EJFoster’s blog

DeAngelo.  Overarching essential questions in social studies.  Accessed at http://gse.uml.edu/rtah/pdf/DeAngeloOverarchingEssentialQuestions.pdf on September 9, 2009.

A good resourse to help guide inquiry-based lesson planning/development in social studies courses.

Well, it's far from the Mid-South and the Delta.  Here's what I was able to find out from the Arlington Public Schools website.  However, I think the President's message can be easily transferred to our own schools and student populations.

Taken from Welcome to High School in Arlington Public Schools: A Guidebook for Parents

Wakefield High School is a richly diverse school where many ethnic groups and cultures are represented.
Students have the benefit of learning with peers from around the world
on a daily basis. This multicultural aspect is just one of the
unique features of Wakefield. Wakefield was a 2006 recipient of
one of three National College Board Inspiration Awards of
$25,000. This prestigious award was given in recognition and
support of Wakefield’s commitment to challenge all students to
take advanced and Advanced Placement courses.
Wakefield takes great pride in its ninth grade “House” program,
called the FOUNDATION FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
as well as its Senior Project requirement of an independently
conducted project presented for assessment by a review
panel. Also unique are the COHORT program designed to
increase the enrollment of African-American and Hispanic males
in Advanced Placement courses, and the United Minority Girls
group, designed to assist juniors and seniors with the college
application process. The exemplary project, the Advanced Placement
Network, whose goal is to provide access to Advanced
Placement courses for all students, continues to grow and expand.
Technology is a focus for all students beginning with a
required 9th grade course and expanding to higher level classes
including Network Administration, JAVA and Cisco. Wakefield
provides its students and teachers with nine full-sized computer
labs and every classroom has at least one computer station with
full-class display capability, allowing teachers to provide instruction
using the most up-to-date software and Internet resources.
Wakefield boasts a state-of-the-art Technology Center complete
with a television production studio. Each spring, Wakefield has a
Technology Expo where students present examples of technologybased
schoolwork.
There are many leadership opportunities for Wakefield
students. All Virginia High School League sports are offered and
all athletes are required to maintain a 2.0 GPA. The Drama
program maintains a strong partnership with Signature Theatre
and fine arts students compete in and win many competitions.
Wakefield’s commitment is to continue providing programs of
excellence for all of its students.

DOE Secretary Arne Duncan shares information with principals and lesson plan ideas to go with President Obama's speech on 09/08/09.

I don't see what all the fuss is about...  http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/academic/bts.html

This link also includes a link to the text of the President's speech.

A great resource for those who have the technology (either a lab, or library computers) to manage an on-line activity. 

Yoder, M.B. (1999). The student webquest.  Learning and Leading with Technology. 26 (7).  Available online at http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/myoder/webquest.pdf

Nina Totenberg's piece on NPR last week awakened the very core of maternal instincts in me.  (For those that don't know me well, I have next to no "MamaBear" in me.  I am not maternal at all.)   If Redding were my child, I would have had a FIT!  I would have wanted to know why I wasn't called, why a secretary and nurse were conducting the search, and at what age is a strip search unreasonable - 10, 8, or 5?

That said, I taught in some "scary" situations, and have dealt with my fair share of drug and weapons on campus (and in-class).  Judicial precident has established a firm foundation for in loco parentis; however, the Court had also refused to comment on "intimate searches" while allowing metal detectors, locker searches, drug dogs, and backpack/purse searches.  I'm guessing the Court will come down on the side of the school with a commentary on what will be needed to establish "probable cause."

I know that there have been cases of drugs and/or weapons on campuses and classrooms where I have taught and the students "got away with it" because the stash was on their person.  Some have stopped short of daring administration to search them more intimately.  I've also known students who were dealing on campus for their parents.  In those cases, would calling a parent really help make the situation any less unreasonable, or "profitable"?

Here's a for instance for you...  My first year teaching (in a suburban low- to upper- middle class neighborhood/district) I had a ninth grade girl who was a "behavior management challenge" (to say the least).  Miriam D. wore glasses, but started "wearing contacts" after Spring Break and needed to put drops in her eyes, in class, what seemed like all the time.  I had a firm rule about make-up and grooming in class and told her she needed to do this outside of my room (i.e. the restroom).  Turned out, young Miriam was dropping acid in her tear-ducts via the contact lens drop bottle.  Would a search have turned up more than a Bausch/Lomb bottle?  Probably not.  How did we find out?  Miriam was hallucinating and telling her mother about her hallucinations.  I found out when I called home about a seemingly unrelated behavior issue. 

"MissF, I was expecting you to call me about Miriam last week."

"Really, Mrs.D?  Why is that?"

"Well, I just figured that a fire in a trashcan on your desk would've been a good reason to call.  I couldn't believe you didn't right Miriam up for something like that"

"WHAT!?!" raced through my head.

Turns out young Miriam had been telling her mother about her acid trips

Back to unreasonable search/seizure of students at school.  My fear, as I alluded to previously, is where and when do we stop?  When should law enforcement be called?  Who should be party to such searches?

Change the Story is a wonderful reference/resource for social studies teachers (among others) for teaching tolerance of Muslims, and Islam in general.

The DVD is $15 and comes with a leader/educators guide.

Some of the video clips are available on-line, but some of the more profound (especially for high school students) are available only on the DVD.

Good luck.

Teaching Geography, Second Edition (Teaching Geography (W/CD))

Phil Gersmehl PhD

I highly recommend Gershmel's 2nd edition for all social studies teacher, but especially geography teachers.

It will be required reading in EDSE 647 in the future.  Wonderful resources, very practical and pragmatic.

Holocaust cartoon

I received this in one of those e-mail messages you almost don't open because the subject line reads"FW: Fw: FW: fwd:...."

I'm really glad I opened it after all.

Tuition Free Colleges

From the Australian media...  http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2474115.htm

The USHMM's statement...  http://www.ushmm.org/museum/press/archives/detail.php?category=07-general&content=2009-01-27

Bishop Williamson's "response"...  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090130/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_jews

I'm sorry, but I don't understand the denier's arguments.  They don't make any sense to me.  Here's a site that is unrelated to this week's events, but may be of interest....  http://www.hdot.org/