Tag: high school
We Can Change the World
by on Dec.16, 2009, under Uncategorized
From The DEN Can Change the World in the DEN Blog Network, I learned about the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge which sounds like an awesome challenge for students. It doesn’t cost anything to enter and would be a real life application of what students are learning.
The purpose of this challenge is to:
- engage students in identifying and solving local environmental problems
- utilize their creativity
- involve their community
- recommend how others could use this solution in their communities
They challenge students to come up with solutions to environmental problems in their own backyard. They have three different sections: elementary, middle and high school levels but the high school level is “coming soon.” When you click on the level, they give information about resources, the challenge process, the prizes, and the trip. The winners can win $100K plus other prizes. Included are tips for how to get started as well as what the judges are looking for. In the challenge process page, there are teacher resources, student resources and even parent resources. The challenge process is also explained in six detailed steps that tell what is expected.
“The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge teams should consist of a teacher or other adult mentor and two, three or four students. The mentor can enter multiple teams into the Challenge, but each team should have its own unique solution and results, and may choose to work on different local environmental problems.”
You can read about the specific rules here: Official Contest Rules.
The deadline is March 15, 2010.
Please check this out and consider it.
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Keep Unblocking Social Networking Sites
by on Dec.02, 2009, under Uncategorized
In Why Facebook is Unblocked at ISB from The Thinking Stick, Jeff Utecht shares an email from his department sent to a parent who was concerned about Facebook being unblocked at his school. Near the end of the email, it states,
“These sites have emerged as social areas that form a major significant part of many of our student’s lives. This socialization is near as important to this generation as face to face time with their friends and they maintain friendships beyond ISB to include international students from schools around the world. At this point we feel that by simply blocking these sites, we as a school would be missing an opportunity to educate students about how to use them appropriately…If students cannot manage their time on computers productively at school, then they would certainly not be able to at home. Blocking access has not proven to be effective in teaching students to use a tool effectively and wisely.”
I think part of the desire to block is fear of the unknown. When rock and roll first hit the scene, parents around the world were horrified and wanted this new type of music banned and hidden from their children. I’m sure that when the first automobile hit the roads, there was fear of how this newfangled thing would affect our lives. I believe as more and more parents become comfortable with social networking sites, they will less stressed about their children using them. Of course, as a parent, I would require that my child becomes my “friend” and I would have the password to my child’s account. If for any reason this password gets changed or if I’m blocked, I would delete the account and keep my child from using this until he/she matured more. But that is just what I would do.
I also understand the need to protect our children but by acting out of fear and ignorance is not the best way to protect our children. When we teach our children to read, there is a chance that they will read some inappropriate materials. So in our desire to protect, do we just not let our children learn to read or do we let them learn to read but only material we hand pick for them? When our children learn to drive, there is a chance that they may drive to an inappropriate place. There is a chance that they may get in an accident, get car jacked, or even pick up a hitchhiker. Do we not teach our children to drive, or only let them go places if we are with them?
When I was growing up, my parents did not allow me to date until my senior year of high school. I did not have a lot of social skills when dealing with the opposite sex. My only date happened to be my prom date and it wasn’t the highlight of my dating career. When I went on to college (800 miles away from my parents), I went boy crazy. I went out with some horrible boys as well as some nice boys. The problem was that I didn’t have any guidance from my parents to help me figure out which ones were which. At one point, I had a boy who became very possessive and started to stalk me but I didn’t know how to deal with it and I wish I had dated more when I was at home with my parents. Eventually my friends were the ones I turned to and they helped me get out of a bad situation. By the time I had children, I knew that I wanted them to have some social experiences while they lived at home and I could help guide them. I didn’t want them to make the same mistakes that I did.
I think it is so important to teach our students to become independent and learn the skills necessary to be become this way. Yet, we need to teach them how to use these skills wisely. We need to introduce them to the negatives as well as the positives. We need to teach them how to handle the tough situations they may find themselves. If we can help them while they are in a safe atmosphere, they will be able to transfer this knowledge when they are on their own. Let’s face it, these students are going to get on social networking sites whether we like it or not, so shouldn’t we give them some information on how to use it appropriately?
How do you feel about this? Do you think students should have access to social networking sites at school and why?
Original image: ‘chapter 8 – community building through social networking’
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80994469@N00/2584489931 by: David King
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Last Night I Sang to the Monster – Book Review
by on Dec.02, 2009, under Uncategorized
I just finished reading the book Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (By the way, I am not being paid to write a review of this book.)
This is a very strong and moving book. Many students who are faced with alcohol problems would find this book motivating and inspiring. I think it would be helpful for them to know that they are not alone. At first I was a little unsure about how I would like this book but then once I got into it, I felt drawn into the main character. He couldn’t remember why he was in this place and each page led you closer to the events that led him here. As I read, I realized what a complicated character this was and I watched him change as I read the book. This would be a good book for high school students who are struggling with many of the same issues such as addictions and isolation. The profanity in the book was a little strong for this to be used in the classroom but I could see students reading this on their own. I would give this book a 4 our of 5.
