Kids in the World

My new blog! I have moved! Look away from the page!

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:58:25 -0400

My new blog! I have moved! Look away from the page!

This is Wishbone doing Romeo and Juliet. It’s truly...

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:18:56 -0400

This is Wishbone doing Romeo and Juliet. It’s truly interesting how he keeps the story understandable while keeping the heart of the language he used alive.

Shakespeare for Kids

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 10:18:08 -0400

My high school English teacher brought me a special challenge: a way to teach Shakespeare to children. A serious question this brings up for me is, what is more important or practical the language of Shakespeare or the story telling structure?

I have done some initial research with mixed results. This is a question I am going to ponder for the next several weeks. I am taking on the project of creating a project pitch for a media project used to teach Shakespeare to Elementary School kids.

sesamestreet: Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me! I love Sesame Street!

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:50:06 -0500

sesamestreet:

Healthy Teeth, Healthy Me!

I love Sesame Street!

I think everyone knows that bullying is a problem, I’m...

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:47:21 -0500

I think everyone knows that bullying is a problem, I’m just happy to see some programs specifically targeting kids.

Education for the Students

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:42:17 -0500

I am having a period in my higher education where changes are being made to OUR education. Teachers have to remember that the students are their first priority. Changes have to be made with the idea that they are improving the educational experience for the students. Too many people focus on the structure, accomplishing goals, passing tests. It’s wrong! Learning should be exciting and relevant and last throughout your life. Test scores don’t determine success. Finishing a class doesn’t mean that you remember what you learned. Teachers need to make their lessons last. Those are the teachers working for the students.

This is what we should be teaching our children

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:30:07 -0500

This is what we should be teaching our children

betterworlds: jtotheizzoe: explore-blog: “Systematic wonder,”...

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:25:25 -0500

betterworlds:

jtotheizzoe:

explore-blog:

“Systematic wonder,” visualized.

Put yourself in the intersection.

This deserves a healthy signal boost.

I think blending these in the classroom is crucial to success for all kids

“Hey Arnold will always have a special place in my heart. It...

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:20:09 -0500

“Hey Arnold will always have a special place in my heart. It had amazing life lessons, and the show was full of heart.”

Sometimes I think kids today are at a disadvantage for not having shows like this.

A lesson everyone should live by.

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:19:16 -0500

A lesson everyone should live by.

Are nerds made by nature or nurture? Don’t get me wrong, I...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:19:32 -0500

Are nerds made by nature or nurture? Don’t get me wrong, I think more nerds are needed in this world. As John Green of the VlogBrothers once said, nerd are people who get excited about things. Most people would consider the things nerds get excited about are academic. We should encourage our kids to love whatever they want and to accept other kids for what they love.

Why did being a nerd become a bad thing? When I accepted my nerd personality, I was a much happier person. When I stopped being ashamed or my weird and somewhat awkward nature, I was a super confident person. I could explore and develop my interests to the point that I became a sort of expert on them. I can tell you a ridiculous number of facts about Sesame Street and I am super proud of that fact.

Nerd is not a person to make fun of; they are the future leaders of the world. We should encourage every child to be a nerd and to band together with other nerds. When the downtrodden reject the bullies, who are angry because they reject their own nerdiness, the world can be a better place. NERDFIGHTERS!

I was writing a paper about my life markers and I realized how...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:09:00 -0500

I was writing a paper about my life markers and I realized how much of my childhood was spent trying to figure out who I was. I think messages like this need to be around more.

Rewards and Punishments

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 14:41:46 -0500

For one of my classes, I listened to a pychfile (an audio podcast) about parenting and specifically focused on rewards and punishments. So here is the breakdown:

Positive Rewards: These are the rewards where the child is given something for being good or doing something good. I good example of this is when children get prizes for each time they successfully use the toilet while potty training. This can be an effective reward system, but the child begins to always expect to be given something. For example, my sister would go on the potty just long enough to get a prize and then go back to wetting the bed.

Negative Rewards: This is when you take away something negative for good behavior. As I best understand this, if the child behaves, they avoid something like a lecture.

Positive Punishment: This is when you give something negative for a bad behavior, like a spanking. This can be very ineffective because the child focuses solely on the punishment. You want the child to remain focused on the behavior.

Negative Punishment: This is when something positive is taken away as a response to poor behavior. The best example of this is a time out. The child does not get to play or socialize because they behaved poorly. After the reward system failed to work on my sister, my parents tried a new approach. She was still doing number 2 in the bed at night, so my Dad tried a negative punishment. He told my sister “sometimes people have trouble going number 2 when they have too many sweets, so we’re going to stop having dessert until you have an easier time going to the bathroom.” My sister never pooed in bed again. I think what is important about this example is that while it qualified as a punishment, my dad explained it like concern for her health.

This is how Sesame Street has chosen to address the bullying...

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:59:16 -0500

This is how Sesame Street has chosen to address the bullying issue.

Resources for Teens

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:56:17 -0500

Resources for Teens

Teen Bullied to Death- CNN

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:55:54 -0500

Teen Bullied to Death- CNN

Cyberbullying

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:48:43 -0500

I just watched a ABC Family Original Movie (I know, but bare with me) title Cyberbully. Long story short, it’s about a teenage girl who attempts suicide because she is harassed by her classmates online. In the end, like any good ABC Family Movie, she stands up to her bullies and draws some attention to the bully.

At the part where she attempted suicide, I actually began crying. I began crying because I know how it feels to think everyone is against you and you are completely alone. It amazes me how cruel kids today can be. There was a girl who jumped in front of a bus two days after Christmas because she had been bullied for years. Even after she died, her classmates where posting comments about how funny it was she committed suicide.

In the study of child and life span development, technology plays a big part, especially in the rate at which children socialize. Think about it. Kids are able to be in constant communication with each other. They can make plans easier and talk in a private sphere. Maybe this isn’t a good thing. Maybe some kids can’t handle the power that comes with socializing online. Now, they don’t have to see the faces of those they hurt. It makes it easier for them to be mean. Bullying, online or face to face, is a very serious problem for children in this country and I think parents need to communicate about bullying with their kids. Not just how to deal with it, but how to avoid becoming a bully and what to do when you see someone else getting bullied. We need to make it more difficult for kids today to become bullies with more consequences.

DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!!! I love...

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:44:26 -0400

DO NOT WATCH IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!!! I love this end speech though it sums up their love so perfectly :)

A great scene for comical reasons and also because of it’s...

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:42:52 -0400

A great scene for comical reasons and also because of it’s truth. Men can never know whether a woman has faked it.

The trailer for When Harry Met Sally

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:42:10 -0400

The trailer for When Harry Met Sally