Across the country, parents are finding new ways to support their children's schools in a time of tight education budgets. Some have even gone so far as to bleed for it—literally: parents in Oregon have sold blood plasma to raise money. Other less extreme measures include trivia contests and license plate sales:
www.parenthoodweb.com/articles.html?article_id=5694
Brain Drain—or Gain?
One area of recent interest in science has been the controversy over possible differences between men's and women's brains—and the role these differences may play in their career paths. However, some scientists say that the difference lies not in the adult brain, but the developing child's brain: girls and boys develop abilities at different times؏and an understanding of their biological inclination toward these "teachable moments" could play a key role in giving girls a brighter future:www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/03/BAGSKBJI981.DTL
Money Matters
While seven states now require that all high school students pass a course in finance and economics, the National Council on Economic Education says this isn't enough. This advocacy group found that the courses are often marginalized, to the detriment of students' ability to manage their own finances responsibly:www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-03-03-finance-highscool_x.htm
Much Ado About Nothing: Text Messaging
Though many parents and teachers may worry that young people who use text messaging may develop poor spelling and writing habits, researchers at a recent meeting of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science showed results that suggest we have nothing to fear but fear itself where text-messaging and "chatspeak" are concerned. Indeed, their research indicated that, while students who used text messaging regularly showed no declines in spelling performance in other media, the text-based communication of the Internet and other telecommunications tools actually encouraged them to write more:
www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,66671,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_4
SAT Confusion
College-bound students can cheer up about one thing—they're not alone in being perplexed by the new SAT. Many universities also find themselves uncertain of how to make use of the new test. But in this case, misery won't love company: the universities' indecisiveness is making things tougher on prospective students, as requirements change from school to school:www.usatoday.com/news/education/2005-02-22-sat_x.htm
Cooking Up Schools—and Controversy
In Britain, popular TV chef Jamie Oliver endeared himself to parents of school-age children when he produced a four-part television show that took viewers into the lunchroom of a London school—and spotlighted the nutritional nightmares therein. Highlight included the makings of chicken nuggets (better left unmentioned) and the fact that the cost of a school lunch is about a quarter of that spent on prison inmates' meals. Oliver is encouraging parents to lobby their members of Parliament to improve the nutrition of students' lunches:www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2092-1532856,00.html
Reach Out and Touch. . . .
With bullying an increasing concern, some schools in Britain and the US are turning to technology solutions, such as Text Someone, a text-messaging service that allows students to report bullying incidents as they happen. Schools are also using similar methods to report incidents of truancy to parents. But just how far can schools go? Some, for example, criticize a program in California that tracks students' every move using computerized ID tags, saying this violates their rights:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4268203.stm
All About Attitude
In this issue of the ASCD's Educational Leadership, the focus is on attitude as much as achievement, asking what a student's high score on an achievement test is worth—when that student has been turned off to the subject being tested?
www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd
Technology From The Heart
Researchers at MIT's Media Lab have an ambitious goal—a laptop for every child, no matter where they live. To that end, they are in the process of developing a laptop that will cost an incredible $100, and in partnership with Britain's Citizens Online, hoping to make hundreds of them available to children in developing nations:www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1415713,00.html
Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows
No, we're not talking about a scandal! But President Bush's proposed expansion of NCLB has both Democrats and Republicans up in arms—and joining forces to oppose the bill:
www.post-gazette.com/pg/05044/456387.stm
Reading Rights
The International Reading Association has put together a Bill of Literacy Rights for Children, included in their position paper, Making a Difference Means Making It Different: Honoring Children's Rights to Excellent Reading Instruction. Read the rights here:www.partnershipforlearning.org/article.asp?ArticleID=836
Working With Your Kid
It's that time of year again—Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day is almost upon us! What are your plans? This website provides information and resources on how to make the most of the day for you and your child, including resources to help parents, teachers, and workplace coordinators:
www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=43
Keys to Success
A recent study by the Prichard Commission for Academic Success looked at what makes eight high-achieving, high-poverty Kentucky schools so successful. The "magic bullets"? Things teachers have known for years: caring and collaborative relationships among students and adults in the schools, teachers who are committed to and believe in every child's ability to succeed, and high expectations for all students:
www.prichardcommittee.org/Ford%20Study/FordReportJE.pdf
"Bad writers borrow, good writers steal." This quote attributed to Mark Twain might be the guiding force behind one of the nine "Creativity Killers" discussed in this article, written as a confessional by an art teacher whose ideas can apply to any subject, and also includes some lesson plan ideas to help students' creativity thrive: