BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

The Pay Back of School Health Programs

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:54:30 -0500

Do you ever wonder if the school health program in your district is having a real impact on kids? Well, according to a study published in the May issue of Pediatrics, a school-based sun safety education program is not only benefiting kids, but society as a whole.

The study evaluated the SunWise School Program, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program that aims to teach children how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun. The study sought to assess the health benefits of the program as well as use economic analysis to determine the program’s benefits and cost-effectiveness.

The results? Analysis showed that if the program continues through 2015 at current funding levels, it should prevent nearly 11,000 cases of skin cancer and approximately 50 premature deaths. Moreover, the study revealed that, for every dollar invested in the program, between approximately $2 and $4 in medical care costs and productivity losses are saved.

Board Buzz believes that investing in the health of children not only boosts their potential, but benefits each of us individually, and makes us a stronger society. And, needless to say, with healthy and well educated kids, we’ll be better equipped to compete in the 21st century’s global market and make a difference in this world. To BoardBuzz, this seems like a good pay back…

To learn more about the importance of school health programs, go to www.nsba.org/schoolhealth.

The candidates talk...education?

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:03:26 -0500

Lo and behold both presidential candidates had something to say this week about education and what they would want to do about it if elected. Both used the occassion of addressing the annual NAACP convention to discuss education.

Check out the Associated Press coverage of Senator Obama's speech. And here is A.P. coverage of Senator McCain's speech. The full transcripts of each are available on the candidate's websites.

Want to know where each candidate stands on education issues? Education Week has an interactive tool where you can put Obama and McCain side-by-side. Michele McNeil and Alyson Klein of Ed Week also follow the campaigns on their Campaign K-12 blog. Klein's story on McCain's speech also notes that the senator indicated he would fully fund programs that fall under the NCLB Act, but did not say he would fully fund the overall NCLB program. That's an important clarification from comments made by McCain adviser Carly Fiorina on "Meet the Press" that was stirring the ed punditry pot -- more on that here.

We also recommend the Education Writers Association's blog on the candidates' education plans.

Working out to the top

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:26:19 -0500

Thanks to an article from The Daily News in Galveston County Texas, BoardBuzz was happy to hear about why being fit is so essential for students.

According to the results from a recent statewide fitness test, students who are more physically fit performed better on standardized exams. Data comparing the fitness test's results to student's grades, attendance, obesity, disciplinary problems and school meal programs is expected later this year.

2.6 million third through twelfth-graders took the test and aimed for the " Healthy Fitness Zone", where they must achieve certain levels based on their age and gender. The Fitnessgram tests included a one-mile run, different push-ups, lifts, and stretches, and body fat and weight measurements.

The tests also showed a trend of physical activity and wellness decreasing in high school, and fitness levels especially decreased among girls. Elementary students are required to have physical education everyday, but high school students must only take a year and half of physical education to graduate.

For more information on Texas' students’ wellness lifestyles, fitness levels, or the test’s findings on how fitness and income correlate, be sure to check out the article.

New Ad Causes a Stir

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:14:02 -0500

BoardBuzz applauds Strong American Schools' campaign to put education on the front burner of this year's presidential campaign, but their new ad paints an unfair picture of American schools. The ad shows a young boy raising flags of various countries that out score the United States in math and science on the international assessment called PISA. BoardBuzz suggests that you check out the Center for Public Education's summary of the PISA results here.

While on the Center's website also check out their guide to international assessments called More Than A Horse Race. The report will show you what the various international assessments are actually measuring and how they should be used. The Center cautions that international test scores may show which countries came in “win,” “place,” and “show,” but they are not clear about how much better one country is than another. The Strong American Schools’ ad misses this point completely.

The ad paints a bleak picture for our nation's youth and our future economy saying that if education in this country doesn't improve, the job market and our economy will dry up. Of course, education is important to a nation's workforce and economy, but to claim that our children will not have any job prospects when they graduate is just fear mongering. It takes away from the real challenges that face our nation's schools.

The old ‘Nation at Risk’ rhetoric doesn't work well anymore for public education. A better message would provide a focus on how the public can support schools to bring about needed changes--changes that would ensure our children and grandchildren leave school with the knowledge and skills needed for the quality of life every parent desires for their child. Many call these 21st Century Skills and narrowly focus on math and science as the Strong American Schools ad does. But the skills students will need when they graduate are more than math and science. That is why the Center for Public Education is taking a broader look at the skills students will need when they graduate high school, not only so students can get a satisfying and lucrative job, but also so they can operate successfully in their daily lives and be good citizens. So keep checking the Center for Public Education in the coming year for more information on 21st Century Skills.

Support for students

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:38:44 -0500

BoardBuzz was intrigued by this article that came to us by way of ABCNews.com. It seems that increased cultural awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues is allowing teens to acknowledge their sexuality and gender identity earlier and earlier. As a result, some children are coming out when they are in middle school. And unfortunately, as anyone who's ever been to middle school can attest, it remains a zenith of bullying, and these young tormentors are as intolerant as ever.

In fact, according to the article, Harris Polling found in a study conducted in 2005 that students are 30% more likely to be teased about their sexual orientation in middle school than in high school. But “teasing” is the least of some students’ worries. Fourteen-year-old Sean, a female-to-male transsexual since age 11, was “shoved into lockers, beaten up and made fun of.” He ended up dropping out of middle school and being home-schooled by his mother. Josh Rivero, who tried to start a Gay-Straight Alliance club at his middle school, received enough threats that he enrolled in a virtual high school. Leah Matz came out as a lesbian when she was 12, and endured being “tripped, pushed and spit on,” and received a painted message on her locker that read, “Dykes Suck.”

A universal grievance among these students is that their schools did not do enough to prevent or remedy the harassment they endured. Experts note that many middle schools do not have policies to address sexual orientation bullying. Although Sean’s mother told school officials that her daughter was returning to her 7th grade class as a boy, those officials did not pass the message on to teachers and students. And Josh’s mom reported that while some teachers helped her son when he was being bullied, others “looked up at him and said, ‘What do you want me to do?’”

"I never dealt with this as a middle school principal in the 1990s," said John Norig, director of program development for the National Association of Secondary School Principals, which is beginning to address the issue. But even progressive schools with strong anti-gay harassment policies said coming out is particularly hard in middle school.

Some school districts take a hard line against harassment based on sexual orientation and are getting results. In Casey Middle School in Boulder, Colorado, each year, the school informs students that sexual harassment for any reason is prohibited, and each incident is punished. Students who are coming out are sent to a counselor in order to give them a sense of acceptance and support at school. Middle school principal Alison Boggs describes the districts success regarding reducing harassment, “Like other forms of sexual harassment, once they are educated, kids do pretty well and will stop if we make it clear. In this age group, they are still forming their identity, and they may be sure, but not all that sure. But they are feeling safer to express themselves.”

If you are looking for some resources to how your school district can handle situations like these, click here.

Television takes away from toys

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:53:23 -0500

That's right, even just background television can take away from a young child's play time. Though children might not be able to understand the television program, a USA Today article reports on a recent study that shows that background television could be a disruptive influence.

While blocks, dolls, and toy cars are fun, play time is important because it helps children develop different cognitive skills. Solitary play time, that is. With just a TV on in the background of the room, the study noticed that there were some distracting effects:

In the new study, researchers say the disruptive effects were "real but small," amounting to a few seconds in many cases. For instance, kids played about 90 seconds less in the half hour with the TV on — they looked momentarily at the screen, then went back to their toys.
But researcher Daniel Anderson, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, says he's concerned the effects could be cumulative.

"It's that situation that I'm most concerned about, when you look at TV as being a disruptive influence hour after hour, day after day, week after week, year after year," he says.

BoardBuzz knows the importance of early childhood education, and in one survey the article mentions 14 percent of parents said the TV is always onin their homes. So BoardBuzz wants to remind you to turn off the TV when it's not being watched. While it keeps playing, you might be wasting energy and distracting your child from one of the most important parts of their development... playtime! For more information about Pre-K, check out the Center for Public Education.

School in the summer

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:13:24 -0500

For some students, going to school in the summer is not about re-taking courses or getting better grades. It's about getting something to eat. BoardBuzz covered here our concerns about our nation's students not eating healthy foods while off at day camp or around the house. But recently, The Washington Post reminded us that for some, school is necessary for getting any meal during the day.

Children who qualify for federally subsidized meals are entitled to them year-round. BoardBuzz was pleased to learn about programs in Montgomery County Maryland and Washington D.C. that work to keep students nourished while schools are not in session. In Silver Spring, Md., a school bus is sent out daily to bring students to school for breakfast or lunch, so that they can continue to eat well when school is not in session.

It's not only schools that have the oppertunity to get students their meals. The Post tell us that a variety of organizations can help to expand the effort:

Any organization within reach of low-income families can offer subsidized meals. But state and local governments must make a more concerted effort, advocates say, to expand the federal programs beyond a handful of summer schools and youth groups. Administrators of summer camps, activity centers and churches often don't know about potential subsidies or are put off by the paperwork needed to procure them. Through a law enacted in December, the federal government cut red tape for its summer food program for every state.

BoardBuzz is always interested in nutrition and how it relates to student achievement. These summer food outreach programs are found at schools, community centers, and churches and work to overcome inadequate summer nutrition contributing to students falling behind in academics during the school year. For more information on these programs, check out the article.

A sad day in the blogosphere

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:11:39 -0500

BoardBuzz was saddened to hear that the World's Oldest Blogger died on Saturday. It seems that 108-year-old Olive Riley blogged from her home in Australia.

Olive Riley wrote 74 entries in her blogs, firstly allaboutolive.com.au and later http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com. A friend introduced Riley to blogging early in 2007, and was hooked.
Riley "passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 12," a posting on her Web site said. No cause of death was given. "She will be mourned by thousands of Internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives."

She entered a nursing home in Woy Woy, 50 miles north of Sydney, last month, from where she blogged about having a bad cough and feeling weak.

In her last entry, on June 26, Riley thanked supporters for "a whole swag of e-mails and comments from my Internet friends" and described meeting a new friend in the bed next to her.

"She and I sang a happy song, as I do every day, and before long we were joined by several nurses, who sang along too. It was quite a concert!" she posted.

Great-grandson Darren Stone said Riley loved being able to stay in touch with correspondents all over the world and said she believed it kept her mind active.

"It was mind blowing to her," Stone said. "She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and America on a continual basis, not just once in a while."

BoardBuzz loves to see folks of all generations embracing technology. It just goes to show that anyone can become tech savvy, at any age. So go ahead, jump in with both feet! We think that'd be the perfect tribute to Olive!

Bus brouhaha

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:58:37 -0500

Enough rowdy students travel on school buses everyday that their antics don’t usually make it to YouTube or the national news. But fights become more media-worthy when the bus driver joins the fray. And this happened recently in a district near Phoenix.

Kim Sullivan, a bus driver in Higley Unified School District, became frustrated when fifteen-year-old Samantha Taylor, a student with a history of discipline problems on the school bus, was distracting her. Sullivan pulled the bus over, before reaching an authorized stop. Samantha decided she wanted to get off the bus, but Sullivan is not supposed to let kids off the bus unless she has arrived at an authorized stop. As the bus’s security tape shows, tensions escalated for nearly ten minutes. Finally, a physical brawl ensued between Samantha, Sullivan, and Sullivan’s daughter Erin.

The school district took Sullivan’s side after reviewing the tape. The Superintendent even said, “I wouldn’t put any blame whatsoever on the bus driver.” School officials and law enforcement eventually cleared Sullivan of all charges and ordered her daughter Erin to attend anger management classes.

Samantha, on the other hand, is not in the authorities’ good graces: she has been expelled from school and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, which could carry a sentence of six months in juvenile detention.

Beyond its YouTube appeal, the incident is leading school districts nationwide to get creative with bus security. One district is even trying out a system that will feed security camera footage live to the local police department and to the school district. That way, someone can more quickly come to the aid of bus drivers when tensions mount.

BoardBuzz remembers its days on the school bus and knows that bus drivers must do what they can to maintain order and safety. What do you think of this interesting case? How is YouTube (and other social media) changing the way school districts do business? Does your school district face similar challenges? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Do-It-Yourself

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:57:36 -0500

Edutopia recently discussed do-it-yourself (DIY) projects as part of the classroom experience. We've mentioned DIY before, but for a brief refresher here's the definition from Wikipedia: "DIY is a term used by various communities that focus on people creating or repairing things for themselves without the aid of paid professionals. The notion is related in philosophy to the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries."

Edutopia points out, and BoardBuzz agrees, that teachers are natural DIYers. Nothing is more natural to teachers than engaging students with hands-on projects. There are many projects from the DIY community that teachers can find a use for in the classroom. BoardBuzz remembers our first DIY experience of making a sock puppet, but the sky is the limit. For example, Edutopia spotlights one DIYer who turned a Wii into a whiteboard:

Johnny Chung Lee is not your average video gamer. When Lee, a bespectacled computer science graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, bought a new Wii gaming console, he wasn't content to burn endless hours playing the tennis, bowling, and golf games that came with the popular system.
Instead, he modified his Wii to perform a variety of simple tasks that, together, can mimic expensive technology -- tech often out of the reach of the average classroom teacher. Then he posted the instructions, and accompanying video, online.

For instance, with about $50 and a trip to Radio Shack, Lee can show you how to turn a blank wall space into an interactive whiteboard -- savings: about $1,500. Another project he devised instructs intrepid hackers in the best way to create a steadycam for stable video work. Cost: about $14.

There is quite a variety of DIY communities and websites on the web. Here's some that Edutopia mentions and a few they don't.

Wired How-to Wiki - Collaborate with Wired editors and add to their library of projects, hacks, tricks and tips. Browse more than 300 how-to articles and add to them, or start a new one.
DIY Network - DIY Network is your television source for the latest do-it-yourself projects and videos, including Home Improvement; Crafts; Gardening and Woodworking.
Instructables - Instructables is the World's Biggest Show & Tell where people share what they do and how they do it. Join other creative, curious people for entertainment, inspiration, and education.
Make - Make brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in your life. Make is loaded with exciting projects that help you make the most of your technology at home and away from home. This is a magazine that celebrates your right to tweak, hack, etc.
Howtoons - Howtoons has simple, inexpensive projects that kids would enjoy, presented in a fun cartoon format.
Hacked Gadgets - Many articles about hacking gadgets and DIY projects describing how to build electronic projects.
Lifehacker - An award-winning, daily blog that features tips, shortcuts, and downloads that help you get things done smarter and more efficiently.
DIY:happy - DIY:happy brings you the coolest DIY projects from around the net from building your own nuclear reactor to knitting a scarf. Hardware, electronics, and software are all covered here.
Maker Faire - Like a science fair, the Maker Faire will have lots of DIY tech projects from the Make magazine and elsewhere. It's a celebration of Makers of all kinds and a great opportunity to learn and explore.

We particularly like how Edutopia sums up the article: "What makes DIYers special is their enthusiasm and their willingness to share their expertise. DIYers are truly lifelong learners and teachers. They don't always realize it, though -- they're too busy having fun." Teachers clearly have inroads to becoming lifelong DIYers.

Social networking hits iPhone/iPod

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:12:55 -0500

Today marks the official launch of the iPhone Apps Store. However, many attentive bloggers noticed that the Apps Store was live yesterday, and it was possible to download the latest version of iTunes and version 2.0 of the iPhone firmware. This translated to a fun day of checking out the latest and greatest applications. And what did BoardBuzz notice first? There are over 25 social networking applications available.

We've been postulating that wireless/mobile devices are getting set to make a dramatic leap to catch up with Web 2.0 realities. The first iteration of the iPhone made other Smartphones look, well, less smart. Now with the introduction of third-party developer applications, the power of the 3G iPhone is starting to show. Where other phone manufacturers have stagnated, Apple has innovated. You may see phones with matching or higher specifications than the iPhone, but none have software remotely equivalent and appealing to consumers.

And then we come to Google. Google's Android could potentially change the entire field. They essentially want to achieve what Apple (with help) has just done: make the Web 2.0 internet mobile. One Google spokesperson said that Android's goal is to give “iPhone type capabilities to the masses at a cost that everyone can afford.” If we combine this platform with the possibility that their white spaces venture succeeds, it's a whole new ballgame. Wired's Epicenter is reporting that the FCC is testing white spaces devices next week.

But let's get back to the new iPhone Apps. Just about anything is available from games to innovative GPS-enabled social networking applications. It's a blast. There's even a Sketches application that we can't wait to try out during a boring meeting... we mean, in our free time. Below are some popular social Apps.

SmugShot
This is from SmugMug, a popular photo-sharing site. SmugShot adds photos you take directly to your SmugMug galleries and geotags them at the same time.

Midomi
A song recognition App that actually works. Sing, hum, or whistle to instantly find your favorite music and connect with a community that shares your musical interests. It's truly amazing!

Twitterific
Twitterrific is a fun application that lets you both read and publish posts or "tweets" to the Twitter community website. It works just like the desktop version and also geotags your tweets.

Facebook
Just what you'd expect. You can search your friends, Facebook chat, view messages and notices, and interact just like you would from your computer.

MySpace Mobile
This is the official MySpace App, and it does just what you think it would. As Gizmodo said
"addicts who have an iPhone will undoubtedly be thrilled."

Whrrl
Whrrl is a location-based social utility. Go to your current location and you can see markers signifying restaurants, stores, museums, etc. Click on them to see reviews, write reviews, or place markers. Once you connect up with a few friends in Whrrl, you'll notice that places they have visited, reviewed, or expressed an interest in will "light up" on the map.

Mobile Flickr
Full-featured Flickr app, you can browse your photos by sets, tags, and more.

There are some 500 apps available in the store, and about 25% of them are free. Oh, and if you only have an iPod Touch, don't worry. Most Apps are available for you as well. Happy Friday!

How low can it go?

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:04:19 -0500

The story below about gas prices might have something to do with this, but a new poll places Congress's job approval at (this is not a typo) 9 percent. Nine. We have to work with Congress so we don't plan to dwell on that figure too long but felt it our duty to make note of it. So we have.

Just one more point. Considering its single-digit approval rating, we'd think Congress ought to be more open to hearing what its constituents want and how it might raise those approval numbers. For school board members and public school supporters, NSBA's Advocacy office has a few suggestions. It's all part of our summer Advocacy Action Plan. Take a look, take action and urge your members of Congress to deliver for your students and taxpayers.

Up, up and away

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:25:38 -0500

Unless fuel prices take an unexpected turn toward the good old days of $3 a gallon gas (remember we thought that was expensive?), school districts, like households and businesses, will continue facing tough budget choices. Stories abound of districts looking into all manner of strategies to save on the rising cost of fuel and the residual effects on other expenses, like food.

USA TODAY is just the latest media outlet to examine what districts are doing. BoardBuzz has covered this before as well.

No district appears to be immune to the skyrocketing costs. In Mississippi, there's even talk of starting school later to avoid higher electric bills in the brutal heat of August. What's your district doing to cope? Use our comment feature to share ideas with your colleagues across the country.

Teaching to the Test: Not Such a Bad Thing, Sometimes

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:30:42 -0500

The phrase 'teaching to the test' usually brings shivers up the spines of most teachers, but to one English teacher there is a test she doesn't mind teaching to. Her name is Erica Jacobs and she writes in the DC Examiner why she loves teaching to the Advanced Placement (AP) Literature test. Her reasoning-- the test is designed to give teachers the freedom to use the texts they love as long as students are exposed to writing in each of the last four centuries. This enables Ms. Jacobs and other AP teachers to focus more on teaching their students to examine how an author writes effectively, instead of regurgitating facts from a book.

These analytical skills are what students need now. Unfortunately, too many tests today don't focus on analytical and problem solving skills. This makes 'teaching to the test' such a bad thing for so many teachers. However, if Congress provided more funds to states to develop better tests like the AP Literature test, then maybe teachers would be happy to teach to the test and our students would be better off for it.

The role of teachers

apaulson@nsba.org (BoardBuzz) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:14:56 -0500

It's not what you think. This isn't about teachers as mentors, authority figures, or pillars of the community. It's an entirely different role teachers are taking that's grabbed BoardBuzz's attention today. This article that came to us via the Kansas City Star talks about some teachers' involvement in their local theater community.

It seems that the local theater company puts on theater in the park each year. This year's selection, The King and I, is particularly fitting for the teachers who're working on the production. The role of Anna will be played by music teacher Sarah Brinkley. She says, "In many of the scenes, I see her as myself."

In addition to Brinkley, the play stars other teachers and will be directed by a teacher too!

Director Jill Jones said that throughout rehearsals the cast members, including about 45 area children, have become like a family.

“They all get along so well and they are supportive of each other,” she said.

It’s Jones’ first year to direct the Theatre in the Park. She performed in one of the productions last year with her daughter and loved the atmosphere.

“It was exciting to get involved last year and I had a blast doing Cinderella,” she said. “It’s just really fun.”

She’s enjoyed the chance to step into the director’s shoes this summer — something she already has plenty of experience with as a theater teacher at North Kansas City High School.

But unlike the high school productions she usually directs during the school year, Gladstone’s Theatre in the Park gives her the opportunity to work with a wide range of ages.

“I like working with the adults and the younger kids as well,” she said.

The Theatre in the Park is a collaboration between the city of Gladstone, Ibsen Dance Theatre and the Northstar Community Band and has been a tradition in the community for more than two decades.

Sounds like great fun to us! Do you know of teachers who are finding interesting ways to spend the summer? Leave a comment and tell us about it.