    
4. The teachers
   -Teachers are the core of a child’s education. They are the foundation in which the students get there education. When a teacher is not experienced and not trained the students can sense that and take advantage of it. When a teacher is not prepared to deal with children with problems, or children with attitudes then they end up sending the students out of there class. When a student gets kicked out of class they end up missing out on the lessons and fall behind. Falling behind in school makes it very hard to get back to where everyone else is.

 

A Crucial Time For Children

To go along with and reinforce the reoccurring theme on this blog of playtime for children, a post about the health benefits of recess for children only seemed appropriate. Rae Pica, a children’s physical activity specialist did some research about why children should not be denied the right to play time. Here are a few reasons:

1. Recess reduces stress. When children are allowed to have unstructured play time, their imaginations are set free. When they are allowed to use their imaginations under no set boundaries, stress levels decrease, which plays a major role in their abilities to focus in the classroom. When time is given for them to explore, they are able to sit down in class and learn more effectively.
2. Recess develops social skills. Recess is one of the only times in a child’s day when they are allowed to socialize among their peers and classmates without being told what they need to talk about. There are no restrictions to their conversations. In these conversations, they are able to learn from one another without the pressures of the classroom.
3. Exercise is key. Besides physical education class that typically occurs once a week, children have no other time throughout the school day to run around and get their daily exercise in. Some kids do take part in after school sports or neighborhood activities, but the school system cannot control what children do once they leave the school. With the technology exists today, this generation of children rarely puts down their electronic devices to go outside and play. Why not make the most of the time that you can control and have them get outside for recess?

While there are many other reasons why a child’s right to recess should not be taken away, these are some of the most important ones. Overall, playtime is crucial to a child’s stress levels, focus in the classroom, social skills, and health.

5 Ways to Manage Your Time Better

1. Plan ahead. If a long-term assignment is given, make sure to give yourself plenty of time to get it done without having to rush. If a teacher feels that it is necessary to assign something weeks or months in advance, chances are they are doing it because it is time consuming and it needs to be done periodically.
2. Write everything down. Thinking about something that you need to do for homework? Write it down. Thinking of something you need to grab at the store later on? Write it down. Jotting down notes on a piece of paper not only helps you to memorize what you need to do, but you can also refer back to it whenever you need to as a reminder.
3. Invest in a calendar. Whether the calendar is made of paper or on your cell phone, make sure you have one. Calendars are an awesome tool to help you to keep track of when assignments are due, and how much time you have to complete them.
4. Schedule some time for yourself. Everyone and I mean everyone needs a little time to rest and recover. Running yourself thin is never a viable option. Without relaxation, your body will be very unhappy with you. Although it is important to complete work on time, resting your mind plays an equal part.  
5.  Most importantly, treat yourself. Just finished that major research paper that you had three    months to complete? Reward yourself! It is essential to recognize your own hard work and        accomplishments. Once all is said and done, it is nice to be able to enjoy a nice night with your  friends with nothing left to do on your agenda. Having fun is not only good for your mental      health, but also a good way to relieve any built up stress.

Change of Scenery

In this day in age so many children have a hard time focusing in classrooms. No one is comfortable sitting in the same room for six hours a day listening to their teachers talk. Students are confined in a room with four walls all day long. Some students do not even see what outside looks like until dismissal. Some families do not have the resources such as space to bring their children outside all of the time so some might be stuck inside every day. Teachers should take the opportunity to have class outside.

Teachers do not have to bring their students outside every day but a couple of times throughout the month would help the child. They would receive fresh air, a new learning environment as well as a new way of learning.  The best part is that it is completely free to do, you just walk right outside.

You could make learning more engaging by having your class taught outside. It is possible for teachers to have their lessons be relevant for what they are discussing and apply it outside especially for younger children. For example you could have a math lesson on addition and have children use acorns to solve it. Some children are hands on learners so it might help them to understand the material better.

It might also help reduce behavior problems in the classroom. You could have going outside to be a motivation for some children. For example if the class behaves for a week you could go outside for an hour to have your English class. Students go through a lot emotionally it could be beneficial for their health.  

In Spencer Massachusetts there was an Elementary school called Lake Street, the building had to be torn down in 2015 because so many children had been sick because of poor air quality in the building. All the children had to be moved to different schools as well as the teachers. If classrooms are in old buildings it could have bad air quality as well so by bringing the students outside it would be beneficial for their health. Fresh air never killed anyone. If the children are receiving fresh air it could help improve attendance because your students wouldn’t be sick as much so they would continue to be in school.

So teachers, grab your lesson plans and head for the great outdoors. Learn to explore and teach in a new environment, what’s the worst that could happen? 

Don't Cut Out the Fun in Education

            School is boring for many students; you sit around and listen to a lecture for six hours a day. Students look forward to after school activities or their electives such as music or a language. When you cut out the extra curriculum activities due to budget cuts you are cutting out the fun in school.

            Music and art are one of the first programs to get cut if the school is having funding issues. The problem is students use these programs as a way to express themselves. They could use it as an escape. If you take this away, students will not have that opportunity or option. That could destroy a child emotionally. 

            According to the survey conducted in January-February 2015, “Seventy-seven percent of teachers and 64 percent of parents agree that music and arts education are ‘extremely important’ or “very important. Eighty-seven percent of teachers and 81 percent of parents believe children should have a chance to learn to play musical instruments as early as elementary school. Sixty-three percent of teachers and 57 percent of parents believe music education should be a required subject in middle school” (nammfoundation.org). The teachers and parents know how important extra activities are for the children.

Sports are after school activities, by having sports at the school that is around two hours a day that your child is not getting into trouble. Sports are helpful for parents because the children have something to do if the parent is still at work instead of the child being home by themselves. Sports are like having a part time job, it is time consuming and hard work but it teaches children so much. They learn time management skills as well as being responsible and reliable and respectful. Sports are also beneficial in schools because it gives the child a reason to care about their grades because most schools say you have to have a certain grade point average in order to play. It causes as a motivation to help you want to succeed in school. 

The the question is why would you cut activities that children use to succeed. The students use these resources to further them selves in there education such as college.  Instead of cutting the programs we should be finding different alternatives to fund the programs. The students could fund-raise and that would also teach the students that they have to work hard for what they want. Extra curriculum activities and electives are all learning opportunities and great resources for students. We shouldn't be taking away from the child's learning but help it to grow and develop. Help them to enjoy and want to come to school not cut out the fun. 

Homework Woes

            The heavily discussed topic of homework has been an issue for quite some time now. However, as of recently, a new question has rose to the surface. A lot of people are wondering “is homework really beneficial?” The answer to that question is yes, to some extent, and here is why. If students were not given homework to reinforce their knowledge that they spent six hours at school learning about, the standard of education across the United States would very likely plummet. Sure, six hours of school is enough to retain an education. When it really comes down to it, though, the six hours really is not enough to grasp a full understanding of new concepts.

            On the other hand, many teachers take far too much advantage of a student’s free time outside of school. Homework should take an about an hour to complete at most. When a homework assignment becomes too tedious, students very easily lose focus. In the long run, the more extensive a homework assignment is, the less beneficial it is to the student. I know from personal experience in high school that trying to balance school, work, sports, and homework was a major struggle. I have always felt strongly about the importance of school, but motivation to complete hours of homework assignments was a significant issue for me. I very firmly believe that if less homework was given to me that my grades would have actually been better than they were. When I stayed up all hours of the night trying to study and get homework done I compromised sleep, which in turn greatly reduced my focus when I was actually in the classroom learning. In the future, I definitely do not want to see the idea of homework be completed abolished, but rather see it reduced to a very minimal amount.

Is Play Time Coming to an End?

Is Play Time Coming To An End?

            At an early age in all of our lives we devote a majority of our days to play time. Play time, when we would play in the house or in the school yard and make up imaginary places and scenes in our heads and act them out using what little supplies we had. These activities played an essential part of our childhood. It kept us active, social, and it allowed us to use our imaginations. Nowadays this fun-loving free time is becoming absent in children’s lives.

http://www.hangthebankers.com/society-now-criminalizing-parents-that-allow-children-to-play-in-the-yard-what-is-the-world-coming-to/

“Is Play on its Way Out”, an article written by Rose Garrett touches upon the topic of how and why children are becoming less, and less interested in good old fashion play. Garrett says that “Child-initiated play can develop social skills, problem-solving, creative thinking, self-awareness and confidence, as well as providing an opportunity for healthy exercise.” If play time is playing such a huge role in child development then why is it not filling the interest of children anymore?

There are many factors as to why play just isn’t as important to children anymore. One of the largest factors is technology. When a child has a screen in front of them for all of the hours that they have free it takes away the time that they would be experiencing play time and gives no motivation to be active and enjoy play. A few other factors include the pressure to do well in school, organized sports, and after school activities. With these school activities taking up most of children’s lives they have a hard time finding time to just play freely.

What the article suggests is not for students and children to fill important learning time with play, but to make time available for play, Garrett states that ”This process of self-discovery deserves to be treated with as much care and respect by educators and families as the cultivation of literacy and the mastery of mathematical skills.” The process of play is an important factor in how well students are going to develop.

So what can be done about it? Well, when it comes to schooling it doesn’t take the need for work load and after school actives such as sports or extra help to disappear of even lessen it takes taking time in the school days to have free time and just let the students play and do what their imaginations let them do. Play time reduces stress in children’s lives and promotes positivity, and improves social skills, all aspects of education and how to benefit their education.

The article provides solutions to this problem. Solutions include making the outdoors a must, reducing computer and other technology, and above all do not over schedule children with a bunch of activities. Making the outdoors a must would benefit even by just having a short walk, and getting students and children into the outdoors where their imaginations can expand. Reducing computer time would get the children off the screens and playing with their imaginations. Over scheduling a child will cost them to have little to no free time for play and would cause them to miss out on important developmental aspects. Children’s development and level of fun depend on play time, schools should use positive reinforcements and encouragements to get there students out and having good old fashion play time.

Stress Inducing Standards

In 2009, a controversial development process known as the Common Core State Standards were implemented across the United States. The Common Core serves as a predetermined set of expectations of the comprehension of students in English and mathematics. The purpose of these standards is to prepare students to excel later in life in their college experience and careers. Although this plan was put into action for the greater good of the students across the nation, there are a fair deal of issues that can greatly increase mental health issues.

One of the major disadvantages of the Common Core Standard is that it forces children to retain knowledge at a much faster pace than before the standard was implemented. With new standards, workload and intensity is increased, causing children to think more critically at younger ages. While this may be beneficial to a child's overall knowledge, this makes them more susceptible to mental health issues and stress that stems from the rigorous learning while their brains are still in the process of development.

Another problem that originates from the Common Core is that it values standardized testing even more highly than in it was in the past. While a student's performance on standardized testing was considered to be a crucial key to their future before, there is now even more pressure on students to excel. The reason behind the increased competition is that the Common Core allows different states to accurately compare their performances against other states. Most students deal with immense amounts of homework, extracurricular activities, and lack of sleep, which ultimately can cause deteriorating mental and physical health. With the added pressure to do exceedingly well on standardized tests like MCAS, ACTs, and SATs that can determine their future, the chances of increased stress skyrockets.

Ultimately, the Common Core State Standards were put into effect for the greater good of a student’s learning. While they are beneficial to increasing knowledge from a young age, they certainly are not good for demeanor of children of all ages. The standards are set too high for young children, and that is something that needs some serious reconsideration.

Child Care is for Everyone

              No matter the circumstance in different types of families there are multiple options for child care. They could stay home with their children. They also could pay for child care out of pocket or use federal and state funded programs. Children most likely go to child care because both of their parents or guardians work during the day. Children also go to child care because it could help with the child’s development if they have a learning delay. It is beneficial because it can close the achievement gap between different living situations. Child care can help children be prepared for kindergarten; it will also help their social skills, as well as being able to stick up for themselves.

There are different kinds of child care, private, home day cares as well as federal and state programs. For example, a state program is called Head Start. Families who have low income and are qualified are able to use the services. It comes with free breakfast and lunch. A private day care is for anyone but can be expensive. An average day care is $600 a month; some families may not be able to afford that. A private day care usually has a curriculum they use to teach the children which is based off of the national curriculum and standards. A home day care can charge their own price and they can teach what they want or do not want.

Child care is helpful with families who are working during the day because they have a learning environment their children can attend. By going to child care children will learn Kindergarten readiness which includes the alphabet, their numbers, and much more. If you are unable to stay home with your child, childcare is a great alternative. There are multiple options for each families needs. 

The Dreaded Standardized Test

The standardized test is when a student has anxiety and stress for six years of their life trying to receive a good score to get into a good college. The worst part about the test is that the teachers did not receive the test results until the summer time. So the teacher could not help you to improve, you just had to continue your education every year.  Yvonne Kao, who is an education researcher says, “Standardized tests are summative assessments — tests to determine if students have reached a particular level of academic achievement at a particular point in time. … Standardized tests do not give teachers and administrators much information they can use to improve teaching and learning at the school.”  If the teachers had found out the results before the school year ends to help the students learn from their mistakes then the test will be helpful, but to just take the test and move on does not help the teacher or the students.

Standardized testing also does not benefit children because children are from different socio-economic status. If you are from a higher class you receive a better education than someone of a lower class. Two types of children are receiving two different kinds of education. Schools are now being judge on the test scores as a deciding factor if the school is a good school or not. All the test cares about is the outcome of it. Which school scored better and which student received the highest score. Colleges look at the scores when they are deciding to accept the student or not. The downfall of all of this is it does not benefit the individual child. Not all children receive the same education but yet they are all scored the same way. The test does not benefit children, so why it is such an important part of our education. It should not be placed into the curriculum unless more preparation is done to help benefit each individual child. 

Stand up for America by sitting down for the pledge

 

 

Stand up for America by sitting down for the pledge

 

“I Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which It stands, one Nation under God, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” These thirty one words have been mumbled in class rooms across America for years now. The Pledge of Allegiance has been programmed into day to day classroom activities. You come to school and before you start your day you recite these thirty one words, then continue with you day, but what the truth behind it is that mostly all children do not know what the pledge means. When asked by his mother Brendan Werns said that the pledge was a song you sing in school, being five you expect this kind of answer, but when an eleven year old is asked the same question and answers the same way you wonder when does the pledge become more than just words you say before you start your day.

 

(http://www.dontsaythepledge.com/)

I have always been a big believer in standing and remaining respectful and silent during the pledge, for 12 years I did it every morning. Recently I read an article about how we should not stand for the pledge until it is restored. Little did I know the pledge had been changed in 1951 to now say “under God.” I found it interesting that this happened around this time era of the fear of ungodly communist. At the time that “under god” was enforced “In god we trust” was enforced into the government. So why does this raise so much question? Well people have now started to rise up and say how the pledge is discriminatory, and false advertisement of America.

                “Liberty, and justice for all”, I find this statement hard to believe due to the constant debate and fighting over equal rights for women, homosexuals, etc. Claiming that there will be liberty and justice for all who pledge to the allegiance is giving false hope, look at the LGBT for example where is the justice in telling someone they cannot marry or that they have to fight for the right to marry whomever they chose.

In my opinion we should not make students stand for the pledge.  The pledge should not include “under god” this excludes a wide variety of Americans. We should stand up for those who don’t fit under the “pledge” by sitting down during the pledge, and be the reason attention is brought to have the pledge restored to its original phrase.