Health Issues Become School Issues

Many people are developing health issues more now, than they used to the past few decades ago. Genetics as well as environmental issues play a role in the people who have developed certain issues. These issues range anywhere from type two diabetes, obesity, to heart problems. Schools around their world are adopting this health epidemic problem, and making it their job to do something about it.

Over the past few years, children are developing a form of diabetes that adults contracted later in life. Type two diabetes is just as serious as type one diabetes, but it is preventable. Also, more and more children are developing high blood pressure. There are many environmental factors such as stress, poor eating habits, and lack of sleep that all contribute to the development of high blood pressure. The American Heart Association is teaming up educational and physical programs of schools to help decrease the numbers of children developing these issues.

The American Heart Association has developed several programs such as Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart to decrease numbers. About 31,000, of schools all throughout the United States participate in either the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart or the Hoops For Heart programs (Delisio 1). Both of these programs work closely with elementary schools as well as middle schools to teach students are lifelong physical activity, such as jumping and basketball. Also, students are not only learning about the dangers of tobacco products, they are learning about proper nutrition.

Students receive many benefits by participating in the programs such as Jump Rope and Hoops. Students learn about the importance of maintaining heart-healthy lifestyles while they are also participating in service learning as well as being physically active. Schools have an opportunity to enroll themselves in the Healthy Schools Program. Millions of students each day all across America are attending schools with such programs.

Schools have an advantage in helping with this health epidemic, if they chose to make a difference and contribute. Providing communities where students can learn about the benefits of receiving healthy lifestyles as well as being in an environment that promotes health, is one of the best ways to shape up the outdated health educational programs. The efforts of the American Heart Association have made an impact on millions of youth. Informing the youth and providing them with resources is how America is going to over come the various health issues that we are facing, as well as the ones we may face in the future.

Delisio, Ellen D. "Heart Health Programs Move Into Schools." EducationWorld. 24 Mar. 2010 http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat254.shtml.

No More Bullies

I remember that bullying was a huge problem in both my elementary and high school. In elementary school, most of the bullies would pick out the 'weaker' kids who either wore glasses or were the teacher’s pet, and taunt them by saying mean things to them or about their family members. As we aged into our high school years, so did the brand of bullying. The bullies had access to cars, phone numbers, and developed skills of hacking into other people’s computers. With the bullies having so much more access, they did not keep bullying at school; they continued to bully different kids outside of school. There was little to none that teachers were able to do to prevent bullies, or even scold the ones who were bullying others. This was a school-wide problem in my county, but I'm sure that it was a nationwide problem in all around me.

Bullying has been a problem in schools for many years. The types of bulling have changed in the past 15 years. The name calling as well as the terrible rumors still exist. Now-a-days, most kids are bullying other kids through a new type of bullying known as Internet cyberbullying. In cyberbullying, kids bully other kids through text messages, e-mails, or through IM conversations. Also, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter have transformed bullying by allowing more and more bullies to torture their victims at any given time of the day. Students are no longer finding refuge at home due to this mass epidemic of cyberbullying. Many parents, teachers, and administrators are concerned with this issue.

In Massachusetts, lawmakers are making a stand against bullying in schools. A bill has been approved to make this effort official. This bill will ban bullying and require school districts to start bullying prevention plans as well as inform the parents of the new anti-bully curriculum("Mass. House Approves," 1).Parents of both the bully and their victim will be notified of each incident.

Several amendments of this bill have been added to ensure that it will be effective. Teachers, nurses, and any other school personnel are to report any bullying incidences to the school principal. Teachers will be required to complete anti-bullying training. Also, lawmakers adopted an amendment that is designed to be effective statewide. It is known as the "no name calling" day. On this day students will be encouraged by their teachers and school staff to think about the lasting effects of bullying and to make a pledge that they will not participate in calling each other names.

Bullying is a problem that has to be stopped. Many students at all ages are committing suicide, which is believed to be the result of cyberbullying. The bill has gained momentum since the deaths of both 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover and 15-year-old Phoebe Prince. Parents, teachers, school administrators, and lawmakers need to join together in the stand to prevent and end every nature of bullying. Each effort that is made is one step closer to saving the lives of the victims of bullies.

Below is a video of a young boy named Ryan Halligan, who was a victim of being bullied online and offline. He was a normal teenager who unfortunately ended his life due to being bullied. His dad effortlessly tells the story to warn people or the online dangers that today's children may be facing.



“Mass. House Approves Anti-Bullying Bill.” Boston. 16 Apr. 2010 http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/03/mass_house_appr.html .

image found here.

Teacher Evaluations

Teacher evaluations have been established to ensure that students are being taught with quality as well as efficiency. With programs such as No Child Left Behind, evaluations are critical to a teacher. Failure to have evaluations that are satisfactory, may result in the loss of a teachers job. Not all schools are being treated the same when it comes to teacher evaluation. Cracking down on all schools may result in a better quality of education.

Charter schools and public schools have to meet criteria differently. Charter schools, in particular have more flexibility in their teacher-evaluation policies than that of typical public schools. The Center of American Progress released a study that has recently found evidence that affirms that charter schools are being evaluated differently than public schools. "Charter systems create their own teacher evaluation systems and are not usually constrained by school district mandates, union rules, or laws governing tenure and dismissal" (Donaldson, M. and Peske, H., 1)There may be different effects of being evaluated differently.

Researchers Morgaen Donaldson and Heather Peske interviewed the administrators and teachers of five different schools that are located in three different charter-management organizations, also known as CMOs. Two of the nonunionized CMOs' observations were unstructured and unannounced. Their annual dismissal rates were higher than the nation's average, they did not appear to exceed eleven percent of the teaching forces of the schools (Donaldson, M. and Peske, H., 1).

President Barrack Obama's stance on producing better quality education is mostly in teacher evaluation and charter schools. The amount of funding that schools receive will be based on whether or not student test scores are meeting the qualifications that they should. The Obama administration believes that the persistent failure of public schools can be fixed with the advances made in charter schools.

Several criteria have to be met to judge the performance of charter schools. A few of the questions that have to be asked to ensure quality. The first question is, does teacher evaluation in charter schools improve instruction, enhance student learning, and raise achievement? The second question is do charter school evaluation ratings exhibit wider variation than the narrow distribution of high marks commonly found in "conventional" public schools? The last question is, are charter school administrators able to use teacher evaluation as a means to identify and dismiss teachers who are not effective or recognize and reward those who are? Each of these questions are critical in the process of promoting effective evaluations.

image found here .

Donaldson, Morgaen L., and Peske, Heather G. "Supporting Effective Teacher Through Teacher Evaluation." 21 Mar. 2010 http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/teacher_evaluation.html>.

The New Classroom

Superintendent, Keith T. Larkin, has a digital vision for future classrooms. He feels that classroom will renounce their name as ‘classrooms,’ and take on the new name of ‘learning environments.’ Also, he envisions these ‘learning environments’ to be filled with all sorts of technology. Wireless computers, multimedia presentations, and interactive whiteboards will all inspire learning in the learning environments.

Student learning will be more interactive with the new classroom system compared to the old classroom system. For example, the article states that at the Tracy Learning Center, students view their textbooks and instructions by logging onto a web portal. Viewing books digitally without having to carry around books is a very innovative tool that almost all of the students appreciate.

Teachers will need to adapt more to student needs. Teachers have to make the choice whether or not their best interest is going to be for their students. Teachers can make this choice by staying on task with what resources are available for them to use. Students will be able to have more one-on-one time with computers due to the new digital classrooms (Manzo 3). Classrooms will be changing in the digital age.

Switching from the old classrooms to new the digital learning environment may have both positive and negative effects on education. Many students will be very successful in their academics in the new digital learning environments. However, the switch will be very expensive. Superintendents from all over will have to heavily contemplate on whether or not their school systems are ready to make the change, or if they are even financially able to change.

Unfortunately, the schools who are not able to embrace this new styles may cause some issues. A digital divide may be seen among the schools in which the schools systems cannot afford to make the switch. A digital divide can slow down schools. If the schools are being slowed down due to lack of funds, then students may be slowed down as well as different parts of society.

Manzo, Kathleen. “The New Classroom Look.” EdWeek. 12 Mar. 2010 http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2009/06/17/04classroomlook.h02.html?qs=student+designs&print=1>
.

Video Games Hinder Studies

For many years people have debated on whether or not children should play video games. Many parents have mixed feelings on whether or not their children should play them. There have been various forms of studies that have conducted to see if there are any links between children playing video games to their academic achievements. There is not only a link between video games to a childs' academic success, but the students who play video games sometimes tend to lack social skills. The results of these various studies can help to sway parents in the appropriate direction for their children.

A study has recently been conducted that implies that children who play video games may be lacking in school advancements. “The average reading and writing scores of the young gamers don’t go down, but they don’t improve either, said Robert Weis of Dension University in Ohio, co-author of the study” ("Study: Video Games," 1). The study also found gains in the reading and writing scores of children who did not play video games. The study also found that kids were averaging about 40 minutes per day playing the Play Station. This chunk of time is more than likely interfering with study time as well as the time for social activities. The study concluded with a statement about kids becoming less interested and wearing tired of playing with the video games, however no so much for boys.

Social development is key in the development of a child. Socialization means that the child has the ability to communicate and understand language in various forms. A child that is constantly playing video games is focusing on the task at hand, and not on social interaction with others. Children who play video games lack social skills, which in can hinder them later in life.

Needless to say, playing video games has an effect on a childs' education and social development. Children are spending more time playing video games which more than likely implies that they are spending less time doing homework, studying, or interacting with people around them. Test scores may not decrease significantly, however there is little to none improvement on them. Parents are becoming hesitant when it involves buying video games. The more knowledge parents know about video games can help them to take action in not purchasing video games, or in limiting the time their kids play on them. Actions need to be made so that children's test and reading scores as well as their social skills do not decrease.

“Study: Video Games Can Hurt Schoolwork.” MSNBC. 5 Mar. 2010 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35897874