Blue eyes and brown eyes: does it really matter? The life-changing film, A Class Divided takes this question to a new level.  This fantastic film depicts a lesson taught by third grade teacher, Mrs. Elliot.  She begins by determining which students have blue eyes and which students have brown eyes.  On the first day of her lesson, the blue-eyed children are placed as superiors to the brown-eyed children.  Consequently, the brown-eyed children have to wear collars so that they were easily seen.  The next day the roles are reversed.  Immediately, the children mold to their status, and the darkness of discrimination penetrates among the students. The group's math timed test scores difference between the two days is shocking! On the first day, the brown-eyed children finish their tasks in 2.5 minutes as compared to 5.5 minutes on the second day where they are socially inferior.  The blue-eyed children finish in 4.18 minutes on the first day and then drop to three minutes on the second.  These changes are noteworthy. When the lesson is complete, Mrs. Elliot describes her sweet and loving students' transformation into “nasty, vicious, discriminating third graders.”  A similar study is conducted among a group of adult co-workers, and the results are equally outrageous.  The adults and children transform into vicious discriminating beasts.  The following is a list describing the pieces of discrimination that influence me most as an educator from this film:

• Discrimination is taught, not inherited.
• People respond to their roles in discrimination quickly.
• Both people affected in discrimination become defensive and cruel.
• Teachers can play a huge part in the evil plague called discrimination.

Graphic:  http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0300040482.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Teaching in a low-socioeconomic school raises many challenges. In the film "Stand and Deliver," Mr. Jamie Escalante leaves his career as an engineer and daringly enters the education field. The students in his school have no aspirations of continuing onto college, and do not take school seriously. He attempts to make a difference in a downtown Los Angeles school, and after working with his math class for one year, requests to teach an Advanced Placement course. When approaching his coworkers who have unsuccessfully tried to improve the condition of the school, he states, "If you want to change this school around, you have to start at the top." Mr. Escalante believes in his students, and the results are miraculous. Through hours of extra work and preparation, all of the students successfully pass the Advanced Placement exam, giving them college credit, and the start to a higher education. Through it all, Mr. Escalante gains relationships with his students by addressing them as individuals, challenging them, and letting them know he cares. I admire the faith that Mr. Escalante had in his students. Even though his students do not believe in themselves, he believes in them. In return, they gain the confidence they need to succeed. The following is a list of the points in the film "Stand and Deliver" that impacted me the most:

• When teachers believe in their students, their students believe in themselves.
• Students of low-socioeconomic backgrounds are no less intelligent than those of high-socioeconomic backgrounds.
• A high-quality teacher makes sacrifices for their students.
• Students of low-socioeconomic backgrounds are sometimes embarrassed to be intelligent because of their culture and lifestyles. Teachers need to be aware and accommodate.
• Positive and encouraging student/teacher relationships are key to educational success among students.
• Teachers need to be flexible in order for their students to be successful.

Graphic:  http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/math/Courses/Math100/Chapter0/Photos/Stand&Deliver.jpg

Did you know that in 1900 only six percent of children graduated from high school?  Neither did I until I had the opportunity to view the film “The History of Education.”  The film discussed the history of education in the United States.  In the early 1900’s class sizes were huge.  Students were all taught in the same manner: the teacher lectured, the students were completely silent, and the students gave answers by standing abruptly in front of the class and reciting to the teacher’s approval.  Reading writing and arithmetic were the only subjects taught.  Times have sure changed!  Thanks to many different movements, including progressive education and career tracking, our education system has evolved into the organization that it is today.  Though there are still many errors, the changes made up to this point have been rewarding.  This film made me appreciate many of the aspects of education practiced today, and the following is a list of the issues that impacted me the most:

• IQ testing proved nothing regarding children’s academic abilities, but did help develop research on different learning styles.
• Ethnic groups have had trouble fitting into the education since early on, and there are still issues with closing the achievement gap today.
• Stereotyping took place for women and minorities in early education.
• Progressive education was a mile marker in developing schools and school activities like the ones we have today.
• As years progressed, more students stayed in school and more students graduated.
• Thanks to Sputnik, public education began to be better funded by the government.
• Children today should view this film so that they can appreciate the education system that they are a part of.

Graphic:  http://www.ogdenschool.org/ogden_history/teachers%20back%20to%20school.JPG