Articles written by Tom Ontis - Page 4

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About me - Tom Ontis

I am a retired social studies teacher. I attended San Francisco State University, graduating with a Bachelor's of Arts in Political Science in 1976. Subsequently I obtained my teaching credential from Califoria State University, Sacramento in 1989.

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Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History Historiography: The Progressive Era: 4 of 7
The Progressive Era in our country was generally speaking, the years between 1901 and 1920. Three presidents served in that era: Theodore (Don't call me Teddy) Roosevelt, his hand picked successor William Howard Taft, and Thomas Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt and Taft came from the Republican side of the ledger, Wilson from the D... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Congress's approval rating is worse than President Bush's: 4 of 7
The numbers do say that Congress' approval ratings are worse than President Bush', as low as any president in this stage of his presidency. But the number only tells some of the story: Congress has tried to affect change in the war policy of the administration. They have tried to cut funding for the war, but are slapped down... More..
Creative Writing > Humor Humor: Education: 6 of 10
Though some of my students would probably disagree, I try to keep things light in the classroom. I tell an occasional joke, at which they generally groan. (I love puns.) I am quick to laugh at a good joke that the student tells, as long as it is not offensive to anyone. I like to laugh with the kids, though sometimes I have ... More..
Education > High School Humanities How 'blogging classes' can improve writing skills in students: 3 of 5
A couple of years ago, in a galaxy far, far away. I began introducing blogging to the classroom as a weekly activity. At the suggestion of my administrator, I made some modifications for safety purposes; They would not be published on the Internet, because of the horror stories that we had read and heard about, we began a we... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: Incorrect grammar usage: 14 of 23
I'm commenting on this subject as a teacher. In the profession, I probably spend as much time correcting grammar and spelling as I spend on looking for their comprehension of the subject matter. I've long held that the culprit in the case is the overuse of the computer and the spell/grammar check function. What? A teacher sa... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections: World War II: 13 of 21
It was my mother who talked about World War II. My father and mother had been married less than two years when he joined the Navy in 1942. He always said, so she relates, that he didn't want to carry his bed on his back, a reference to not wanting to be an Army or Marine infantryman. He mostly slept in a hammock, with a matt... More..
Education > Education (Other) Is history really our teacher?: 19 of 30
Right off I will admit that I am biased. I am a history/social science teacher in California. A former room mate used to tell people I was weird because I read history books for fun. A visit to the local bookstore has me steering for the history section first, then everything else. History can be our teacher, if applied prop... More..
Arts & Humanities > The World Wars Holocaust: Why it should never be forgotten: 26 of 41
Holocaust Remembrance Day is coming up next week. Wear your paper clips. Why do we remember the Holocaust? We remember it because it is one of the worst examples of human brutality that man inflicted upon man. We remember it because 12 million people were murdered for being who they were. We remember it because we must remem... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History What were you doing when you heard about the death of President Kennedy?: 9 of 14
It was sunny that day in November. It was cold too, not cold enough to be uncomfortable in Northern California, but cold nontheless. It was just a normal school day. I was in the 4th grade, for the second time. I was a November baby and had started school a few months before I was 5 years old. Not that I couldn't do any of t... More..
Arts & Humanities > 20th & 21st Century US History American history: The causes of the Great Depression: 17 of 26
When 25%, or one-quarter of people that want jobs can't find them, that is a serious problem. When banks are self regulating, which leads to a meltdown, that is a problem. When goods bound for American soil are dumped back on to foreign soil and they can't be sold, that is a problem. Congress was trying to protect American m... More..