Education During the 1930's

The crash of the stock market in 1929 ushered in a new decade known as the Great Depression. While many families were struggling for simply enough money to provide another dinner for their loved ones, education was not a priority of most families. A majority of students dropped out so they could find a job and help provide for their families. The number of students that went to college decreased by half. However the percentage of males that attended college rose because it was easier to get a job with higher degrees of education. Most smaller school towns were forced to close because people were not able to play their property taxes which funded the schools.

Today, there are about 50.4 million students who attend either elementary or secondary school. Oh how times have changed!

                                                                                                                          ~Ally

Websites used:
http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/life_21.html
http://www.ushistory.org/us/48e.asp
http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372

Schools Around the World

Everyday there are thousands of students in America dreading coming to school. But what about the millions of children across the world praying for the chance to get an education? In fact 72 million children don't have access to education and about 759 million adults are illiterate. These statistics are mind blowing to me. I live in a society where receiving an education and going to school is assumed, a right and safe. In some countries, such as Somalia in Africa, more then 50% of children go to school for two years or less out of their entire lives. In war stricken places such as Syria, many schools are targeted by non-state groups because the schools symbolize an embodiment of state authority.

The children who do have an opportunity to attend school are often forced to drop out so that they can help provide for their families. Many students also have to drop out of school because of illness such as malnutrition.

With so many children who live in developing countries not receiving an education, its much more difficult for these counties to ever advance.

Girls of developing countries are probably the most under privileged because traditional gender roles and male privilege still plays a big part in their societies. Of all the children worldwide who have no access at all to any type of education, girls make up 54%. In Yemen 80% of girls will probably never be able to attend school and 12 million girls in sub-Saharan Africa will also probably never get the opportunity to become educated.
                                              
                                                                                                                     ~ Ally


Websites used:
http://www.humanium.org/en/world/right-to-education/

Rape Culture

Rape culture has increasingly become more and more used as a way of describing modern America. Rape culture according to, WAVA, (Women Against Violence Against Women) is explained as, "a term that was coined by feminists in the United States in the 1970's. It was designed to show the ways in which society blamed victims of sexual assault and normalized male sexual violence."

A reference such as rape culture is a very different than how a "culture" is typically spoken about. Its often said that "rape culture" is just a term used by feminists to make men look bad. However when looking at many things that are commonly posted on the internet or heard in hallways or streets, it becomes clear that sexualizing women, younger children etc. has become a common theme in society today. The website, Everyday Feminists, does a wonderful job at pointing out 25 commonly seen examples of why todays culture can be defined as a rape culture. To view click here.

 54% of sexual assault victims are ages 18-34. This puts college students at a much higher risk. Reported sexual assault incidents in college has been going up; for every 1 robbery 2 women are sexually assaulted. This isn't just a problem with women either. About 21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have reported a sexual assault incident. Although it is less, there is still an alarming rate of males who are victims of sexual assault. 1 in 16 men have been sexually assaulted.

                                                                                                                        ~Ally

Websites used:
https://www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence 
http://www.wavaw.ca/what-is-rape-culture/
http://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/publications_nsvrc_factsheet_media-packet_statistics-about-sexual-violence_0.pdf

Question 2 on the 2016 Presidental Election Ballot

With the election coming up in a few weeks, I decided to take some time to talk about the other questions on the ballot besides the next U.S. President. Questions number 2 is very important because it will dictate the type of education students will receive and the amount of funding schools will receive. The bill is called, An Act to Allow Fair Access to Public Charter Schools, if approved, state education official will be allowed to add a maximum of 12 new charter school each year. To read more in-depth about this law click here.

Many parents like this bill because it would give them more options on where to send their children to school. However there is lots of concern that this bill would take away funding for public and private schools. After all, about 96% of American students attend either a public or private school while charter school students only make up 4%. If passed it would take effect on January 1, 2017.

What happens to this bill is up to the American people! Make sure to vote November 8th (:
                                                                  ~Ally








Websites used:
 https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts_Authorization_of_Additional_Charter_Schools_and_Charter_School_Expansion,_Question_2_(2016)
http://commonwealthmagazine.org/education/why-question-2-grassroots-opposition-is-growing/

Sleep Studies

Myself and I'm sure students everywhere dread the early mornings that comes with school. Waking up at 5:30am to the sound of an alarm clock is not exactly the most pleasant thing in the world...

Between extracurricular activates, sports and homework myself and I'm sure many others,  rarely even have the option to go to bed earlier than 10pm. Besides this, a study was done by Anne Wheaton from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta Georgia. Her study says that during adolescence a teenager goes through a "natural shift in their inner body clocks". This shift makes it so teenagers feel naturally tired around 10pm-11pm. Going to bed any earlier then this is difficult. The study also shows that in order for teenagers to function the best, they need between 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep per night. The majority of teenagers are not meeting these requirements which impacts them in a severe way. It causes teenagers to lose a big portion of their sleep cycle called the REM cycle; a cycle that helps to control mood swings in all people.  A lack of sleep has been shown to be leading to increased risk for obesity, depression and drug use in teens.


American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that schools should start no later then 8:30am in order for Teenagers to be fully functioning and ready to learn at school. But in America, the only states who have the majority of schools reaching these guidelines are North Dakota and Alaska. While many schools have changed the time school begins in the morning, it will take some time for massive change to happen.

                                                                                                             ~Ally

Websites used:
 https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/survey-finds-us-schools-start-too-early

Documentary: Homelessness in America

 

 

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3stVCh-kAic

When you go to a city, one of the first things you might notice are people standing on the side of the street asking for money. Although it could be viewed as "sketchy" the number of homeless people in America is surprisingly high. Many of these people are then unable to afford school, clothes and struggle to find shelter, especially during the winter. For our journalism class, I teamed up with a few of my classmates to create a documentary about this devastating problem to raise awareness.

The most important item  homeless people need during the winter are socks. Socks are the most needed item for homeless people and the least donated to them. People on the streets need socks more than anything to protect their exposed feet from frostbite, fungus, and in extreme cases, blood poisoning.

Simply donating a pair of socks, something we take for granted, will change somebody else’s life by giving them warmth and hope.

Without the necessity of socks, people could develope trench foot or even frostbite. Although many people take shelter away from the elements in abandoned houses or under bridges, they are still exposed to the cold as well as litter that surrounds these places. Think broken glass, used needled, and mold.

“One homeless man named Kiwi told me socks are more important than food. He said that he knows of many pantries and shelters where he can get food, but that there’s no way he can walk the streets of Toronto without socks.”

• Costello (Points of Light)

Uniforms in Schools.

Schools requiring uniforms has its pros and cons. On the upside, it could prevent possible bullying and ensures that the way every student looks allows them to be treated equally in school. It also allows for school to become a place where the primary focus is to learn rather than a beauty competition.

I personally believe however that schools should not require students to wear a uniform. Its hard to be who you are when what you wear might not match your true self. During high school, teenagers are vulnerable and just trying to figure out who they are. Without being able to express themselves it makes that process just that much harder.

Let me know what you think below!

            

                                                                                                           ~Ally

Motivational Monday 7!!!!!!

                                                                                                           ~Ally

A School Day in Australia.

An Australian school year goes from January till December. Because Australia is in the southern hemisphere, the weeks they have off is actually summer time for them. Students go to school 200 days a year. The school year is divided up into four terms with two weeks of break between each one. A typical school day starts at 9am and ends at 3:30pm.

In America people say that they are in "grade 10" or "grade 3". But in Australia they say "year 10" or "year 3". This is because children are only required to go through 11 years of schooling but may go up to 12 if they choose.

Probably one of the most interesting things about Australian schooling is that they combine the subject they teach. For example a class might be learning about the Savannah, typically a science subject. But teachers add elements of math, such as how fast do the animals run as well.

So, where would you rather go to school??? Let me know below!

                                                                                                                ~Ally

Websites used:
http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/school-years.html

Ted Talk

Hello everyone! I watched this Ted Talk online and found it very motivational.

Here is it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp7E973zozc
                                                                                                                        ~Ally

PARCC Test

As of right now, most MA schools have students take the MCAS. A standardized test taken every year starting in grade 3 and going up until grade 10. High schools often have it as a requirement to pass the MCAS in order to graduate. It tests students on English, math and science. It's administered two in a row, each day students must complete a particular part of the test, either session one or session two. Students have all day to finish the test, though it should only take two or three hours.

However, a new type of test is being introduced to a few schools in the state called the PARCC test. This test is slightly different than the MCAS. First off it's taken on the computer where as the MCAS is a paper test. The PARCC test is made up of an English and Math section with mainly multiple choice questions and very limited open responses. The main difference between these two tests is that the PARCC test is timed.

The format of the PARCC test is being changed this year, called "PARCC 2.0". However any changes that will be made have not been released to the public yet.

                                                                                                                   ~Ally

Bullying in High School

According to Oxford Dictionaries, the definition of a bully is "use superior strength or influence to intimidate (someone), typically to force him or her to do what one wants." While I do agree with part of this statement, bullying is a much broader topic than that. In fact, there are 3 main types of bullying: Verbal bullying, Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying and, Physical bullying. All of which can cause serious harm mentally to the victim.

A person who is bullied much experience any or all of the following changes:

• Depression and anxiety
• changes in sleep
• loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy
• Decreased academic achievement

A victim is also more likely to, begin to abuse substances, commit suicide or drop out of school due to the depression, trauma, etc. that comes from being bullied.

According U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 1 in 3 U.S. students say they have been bullied at school.

*****If yourself or anyone you know might need help TELL SOMEONE!!! That's the best thing you can do to make the situation stop.

                                                                                                                     ~Ally

Websites used:

https://www.stopbullying.gov/at-risk/effects/index.html

http://americanspcc.org/bullying/statistics-and-information/

https://www.stopbullying.gov/get-help-now/index.html

Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act

In 2010 Michelle Obama made significant progress to ensure that children at school were receiving a good breakfast as well as lunch. This law sets standards on how much fruits, veggies, grains etc. must be served to each child when they buy or receive a lunch.

Along with this, Michelle also launched a fitness program designed for kids. The amount of calorie intake had risen 31% and kids were not doing necessary exercise to keep them in shape. Michelle's fitness program called "Let's Move!" was made to help lower the rate of child obesity with in a generation. There's an entire website that goes along with the program also called "Let's Move!". On there you can find information on why the program was created, physical activity ideas as well as nutrition facts and so much more. To check out the website click here.

Although the correct intentions are there, many people don't think that the healthy food regulations at school are effective. The thought is that kids are simply throwing away the food that they don't want, often the healthiest part of the meal like veggies. Since these meals are often paid for by taxpayers, some of these people have concerns that their money is being wasted. However the benefits of this program outweighs the potential negative, all children are able to receive a free lunch and breakfast if needed.

                                                                                                                      ~Ally
Websites used:
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/423784/uncle-sam-and-school-lunches

Technology in the Classroom

Technology has become part of just about everyone's daily life. Between phones, computers and TV, there is almost no escaping it. In schools, some teachers utilize these tools and are able to successfully integrate technology in the classroom. However others teachers  are completely against any type of technology being used in their classroom.

Since technology has been a predominant part of  students daily life, it'd be silly to not utilize it and all the benefits it holds. According to Teach Hub some of the benefits to technology in the classroom are:

1.) Technology in the classroom makes learning more fun for the students
2.) Technology prepares students for the future
3.) Improved retention rate
4.) Technology helps students learn at their own pace
5.) Technology connects with students

To learn in depth about these reasons click here.

Edutopia gives ways for teachers to intergrade technology in the classroom. Some of them are:

1.) Projects based on technology usage
2.) Online learning and assessment games
3.) Learning with mobile/ handheld devises
4.) Instructional Tools like Interactive Whiteboards and Student Response Systems
5.)  Student-Created Media like Podcasts, Videos, or Slideshows
6.) Collaborative Online Tools like Wikis or Google Docs
7.) Using Social Media to Engage Students

Click here to get more information about this from Edutopia.

                                                                                                                 ~Ally

A School Day in China.

Compared to here in the U.S. a school day in China sounds very rigorous. A typical school day goes from 7:30am to 5pm. 9 AND A HALF HOURS WHAT!?! Their lunch break is two hours though so that is definetly a pro. The school year runs from September to mid-July.

Much of the curriculum the students are taught focuses on the past history of China and their accomplishments. As well as math and Chinese language. Students are tested on their knowledge at the end of the year. Technology is also an important component in Chinese schools; in fact they have a computer to student ratio of 2:1...pretty impressive.  Although students are given uniforms, they are not forced to wear them.

Many schools are going through constructive changes to teach students teamwork skills.

So what school would you rather attend?? Let me know below!

                                                                                                                 ~Ally

Websites used:
http://www.infoplease.com/world/statistics/school-years.html

Motivational Monday 6!!!!!

 

Hello! I hope everyone had a fantastic break. Going back to school after break is always bitter sweet. One last push until finals! Have a great week (:
                                                                                                                  ~Ally