A School of Voices

Study: Media top U.S. pastime

U.S. adults are watching, reading and consuming more mass media than ever. Here's how a recent survey fell out:

• Baby boomers spent  more time watching television and reading newspapers, books and magazines.
• Generation Y  watched more movies and played more vidio and computer games, mostly at home.

They found that a typical U.S. adult spent about nine hours a day with mass media. This included sending e-mail and instant text messages and talking on a cell phone.

Ninety-one percent of those responding watched television for an average of 241 minutes per day and 73% listened to the radio or used a computer daily.

The survey tracked media usage of 394 adults in Indiana for nearly a full day.

So what are your media habits?  Think about how and when you use media. Do you use email, instant messaging, use the computer to get information, read newspapers, read blogs, magazines, watch TV, watch movies, use cell phones, play computer games? Anything else? How much time per day do you spend on each media. Share your grade or generation (if you want) and we'll see how they compare.

"I didn't forget you."

<via> CNN Student News and the New York Times

Simon Wiesenthal died September 20, 2005 at the age of 96. He was a Holocaust survivor who spent 4 years inside Nazi concentration camps. This famous death camp survivor dedicated the remainder of his life to hunting down fugitive Nazi war criminals.

During World War II, Germany's Nazi regime carried out mass killings. This tragic event became known as the Holocaust.  At least six million Jews died along with  several million others whom the Nazis opposed.

Simon Wiesenthal vowed to remember the names of his torturers. He held on to the belief that he would make it out alive....And when he did, at the age of 37, Wiesenthal spent 60 years tracking down the men and women who carried out -the Holocaust. His one-man detective agency helped provide the evidence that led to the trials of more than 1,000 former Nazi war criminals.

Adolf Eichman, the Commandant of Auschwitz, was brought to trial in Jerusalem in 1961 and given the only death penalty ever imposed in Israel.

Many notorious war criminals like Stangl, Veesenmayer, Rauter were arrested.  Karl Silberbauer was the Nazi officer who arrested Anne Frank. Wiesenthal's main regret was his failure to capture the infamous Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele...whose human experiments led to the deaths of thousands.

Later in life, Wiesenthal would devote his life to teaching tolerance...he spoke at the United Nations in 1995 on the dangers of internet hate sites.

He was often asked why he had become a searcher of Nazi criminals instead of resuming a profitable career in architecture. He gave one questioner this response: "You're a religious man. You believe in God and life after death. I also believe. When we come to the other world and meet the millions of Jews who died in the camps and they ask us, 'What have you done?' there will be many answers. You will say, 'I became a jeweler.' Another will say, 'I smuggled coffee and American cigarettes.' Still another will say, 'I built houses,' but I will say, 'I didn't forget you.'”

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "Simon was a lion of a man, a survivor and a conqueror, a hero in every sense of the word."

"He suffered unspeakable hardships in the Nazi death camps but he did not let them break his spirit or compromise his will to live ... I will always be grateful that I knew one of the greatest men of our time."

Many other  world leaders have paid tribute to this brave and inspiring man. If you would like to add your voice to pay tribute to Simon Wiesenthal's life please leave a comment below.

Does this give you the creeps?

NSBA (short for National School Board Association) has a blog called BoardBuzz. They have an interesting post about black widows. It appears that many Chula Vista campuses (California) have reported the sighting of black widow spiders or their webs. A very wet winter has brought about this abnormally large population of spiders. School officials say there is little risk to children but the exterminators are out in full force. A biology professor said bites can result in pain that radiates to the abdomen, back and liimbs, breathing difficulties, nausea and momiting, but he believes there has not been a confirmed U.S. death from a black widow bite in more than 20 years.

BoardBuzz adds this info and provides the creepy picture:

The issue is being confronted in Canada as well, as some Ontario schools there are stepping up inspections for a variety of pests after more than a dozen cases of students being bitten by spiders.

In recent years, lots of people have been noticing unusual things happening with animals, plants, weather changes, birds migrating prematurely and many other such things. Have you noticed anything different in our world?  I want to invite you to tell us your observations on any changes you have noticed over the past few years. These changes can be in your backyard, your neighborhood, school or just anywhere! What do you think is going on?

Effective vs. Ineffective

In an effort to hear your voices, I thought I'd toss out a  question designed to get your thoughts from time to time. These will be questions that hopefully will make you think. I know your answers will make educators listen. This is your chance to give your opinion. It is valued and we really want to know what you think. You count with us!

There's been a lot of talk lately about school reform, school improvement and just how schools can be changed to increase their effectiveness. There are lots of discussions among many different groups on how to evaluate, how to fund, and how to make schools places students find relevant, engaging and full of opportunities to learn.

Think about what helps you learn and what makes you want to learn. With that in mind, this first question will be two-fold to really jump-start your thinking as well as ours!

What is the most effective thing that your school does to help you learn? What is the least effective?

Question the candidate

The United States Supreme Court is the highest court in the nation. Extremely important cases are tried in this court. Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court has the authority to review all cases rising out of U.S. law and to decide whether rights guaranteed by the Constitution have been violated.

There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. They have a great influence over the lives of the American people. Their decision is final and there is no appeal of Supreme Court decisions. Justices serve until retirement, death, resignation, or impeachment.

The President is the one who has the power to appoint justices when vacancies become available. His selection has to be approved by the U.S. Senate. Chief Justice William Rehnquist died recently after a year-long battle with cancer. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor stepped down in early July. Judge John Roberts has been nominated to serve as a judge on the Supreme Court. The record of Judge Roberts will be closely examined by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Hearings are being held now. Debate by the Senate will follow and then they will vote on the committee’s recommendation.

I’m sure many of you remember the Supreme Court’s 2000 decision to stop a recount of ballots in Florida during the  presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The 5-4 Supreme Court vote gave Bush the presidency. This decision was very close and created a lot of discussion among the American people, both from those that agreed and those that disagreed  with the decision. This is just one example to emphasize the impact the Supreme Court has on our lives. It is the institution that we rely on to uphold fairness and justice and protect American values.

I hope all you have been following comments about this issue in the news this week. If you could have a voice what would you ask a candidate for the Supreme Court? You would want to ask a question that would let you know how the candidate stands on issues important to you. Think about issues that affect all American like education, health care, civil rights, and other values we care about.  What would you ask to determine if a person would make a good Supreme Court judge?

 

No time like the present to praise a good teacher

This article caught my eye. We have had so many sad things in the news lately that this article was refreshing to read. Plus, it would be great to have lots of good minds focusing on the traits of a good teacher.

No time like the present to praise a teacher is the title of the article. That's exactly what we will do. Think about a teacher who has really made a difference in your life. Then ponder what it was that made that particular teacher a significant one for you.

The article asks the question: What makea a memorable teacher? Knowledge of the subject ranks high, of course. But enthusiasm, patience, kindness, encouragement, and good discipline also exert powerful influences.

So what do you think?  Your opinions count and as the article states there is........

No time like the present to praise a teacher!!!

Reflect & Remember

Today on CNN Student News the following words were spoken:

Flowers were laid, prayers were said, and tributes were made across the country yesterday to the 2,749 people killed in the September 11th terrorist attacks. Most of the victims died when two planes crashed into the towers of the world trade center and they collapsed four years ago; Others were killed in the attack on the Pentagon or died aboard a jet that crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

This is the fourth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. This tragedy has been a turning point for our country. There is still great sadness.

Now our country is experiencing the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. There is so much loss and sadness. However, the spirit of the American people will prevail as we struggle to rebuild, remember and learn from these events.

 Our hearts hurt for the victims in both tragedies. Pause from your daily schedule and remember and reflect. To Americans suffering in the aftermath of 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina we continue to offer our deepest sympathies.

If you feel moved to write a reflection please do so.

Speak Out on Technology

edweek.org reports on a survey  on technology conducted by a Denver-based Quality Education Data and sponsored by CDW Government Inc., an information-technology company in Vernon Hills, Ill.

A survey of 1,000 randomly selected K-12 teachers throughout the nation brought the following results:

• Teachers are using computers more for both administrative and instructional purposes, but administrative uses appear to predominate.
• Teachers noted that most of their technology training has focused on administrative applications.
• More than 60 percent indicated that there were too few computers available in their classrooms.

Would the results of this survey be the same at your school? What are your opinions on the results? Now's your chance to speak out!

You may want to give some examples of how computers are used by teachers and students at your school. You may even want to express your opinion on the way it is being used in your school.

Mostly, it would be terrific if you gave your ideas on how technology should be used in schools. Back your opinions up with  your reasons because it would be so cool to pass those ideas backed up with solid reasons on to some administrators, school boards and other leaders around the nation. Let's  hear from both students and teachers on this one. Plus, it would be great to hear from any other interested parties. I bet we could learn a lot from each other. So get those thinking caps on and SPEAK OUT!

If you want to read more on the actual survey, here is an overview of the results of the survey "CDW-G Teachers Talk Tech 2005,"

Can Bat Spit Save Lives?

<via National Geographic>

A substance in the saliva of vampire bats could help victims of strokes survive, according to researchers at the University of Monash in Melbourne, Australia.

Strokes can happen when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain.

An anticlotting substance in bat spit keeps the bloodsucker victim's blood flowing freely, so the bat can continue to feed. The researchers think the same clot-busting substance may be able to dissolve blood clots in stroke patients.

Fortunately the substance would be contained in medicine, and vampire bats would not be required to bite patients!

It is amazing what researchers can study and learn about to save lives.

This brought a lot of questions to my mind. Do you do that? Here's some questions I had as I was reading the article.

• Where did the word saliva come from? Where did the word spit come from?
• In what other unusual ways can lives be saved?

Let us know the questions that come to your mind. If you think you can answer any of the questions that readers share, give it a try! We can gain information through questioning and work as a team from many parts of the world. I think that's cool.  I know that there are lots of 'questioning minds' out there! Question away!

Update per request on comment from Jess:

From a Moment of Silence:

Vampire bat spit contains a different compound, DSPA, which does the good things tPA does with far fewer side-effects. DSPA is now being tried on patients who have suffered a stroke, and the data should be in within a year. If it works, doctors might just have found an unlikely friend--the vampire bat. 

and from Action News in Philadelphia:

The Cleveland Clinic in  Ohio is working on a potential medical breakthrough. Doctors are using saliva from the "Vampire Bat" to help prevent strokes. Doctors say that when a bat bites someone something in the saliva prevents the blood from clotting. Researchers are proving a genetically-engineered version of the bat spit does not harm brain tissue. In fact, patients have fewer brain hemorrhages than with traditional clot-busting drugs. If studies are successful, this could have a dramatic impact on how stroke patients are treated.

Hurricane Katrina

From Wikipedia:

Hurricane Katrina was the third most intense hurricane to hit the United States. Early on August 29, 2005, the eyewalls of Katrina grazed New Orleans, Louisiana, and made landfall in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The consequent humanitarian crisis appears to have been deepened by the general failure of the New Orleans levee system, and by what are widely regarded as shortcomings in the disaster response by many levels of government. Katrina is believed to have killed thousands of people, and is known to have displaced more than one million — a humanitarian crisis on a scale unseen in the U.S. since the Great Depression. Hurricane Katrina is one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

The homeless includes well over 200.000 school age children.These children will need to find new schools. Colleges are opening their doors to students who will need to continue their education. There are many hurdles to overcome. Homes, jobs, and everyday needs have to be met. It will take a long time and we all need to be thinking of ways to solve problems that come up. Everyone is struggling with how to understand and cope with this disaster. Throughout our nation, people are reaching out to help. Have your heard some inspiring stories you can tell about how people have helped?  Brainstorm some ideas you have for offering help. Share your feelings and concerns. Tell ways you think we can learn and recover from this tragedy.