There’s nothing like curling up with a good book on a delightfully dreary fall day, watching the grey skies while keeping cozy warm by the fire. On the other hand, I love getting on the computer and catching up on the latest news or finding the answer to some question one of my kids asked. Luckily for me, I can choose either option — or, rather, I could if I had that kind of free time. But what if one had to choose? Many schools can’t afford both technology and textbooks, so which would teachers rather have?
Posts Tagged ‘schools’
Books in the Classroom: Text or Note?
Monday, November 15th, 2010Facebook for First Graders
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010
Facebook has become such an integral part of our culture that it is as familiar to the average person as the horseless carriage (cars) and the magic picture box (television). Of course, it is the younger generation that is primarily driving acceptance, but it is increasingly popular with seniors as well, as they discover how easy it is to keep in touch with family members living elsewhere. Even as it is becoming a way of life for teens and adults, however, what about the elementary school crowd?
School Board Member Wants Students To Die
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010According to the Center for Public Education, school boards have one primary purpose
: “first and foremost school boards look out for students.” They do this, in part, by determining policies, selecting curriculum, and providing oversight and accountability for the schools in their districts. So the last thing you’d expect from a member of a school board is to publicly and openly encourage people — including students from Midland School District which he represents — to kill themselves. And yet, that’s what Clint McCance did.
Religion In Schools, Fingers In Ears
Monday, October 25th, 2010
A Facebook Friend posted just the other day that he was shocked that his daughter’s teacher had given the class a list of the five pillars of Islam as part of a unit on the Middle East. He felt that not only was this teaching the students about Islam but it was also teaching them how to convert. He believed this was an inappropriate violation of the doctrine of separation of church and state. To further complicate matters, the teacher had informed the students that she was a Muslim. So a call was made to the school principal and a meeting has been scheduled to discuss the matter.
Well, Rhonda Thurman, a member of the Hamilton County Board of Education in Tennessee, has a solution. If the teacher begins teaching the students about Islam or praying with them, my friend’s daughter and any other offended students can simply “put their fingers in their ears.” Yep, she actually said that.
Student Teacher Fired For Hanging Out With Guys
Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
Teachers teach their students a lot more than just the three Rs of reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic. They teach kids to have confidence and to try new things. They get kids to strive for excellence and accept loss gracefully. Teachers teach kids how to interact with others, both by telling them directly and by setting an example. In short, teachers teach kids about the real world. Except, perhaps, in Beaverton, Oregon where the real world apparently must be cleaned up and sanitized before telling the precious little snowflakes about it.
Teaching The Bible In School
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
There’s no doubt that the bible has had a significant impact on human history. The bible has inspired artists such as Michelangelo and Botticelli, composers like Bach and Vivaldi, and even authors like C.S. Lewis. Although not strictly Christian concepts, we have the bible to thank for the popularity of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. Of course, we also have the bible and related works to thank for the atrocities of the crusades, the Middle East conflicts and even, yes, the holocaust. But should the bible be something taught in schools or is it best left for parents and priests to discuss? One California school district thinks the bible’s influence is substantial enough to warrant teaching about it.
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Kindergarten Kondoms
Friday, June 25th, 2010
A new policy approved by the Provincetown, Massachusetts school committee would, in theory, make condoms available to kindergarteners without their parents’ knowledge or consent. Naturally, this has a lot of people in an uproar — mostly the sort of folks who are opposed to sex in general. The policy is an “absolute push to promote sexual promiscuity,” according to Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, an organization apparently dedicated to stamping out anything fun. “This is the theater of the absurd to hand condoms to first-graders who don’t even know what their purpose possibly could be, who can’t even spell sex,” he added.
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