The Perfect Production: TED Talk on the Problem of Native American Education

Link to TED Talk: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mosenV-0LjE&feature=youtu.be 

Public Speaking Synopsis

At the beginning of this class course, I made goals for myself to aim to accomplish after the class ended.  As the end of this class is coming near, I am looking back on my goals and accomplishments over this past semester for public speaking.  My two biggest goals that I made for myself at the start of this public speaking class, at the beginning of the school year, was to become a less nervous public speaker, and to help learn more memorization strategies before giving a speech. 

One of the goals I made at the beginning of the course was to get more comfortable with public speaking.  Although I am still a nervous public speaker, I feel like I have definitely improved compared to how scared I used to be when talking in front of a crowd.  Yet, there is still room for improvement as I feel that I can still be nervous when talking in front of my peers.  

In addition, before going into this course I would rarely make eye contact with my audience because I was too focused on reading information on a screen or on prepared notecards.  However, in different parts of this course I was forced to memorize speeches.  Memorizing what I would say in a speech allowed me to better connect with my audience since I would be able to make more eye contact.  Furthermore, in this class, I learned and used many strategies to help me to memorize text.  Therefore, without taking this class, I would have less of an understanding on how to be able to memorize and become more familiar with parts of my speeches.       

Ultimately, what I am most proud of in this class is that I was able to complete all of my memorization speeches.  Coming into this class, I was never able to memorize any sort of text, except song lyrics that I would listen and sing to during car rides. After successfully memorizing a few of my assignments, I am very pleased with myself for learning strategies to help me to do so.  However, there are still some things that I need to work on.  For instance, like stated before, I think I still have a lot of room for improvement to become a less nervous public speaker.  Although as a result of this class I sway a little less, sometimes, I still can get a little nervous and don't articulate my words clearly.  But, I think to help accomplish this goal I need to keep on practicing my public speaking.  Then, hopefully, each time I give a speech or talk in front of a crowd, I will establish more confidence for talking in front of such a large audience.  Finally, one of the most valuable things that I believe I will take away from this class is all of my knowledge on the topic of public speaking.  Not only did I learn tips for memorization, but I also learned important things to remember when publicly speaking (like eye contact, project your voice, clearly speaking, don't be fidgety, emphasize emotional words, etc.), what should be included into a debate to make a specific side of the argument stronger, and how to gather credible information for any given research assignment. 

Excellent Editing

After reviewing my TED Talk in class with classmates, and my teacher, I have discovered what is missing from my speech and what I can change in my speech to make it the best it can be.  Some of these things include developing a hook, having a clearer and more profound takeaway. 

Before today, I really had no hook at the beginning of my speech.  A hook is something that is used to grab the reader attention.  I started my speech by saying that I am a native american.  However, this is not something that is interesting for the reader to hear to truly grab their attention.  Instead, I edited the beginning of my speech and included a more interactive hook for the audience by saying: "Here at Cheshire Academy we have so many resources like our newly updated library with a vast variety of books, mac book computers, SMART boards, large supply of textbooks, our school portal, and projectors to show our powerpoint presentations.  Do you ever consider what our education would be like without these resources?  The most basic of native american schools on indian reservations do not have these things.  They don't have advanced technology that we are privileged to have in this modern technology-run world. "  By changing my hook, I now interact with my audience more and have a more interesting start to my TED talk about the problem of native american education. 

Secondly, I was told by peers that my takeaway was too broad and wasn't clear enough.  A takeaway should sum of the purpose of the whole TED talk.  In addition, the takeaway should give the audience something to contemplate.  I agreed that the take away in my TED talk wasn't very strong.  Therefore, I changed the takeaway of my speech to give an overview of a native american's life.  Then, I ended my TED talk expressing that "If this TED talk has impacted the way you look at Native Americans, then donate to the Native American Rights Fund and help these less fortunate people to live a better life, get a better education, and have more of an opportunity for success."  By saying this, I invited people to help the native americans and donate money toward a well-deserved cause, and I persuaded the audience to think about whether they wanted to help.

Overall, I would say that to make my TED talk better, these were the two things that I had to change.  Now that I have edited and changed them, my TED talk is more interesting for the audience to listen two.  Without a good hook and a good takeaway, a TED talk isn't complete.  The hook and the takeaway are two of the most important aspects of a speech and should be as strong as possible to help develop a great TED talk.

Spectactular Start to TED Talk Speech

I am a member the Ojibwa tribe on the Fort William first nation located in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  However, I do not live on the reservation like the majority of my cousins and relatives.  I live in the United States because my grandpa was able to live the "american dream."  My grandpa knew that in order to find hope and be successful that he had to leave the reservation.  So, he came to the United States and started his own engineering business.  The company was very successful and so was he.  Raising his kids in the United States, my mom raised me here too.  If it wasn't for my grandpa, I wouldn't be living in the wonderful home or town that I do today.  I would be living on the reserve, a place filled with little hope nowadays and much poverty.  Kids especially on reservations struggle in school since education for most Native American Indians is not ideal.  As students, even though we attend a private school in the Unites States, we can understand the challenges and struggles of striving to get an education.

Besides education, every day life on the reservation is not ideal.  Each year, when my family and I travel to our reservation, we spend a lot of time with our relatives, especially my cousin Kami.  Kami is like my insight to what is happening on our indian reservation.  Some of the things that she has told me about the reserve is that her cousins got pregnant and dropped out of school, her dad is back in jail for getting drunk and starting a fight, and her mom is too busy drinking that she has to be the one to care for her other three younger siblings.  Kami and the rest of her family live in a small two-room home on the reserve, with a tiny lawn displaying all of their scattered baby toys.  Like Kami's family, other families on the reserve live in poverty.  In fact, in 2012, a total of 29.1% of American Indians and Alaskan Native alone lived in poverty, making up 15.9% of the nations poverty and the highest of any other ethnic group (National Indian Education Association). 

Along with the harsh daily life of native americans, education is a growing problem. The native americans continue to need more help in the school environment as they aren't as academically advanced as others.  "In 2009, 19% of American Indian and Alaskan Native 9th grade females received special education services, compared to the national rate of 7% for all 9th grade females, and 8% for White 9th grade females. In the same year, 27% of American Indian and Alaskan Native 9th grade males received special education services, compared to the national average of 13% for all 9th grade males, and 13% for White males" (National Indian Education Association). 

In addition, Native Americans from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the state with the largest proportion of Native students, are not doing nearly as well as other races, like the whites, when it come to academics.  On a standardized math test in the 2012-2013 school year, only 42% of the native americans achieved "proficient" or advanced," compared to 80% of the white student.  Similarly, on the reading test, 47% or native Americans scored a level of proficient or higher, compared to 79% of whites (National Indian Education Association).  

Finally, the most devastating statistic of them all... graduation rates.  In 2013, only 49% of native americans graduated school within the standard 4 years.  Plus, 64% of the native americans  completed high school and got a diploma, with an extension of their years spent at high school.  However, this is still 17% or more lower than all the other subgroups in the state of South Dakota (Education Week).  

Ultimately, I hope what you all can take away from this TED talk is that people on Native American Indian reservations don't always live a good life.  They live in poverty, and education isn't ideal.  This problem of Native American's education needs to be recognized more amongst people, especially the government.  They are americans too, and it's awful to know that they aren't getting educated properly while we sit here in a private school that values everyones education so much.  With help, Native Americans can get a better education and be more successful in life.  Being well educated and getting a good education is their only hope to help them get off the reserve and be successful in life.  But, these graduation rates or test statistics will not change if no one helps, so lets help these people get a better education like most of us have.  

Research Report

Both my brainstorming and research is included in the blog titled "Planning Makes Perfect."

 

Peter Pan- What A Phenomenal Production

Every year, Cheshire Academy students put on and preform a play in the fall.  Today, I went to go see Cheshire Academy's fall production.  This fall, the play being shown was Peter Pan.  I have to admit, going into this play, I was a little skeptical of how good it would be and whether I would enjoy it.  But, I ended up really liking the play.  It achieved all of my expectations and was a fantastic performance by the whole student cast.  The aspects of the play that I liked the most and think are important to make a play enjoyable are humor, emotion, set design, and music.  

Throughout the play, humor was used.  The use of humor definitely got the audience more interested in what was being said and really complimented the whole production.  Plus, it was clear that the entire cast loved their roles.  On stage, everyone was enthusiastic and really embodied their characters well.  The emotion throughout the play was great and I was surprised to see that even after preforming the play twice in front of an audience the student cast still put all of their energy out on the stage while reciting their lines.  In addition, the set designs were impeccable.  For a small school play, I was not expecting the sets to look as great as they did.  The backdrops, props, and lights complimented every scene in the play very well.  Also, I can tell the most was made out of limited materials, and I commend the whole crew for changing the sets as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Finally, the music was the glue to this play, it connected everything together.  I loved the music played before the play started and during the intermission.  It was a great addition to the production.  Plus, while the stage crew was altering sets, I was impressed with the beautiful flute music interludes. 

From the very beginning to the very end, I enjoyed CA's production of Peter Pan.  I though everyone did a phenomenal job putting this whole performance together.  Every crew and cast member should be very proud and pleased with the end product they got after preforming this play.  I could tell, and I am sure others in the audience could tell, that Cheshire Academy students and staff worked really hard to put on this production.  After watching Peter Pan this fall, all I can say is well done Cheshire Academy cast and crew involved in this performance. 

Planning Makes Perfect

                                             

                                               Education on Native American Reservations

Introduction:

- INTRODUCE TOPIC:

Education on Native American Reservations is a major problem. 

- MAKE SURE TO ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY: 

My credibility: I am a Native American from the Ojibwa tribe in Ontario, Canada.  Although I do not live on the reservation or go to the reservation school systems, I have an insight to what life and education is like on the reserve.  My cousin, Cami, who is the same age as me, lives on the indian reservation.  There is no school to go to for high school on the reserve, so she travels about 30 minutes away to go to a public school off of the reserve in Thunder Bay, ON.  By visiting her each summer, I get a different perspective than the one I have and really understand the challenging reservation life. 

- MAKE SURE TO RELATE TOPIC TO THE AUDIENCE:

Connection: Even though we go to a private school (Cheshire Academy), we are all students and have an understand of what trying to get educated is like. However, Native American kids on reservation schools have a more so difficult experience at school compared to most kids here attending Cheshire academy. 

BACKGROUND-

Daily Life- (AI= American Indians  AN= Alaskan Natives) http://www.niea.org/research/statistics.aspx

- In 2012, 29.1% of AI/ANs (alone) lived in poverty - the highest rate of any race group - compared to 15.9% for the entire nation. (2012 American Community Survey)  

- In 2011, 52% of AI/AN (alone) children lived in two-parent households, compared to 75% of Whites (alone). (Aud, Hussar, Johnson, et al., 2012)

Body: 

FACTS (Ethos/Logos)

A Schools/Education- http://www.niea.org/research/statistics.aspx

- Some Reservation Schools are so bad that the natives go to public school system-- During the 2007-08 school year, there were 741 public schools located in AI/AN areas, with 82,406 AI/AN students. (Common Core of Data, 2008)

- During the 2010-11 school year, there were 49,152 students in Bureau of Indian Education Schools. (Bureau of Indian Education, 2011)

- BIE oversees 183 elementary, secondary, residential, and peripheral dormitories in 23 states. (Bureau of Indian Education, 2011)

- During the 2011-12 school year, private school student enrollment was 0.5% for AI/AN (alone) students, compared to 71.2% for White (alone) students. (Broughman & Swaim, 2013)

- Slow improvement-- Between 2005 and 2011, the achievement gaps between AI/AN and non-AI/AN fourth graders and between AI/AN and non-AI/AN eighth graders did not change for reading, but increased for mathematics. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2012)

- Indian kids need more help in school-- In 2009, 19% of AI/AN 9th grade females received special education services, compared to the national rate of 7% for all 9th grade females, and 8% for White 9th grade females. In the same year, 27% of AI/AN 9th grade males received special education services, compared to the national average of 13% for all 9th grade males, and 13% for White males. (Ross, Kena, Rathbun, et al., 2012)

Story (Establishing Pathos)

http://www.edweek.org/ew/projects/2013/native-american-education/running-in-place.html#losing-ground

Luzahan White Horse- 

- age 19

- graduated from Pine Ridge High School- June 2012 (took him an extra year to graduate)

- Year later: most of his days are spent playing basketball with his friends and doesn't have a steady or "formal" job ("I make money, I get by" - White Horse) 

- Kids don't like reservation school education: ("I mostly went to school to chill with my friends because there's nothing else to do on the rez" - White Horse)

- Kids also don't see thier lives changing: (But I don't see that my life is going to be that much different in 10 years. I'll probably still be here, playing basketball" - Pine Ridge Indian)

Statistics: http://www.edweek.org/ew/projects/2013/native-american-education/running-in-place.html#losing-ground

- South Dakota has the highest proportion of Native American students that in any other state.  But, the students are not nearly as advanced academically as others.  

2012-2013:

Math- 

- 42% American Indians achieved "proficient" or "advanced"

^ compared to 80% of whites 

Reading- 

- 47% scored level of proficient and above 

^ compared to 79% of white students scores 

4 Year Graduation Rate (2013): 

- 49% of American Indian students graduated 

High school completion rate: 

- 64%  (still 17% or more than other subgroups in South Dakota) 

Federal Cuts: 

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/12/04/13sequestration_ep.h33.html 

K-8 School Loneman School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota (2013)- 

- laid off 12 staff members/20 percent of its staff 

- The 20% included included three of six middle school teachers (half of the middle school teachers said Principal Charles Cuny Jr.

Lac du Flambeau (school)

- cut one of two educators that was meant to teach students the Ojibwe language (the language they have to speak)

- "The Washington-based organization surveyed 161 Indian-lands districts that receive Impact Aid. Of that number, 144, or nearly 90 percent, had made cuts in the 2013-14 school year. More than half—78—put off maintenance and purchases and 56 slashed instructional positions."

Takeaway: 

People on Native American Indian reservations don't always live a good life.  They live in poverty, and education isn't ideal.  This problem of Native American's education needs to be recognized more amongst people in the United States.  We have the ability to change the world, and this is a way to start.  With help, Native Americans can get a better education and be more successful in life.  But, they need someone to give them a push and help.