I know this is the basketball forum

[PantherHawk]

Re: I know this is the basketball forum

I am in the same boat as you, but I would rather a UNI education major experience an educational environment to get a real feeling on how many schools truly are out there instead of one that is a simulation for research. The lab school was a joke to myself and my fellow middle level majors when I was there between 2004 and 2006. The students were nothing like they are in the "real" world of education. I have been teaching for nearly 4 years now and have seen some pretty crazy stuff and I can honestly say that student teaching in the 'Loo helped me more than any day in the Lab school. Working at a couple elementary schools in Cedar Falls prepared me more than the Lab School could ever have hoped to have prepared any education major.

Yes, the lab school uses some innovative teaching styles and techniques and allows future teachers to see an emulate those styles. But none of them are either A) Practical or B) Feasible in the current American educational system. And if the techniques are neither practical nor feasible, don't waste an education major's time on them. Prepare the students for what they are doing and what they will see once they graduate college.

Yes Mitch I agree with you, it was set up for college students to come in and learn at a school with great kids. It is not even close to the norm. I left there and went to the 'loo to student teach. I was in shock as to what happened in some of those schools and how those students treated teachers. I will say this, the experience in Waterloo did help me adjust to my current school quickly and even though I only spent about 8 weeks at the Lab school. I still use some of the techniques I learned from that place in my classroom today. So its not a complete loss. I also made some great friends with some of the teachers at the price lab school and they helped me during my student teaching experience and also when I was starting out.

I just don't know how the university can keep funding it. Times are getting tough and its hard to see everything changing. My old high school just passed an agreement to start whole grade sharing and combine sports with another school. The sad part is both these towns hate each other and its not going to be a good set up for the kids, because the parents will be involved.

Its amazing to think that at one time every town had its own school, now its pretty much every county is going to have 1 school.

[Khan4Cats]

Re: I know this is the basketball forum

For how negative some of you feel regarding MPLS/NUHS, I'd like to see a stat on Iowa Public Schools vs MPLS/NUHS college attended, college graduated, and which schools. Such a broad stat probably could never be found.

That said, I'd bet lots of $$$ that MPLS/NUHS is just as good or better.

Random example a girl in my class open enrolled from Waterloo, she ended up graduating #2 in her Pharmacy class at Iowa. Good for Her!!

A buddy of mine, has 3 brothers, all 4 graduated from NUHS.
Brother #1: University of Iowa, Creighton Law
Brother #2: Harvard, PHD Texas
Brother #3: Univ Arizona, Master Chicago Art Institute
Brother #4: Univ of Iowa

So riddle me this: Why are these families not floating around other schools? Do parents chose crappy schools and the above occurs by coincidence? Do parents chose schools where there is talent around their kids and have high probabilities to succeed?

I can appreciate that some of you are happy the school is closing for whatever reason....but it ridiculous to be soo passionate about it closing when you have no true experience with the school.

And what you just stated attests to exactly why PLS/NUHS is NOT a good school to train teachers in.

It in NO WAY reflects the real world education system, public or private, that student-teachers will face in the real world. Yes, the students at PL/NUHS are successful, but 85% of the parents of regular public ed students are not college professors, let alone doctors, lawyers, etc.

It is an entirely different scenario in real world schools than in the "Lab" school.

[UNIMIS2001]

Re: I know this is the basketball forum

And what you just stated attests to exactly why PLS/NUHS is NOT a good school to train teachers in.

It in NO WAY reflects the real world education system, public or private, that student-teachers will face in the real world. Yes, the students at PL/NUHS are successful, but 85% of the parents of regular public ed students are not college professors, let alone doctors, lawyers, etc.

It is an entirely different scenario in real world schools than in the "Lab" school.

Exactly, it sounds as though it gives very little real world experience.

[ProwlingPanther]

Re: I know this is the basketball forum

Dude from Flight of the Concords wins the Oscar and then doesn't thank Jason Segel. WTF!!

[Newsbreaker]

Re: I know this is the basketball forum

For how negative some of you feel regarding MPLS/NUHS, I'd like to see a stat on Iowa Public Schools vs MPLS/NUHS college attended, college graduated, and which schools. Such a broad stat probably could never be found.

That said, I'd bet lots of $$$ that MPLS/NUHS is just as good or better.

Random example a girl in my class open enrolled from Waterloo, she ended up graduating #2 in her Pharmacy class at Iowa. Good for Her!!

A buddy of mine, has 3 brothers, all 4 graduated from NUHS.
Brother #1: University of Iowa, Creighton Law
Brother #2: Harvard, PHD Texas
Brother #3: Univ Arizona, Master Chicago Art Institute
Brother #4: Univ of Iowa

So riddle me this: Why are these families not floating around other schools? Do parents chose crappy schools and the above occurs by coincidence? Do parents chose schools where there is talent around their kids and have high probabilities to succeed?

I can appreciate that some of you are happy the school is closing for whatever reason....but it ridiculous to be soo passionate about it closing when you have no true experience with the school.

No, it isn't. It isn't rediculous at all.

PLS/NU grads are much more likely to come from affluent homes with very highly educated parents. I can't likely show you another school that graduates more students destined for advanced degrees, but I also can't show you another school where the students come from these types of homes and enjoy an otherwise unsustainable teacher-to-student ratio.

UNI's concern should not be with creating a great K-12 school. It should be with operating a cost effective post-secondary program. The actual k-12 program is entirely secondary to the discussion.