Education Uncensored » Featured education

Rural Schooling

Danielle — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:08:53 +0000

A rural school is defined by having fewer than 600 students in its district. Rural institutions dot every state in the country but are often overlooked. Follow these tips to see things a parent should consider before enrolling his/her children in a country school as well as the challenges and advantages of a rural education.

Challenges
In structuring the American education system, the focus is generally put on large urban schools. Only one in five students attend a rural school. Because improvements to these make a more noticeable impact, the needs of small rural schools can often be neglected. "Frontier Schools" found in extremely remote areas are doubly affected. These areas are often wrestling with poverty. If the school is relying on the taxation of its local citizens, then it might fail.

A smaller school may also not be able to cover the needs of every student. Schools with less than 100 students may not be able to fill up classes in certain grade levels. Students in less represented age groups will find themselves pushed up or back a year to remain with a crowd. Their distance from urban schools often carries over into technology. In such a tech savvy world, an education that can't expose your child to the newest technology could set them up to be left behind.

Advantages
With a smaller school comes individualized attention. A teacher with 15-20 students to educate—opposed to 35—will be able to create closer, more nurturing relationships with his/her students. And the first step to a good education is a qualified, passionate teacher. Attending a rural school won't guarantee a great teacher, but parents will certainly have a closer relationship to their child's education.

Rural schools are often safer. The metal detectors, barbed wire fences and extensive surveillance systems of an urban school can resemble a minimum-security prison, while the average rural school is pleasantly more on par with home security or ADT. A child can't learn in an environment where they don't feel safe.

Things to Consider
Rural schools are less consistent than urban schools for both good and bad qualities. Because of this parents and guardians should examine a few key factors before enrolling their child in an institution. Despite the level of facilities a school may possess, it is the leadership in a school or school district that will most directly affect your child. Fantastic and unimpressive schools alike can be turned around by a group of passionate educators.

Get friendly with the administration of your child's potential school. Find out the principal's job history and views on what makes a good education. You should also check-in with the teachers. Don't just see which teacher your child would have this year, look down the line as well. Will your child have several years of strong teachers? How do they feel about the school? Do they seem to come and go or be shuffled around frequently? You should look for a balance where the educators are encouraged to regularly update techniques but still have time to be familiar with their grade level/subject. If you find a host of balanced leaders, the school you're looking at may just be perfect.Rural Schooling is a post from: Education Uncensored

Rural Schooling is a post from: Education Uncensored

Things Good Parents do That Unintentionally put Their Young Children at Risk

Danielle — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:35:36 +0000

Despite their best intentions, parents can make unwise choices on their children's behalf. The dangers that children can encounter are often less insidious than obvious dangers, like playing too close to the street. Keeping your children safe while they're inside the home is also paramount. Here are some strategies that can help parents raise their children without putting them at needless risk.

Stay safe in the kitchen

Microwaves are wonderful and efficient tools in the kitchen but they should not be used for heating up your child's bottle. Doing so can cause the liquid to heat unevenly, resulting in cold and hot spots that can cause your child discomfort. The American Academy of Pediatrics also advises parents to heat liquids in microwave-safe containers before transferring to a child's bottle due to concerns about Bisphenol A leaching into foods and beverages.

Don't placate the palate It's no secret that children need foods that will nourish their growing bodies. Children can easily form picky eating habits, which can make mealtimes stressful. Rather than only feeding a toddler fish sticks and macaroni and cheese because he refuses to eat anything else, sneak vegetables into foods he will eat, such as spaghetti sauce or smoothies. Numerous foods like soups and hamburgers can disguise the appearance and taste of vegetables. Be patient as you discover what your child will and will not eat; tastes can and do change during a person's life. Make sure as well that you are leading by example and eating the foods you are serving your child.

Curb TV time

It's very easy to spend too much time in front of the television. Adults are advised to watch fewer than two hours of TV each day but generally watch a minimum of four hours an evening. Watching television distracts parents' attention from their children and provides no intellectual stimulus for children under two, despite the prevalence of videos that are marketed as being educational in nature. While you're not always going to be able to keep kids from plopping down in front of the TV, you can reduce the amount of time they spend watching it. Fill your newfound free time with age-appropriate interactive play, such as tumbling or art activities.

Don't brush off conflict

Though small children are unlikely to fully understand a lecture from their parents about manners, it's still important to teach them about boundaries and acceptable behavior. Whether at daycare, school, or at home during a play date, your child needs to learn about responsibility and accountability. Activities that cause hurt feelings or physical injury, however minor, should not be brushed off with a "kids will be kids" excuse. This does not mean resorting to corporal punishment to discipline a child. It is important to curb bad behavior before it becomes an issue that might take considerably more time to correct down the line.

Being a parent isn't an easy job but it doesn't have to be the toughest endeavor you've ever experienced either. Make your job as protector as easy as possible by teaching children often and well, from proper eating habits to accountability. Your efforts will pay off in the short- and long-term.

Danielle, who blogs on behalf of Sears and other prestigious brands, enjoys reading parent-authored blogs and those that keep her apprised of trends in education for Generation Z.

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Things Good Parents do That Unintentionally put Their Young Children at Risk is a post from: Education Uncensored

Department of Education Audio

jareason — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:45:28 +0000

Department of Education Audio is a post from: Education Uncensored

Books Make It Better: Virtual Book Drive

jareason — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:02:26 +0000

That said, I have decided to participate in the Books Make It Better by virtually hosting a book drive. Here are the details on how you can join in:

Research has proven that reading aloud to children is the single most effective tool for developing language, literacy, and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and
memory. Early language skills, the foundation for reading ability and school readiness, are based primarily on language exposure resulting from parents and other adults talking — and reading — to young children. Books contain many words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently in spoken language; in fact, children's books actually contain 50% more rare words than primetime television or even college students’ conversations.

In addition, did you know:

*   2/3 of families living in poverty in the U.S. (61%) have no children's books in their
homes.
*   Fewer than half (48%) of young children in the U.S. are read to daily; this means that more than 13 million children under 5 go to bed every night without a bedtime story.
*   The percentage of children read to daily drops even lower (to 36%) among low income families, whose children face the highest risk of literacy problems.
*   Middle income neighborhoods have a ratio of 13 to 1 books per child; low-income neighborhoods have the ratio of 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.
*   Children from low-income families hear as many as 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers before the age of 4.
*   34% of children enter kindergarten without the basic language skills they need to learn to read.

Now, with that in mind, you can go to the Virtual Book Drive Link provided here and participate in this awesome event. The Virtual Book Drive, you and your supporters can donate books directly to Reach Out and Read. The link provides the opportunity to choose from eleven different titles, or sponsor a child for the full five-year Reach Out and Read Program.

Books Make It Better: Virtual Book Drive is a post from: Education Uncensored

Educate My Alabama Makes Christmas Wonderful

jareason — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:50:41 +0000

The Christmas project has been revealed. Please see the information on Educate My Alabama on the Christmas Fun. You can find the form there as well to submit families in need.Educate My Alabama Makes Christmas Wonderful is a post from: Education Uncensored

Educate My Alabama Makes Christmas Wonderful is a post from: Education Uncensored

Let’s Talk About School Bullies

jareason — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 12:12:13 +0000

This is the best thing I’ve read in ages….and to kick off my Monday morning like this….this makes me happy as a pig in slop…..

Photographer, Refuses To Photograph Teen Bullies

A Pennsylvania photographer has chosen not to photograph a group of high school girls for their senior portraits after she found evidence of the teens bullying other students on Facebook.

Jennifer McKendrick, from Indiana County, Pa., wrote on her own Facebook page earlier this week that she came across another Facebook page with nasty comments from four high school girls whose names matched her scheduled clients.

Let’s Talk About School Bullies is a post from: Education Uncensored

I’m begging, seriously, I am

jareason — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:48:07 +0000

Please help me One of the ladies I met at Mom Congress who is basically social-media uninterested, (not dumb, just not interested until recently) has entered her kids school, where her husband is the principal in a contest.....she has 3 days to take over the lead..... Here's where I need your help because in reality, this seems impossible to me....... 1. It ends in 3 days 2. Her husband's school has 200 votes, the leading school has 3000 3. I know, that's 2800 votes plus that I'm asking you to help me generate in 3 days. 4. Please go vote every day, we can do this! He is Spencer L. From Moore ID Come on, help me ya'll, it can be done, we all know that!I’m begging, seriously, I am is a post from: Education Uncensored

I’m begging, seriously, I am is a post from: Education Uncensored

Can we have a movie review? Sure we can!

jareason — Sat, 14 May 2011 01:10:13 +0000

For starters..

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

You can “like” them on Pirates of the Caribbean Facebook

You can get some awesome face masks, coloring sheets, door hangers, mazes and more by checking out this little spot on the web, Pirate Fun.

Go ahead, this movie will hit the big screen in 3D and IMAX 3D on May 29th!

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Cars 2 – I can hear my kids yelling from the rooftops already

Cars 2 on Facebook

Website and Mobile Site:

Cars 2Twitter:

CARS 2 races into theatres everywhere in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on June 24th!

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DreamWorks Real Steel

Real Steel Facebook

Real Steel Twitter

Real Steel YouTube

REAL STEEL opens in theaters everywhere on October 7th!

**********

The Help

The Help Facebook

The Help Twitter

THE HELP opens in theaters everywhere on August 12th.

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Can we have a movie review? Sure we can! is a post from: Education Uncensored

What’s For Lunch?

jareason — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:02:36 +0000

Ok, so how many of you have been checking here wondering where I got lost? Ok, no one, that’s not cool. As most of you know, I attended Mom Congress last month and was fortunate to hear Jamie Oliver speak about school lunches. If you didn’t see a photo of the lunch we had that was labeled “What Your Kids Could Be Eating For Lunch”…here it is… Now, take a look at what I observed at my children’s school today. I have blogged this before and I’m telling you from experience, my kids get a good lunch compared to what many kids across the nation get. In reality, if students ate what was served, they really wouldn’t be getting such a bad deal at all. The biggest issues I see is..of course, the chocolate milk and the strawberry milk…which my oldest indulged in the strawberry because he knows we aren’t fond of chocolate…who knew it was equally as bad? My youngest has the picky pallet of his mom and he has the same thing every single day and half the time, he doesn’t eat that. He comes home ravished because he eats breakfast at school (and at home sometimes too) and he picks on his lunch, often never even opens his drink at lunch and then will eat something at snack..often ice cream but doesn’t always open his drink then either. So, I’m a bad mom and I just don’t insist that he eat better but I’ve fought the food battle all my life. He is as picky as I was or maybe even worse. We try to nip it by offering foods he likes that are better choices even when we know that he is not going to go for the meal the rest of us have. Gadget Magnet prefers to tell him to just go hungry, I figure if we give him a healthy alternative then we have given him a better chance than I ever had. I ate peanut butter sandwiches and macaroni and cheese for about 10 years. He does have better choices than that. So, here’s a quick look…..first at the awesome ladies that run the lunchroom and do their best to get the kids eating well. I think this lunch really wouldn’t have been too bad…if they had actually eat it…but most did not. What’s For Lunch? is a post from: Education Uncensored

What’s For Lunch? is a post from: Education Uncensored

Education Interrupted: Tornado Tough – Tots to Teens

jareason — Sun, 01 May 2011 23:42:17 +0000

Links of Interest Students Organize Care Bags for Hackleburg School Backpacks for Bedtime This post will remain atop this blog until further notice. Tornado Tough: Tots to Teens The following cities are considered local to me: Cordova, Argo, Sipsey, Berry, Phil Campbell, Hackleburg as well as Fultondale and Gardendale Our quite little world in Alabama has stepped up their game and helping with the clean up and care of our tornado victims. But, as you all know, the children often get shuffled around and their own needs get overlooked. Children need some structure and need to feel that their life is stable. So, while I work on some other projects to get supplies for all members of various families, I’m also looking for items that children would want not necessarily need. If you can help, any amount would be awesome. You can get in touch with me if you are local and we will be refurbishing bicycles for children as well as any other major toys that need to be transported. If you would like to mail anything to me, email me at jareason@gmail.com and I will get you a shipping address. If you would like to make a monetary donation, you can use the secure PayPal button. You can indicate if you have any special requests for your donations when you place your donation. Education Interrupted: Tornado Tough – Tots to Teens is a post from: Education Uncensored

Education Interrupted: Tornado Tough – Tots to Teens is a post from: Education Uncensored