Speakaboos Blog » 2009 » January

Study: Recess improves classroom behavior

Andrew — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 12:08:50 +0000

Normally I dismiss most studies I come across, because there are so many variables to consider. This one may be no different, but it is so compelling that I wanted to share.Essentially the study says that kids who have recess, or some kind of unstructured time during the day, especially for 20 or more minutes, behave better in class. Dr. Romina M. Barros and her team came to this conclusion by studying a database of about 11,000 8- and 9-year old students, using a teacher rating system. And the students were broken down into two groups, those with “some recess” and those with none/minimal recess (1 to 15 minutes a day).The thing is, I remember having 10 minutes of recess per day growing up. And even though that sounds like a tiny bit right now, it seemed to serve its purpose at the time. Who knows though, I was just a kid.Full story at USA Today

They still teach cursive in school?

Andrew — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:38:12 +0000

This article in USA Today outlines an ongoing debate about whether or not cursive, and handwriting in general, should continue to be a part of the elementary school curriculum.I’m sure most of us remember sitting in 2nd or 3rd grade class, following dotted lines over and over again with that loopy, interconnected handwriting that you’ve never used since. Well, according to a 2007 survey by Vanderbilt University, 90% of teachers say that their schools still require instruction in handwriting, and of these, 90% of 3rd grade classes still teach cursive.In today’s world of e-mails and text messages, the best reason to teach cursive is because that’s the way it’s always been done–which, considering how typing is rapidly replacing handwriting, is not really a great reason at all.Back when I was taking cursive lessons in school, “computer time” consisted of popping “Oregon Trail” into the floppy disk drive and playing a few games. Considering how technology has changed since then, school curriculum needs to change as well. I’m all for handwriting lessons and an introduction to cursive in school, but the thought of today’s students sitting in class learning cursive, considering all the other things they could be spending class time on, just makes my wrist hurt.

Baby’s got rhythm

Andrew — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:40:41 +0000

HS Basketball Game score: 100-0, with surprising reactions

Andrew — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 12:39:38 +0000

A girls high school basketball game that finished with a score of 100-0 made headlines yesterday not just for its unusual score, but also for the way participants felt after–the coach from the losing side said he was proud of his team for playing hard, while officials from the winning school are calling their team’s actions “shameful” and asking to forfeit the win.Dallas Academy athletic director Jeremy Civello said after the game, “My girls never quit. They played as hard as they could to the very end.” Civello may have different expectations than many coaches because his girls team has never won a game in his four seasons at the school. But then again, his school has only 20 girls, eight of which are on his basketball team.Meanwhile the head of school at The Covenant School, the winning home team, said on the school’s website “it is shameful and embarrassing that this happened.”Moral of the story? Win, but don’t win by too much… The Dallas Academy boys team got a little bit of revenge doing just that, defeating Covenant 50-38.Full story from The Dallas Morning News

KIPP Charter Schools push 5th graders toward college

Andrew — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:56:59 +0000

This week’s issue of Newsweek has a very interesting article about the most-studied charter school network in the country–KIPP charter schools, which have found surprising success taking low-income middle school students and placing them on a rigorous curriculum focused on getting into college.What’s unique about KIPP, which stands for “Knowledge is Power Program,” is not just its obsession with higher education but the fact that it encourages college aspirations from such a young age.KIPP refutes the age-old idea that “college is not for everyone,” and prides itself on keeping expectations high for all of its students, no matter how under-achieving. And their combination of personal attention and long (10-hour) school days appears to be working–58 of KIPP’s first 62 students have gone on to college, often after attending prestigious high schools.Personally I don’t subscribe to the idea that college is the catch-all solution to a bad financial situation. As the work-force floods with BA’s and BS’s, a college degree is becoming less and less valuable. And as tuition increases and student loans become more expensive, a poorly-planned college experience can result in a lot of debt and not a lot of job prospects. It’s not that “college is not for everyone,” but the degree would be meaningless if indeed EVERYONE went to college.However, I do like KIPP’s philosophy that anyone can succeed in a school environment given the proper amount of attention and encouragement, and the program’s success is certainly reason to give more thought to our preconceptions about all young students.Here’s the full article at Newsweek.com

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – Quotations

Andrew — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:26:56 +0000

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.“”I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.”“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.“”Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.“

Kellogg’s warning: Don’t eat Austin or Keebler Peanut Butter Crackers

Andrew — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:40:20 +0000

Yesterday the Kellogg Co. recommended its customers not to eat its peanut butter crackers, which may be tainted with salmonella. The affected products are Austin- and Keebler- branded:– Toasted peanut butter sandwich crackers.– Peanut butter and jelly sandwich crackers.– Cheese and peanut butter sandwich crackers.– Peanut butter-chocolate sandwich crackers.The warning is just a precaution, so far there have been no reported incidents of illness from Kellogg’s products.The concern stems from one of Kellogg’s suppliers, the Peanut Corporation of America, which has been linked to a salmonella outbreak, and sells peanut butter under the brands Parnell’s Pride and King Nut. These brands are not sold retail, only to food industries and institutions such as hospitals and schools, who have been warned to discard the peanut butter.Kellogg’s is temporarily removing these items from stores until the issue is resolved. Anybody seeking a refund may call 888.314.2060 for details. Kudos to Kellogg’s for taking care of the situation before anybody else gets sick.Here’s the news release at Kelloggs.com

THIS KID’S A TEXT MANIAC – New York Post

Andrew — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:49:54 +0000

THIS KID’S A TEXT MANIAC – New York Post.13-year old Reina Hardesty of California sent 14,528 text messages last month. Mathematically that comes out to 484 texts per day, or one every two minutes per waking hour. It sounds outrageous, but is this really that much more shocking than a teenager of generations past spending hours of every day on the phone? Give the kid credit for communication and multi-tasking skills.

Personal Tech Devices Put Schools at Crossroads

Andrew — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:33:20 +0000

I’m old enough to remember when the idea of a cell phone (a phone that you carry?!) was unreasonably extravagant. Now I can’t imagine life without one. Towards my last few years of high school, they emerged as a novelty–a few kids had them, most of us didn’t. The school’s logical response? Ban them.But now, less than a decade later, the use of personal technology such as cell phones and mp3 players has become so pervasive that schools are forced to question their place in the classroom.Last week, a research center based at the Sesame Workshop released a new report stating that the use of mobile technology in classrooms could significantly boost learning. Author Carly Shuler writes: “While these devices are undoubtedly a source of fun and entertainment, proponents of mobile learning believe they have significant potential to be a key ally in supporting learning experiences.”While most schools continue to ban personal tech outright, some teachers have begun to embrace devices like cell phones and iPods as tools for learning, incorporating them into lessons.Tech-savvy teachers have begun to allow students to use cell phones to create podcasts, take field notes, and organize schedules and homework. And many schools have already turned to portable media devices like mp3 players to encourage literacy.Of course, these new classroom applications for mobile devices bring up a whole host of new problems, such as the potential for cheating, theft, and the fact that not every student has their own cell phone or mp3 player.But despite the validity of these concerns, none will be as difficult to deal with than a basic lack of understanding and knowledge on the part of the educators who resist the use of personal tech.We can reasonably expect educators to fear and avoid technology that students often have a better grasp of than their teachers.Rather than learn and adapt to the growing use of personal tech devices, many schools have unfortunately sought to ban and forget about them.An article in the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal claims that Wisconsin’s statewide ban on cell phones in schools was enacted because at the time, students with the means to own a cell phone or pager were thought to be dealing drugs.The potential of personal tech devices’ use for both good (safety, communication) and bad (distraction, theft) is so polarizing that New York City Council last week enacted a law allowing public school students to carry their phones to and from school–but continues to uphold an existing ban on cell phones inside schools. This is a stunning lack of foresight that should leave schools and cities everywhere scrambling to make new decisions on outdated cell phone and personal tech rules.Technology is growing more rapidly than schools care to keep up with. They can either get with it, or risk being left behind.Further reading:Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning – Carly Shuler Students Turn Their Cell Phones On for Classroom Lessons – Education Week Change in iPod Policy would be music to students’ ears – Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal Students Hung Up on Cell Phone Rules – New York Post

Five Tips to Help Families Eat Right on a Budget in 2009

Andrew — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:04:51 +0000

A lot of families equate eating healthy with spending more money–here’s a great article from Nationwide Children’s Hospital that provides some money-saving tips from a medical perspective:http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/gd/applications/controller.cfm?page=204&id=588&type=new