Adjusting the High School Curriculum

This brief video highlights suggested changes to high school curriculum and classes offered. He points out that current and typical class offerings are 50 years old and out of date and says they should be replaced with more modern and relevant classes and skills. The video is from a secular viewpoint, so it does not include any Bible classes. The creator of this video refers to the book “Stop Stealing Dreams, What is school for?” written by Seth Godin as the basis for his research.

Reference:

Adjusting the high school curriculum. (2012, March 05). Retrieved April 23, 2017, from https://youtu.be/Q7iVCaL0Sk0

Paragraph and Essay Punch

Many students struggle with developing and writing paragraphs and essays. In addition, teachers often do not have the time to sit individually with students in class to go through the steps needed to write well. Paragraph Punch and Essay Punch are websites that allow teachers to assign students a topic to write about and have them walked through the writing process by the software. I believe that it would be very beneficial to the students for the teachers to use this software.

Find out more at these websites:
http://www.paragraphpunch.com/index.php
http://www.essaypunch.com/

The Importance of PE and Recess

In an opinion in the Johnson City Press, "How much recess is too much recess?" was posed. The Tennessee General Assembly has been debating whether changes should be made to legislation mandating a certain amount of recess. There are those who argue that recess takes away from instructional time and the mandate needs to be small, those who argue that it should be left to the local school district, and those who believe that the growing issue of lack of physical activity for children requires that schools before for physical activity. The article discusses the fact that children are engaged with electronics large portions of the day and get very little active play, and therefore, issues of obesity and other health problems are becoming more prevalent. I personally believe that children need the opportunity to play. It promotes good health, builds relationships, and can even improve academic performance.

Read the article:
http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Editorial/2017/04/16/P-E-and-recess-are-important-to-a-student-s-development  

References:
Johnson City Press. (2017). P.E. and recess are also key to an education. Retrieved April 22, 2017, from http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Editorial/2017/04/16/P-E-and-recess-are-important-to-a-student-s-development

Foreign Language as a Crucial Skill

Would you consider foreign language a crucial skill for students? In an article on Middlebury Interactive Languages website, the point is made that some in the business world consider the most essential skill for success in business in the future is empathy. They point to the fact that working with people from other countries is commonplace in business today, and empathy allows for better relationships with those customers and co-workers. Learning a foreign language is an important way to learn empathy by learning about different cultures. As a Christian, I think that it is important to learn other languages as a greater means of carrying out the Great Commission by reaching people who may not speak English.

Read the article:
http://www.middleburyinteractive.com/digital-courses/world-language-learning/school-solutions/research-reports/special-report-why-foreign?utm_source=DistrictAdmin&utm_medium=WeekendRoundup_20170421

References:
Special report: Why foreign languages are a crucial skill. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2017, from http://www.middleburyinteractive.com/digital-courses/world-language-learning/school-solutions/research-reports/special-report-why-foreign?utm_source=DistrictAdmin&utm_medium=WeekendRoundup_20170421

Late School Start for Teens

USA Today recently published an article stating that research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine supports findings that students between 13 and 18 benefit from later start times for school. The studies pointed out that the sleep cycles during these years change, and that most teenagers are getting 7 or less hours of sleep on school nights compared with the 8 to 10 they should get. They indicated that the lack of appropriate sleep is linked to poor academic performance, obesity, depression, and even accidents, and said that starting the school day later would lead to improvements in each of these areas. Do you believe that an approximate 30 minute change in school start time could really make this great an impact?

Read the article:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/04/18/schools-should-start-later-prevent-accidents-depression-scientists-say/100573390/

References:
Hafner, J. (2017, April 18). Schools should start later to prevent accidents, depression, scientists say. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/04/18/schools-should-start-later-prevent-accidents-depression-scientists-say/100573390/

Parents Challenging Reading Books and Textbooks

Making resource choices for schools, districts, and states is a tremendous responsibility. As Christian school leaders and teachers, an attempt is made to make sure that the materials are purposeful and not in opposition to biblical values. In the public school system, citizens have the right to appeal materials to their schools and then local school boards. However, they often cannot go further than that. In Florida, there are two bills being considered to give parents more options for challenging books and textbooks. Critics of the bills, especially educators, complain that it represents a way to ban books and stifle ideas and diversity. Those in favor point to the fact that certain materials are inappropriate in a school environment due to content or that textbooks should be removed because of the number of errors in the books. How do you feel about the role of parents in evaluating resources for the classroom and objecting to those chosen?

Read the article:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-reg-instructional-materials-objections-science-pornography-20170418-story.html

References:
Postal, L., & Travis, S. (2017, April 19). Parents may get new way to challenge school textbooks. Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-reg-instructional-materials-objections-science-pornography-20170418-story.html

3D Printing Projects in the Classroom

3D Printing has become an important part of S.T.E.M. and S.T.E.A.M. initiatives in schools and projects have been integrated into a variety of courses. According to Stratasys, "3D printing can inspire students to imagine, build, test their ideas, and engage in meaningful learning." They, along with schools and an advisory board created a resource that can assist in making 3D printing part of meaningful learning. The guide offers project ideas for K-12 as well as higher education by supplying links to lessons and projects for use in the classroom. Would you like to try this technology in your classroom?

Find the resource at the following link:
http://bunnymail.simplek12.com/t/776023/28888312/2714/5/

References:
Free project ideas for all grade levels. (n.d.). Retrieved April 20, 2017, from http://bunnymail.simplek12.com/t/776023/28888312/2714/5/