Search Results for: blog a 21st century education

Educational Vacation Destinations

The school year may be over, but the learning shouldn’t stop… sound familiar? My dad used to use that line on me as a kid. It was his way of trying to convince me (and my brothers) that our summer days would be better spent at the museum rather than at the local pool. In previous blogs I have offered many suggestions for summer vacation destinations, though I will sheepishly admit many of them fall under the amusement park/water park category. That said the following more-educationally-friendly destinations (my dad would be so proud) are ones you may want to add … Continue reading →

Inclusion of People with Intellectual Disabilities is Important

Does someone in your family have an intellectual disability (ID)? A survey shows that inclusion helps people who do not have intellectual disabilities to accept people who do have them. Personally knowing someone who has ID helps people to move past old stereotypes. A survey was done by Harris Poll on behalf of The Special Olympic International World Games, and in partnership with Shriver Media. The survey was conducted online between July 13 and July 15 of 2015. A total of 2,021 United States adults (ages 18+) took part in the survey. Out of this group, 1,103 were identified as … Continue reading →

Pushing for Publicly-Funded Preschool

If you missed President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address five months ago, you may be wondering why his recent trip to Illinois attracted so many leaders in the world of early education. Obama spent much of his trip to Fort Knox College on Wednesday reiterating the importance of his proposal to give American children a publicly-funded preschool education. The president unveiled his goal of providing quality early education for 4 year olds in his State of the Union address earlier this year and he is not backing down on his commitment. “If you think education is expensive, wait … Continue reading →

Mental Health and Young Black Men

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While working in the prison system in Florida as a therapist over 50% of my caseload were black men. We could spend days discussing the issues contributing to that number, but in the prison I was most concerned with why the person who was sitting in front of me needed my services. Historically, black men were not “allowed” to experience mental health issues. There have been books written about the social stigma of mental illness in the black community; even simple depression is something black men were encouraged to hide. So, I was surprised by what my clients were presenting … Continue reading →

New Law to Help Those with Disabilities Access Technology

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On the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Barak Obama signed into effect the Equal Access to 21st Century Communications Act. This bipartisan bill will help expand access to technology such as smart phones, television and the internet, to those with disabilities. There are 25 million visually impaired Americans and 3 million hearing-impaired Americans who are eagerly waiting to benefit from this new law. Many of us take our sight and hearing for granted, and never consider how the millions of Americans with sensory impairments communicate in today’s technologically advanced world. Imagine watching television or trying to … Continue reading →

My Favorite Adoption Book Reviews of 2009

Last year, I wrote about my favorite books I reviewed in 2008. Here are favorites from the children’s adoption books I’ve reviewed this year. (These are books which I’ve reviewed here in the Adoption Blog in 2009. They may have been published in prior years.) In My Heart, by Molly Bang, is a wonderful book for any child. It’s a story of her mother telling her child that throughout the various activities of their separate days, he is always in her heart—and his parents, friends and teachers are in his heart too. The child pictured looks Indian or Latino and … Continue reading →

Tax Credits for Homeschoolers in the News Again

U.S. Senator David Vitter introduced a bill earlier this month to provide tax relief for homeschooling families. The bills would allow tax deductions of $500.00 per child with a yearly limit of $2,000.00 for K-12 activities. The bill (S 3076 IS) would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It is currently in the first step of the legislative process meaning it is still in committee. It has been read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. His reasoning is that parents of private schools get tax credits, so homeschool parents should as well. I can find no … Continue reading →

How To Eliminate Waiting in Long Lines For Lady Liberty

Maybe great minds think alike. Or, perhaps imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. Either way it seems there’s a growing trend among top tourist attractions—the use of technology to cut down on wait times to get in. Just yesterday I told blogged about the Colosseum’s efforts to shorten the time tourists have to stand in line to experience one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. The ancient Roman arena has catapulted itself into the 21st Century by allowing visitors to purchase tickets in advance and bypass the mile-long lines that can form during the height of … Continue reading →

New York City Pushes Toward Smaller High Schools

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There are three high schools in my district. One high school is located on each end of the county (North and South) and the third is in the middle. The two end high schools are comparable in size. They are both smaller schools. The mid-county school has a larger student body. I attended the high school located in the South end of our county. I knew most every student’s name in my graduating class. I knew all of the teachers and felt comfortable talking with them. I believe that small high schools have an advantage over larger schools in which … Continue reading →

America’s Best High Schools: The Top 100 (Alabama through Indiana)

Is your child going to one of America’s best high schools? (Or will they be when they get to be high school aged?) Newsweek chooses America’s top high schools each year, by taking the number of AP (advanced placement) and IB (international baccalaureate) tests and divides that number by the total number of graduating seniors. The thinking is that schools with the most percentage of students taking these tests are serious about preparing average kids for college. Here is Newsweek’s list–organized by place rather than rank. (If I wanted to see about my children’s high school–I would look in New … Continue reading →