The Fighting Flower

Finnish School System's Amazing Results

2012-01-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

The Atlantic Monthly, New York Times, and other media giants are taking a swing at summing up Pasi Sahlberg's book: Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?

They focus on less homework, more focus on creativity and the one aspect that speaks to me:

NO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

Although I've yet to read the book I am at the toppish end of a hold list at the local library.

And so, my uneducated unsolicited opinion is that "Choice Schools", "Private Schools", "Charter Schools" can have the unintended consequence of ghetto-izing neighborhood schools. a leadership exodous. Students, parents, families who have the time and means to be leaders in the school community abandon their neighborhood schools. Those schools then have less resourceful parents, families, and communities. Not just financially but the emotional support a student can offer another. The skills a student brings with them to the classroom provide support for the rest of the class and the community.

Case in Point: I did not learn addition from any teacher, any book, but from a classmate. And then taught my other classmates, siblings, and friends.

"Let It Go" Bullying Policy

2011-12-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

The Let It Go bullying policy put in place in some middle schools in Lane County, in Oregon, caused some concern among parents. Specifically, in Bethel, this story hit news.

The parent who sparked the news story quoted her son (so this is a fourth party rephrasing) that if the students saw bullying they should confront the bully and say "let it go". Which... sure that might send a message of "it's okay" HOWEVER kids are given skills to run and tell an adult but we've been shown over and over

A) Kids don't sometimes don't tell adults
B) Sometimes adults don't act
C) Kids torture "tattle tells" (and the kids in question have already been violent)

So although this might not be the best policy I've ever heard of I commend the school for realizing kids need tools... and one of them is walking up to the bully during the event and saying SOMETHING, ANYTHING, and "let it go" is pretty non confrontational.

Message to Gay Teens from U.S. Senators, "It Gets Better" video

2011-12-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

A message to teens, especially gay teens, "It Gets Better"

Senator Udall from Colorado, Senator Gillibrand from New York, Senator Durban from Illinois, Senator Feinstein from California, Senator Wyden from Oregon (Go Ducks!),
Senator Coons from Delaware, Senator Schumer from New York, Senator Shaheen from New Hampshire, Senator Cantwell from Washington, Senator Whitehouse from Rhode Island, Senator Franken from Minnesota, Senator Brown from Ohio, and Senator Blumenthal from Connecticut all take part of the message to not give up, to hang in there. As one senator put it, the very things that someone is made fun of in high school can be what they are appreciated for as an adult. The talents, uniqueness, and personalities that make us different are what stand out to make us who we are as adults.

A good pick me up for kids feeling down.

Posting from Courage Campaign

2011-12-04T19:19:00.000-08:00

Courage Campaign (a non profit that stands behind LGBT folks) posted this video by a young man.

Incredibly touching....a young man demonstrates how bullying has "torn him down" since 1st grade, and he is starting eighth grade. Kind of a tear jerker. Grab a stuffed teddy and some hankies before watching.

Portland Area - Scholarship Info Session from Black College Fund

2011-11-28T18:47:00.001-08:00

Want to learn more about college options?

The Black United Fund is hosting a College Fair at Portland State on December 3rd to expose prospective students and parents to opportunities for secondary education. Admission is free, and all high school, middle school, college, non-traditional prospective students and parents are welcome to attend.You can register through Nov 30 and be eligible for a drawing for $500 scholarships. (And don't forget www.usfirst.org/scholarships)

Why can't we call bullying, bullying

2011-11-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

I applaud W. Virginia's efforts here, but really, why does the type of victim decide whether bullying is bullying. Can't it be the actions of the perpetrator.... not the fault of the victim?

West Virginia Proposed Anti-Bullying Policy Aims To Protect LGBT Students
www.huffingtonpost.com
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- "A proposed anti-bullying policy for West Virginia schools acknowledges that sexual orientation and gender identity are common reasons for harassment."

The goal is to stop bullying. Bullying is defined as singling someone out due to differences of: race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, socioeconomic status, academic status, physical appearance, and mental, physical or developmental disability.

a controversy exists over adding sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sadly the article summary includes the foreboding:
"Even if the policy passes, White's not confident teachers and administrators will jump to defend LGBT students. But, he said, 'this will eliminate their cop-out.'"

Statistics

2011-10-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Although we all believe bullying is bad, perhaps we don't understand how widespread it is. In a recent article in the Oregonian, "Stand Up To Bullies, Create a Culture of Respect" Oregonlive.com, Hanif Fazal pointed out that 1 in 5 self identified gay students attempt suicide.

He names examples where racial minorities were bullied and harassed, he also cites statistics from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCES Web Tables 2011-336). The alarming result of that study point out that 28% of students were being bullied in the 2008-2009 school year. That means their learning, social development, and self esteems were stunted that year.

The reports I have read suggest that the pervasive nature of cyber bullying has only heightened that alarming percentage in the last two years.

As a portland area teacher. I have seen it, I have witnessed it, and I have worked to end it in my classrooms. It is a difficult beast to cage as it happens when adults aren't there. It happens online where we aren't looking. It happens in the lunch line where we are doing our best to make sure the dietarily restricted (such as diabetics or students with allergies) aren't tipping over their day with bad choices. And it happens when we kneel down to help a student one on one.

Cutting teachers means more students in each class. More students means less supervision. And I would argue in that unfortunate scenario I don't see bullying being stopped unless we educate our children and our students to be advocates for themselves or others.

A silent bystander is a bully too. Stop the hurt. Say something!

You have rights!

2011-10-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

I am now a volunteer at Basic Rights Oregon, working on a "persuasion campaign"... Calling voters across the state and finding out how they stand on the issue of same sex marriage. It was an incredibly difficult night hearing people who were adamantly homophobic. It was also beautiful and nurturing to hear people who were very supportive. I mixed bag, really. Regardless I am glad I'm in my 30s and have the emotional reservoirs to deal with the homophobia. It reminded me to point out to any one reading this blog:

If you are being bullied know: You have a right to:

* Live your life free from fear
* Be safe and protected
* A supportive home, community and/or school environment
* Thrive physically, psychologically, socially and academically

If you experience bullying or violence because you are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT), or others think you are LGBT, remember that you:

* Matter and have a place in the world
* Are not alone - help and support is only a phone call away
* Can be proud of who you are

Online Harassment

2011-10-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from Malware City.com,

These are interesting statistics about activity on the net:
16-18 year adolescents:
do various research projects for homework (43%)
hang out on social networks (31%)

while most 11-15 year-olds:
chat using instant messaging platforms (87%).

How much do parents know?
89% of the parents recognized that their children had been threatened, harassed or humiliated on the Internet
54% admitted that their kids had been very affected by these incidents
As a consequence of these cyber-bulling events, the children became sad, angry, violent, or apathetic.
19 % of parents sought specialized help for their children

Facebook forward

2011-09-19T11:21:00.001-07:00

So mostly on this blog facebook is a medium for hateful messages. Today I got this from my friend Mac, an amazing brave man who's carved out an identity and a life for himself out of rock hard stone.

Here is the post:

That girl you just called fat? She's overdosing on diet pills.
That girl you just called ugly? She spends hours putting makeup on hoping people will like her.
The boy you just tripped? He is abused enough at home.
That man with the ugly scars? He fought for his country.
That guy you just made fun of for crying? His mother is dying.
Put this as you're status if you're against bullying

Work Place Bullying : "Courage is Fire, and Bullying Is Smoke- ” Benjamin Disraeli

2011-09-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

A recent article about work place bullying being bad for the bottom line highlights the nature of work place bullying. The article led me back to The Workplace Bullying Institute an organization built on the education, prevention, and end to workplace bullying/violence. The organization has many pages, academic and non-academic. The page that is most important to find for you, family, or friends who might be affected is : "http://www.workplacebullying.org/individuals/problem/being-bullied/".

Stop the cycle of workplace violence with you!

Out of School and Out of Court?

2011-09-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

What started as facebook smack and pushing matches on a school bus is ending in a court case. The http://www.wsfa.com/story/15355745/macon-county-schools-bullying-allegations has been lost in translation as court ruled the term "murk" was unclear and therefore the charges could not be vilified. The trend to take a facebook threat to court and not the principal's office is commendable yet my concern is that the outcome might not be as therapeutic as a resourceful talented principal can come up with.

Bullying and 9/11

2011-09-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

My first teaching gig where I wasn't a substitute or student teacher. A time when I had my own classroom was 2001. And, unfortunately, 9/11. In first period class nothing else was on the student's minds. It was a struggle to find the balance of "science class time" and "lets talk about this crazy thing that happened". Looking back I wish I'd focused on the later.

In that school we had very few Arab students. About 20% dropped out of school shortly after 9/11. Hopefully they moved on to other schools, after reading a recent article I have come to doubt that.

The article, Bullying Targets Muslims, Arabs, Say Activists, is disheartening to read. Students report being called "towel head", "terrorist, "camel jockey", and other epitaphs in a spirit of vengeful hazing. These students have been threatened and beat up in what they feel has been a backlash since 9/11.

The article highlights one middle schooler's dissapointment to find his year book riddled with references to bombs following 9/11.

Bullying doesn't allow us to heal. Embrace thy neighbors.

The Qu'ran that states, It may be that God will ordain love between ou and those whom you hold as enemies. For god has power over all things, ; and God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Qu'Ran 60.7

That being said we can remember the cautionings of our contemporary spiritual leader who's language is more direct:

An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind. - Ghandi

Lawsuit in Sherwood

2011-08-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

A Sherwood family is suing the Sherwood School District for the repair of their son's teeth and emotional damages.

March 25th, 2009, the Oregon House approved bill 2599 with a 50-9 vote. The bill states that schools are required to establish clear, uniform policies to combat bullying and to appoint specific individuals to investigate. Representative Kim Thatcher, a Republican, was a proponent of the bill. The bill included the language that harrassment or bulling involved anything that effects the "psychological well-being" of the student.

My friends at Basic Rights Oregon, (BRO), were supporters of the bill.

What came from the bill, after being "cleaned up" in the senate and signed by Oregon Governor, Ted Kulongoski was this amendment to the existing law:

The amendment defines “harassment, intimidation or bullying” as an act that

(a) Substantially interferes with a student's educational benefits, opportunities or performance; that
(b) Takes place on or immediately adjacent to school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided transportation or at any official school bus stop, and that
(c) Has the effect of:
A. Physically harming a student or damaging a student's property;
B. Knowingly placing a student in reasonable fear of physical harm to the student or
damage to the student's property; or
C. Creating a hostile educational environment, including interfering with the
psychological well-being of a student; and
d. May be based on, but not be limited to, the protected class status of a person.

The amendment requires each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying and prohibiting cyberbullying. A procedure that is uniform throughout the school district for prompt investigation of a report of an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying or an act of cyberbullying,a procedure by which a person may request a school district to review the actions of a school in responding to a report of an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying or an act of cyberbullying or investigating such a report.

I applaud the effort, I look for the reliability of the school districts ability to do so with out the staff necessary. I don't think another administrator is the answer. I think smaller class sizes and more prep time to talk to students and identify their obstacles to learning is the answer. Allowing the teacher force to not be hobbled by budget cuts is the way to get to the bottom of this.
The Sherwood family is educating the state on the outcomes of bullying. I hope we take note and put our priorities on teachers, not on increasing administrator overhead.

Raising Cain: The Emotional Lives of Boys

2011-07-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

I just watched an amazing documentary in which Dr. Thompson explores the emotional lives of boys. He travels from suburbia to inner city and interviews boys and the adults around them to learn about how it is they become men, and what challenges they face in doing so. He compares societal expectations to actual scientific evidence, and explores why it is bullying happens. He looks at how other cultures teach nurturing, and how we do and don't. I was thoroughly impressed (and a little depressed) by his thorough exploration.

If you have a moment, a son, or a young man in your life please watch/read: http://www.pbs.org/opb/raisingcain/

"Over the Line?"

2011-07-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Are these situations "over the line"?

An online activity to help students consider and start a conversation about what is and isn't "crossing the line" into inappropriate.

http://www.athinline.org/overtheline

Parents, teachers, community member resources for educating yourself and helping students set up safe communities around themselves and online:

http://www.athinline.org/pages/parents-and-educators

Some resources:

A pledge to stop using or standing by while others use online resources to hurt others: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/dontstandbypromise.html

A free digital literacy and citizenship curriculum: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum

Cyber Bullying Facts and a Recent "Summitt"

2011-07-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

As a teacher I was often called on holiday breaks, weekends, and summers to address bullying issues with students. Mediating conversations between parents of different sudents it was difficult for some parents to relate to the complexity of social networking. Here are some facts that I hope will "bring home" the message:

A recent study done by Microsoft's Truthyworthy Computing division found that:

* 90% of parents are familiar with cyberbullying; 73% are either very or somewhat concerned about it.
* 2 in 5 parents report their child has been involved in a cyberbullying incident; 1 in 4 educators have been cyber-harassment victims.
* 73% of educators are familiar with the issue and 76% believe cyberbullying is a very or somewhat serious problem at their school.
* Educators consider cyberbullying (76%) as big an issue as smoking (75%) and drugs (75%).

Recently kids and adults spoke at a cyberbullying summit in Midtown.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20110719/midtown/kids-teach-parents-educators-about-cyberbullying-at-city-council-summit

Cyber Bullying

2011-06-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

One of my students just did a paper on the suicides that have been considered results of cyber bulling. These so called "facebook suicides" are a sad, serious, epidemic.

Cyberbullying is a 24-7 thing. There is never a safe moment for a victim of cyber bullying. No where to hide. Some examples of cyberbullying include sending hurtful, rude, or mean text messages to others, spreading rumors or lies about others by e-mail or on social networks, creating websites, videos or social media profiles that embarrass, humiliate, or make fun of others.

The bullied can react by skipping school, use alcohol and drugs, get poor grades, and have more health problems.

Stop bullying. Report users to facebook. Talk to teachers, administration. Get help.

Lesbian Teen Faces School Crowds

2011-06-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Desiree Shelton will walk to the stage to collect her high school diploma. It was a walk four months ago, though, that changed her forever, and maybe her school. More..

No More R Word

2011-05-29T22:23:00.000-07:00

"Not Acceptable" is a powerful and compelling 30 second television PSA which gives voice to a variety of diverse communities each of whom expresses that it is not acceptable to call them by what were once common words, but are now recognized as offensive slurs. It culminates in actress and self-advocate Lauren Potter from "Glee" stating that it is not acceptable to use the word 'retard' and she and "Glee" co-star Jane Lynch make a call to action to stop using the word and to promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and to make their pledge online at http://r-word.org.

The PSA was launched by the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, an on-going initiative from Special Olympics and Best Buddies to eradicate the derogatory use of the word "retard(ed)" from everyday use and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

"Not Acceptable" was executive produced by Jim Serpico and Tom Sellitti of New York based Apostle, and shot, produced and edited by Spot On Productions from City Island, NY.

The PSA is supported by several national advocacy organization including the Anti-Defamation League, Special Olympics, Best Buddies, GLAAD, The Hispanic Federation, National Puerto Rican Coalition, The Asian-American Foundation, AbilityPath.org and the NAACP.

*Comments are, as they are in all our videos, moderated for appropriateness. We welcome conversation and dissent, but will not allow comments that do not help move the conversation forward in a productive manner.

Bullying Survey

2011-05-14T19:19:00.003-07:00

Bullying surveys:
In our discussion about bullying, the novel we are reading, and the movie from teaching tolerance web site we'll be synthesizing data from the surveys to see how our school holds up to other schools. One of the biggest indications, according to the teaching tolerance publications, is the degree to which the staff and student perceptions are about the prevalence of bullying in their schools.

For students and community members:
Loading...

Bullying Survey

2011-05-14T19:19:00.001-07:00

Anti Bullying Video, soon to our classroom

2011-05-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

“This film is powerful, important and extremely realistic. It provides teachers with a rare opportunity to address bullying in a real and meaningful way.” -- Lee Cutler, Secretary/Treasurer, New York State United Teachers

Bullied is a documentary film that chronicles one student’s ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies and offers an inspiring message of hope to those fighting harassment today. It can become a cornerstone of anti-bullying efforts in middle and high schools.

Bullying by the Numbers

“The 411 of Bullying” (The George Washington University, Sept. 2004)
http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/226235.pdf

Of children in sixth through tenth grade, more than 3.2 million—nearly one in six—are victims of bullying each year, while 3.7 million bully other children (Fox, et al, 2003).
Research shows that half or more of all bullying can be prevented (Fox, et al, 2003).
Compared to their peers, kids who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed. Bullied boys are four times more likely to be suicidal; bullied girls are eight times more likely to be suicidal (Bullying Prevention is Crime Prevention, 2003).
A compilation of powerful statistics from a variety of organizations. Click here for the PDF version of this page.

GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey (2007)
www.glsen.org

9 in 10 (86.2%) LGBT students reported being bullied
More than half (60.8%) reported they felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation
32.7% of LGBT students missed a day of school because of feeling unsafe, compared to only 4.5% of a national sample* of secondary school students.
The reported grade point average of students who were more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than for students who were less often harassed (2.8 versus 2.4).    
In fact, nearly a third (31.1%) of the students who did report an incident said that school staff did nothing in response.

A viewers guide that will lead our discussion can be found here

High Schooler Beats off Attackers

2011-05-04T22:50:00.000-07:00

Scary, and a horrible experience... this teen survived it by beating her attackers with her band baton.

http://jezebel.com/#!5237392/teenage-girl-fights-off-two-attackers-with-her-baton+twirling-skills

It Gets Better - Message to Gay Teens

2011-05-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Asher Brown, continually bullied with no response from administrators, was harassed and bullied.

Billy Lucas, never identified as gay, was harassed for the perception of being gay.

Seth Walsh was harassed starting in fourth grade, and was told the world didn't need "anther queer".

Tyler Clemente was outed on the internet.

Zack Kerrington attended a city council meeting where speakers made disparaging remarks about gays.

All these young men succumbed to suicide.

In this video Joel Burns advocates that schools become a place where students can feel safe.

Why to teach video game programming

2011-05-04T22:23:00.001-07:00

Drop Out Rates: "The Silent Epidemic"

2011-03-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Why students drop out: Classes not interesting, expectations not high, lack of personal connection to a teacher, lack of opportunities to plug into a career path. Read more from student voices below:

Students polled by Bill and Melinda Gates funded research study say:

http://www.civicenterprises.net/pdfs/thesilentepidemic3-06.pdf

Should I maybe clean my room?

2011-02-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

So I think my students are telling me I need to clean my room.

Ted Talk Motivation

2011-02-02T13:24:00.001-08:00

Amazing talk about motivation, makes me think Trillium does it right!

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

Ted Talk Motivation

2011-02-02T11:01:00.000-08:00

Amazing talk about motivation, makes me think Trillium does it right!

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

2011-02-02T10:27:00.000-08:00

Already posted, here it is again

There are three assignments in this site, packet due 12/2, questions for helmets, and "using Ch. 6 packet". http://hanta.wikispaces.com/Physics+HW+Friction+and+Stopping

Missing work below

2011-02-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

Newton's Packet (Make Up Work) Printer isn't working, so:

Go to this site.

Do 6 pages, any of the 6 pages, from this page.

Fun With Paper

2011-01-18T20:34:00.000-08:00

Awesome Origami Film

Civil Discourse, Memorial in Tucson

2011-01-14T04:24:00.000-08:00

President Obama's Speech, Curriculum Regarding

At the recent memorial in Tucson President Obama made a speech at perhaps one of the bipartisan events. The memorial in Tucson was made to be a moment to reflect on embracing each other in civil discourse, in conversations that can help us understand each other. To help us see the perspective those of us who hold views different than ourselves. Not necessarily to change our own minds, but to perhaps help us understand where another person is coming from.

The following excerpt comes from the Teaching Tolerance Website:

Here’s one idea about how to proceed. Take this excerpt from the speech:

"But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized—at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do—it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds."

Words can heal or wound, Obama said. We began this essay by suggesting that they can shed light or generate heat. We can think of other comparisons—do we speak to convince others or to understand them? Do we want speeches that inspire hope or fear?

2010-12-30T21:35:00.000-08:00

(CNN) -- Nintendo is warning young children against playing 3-D video games on its upcoming handheld gaming system, the Nintendo 3DS.
Kids younger than 6 who play the 3-D games may have the growth of their eyes stunted, the company said in a statement on its Japanese website.
The warning notes that parents can turn off the 3-D functionality of the handheld 3DS. They can also set passwords that keep kids from using that feature.

Click here fore more

Repost - Physics HW

2010-12-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

Some of you were asking for study tools for the physics exam:

Motion Equations -
Problem Worksheet.... handwritten on top ("If done with packet and online")

I asked you to do 1-4, 9-24. On this page you'll see the answers are posted at the bottom.

Best of luck! Nina

Power to Study in Kenya

2010-12-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z35QOcQas4&playnext=1&list=PL50CB50D9103B63E1&index=8

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/12/24/science/earth/1248069478546/power-off-the-grid.html

FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHT NIGHT!

2010-12-18T23:33:00.001-08:00

Slide Show: Too Fun!

More information about open sparring: http://www.flickr.com/photos/modukpai/sets/72157625592121546/with/5262416555/

Quick "Check" on Acceleration/Distance Problems

2010-12-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

If you look at this here page, on the bottom, you will see an area where you can enter 3 variables and it will give you the answer for the 4th variable. It is a good way to check your work. Please do not let yourself fall intot he trap of letting it do your work for you.

http://tutor4physics.com/motion1d.htm
Also this page uses "u" for initial velocity. The sub text button is a little hard to negotiate in html (Finn will probably teach me how later and then I won't say that anymore).

Physics Jeopardy and Homework

2010-12-12T10:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry I was absent. I heard the sub did a great job, and Zoe did a better job, leading jeopardy. In case you missed it:

Jeopardy

Homework: Write your own multiple choice test

A long list of assignments of questions, and the test to study for retakes.

Article for Helmets Questions

All the best. Nina

Newton's Laws Internet Lesson Links

2010-11-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

Some of y'all are having a hard time with the links for the Newton's Laws Internet Lesson. Try these

Instead of http://oldsci......

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfadd/1150/04Nwtn/force.html

Instead of http://www.math-science.sfasu.edu

??? still workin on that one???

Instead of http://execpc.com/~culp/space/newton.html

Go to http://my.execpc.com/~culp/space/newton.html

******* Note, follow the links for an excellent explanation of acceleration.

Next page does work, does require you to look to the left where it says "Quiz 2" really small. www.ic.arizona.edu/~nats101/newton.html..cool page!.. ....
I would encourage you to read through all the links.

Instead of www.glenbrook.k12 go to http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/u2l1d.cfm

Here is the link: http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/u2l2c.cfm#3

Following that, practice on the same page free body diagrams. Free body diagrams are Fun! Click on this here if you want to learn more about the picture below....

All the best, sorry this was a pain and the links weren't stable. Oops.

Middle School Bullying

2010-11-09T12:47:00.001-08:00

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/multimedia/dynamic/00390/ChadBonincontri_390015e.jpg

Middle School Bullying. Good article on the trend, personal stories, and outlines a reason to care.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/scared-of-school-middle-school-bullying-a-disturbing-614429.html

Y'all need to make your own page!

2010-11-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Okay, another physics assignment. But really, y'all, someone needs to make a physics wiki or something. That being said a make up assignment for the pendulum assignment

http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/pendulum-lab/pendulum-lab_en.html

First, make a hypothesis. Change the same variable three or four different ways. Document in a data table and graph. Then... take that information and put it into a spreadsheet... open office, google doc, excel. etc. And graph.

Newton's Laws

2010-11-08T07:48:00.001-08:00

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceCILookingForNewton7HS.htm

Robot Competition

2010-11-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

. These showcases below are where teams demonstrate the skills they've learned and the robots they've built. They are formally competitions, however their is nothing competitive between teams. Mostly competing against yourself. "Can I do this" engineering innovations.

Benson High School Cafeteria. 11/20/10. 9:30-4

PSU Engineering department. 12/11/10 10-3:00
Maseeh College of Engineering. 1930 SW Fourth Avenue. Suite 500. Portland, Oregon 97201
Front lobby. GET OVER IT FIELD, tour of PSU robotics labs

There are four levels of competition with FIRST. The youngest group is Jr. First Lego League, then First Lego League, First Tech Challenge, and the FIRST competition. It's amazing to watch!

For more information go here:
http://www.ortop.org/ftc/ct.htm

Physics Formulas

2010-10-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Pendulum Lab Make Up

2010-10-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Do you have a timer on your phone? If so, good. Otherwise pull up a timer on the web. Put it in a different window. Open the link, observe the pendulum. choose which variable to change, mass or lengthy. Make a hypothesis on whether changing that variable with ______________(increase or decrease) the time it takes to swing back and forth two times. Make a data table on your own paper, test.

Cyberbullying Information Site

2010-10-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Cyber Bullying Information Site

My favorite suggestions:

Google yourself or your children to make sure other people aren't posting false information, threats, or pictures.

Keep private private: or "Keep your online information to a minimum:"
* How private is the message you are sending? Are you willing to have others read this message or forward it to others without your permission?

E-mails get misdelivered all the time. And sometimes the people we send them to share our communications with others without asking us first. (This includes logs of our chat room discussions and of instant messaging.) The courts allow others to read your e-mails under special circumstances. Don’t ever say anything in a cybercommunication you wouldn’t be willing to allow someone else to read. We always tell people not to say anything they wouldn’t write on a postcard they send through the mail. Sometimes when our friends get angry with us, they intentionally post our e-mails on public Web sites or send them to others. If you are going to share something very private, it’s best to use the phone or person-to-person communications (obviously only with people you know in real life).

When students apply for jobs or internships the recruiter will sometimes “Google them” first. We have seen many cases where old messages they posted when they were much younger and didn’t realize would turn up in an online search cost someone an internship position or a job. (It’s always a good idea to “Google yourself” regularly and make sure nothing turns up that you would be embarrassed about or that gives away personal information about you online.)

Physics Make Up: Stopping Distance Vs. Speed

2010-10-12T06:53:00.001-07:00

Physics Make Up Work

2010-10-12T06:41:00.001-07:00

THANKS FOR THE BEACH CLEAN UP EFFORTS!

2010-09-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

Do you know what that’s a picture of? It depicts the 426,000 cell phones that are retired in the US every day.

From: Think Beyond Plastic:
Most of our waste today is comprised of plastic. Plastic, which is made from petroleum, is a material that the Earth cannot digest. Every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists, except for a small amount that has been incinerated, releasing toxic chemicals.

In the ocean, plastic waste accumulates in swirling seas of debris, where plastic to sea life ratios are 6:1; where birds and mammals are dying of starvation and dehydration with bellies full of plastics; where fish are ingesting toxins at such a rate that soon they will no longer be safe to eat.

The largest of these garbage swills is known as the Pacific Gyre, or The Great Garbage Patch. It is roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco.

Headaches

2010-09-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share thishttp://trillium678.wikispaces.com/Headaches. The start of school often triggers headaches for students. Doctors point not to stress but sleep schedule disturbance.

Hopefully after reading this article students might consider helping students keep a regular sleep schedule, healthy breakfasts, and general healthiness.

Middle School Fiction

2010-09-06T04:59:00.000-07:00

Middle school fiction recommended to me: (With blurb that I DID NOT WRITE but extracted from http://www.englishjournal.colostate.edu/Extensions/BoldBooksExtEJ954.pdf.) I chose these books as they deal with empowerment, bullying, and finding an identity in adversity. I'm presently working my way through them but the recommendations were compelling and I'm sure the young people in our lives would enjoy/learn/finish. Most the times I'm shooting for students finishing a book but the other stuff is good too.

A story of a young woman's empowerment: (this is on my nightstand right now)
Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures
of Mary “Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy by L. A. Meyer
(New York: Harcourt, 2002). Another strong female
character, Jacky tackles the obstacles that life hands her
with great aplomb in grand adventures that speak to
the power in every grrrrrl.

An older more sophisticated Harry Potter:
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (New
York: Miramax, 2003). With more complex and satisfying
world building and more sophisticated heroes
and villains than those of the ever-popular Harry Potter
titles, this first book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy offers
nail-biting scenes certain to please fantasy fans of
both genders. (LB) Stroud is the best YA fantasy writer
of the early twenty-first century. Danger, action, mystery,
evil, and humor (and occasionally a lot of rain)
make these books fantastic fantasy. But the eloquent
vocabulary, vivid and melodic descriptions, significant
themes, and Orwellian overtones make Stroud’s trilogy

A great story that has a moral of "how we treat each other matters"
The Misfits by James Howe (New York: Atheneum,
2001). Middle schoolers will empathize with
four “misfits” who show that words can hurt more than
sticks and stones.

New Course Catalog, Home Visit Packets

2010-09-02T03:29:00.001-07:00

Home Visit Forms
New Course Catalog

Fighting Cancer with Dance

2010-08-24T08:10:00.001-07:00

Fighting for small changes

2010-08-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

Life science in prison: Nalini Nadkarni on TED.com

Solar Power, the individual harvester or the industrial harvesting of

2008-07-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Solar panels put on the top of the white house. What year do you think it is?.......
(reply with your guess, and your answer, and I will email you back the right answer)

Solar power:

Solar power is an expensive but amazing technology. And people are in love with it. Absolutely in love. So if everyone is in love with it, and ODOT can afford to put little collectors on the top of their signs.... why can't the general public go slap one on their roof?

It's expensive. The minerals and construction of a solar panel makes them unfeasible for most the marketplace. And power plants are now finding ways around them. The traditional model of a power plant using solar panels includes solar panels laid out in the desert somewhere, all attached and contributing to a grid.

The model which I've been studying and has got me excited is the parabolic mirror system that use water, mirrors, and the acompanying thousands of wires to provide electricity. They've created a model storage system, and they have the support of several different stations already set up.

It's diagramed here:
It's a promising system. This is in now way ever going to go on anyone's roof. But the idea is good. Solid and easy to promote. Rational. Here is a picture below.

Individual solar panels serve remote locations well. They serve isolated locations in small ways, they serve places like that arena in the Mojave desert (pictured above) well, but they are expensive. And require the use of batteries to store the energy if you need it later. Therefore individuals can't usually afford to invest in solar power, but the model above with the parabolic mirrors promises to bring the cost to the consumer down... through the electricity companies. So for example... their nascent technology which they are still developing would be able to provide electricity to the energy companies at an expense near that of traditional methods. Thus providing reasonable options.

Who will invest in this? If we all knew about it, and wrote our electricity companies in support, hopefully they will invest. I am so jealous of states with public utility companies

My Photo Shoot of Dumpster Art

2008-07-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

These pictures are of dumpster art found in Tromso Norway