Teach for America

Twitter is abuzz about the New York Times article below about the Teach for America program and the level of competitiveness for entry.  However, many TFA students see it as something to build a resume instead of a career in teaching, and many do not stay in it past their two-year commitment.

You could have chosen TFA instead of SMAC. Any thoughts?

Check out this exchange between a TFA teacher-in-training and her student:

On Education - A Chosen Few Are Teaching for America - NYTimes.com via kwout

Here are some things to think about after perusing the exchange above (and/or the accompanying article):

1. How does this interaction fit with what you have been discussing about Dewey and democratic classrooms? 
2. How does the description of the teacher's wardrobe fit with your own perception of "what teachers wear"?
3. How does this fit in with the budding conversations we have had about games? Particularly games like Oregon Trail, which many of you branded as "educational but not fun"? Is this really a "game" for the child in the interaction?
4. If you were the teacher and slipped up and had this interaction (trust me, you'll have a nadir and something like this is will happen), how would you pull yourself out of it?
5. Overhead projectors were an early form of technology integration. How effective was her planned use of this tool?