Teaching Toddlers To Tweet?

The article, "Teaching Toddlers to Tweet? Introducing Social Media into Elementary Schools", by Beth Holland, she talks about how things are changing and how students even in elementary school, should be using social media.  I really liked her introduction to the article where she talks about the importance of students playing outside, Interacting facd to face, and engaging in hands on activities. She then goes on to talk about how there are great tools available to introduce technology and social media to young students.  How it allows them to explore and gives them more opportunities than they had in the past.  I definitely agree that it is crucial we teacher children from a young age about all of this and how to use it properly, I do think it is a fine line.  Students will most likely be using things similar to this and home and it is only natural to bring it into the classroom, but obviously with certain stipulations and restrictions.  I did find it very interesting to see how technology is greatly changing how students learn and how teachers teach, even in the early grades!.

iPads In The Classroom!

In the article, "Apple Provides iPads to Los Angeles School District in 30 Million Contract" by Ben Gilbert, the author talks about how the school district is going to be putting an iPad into many of their teachers and students hands. Seeing a district see the importance of bringing technology into the classroom is so exciting!  The high school I went to implemented an iPad program about 3 years ago and it has been a huge success.  It is a private school, so it is up to the parents to supply the iPads, but when I attended there, we had to purchase our own books each year which were significantly higher than the price of an iPad.  They also don't have easy access to lockers so I carried around at least a 50lb backpack each day.  Now, students only have to carry around their iPads.  They can access all of their books, take notes, do research and stay connected to their classes with just a tap of their finger.  Although it seems costly to make these purchases, if you looked at the money it would save districts from not having to purchase books, it would not be so high. It is great to see such a large district implementing this technology!

Students Cooking Up Change

The article, Cooking Up Change-Students Transforming the Future of Food in our Schools, by Kelsey Donohue, talks about a program called Cooking Up Change, which challenges students to come up with affordable and healthy meals to be used in their cafeteria.  This is such a great way to get students to have a better understanding of how to prepare healthy food and teach them ways to live healthier life.  This also is great to help schools incorporate new healthier alternatives to what they have been serving. Unfortunately our schools are a large part of the problem when it comes to childhood obesity.  We are not helping our students live healthy lives when we only offer them unhealthy options in schools.  Our schools need to make a change and work to help students make better choices and offer better options.

Students Get To Invest Real Money

In the article, High School Gives 16 Year Olds 100,000 To Invest, by Hibah Yousif, it talks about how Greenhill School, a private school in Dallas is giving their business club students $100,000 to be able to invest in the stock market.  Many schools around the country have similar programs but they obviously do not use real money.  This program is hoping that instead of having students use imaginary money, by using real money they will truly learn lessons in how to manage and invest money.  This is a very expensive and controversial program that you almost never see at the high school level.  Sometimes at the college level, their clubs use real money to invest.  Personally, I find his very interesting.  Although I do think that it is great that students get to really have an opportunity to see how the stock market works and get a real life experience with it, I think that this money could be used in much better ways.  This is a lot of money that if they students do not make good decisions with, might be gone.

Privacy for Newtown

We have all been struck with grief when seeing the images unfold in Newtown.  Only a few months later, it is still fresh in our minds and causes all students and teachers to feel a stronger sense of fear when they enter their classrooms.  Thankfully, our government seems to be making a smart choice in banning the publication of pictures and documents that show this massacre.  In the article, Conn. Governor Signs Bill Restricting Newtown Photos,  they discuss why this is important.  Very young lives were lost in this tragedy, and it does no one any good to see those pictures of that gruesome day.  It is important for their families, friends and this town to leave those photos unseen.  We should remember the victims as the bright, cheery eyed, young boys and girls that they were.  

Struggling Districts in Michigan

There is an article in Education Week, "Michigan Says 55 School Districts Have Deficits", that talks about how Michigan has a record number of districts that are functioning with large deficits.  Many of us in Michigan heard about the Buena Vista school district that had to actually close its doors for almost two weeks because they were not able to pay their teachers.  This is beyond alarming for someone in the teaching profession! Teachers already get such little pay for the work that they do and now districts cannot afford to pay them anything. There is not enough money to properly run a school and provide the resources that both the students and teacher need.  As we all know, teachers are always purchasing supplies out of their own pocket because schools cannot afford to help.  When will our country ever see what a disservice we are doing to our students by not placing a higher responsibility of funding our schools.  So much  money is wasted in our government that could be easily used to help educate our youth!

Being Prepared For An Intruder

After reading the article "States Pressing Schools to Add 'Intruder' Drills" by Nirvi Shah, it occurs to me just how drastically our world has changed.  It was not that long ago that I was sitting in an classroom and having an intruder enter my school was they furthest thing on my mind.  It just was not something we had to worry about (or so I thought).  It is so sad to know that this is a real fear of students and teachers today.  When Newtown happened, I was eating dinner with my 4 year old niece and she was asking when this is going to happen in her school.  It was heartbreaking.  A four year old should not have to worry about someone entering her school like this.  She should feel safe and comfortable in school, not in fear.  Although it is great to see schools making sure that they are prepared for such an occasion, it is sad that this is something that they even have to worry about.