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NATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE PROCEEDINGS Volume 46 #2 National Technology and Social Science Conference, 2011 Table of Contents Resurgent Foreclosures in Metropolitan Atlanta Counties Housing Market, 2000-2010: Lessons and Challenges for Public Policy Ebenezer O. Aka, Jr., Morehouse College 1 The ABCs of Assessing Student Teachers‟ Performance in Practicum Jane Andrews, Northwest Missouri State University 15 iTeaching: Using Mobile Devices to Deliver Social Science Curriculum Stephen N. Baldridge, Alexandra Moran, Whitney Herrington, Abilene Christian University 19 Dairy Surplus: A Search for Policy Solutions Jacqueline Behling, Central Washington University 30 Fear of Crime in Mexico Ben Brown, The University of Texas at Brownsville Wm. Reed Benedict, Eastern Illinois University 38 Civil Defense Update: Why do you need a „57 Chevy? Barry Bruster, Austin Peay State University 50 Co-chairing a University Department: A Case Study of the Pro‟s and Con‟s of Shared Responsibility Carol Butterfield, Dan Fennerty, Veronica Gomez-Vilchis, Central Washington University 59 Building Relationships in Online Classes by Incorporating Letter Writing, Buddy Systems, and Teaching and Utilizing Proper Netiquette Patti Cost, Weber State University 67 Now How Am I S‟posed to Know That? Addressing the Neglected “R” in Teacher Education Betty Duncan, Lamar University 72 Some Classifications and Features of Sub-Saharan African Countries Bruce A. Forster, University of Nebraska at Kearney 79 What Can Teachers and Principals Do To Better Address the Reading Instructional Needs of English Language Learners? Jerry Garrett, Marshall University 93 Ethnocentrism and Intercultural Willingness to Communicate in U. S. College Students Carrol R. Haggard, Fort Hays State University Margaret Miller Butcher, Online Education Consultants 104 Multicultural Book Club: Creating Third Space through Student-led Discussion and Books with Cultural Content in a Diverse Classroom Marcella J. Kehus, The University of Toledo 109 Kama„aina Hawai„i-born: President Barack Obama‟s Early Years in Hawai‟i William Kirtley, Central Texas College 123 Using Digital Storytelling in the Development of Reflective Educators Paulina O. Kuforiji, Bonita Friend Williams, Columbus State University Doyin Coker-Kolo, Millersville University 132 Strategies for Working with International Students Lorri J. MacDonald, University of Detroit Mercy 144 “From Burning at the Stake to Lethal Injection: Evolving Standards of Decency and Methods of Execution” Joseph A. Melusky, Saint Francis University (PA) 152 Why We Do Film Angela Marcela Moran Covarrubias, Texas A&M International University Lem Londos Railsback, Railsback and Associates 163 The Tweet is Mightier than the Wall: The Evolution of Political Dissidence in China Timothy S.L. Ng, Brigham Young University Idaho 175 A Proposed Analysis of Cult Leaders and Dictators James R. Rae, Anthony J. Stahelski , Central Washington University 190 The Fruits of Political Progressivism: What 100 Years Have Wrought Richard Reeb, Barstow College 196 Tips for Teaching Millennial Students in Your Higher Ed Class Jan Richards, National University 209 Patrimony or Passion: Social Implications of France‟s Cinema Museums and Literature Museums Kenneth T. Rivers, Lamar University 216 Learning English as a Second Language in Preschool Classrooms Bizunesh Wubie, Marshall University Graduate School 222 Resurgent Foreclosures in Metropolitan Atlanta Counties Housing Market, 2000-2010: Lessons and Challenges for Public Policy Ebenezer O. Aka, Jr. Morehouse College 1 Introduction Since the mid-2000s, plenty of fiscal and demographic problems abound in U.S as it crashed into financial crisis due to housing bubble and burst. There was excessive housing construction fueled by the bubble, and when housing prices stopped rising, chaos and catastrophe ensued (Mayer, 2010). The slump in home building after the bubble was pricked has been a major drag on U.S economic growth. Residential investment affects national and state economies in its contributions to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross State Product (GSP). Residential fixed investment (RFI) has been on sharp decline ever since, which is a significant component of U.S. economy, and GSP in each state (Siniavskaia, 2008). RFI includes construction of new single-family and multi-family structures, residential remodeling, production of manufactured homes, and broker’s fees. Second half of 2000 decade witnessed unequivocally foreclosure plagues that had been widespread nationwide. The plague spread beyond the cities in the so-called “sand states” of Nevada, Utah, California, and Arizona, into Florida, Arkansas, Oregon, Illinois, Hawaii, Minnesota, Oregon, Idaho, and some Gulfport areas like Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and even South Atlantic states of Virginia and Georgia (Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2009). The widespread plagues were triggered by increases in foreclosure activities; foreclosure rates; and foreclosure filings. Foreclosure filings comprise of default notices, auction sale notices, and bank repossessions. Foreclosure activities are based on total number of properties that receive foreclosure filings each month. The foreclosure rate (say for a county) is calculated by dividing the total housing units in the county (based on the most recent estimate from the U.S Census Bureau) by the total number of properties that received foreclosure filings during the month (using the most recent monthly data available), and that number is expressed as a ratio. For example, foreclosure rate of 1 in 100 is higher than that of 1 in 1000. The resurgence or spike in home foreclosures over the last four years (2007-2010) was very dramatic with about 2.5 million completed foreclosures nationwide (Mortgage Bankers Association, 2010). Foreclosure starts from 2007-2008 more than doubled from those in 2005- 2006 [Center for Responsible Lending (CRL), 2010]. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) National Delinquency Survey, the foreclosure process of 4.63 percent is at a historically high, nearly five times (4.9) higher than the average of all quarterly rates from 1979 to the start of the crises and three times (3.1) higher than the next closest pre-crisis high (1.51 percent in 1Q-2002). Home foreclosures are costly to lenders, borrowers, and communities, especially minority communities and neighborhoods. African Americans and Latino borrowers are particularly hit hard, and are a set of homeowners particularly ill-suited to handle the foreclosure menace. Fallen property values abound in many states with the concomitant drops in local tax revenues and high costs for municipalities and counties trying to avert foreclosures. Undoubtedly, foreclosures create a smaller base of property taxes and less spending by individuals, which cause a drop in sales revenues (Atlanta Regional Commission, 2000). Building permits and housing starts by states have slowed down considerably and have drastically dragged down state revenues due to slow down in spending on building materials and furnishings, and decline in financial markets (Rueben, 2008). Real estate business has gone into deep depression and has lost its allure of past decades, as realtors saw little or no thriving business. According to Walter Molony, spokesman for the National Association of Realtors, national membership had dropped significantly. For example, his group saw a 10 percent decrease in membership, from 1.3 million in 2007 to nearly 1.2 million in 2008. It was also true state-wise, e.g., Alabama Real Estate 2 Commission license examination data showed that 3,327 people took broker and salesperson examinations in 2008 as compared to 7,127 in 2007___ a 53 percent drop (Lauren, 2009). A great deal of disparities exists among regions and states in home foreclosures. For example, the West coast and desert regions and states are hard hit when compared to the South and Midwest regions and states (Mayer, 2010). Nevertheless, the Peach State of Georgia had remained among states with highest foreclosure rates since the surge. For example, Georgia had maintained the seventh-highest foreclosure in America with 28,608 foreclosure filings in 2009 first quarter, though the worst offenders during the same period were California, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, and Illinois, with 479, 516 properties receiving foreclosure filings in the five states combined (Atlanta Business Chronicle, Thursday, April 16, 2009). The contraction in home building and its impact on Gross State Product (GSP) growth are particularly severe in Georgia that enjoyed especially strong growth in home building activity during the pre-2006 boom period. Overbuilding and its consequent home price drop was the bane of Georgia’s housing industry of the mid-2000s (Lockhart, 2008). According to Siniavaskaia (2008), Residential Fix Investment (RFI) change in Georgia from 2005 to 2007 was -17.8 percent; and forecasted change in 2008 was – 23.8 percent. A great deal of imbalance also exists among U.S metropolitan areas in home foreclosures, and metro Atlanta ranked 35th currently since the halfway point of 2009. Atlanta metro area had a foreclosure rate of 2.02 percent (or one in 49 houses), which equated to 42, 799 foreclosure filings (Atlanta Business Chronicle, 2009; see also RealtyTrac’s Foreclosure Market Reports since 2007). The ten metros with the highest foreclosure rates in 2009, respectively in order, were Las Vegas; Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida; Merced, California; Stockton, California; Modesto, California;