The Newtown tragedy underscores the violent society we live in. It's a complex issue but I believe that better parenting i.e. establishing a culture of learning in your home that models and encourages respect, selflessness, kindness, compassion, and life-long learning will produce results.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
NEWTOWN, VIDEO GAMES AND PARENTING
When the president read the names of those innocent chldren who were slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut, my heart went numb. Many Americans share those names among their own families and loved ones. I could not help thinking about my own children, grandchildren, and relatives who share those -now heavenly - names. And I cannot get Emilie Parker's picture-one of the first children's faces flashed across the TV screen- out of my mind.
This week I expected to share with you another article about homework but the evil that was visited upon Newtown, CT has given the entire nation pause as we all reflect on this unfathomable heart wrenching tragedy.
As did many Americans, I spent the past three days praying for the victims and their families, wondering why this happened, and listening to the experts and the president telling the nation that the circumstances surrounding this calamity were very complex. I also called a former teacher I worked with who used to live in Newtown; I needed to talk; I had to vent.
I have written previously about video games when a parent wrote to me about concerns he had with his son's obsession with them. I will not repeat the article here but if you are interested in reading it, go to my website and look for,"The Impact of Video Games" written in August 2011.
Why Did This Happen?
Everybody is asking this question but we will never know what the shooter was thinking about or what motivated him to commit this heinous act. Four
Monday, December 10, 2012
HOMEWORK AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT:Part 2
"Some of the stuff(homework) isn't worth two minutes of their children's time"
HOMEWORK AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT:Part 2
TIP OF THE WEEK- 12/10/12
NO HOMEWORK! THEN WHAT?
Last week I concluded my post by referring to Kohn's notion that non-academic skills (discipline and engaging in required study habits) teach nothing since kids have no say in the matter and are not exercising their own judgement. According to Mary Jane Cera(see last week), the kids at her school take home what interests them such as journal writing and their music. " A lot of what we see kids doing is continuing to write in their journals, practicing their music with friends, and taking experiments home to show their parents." says, Cera.
HOMEWORK GUIDELINES:
The National PTA guidelines for homework are:
Grades K-2=10 -20 minutes
Grades 3-6= 30-60 minutes
Grades 7-12= 1-2 hours
This time frame makes no sense at any grade level if the assignments are poorly conceived and lack quality. Is your child taking home a bunch of mindless work sheets? Is the assignments 15 repetitive math problems when it could be five instead. If your child knows, understands, and demonstrates the concept, why does he/she have to do them at all? " Some of this stuff is not woth two minutes of their time." opines Mr. Kohn. He says that parents should ask two fundamental questions regarding homework:
1) Does the assignment make kids more excited about the topic or learning in general?
2) Does the assignment make the kids think more deeply about questions that matter?
A parent informed me this past weekend that one of her son's teachers gave tons of homework while another teacher at the same
Monday, December 3, 2012
HOMEWORK AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT-Part 1
"Homework is all pain and no gain." according to Alfie Kohn the author of The Homework Myth. Kohn reveals that there are no research studies that link homework to student achievement; even in high school
HOMEWORK AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT-Part 1
TIP OF THE WEEK-12/4/12
Are you stressed out during homework time? Do your children love doing homework or are they frustrated too? What is the purpose of homework? Does the assignment make sense? Is it even necessary? How about NO HOMEWORK?
IS HOMEWORK NECESSARY?
"Homework is all pain and no gain." according to Alfie Kohn the author of The Homework Myth. Kohn reveals that there are no research studies that link homework to student achievement; even in high school.
Some schools are banning homework in an effort to assure that learning remains a joy andNOT-according to Mary Jane Cera(academic coordinator at a prvate school in Arizona) "a second shift of work that impedes social time and creative activity."
My grandaughter and I define "social time" differently. I define it as face to face interactions between and among friends. She prefers to text and hang out on Facebook instead of the corner.
I vividly recall, a mere two and a half years ago when I was teaching fifth grade, the expressions of delight on the faces of my students when I announced that there was no homework that night. There were also a few yippees.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF HOMEWORK?
As a teacher, I did not give much homework and never burdened kids with homework on the weekends. As a principal, I advised teachers to do the same and also limit the number of items on each assignment. However, as both a teacher and principal, I did recommend that students read each night.
In the minds of proponents of homework, three purposes
PARENT INVOLVEMENT: HOMEWORK-Part 1
PARENT INVOLVEMENT: HOMEWORK-Part 1
TIP of the Week-12/3/12-www.asktheprincipal.info.
Are you stressed out during homework time? What is the parentaE
PARENT INVOLVEMENT: HOMEWORK-Part 1
Homework is all pain and no gain,” according to Alfie Kohn. In his book, "The Homework Myth", Kohn reveals that there are no research studies that link homework to student achievement; even in high school.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT: HOMEWORK-Part 1
Homework is all pain and no gain,” according to Alfie Kohn. In his book, "The Homework Myth", Kohn reveals that there are no research studies that link homework to student achievement; even in high school.
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