Waiting for Superman

Waiting on Superman is a documentary that describes the education system in the United States. The documentary does not hesitate to criticize the system, which is why it has received so much criticism from teachers' unions and related groups. The documentary follows different children from across the country who are trying to get into the some of the experimental schools that are having great results. If they do not get into one of the schools, they will go to a public high school. The movie defines most public high schools in the inner city as "drop out factories" which is exactly what they are. Students go there and many are gone before their sophomore year. The children in the movie want to avoid this fate but they must be selected from a lottery system in order to go to one of the nicer schools. The documentary uses a series of interviews with leaders on both sides of the argument to provide the viewer with a clear picture of the current situation.
This documentary ties directly to Gladwell and Dweck. It is relevant to Gladwell's book, Outliers, because it proves that for some of these kids, their future depends on luck. If they do not get their name drawn or their number selected, they will probably not graduate high school or if they do they will not receive a quality education. This means that an extrinsic force has prevented them from achieving their full potential. The movie also relates to Dweck's book, Mindset, because the teachers of the teachers' union have a very fixed mindset. They are not doing their jobs properly and they take it personally when people call them out on it. Not all teachers are bad. Some are extremely motivated and talented. Others choose to do the absolute minimum to get by and that's the attitude they instill in their students. The movie shows how a leader in the Washington D.C. area tried to make changes that were proven to be productive but was blocked by the teachers' union. 
This documentary also relates to the gender divided classroom argument. Many of these successful schools try controversial tactics such as gender divided classrooms and have success. The movie proves that, to make a positive change, you have to step on some toes. In this case, the teachers need to swallow their pride and do their job correctly.
I completely agree with this documentary's points. I have not experienced one of the drop out factories. I went to a school known for high test scores and low drop out rates. Even there, some teachers were definitely not up to par. Some were lazy, not helpful, or even uncaring. This was a ta school that had a great tradition of excellence. I cannot imagine what it would be like in the really bad schools. I feel that big organizations like the teachers' union have way too much power and are prohibiting the system from making positive changes that will protect this country from becoming a bunch of uneducated dropouts.  

Argument FOR Gender-Divided Classrooms

It is no secret that American children are quickly falling behind in comparison to children of other developed countries. Why is this? There is no one size fits all answer to this question but gender divided classrooms provide one alternative that is definitely worth trying. Gender divided classrooms provide many advantages that children simply cannot receive in a co-ed classroom. This is not to say that the gender divided classroom idea is perfect, however.
The group that is arguing for gender divided classrooms has decided to base our argument around data that was obtained in a survey that was given to middle schoolers from three local districts. These surveys show that most children believe that boys and girls think differently and that girls feel less confident in math and science fields. Each of these points will provide a basis for support for our claims. The fact that the children themselves believe that boys and girls learn differently should be a clear sign that they feel like they could learn better in classrooms containing students of only their gender/ Then, the fact that girls are less confident in math and science shows that something is being lost at some point in the education system. Girls are not innately less confident than boys just like boys are not innately better at science and math. In articles that we will use for support, it states that boys tend to get more attention in primary school because they tend to act out. Therefore, the teacher may feel like they need to try harder to keep the boys' interest. This causes them to come up with lessons that seem very interesting to boys. If the genders were divided, the girls could learn a lesson that was tailored to their learning style and would therefore become more confident.
However,m it is necessary to keep some classroom coed. Boys and girls need social interaction with each other during their development in order to have social skills. One solution our group will offer is that classes can be separated Monday through Thursday but then be together on Friday to make sure that both classes are going at the same pace and allow the children to mingle. Also, not all classes would be divided. Only the STEM classes, the ones that show a difference between males and females would be divided.
Gender divided classrooms provide a solution to a problem that is plaguing America. According a video that we will present, students in gender divided classrooms have done better on standardized tests than those in coed classrooms. As more studies are done, more proof is brought forth that supports the idea of gender divided classrooms.  The solution that we will offer may not be perfect, but if some experts in the field of education and psychology were to build from it, the children of the United States could catch up with those of other countries.