The Media and Teenage Girls

This post is focused upon the portrayal of female teenagers in the media.  There are two resources on this site.  Being aware of the impact of the media and effects the media has on how girls self-perceptions is really important.

In browsing sites the other day my wife found this video and shared it with me, so I would share this with secondary school students.  Have a look at the documents and videos on this post and consider the important messages they hold.  How does the media impact young women?

A Girl’s Guide To Battling The Harmful Effects Of Mass Media from MoveOn.org

 

In addition, take a look at this site.  It is called Day of the Girl.

It is a site with excellent resources for teenage girls around the topic of the media.  It is worth taking a look at and browsing as deeply as you wish to.  There are many voices of teenage girls on the site.

 

In addition, there is a site dedicated to the film Miss Representation.  We will be showing this movie at LCS in the future.  It is a powerful movie.  If you wish to know more about this film and explore the topic, google Miss Representation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phones – Learning Tools or Short Cut Tools?

This was the image of a teacher’s desk during a recent mid-semester exam.  Our students were not able to hold onto the phones because some students will use them to gain an advantage over other students.  In a straightforward semester exam, phones offer multiple methods for cheating (creative short cuts!!)

 

When will these phones be used as learning tools, not as “cheating” devices during exams for students?  When will they be  learning tools on a regular basis in the classroom?  How are we going to deal with the ubiquitous nature of technology in schools?  The proliferation of smart phones, tablets, ipads and other wireless devices in schools coupled with growing bandwidth and wireless access, presents unknown potential for teaching and learning.

How will these tools support the end goals of a K-12 education?  How will these tools support the development of the skills needed for being a self-regulated learner, a self-reliant learner, and a lifelong learner?

Perhaps they impact learning more than we consider at present.  Consider the amount of communication the tools already support amongst students.  Perhaps, in all that texting and image/document sharing that is taking place all the time – literally 24/7 (with a few hours in the middle of the  night to catch some sleep) there are some educational and/or school related exchanges of Continue reading

What are grades for? Why do we grade students?

Report Card time!

In U.S. schools, grades became part of the fabric of education in the late 1800’s. A need existed to separate students according to how well they were learning the content of the curriculum.  Was the reason for grading to attempt to motivate students?  Perhaps it was.

We aim to communicate achievement and learning with our grades.  We aim to provide feedback to students and parents about how well students are progressing.  We are not interested in ranking students nor do we ever group students around their grades.  We do, however, want to make sure that the feedback students and parents receive from grades is a true and honest indicator of learning.

In addition, narrative written comments from teachers provide additional feedback and information which should be used to effect learning, work habits, and spurn reflective conversations with parents and children.  It is clear that narrative comments are essential to rounding out the communication on a report card. They offer a personal message from teacher to student.

Feedback to students is critical to learning.  Research shows that the single most important tool in a teacher’s toolbox for learning is their ability to provide timely and high quality feedback.  Report cards should be seen in this light.  It is feedback and it is time to reflect upon that feedback.

However, grading and reporting are NOT essential to the learning process. Timely and constructive feedback is important for learning but not grades.  So what are grades for and why do we grade students?  The grades must be seen as a way to provide feedback about progress towards specific criteria.

Most students want to achieve high grades.  For students who wish to receive higher grades, what do they need to do in order to earn those grades?  In Continue reading

A giant exhale……profound sadness…..and inspirational commitment

The last day of school (Friday, December 14 – 12/14/12) prior to vacation is always a welcome day!  This past week our last day also brought the excitement of a Grade 12 student who received his early acceptance to Cornell University, the college of his choice.  His acceptance added a great buzz to the last day for our Grade 12 students and for our teachers.  One teacher commented on the great satisfaction that teachers of Seniors take as college admissions roll in over the course of the second semester.  The hard work of preparing students for IB exams and supporting them as they navigate the obstacles of Grade 12 including the college admissions process offers positive rewards to teachers in the form of a successful college application.  We do this work because we have a passion for teaching, building relationships with students, supporting them as they uncover Continue reading

A Good Time is Hard to Find…..

As a Principal, I seek to be sensitive to the timing of requests that I make of faculty.  Teaching is a tough job with many demands.  Some of these demands are driven by responsibilities scheduled on the calendar – reporting periods, extensive planning at the outset of the school year, parent-teacher conference days, and so on.  I find myself regularly considering what else is being asked of teachers when I initiate specific requests or plan learning opportunities.  Yet, as professional as teachers can be and as engaged as they are in their own learning, I often hear the common refrain – “It’s just a hard time of year”.  The implication being that engaging teachers in that dialogue or activity would be better done at another time of the year!  But, that time is tricky to find.

When is the best time?  Time is that elusive need for educators.  Time is what everyone would like to have more of every week.  The demands for planning, marking, meeting with students, meeting with colleagues and communicating with parents are significant.  Continue reading

A Fresh Start…a New Blog!!

The end of 2012 is almost here.  Another round of holidays and another opportunity to renew my blogging spirit.

This time, I want to bombard the school community until I get some response!!  Maybe I’ll offer such provocative posts that it will produce high interest and record levels of response!  Maybe my posts will actually be read by parents, teachers, and students.

That’s my goal!  Provide some food for thought about schools, teaching, learning, parenting, and being a member of a school community.

So, let the blogging begin and hopefully I’ll sustain it!

Geoff Smith

Secondary School Principal

Lincoln Community School