As we are trying to dig ourselves out of the mountain of stuff that piled up while we were at NMSA08, I thought that I’d let you know that we were lucky enough to interview the wonderful Dr. Debbie Silver. We’ll post the interview once we get everything together. Until then, keep working with the kids.
If you went to Denver this year and are up for sharing some ideas, why not take a tidbit from the conference and send it out on email as a “Denver Nugget”!
I think one of the statements that made me think the most came out of
Will Richardson’s session the first day. He talked about how he had
his kids take classes via Skype from “teachers” across the globe on
subjects they self-selected. I had to chuckle when he described how
one lesson couldn’t finish because the teacher was a 12 year old in
Sweden and it was past his bedtime, so the teaching had to come to a
close for the afternoon. The opportunity to choose one’s teachers
from a pool of teachers across the globe and move outside the brick-
and-mortar school is a powerful notion in an age of electronic
portfolios. There were a great many things to take away from the
conference, but the potential of that idea has weighed heavy in my
reflection on the conference, especially when considering the places
we could go with curriculum in the future and the variety of subjects
that could be offered if a collaborative community of middle schools
harnessed it. Yes, potentially years away . . .
Woot! I’m in Denver! Made the short walk over to the convention center and into the queue for registration. Really short lines in the express check-in made getting the conference materials a breeze. The non-express lines were not huge, but there was a short wait time involved. Exhibit hall opens at 9:00 I believe and then the three concurrent sessions with Alan November topping off the day. I’ve got two sessions picked and am working on the third. In the short space of time between all of those, I might change the other two, so I’m not stating what sessions I’m going to here.
Judith Baenen is presenting on H.E.L.P. Living With A Preadolescent and I might go to that one on Friday. I have heard her speak before in Ohio and always walk away reminded of the foibles of transescents in a humorous way, who the adult is in the classroom, and how I can be a better teacher for my students.
Picked any sessions yet yourselves? Let us know and let NMSA know over at NMSA08.ning.com.
By the way, if you see Troy or I, stop us and say hello. One of us might have some bag swag for you …
Well, I did it. In the spirit of the NMSA 08 theme, I’ve made a Facebook page. Join me over at the NMSA Facebook group page. Lets light up the boards about the conference.
Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/sinking.asp
A Sinking Video
Items & Events
1. NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample) Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. (12 days …)
2. Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH. Presenter information is posted on the page. Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.” (You could argue . . . )
3. Michigan Internet Technology Chief Bruce Umpstead talks about using technology in education in a podcast here at Inside Michigan Education that proposes some ways to incorporate technology in your classroom and get the community to support it. (Interesting how he admits IT people in districts are actively blocking the iTunes U software.)
4. Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5. The Michigan Department of Education has posted new proposed Tech Standards for K-12 and opened a Zoomerang survey page for posting comments and replies. You can get to the proposed standards directly here and you can go to the survey page here. No one will stop you at the front door of the survey if you’re not in the Great State of Michigan, so have at.
6. Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association. If you have any, drop us a line.
7. PBS has turned the Media Infusion board to a middle school teacher for the month of October! You can read her insights and postings to the world about middle school at the Media Infusion website. Rebecca Lawson is a frequent contributor to the MiddleTalk listserv hosted by NMSA. Membership in the listserv is open to NMSA membership and you can get more detailed information here at the webpage.
8. The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here.
9. ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED: NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use. They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009. If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket.
10. Are you a member of the National Middle School Association? You are eligible to join MiddleTalk, a listserv for middle school teachers that engages in middle level “shop talk.” Sign up here.
11. Research Summary Posted: Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.
12. Join the gang going to NMSA’s Annual Conference by signing up at the Ning site and connecting with other Conference goers: NMSA08 Please do sign up and connect with other conference attendees. Of course, you’re always welcome to post here too . . .
13. There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives. The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted. In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor. Check it out here.
14. If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Tuesdays & Thursdays. This Tuesday’s speaker is TBA. It begins at 6:00 pm Pacific and is scheduled to end at 7:00 pm pst.
15. Denver Weather Watch is now on patrol! Get your National Weather Service information before you go.
NMSA08 Travel Prep:
Advisory Resources:
NMSA08 Annual Conference Information:
Tech Sandboxes (from NMSA):
“Come play in the Tech Sandboxes located throughout the Convention Center. Each Tech Sandbox will be a place to get your hands on and learn about a particular digital or Web tool for teaching and learning.
Tech Sandboxes are hosted by practitioners and experts who can talk about and show you how they have used the tool for teaching and learning. These practitioners and experts are also eager to give you a chance to get your hands on the technology to learn and ask questions.
Look for these Tech Sandboxes:
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From Middle EConnections:
Plan a Trip Outside the Classroom
Philip Brown
After returning from a productive field trip to the North Georgia Mountains, I began to reflect back on the benefits of the trip and the reasons why the trip was successful. There are numerous reasons why field trips are helpful to young adolescents and their learning experiences, but the relationship-building between teachers and students is the most positive function. The opportunity to be outside the classroom presents itself as a chance to connect with students in a unique way. Many times after field trips, teachers and students will have a new appreciation for each other.
Also, the more that our team discussed the trip, the more we realized that the success of our trip rested in the prior planning we had done as a team. The following tips were ways in which we worked to make the trip as smooth as possible.
Match the trip with the curriculum. Before you and your students can go on any field trip, prior approval must be granted by the administration or the local board of education. The best selling point is explaining how the trip will enhance the curriculum and enrich student learning and understanding. Be prepared to explain to your administration why this trip will provide students with an opportunity to learn in a way that the classroom may not allow.
It’s better to over-plan, but stay flexible. Sit down as a team and discuss all aspects of the trip from bus departure to sleeping arrangements. Every detail of the trip needs to be addressed, but also realize that some things that happen on trips cannot be planned or addressed before the trip. In these cases, be flexible and work as a team to solve these issues.
Put students in positions to be successful. If there happens to be a teacher who works well with a certain student, then try to place the student with the teacher for a majority of the trip. This will help out with student discipline and participation. Also, make students aware and knowledgeable of the expectations and the procedures before the actual trip. This helps minimize confusion with students as well as parents.
Promote and sell the trip. Many students who are disinterested in the everyday classroom will find excitement and interest in learning outside of the school building and everyday routines and procedures. It helps to sit down with these students and explain that you are excited they are attending the trip and participating in the learning activities. Also, stress to these students that they will be able to contribute to the trip and the learning experience.
Select chaperones carefully. Some adults can cause more heartache than help. Also, remember that some students act differently, positive and negative, in the presence of a parent or guardian. It may be helpful to use parents only in situations where you do not have enough certified teachers. Check with your administration about their preferences.
Debrief as a group. Find out what worked, what went well, and what failed. Whose actions surprised you and why? Did we as a team put these students and chaperones in a position to be successful? What could we do better next time? Did our students learn? How do we know?
Best wishes on your future trips, and don’t forget to plan early.
Philip Brown is a middle school assistant principal in Oconee County, Georgia. He is also a doctoral student in middle school education at the University of Georgia.
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Rethinking Research in the Google Era:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55598
As the internet replaces library databases as students’ primary research option, a new discussion is emerging in academic circles: Is the vast amount of information at students’ fingertips changing the way they gather and process information for the better–or for worse?
Like Carr, the study says people who use the internet for research have very specific and identifiable habits. For example, they tend to seek information horizontally–meaning they skim, or bounce from page to page, without reading in depth and rarely return to a previous source. About 60 percent of electronic journal users view no more than three pages, the study found, and 65 percent never return.
For instance, 89 percent of college students use search engines to begin an information search, the study found–while only 2 percent start from a library web site.
Wade said she asked her daughter, Kelly, how she researches online.
Kelly explained that she starts with Wikipedia–a resource students typically aren’t allowed to cite, because it might not be a reliable source–and looks at the resources listed to identify other sources that might be reliable and valid. She then goes to those sites and compares them. After skimming and comparing, she uses her knowledge of how to identify a valid source to choose those sources that she would be able to use for her project. Then, she reads those articles in depth.
Kelly compares her process to the “old” way of researching her mom had to use: “When you went to the library, mom, you had to look through encyclopedias, books, and magazines to find what they might have at your schools. Today, I can look at those things, but by using the internet, I can find a lot more information. One source leads me to another, and that article leads me to three others. If the articles or sources are not linked, I just Google them. I can learn because I have access to tons more information than you had available in your library–back in your day.”
Jim Bosco, professor emeritus at Western Michigan University, says there has “always been the concern that with new technology comes hell. It began with Socrates being concerned that writing had a horrible effect on learning, because up until that point all learning was done through oral tradition. It’s continued with printing and then television. It’s a reoccurring trend throughout history.”
“If people think it’s only the students now, [who] have access to the internet, who skim over information and write papers that are just a collage of quotes and material pulled from other articles, they’re wrong,” he said. “As a teacher who’s old enough to have reviewed papers both before and after the internet, let me tell you: Students in the past used to write papers in the same way. There will always be students who write papers where it’s obvious they have no deep understanding of the material. It’s not a new phenomenon–it’s just better automated now.”
According to the British Library’s report, a common misconception of the “Google generation” is that they are naturally information literate.
Says the study: “The information literacy of young people has not improved with the widening access to technology. … Young people sometimes have a poor understanding of their information needs and thus find it difficult to develop effective search strategies. Faced with a long list of search hits, young people find it hard to assess the relevance of the materials presented and often print off pages with no more than a perfunctory glance.”
To help students learn how to search the internet successfully, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has developed “Standards for the 21st Century Learner.” (See “School libraries try to do more with less.”) The State Educational Technology Directors Association also has a media literacy toolkit that aligns with state standards.
But to help students learn not only how to navigate the internet successfully, but also to know how to read in depth, educators says it’s up to them to design helpful homework assignments and projects.
Bosco added that educators also need to know how not to skim when reading–otherwise they won’t be able to discern good papers from bad ones. “They need to focus on quality, not on quantity, of assignments, and they need to take their time during assessments,” he concluded.
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Schools soon required to teach web safety:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55557
Schools receiving e-Rate discounts on their telecommunications services and internet access soon will have to educate their students about online safety, sexual predators, and cyber bullying, thanks to federal legislation passed in both the Senate and the House.
The bill reflects the concerns of parents, teachers, and others that children might meet sexual predators while on social networking sites or talking online in chat rooms. Increased media attention on online harassment and cyber bullying, including several cases where students have suffered severe emotional problems or have committed suicide after online taunts, also have influenced the bill.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
1. Month of the Young Adolescent is here! What are you doing in your classroom or school to celebrate this event?
2. Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH. Presenter information is posted on the page. Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.” (You could argue . . . )
3. NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample) Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website.
4. Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5. Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.
6. Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association. If you have any, drop us a line.
7. Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008.
8. The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here.
9. ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED: NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use. They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009. If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket.
10. NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using wikis in the classroom to promote learning.
11. Research Summary Posted: Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.
12. NMSA has a Facebook ! They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall? Pop over to the Ning site as well.
13. There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives. The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted. In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor. Check it out here.
14. If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Thursdays. Last week’s Tuesday guest talked about the US Department of Education’s interest in virtual learning environments. We’ll look around and see if they posted the session.
The National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference (NMSA08) is coming up soon (yes, 27 days or so, I know, but I’m excited already).
Preparations:
Advisory Idea: Izzit.org!
Izzit.org is a non-profit educational video resource for teachers. One of their first hosts was John Stossel of ABC News who produced DVDs of his special reports and distributed them through Izzit.org. They have a number of educational videos that you can get for free (one a year). Register on their site and you can get a free video from them once a year on or near your birthday. You can also purchase videos, but being genetically predisposed to FREE, it is the greater incentive. Visit their website and check out the DVD on Unintended Consequences: The Great Depression which is an in depth look at the causes of the Great Depression and the factors that led up to the economic disaster of 1929. What to do if your birthday is in June and you need something for Advisory today? Check out the current events lesson plans/ideas for your Advisory class. You can look at archived material and make it compare/contrast. For example, use this 1999 lesson on Administration’s pressure on Freddie and Fannie to take on greater low income housing and riskier home loans which at the time the question was, “What would happen?,” and turn it into, “Compare the concerns in 1999 with the realities of 2008.” Drew Carey is also producing a series of videos on the Bill of Rights and their use today worth checking out as well.
Teacher Resource: www.vocabulary.com
Vocabulary.com is another puzzle generator with a twist. They have a number of prepared vocabulary puzzles that you can use right off the web and over 125 vocabulary puzzles prebuilt for the novel you might be reading right now in your ELA class.
News:
Effect of bailout on Education:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/29/06budget-2.h28.html?tmp=981732249
The result of the presidential election will likely help determine how much money education programs receive in the 2009 federal fiscal year, which begins this week. But a multi-billion-dollar federal plan to assist the financial markets may leave the next president with very little room for major increases for K-12 schools, perhaps for the foreseeable future.
Standards for Teacher Evaluation Mulled:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/10/01/06evaluate.h28.html
With the pressure on to increase student learning, two states are in the process of overhauling what analysts say is among the most neglected pieces of the teacher-quality continuum: evaluation.
Co-Teaching:
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tsb/articles/2008/09/10/01math.h02.html
Curriculum Compacting:
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tsb/articles/2008/09/10/01gifted.h02.html
Shout Outs:
1. To Joyce McGreevy, thanks for the post and hope we see you in Denver!
2. To the listeners State of Illinois, we appreciate your support!
3. To our sponsors, we can’t wait to meet ya!
NMSA has started a conference visitation site at Ning.com. It’s easy to join and if you’re already a Ning member you can use your existing account to join the NMSA Ning site. Join early, join often as we always say! Click here to visit the site.
From an actual test (at least according to the Internet):
The 3 day breast cancer walk:
http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer
News & Events:
1. October’s Month of the Young Adolescent is here!
2. Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH. Presenter information is posted on the page. Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.” (You could argue . . . )
3. NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample) Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website.
4. Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5. Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.
6. Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association. If you have any, drop us a line.
7. Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008.
8. The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here.
9. ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED: NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use. They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009. If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket.
10. NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using wikis in the classroom to promote learning.
11. Research Summary Posted: Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.
12. NMSA has a Facebook ! They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?
The National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference (NMSA08) is coming up soon (yes, 27 days or so, I know, but I’m excited already).
Preparations:
Substitutes:
Hey guys
Who is the least appreciated person in the building and yet critical to the success of a middle school? The substitute teacher of course. Without them, forget IEP meetings, professional development, sick days, personal time or even special events. They are the ninja workforce who appear and seemingly disappear without leaving an obvious trail.
Good substitutes are worth their weight in gold, but many teachers either have never subbed or forgot how tough a job it is. Having been a sub teacher for three years in a middle school environment, I know all too well its pitfalls and rewards. When I became a full-time teacher, I knew how my temporary replacement wanted to be respected professionally through good preparation for their day with my kids.
Therefore, perhaps you can give some tips to teachers and remind them of how they can either make or break the day of a sub teacher in their classroom through planning or lack thereof.
I have had teachers who truly understood how to create a seamless transition from being absent one day and returning to class the next to find significant student progress. Good sub teachers are not babysitters, and they have an obligation to the school district and the teacher to keep kids safe and on-task.
Let me make a few suggestions of my own and perhaps you can elaborate:
-Lesson plans that provide more work than can be accomplished in the alloted time
-Necessary photo copies of worksheets, study guides, or reference material; subs do not have passcodes for copiers, nor do they know where to find them
-Directions for finding any materials or supplies needed; subs do not know your room or your desk
-Guide for standard operating procedures in your classroom; kids take too much liberty when asked to share the rules
-Teacher schedule that clearly indicates room numbers and times as well as lunch time, duty times and locations
-Class rosters and Seating charts that are up-to-date and reflect the latest changes made as students are moved for various reasons
-Emergency procedures for Fire Drills, lockdowns, etc. that are clear and easy to understand at a moments notice
-List of contact teachers (with room numbers) who can provide assistance and guidance
-Telephone extension list and clear indication of main office number
-Behavior referral slips and procedure for using them
Most schools require a sub folder to be kept in place for each classroom. But these get buried and forgotten until the teacher needs to be out. Therefore, nothing gets updated and the sub is working with inaccuracies that can, at best, totally change the delicate balance of a classroom and at worst, create a dangerous situation in an emergency. When a teacher provides everything they would have wanted themselves in the same situation, things go smoothly and everyone wins.
Thanks
Ron
New Jersey
1. National Substitute Teachers’ Alliance offers benefits to members and an annual conference.
2. Substitute Teachers are taking personal and professional advancement in their own hands. Edweek article articulates their position.
3. Substitute teachers have tried to organize. This is not legal in all states.
4. The National Education Association has a Substitute Teacher division with resources and advice on their website.
5. Looking for some training material for your substitute teachers? Check this out.
6. Some districts have language in their contracts that address substitute teacher issues.
7. NEA position on substitute teachers:
8. Recommendations from Education Minnesota on preparing for a substitute teacher:
9. Some districts provide some professional development for substitute teachers prior to their first day in the classroom.
10.
Resources:
Ideas for Teachers:
Ideas for Guest Teachers:
Middle School Matters #44 – News, Mucus, Saliva and Articles – Click to Listen!
News & Events:
1. Start planning for October’s Month of the Young Adolescent!
2. Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH. Presenter information is posted on the page. Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”
3. NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)
4. Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5. Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.
6. Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association. If you have any, drop us a line.
7. Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008.
8. The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here.
9. ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED: NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use. They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009. If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket.
10. NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using Skype for academic learning. How many of you have access to Skype at school?
11. Research Summary Posted: Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.
12. NMSA has a Facebook ! They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?
NMSA adds Featured Sessions
NMSA has announced that Apple, Inc. will be hosting a featured session as part of their Classrooms of Tomorrow program. To borrow from Martha, “Its a good thing.”
Its the second week of school and the Great Disease Exchange has happened. What can you do?
1. Hand Sanitizer
2. Personal box of tissues
3. Wipe down surfaces with sanitizer wipes.
4. Prepare a substitute teacher lesson box.
5. Get plenty of rest, fluids, and load up on your favorite Middle School Matters podcasts.
Alan November has a new Tech Article up at the NMSA website.
“Many classrooms have one computer sitting in the back that gets very little use.”
http://www.kiva.org/
www.skype.com
www.google.com/coop/cse/
Middle School Reading Coaches Found to Make Impact
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/11/04coaches.h28.html
Reading coaches in Florida middle schools have helped teachers and administrators build their knowledge and skills, and have had a positive influence on students’ motivation to read, but their impact on achievement is mixed, a report on the little-studied topic says.
“We found that the coaches’ review of assessment data with teachers was associated with positive outcomes,” said Jennifer Sloan McCombs, who was a co-principal investigator for the study with Julie A. Marsh. “That seems to be this key step in the push for data-driven decisionmaking: getting someone to help you actually translate what the data means and how to put it into an instructional strategy.”
“From the qualitative measures,” she said, “the report gives one the sense that coaches could have a big impact, particularly since they are helping principals to learn more about literacy, and they are really helping teachers improve their teaching strategies.”
Read the Study
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG762.pdf
21st Century
Report: Retool instruction, or U.S. will Fail
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55173
The report, called “21st Century Skills, Education, and Competitiveness,” argues that for the United States to be globally competitive–and for states to attract growth industries and create jobs–the nation requires a fresh approach to education that recognizes the critical role 21st-century skills play in the workplace.
In 1967, the production of material goods (such as cars and equipment) and the delivery of material services (such as transportation and construction) accounted for nearly 54 percent of the country’s economic output. However, by 1997, the development of information products (such as computers) and the delivery of information services (such as financial and broadcast services) accounted for 63 percent of the country’s output.
“It has become apparent that there isn’t a lack of employees who are technically proficient, but a lack of employees who can adequately communicate and collaborate, innovate, and think critically,” said Ken Kay, P21 president.
Parents May Sue over Cops MySpace Lecture
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10431473
Students who attended the presentation on the first day of school said Officer John Gay called some students’ MySpace pages “slutty” and said they would be grist for sexual predators.
Gay has denied he sought to publicly humiliate students. He said he was trying to show them how easily an Internet predator could gain access to a student’s private information through websites like MySpace and Facebook. He also denied calling anyone’s page “slutty.” Teachers in the room at the time of the talk agreed with Gay’s version of the event.
“What we really want to see is the school district take some action and to prevent Officer Gay from harming other children,” Gillian C said.
From Hybrid Courses to Hybrid School:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/news-by-subject/curriculum/index.cfm?i=54655
“Hybrid” courses, which offer a blend of online and face-to-face instruction, have become increasingly popular in schools and colleges nationwide. Now, a new high school in Hawaii has taken the same concept and applied it to an entire school.
The combined online and face-to-face curriculum gives students the benefits of a flexible schedule, while maintaining a high-quality education, school officials said. Courses are taught by experienced teachers who provide small-group instruction and individualized feedback to help students master course material. Students also will benefit from ongoing interaction with their teachers and peers via online and on-campus lessons and face-to-face lab and field activities.
You can check them out at: http://www.uhmseedacademy.org/kapoleihighschool/