Another Video Of Singing Students (Updated With Background)

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7f7_1253899267

This one has some decent editing and good use of important civil rights heroes.



*edit- found the source for video, posted it in political videos-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ettl3zfLWus



misterbee2009-

On November 4th 2008, we held a mock presidential election in my third grade classroom. Students spoke their minds about the candidates, and I facilitated making sure all sides were heard. Secret ballots were cast, and Barack Obama won getting 18 out of 20 votes. John McCain and Cynthia McKinney split the remainder. Later that night of course history was made.

The students arrived the next day absolutely glowing. We talked about the historical significance of Obama's victory, and they then imagined what it would be like to run for office themselves. Each student made a poster portraying him or herself as candidate and the issues they would address in the year 2048.

Obama's victory opened their minds to the possibility that they too could one day be commander in chief—or anything for that matter. What they needed to do was STAY IN SCHOOL and work very very hard. At no time were the children told by me they should look up to Obama. The fact that most did already reflects what they learned at home and amongst their peers, not by any indoctrination in the classroom.

We began to write the song after watching the Inauguration. Our school day is packed bell to bell with academics, but were usually able to spend the last five minutes of singing songs as short ELD (English Language Development) activities. Day by day we used this tiny window of time to brainstorm lyrics. As the song took shape, the children became more and more proud of their accomplishment. It soon morphed into a tribute to MLK and others honored for their work towards social justice.

By February the song was done. We got requests to come and perform from adjacent classrooms that heard it coming from our room at the end of the day. Their egos boomed. I decided to make it something they'd never forget by producing the video. Nobody forced the children to participate--in fact a few sat it out. When it was finished, they were hoping the President himself would see it and wanted to be able to show it to friends and relatives. We got the consent of parents as well as the administration and put it online.

That's the story. We hope you like the song.

The Obama Song ("Proud American")
By Mr. B and the students of Room 8
February 2009

Obama is the President!
First African America in history
44th president of the United States
The ground has shifted
The world has changed!

CHORUS:
Oooo Im a proud American
Oooo yes yes yes yes YES WE CAN!

Im going to study really hard just like Barack
Learning never ever stops
Gonna set my goals HIGH and graduate
You might be looking at the President of 2048!

We are a nation of a thousand colors, look at me
Our strength is our diversity
Walking hand in hand we sing
Each a day a little closer to the dream of Dr. King

(Exerpt from MLK's "I Have a Dream, 1963)

Together we walk
Me and you
So so much work
Left to do.


Chords:
G C G D
G C G D

D C G
D C - G


Category: Education
Tags:
children obama song video president patriot kids mlk martin luther king

That is beautiful!

It's precisely what school should be for. I love that teacher.

Anyway there is a documentary called "Jesus Camp" that shows children "laying hands" on former president bush. I don't remember the kooks of the right wing getty in a tizzy about that.
I would put the video on DU but I'm kinda computer illiterate.

receiving federal dollars?

Look at it this way: The group in Jesus Camp was, no doubt, engaged in a number of activities that would easily be construed as religious. If that group and an elementary school classroom are equivalent, then you'd have no problem having elementary school teachers leading religious services in their classes.

Hence the problem. Part of it is partisanship--if it were praising Reagan they'd have fewer problems (discounting the fact that Reagan's not president and dead, to boot). But part of it is principled, and it's a principle that we tend to say we like when it suits us. I tend to say I like it even if it doesn't suit me from time to time.

is that woman is abusing those kids. She should have been reported.

Gives me ... "hope". Thanks for posting.

It's about about working hard to achieve great things...using Obama as an example of that.

Of course, this part is probably what the Repugs really hate:

I refuse to go to their website to check though!

these kids have..came from the Perfect Storm of Obama getting elected.

Those kids got the Moves and how creative are they and their teacher?!!

Fuck those who find it creepy and would follow glen bech to the ends of the Earth...see ya.

that repeated "Barack Hussein Obama" throughout the song -- not in a bad way -- but it was a different song and different class.

This one is really cute.

This is the other one-

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x376628

Our poor precious CHILDREN!!

:sarcasm:

:rofl:

"They are PRECIOUS JEWELS!" Seeing Barack Hussein Obama as President of the United States is letting these kids know that in America anything is possible. It doesn't matter what you like, or who your parents are. It doesn't matter if you rich, but if you work and study hard anything is possible.

They have a very short school day. Our kids go an hour longer.

nt

First: that they can learn about the government of the nation they live in, how it works, and follow events in a democracy, even before they are 10 years old or so. In other words: what they learn and do in school IS RELEVANT!

Second: That they can be creative, and contribute, and cooperative/collaborative with each other in producing something they can be proud of, something they want to show to others, something that makes a statement about themselves, to the world around them.

Pretty important lessons, in my opinion.