Archive for February, 2008
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Saturday, February 23rd, 2008While I was on vacation in Rome last summer I had a snack at the outdoor table of a corner cafe everyday. Once I met an older native Italian lady there and we chatted about various topics. I was surprised how much she knew about the American presidential candidates and American history. I could not discuss her country’s [...]
Uproar Over High School Newspaper V-Splash is Revealing
Sunday, February 17th, 2008When I read Susannah Rosenblatt’s Los Angeles Times story about the upset over Cleveland High School’s Valentine issue I must admit I was amused and pleased.
I spent my entire teaching career from junior high through college levels trying to get students excited about reading something, anything.
Hooray for Richard Edmond, the courageous 15-year-old student editor-in-chief, who not [...]
Lesson on Racism Upsets Idaho Parent
Friday, February 15th, 2008
When fifth grade teachers tried to bring alive what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. meant by being judged by the color of your skin, a Times-News article reports on the upset reaction that resulted.
To help students see what it feels like to experience racism and segregation, about 200 fifth graders at Summit Elementary School in Twin [...]
Cyberbullying in Schools is a Real and Present Danger
Tuesday, February 12th, 2008When a lone young adult entered the office of an elementary school in Los Angeles today waving a gun, the office personnel threatened to call the police. He ran away. The school was put on lockdown while police searched for the culprit.
The worry about school violence is prominent in the minds of parents and students, but the [...]
Online Learning Draws Converts and Controversy
Friday, February 8th, 2008Half a million American children take classes online, reports an article in the New York Times. And they don’t mean just college students. Many of these are elementary aged, and some get all of their schooling from virtual learning.
There are two basic models of online learning. One is where students take courses to supplement their [...]