Don't Wait Too Long to Do What you Want to do This Summer!

 For that matter, don't wait too long to do what you want to do in life. If you want something, it is okay to think and plan and take the best route, but it is also important to chase your dreams and go out and grab something before someone else steals your dream. Maybe this short video will help....

New Studies About ADHD Medicine Use and Abuse

   Getting caught up on some of my blogs this summer and came across several articles and studies about the amazing increase of students with ADHD diagnoses and prescriptions and the many other students using the drugs to give them an edge in school despite not even having the diagnosis. I was alerted to these studies through the Partnership for a DrugFree America blog. I like that the one study mentions the increase in students and adults with ADHD is not necessarily a bad thing as some of the increase is simply due to more information being learned by the doctors and parents about this disorder. In the past, parents may have thought they were bad parents or possibly even abused their child to correct their behavior. Now, parents are more likely to understand that their child may have an ADHD disorder that could be treated with medicine and different parenting and teaching strategies. And the social stigma against these kids by other kids, parents, and teachers is also disappearing. But these articles also show that with the increase of these drugs in the school every day, they are getting abused by both the kids with the disorder and by kids without the disorder. Please click on the links below to read the short article about these studies and this new information. Kind of an eye-opener....

Use of ADHD Drugs Increase this last decade click here

More HS students using ADHD drugs for better grades click here

Long article from NY Times, but LOTS of great information and actual interviews from kids and parents click here

Common Sense Media's Summer Guide for Learning Activities for Kids and Teens

Common Sense Media's Summer Guide for Learning Activities for Kids and Teens

   Thanks to Richard Byrne of Free Technology for Teachers for alerting me to another great thing one of my favorite sites, Common Sense Media, is offering. If you remember, Common Sense Media is a great place for parents and children to go to find accurate and detailed reviews about the newest movies, books, TV shows, and now games and apps. Now they have added a summer guide to learning apps you could download to a device or games that can be played on certain video game systems. They are broken down into 3 age categories and into 5 learning areas. I noticed that I have already downloaded some of the apps for my own kids. And of course, each app or game is rated by Common Sense Media so you can see how educational or applicable it is for your child. Enjoy!

Common Sense Media 50+ activities for summer click here!

This brief blogpost was copy/pasted from another blog I write and operate, Wildcat Websites. Figured it was good info for both parents and educators who use technology. Enjoy!

Water/Pool Safety Resource

Finally getting back to "school work" and catching up on my blog reading and blog posting and wanted to pass along a "Water Safety" resource for parents and kids out there as our community, like most, really, really likes water related activities in our hot Iowa summers. This website was set up by a family who lost their own child to a drowning incident several years back. Their hope is that this website and their charity can help others avoid an accident like this. Notice that you can click on the "Red Cross" link after reading the facts about water-related accidents if you want to learn safety tips before hitting the pools and water parks/lakes this summer. Stay safe!

Stew Leonard III Children's Charities click here (see Red Cross link for water safety tips when you get to this site)

Great Story on CNN and Many Other Sites Right Now: From Homeless to Harvard

    Stories like this one that I just read on CNN.com right now always make me proud to be in education and help me understand how important educators are in a young person's life. But even more than that, how important any adult influences can be in a young person's life. This girl lived and survived through many difficult issues and events in her life. And despite those obstacles, or maybe even because of them, she will soon be enrolled at Harvard University and likely on to even bigger and better things. And just a year ago, she was homeless. Take a free 10 minutes in the next few days to read this article (a little long, but well worth it) and realize that we have students and young people like this girl in our community who need our support, guidance, or friendly and loving spirit. Even during the summer. And I hope your summers are going well!

From Homeless to Harvard click here!