State of the Union Address

What themes from this speech resonate with our class?
The themes of reaching for the future in science and math. The theme of our class is to study engineering and
progress forward in the computer and internet age path for classroom activities and asssignments.

What technology sector did the president compare to the space program of the 60's? What is the comparison?
Engineering. The comparison is that even though going out into space seemed like an insane idea and the budgeting was a little underfunded, as a nation we strove for that and got to space. Therefore, we still need to strive in that direction with engineering and technology if we want to stay on top.

What is the name of the new program that will replace No Child Left Behind? How do the programs compare?
Race to the Top. The No Child left behind was mostly centered around all children getting an education and having to go to school. Now, the Race to the Top program includes

• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.

Last semester we talked about the trapped coal miners in Chile. Why did the president conclude his speech with an example relating to that?
To prove that small business/small people can do big things and us as a nation want to strive and do those big things.

What's interesting about the President's chief speechwriter? What do you hope to be doing 10 years from now?

He's really young.
10 years from now, I hope to be working in the field of engineering, specifially in the Pacific Northwest.


Has this speech inspired you and if so how?
Since the speech was basically a pep talk for the nation, it did inspire me to work harder in school because our generation is basically screwed finincially and we need "creative problem solvers" to find a way to reverse this defecit so that we can live a meaningful life.