It’s summer again! Which means you successfully completed another year of school. Now that you’ll have more free time, it’s probably a good idea to look for a summer job. You’ll have extra money to go out or save and you’ll be able to occupy your time in a productive way. Here are a few tips to help you find a job and what to do once you have one.

First, you’ll have to find a job. While the economy isn’t that great right now, you should still be able to find work for seasonal jobs. From waiting tables for your local restaurant to being a lifeguard for the public pool, there are all kinds of options for teenagers over the summer. Check out craigslist and the local paper for openings. Do you have a favorite store/restaurant? It never hurts to ask if they are looking for part-time work for a few months. Dress professionally and put some time into making your resume. It’s ok if you don’t have any experience, as long as you stress the fact that you’ll work hard and be willing to learn. Tell your friends and family you’re looking for work too. Like most things in life, friends and acquaintances will often be the most effective way of getting ahead.

Once you’ve secured a job, you’ll have a bit of paper work to do. You’ll have to fill out a W-2 form for tax purposes. Be sure to ask for help so you don’t end up owing money next April. From there, you’ll probably have to fill out insurance forms, as well as a contract for employment. It can be tedious and you’ll need your driver’s license and social security card. Have your employer look over everything for any mistakes or issues that may pop up. Some states also require you have get a worker’s permit if your below a certain age (usually 16).

Once the summer is over, you may be offered the option of keeping the job. This can be a tough decision if you’ll be busy with school. Think carefully about how you’ll have to manage your time if you keep the job. If you decide to focus on school, be sure to give your employer at least 2 weeks notice before your last day. You’ll come across as professional and this will help you if you want to work for them next summer or if you need a good reference for any other jobs you apply to.

When it comes to advanced file sharing and cloud computing, we tend to hear a lot about implications for professional environments. Indeed, there are plenty of online businesses and company websites making use of these technologies to improve efficiency and organization. However, as cloud computing becomes more and more common, it is no longer being used exclusively in advanced business environments. In fact, even teenage students are finding ways to benefit from cloud computing in their school environments! Here are a few of the specific ways in which teenage students can use and benefit from cloud computing and advanced file sharing.

Sending Large & Complex Files
Generally, teen students have relatively basic needs when it comes to file sharing. However, when the need to send big files arises, cloud computing and advanced file sharing services can offer solutions. Sometimes video or powerpoint presentations, or even written portfolios with a high volume of text documents can be difficult to send via ordinary email. In these instances, sending this work to a teacher through the cloud or through a file sharing service is far simpler.

Backing Up Files
Another crucial benefit of cloud computing for students of any age is that saving work to the cloud effectively backs it up against potential issues with computers or other machines. If a student finishes a project and saves it to a computer, USB drive, or some other form of storage, then the project itself is vulnerable if that equipment is damaged or misplaced. When work is saved to the cloud, however, the student can always access it there in case a backup or replacement is needed.

Collaborating On Projects
With projects and documents saved on a cloud system, students can also collaborate far more easily. Group work is assigned fairly frequently to teenage students, and while it can be done in a variety of ways, cloud computing is perhaps the simplest. So long as each student in the group has access to the cloud, anyone can log in and edit or access the work at any time. This solves distance issues and allows students to work together without necessarily being in the same location, or on the same schedule.

Improving Convenience
All of the specific benefits listed previously ultimately lead to more convenience for student work. However, it is also worth mentioning that individual work can also be made more efficient and simpler through cloud computing. Something as simple as starting a piece of work on a computer in the school library is made more convenient, as a student can save that work to the cloud and access it from a home computer later that day without ever saving work to a disk drive of any time.

As an adult looking back, this phase consisted of anxieties as we entered this secluded circle. The ground rules were based on fitting into a particular lifestyle, consisting of a secret but intelligent agenda. What you wore, how you look and who you befriend takes on extreme significance, so much so, that for some it becomes a matter of life or death.

The advent of technology in high school education brings another dimension, cyber bullying, that reaches further into the psyche of our children with the ability to influence and persuade them into actions without question to the consequences. Parents are bewildered and fail to understand the existence of teen shaming among peer groups. For teens these peer groups are an honor, not taken likely and a shame so forceful it has been known to drive teens over the edge, unable to cope, they surrender to it.

The exact cause of teen shaming is still unknown. Professionals believe it may be related to human development, unseen medical conditions, or simply a new approach to old fashion torment. The need to fit in is a fundamental part of growing up. For some teens the yearning of self-identity is found on the pages of social media, where expected behaviors are created through the perceptions of others. For others it may be as simply as a poor diet or lack of healthcare that subjects our teens to react hurtfully. Can it be as simple to cure or prevent our teens from being ridiculed or subjected to unacceptable behaviors? Is there a miracle cure or is it merely in how high school education perceives our teens should be treated?

High school education is a time of dual morality making it difficult to identify right from wrong between parental expectations and peer group observation. Life changes, discoveries and demands become emotional arguments for both our teens and their parents. Today teen shaming has the ability to contest parental authorities and community beliefs, which were introduced during early childhood. In some cases, our teens are enforcing their own beliefs, determined to take a stand.

Teen shame encompasses how our teens see themselves, as well as, how they believe they are seen by peers and authorities. In almost all cases, peer influences win over family. The quest for teen independence can be so overwhelming, and outcomes can be either positive or negative. Instigating parental and peer challenges, testing allowable limits set by authorities, and threatening followers in the peer group to sustain or face consequences are only part of the problem. Authorities are equally guilty of imposing teen shame, using it as a method of correction or control. The results are a double edged sword, and for some there is an instinctive reaction to confront, while others chose to ignore. Both reactions can be explosive and damaging to the teen, as well as, the parent or authority.

Going through the years of high school education can be stressful and as individuals our breaking points are as different as night and day. Our peer groups and our families know better than anyone, where our vulnerabilities exist. It’s nature at its worst when teens tease, or bully each other for being different. The same can be said of parents or authorities shaming teens through verbal or written statements. Placing your own shortcomings onto a teen’s shoulder to resolve can become unbearable and when do we cross the border of being destructive versus constructive?

Teen Shaming the Latest Rage on Social Media

In approaching the construction of a high school curriculum, both the new student and the parent may feel overwhelmed, both with the options available to them and at the task of constructing the curriculum in the first place. Fortunately, there are several things that both parties can do to ensure the best possible curriculum, and consequently the best possible high school experience, for the student.

One of the first things that the new high-schooler may want to do is take a variety of elective courses. These are courses like criminal justice, or a foreign language – subjects that are not necessarily part of the baseline high school curriculum, but which the student can choose to take or not. Taking these electives can help the student find what he or she likes to do, as well as what he or she is good at. To take the previous example again, a girl may find that she enjoys the criminal justice courses, and thereby be motivated to investigate the field more. Similarly, the young man may find that he enjoys German so much that he begins to read things in German, to widen his appreciation for the language. This is a good thing, as it gives the student and the parent an idea of where the talents of the student lie, which will be helpful for further academic planning.

A typical high school curriculum will also contain the normal, core courses, such as mathematics, language arts, history, and so on. As a new high-schooler, a student may be tempted to allow her focus to shift from the required subjects to the elective ones that she may be more interested in. This, while understandable, is not a good idea. Only doing things that one likes, however enjoyable, generally does not build towards a future very well. The core courses are at the core for a reason – they provide the foundation upon which the rest of the student’s secondary and higher education will be built. Thus, neglecting these fundamentals while focusing on other, more immediately enjoyable things in a high school curriculum may have undesirable results down the road.

Towards the junior and senior years, the student will likely want to begin to reflect upon what course, if any, he or she wishes to pursue with regards to higher education. Whatever decision that they come up with will likely shape how he or she constructs his or her high school curriculum. For instance, a young woman who wants to pursue an education in engineering will likely want to construct her high school curriculum around that goal. She will likely want to begin to take AP courses in mathematics and physics, in order to better prepare her for engineering courses she will begin to take. Similarly, a young man who wants to pursue an educational track in the performing arts will want to construct his curriculum around that. He can play in the school band, for instance. Maybe he can even take courses at locations outside the school that will count towards his transcript and education.

Finally, the student and parent alike must be careful to avoid burnout. Many a family has been thrown into a tailspin because one or the other part was over-ambitious. The student, for instance, may have thought that he could take on a certain amount of educational tasks, only to discover that he could not keep up with all of them, and subsequently failed them. Similarly, the parents, in their desire to see their child succeed and have the best possible education, may push them to try for too much, thus burning them out. Remember, the best high school curriculum will be the one that maintains that balance between rest and business, between excellence and leisure

Additional Resources

College Board
How to Get Good Grades in High School
Tips to Improve Teen Study Habits
What is GPA Anyway
A Different Approach to High School Curriculum.

Every day, the great tools and technology that allow a level of communication that is numbered and seen in history are used by bullies to attack their victims.

Unfortunately, the number of incidents around the country continues to increase while the laws on cyber bullying do not.

As a result, there have been a number of awareness campaigns to educate the public about the problem, to propose solutions and try and create laws on cyber bullying.

A Growing Problem

Recently, a substantial amount of research has been conducted to determine the scope and severity of cyber bullying in modern society. According to the Centers for Disease Control, around 50% of minors in the United States claim that they have at some point been a victim. Close to 70% occurs on instant messaging services like Skype and Facebook messaging.

In many cases, the problem is an invisible one to parents. According to a survey by I-Safe.org of kids in grades 4 to 8, 58% reported that they did not tell an adult about something hurtful that was said to them online.

The bullies themselves often hide behind the anonymity of the internet. Unlike “normal” bullying, where it is possible in just about every case to identify the bully, when it comes to cyber bullying, it is often times difficult or impossible to identify the perpetrator.

Cyber bullying is different than cyber stalking and cyber harassment. Generally speaking, the former involves two or more minors whereas the latter involves an adult. Because it involves minors, laws on cyber bullying are tricky to craft and implement.

Current Status of Laws on Cyber Bullying

Right now, there is no clear cut legislation which addresses the problem of cyber bullying. Some argue that a federal statutes which prohibits the use of electronics to “coerce, intimidate, harass or cause other substantial emotional distress” covers cyber bullying; however to date, no individual has ever been prosecuted by this law.

Because of the ambiguity in the law, there has been legislative action at the local, state, and federal levels to address the problem and create more direct laws on cyber bullying. Legislation related to it has been passed in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, and Washington. Most of these laws, such as the legislation in Washington, give power to schools to take disciplinary action against cyber bullies. Florida goes so far as to withhold funding for schools that do not adequately discipline cyber bullies.

Concerns About the Free Speech of Minors

There have been attempts to pass legislation and laws on cyber bullying at the federal level as well. The balance that legislatures have been attempting to find is the one between protecting the victims while at the same time protecting the free speech rights of minors. Federal courts have attempted to weigh in on this issue. In cases like United States v. Baker, the courts have generally ruled in favor of Internet freedom speech, but have not ruled specifically on the constitutionality of strong laws on cyber bullying because currently no such law exists.

The lack of a federal law has proven problematic in prosecuting cases. For example, when Tyler Clementi committed suicide after a video of a homosexual encounter was broadcast on the Internet, prosecutors could not prosecute the offenders on the grounds of cyber bullying. Instead, they had to use other legal avenues like invasion of privacy when they brought the case to court.

In spite of the problems of cyber bullying and a growing national attention, legislation that directly target cyber bullying has not passed Congress. Detractors have blocked bills such as the Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act and the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act due to free speech concerns.

Therefore, the current state of cyber bullying is very much up in the air. While there are laws at the state and local levels, federal legislation has not passed. This legal ambiguity will undoubtedly clear up in the coming years as more and more cases encourage laws on cyber bullying.

Additional High School Mediator articles about bullying and the laws on cyber bullying.

Latest statistics (pdf file) about state laws on cyber bullying.

Once people get their jobs, families and other responsibilities, they find it hard to continue with their education. Even if they were unable to finish high school they can decide later to move on with their life and career, but cannot enter college without a high school diploma.

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Accredited online high school courses provide great solutions for individuals.

No need to spend time attending actual classes. You can take your classes whenever you want. No need to spend time traveling to and from your classes. Just go to your PC and get online.

Another advantage of attending accredited online high school courses is that you are no longer limited by the local educational institutions.

High schools differ in their curriculum and study programs. Some high schools provide a better education than others and that’s a fact! With accredited online high school courses you can select the best schools countrywide to attend.

You are also no longer bound to study at the pace of your class. You are not dependent on other people, as is the case with offline schools. You can study at your own pace: slower or faster than others, while carrying your studies online.

You should make sure that the program you select is accredited. It should get the approval of Distant Education Council and its accrediting commission. Only then will your diploma be legitimate and allow you to enter a college or a university.

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Of course, the best place to look for high school online courses is online.

There are many websites, where you can find information on the best and accredited schools around the country. This search is the least time consuming and very effective. To verify the accreditation of any school you may want to contact your local Education Department.

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