Blog # 11

“Scripted Prescription or A Personal Touch?”

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The Scripted Prescription - (A Cure for Childhood by Peter Campbell)

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While reading this article one of the parents said: “Traditionally, or so I’ve been told, the first meeting has been a time for the new student and the teacher to get to know each other. But there was no conversation about what Vivian liked to read, what she liked to do, or anything else that might have given the teacher some insight into Vivian. Her teacher appeared to believe all that she needed to know about Vivian could be discovered from this test. It saddened me to think that my daughter’s first impression of school is based on taking a test and failing it.” I can see both sides of the arguments. As a teacher the school system teaching us in order to save time to get to know a student level of academic, testing is best path to take. But as a parent a child needs to learn the basic lesson first before taking a test, like asking a child if he or she likes to read or what he or she liked to do. So, a little conversation with a child and their teacher would be the best path to take. As a parent this could be the best way to get to know their child.

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Confession – (My Students Play in the Classroom-and It’s Good for Them by Seth Shteir)

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I like how Seth took a field trip experience to a butterfly garden and made it to a lesson plan. He said: “Block building, with proper guidance, has a great deal of educational value. It can help children acquire literacy, develop social skills, gain experience problem-solving, and enhance spatial sense.” But it’s sad when regimentation of school agenda makes it harder for teacher like Seth to have that kind of support to different ways of teaching and learning.

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What About Play? by Sharna Oleman

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Today children consume 40 hours of media each week. “Wow!” Sharna Oleman said: “Economic and cultural constraints force parents to work longer days and weeks, and increasingly, parents rely on “electronic babysitters” to keep kids inside, or alternatively in structured afterschool programs.” This could be good if a child is watching educational programs like: Sesame Street, Barney & Friends, Curious George, The Electric Company, and Sid the Science Kid. As a teacher I let my nephew watch these programs when his at home, don’t get me wrong, every chance I have to take him outside to play any kinds of sports we are out there playing it ;-D!

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Now, if the parents are force to work longer hours and days, here’s my question: “How can they take their children out to play outdoors sport?”