Chapter 2 of Eucation Nation

As we all know our world is growing and changing everyday. In this chapter, thats what we're going to talk about. How things have changed over time, for instance the fact that the things we are learning in school are not at all what our parents or their parents learned in school. Which is good! With the world evolving, people need to evolve as well and it starts right here in the classrooms. Have you ever wondered "why do I need to know this", I know I have at one or more points in my life, but by not learning those things I would have just been holding myself back from the world and its fast everchanging pace of knowledge. In chapter 2 the author talks about Project Based Learning, a tool used to bring students together for 3 reasons. To collaborate, communicate, and to think critically. In the book it mentions "Students are most successful when they are taught how to learn as well as what to learn" I could'nt agree more, this is a great point! The author also mentioned in chapter 2 how its crucial to teach kids things at the right time. For instance. nstead of throwing a bunch of information at them when they are young, have them work by building things, playing, experimenting, then later on once they've grown put the information in to the cirriculum and connect the two points. So many schools today see that window of oppurtunity and throw so much information at kids they become confused. So, as they say, "Timing is everything". I love that this chapter talked about Foucusing on hearts as well as minds. I think this is extremly important it's what gives our kids their own personality and way of doing things. It's all about social, emotional, and acedemic, they all go hand in hand with eachother. Putting things together from a social standpoint or connecting an emotion to an experince learned through the class room.The fact of the matter is, schools need to keep up and so do their teachers sending those kids these messages. That way our kids, "the future" wont be behind, but a part in our everchanging society with a fighting chance to succeed acedemically.

Family Involvment

From personal experience I know kids strive, when parents are involved, and those students having a hard time are those who parents don't participate in activites with their children at home or in school. The best way to help parents get involved is through busy work. Having an assignment the whole family needs to participate in, not just the student. Also making it known that parents shouild come in a volunteer, maybe read to the class or be a helper on a feild trip. Do specail events to draw parents in, for instance Daddy Doughnut Day or Muffin Mommy Day. If you offer food they will come! Its hard though, these days there are not alot of stay at home parents, alot of kids live in single parents families, or both parents work. Its not easy being able to afford an education for youir child and be able to be there for every event that comes up, its understandable, but most students like when their parents involved. They also do alot better when the parent is engaged with their childs school and their education. With the parent in the picture, it leads to less crime, less drug use, and less poverty. students succeed when they are being pushed, watched, driven to do better, by both parents and teachers. I had to agree with everything they mentioned in their presentation. It's true coming from a family that both parents had to work and couldnt come to alot of events I know it affected me emotionally and acedemically. I also know from that experince that I don't want to raise my kids that way... I think it's a great thing they are doing over there and i could'nt agree more with what the viedo was saying.

The Finland Phenomenon

How is it that these kids start school later, and end earlier? It said in the movie that kids usually start going to school around age seven. According to PISA (An exam made for the assessment of students) and a most difficult one at that, states that Finland is number one among other competitors. Whereas United States is ranked number twenty six. In the video it stated that Finalnd had held this title from 2000 to 2009. It seems odd to me that they did so well, with less class time. They even called their teachers by first name, whereas here thats considered disrespectful. Alot of the students also mentioned that most of them do at least one extra curricular activity and that it didnt seem to take away from their studies. In order to go to college there you had to get extremly good grades, it's like going to medical school in the United States. The subject you get your degree in, is the subject you have to teach in. The teachers and faculty said the school succeeded so well was because the children were actively engaging in their classrooms. whether it was on the white board or raising their hands. They also said they dont like to dwell on the fact that the students made a mistake, they just corrected it and moved on instead  of making a fuss about it. i thought this was great almost made me want to send my kids over there. Where their teachers are the best of the best, tops of their classes.id want to give my child the very best and thats what they would be getting, this being proved by the PISA's.  I'd also like to see more reasearch done on this. Why the late start? Why take the PISA? Do these students graduate and do bigger and better things with their lives?

Hazing, Bullying, CyberBully, Girl Bullies, Cliques....

Its hard sending your child out the door to school when you know they're getting bullied, but what parents dont realize is they're not safe in thier own homes either, with the latest trend called "cyber bullying". This can be done through text message, email, and social networking sites like facebook or twitter, and its only getting worse as technology is getting more advance. More then 51 perecent of ten year olds have phones making the bullying even worse for younger kids who dont properly use their cell phones. Bullying and hazing of any kind can lead to a life of hurt and heartache. With kids walkign away with symptoms such as: life long anxiety, lonlines and insecurities that may never get fixed... bullying is a place where even your best friend can become your enemy, they all start in, when one child starts in its all down hill from there.  When in reality all that can change... with just one person. All it takes is one person to stand up and say stop. One child to protect the life of another, acting as a soldier sacrificng themselves to war.  We as educators need to teach our children to become warriors against bullying. making kids more aware of the power they have could change the lives of millions, or at least the 4,000 that commit suicide every year... By making children aware of the problem we are preventing it. Its also important letting our kids know that being a bistander is just as bad as being a bullying. We need to interven, we need to eduate our children, and we need to do it early and often. There is power in numbers and with the numbers we have in this world today bullying should have no problem becomming non-exhistant. How great would it be to have a world full of orange!!!! Orange being the color of anti -bullying and anti- hazing once a month having our kids in orange doing and antihazing activty or role playing to protect our kids and teach kids how to handel situation when they get into them.