Beth Lynne's Blog
Posted by Beth Lynne
When I let students go on the computer, for very rare free time (which is a great reinforcer to extract positive behaviors, by the way), they invariably gravitate to the same websites. I feel it is important to keep an eye on the average seventh grader without appearing intrusive, so I decided to ask them what websites they like the best and why.
Female students tend to choose Myspace over any others. This is not surprising, since this site allows teens a certain amount of free expression (Note: Although the homepage is accessible in my district, the rest is firewalled). They are at an age when socialization is the most important thing in their lives, and as one student put it, it is a “way to communicate to the world how you feel and no one can say anything about it because it is yours.” I asked students if they knew of the dangers of chatting with people that they might not know, but it seems that they mostly chat with people they already know. However, one student informed me that if she gets a friend request, she checks it by going to the profile and accepting or denying the request. It is important to caution students to never place pictures or personal identifiers on their homepages, since predators are rampant.
Male middle school students choose safer pursuits. They are inclined to choose gaming sites, such as games.com, which is lauded as having “addicting, free, fun games.” Apparently the addiction is viewed as a positive one by my student, but I have witnessed grouchiness in my own ten year-old as a by-product of lengthy video game sessions. Other male students chose pokemoncrater.com (“fun, and shows Pokemon”) as a favorite, but I personally found it confusing (I did not understand what all the numbers meant, but then, I am not a Pokemon fanatic).
The upshot is that educators who allow free computer time should communicate with their students and find out how they use that free time.
Posted by Beth Lynne
Paris Hilton is famous for many things—at present, she is famous for being incarcerated, then not incarcerated, and then incarcerated yet again. The media is having a field day with Ms. Hilton’s misfortune—public opinion is swaying toward, “oh, good, she got what she deserved!” and “what kind of influence is she on children?” It seems that the public (influenced strongly by media) feels that because Ms. Hilton is rich, attractive, and has fun with these attributes, that she should be ridiculed and insulted because she broke a law and is serving time for it. Many celebrities quietly serve time without such attention. Is the media delighting in this celebrity’s calamity because she inherited her wealth and seemingly does not work for her fame? One of the criticisms is that she is not handling jail time with the proper “dignity,” allowing for comparisons to how Martha Stewart handled her prison sentence by not yelling for her mother. Doesn’t Ms. Hilton get points for modeling strong family values?
Just who decided that Paris Hilton is supposed to be the poster child for decency and values? Certainly not Paris Hilton. Not one of her actions has demonstrated that she is or ever was a positive role model for youth. So, if the media decries her as such, it is their mistake (These are the same vultures who are offering up to a reported half a million dollars for a picture of Ms. Hilton on the prison toilet. Camera phones are allowed in prison?). The media should turn their attention toward more virtuous celebrities if they are looking to promote moral decency, rather than trying to find these characteristics in someone who has not shown an intention of doing so. Given the public’s preferences in choosing their idols, this should not be so difficult.
Posted by Beth Lynne
Shrek the Third
Summertime is definitely movie time! After all, a family can only spend so much time in the sun. Some time in the dark with a ten dollar container of popcorn and three other people who all want to sit on the end of the row goes a long way toward strengthening bonds.
The first summer movie we attended was Shrek the Third, a sequel which my family has anticipated since the final ogre joke in the second Shrek. The best part of this series for the teacher in me is the humanization of the fairy tale characters that I, and hopefully most children, had grown up with. For example, the group of women that attended Princess Fiona's bridal shower included Snow White (a narcissist), Beauty (a total ditz), Rapunzel (a not very good friend, who by the way, wears hair extensions, and Cinderella (low on brains). This group is rounded out by Fiona's hard-headed mother and the transsexual whom is not really based on a fairy tale princess from my childhood.
Other characters that are enjoyable to watch again are Pinocchio, the three pigs, the Big Bad Wolf, and the Gingerbread Man, who has a gumdrop scared out of him. The evil, but whiny, Prince Charming continues his quest to either win Fiona or beat Shrek.
New characters from various places in literature surface (a whole King Arthur component and many "bad guys" make welcome appearances), some that work well and others that seem as out of place as an ogre in a palace.
All in all, not a bad start to the summer movie season.
Posted by Beth Lynne
Gas prices keep going up, up, and up—a record high now. So, let’s turn it into a learning experience. Get those calculators out!
How about some word problems?
On Monday, the price per gallon was $2.92 and on Wednesday it was $2.97. By Friday, the price had gone up another 7 cents. How much did it cost Johnny to fill up his Ford Expedition’s 28 gallon tank on each day? How much more did it cost to fill it up between Monday and Friday? (By next Monday, how much interest will Johnny have to pay on his loan for the gas he is using?).
Johnny is driving to Florida this summer from New Jersey, approximately 1500 miles. If he gets 14 miles per gallon, with his 28 gallon tank, how many times will he have to fill up between NJ and Florida? If gas costs an average of $4.14 a gallon (and who knows, it probably will), how much will he spend on gas round trip?
Have students keep track of the gas prices of their favorite gas stations for two weeks and have them graph the results. Discuss what trends they notice. Is any particular brand less expensive than the others? (And at this point, does it make a noticeable difference?)
There are a multitude of teachable moments that can come out of this current rise in gas prices, and not just math lessons either. How about a history lesson on the horrible gas crisis of the 1970’s?
Posted by Beth Lynne
The Last Few Weeks of School
Summer is almost here! However, it isn't over yet. The problem is,though,what do we do with the kids until the final day when we say, "See you in September"? Our finals are over and graded, and the grades are recorded in the electronic grade book. Now it is time to keep order.
Aside from showing movies, which I am planning to do, as long as they can be tied into the science standards--I am thinking "the Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13" for my sixth grade, and maybe "Madagascar" and "Happy Feet" for my seventh graders (weather and climate, and animal habitats)--there are some interesting take-away projects I would like to see my students complete before they leave for summer vacation.
One of my favorite end-of-the-year projects is the memory t-shirt. Students are encouraged to bring in plain white t-shirts (of course, I spring for a few). I supply the permanent markers, in different colors, that are not allowed to leave the room. This year, there will be a science theme, in which students choose a branch of scince and draw a background on the t-shirt that reflects it. For instance, for environmental science or Earth science, students might draw a mountain range or lake. For biology, students might draw a skeleton and label the bones. Then, the students have their classmates sign the t-shirts. The students stay very involved with this project. Make sure you put it in your plans! Have a fantastic summer!
