Barbara Pytel's Blog
Posted by Barbara Pytel
Brain Damage
Researchers at Brown University Medical School recommend that one- to five-year olds get 12 to 15 hours of sleep per day. Children with sleep apnea tend to get under 11 hours of sleep. Not only do they not regenerate as recommended, but research is now finding possible brain damage from sleep apnea.
When Dr. Ann Halbower of Johns Hopkins University Children's Center in Baltimore evaluated 31 children with sleep apnea, she found altered brain chemicals that could possibly reflect brain damage. [Kathleen Dohany, Health Day, health.msn.com, October 12, 2007] It is unknown if the damage can be undone.
What Are The Symptoms In Young Children?
- snoring
- gasping
- severe sweating
- labored breathing, trouble sleeping at night
- needing to "sleep in" after going to bed at the regular time
[Kathleen Dohany, Health Day, health.msn.com, October 12, 2007]
Teachers at school can be the ones to discover a problem by observing a student straining to stay awake or strained breathing at nap time.
Is There A Cure?
Doctors state that in 75% of the cases, removing tonsils and adenoids solves the problem. In the other 25%, a breathing device may need to be worn during sleep. Research shows that American children are not receiving the proper amount of sleep for various other reasons. Sleep is not something that can be short changed.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by Barbara Pytel
Found in Virginia
In October, a 46-year-old was arrested after he lured a 15-year-old Florida girl to running away with him on MySpace.com. Of course, he did not tell her that he was 46-years-old. The teen thought he was twenty something and she was in love. The predators do not just go after any teen...they screen carefully and look for signs of being at-risk.
Because of the extensive media coverage of the girl's disappearance, the predator released her in a Virginia mall. He had a gun and said he would kill her if she didn't do exactly as he said. She was found safe but authorities believe that she had already been sexually assaulted by the man.
Good News.
Law enforcement is requiring offenders to register their e-mail and instant message handles with authorities. That information will then be shared with sites like MySpace.com and blocks will be put in place to prevent them from communicating on the site. The state of Virginia has increased the penalties from 5 years to 15 years in jail for possessing child pornography and soliciting minors. [msnbc,Oct. 6, 2007]
Bad news
Many predators molest or assault over 100 children before caught. Sites like MySpace are like supermarkets for the depraved.
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by Barbara Pytel
If you personally know teachers, you know they take work home and work into the evening. Their own children don't receive help with homework because they are too busy correcting student papers. Do teachers in other countries work that hard? Apparently not.
Teachers in the United States spend more hours at work than teachers in 29 other countries. A teacher in the U.S. will spend 1080 hours per year in the classroom. The average teacher in the OECD survey spends 803 hours there. And, the reward for that hard work is to be among some of the lowest paid. In nations with leading economies, the United States does not fare well in how it compensates its teachers.
The average teacher with 15 years experience earns $37,603 in the U.S. In Luxembourg, the average teacher with 15 years of experience earns $88,000 when the cost of living is entered into the formula. Well, maybe the other countries have more students in the classroom? No. The average teacher in the U.S. has 23.1 students in the classroom. The average teacher in the survey of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has 21.5 students. Hmmm. [edweek.org, September 25, 2007]
There is a teacher shortage looming as baby boomers retire. Many cities and states are already seeing it. Many teachers are quitting after only a few years in education causing large turnover costs. The question is, "Will we do something before or after a crises?" Hopefully, education will fare better than a bridge in Minneapolis.
Related article: The Future of Education
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by Barbara Pytel
Australia is a neighbor to China. A private school, Saint Ignatious' College Riverview, has a Jesuit heritage. And, Saint Ignatius sent missionaries to China so that makes the connection even stronger. Riverview is introducing Chinese to students in grades 5, 6, and 7.
John Della Bosca, NSW Minister for Education, is encouraging students to learn Chinese. Bosca recently said, "Mandarin is a good choice, but so too would be Japanese, Korean or Bahasa Indonesian." [Anna Patty, smh.com.au, September 21, 2007]
Australia will be providing $112 million to states over the next four years for language programs. The United States would like to offer more Chinese classes but teachers are not available. Some states are recruiting teachers from China to come and teach in high schools but there are strict limitations. China is becoming an economic power and it will be a disadvantage to not know the language.
Related articles: Foreign Language Not Required, Arabic School Tension
Read previous articles on Educational Issues.
Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
Posted by Barbara Pytel
Parents and Tourism
Parents are upset that school begins so early in August. It cuts into their vacation time. The tourism industry is also complaining that their hired help has to leave them far before the trourist season ends. Many have to close early for the season because the employees must go back to school. An amusement park in Pittsburg closed early because 85% of the staff had to return to school early.
Why The Push?
Students lose information over the summer. Many call it the Summer Slide. And, No Child Left Behind is pushing schools to get scores up. Schools are under pressure to add days to the school calendar to accomplish this. Some schools prefer even semesters and want to finish prior to Christmas vacation. Students may be more likely to do better on semester tests if they don't have a two-week vacation gap between the note-taking and the exams.
States Taking Action
- Florida schools may not begin more than 14 days prior to Labor Day
- Texas schools may not begin until the fourth week in August
- Michigan schools must begin after Labor Day
How Many Start Early?
Just how many schools open their doors before Labor Day? In 2006, 75% began before Labor Day. In 1988, only 51% began before Labor Day. So, if it seems like schools are beginning earlier and earlier--they are.
An Illusion
Starting early is usually an illusion. It seems that there will be more days of school. However, schools that begin early often end early in May. And, because of heat, many schools let out early the first few weeks of school. The brain does not work well in hot weather. While year round school may help with the Summer Slide, it won't be possible until schools are air-conditioned. Starting later may just be the solution.
