Great Video That Shows Failure can Lead to Success!

So many students worry about failure and I always try to remind them that failure is actually a good thing. It shows we tried and that we likely tried for something that stretched our talents. But no matter how much I talk, some students just believe that failure means they will never accomplish anything. Well, this video might make them rethink that idea....

Getting Technology for Your Teen This Christmas? Great Idea....if Educational Uses are Involved!

Last year, student's most requested item for Christmas (based on their bell ringer response) was an Ipod Touch. Even I wanted one and I did get one last March. I wasn't sure what I would do with it as I was still learning how to text and use my new phone, but I had some help. No, not just from my students, but from my 5-year old! Jack, and even Abby (3 years-old) love playing with my IPod as I have downloaded many free "apps", most of them educational games and tutorials. And the kids still love them! The point of all this is that you can buy your children cool technology for Christmas or their birthdays, but it does not have to be just a fun toy. It can be a learning tool. Here is just one example of an article I found on the internet about using an IPod Touch as a learning tool.

But it doesn't have to just be an IPod Touch. It could be the new IPad. My wife has one of these through her work and my 3 and 5-year old have used this too. From watching Sprout videos, playing PBSkids games, or learning their ABCs and "sight" words, they have no problem with the technology. In fact, they usually learn the game just by playing around with it. Jack has taught me how to do some things. And most if not all of these Apps are FREE! Even something as simple as the live web cams from zoos around the world that I downloaded (for free!) brings up all sorts of conversations and discussions with my kids.

But, you are likely saying "But I have teens....they don't play PBSKids games and they know their letters already!". You are right....at least I hope you are. But that isn't the point. The point is that these items aren't just for Facebooking, texting, tweeting, etc., but if you are purchasing it for them and they are living under your roof, you can make sure some educational purposes are happening too. When I grew up, we had a computer, but no Nintendo (original 8-bit system...I'm old!) or Sega because they had "no educational purpose" according to my mother. Nowadays, most of these devices even the Wii and the XBox have educational purposes. My son learned basic math on a Brain game on our Wii system. So, these cool technology items are what you make of them. My plea with parents everywhere is to consider "forcing" your child to use some of the educational items available on these systems. Who knows.....they might just have fun and learn at the same time!

By the way, here is a great site for family friendly apps. Most are for young children, but I am sure some will work for teens as well: Mom's With Apps

Also, I highly recommend the Kindle App. It's free and you can download TONS of free books to it!

This Picture is Really Worth a Thousand Words!

Maybe the best and easiest graphic I have come across when it comes to what students (and adults) post online. I am going to print this out and put it in our computer labs and outside my office. At home, you might consider printing it out and putting it near the family computer, near any other computer workspace, or maybe even in your child's room....on their wall (right next to the Justin Bieber poster?!). Lots of good stuff in the picture, so I will stop typing and let you look at the picture again

Students!! You Can Write About Something You Love (Technology) and Win Money!!

Students, I know you love technology and do not always love to write! I have the perfect thing for you: A 100-word or less essay contest about why technology is so great. One winner in each grade will get $500 and the runner-up will get $100. Now, I am sure many students across the country are entering, but what if, just what if, one of our students won the $500 award the the title of "Best Essay". Give it a shot...you never know!

Click here for rules and contest website.

Testing a Poll Site, But Would Love Your Response!

I am testing out a poll/quiz site for staff and for future use, but I did make an interesting poll where I would like to hear your feedback. I may use this poll site more and may even post polls for my students to do when we are in the computer lab sometime. For now, give this poll a try and I will try to use the results to guide my future blog posting. Have a great week!

Best Presentation of the Year: Anti-Smoking Powerpoint

The winner of this year's best presentation of the year just happened to be an anti-smoking powerpoint that had some very interesting facts and figures. It likely will only take a few minutes to view, but the material you learn could stick with you for a very long time. Take a look at the powerpoint that I embedded below...

SMOKE - The Convenient Truth

View more presentations from Empowered Presentations, Honolulu, HI.

Facebook Guide for Parents

Parents (and maybe students): Do you want to learn all about Facebook and how it can be safely used? Do you want to know what your teenager is getting into? Well, the link I am providing gives you a 32-page "book" to read. It is titled "A Parent's Guide to Facebook" and is pretty thorough. I have read bits and pieces and found it pretty helpful. Facebook or any social network is a tool, and a great tool at that. It can be great for education and great for socializing and is fast becoming a necessary way for young people to stay connected and feel connected. However, social networks can be very damaging and dangerous if used incorrectly. So, please take a look at this short book all about Facebook and safety while using it.

A Parent's Guide to Facebook (click link to read the 32-page book)

Excellent, but Long, Article from NY Times on Parents and Cyberbullying

Sorry for the length of this article, but it is SO GOOD! It is geared for parents and written for parents and some of the stories are so sad and hard to believe, but they are stories that happen every day. And children and teens today are truly a different culture than their parents or adults who care for them (teachers, employers, relatives, etc.). They are even a different culture than when we were teenagers. You see, they are growing up as members of the Age of Technology Culture. Technology is different, communication is different, and bullying and harassing is different. If you have a moment this week, please read this article and see what conversations it brings up in your home, in your family, and in any others you come into contact with.

"As Bullies Go Digital, Parents Play Catch-Up"

8th Graders to Research Charities Soon!

Another heads-up to students and parents. Check back in a week or two to see what charities our 8th graders researched using CharityNavigator.org or the BetterBusinessBureau charity review site. Whether it be for tax reasons, the Holiday season, or just out of the goodness of your heart, the last 2 months of the year are the biggest charitable months of the year. But, just giving your money to a charity is not enough....we need to know if the charity is a good charity and will do good things with our money. So, our 8th graders will choose a charity and research it using one of the sites listed above. As soon as their computer lab research is done, I will post some of the best charities and some of the worst. Stay tuned....

8th Grade Parents: MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Just a brief note to give 8th grade parents a heads-up. More information will be coming from me, as well as the high school, about the high school orientation and registration process in the next 4-6 weeks. However, so that you can plan ahead, here are 2 key dates for you to mark in your planner:

February 7th, 2011: If your child has a last name A through K, the child and 1 or more parents/guardians need to be at the 9th grade orientation night at the middle school. The time will be something like 6 to 8 p.m. More information to come.

February 10th, 2011: If your child has a last name L through Z, see above....this is your night.

As mentioned, nothing to get too worked up about right now as more information will be coming, but wanted to post it as we now have the dates set.

Recent TIME Article Shows Graduation Rates Increase!

The good news is that high school graduation rates have climbed 3% from 72% in 2001 to 75% in 2009. The bad news is that 25% of students are still not graduating. And when you look at students of different races, the news is even worse for Hispanics and African Americans. Carlisle typically has a graduation rate between 92-98%, so we are well above average, but it isn't 100% so improvement is still desired. To read more about these new stats in the area of high school graduation, please click on this TIME magazine article by clicking here.

JA Biztown Curriculum in Full Swing for 6th Graders

Our 6th graders are now finishing their first unit of study in our JA Biztown curriculum. This means that students have learned about what it means to be a community (town, country, school, church, etc.), why we pay taxes and where that money goes, why we vote and what other rights and responsibilities a citizen may have, and also what it means to be a philanthropist. We even discussed how markets work and what supply and demand is all about. In fact, some students, if they were listening well, might even be able to explain how our economy basically collapsed over the past 3-5 years and why the stimulus package was designed and what it was supposed to do (and did to some extent).

Now, as we head into break and come back from break, students will be studying all about how banks, investing, spending, and saving work. This means that students will finally get their own practice checkbook and begin writing checks and balancing their checkbooks. What I hope you can do to help me is to include your child in virtually every spending and saving occurrence that happens over the next month, especially since it is the holidays! Show them how you write a check, talk to them about why you use your debit or credit card and what happens to the money when you use it, talk to them about why you may not write that many checks, and talk to them about the options you have to save your money: 401K, savings acct., checking acct., under the mattress :), stocks, bonds, etc. I can give them the basics in class, but seeing it in action with you can be a huge support. Let me know if you have any questions or thoughts on all of this. And Happy Holidays!

Runaway Resources Now in My Office

I now have some resources for families who have had a child run away or for a student who thinks running away will be the answer to all of their problems. At least a few times a year, a student will walk through my office doors and state that they want to run away or they are in the process of running away. This hurts so much to hear as I know they are serious and I know they think running away will solve their problems and life will be easier. Yet, in reality, it won't. In fact, it will likely make their life much tougher, much more dangerous, and possibly the worst decision possible.

---We still have the SAP program, the Student Assistance Program, to offer to students who are thinking of running away. This program offers students and/or families 3 free counseling sessions and possibly even a referral to more counseling at a cheap or reduced rate. This could be a great place to start and many students have used this service for a variety of issues over the past 3 years of Carlisle offering this service.

---I now have cards with a National Runaway hotline phone number for a student or parent to call. It is answer 24/7 every day of the year and can be a great voice to talk to and to listen to when school is not in session. As we approach a long holiday break that may bring up a variety of emotions and thoughts, having a phone number handy to talk through these feelings might do the trick.

---I have some pamphlets that speak more directly to the parent of a child who has runaway or is considering running away. Some are tips on what to do if you discover that your child has run away. Some information is about programs that help get your child back safely (and for free!) and to prevent it from happening again, and some of the information is simply practical prevention information. I have listed some of this information below as I feel it is good information to get out to everyone through this blog.

How a Parent Can Prevent a Child from Running Away:

*Pay attention....really listening and really responding

*Show respect...understand what your adolescent child is going through and have honest and open discussions

*Don't lecture....be clear and concise and offer constructive feedback

*Create Responsibility...Give teens choices and help them understand actions carry consequences

*Get to know those who are close to your child...talk with them and their parents. It will help you understand your child better

*Talk with your child and discuss feelings...discuss this runaway 24/7 switchboard, talk about why someone thinks running away is an option, work to understand their feelings, and be open and honest with your feelings. Create a safe environment for discussion.

Warning Signs of a possible runaway attempt:

*Changes in behavior, sudden and dramatic ones.

*Rebellion: dropping grades, truancy, breaking rules

*Talking about running away: Doesn't matter if you think they are serious or not, if they are talking about or threatening it, it could be a sign that they might try it.

*Accumulation of money/possessions: This could mean they are prepping for a runaway attempt

If you have concerns that your child might be considering running away or has run away, please call me and we will work together to make sure your child is safe. My students know that they can talk to me confidentially and be open with their thoughts and feelings, but they also know that I have to break that confidentiality if I feel their life or safety could be at risk or in danger. If I feel they are going to run away from home, I work with the student to contact home so that you can be aware of the situation and work with your child to understand why they are having these thoughts.

SMART Discipline Update

Parents: It has been almost a month since the great program and speaker for SMART Discipline came to our school for a few hours on a Monday night. That night, I purchased several books as I thought my family could use some of the information, but also for my students, parents, and my own counseling practice. As I read through these books, I will use my newly learned information in counseling sessions and in discussions with parents. But I want to offer parents these books as well. So, if you have interest in any of the following books, I am willing to "check them out" to you for a week. If you like what you read, you can go online and purchase the book to keep for yourself. I am positive everyone who reads these books will learn some good information that they can use in their families. And I am sure some of you will want to purchase your own copy to keep and return to from time to time as well. If I can be of any help to you as you read these books or if you have questions, please call or email me. In the meantime, here is the list of books that I purchased and are available for check out. By the way, even if you did not attend the seminar, you can still check out these books. (If you click on the book title, you will be taken to the site where you can purchase it, but also read about what the book is all about)

Book Titles:

The Making of a Happy Family

SMART Discipline Workbook

How to Blend Your Blended Family (no place to order online, but I could get it for you)

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones But Your Words Can Also Hurt M! (The Power of Parents' Words) (no place to order online, but I could get it for you)

SMART Discipline homepage