Editorial: Schools should teach MySpace, not ban it

Earlier this year, the House voted 410 to 15 to ban MySpace and other social networking and blogging sites from schools and libraries. The issue is awaiting a vote in the Senate.
An editorial in today's Boston Globe suggests that schools should be allowed to teach how to use this important technology instead of taking this head-in-the-sand approach.

School a danger zone in Iraq

While I would never belittle the problems faced by students in the United States, a Los Angeles Times article makes it clear that Iraqi students have far more to worry about including kidnappings and murder:

But today, across the country, campuses are being shuttered, students and teachers driven from their classrooms and parents left to worry that a generation of traumatized children will go without education. Teachers tell of students kidnapped on their way to school, mortar rounds landing on or near campuses and educators shot in front of children.

Study examiines internet addiction

A new study examines internet addiction among teens, according to an article in today's New York Daily News:

"It's like a giant slot machine," says clinical psychologist David Greenfield, director of the Center for Internet Behavior and author of "Virtual Addiction" (New Harbinger, 1999). "You have stimulating and potent information and content, and then you have it offered in a way that has no boundaries, no beginning and no end." He says that's also the reason people check their E-mail so often: "There's an unpredictability, and you never know what you're going to get, how good it's going to be and when you're going to get it."

The problem with students who pass classes, but fail standardized tests

In today's "the test is everything" society, students who work diligently to make good grades, but do not necessarily do as well on standardized tests are being left behind.
An article in today's Washington Post examines this growing problem:

Supporters of the federal law (No Child Left Behind) say standardized exams are the best way to raise academic standards and the only way to hold schools accountable for results. Critics complain that time spent on test preparation saps classroom creativity and that test scores are just one indicator among many of student achievement.

Exhibit pays tribute to marching bands

A new exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum pays tribute to marching bands. The article in today's Washington Post includes this quote:

"Kids busy with bands don't have time to get into trouble if they are sincere and dedicated to the program," says Gwendolyn Hankerson, who taught at H.D. Woodson High School, one of the programs that still exist in the city. "Our kids met five days a week at 8 o'clock; and four days a week, we had 3:15 practice. They had 15 minutes to finish school and get to practice. We had summer practices and performances on weekends. For some kids, we were their life. They wouldn't even want to go home after practice. They would always be in the school."

Devil's Messenger website created

The official publication of my second novel, Devil's Messenger, is only a few days away. It's an exciting time for me, especially since this book does not include any preaching on the state of the present-day news media (for the time being, I will limit that to this blog).
A link to the book's website, which I have spent the last several hours working on, is being added to the links bar on the right hand side of this page. The website features a plot summary. a larger version of the book's cover, an about the author page, links to the IUniverse Devil's Messenger page, and to the novel's first chapter. More links will be added, as the novel becomes unavailable at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other websites. It can be pre-ordered now from IUniverse.

Devil's Messenger is about as far from Small Town News as you can get. This is not another novel about the media, but a combination horror story and murder mystery. This is the description of the novel from its back cover (which also features a photo of me, an entirely different sort of horror story):

On one hot August night, 15-year-old Cassandra Harper's life is shattered. First, she becomes a victim of date rape, then the body of her beloved father, Richard Harper, is found slumped over the computer he gave Cassandra for her 15th birthday. From that point on, Cassandra withdraws from the world, reserving her communications to her anonymously-written blog…and to instant messenger conversations with her dead father. Devil's Messenger, a combination horror story and murder mystery, is the story of how Cassandra battles from the brink of despair to reclaim her life, and her evil father who attempts to continue his reign of terror from beyond the grave. Adding to the mix is Richard Harper's murderer, who is manipulating Cassandra's family and everyone else in the small community of Westport seeking the hidden fortune that Harper left behind. Devil's Messenger is a roller-coaster ride of terror from beginning to end.

Joplin man sues MySpace

Details are sketchy, but a Joplin man is suing MySpace.com, claiming the company's decision to delete two of his profiles amounts to depriving him of his freedom of speech.
In his lawsuit, filed today in U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Brian Mora, 35, says he had profiles deleted on Oct. 5 and Nov. 1 "because an administrator for the respondent simply disliked something displayed on the petitioner's profile, citing a fraudulent reason and calling it 'a violation of terms of service.' "
The petition says MySpace has "abusively attacked the petitioner for displaying and exercising protected freedom of speech and freedom of expression" and won't talk with him about the problem in person.
Mora's lawsuit does not give specific details of what was on the deleted profiles but he asks the court to stop MySpace from interfering with his:

-Support of specific political candidates
-Support of specific causes and organizations
-Support of specific individuals and their professional and humanitarian efforts.
Mora is representing himself.

Article examines bullying problem

Some of the major problems facing teachers and school administrators concerning bullying are spelled out in an article posted on the Joplin Daily website.
Daily reporter Michelle Pippin interviewed the mother of the Memorial Middle School shooter, who paints a portrait of a pattern of a bullying that led to the incident:

"He came home once limping; he had been kicked by an older kid in the halls," she recalled. "He came home once with a huge welt on his head from someone slamming his locker door on his head when they passed him in the hall. His hand was injured once too. He did suffer from bullying. He would come home crying, begging us not to send him back to school."

The article make some strong points about bullying. It's there and it is not easy to deal with. School officials make every effort to deal with it, but principals and teachers are outnumbered and bullies are usually good at knowing how to hide their activities and which students are never going to say a word about them.

Of course, I note that the parents who talked to the Daily article never actually talked to school administrators about the problem, which would seem to have been the natural, logical step.

I am not native enough to think that things are perfect at South Middle School. Bullying incidents do take place, but we do our best to catch them and stop them as quickly as possible. Still, we do miss a few. We work to cut down on the number of problems by having teachers in the hallways between class periods and by having them all over the place before and after school. While it is impossible to catch everything that happens, we do manage to stop a number of potential problems before they begin just by our presence.

It just amazes me that with the amount of education students receive about the negative effects of bullying, and the publicity that the recent wave of school shootings generated, that we still see bullying. What in the world is it going to take to get through to these kids that their behaviors could have deadly consequences?

Survey paints bad view of today's teens

More than 80 percent of teens admit lying to their parents about something, and more than 60 percent admit to having cheated on tests, according to an article in today's Washington Post. Those who have taken my communication arts classes at South Middle School will recall the time I told the story of my speech at the Lamar Middle School Academic Assembly in the late 1980s.
I praised the seventh and eighth graders who were being awarded for making top grades for the entire school year, and noted that they did things the right way- they didn't cheat to receive their honors.
Then I told the story of someone who did. When I was a freshman at East Newton High School, I was not doing well at physical science to put it mildly and a major test was coming up.
Though I tried to study, I could not understand the material, so finally I decided to try something different, something I had never tried up to that point. The physical science class was seventh hour and I had a study hall in the cafeteria sixth hour. After spending a few minutes making a futile effort to understand my notes and the material from the textbook, I devised a plan. I began writing a few notes on the bottom of my shoe.
It occurred to me that when I walked to my next class, the notes might be erased, so I tested it by asking the teacher if I could get a drink. I walked in a normal fashion down the hallway and when I looked the notes were still there. Phase one was successful. Since I only had a couple of lines written, I figured I should see if the notes could be removed by rubbing vigorously against the floor just in case the teacher were to catch on. I tried it and the notes were gone.
When I returned to the cafeteria where the study hall was held, I furiously scribbled notes on the bottom of both shoes. Since the teacher had indicated we would have to be able to draw a diagram of a steam engine, I turned to the page in the book with such a diagram, pulled up my pants leg and drew it on my leg. I was ready for the test.
The bell rang and I bopped down to the science classroom, confident I was going to ace the test. Of course, that was not the way things worked out. Not one thing that I had on the bottom of my shoes was on the test and instead of drawing a diagram of a steam engine, Mr. Keith had us draw a picture of a turbine engine.
I flunked miserably.
After I related that story to the Lamar Middle School students, I noted that it proved once and for all that cheaters do not prosper. I felt pretty good about that speech, especially when an eighth grader approached me while I was covering a track meet at the high school later that week.
"Mr. Turner," he said, "Your speech meant a lot to me."
Beaming, I replied, "Thank you, that's always nice to hear."
"We had a test today and I put the answers on the bottom of my shoes and I didn't miss a one."

To combat crime, San Francisco will enforce teen curfew

Naming a growing crime problem as the cause, San Francisco police will start enforcing teen curfew laws.

Arguments against homework growing

Homework has been a part of American schools for as long as they have existed, but arguments against it are growing, according to a Washington Post article.

Athletes now taunting each other on-line

It's another one of those problems schools did not have just a few years ago.
Massachusetts school officials are concerned because athletes from rival schools are trash talking each other on-line.

List of school supplies continues to grow

There was a time when all parents had to buy to prepare for the school year was clothes, pencils and paper.
The list now includes everything from glue sticks to disposable cameras, according to an article in today's Washington Post.

White school bus driver suspended for putting black students at the back of the bus

Each year in third quarter in communication arts in Room 210 we research the American civil rights movement, including such important developments as the Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Freedom Riders.
One event many have researched is the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and started by Rosa Parks' refusal to move to the back of a bus.
Apparently, the kind of racism that required Mrs. Parks to give up her seat at the front of a bus to an able-bodied white male still exists. Associated Press reports a white school bus driver ordered nine African American students to move to the back of the bus:

One of her children, Jarvonica Williams, 16, said the bus driver allowed many white students to have seats all to themselves while some blacks were forced to stand or sit in others' laps.

Iva Richmond, whose 14- and 15-year-old children were on the bus, said Thursday that they previously had a black bus driver, but their bus assignment changed this year. When school started this month, the white driver told them she had assigned them seats, with the black children at the back of the bus.

(Photo information: Janice Williams, left, was one of the mothers who complained to school leaders about the bus driver. Photo by Associated Press)

New driving restrictions for teens become law in Missouri

More restrictions for teen drivers go into effect Monday, Aug. 28:

Starting today, for the first six months a teen has an intermediate license they may carry no more than one passenger younger than 19 who is not a member of their immediate family. After the first six months, the maximum number allowed increases to three.

Website allows students to rate teachers

Teachers are not going to be happy about this, but a website, ratemyteachers.com, allows students to rate their teachers.
According to an article in today's Houston Chronicle, many students are finding out about their new teachers by going online.

Hoodies banned in Boston schools

Saying that they hide the faces of those who wear them, Boston-area schools have banned hoodies.

Students return to school with more gadgets than ever

Laptops, calculators, you name it, students are carrying it back to school as the 2006-2007 school year begins. For more, check out the New York Times article below:

Back to School, With Cellphone and Laptop
By JEFFREY SELINGO
It used to be that getting ready for another school year meant buying a few new No. 2 pencils, spiral notebooks and a lunchbox. Not anymore. Young children and teenagers, as well as college students, are going to school with more electronic gadgets than ever.

“Tech-based products are so much less expensive that the price point now allows kids to nag their parents to buy a particular product or buy one themselves,” said Peter Grunwald, president of Grunwald Associates, a consulting firm in Bethesda, Md., focusing on school technology.

As a result, the back-to-school season is one of the busiest for electronic retailers like Circuit City or Best Buy, rivaling only Christmas. “Purchases are more necessity-based at this time of year,” said Stephanie Gooch, product process manager for Best Buy. At Christmas, purchases “tend to be more gaming, entertainment-based,” she said.

Another change is that the newest tech devices are not aimed at just older students anymore. While laptops are still most useful for those going off to college, Mr. Grunwald says that as prices drop on a wide variety of products once meant for an older crowd, younger students start using them as well. “Kids are aging up,” he said.

Elementary/Middle School

Preteenagers are increasingly asking for cellphones of their own. While cellphones give parents a sense of security and help them keep track of their children’s busy lives, adults often resist buying them, concerned that younger children will use them as their older siblings do: to talk to friends, send text messages and play games.

The LG Migo VX1000 from Verizon Wireless ($49.99 with a two-year contract) addresses most of those worries. It is a child-friendly, simple phone: no text messaging, no games and no camera. It is also very small and light, well suited for child-size hands. The Migo has only four numbered buttons, which can dial four preprogrammed phone numbers. Those numbers cannot be changed without a password. To place a call, the child simply presses one of the numbered keys and the talk button. In the middle of the phone pad is a large key for emergency calls.

One Migo feature attractive to parents is the Chaperone service offered by Verizon Wireless ($9.99 a month extra). Using the phone’s Global Positioning System receiver, parents can keep track of their children through a Web site or on their own Verizon phones. For an additional $10 charge, the Chaperone service comes with a feature called Child Zone, which notifies parents when a child arrives in or leaves the vicinity of a specified location, like school or a playground.

Catherine Poling, the assistant principal at Kemptown Elementary School, near Frederick, Md., suggests that students also get a flash drive for portable storage of their computer files. “With the volume of files that students work on, including video and images, it would be helpful if they all had a mass storage device to transport files between home and school,” Ms. Poling said. One inexpensive option is the 512-megabyte Lexar JumpDrive FireFly ($29.99).

High School

The Hewlett-Packard 39gs graphing calculator, which is to go on sale this fall ($79.99), is likely to appeal to image-conscious teenagers with its sleek silver-and-gray design. The calculator offers an infrared option to share data with other H.P. devices, a U.S.B. port to download files to a computer, and a double screen that allows users to see two sets of information at the same time.

Teenagers were among the early adopters of cellphone cameras. Now they have the option of using a better camera — cellphone not included — to take photos and share them quickly with their friends: the Nikon CoolPix P1 ($549.95 suggested retail price, but much lower prices can be found online). It has Wi-Fi capability, allowing users to transmit high-quality photos through a wireless network. That means users need to be within range of a wireless hot spot, which is not as easy — at least not yet — as snapping a photo on a cellphone and sending it to a friend. It also takes some time to set up the wireless connection, because the device is not able to join a network automatically, as laptops can.

Of course, photos can still be shared the old-fashioned way — through prints. An all-out price war among retailers and online companies on photo printing has meant that fewer people have favored doing it themselves at home in recent years. But high school students typically like to fiddle with the look of their photos before printing them.

The Hewlett-Packard Photosmart 3310 All-in-One Printer ($349.99 after rebate) not only allows users to manipulate images, but also lets them play digital video clips on the printer’s image display, freeze a favorite scene and print it. Like many other H.P. printers, the model contains six separate ink cartridges, which saves replacing a single color cartridge regularly.

College

“You can’t go to college without a computer, and anymore that means a laptop,” said Ms. Gooch, the Best Buy manager.

Among the popular options this year are laptops that flip around to turn into tablet PC’s, like the Gateway CX210X convertible notebook ($1,299). The stylus that comes with the laptop can be used like a pen. For those unfamiliar with tablet PC’s it can take a little time to become comfortable with the smooth display, however, and the screen is sometimes difficult to see under certain lighting conditions. But the laptop could prove to be a big timesaver for students putting together study guides. For example, students could download a professor’s lecture notes to the laptop, write their own notes in the margins using the tablet PC, then print out a set to study.

For the Apple crowd, all MacBook models (starting at $1,099) feature not only a 13-inch wide-screen display, but also a built-in iSight camera for video chats over the Internet. By simply starting the iChat software and clicking on an icon to turn on iSight, homesick college freshmen can see and talk with relatives and friends anywhere who either have the same software or AOL Instant Messenger. The best part for cash-starved college students is that iSight is free with a broadband Internet connection.

Mr. Grunwald, the education consultant, also suggests that college students going off to a new campus — and a new city — might find a portable Global Positioning System device useful. Several manufacturers make the devices for mounting on the dashboard of a car, but add-ons to hand-helds are the best bet for college students, Mr. Grunwald says, since many students may already have the devices.

Earthcomber offers free, downloadable maps and directories on the Internet at www.earthcomber.com. For users with a G.P.S. unit, Earthcomber provides maps and other information. Those without a G.P.S. must tell the hand-held device where they are located. The Web site provides access to a range of information based on location: about movie showtimes, bars, teller machines, Wi-Fi hot spots, restaurants, live music and more. Free maps are also available for every city and county in the United States.

With cellphones nearly everywhere on college campuses, several mobile providers have services that provide most of the features of a navigation system. Cingular, for instance, offers access to Mapquest for data-enabled phones (normal data charges apply).

While some high school students are accustomed to having their own rooms at home, as freshmen in college they often have roommates in tight quarters. To save on space with all the electronics that students bring with them these days, Ms. Gooch at Best Buy recommends the Insignia combination TV/computer monitor ($320). The 15-inch television is handy for small spaces because it also has a built-in PC input that lets users connect a computer.

Back-to-school spending on the increase

Back to school spending continues to increase, according to an article from the National Retail Federation. It's not like the old days, however. Nowadays, lists don't just include clothing, but everything from graphic calculators to chalk.

CDC study shows fewer students are having sex

A study released Thursday by the Center of Disease Control shows fewer American high school students are having sex.

Study says teens who listen to raunchy music have sex sooner

Teens whose I-Pods feature songs with raunchy lyrics start having sex sooner, according to a newly-released study.

Students should learn to change diapers, bathe babies

The Professional Association of Teachers in England is hearing a proposal that students should become prepared for life experiences by learning to change diapers and give babies baths, according to a BBC article.

Study links teen sex, depression

A University of California-San Francisco study is linking teen sex and depression.

There are many possible reasons why teens with symptoms of depression might be more likely to take sexual risks, study author Dr. Jocelyn Lehrer noted. "Youth who are both emotionally distressed and socially isolated may be more likely to seek or be successfully pressured into sexual activity, in the name of some kind of shared intimacy, or to maintain relationships that they value," she told Reuters. Teens may also use sex as a way to cope with their symptoms of depression, Lehrer added.

New York City schools ready to punish students for MySpace comments

If New York City students plan to write about their fellow students, teachers, or principals they had better be careful. In what is sure to become a First Amendment showdown, new rules have been put in place that would regulate what students can put on their websites, even when they are doing their writing from home.

British school reinstalls mirrors

A British school is reinstalling mirrors after removing them to keep girls from spending time fixing their makeup. Wouldn't it be nice if that were the major problem facing our schools?
Find out more by checking out this link from the BBC.

Cairo, Ill., students to be tested for drugs, alcohol

Students who plan to participate in extracurricular activities will have to undergo drug and alcohol testing at a Cairo, Ill. High School.
The school also plans to go to school uniforms for everyone.
Please read the Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian article.

Schools expanding number of students being tested for drugs

A USA Today article indicates that testing for students is growing to include more and more of the student body, not just those who are involved in extracurricular activities.

Lawsuit says cell phone ban violates students' rights

A lawsuit has been filed in New York saying that the schools' ban of cell phones violate students' rights.

The parents argue, in papers filed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, that the ban is so broad and blunt that it violates their constitutional right as parents to keep their children safe and to raise them in the way they see fit. The ban violates their due process right to personal liberty under both the state and federal constitutions, they said, because it interferes with the relationship between parents and their children, without a compelling education reason for doing so.

Edgar Ray Killen to stay in prison

A federal court judge ruled Friday that convicted killer Edgar Ray Killen will not be freed while appealing his conviction on the 1964 murders of civil rights activists James Chaney, Michael Schwerner, and Andrew Goodman.
Killen, 81, was convicted of the murders last year.

Bullying victims may experience behavior problems later in life

A new report indicates problems for bullying victims may not end when the bullying ends.
Follow this link to the MSNBC article.

Columnist warns of dangers of social networking sites

Springfield News-Leader columnist Sarah Overstreet says it is just as important for teens to be taught about the dangers of social networking sites as it is to have them taught about drugs.

MySpace is most visited U. S. website

This probably will not come as a surprise to some of you, but according to a Reuters article, MySpace.com is now the most visited website in the United States.

More reading instruction needed for middle school, high school students

More reading instruction for middle school and high school students is being called for by educators after the release of a report which indicates only 51 percent of high school graduates are prepared to do college-level reading.
Fortunately, the Joplin R-8 School District has been ahead of the curve on this, with extra classes and emphasis on reading at both levels.

Virginia board debates relaxing rules on piercings

Board members at a school in Virginia are debating whether to change the dress code to relax the rules against body piercings. Apparently, this is taking up a lot of the administrators' time and it has been a losing battle.

Article examines parents and youth sports

A CNN article examines the positive and negative effects parents have on children's enjoyment of sports.

Columbine counselor: Nation better prepared for school violence

Interviewed after the release this week of documents seized from the homes of Columbine killers Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, Columbine counselor Harriet Hall told CNN she still isn't sure what sparked the shootings in 1999, but she believes the United States is better prepared to deal with school violence.

New teen driving restrictions cause problems

New Missouri limitations on teen drivers will cause problems for students who carpool to school. Check out the article in today's Springfield News-Leader.

Former athletes find it hard to stay in shape

A New York Times article indicates that some former top high school and college athletes find it difficult to stay in shape when they no longer have a coach to push them.

Study says restricting teen drivers can save lives

States that have put restrictions on teen drivers in place have reduced deaths by 20 percent according to a new study.

Younger generation opting for online yearbooks

Traditional school yearbooks may be on their way out.
CNN reports more and more young people are choosing video yearbooks.

King works will be available for research

Martin Luther King's family and Morehouse University officials say the late civil rights leader's papers will remain available for research, not only to historians, but even for high school students.
The King family has been under criticism for years for its diligent protection of the copyright to his works, including the famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
The articles I have read on this did not mention how soon documents would be available on the Internet.

Rowling: At least two will die in Harry Potter finale

Author J. K. Rowling is not saying who, but she has said that at least two characters will die in the upcoming seventh and final volume of the Harry Potter series.

Flag-burning amendment to be debated

This week, the U. S. Senate will begin debating whether to have an amendment banning the burning of the American flag.
Those in favor of the amendment note that the flag is the symbol of our country and should be treated with respect.
Those against it note that the U. S. Supreme Court has ruled that burning the flag is an expression of free speech, protected under the First Amendment and this would be the first time the government has repealed one of the Bill of Rights. Also, opponents have noted that the only countries that have laws against burning the national flags are countries such as Cuba, China, and Iraq, when it was under the control of Saddam Hussein...in other words, countries where freedoms were strictly limited.

New York senior has never missed a day of school

Nothing, not illness, injury, skipping, or family vacation, has ever caused New York high school senior Steven Reneau to miss a day of school. His streak has reached approximately 2,160 days, according to a New York Post article.
Reneau said he never thought about having perfect attendance until it was mentioned to him when he was in the eighth grade. After that, he said, it became important to him.

"From that point, my perfect attendance drove me to keep going," Reneau said. "There were days when I didn't want to go, but after not missing any days for so long, I didn't want to mess it up."

Representative: New York Times should be charged with treason

Last week's New York Times scoop that Americans financial records are being searched by the government in its quest to stop terrorism has upset many people.
Some believe the Times did the right thing by informing Americans that their privacy might be violated. Others, including Rep. Peter King, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, believe the Times and other newspapers have tipped off the enemy to U. S. strategy.
King says the Times should be charged with treason.

Hackers target Instant Messenger

With the popularity of Instant Messenger increasing, it was only a matter of time before it became the target of hackers. A Cox News Service report says more and more computer viruses are being sent via instant messages.

Cell phones not necessary in class

New York school officials who tried to eliminate cell phones from classrooms were in for a rude awakening. It wasn't students who opposed the ban, but parents and politicians. That's not the way it should be, columnist Armstrong Williams says.

Southwest Missourian Congressmen offer views on staying the course in Iraq

The U. S. House of Representatives voted Friday to stay the course in Iraq as a means of fighting the war on terrorism. Our congressman, Roy Blunt, and neighboring Congressman Ike Skelton, spoke on the House floor, offering their views on the resolution.
Roy Blunt speech
Ike Skelton speech

Should students receive extra credit for not going to the bathroom?

In an attempt to discourage roaming in the halls, teachers at a Washington, D. C. area school are offering extra credit in exchange for not using bathroom passes. Check out the Washington Post article.

Web-based plagiarism causing teachers to abandon research papers

The 10-page research paper may soon be a thing of the past.
According to a Los Angeles Times article, teachers are abandoning them because the world wide web has made it too easy to plagiarize.

Safe social networking sites emerging

It appears that safer alternatives to MySpace, Facebook, Xanga, and other social networking sites are beginning to emerge. Some of those are featured in an article from eschoolnews.

Students sue to be allowed to air Christian views at school

High school students in Pennsylvania who want freedom of expression for their Christian group have sued their school district. Find out more in the Philadelphia Inquirer article.

Pennsylvania principal stirs controversy with underage drinking policy

A new principal at a Pennsylvania high school has the town up in arms over his new policy attacking the problem of underage drinking. See if you agree with the principal or his opponents by checking out the Philadelphia Inquirer article.

When fear is part of school

In the Joplin area, we are accustomed to having schools that, for the most part, are safe, and inviting to students. Unfortunately, that is not always the case elsewhere.
A Philadelphia Inquirer article takes a look at students who are afraid to go to school...and many of them don't, either getting nailed for truancy or transferring to charter schools or private schools.

Violence is uninvited guest at graduation

For one Pennsylvania school, graduation became a lesson about violence. The following article is taken from the New York Times News Service.

By David Kocieniewski
New York Times News Service
Published June 11, 2006

LEVITTOWN, Pa. -- For the 415 seniors at Harry S Truman High School, graduation day offered one final lesson--unplanned and most unwelcome--about gangs, violence and intimidation.

Members of the Bloods street gang reportedly threatened to kill the school's class president, who is a star athlete and honor student. And given the outbreak of gang-related shootings here in recent months, that threat transformed the annual commencement ceremony in this rough-hewn Philadelphia suburb into an odd pageant of anxiety and heightened security.

The 4,500 friends, relatives and spectators who arrived for the ceremony were forced to pass through metal detectors before they could enter the outdoor stadium, which was decorated with banners, bunting and sprays of yellow carnations. Undercover police detectives milled through the crowd.

Yet when the ceremonies began Friday afternoon, the class of '06 was missing its president, Tyrone Lewis, whom police had banned from the ceremony because they believed that he and his family were in danger from the Bloods.

Lewis' sister had agreed to testify against gang members in a New Jersey murder trial, and Lewis recently was shot at by men the police said they believed belonged to the gang.

Also absent from the ceremony was Ahman Fralin, 18, a senior who has been hospitalized and paralyzed from the neck down since April, when he was shot in the spine as he sat beside Lewis.

Despite protests from Lewis' mother, who threatened to sue the school district unless her son was permitted on stage, he delivered his speech from a secret spot via a video hookup.

After being welcomed with raucous applause by the crowd watching a large television screen in the stadium, Lewis, 18, made only passing reference to the circumstances that made him an exile at his own graduation.

He asked the crowd to pray for Fralin and suggested that the police lockdown surrounding the graduation ceremony should come as little surprise in an age when police dogs search school lockers for drugs and students have their knapsacks checked for guns each morning.

"We've had some crazy days, but we've also had inspiring days as well," he said.
(Follow this link for more information about this graduation and the audio to the valedictorian's speech.)

With text messaging, IM, teens no longer have a time to talk

Robert Frost wrote a wonderful poem, "A Time to Talk," about a man who had chores to do but gladly put them aside when a friend stopped by and wanted to talk. If a USA Today article is correct, teens are not taking the time to talk; instead, they are text messaging and instant messaging.

Officials fear websites increasing gang activity

As if there's not enough to worry about in cyberspace, the Thursday Dallas Morning News reports teen gangs are using social networking websites like MySpace.com to brag about their activities and to recruit new members.

California law requires schools to teach historic contributions of gays

California school districts are now required to teach children about the contributions of gays and lesbians to the state, country, and world, thanks to a law that was passed by the state legislature.
Syndicated writer and host of television's O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly writes about the law in his most recent column.

MySpace: a parking place for pedophiles, porn pushers

Syndicated writer Rebecca Hagelin offers a frightening look at the dangers of MySpace in her most recent column.

Chicago valedictorian can't be stereotyped

The Chicago Sun-Times posted an article earlier this week about a valedictorian who is extremely hard to label. He's into rap music, he plays on the baseball team, and he is also on the school chess team.

Student's dress causes eviction from prom

Officials at West Side High School in Gary, Ind., tossed one senior out of the prom after taking one look at the clinging gown the student wore, even though there were others that revealed more.
"I have no formal pictures, no memories, nothing. You only have one prom," the student said. The problem was, well, the student's name was Kevin Logan and he was the only guy trying to enter the prom wearing a slinky gown.
Now, of course, he is planning on suing the school. Check out the Associated Press article.

Heavy cell phone use could indicate anxiety

A medical study indicates excessive cellphone use by teens may be an indication of unhappiness and anxiety. The Los Angeles Times' article on the subject is reprinted below:

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

The teen obsession with yakking, text messaging and ring tone swapping on their cellphones might mean more than a whopping phone bill. For the most crazed, it's a sign of unhappiness and anxiety, according to a new medical study.

A survey of 575 high school students found that that the top third of users – students who used their phones more than 90 times a day – frequently did so because they were unhappy or bored. They scored significantly higher on tests measuring depression and anxiety compared with students who used their phones a more sedate 70 times daily.

The study, presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Toronto, was among the first to explore the emotional significance of teens' cellphone habits as the device becomes more entrenched in today's youth culture.

Two of every five youths in the U.S. from ages 8 to 18 own a cellphone, according to a recent survey. Students in grades seven through 12 spend an average of an hour a day on their cellphones – about the same amount of time they devote to homework.

Some earlier studies involving college students have suggested a link between heavy cellphone use and depression. Other research has shown that students incorporate cellphones into their personal identities.

For teens, cellphones were "not just objects or communications tools. They were portals for being in touch with other people – extensions of themselves," said Christina Wasson, an anthropologist at the University of North Texas who has studied cellphone use.

Dr. Jee Hyan Ha, lead author of the latest report, said heavy cellphone users involved in his study weren't clinically depressed. Rather, Dr. Ha said, the students probably were suffering from some serious cases of teen angst. The youths may have been unhappy because of a problem in their lives or anxious about their social status.

"They are trying to make themselves feel better by reaching out to others," he said.

Dr. Ha, a psychiatrist at Yongin Mental Hospital in South Korea, surveyed students attending a technical high school in that country about their cellphone habits and attitudes. Most of the participants were boys, and their average age was 15.

The heaviest users were communicating with their phones on average about every 10 minutes during waking hours. The majority of their usage was in text messages.

They continually checked their phones for messages and often became irritated when people didn't call them right back.

Based on the popularity of the devices in South Korea, where three-quarters of residents have cellphones, Dr. Ha expected to find students had become addicted to their phones.

"I thought that there would be some kind of craving, but that is not what I saw," he said.

Instead, Dr. Ha found that cellphone use appeared to be linked to self-esteem.

Students in the highest third of users scored significantly worse on scales measuring depression, anxiety and "alexithymia," or the ability to express emotion, compared with students in the bottom third of cellphone users.

Dr. Ha used a psychological test to measure the mental state of the students. In the test, a score of 21 marked a clinical depression. The heaviest cellphone users scored 12, well below that point, while the lighter users came in at 7.

Blog: Unwed parents not welcome in Missouri town

If you're not married, you had better live somewhere besides Black Jack, MO., according to a post on the brettbart.com blog Local officials are only welcoming traditional families, the post indicates.

High school students in trouble for Internet list

When you think of Internet lists created by high school students, the first thought are the hit lists that have been reported in some areas.
That was not the case at Kirkwood High School in the St. Louis area where students are in trouble of creating a list purportedly telling "who's hot and who's not" among girls in the junior class.

How do these people get into teaching, part 4?

Today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch tells the story of a veteran teacher who was arrested after arriving at school drunk and fondling a 13-year-old girl. No mention is made of previous instances of misbehavior by the man, but he has been teaching at that school for 22 years, the article said.

Illinois school district to monitor student blogs

It's a policy that seems to be crying for a lawsuit.
The Libertyville, Ill., School District Board voted unanimously Monday to begin monitoring student blogs and have students who participate in extracurricular activities sign a pledge agreeing that any type of "illegal or inappropriate" activity on the net can be grounds for disciplinary action.
Please read the Associated Press article.

Columnist: Forget privacy, we need to spy more

Syndicated columnist Max Boot offers a provocative commentary suggesting that we need to forget about privacy concerns and increase spying to protect us against terrorism.

Senate passes bill making English our official language

During debate on the immigration bill this week, the United States Senate passed an amendment making English our official language. Is this a good move, please read the BBC article and let me know what you think.

England to eliminate junk food from school diets

In America, the publicity the past couple of weeks has been about an agreement to remove soft drinks from schools, but the United Kingdom has plans to go much, much further.
British officials are talking about not only removing soft drinks, but junk food snacks, and even "low quality" meat.

You can't just ask a girl to the prom any more

It appears approaching a girl and asking her if she wants to go the prom with you is too boring these days. The whole thing has become a grand production number, according to an article in this morning's San Diego Union-Tribune.

Nebraska plan goes against Brown vs. Board idea

Each year during the third quarter, students in my communication arts classes at South Middle School research major events in the civil rights movement, including the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision which paved the way for the desegregation of American public schools.
Now, Nebraska appears to be heading in the opposite direction with schools divided by racial makeup, according to an article from the New York Times.

Discussing having the National Guard protect our borders

Earlier this week, President Bush announced a plan to have the National Guard protecting our borders. A Washington Post editorial criticizes this plan. What do you think?

Columbine massacre video game criticized

It appears as if there is nothing that people desperate for a buck won't do, including fashioning a video game based on the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

Teen abuse of prescription drugs increasing

Teen use of alcohol and illegal drugs is down, but abuse of prescription medicatin is on the upswing, according to a new study.

Study says fewer teens are dating

A newly released study indicates fewer teens are going out on dates. Please read the Chicago Sun-Times article.

Do computers really help school performance

Though I have tried to help the educational process through websites such as those in the Room 210 family, online MAP practice tests and other use of technology in the classroom, I do sometimes wonder if we are not sacrificing basic educational concepts in favor of keeping students entertained with computers.
Apparently, I am not the only one who has these kinds of thoughts. Jay Mathews of the Washington Post, in his most recent column, asks the same question with some fascinating results.

Bill would eliminate MySpace, similar sites from school, library computers

The recent wave of publicity surrounding sites such as myspace.com has led a Congressman to propose that such social networking sites be prohibited on school library and public library computers. Educators and librarians are fighting the bill, noting that it restricts the educational use of such websites.
It should be noted that if this law passes, blogger.com would be one of the sites blocked on school computers, meaning sites like this one and Room 210 News would not be available on any school computers.

Minnesota to try MAP-like tests online

Minnesota students will try a new method of taking standardized test, according to an article in E-School News. The students will take their achievement tests online on a trial basis. If it works, this could become the wave of the future.

How do these people get into teaching, part 3

A St. Joseph teacher has been suspended after giving his students a writing assignment which had them tell what person they would like to kill and how they would go about doing it...and this assignment was for an industrial technology class.
Please read the Associated Press article.

Scientists say anti-drug programs do not work

Scientists claim that anti-drug programs in schools not only do not work, but may have a harmful effect on students. Please read the Los Angeles Times article.

More teachers using e-mail, but students have moved beyond that

Just as teachers have finally started using e-mail to communicate with students, students have advanced far beyond that and prefer instant messenger.
According to an ESchool News article, the only time many young people use e-mail is to communicate with adults or to save documents.

Visiting Mom in prison

Hopefully, it's something the teenagers who read this blog will never have to worry about, but today's Los Angeles Times includes a feature story about a 15-year-old visiting her mother in prison, where she is serving a life sentence for charges that include kidnapping and armed robbery.

Bill adds restrictions for teen drivers

Teen drivers face additional restrictions under a bill passed Friday by the Missouri General Assembly. Teens will now have to have 40 hours of behind-the-wheel practice, up from 20, and will have limits on the number of teen passengers they may have. Please read the article from the Jefferson City News-Tribune.

Neosho teen turns her life around

The Friday Neosho Daily News included a feature written by Wes Franklin about a Neosho High School student who turned her life around after being in trouble with the law at her former school. The article is reprinted below:

By Wes Franklin / Daily News Staff Writer

Krystil Steffen, a junior at Neosho High School, doesn't think of herself as necessarily special, but she realizes she's come a long way.

Today she received the Better Choices Award from Newton County Presiding Circuit Court Judge Timothy Perigo in recognition for having the courage and fortitude to change her life for the better.

But it's been a rocky journey.

About a year ago, while living in Stone County, Steffen found herself in more trouble than she would like to admit. Only 16 at the time, she became involved in drugs which eventually landed her in a rehabilitation center. Brazenly “escaping” with an accomplice from rehab, she stole a car but ended up getting caught.

Afterwards, when Steffen was placed into foster care with Neosho couple Kathi and Roy Stephens, she said she wasn't too enthusiastic about going back to the normal routine of high school.

“When I got here I could really care less,” Steffen related. “I didn't even want to be back in school.”

But on advice from her caseworker, Steffen re-enrolled in class. And that's when she noticed things starting to turn around.

“I've made straight ‘A's all my life, so obviously I was kind of obligated to make ‘A's, and I got into some accelerated classes that started motivating me a little more and things just kind of came alongŠ,” she said. “There's a lot more opportunities for me here than I had before so I just kind of went for them all as I get more motivated in school.”



However, education can only do so much. A negative perception on life can void whatever attributes may be gained through attending even accelerated classes. It takes a different world outlook to lift one's self up out of whatever funk they've fallen into - something Steffen said she realized soon after arriving in foster care and enrolling at Neosho High School.

“It was kind of a wake-up call,” she described. “I mean, my (real) parents were abusive so, before, I could really care less what my life was like. And then when I got here I realized, you know, life's not all crap. It can be fun if you make it and you can have a lot of opportunities thrown at you.”

Besides being involved as a tenor saxophonist in the Wildcat Band, Steffen's high grades and changed attitude about life have created a domino effect of consistent honor roll awards, a selection by a committee of teachers to represent Neosho at Missouri Girl's State this summer, an April Student of the Month award and a vote by her fellow classmates to the Neosho High School Student Council.

Applying to run for council was something she almost didn't even go forward with, but was strongly encouraged by her new friends - an example, Steffen believes, of her changed life.

“All my friends were like ‘dude, if you don't apply, what are you going to say if nobody else applies and you could have made it, a shoe-in; you're going to be kicking yourself all next year,' ” she related.“I definitely got that support system there that's like, you know, ‘if you don't do something that's going to put yourself in a better position, don't talk to us. If you're just going to be a bum, leave us alone.' I didn't like that. I wanted to keep the friends I had made here. They're really good friends.”

According to Rob Lundien, high school A+ coordinator and guidance counselor, Steffen was recommended to receive the Better Choices Award by high school resource officer Cameron Kruse, a corporal with the Neosho Police Department. The nomination was seconded by high school teachers and faculty.

“Earlier in the year, I knew this award was coming up and I kind of thought, ‘of any student in this school that I know of, Krystil is definitely a student who has made better choices,' ” Lundien said. “She's self-determined, she's self-motivated. She's very unique in the sense that she's had a period where she's made some not so good choices and she's decided she's not going to do that anymore. I think that's what that award is pretty much all about.”

Steffen said she was completely taken by surprise when Lundien called her into his office last Monday after lunch and told her she was chosen to represent Neosho by accepting the honor.

“When he told me I was like ‘oh, that's so sweet,' ” Steffen related. “I didn't really expect to be picked, you know. I'm just your average juvenile delinquent trying to get her life straight.”

After graduation next year, Steffen hopes to be accepted into the United States Army Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Teens protest sex and violence in media

Cape Girardeau teenagers are protesting what they call the destruction of our values, according to an article in today's Cape Girardeau Southeast Missourian.

How do they get into teaching, part 2

Now, we have the case of a man who continues to get teaching positions despite being a racist and occasionally letting his beliefs find their way into the classroom. How do these people keep getting hired? Please read the article from the WLTX website in Columbia, S.C.

Search for weapons uncovers 800 cellphones

Is anyone safe in New York City schools?
Today's New York Times features another article about the cellphone ban, revealing that a search for weapons uncovered a few, but also unearthed 800 cellphones.

Politician puts career on hold to save his teen daughter

Don't let anyone tell you all politicians are bad. One New York politician is setting his ambition aside, according to this New York Daily News article, so he can donate a kidney to his teenage daughter.

Parents' group to sue over cellphone ban

We've had a couple of posts about this recently, but the story continues to grow. Now, some New York parents plan to sue a school over its ban of student cellphones. Please read the article from the New York Daily News.

Teenager's project saves prom for Katrina victims

Today's Washington Post features a heartwarming story about a teenager whose simple idea of collecting prom dresses for Katrina victims snowballed into something much, much more.

Nixa schools consider crackdown on fundraisers

Sick of complaints about students selling one thing after another, the Nixa Board of Education is considering a new policy which would severely limit fundraising activities. Please read the article from today's Springfield News-Leader.

School authorizes criminal background checks on prom dates

If you think your school's policies are tough, try the policy at the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School. You cannot bring a date to prom until that person undergoes a criminal background check. Please read the article on the Cape Cod Times website.

How do these people get into teaching?

A teacher at a Latino charter school in the Chicago area is in hot water after making a discriminatory remark against Hispanics who had allegedly gotten paint on her jacket. You can read the story at the CBS2 website in Chicago.

Cruzan lawyer featured in Post-Dispatch column

Each year, students in Mr. Randy Turner's communication arts class at South Middle School discuss the Nancy Cruzan case, in which a Carterville couple fought for the right to disconnect the feeding tubes that kept their daughter alive after she ended up in a persistent vegetative state following an auto accident near Carthage in 1983.
The Cruzan family's lawyer, Bill Colby, pictured, spoke Monday about the right-to-die, in cases ranging from the Cruzan case to Terri Schaivo. You can read more in this St. Louis Post-Dispatch column.
column.

New York schools ban MySpace

The controversial MySpace has been banned from New York school computers, according to an article in today's New York Post.

Soft drink decision praised in editorial

The decision by the companies that make Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper to pull their high-caloried soft drinks out of schools is praised in an editorial from today's Houston Chronicle.

Teens actively work to eliminate violence in Boston

Fortunately, it's not the kind of problem we have to deal with in Joplin, and hopefully, it never will be, but students in a Boston school have far more serious things to worry about than ballgames and who is going out with whom.
A group of students are serving as mediators in an effort stop deaths from gang violence. Please read the article from today's Boston Globe.

An example of how not to run a school

Today's Denver Post features a cautionary tale of how not to run a school system. Manual School in Denver had all of the money it needed, but due to faulty leadership, the once highly-regarded institution will close later this year.
Among the problems cited: removal of advanced placement classes causing students to leave, rusty water coming out of fountains, principals fighting over who should get what textbooks, and a principal who kept coming up with new plans, but never gave enough time to allow any of them to work.

Teen suspended for creating top 25 list

A Mount Lebanon, PA teen who created a top 25 list of his fellow students, which included racial slurs and crude sexual information, has been suspended from school. Find out more from the article on the WPXI website.

Nutritionists want sports drinks added to soft drink ban

Nutritionists believe the deal announced yesterday that would ban soft drinks in public schools does not go far enough. According to an article in today's Boston Globe, they are concerned about the exception given to sports drinks.

State officials want MySpace age to be raised from 14 to 18

Middle school and high school students would be booted off the popular MySpace if company officials follow Massachusetts' lawmakers request to raise the minimum age for participation from 14 to 18. Check out the CNN article.

Springfield schools consider testing for body fat

Concerned by the growing obesity problem (no pun intended), Springfield school officials are considering a proposal which would require all students and teachers to have their body fat percentage checked. The Springfield News-Leader criticized the proposal today in an editorial.

Pop machines to be eliminated from schools

Bans on soft drinks currently available at American public schools will go into place soon, according to an article in today's Washington Post.
According to the article: "The agreement calls for eliminating sales of sodas, diet sodas, sports drinks, juice drinks, apple juice or grape juice in elementary schools. Water and more healthful juices such as orange juice could continue to be sold, but in only eight-ounce or smaller containers, according to sources who were briefed yesterday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan had not yet been announced." At the middle school level, the article said, students would be able to drink 12-ounce containers of the same types of drinks.
High schools will be able to have diet soft drinks with a 12-ounce limit.
The official announcement of the agreement, which has been signed off on by Coke, Pepsi, and other major soft drink manufacturers, is expected to be made today. Soft drinks have come under fire in recent years due to the negative effect experts say they have on children's health.

Illinois school tries to make senior year more productive

Today's Washington Post features an article on a Winnetka, Ill., school that is trying to make the senior year more than just a layover for college.

Teachers join students in opposing cellphone ban

New York teachers are supporting parents and students who oppose a cellphone ban. Read the story from today's New York Post.

School told to prepare for bird flu

American schools are being told to prepare for the possibility of a bird flu pandemic, according to an article on eschoolnews.

New project to seek writing from teenage girls

Magazine company CondeNast has announced a new initiative which would use writing from teenage girls, according to an article in Business Week.

Is recess an endangered species?

The drive to milk every bit of teaching time out of school in order to raise scores on standardized tests has prompted some schools to eliminate recess for elementary students. Read the article in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Is school too much for students?

A Washington Post article explores the stress school causes for students.

Teen hacker breaks into school files

Today's Boston Globe features an article about a teenager who has been arrested after hacking into his teacher's computer.

Column explores values issue in public, private schools

Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby has written a thought-provoking column on the teaching of values in public and private schools.

Parents, students upset by cellphone ban

Parents and students are upset by a New York school's decision to ban cellphones. Find out more by reading the New York Times article on the controversy.

Sex education bill receives House approval

A sex education bill which would require Missouri students to have permission slips before they could take sex ed classes received approval from the House of Representatives Tuesday. Read the article from today's Kansas City Star.

JHS student favors replacing MAP with ACT

Joplin High School sophomore Danielle Crosthwait favors a proposal which would eliminate MAP testing for high school juniors and replace it with the ACT. Read her letter to the editor from today's Joplin Globe.

High school student may be forced to leave country

An award-winning New York High School science student may soon be forced to leave the United States. Read today's New York Times story of Amadou Ly, whose parents, Senegal residents, abandoned him in the U. S.

The perils of marching band

Do marching band members catch colds more often than other students? That was one of the experiments high school students conducted during a recent epidemiology conference. A tongue-in-cheek look at that conference is featured in a column in today's Washington Post.

School officials wrestle with problem of student blogs, journals

This week's situation in Riverton, Kan., will likely keep school officials debating the question of whether they should keep track of blogs that students do on their own time. The Christian Science Monitor recently published an informative article on this subject.

Psychologists say standardized tests may damage students

Standardized tests may have some unintended results, according to some psychologists consulted for this Santa Cruz, Calif., Sentinel article.

Students stage walkout to get more security

Though our area schools are by no means free of problems, we can certainly appreciate not having the problems faced by Kennedy High School in Chicago where students recently staged a walkout to protest the lack of security. Check out the Chicago Sun-Times article.

Online courses growing in popularity

Online courses for high school students are skyrocketing in popularity. Check out the Christian Science Monitor's article.

Springfield considering crackdown on underage drinking

The city of Springfield is considering a number of measures to curb underage drinking, according to an article in the Friday Springfield News-Leader.

Students slip porn into classroom DVD player

Another example of why teachers should never do paperwork while their classes are watching a DVD. Associated Press has a report on students who were expelled for slipping a pornographic DVD into the player while the teacher's back was turned.

Riverton students arrested in murder plot

The news that five Riverton High School students were arrested Thursday for allegedly formulating a plot to murder students and teachers at their school has thrown a major shock wave into this area. The Joplin Globe has an article and a sidebar on the situation.

Teen barred from wearing controversial t-shirt

Students in my communication arts classes during the 2004-2005 school year will remember the discussion over Webb City High School student Brad Mathewson, who was not allowed to wear gay pride t-shirts to school.
The exact opposite has occurred in San Diego where the 9th District Court of Appeals has ruled a student may not wear an anti-gay t-shirt. The ruling is featured in an article in today's Los Angeles Times.

MySpace hires official to help protect teens

Under attack from many corners for being a hunting ground for sexual predators, MySpace is taking steps to correct the situation, according to an article in today's New York Times.

Recipe to stop teen drinking given in column

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Mandy St. Amand writes about a recipe to stop teen drinking in a column from today's edition. With prom season here in most school districts, this makes for thought-provoking reading.

Post-Dispatch series examines teen depression

A recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch series takes an in-depth look at teen depression.

Cop posing as high schooler leads to drug arrests

The Boston Globe has an interesting story this morning about a police officer disguised as a high school student whose work led to nine arrests in Falmouth, Mass.

Eminem files for divorce

Eminem filed for divorce this week. You can read USA Today's article to find out more.
(Students in Mr. Turner's Communication Arts classes should go to the following link to take the test over this article.)

Police call for boycott of new video game

A new video game, 25 to Life, has come under attack by police for its violent content. The issue is examined in an article from Teen Newsweek.
(Students in Mr. Turner's communication arts classes should go to the following link to take the test over this article.)

Students work to cut down price at proms

Believing that the price of proms was getting out of hand, students at a Long Island, N. Y. school have taken matters into their hands, according to this article from Associated Press.

(After they read the article, students in Mr. Turner's Communication Arts classes should go to the MAP Practice Test at this link and answer questions 5 and 6.)

Laptops for students may not be a good thing

Esther J. Cepeda, a schoolteacher and writer, believes laptops for students may be keeping them from learning to think on their own. Her column ran in today's Chicago Sun-Times.


BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA
People today are accustomed to using computers for nearly every task in life. For most of us, it was a gradual transition. We learned how to balance our checkbooks using our bank statements before we had Quicken to do it for us. We learned how to search through the encyclopedia to find who invented the light bulb. We had to actually read Shakespeare's ''Othello'' to learn the intricacies of the relationships between Othello, Desdemona and Iago before Google was invented.

Will those skills be lost if the I-Connect Initiative (House Bill 5244) is passed by the Senate? The initiative, proposed by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, would provide about 13,000 public school seventh-graders and their teachers with laptop computers -- the "textbooks of the 21st century." The estimated cost would be $5 million including hardware, software, technical support and teacher training.

The laptops would come loaded with science and math tutorials, and a full suite of word processing and spreadsheet software. The premise is that students need to learn from an early age how to use these tools to be better prepared to compete for the high-tech jobs that will surely dominate the economy as they enter the work force.

In Maine, where seventh-graders were given this same technology in 2000, the Maine Education Policy Research Institute found that students, parents and teachers reported an increase in enthusiasm for school and homework. The Maine eighth-grade test scores, however, showed no change in reading, writing, math and science compared with the previous two years. And the funding issues associated with keeping the gadgetry and training up to date is threatening the future of the program.

Walk into any high school math class and you will find students adept at using calculators. Every kind from the cheap colorful ones you find at the Dollar Store all the way up to expensive TI-83s which can convert fractions and percentages for you with the touch of a button and will also solve and graph equations -- a skill essential to any student pursuing higher education.

But behind those calculators, oftentimes, sit students who can't pull from their memory banks the basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts necessary to solve real-world math problems. Sure, many students can figure out advanced logarithms because of the endless skill and drill which takes place to get kids to pass state standardized exams. But take the calculator away and many fall flat on their faces when asked to calculate the total price for a $65 pair of shoes with an 8.35 percent tax using just a pencil and paper.

Will the same happen in all curricular areas if the endless stream of information known as the Internet is constantly a key stroke away? Is there any reason to learn how to spell correctly when all word processing software comes with instant, automatic spell and grammar check? Do you need to remember the order of the presidents, how many ounces there are in a gallon, the capitals of all 50 states, or who wrote The Lottery?

If information is out there for us to use and manipulate at a moment's notice, the skills we need to impart to students who will navigate the 21st century must be in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving. That task will lie at the feet of well-trained, dedicated teachers with a strong grasp of how the world has changed since they got their teaching certificates.

It has been proved in study after study: The major factor in the success of students is a low student-to-teacher ratio. Knowing that, any money Illinois can scrape together to fund student achievement should be spent on getting more well-trained teachers into classrooms so students don't have to be packed together like sardines. It shouldn't be spent on silver bullets.

(Students in Mr. Turner's Communication Arts classes should go to the following link and answer questions 1-4 on the MAP Practice Test.)

My Space removes 200.000 profiles

MySpace.com will remove 200,000 objectionable profiles, according to an article in Financial Times. The removals took place following concerns about predatory adults using my.space information to stalk teens.

Is emphasis on reading and math hurting other subjects?

A New York Times article questions whether the emphasis on reading and math brought on by the No Child Left Behind act is shortchanging other subjects.

Massachusetts seeks to raise driving age to 17 1/2

Today's Boston Globe features an article on a move in Massachusetts to raise the age at which teenagers can receive their driver's licenses from 16 to 17 1/2.

Poll reports hearing loss for teens

A Newsday article reports on a poll that showed more teens reporting hearing loss.

Positives, negatives of teen blogs discussed in series

The Springfield News-Leader offers a comprehensive package today on the positives and negatives of teen blogs. Many news media outlets have completely stressed the dangers of blogging while neglecting the good things that can come from it.

L. A. Times story explores dropout problem

This one's long, but it is worth it. The Los Angeles Times explores the problem of school dropouts. Does it start when students are so easily promoted despite failing work during their elementary and middle school years? What can be done to solve this problem?

Should school start later?

An article in today's Washington Post says school begins too early for students.

College textbook prices rapidly increasing

An article in today's Washington Post indicates college textbook prices are increasing at a rate far surpassing the rate of inflation.