School Board oks compromise for "kite-runner"

A few months ago the novel "the kite-runner" was taken off the sophomore summer reading list for the students in Champaign Illionois. Some of the scenes in the book are controversial, including a scene were a boy is sexually assaulted by a group of bullies.
This brought up the usual argument of "artistic censorship" vs. "protecting my child." Eventually the two sides reached a compromise: the book can stay in the curriculum if there is an alternative available to read for those who are uncomfortable with the book.
I think this is an amazingly simple compromise that fits both sides of the argument perfectly. My point in all of this is that why can't agreements like this be struck in other places as well? Any number of censored books could be taught if the students could read alternatives as well.
Is this a good thing? A bad thing?

Applicants flock to teacher corps for needy areas

This article was about how the non-profit organization "Teach for America" has had a record number of applicants to teach in needy areas. The article states that people are looking for jobs in low-paying areas the way that people used to look for jobs in Wallstreet. What is causing this humanitarian approach? The article posits that it's the new generation of teachers, inspired in part by Barack Obama's message of change.
Whatever the reason, some people say that it's not such a good thing. "Placing the least-experienced teachers with the highest-risk children is a potentially harmful combination."
That was my main concern with this formula. It seems to me that putting in Green Teachers into the worst school systems into the nation is a bad idea. People who are new at a job make mistakes. In a school system that is already fragile, it is in the student's best interests to have veteran teachers providing some sort of stability for them.
Not only that, some of these teachers may not be ready for the reality of these school systems. Having a sense of social duty is a great and all, that might quickly run out the longer the teacher stays there.
Another issue that the article raises is the lack of high paying entry positions that Wallstreet used to offer to college graduates. Because of the stock market collapse a few months ago, there simply isn't the growth to allow every business major that graduates to get a six-figure entry position.
Further criticism of the organization is that many applicants go the two-year route, teaching for 2 years on their way to grad-school. Is this high-turnover rate bad for the kids in the long run?

Writing Skills are Life Skills

In this article, the author mentions that if children write often to acquire positive feedback, that they will become better and better writers. I disagree. I think that with frequent writing and both positive and constructive feedback, children will become more fluent writers. Gaining only positive feedback, how can students progress in their writing skills?

The article also highlights ways to help students become better writers. The first is to have them read more. I agree with this method completely, as I have found that I am a better writer when I have been reading consistently. The next pointer is to have students to have students experiment writing for different audiences. It suggests "short stories, notes to the Tooth Fairy, letters to the editor, vacation journals, thank-you notes, a business letter to a company about a broken product or letters to grandparents." These practices sound like a good idea, and a great way to get children writing about whatever they want. I remember engaging in some of these writing activities as a child - writing to the tooth fairy and to Santa Claus, exchanging letters with my grandparents on a regular basis, writing thank you notes to relatives for birthday and Christmas presents, and keeping journals - especially when I went on a vacation. I would like to think that these practices aided my writing and I know that it sparked my passion for writing.

Among these methods are seemingly effective ways to get kids writing at an early age. I agree that proficient writing skills are essential to success in school as well as in any career. I'm glad that this is a recognized skill, and hopefully less students will shy away from the love of writing.

21st Century Curriculum and Assessment

In this article, the author explores the NCTE's new literacy framework. The increasing technology spreading across our country in education is a new aspect that needs to be dealt with. Identifying the literacy goals as:
• Developing proficiency with the tools of technology
• Building relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and
cross-culturally
• Designing and sharing information for global communities to meet a variety of
purposes
• Managing, analyzing, and synthesizing multiple streams of simultaneous
information
• Creating, critiquing, analyzing, and evaluating multimedia texts
• Attending to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments
These will be incorporating into the NCTE's standards. I think the development is necessary. Technology is a big part of society today and it's incorporation in schools is essential. Rules and regulations must be set to aid the practices of using technology in the schools. Following drawn out rules to make sure each student is being productive in their usage and being able to find reliable and relevant sources.

"Colorado Dropouts Establish Patterns Early On"

This article was focused on middle schoolers. There was a study done in five district schools in colorado about dropouts. If a student fails one math or reading course they are more prone to dropout of high school. School officials look at behavior records, grades and attendance as far back as Middle School. You could be held back as young as eleven years old.

"Writing Skills Are Life Skills"

The article on "Writing Skills Are Life Skills" in the NCTE Inbox is about how writing and reading are closely related to each other. They both are an important requirement throughout life. When you write and read more these skills improve along the way. It is important to do well in your English courses because other courses benefit from the skills of reading and writing.

Cheating on Exams

According to the article, "Survey Finds Growing Deceit Among Teens" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113001906.html) by the Washington Post, 64% of U.S. high school students have cheated on tests. The article also mentions that it is highly doubtful that students are any less honourable than in the past, but that, instead, todays standards are just too high and strenuous, to which I agree completely. The bar just continues to be set higher and higher causing more and more students to panic and involve themselves in unethical practices like cheating.

Going off to College

This New York Times article talks about American students are deciding to go overseas a lot  for colleges.  This is due to the increase in recruiters for foreign universities within the United States.  This increase is not subtle in anyway shape or form.  St. Andrews University says that to date 1,230 out of about 7,000 students enrolled are American.  10 years ago there were only 200 American Students enrolled.  Recruitment is up because Americans pay a lot more in tuition versus native students.  It is like living in Vermont or Canada and going to a SUNY school compared living in New York and going to a SUNY school.  The tuition rates are entirely different.  This is not to say that it is just about gaining more money.  American students say that they gain worldly knowledge from going overseas and to them it is worth it.  I agree but at the same time disagree.  The article mentions that there are pros and cons.  There are no alumni networks making the transition from school to work a little harder.  It is more expensive and your family is further away.  I mean there are pros and cons, I all comes down to what your prerogative is.

Writing Skills Are Life Skills

I think that making writing fun for students is very important because it allows them to be creative. Giving them options for writing also allows them to have more of an open mind to what they would like to write. Parents play a big roll in how productive their children can be. Giving them the tools to succeed in becoming a better writer can assure them that they have support they need in order to accomplish many things in writing.

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Schools"

This article by Kathleen Kingsbury of Time Magazine speaks of how author, Stephen Covey's new book The Leader in Me is helping struggling schools become more successful as principals across the nation are applying it to their own educational settings.
The book focuses on the A.B. Combs Elementary school in Raleigh, N.C. and how the seven habits of his first book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" became a value system in this school. These seven habits include:
1. Be proactive.
2. Begin with the end in mind.
3. First things first.
4. Think Win/Win.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.
6. Synergize.
7. Sharpen the Saw.
Test scores in reading increased from "57.4% to 89.7% after one year and math went from 77.4% to 100%". Stephen Covey states that the 7 Habits applies social skills that children need to learn in order to understand and absorb what they are learning as opposed to be taught just to perform well in testing.
I feel that the 7 Habits are those that are applicable to any subject and any type of person who is wanting to do well. The Habits Covey expresses are timeless and are not strict rules for one to follow, merely normal values that are useful in many situations, including the classroom.

Time Spent Online A Good Thing?

http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.4773437/

"Results from the most extensive U.S. study on teens and their use of digital media show that America’s youth are developing important social and technical skills online – often in ways adults do not understand or value."

I find this to be true to the extent that the generation of most of our adults were not surrounded by this digital frenzy at a young age. I didn't get my first computer until I was 14, and I see more often than not, children as young as 4-5 years old using computers for educational games and activities. It is true, teens spend a great deal of time socializing via the Internet, but there needs to be a balance between interacting digitally and personally. If teens spend more time IMing than having personal contact, it depletes their understanding of speech and the physical gestures associated with it. Feelings and emotions are harder to portray through an e-mail than through a hand written letter, as well as having a simple IM conversation that doesn't employ natural sights, sounds associated with physical contact. I've had one too many IM conversations be misconstrued. However, it doesn't mean I wish to completely rule out this theory of teens using the Internet for supplementary purposes. I do believe it adds to their social networking skills and helps them to explore another world at the click of their mouse. But most of us have seen both sides to this coin and the dangers that the Internet presents. I feel that most everything can be done in moderation and with careful consideration...